Fog Returns to the Capital

Chapter 106 Can You Please Stop Treating Me Like This?
After a long silence.

Zhou Jinghuai called her gently as always, "Lili".

"let's talk."

"Besides leaving, what do you want?"

Li Wu looked at him; he still had that gentle and refined face, but now he seemed a little unfamiliar to her.

He knew all along, but he still insisted that she say it herself.

He's now using the same tactics he used on her, the ones he employed to manipulate others.

Li Wu felt as if a thousand-pound lead weight was pressing down on her chest, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

In fact, Li Wu really wanted to ask him one question—would you marry her?

Zhou Jinghuai, will you marry me?

But... I couldn't bring myself to ask.

If Li Wu hadn't come all these years alone, she might still have had the courage to ask that question.

Can be biased.

She is a person.

Li Wu knows what reality is, and she has experienced its cruelty. Therefore, having tasted the bitterness and sweetness of human nature, she knows that there are many things that often transcend love.

same.

She knows what is best for a person.

"No."

After a long silence, Li Wu replied softly, "I don't want anything, I just want to leave."

The words fell.

Zhou Jinghuai looked down at her, his eyes as deep as an ink sea. "Nothing?"

“Yes, no.” Li Wu repeated again, confirming once more.

But I still couldn't stop feeling sad.

A long silence followed.

Zhou Jinghuai stared intently into Li Wu's eyes with his dark gaze, and said in a low, deep voice, "Li Li, you don't even have the courage to say it out loud, what do you want me to do?"

At that moment, Li Wu wanted to cry.

But then she smiled again, her words obedient and without a trace of resentment, "But you've already made your choice, haven't you?"

Done.

Li Wu got up from the recliner. For the first time since the "cold war" lasted so many days, she took the initiative to hug Zhou Jinghuai. "Zhou Jinghuai, I understand your choice and I won't blame you."

"But, please let me leave."

After a long silence, Zhou Jinghuai, as usual, raised his hand and touched Li Wu's head, his deep voice falling into her ear.

Every word is gentle, yet every word is cold-hearted.

"Then there's nothing to talk about, Lili."

"At worst, we'll just wait it out like this."

"Don't worry, I have a lifetime to spend with you."

As Zhou Jinghuai finished speaking.

Li Wu's entire body gradually stiffened.

For a long time.

As Li Wu gazed at Zhou Jinghuai, traces of despair gradually seeped into her once beautiful and clear eyes.

Her voice was very low, so low that there was an obvious pleading in it, "Can you please stop treating me like this, Zhou Jinghuai?"

Let her stay and watch him get engaged to someone else.

She can't.

Zhou Jinghuai couldn't bear to look at Li Wu's expression. The usually gentle and composed man could hardly maintain the calmness in his voice at this moment, "I'm sorry, Li Li."

"I know I went too far, but I can't let you go."

Done.

Zhou Jinghuai lifted Li Wu from the custom-made recliner and carried her into the house, saying in a low voice, "It's getting cold outside, let's go inside."

Aren't you afraid I'll hate you?

Li Wu suddenly spoke up.

The words fell.

Zhou Jinghuai suddenly stopped in his tracks.

But in just a moment, he still carried Li Wu steadily forward, saying, "Then hate me, Li Li."

Zhou Jinghuai's voice was unusually calm, but he dared not look at Li Wu, "Only with love can there be hate."

Hear the words.

Li Wu closed her eyes, utterly disheartened. She didn't know what else to say to Zhou Jinghuai.

No matter what she says, he won't listen.

……

During that period, Li Wu and Zhou Jinghuai had very little communication.

When Zhou Jinghuai held her and bathed and washed her hair, Li Wu didn't exchange a single word with him.

It wasn't until Zhou Jinghuai dried Li Wu's hair and put her on the bed that Li Wu suddenly spoke, "I don't want to sleep with you."

Hear the words.

Zhou Jinghuai lowered his eyes and looked at Li Wu's fair and clean face after washing up. He couldn't help but lean down and kiss her. "I'll go get you some skincare products."

Zhou Jinghuai already knew what skincare products she used every night, and the order in which she used them.

Li Wu was very dissatisfied that Zhou Jinghuai ignored her words, and repeated, "I said I don't want to sleep with you."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jinghuai stared at her with his dark eyes and asked, "Why should I listen to you?"

"..."

Zhou Jinghuai spoke with such confidence that Li Wu couldn't help but widen her eyes and stare at him.

For a moment, he couldn't find any reason to refute him.

Zhou Jinghuai looked at Li Wu with deep, dark eyes.

When he spoke again, his tone was calm, yet somehow convincing: "If you agree to stay, I will naturally do whatever you say."

"..."

Li Wu kicked him in annoyance, turned around, and crawled into the covers herself. She deliberately turned her back to Zhou Jinghuai, and wrapped herself tightly in the covers, leaving him no space at all.

Zhou Jinghuai stood tall and elegant by the bed, looking at Li Wu's somewhat sullen back as she turned away from him, and couldn't help but smile.

But then, the faint smile in his eyes vanished without a trace.

How could he possibly let go of such a wonderful girl?

……

after a few days.

Seeing that Li Wu was bored alone in Yuqing Garden, Zhou Jinghuai took her to a gathering organized by his friends.

It's a golf club in the western suburbs. It's a private reservation system, open only to select VIP clients. It's maintained by professionals year-round, so even in winter, the grass remains lush and green. Further in the distance, you can see rolling mountains that stretch to the horizon.

Li Wu didn't go.

She sat on an outdoor chair, gazing silently at the distant, rolling mountains.

Zhou Jinghuai had specially arranged for someone to bring her favorite desserts and drinks, but Li Wu didn't touch them.

"Miss Li."

Li Wu was engrossed in watching when someone sat down next to her familiarly, speaking in a gentle voice, "Why are you here alone? Want to play together?"

"I don't want to go."

It must have been someone brought by Zhou Jinghuai's friend, but Li Wu was in a bad mood at the moment, so she responded perfunctorily and didn't even look at her.

"Miss Li, don't you recognize me?"

A cheerful female voice came from beside my ear.

Upon hearing this, Li Wu turned to look at her, just as she was about to look away.

Suddenly stopped.

Despite the dead of winter, the woman was still wearing a silver strapless dress, with bright red lips and long chestnut hair casually draped over her shoulders.

She was completely different from the pathetic figure she was that day in the private room, kneeling on the floor pouring drinks for the man.

A newly appointed host from the Central Taiwan Broadcasting Corporation.

A recent intangible cultural heritage program hosted by her has achieved high viewership ratings.

"..."

The woman continued to look at her with a smile.

Li Wuxin suddenly stiffened, then abruptly turned her head away, no longer looking at her.

"Excuse me, I'm a little thirsty," the woman said very kindly. "I see your juice hasn't been touched yet, may I have a sip?"

Li Wu didn't remember how she agreed, but the woman whispered those words into her ear while drinking water.

Li Wu's heart suddenly stopped beating for a moment.

In less than a second, Li Wu looked at her.

"Thank you."

The woman smiled as she stood up and placed the glass, which was half-empty with juice, back on the table.

A few seconds later.

Li Wu turned her head to look at the scene again, the words the woman had drawn on the table with her finger replaying in her mind, her heart beating faster than ever before.