Fog Returns to the Capital

Chapter 24 is available for reading anytime you like.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou, I'm sorry to have bothered you..."

Li Wu's slender and frail figure looked somewhat disheveled, and she wanted to leave this place immediately.

"Dawn Mist".

But just as Li Wu turned around, Zhou Jinghuai suddenly spoke and called out to her.

"Mr. Zhou, is there anything else?"

Li Wu tried her best to keep her voice steady, making it sound normal.

Don't you want to get to know her?

The flickering light and shadow outside the car window swept across half of Zhou Jinghuai's profile. His gentle, profound features were captivating.

His unhurried demeanor, consistent over the past decade, made his calm and measured tone resonate like each word striking Li Wu's heart.

And every word is clear.

"Zhou Lingxi, my elder brother's daughter."

Zhou Lingxi, my eldest brother's daughter.

He subconsciously repeated Zhou Jinghuai's words in his mind, and then realized the meaning behind them.

Li Wu's face showed a look of astonishment.

"That young girl...is she your niece?"

Li Wu hurriedly turned around, her voice trembling with shock and undisguised astonishment.

"Do not believe?"

Zhou Jinghuai's calm and quiet gaze fell into Li Wu's still slightly red eyes, his voice deep and resonant.

"No, it's not..."

As if afraid that Zhou Jinghuai wouldn't believe her, Li Wu quickly denied it, her clear voice filled with sincerity, "Of course I believe what you say."

A person like him would never stoop to lying.

not to mention.

There was absolutely no need for her to lie.

But, after saying that...

Li Wu stared intently at Zhou Jinghuai with her slightly reddened eyes.

Deep in his eyes, there was embarrassment, unease, and also a tiny, faint glimmer of hope.

Li Wu is truly beautiful, not just in appearance, but in her exceptional bone structure. Even though she still looks a bit immature, she is still a stunning beauty that will leave a lasting impression.

But rather.

Zhou Jinghuai asked her, "Is there anything else?"

In an instant.

The faint glimmer of light in Li Wu's eyes vanished instantly. That last bit of hope also disappeared completely.

It was quiet for a while.

Li Wu lowered her head, making it impossible to see the emotions in her eyes.

She sounded as if she had suffered a great injustice, but dared not vent it, only saying in a low, muffled voice, "You...you...you did this to me once before..."

Whether it was because Li Wu was embarrassed or because her voice was too soft, there was a word in the middle that was so faint that it was almost impossible to hear what she was saying.

But somehow...

Zhou Jinghuai actually knew what she was talking about.

It quieted down.

Zhou Jinghuai looked at Li Wu, his gaze deep and unreadable.

His deep, gentle tone was like the crescent moon hanging in the sky on a snowy night—clear, bright, and silently showering her with moonlight.

"Then do you want to kiss me back?"

……

Li Wu got into Zhou Jinghuai's car.

The car drove silently through the bustling and dazzling city, passing through street after street. The light and shadow flickered, and the road ahead was unknown.

Finally, as the car turned the corner and headed onto another road.

Li Wu's life seemed to take a turn there, and from then on, everything changed dramatically.

after an hour.

A black sedan drove into a low-key yet luxurious upscale residential area. Just by looking at the security guards stationed every few meters along the road, one could tell they were no ordinary security guards.

The car drove directly into the towering building and stopped in the car elevator. Blue light automatically scanned and identified the vehicle, and the elevator slowly ascended, finally stopping on the top floor.

Li Wu had never seen anything like this before. After getting off the car, she looked back as she walked behind Zhou Jinghuai.

Zhou Jinghuai unlocked the door with his fingerprint.

The lights automatically turn on wherever it goes.

It is a super large single-level apartment.

The overall layout is minimalist Italian style, with intelligent interior design, high-end and simple yet stylish.

Looking out from the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows, the lights of the entire city stretch out before you, like stars in the sky, endlessly twinkling, resembling a cosmic sea of ​​stars.

It is bustling, magnificent, and dazzling, with a kind of dreamlike prosperity.

Li Wu just thought it was so beautiful, she had the illusion of watching fireworks bloom all over the city.

"Like it?"

A deep, gentle voice suddenly rang out above Li Wu's head.

Zhou Jinghuai appeared behind Li Wu without anyone noticing.

The crisp, delicate scent filled her nostrils, and Li Wu's heart skipped a beat.

She nodded, but then, afraid that Zhou Jinghuai might not have seen it, she spoke up softly, "So beautiful, I've never seen anything like it before."

It's like standing at the highest point, looking down on everything in the world.

But when Li Wu turned around and saw Zhou Jinghuai's gentle and refined face, she felt that even the most dreamlike and prosperous world couldn't compare to him.

Zhou Jinghuai remained calm and composed, giving a soft "hmm".

He then added, "You can watch it anytime if you like."

The words fell.

Li Wu froze.

She looked up at him, her beautiful, clear eyes filled with a hint of bewilderment.

But Zhou Jinghuai didn't seem inclined to explain; he simply asked, "What would you like to drink?"

“…Anything is fine.” Li Wu was a little reserved and nervous, and her voice was noticeably unsteady.

Actually, she doesn't care what she drinks at all right now.

Just standing here, in front of Zhou Jinghuai, she felt completely lost and out of place.

Zhou Jinghuai poured her a glass of water.

A transparent glass.

As Ke Liwu watched the water gently swaying in the glass, she surprisingly found the glass itself quite beautiful.

Zhou Jinghuai sat down on the sofa. Indoors, he was only wearing a simple white shirt and black trousers, unlike the elegant and dignified person he was usually seen with.

Under the pale white light, there is a sense of serene tranquility.

Li Wu's heart started racing for no reason.

She realized she couldn't look any longer, so she lowered her head slightly and unconsciously clenched the cup in her hand.

"Are you nervous?"

Zhou Jinghuai looked at her and said calmly.

"No one would be nervous being with you..."

Although that's what she said, Li Wu didn't even dare to use a questioning tone.

Seemingly finding her words amusing, Zhou Jinghuai slightly curled his lips, his tone relaxed and casual, "Actually, there are still many."

Li Wu had doubts about his statement that "there are many".

But inexplicable.

The tension in her heart dissipated considerably, and her tone gradually became lighter, "Do you usually live here?"

It was spacious and clean.

It doesn't look like someone who lives there regularly.

"Occasionally."

Zhou Jinghuai's voice was clear and indifferent. "If I work too late, I'll come over to stay." Basically, it's when there's some emergency that he has to give the order immediately.

Hear the words.

Li Wu, however, seemed to have heard something extraordinary, her tone filled with undisguised amazement, "So someone like you also works overtime..."

Zhou Jinghuai chuckled. "What do you mean by someone like me?"

His tone was low and languid, as if he were just asking a casual question in response to what she said.

Li Wu was suddenly startled, and with a hint of fear.

She wasn't good at it, and in fact, she hadn't dealt with this kind of person much. She was afraid that she might accidentally touch something she shouldn't.

He paused for a moment.

Li Wucai chose a more tactful way of putting it, "It's just... it's just that everyone I've ever met, no matter how high their status or how rich they are, has to greet you when they see you."

"Greeting someone is just basic courtesy," Zhou Jinghuai simply said.

But their attitude was extremely respectful; when they nodded and bowed, their upper bodies almost bent over. And without exception.

of course.

After he said that, Li Wu naturally didn't dare to ask any further questions.

This is also the most basic courtesy.

After chatting for a while, Li Wu started talking about her own things as if it were a natural thing, even though Zhou Jinghuai never asked a single question.

She said that she came to Beijing to escape—

“My family lives in a very remote town in the south. My father died in the line of duty when I was very young.”

"My mother remarried, and things were alright at first. But after that man became an alcoholic, he would often... often beat my mother, using whatever was at hand to hit her... there would be blood everywhere..."

later.

Later, Li Wu's mother couldn't take it anymore, and one night while she was asleep, her mother quietly left.

never came back.

Li Wu was a burden he brought along; she wasn't related to the man by blood. Perhaps because she was too young, the man didn't hit her, but he made her do a lot of work.

Occasionally, she was forced to work outside, and the money she earned had to be handed over to him in full when she returned. Not long after, that man remarried. And ever since his wife gave birth to a son, Li Wu had even more work to do.

Fortunately, Li Wu had been the top student in her grade since the beginning of the school year, consistently achieving perfect scores in every subject.

It was only because the school leaders wanted to improve the town's college entrance rate, and also because her father died in the line of duty, that she was able to continue her education.

Later, in the second semester of her junior year of high school, the man received a bride price of 30,000 yuan. He was just waiting for Li Wu to come of age so he could sell her to that man in their town—who had suffered brain damage from a high fever he didn't receive treatment for as a child—so that his family could continue their lineage.

That very night, after overhearing them discussing whether to raise the price further, Li Wu escaped.

after that.

After many twists and turns and a long and arduous journey, Li Wu finally arrived in Beijing...

……

After stammering through her words, Li Wu lowered her head.

She would always unconsciously lower her head in his presence.

(End of this chapter)