Beijing-Hong Kong Rosemary

Chapter 222 Yu Wanqiu × Zhou Chongli (6)

The child is gone, and Yu Wanqiu wakes up from her sleep in shock.

Beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

That feeling of panic and suffocation lingered in my chest, refusing to go away.

She stared blankly at a certain spot.

After a while, the cell phone suddenly rang.

Yu Wanqiu blinked, took a deep breath, and picked up her phone to answer the call.

The caller was from an unfamiliar number, and the staff member spoke in a mechanical tone, "Ms. Yu, I'm sorry, there's a small problem with your application. The review process may take up to a month."

Yu Wanqiu gripped her phone tightly. "Why?"

The staff member seemed a bit embarrassed. "This is a regulation from above. I'm just following the instructions. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Yu Wanqiu said no more and hung up the phone.

Besides Zhou Chongli, who else has such methods and abilities?

No, she didn't want to go back to him, didn't want to live the same life as before, like a dodder vine, living without a sense of self.

She only learned to love herself after leaving Zhou Chongli.

There are many other sights to see and many other things to do in this world besides love, and she will never repeat the same mistake.

Zhou Chongli called five days later.

It's not surprising that he knew her contact information.

A deep, cool voice came through the receiver as he asked, "Have you made up your mind? Wanwan."

It's been so long since I've heard that title.

In the past, when passion was running high in bed, such intimate terms of address could give people the illusion that they were whispering affectionately between lovers.

But Yu Wanqiu was unmoved. After a moment of silence, she spoke up: "Can we meet and talk?"

Zhou Chongli was a little surprised. "Of course, I'll send someone to pick you up."

Yu Wanqiu refused, "No need, just send me the address."

After saying that, she hung up the phone.
-
Zhou Chongli chose an afternoon tea restaurant whose signature desserts were once Yu Wanqiu's favorite.

They changed their signboard four years ago, and this dessert is no longer sold.

When Yu Wanqiu arrived, a fruit pudding tart had already been ordered and placed on the table. It was beautifully presented, with a sweet and fragrant color, just as she remembered.

Zhou Chongli was sitting by the window. When he saw her come in, he stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.

Yu Wanqiu took off her shoulder bag and sat down opposite him.

Zhou Chongli opened the menu and pushed it in front of her, saying, "What would you like to drink? Order for yourself."

Without looking, she directly said to the waiter next to her, "I'd like a cup of espresso, with milk but no sugar."

I didn't nap at noon and am feeling a bit sleepy; I need some coffee to perk me up. The waiter nodded, "Okay, Mr. Zhou, what would you like to drink?"

Zhou Chongli said calmly, "American style."

"Okay, please wait a moment." The waiter left the private room and closed the door behind him.

Zhou Chongli's gaze remained fixed on Yu Wanqiu's face. "I remember you never used to drink concentrated drinks."

She dislikes bitterness, so she only drinks mocha coffee, and it must have sugar added.

Yu Wanqiu looked up and met his gaze for a moment. "People always change, especially after five years."

There is another layer of meaning in his words.

Zhou Chongli didn't respond to that question and went straight to the point, "What's your consideration?"

Yu Wanqiu felt only sarcasm as she listened, "You're not considering my feelings, you're forcing me."

Zhou Chongli's eyes darkened. "If I hadn't forced you, why would you have come back to me?"

Yu Wanqiu clenched her fingertips, leaving nail marks on her palms. "There are plenty of women who admire and pursue you, and many of them are more obedient, beautiful, and capable than me. Why do you insist on having someone who doesn't love you by your side? Is it because of your possessiveness?"

She paused, then put it more bluntly, "What belongs to you, even if you lose it, shouldn't be given to someone else, right?"

The piercing question pierced through my eardrums.

“I didn’t think that way.” Zhou Chongli’s throat tightened, and his voice became slightly hoarse. “I’ve tried. I don’t accept anyone else around except you.”

There were indeed many women with better conditions than Yu Wanqiu, but none of them were her.

If he had understood his own heart sooner, he wouldn't be in this situation today.

Ultimately, it was all his doing.

"Do you even believe that yourself?" Yu Wanqiu's eyes remained completely calm. "What difference does it make to you who's by your side? Don't tell me you won't develop feelings for anyone."

Does someone who never had a heart before suddenly develop one after being separated for five years?
"Why would I go through all this trouble to find you for five years if I had no feelings for you?" Zhou Chongli couldn't argue. "I know you won't believe anything I say."

The mistake had already been made; all he wanted was a chance to make amends. "Let's start over. Whatever you want, I can give you."

Yu Wanqiu couldn't help but raise her voice, "I just want you to stay away from me and not disturb my life!"

Zhou Chongli's eyes darkened. "Apart from this, I can agree to anything you ask for."

Yu Wanqiu was unable to communicate with him.

There is no room for negotiation except for compromise.

"If I break up with Shi Yang, will you let him go?"

Zhou Chongli nodded. "Of course."

Yu Wanqiu closed her eyes, a dull pain shooting through her chest. "Fine, I will break up with him."

Perhaps, she was destined not to be loved and not to have happiness in this life.