CHAPTER 315: CHAPTER 288: ESTRANGEMENT

Qin Rui lay on the ground, completely unable to move.

Qin Xia was held by Chu Zhengran, staring blankly at Qin Rui, who was lying on the ground, filthy and twitching.

After a while, she pulled away Chu Zhengran’s hand from her waist, moved a step to the side, and looked at Gu Yanjing, "Mr. Gu, you can deal with him as you wish."

"Hmm." Gu Yanjing responded lightly.

Qin Xia gently exhaled, then looked at Qiao Yuxian and said, "I’m going back first."

Qiao Yuxian saw her red-rimmed eyes, her lips moved slightly but said nothing.

After speaking, Qin Xia did not look at Chu Zhengran, nor did she look at Qin Rui again, and left directly.

She patted Liu Zhou on the shoulder at the door and left.

Qin Rui lay on the ground, barely opening his eyes to watch her back. Only after she left did he close his eyes again.

Qiao Yuxian, seeing her leaving, instinctively wanted to chase after her.

But she was held back by Gu Yanjing.

Qiao Yuxian looked at him, frowning slightly, just as she was about to pull her hand away, Chu Zhengran went out.

She watched Chu Zhengran’s back.

Paused for a moment, stopped her steps, and didn’t move.

Qin Xia’s driver was waiting outside Jingyu Garden. She left the basement and walked straight out.

Chu Zhengran followed behind her.

The two walked to a garden area, where Qin Xia suddenly stopped and looked at Chu Zhengran.

Chu Zhengran also stopped.

Qin Xia’s face looked terrible, and her red eyes seemed excessively reddened, almost pathologically so.

But she looked at Chu Zhengran and gave a polite smile, saying, "Mr. Chu, you needn’t worry. I’m fine, and I won’t do anything foolish."

The courteous yet distant tone seemed as if she wanted to immediately push Chu Zhengran away, to push him far.

Chu Zhengran’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Qin Xia continued, "I have an event out of town tonight. I need to head there now, so please, Mr. Chu, stay here."

Chu Zhengran looked at her without moving.

Qin Xia added, "Please pass on to my family, Xian, that I’m fine, and not to worry about me."

Chu Zhengran didn’t speak but abruptly stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and walked out.

Qin Xia was led by him for several steps and then struggled, "What are you doing?"

Chu Zhengran didn’t speak, continuing to lead her forward.

Qin Xia said, "Let me go."

Chu Zhengran just kept leading her forward.

Qin Xia struggled a couple more times but didn’t break free, so she allowed him to pull her along.

Chu Zhengran led her to his car, pushing her into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt. He quickly moved to the driver’s seat, fastened his seatbelt, and started the car, driving out of Jingyu Garden.

"Address." Chu Zhengran said.

"What?" Qin Xia looked at him, confused.

"The address of tonight’s event." Chu Zhengran asked coldly.

Qin Xia looked at him, then lowered her head, speaking softly, "There’s no work."

Chu Zhengran glanced at her.

That glance could almost bite.

Qin Xia lowered her head and added, "Just find a hotel nearby and drop me off."

Chu Zhengran ignored her.

"I brought my ID." Qin Xia added.

Chu Zhengran still ignored her.

Qin Xia waited for a while, seeing he didn’t speak, she lifted her eyes to look at him, "Didn’t you hear me? It’s quite impolite to ignore someone."

Chu Zhengran turned his head slightly to look at her.

Seeing her red eyes, he paused and said, "I heard."

Qin Xia didn’t speak again, keeping her head down, her thumb tracing a scar on her forefinger.

She kept her head down all the way, not speaking, until the car stopped, and she looked outside.

She found it was Chu Zhengran’s place.

She was stunned, looked at Chu Zhengran, paused, and said, "Didn’t I say a hotel. Didn’t you say you heard?"

"I heard, but I didn’t agree." Chu Zhengran said, getting out of the car.

Leaving Qin Xia in the car, looking bewildered.

Chu Zhengran walked to Qin Xia’s side, opened the car door, unbuckled her seatbelt, and brought her out of the car.

Qin Xia followed him into the villa.

After changing shoes, Qin Xia entered the living room, looking at everything familiar inside, she suddenly couldn’t hold herself together.

Back then, she was taken by Qiao Yuxian from the Qin Family, getting some injuries.

During her recovery, the Qin Family always had people hunting her.

So the first thing she did after healing was to break up with Chu Zhengran.

She was afraid of implicating Chu Zhengran.

After the breakup, with Qiao Yuxian’s help, she dealt with almost everything with the Qin Family, cutting off those pursuing her.

Once everything was settled, more than a year had passed. She tried calling Chu Zhengran.

But that phone number didn’t connect.

So she went to their shared house.

When she went, she didn’t see Chu Zhengran, but she met his mother.

It was her first contact with his family, also the first time she understood what the name Chu Zhengran meant.

The sole heir of the Chu Family in Capital City.

The relationship was too free-spirited; they had never been honest about their identities to each other, nor asked.

Back then, between the two of them, there was only "love."

Freedom, passionate, open, bold.

But many things eventually have to face reality.

She fulfilled her promise, never reaching out to Chu Zhengran again.

But as time went by, with the person always in front of her, a slight hope inevitably grew.

Yet today, Qin Rui shattered her last bit of fantasy.

She truly considered keeping her distance from Chu Zhengran, but now, seeing everything familiar in the living room, she wanted to sink herself here, even just for a moment.

Chu Zhengran changed his shoes and entered the living room, seeing her standing there, head down, one hand covering her eyes.

He watched her for a while, then stepped forward, placing his hand on the back of her head, bringing her forward, letting her lean into his embrace.

Qin Xia’s head rested on his shoulder, and soon, a low sobbing sound emerged.

Chu Zhengran stroked her head, sighing softly.

Qin Xia cried for a long time, the sound suppressed, full of grievance and pain...

Chu Zhengran didn’t speak, just stroked her head, staying with her.

When Qin Xia had cried enough, she pulled away from him.

Chu Zhengran handed her a handkerchief from his pocket.

Qin Xia took it, wiped her tears and nose, and said, "Can you take me somewhere else? I don’t want to stay here."

"No." Chu Zhengran could guess why she didn’t want to stay, so he refused bluntly.

"I really don’t want to stay here." Qin Xia looked at him.

Chu Zhengran looked at her swollen eyes from crying, and the pink spreading from her face to her neck. After a while, he finally relented, "Where to?"

"A hotel." Qin Xia’s voice was heavy with nasal congestion, "Anywhere is fine."

"Why not go home?" Chu Zhengran asked.

"I don’t want to go back." Qin Xia replied.

"Let’s go." Chu Zhengran said.

Qin Xia followed him.

As they reached outside, Qin Xia added, "I cried so much I got a bit muddle-headed. I can call a car myself."

Chu Zhengran’s expression turned colder.

Qin Xia looked at him, and after a few seconds, she suddenly said, "Could you not be so irritable."

Chu Zhengran always seemed like a naturally gentle person, a true gentleman, someone whose emotions were very stable.

But when facing Qin Xia, he seemed unable to control his emotions.

"Then could you provoke me a little less?" Chu Zhengran replied.

"When did I provoke you?" Qin Xia reflexively rebutted.

Chu Zhengran looked at her.

Qin Xia lowered her head and said nothing.

"Get in the car." Chu Zhengran opened the car door.

Qin Xia got into the car...