CHAPTER 492: CHAPTER 438 NEVER COME BACK IF YOU DARE

Zhuo Yuqing heard the sound of a car engine outside. She leaned over the second-floor window and looked down, just in time to see Bai Chengxi’s car leaving the complex. She could hardly believe that Bai Chengxi had run off without even entering the house.

Zhuo Yuqing angrily slapped the window: "Bai Chengxi, if you have the guts, don’t come back! Think you’re all that?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. In the end, she went downstairs and locked the door from the inside, even hanging the security chain for good measure.

"Madam, why did you suddenly lock the door?" Auntie Tian hadn’t expected her to come back so suddenly and hadn’t prepared lunch, just serving herself a bowl of noodles when she walked out.

"Auntie Tian." Zhuo Yuqing walked over and took Auntie Tian’s hand, speaking appeasingly, "Are you on the same page as me?"

Auntie Tian couldn’t help but smile, "Madam, just tell me what’s the matter?"

"Auntie Tian, do not open the door for Bai Chengxi today. Pretend you were asleep and didn’t hear anything." Zhuo Yuqing felt a bellyful of anger whenever she mentioned Bai Chengxi’s name. That man was simply the patriarch of pettiness—extremely petty. He likes to get angry, doesn’t he? Well, who can’t get angry?

Auntie Tian could tell that this was just a lovers’ tiff. Being an outsider, it certainly wasn’t her place to intervene. She said with a laugh, "Alright, alright, I’ll sleep like the dead, won’t hear a thing."

"You’re the best, Auntie Tian. I’ll go up and get some sleep then."

"Madam, aren’t you going to eat something? I’ll make you something right now," Auntie Tian called out hurriedly.

Zhuo Yuqing had already stepped onto the staircase and waved her hand, "No need, thank you, Auntie Tian."

Auntie Tian glanced at the locked door and silently felt a pang of concern for Bai Chengxi. This was a clear signal of locking him out.

After driving around outside, Bai Chengxi had calmed down quite a bit. Upon reflection, he realized that he was being unreasonable. She had already apologized to him in a low voice, yet here he was, still sulking. Back when he was with Su Yingluo, even seeing her acting with other men didn’t evoke this feeling in him. It felt like someone was coveting what he cherished the most; it was uncomfortable.

Having driven around for a few more laps, Bai Chengxi parked on the roadside. He took out his phone and decided to call Zhuo Yuqing. He figured that as the man, he should apologize first; he had overreacted today.

Just as he was about to dial, a red sports car pulled up beside his car, and Su Yingluo stepped out from the opened door.

"Chengxi," Su Yingluo said with surprise, looking at him, "I didn’t expect it really was you. I saw a Bentley that looked like your car, so I followed it here."

Bai Chengxi put down his phone and cast a cold glance at her, "What is it?"

This distant attitude hurt Su Yingluo deeply, but she still put on a pleasant expression: "Chengxi, have you eaten? I know a good private restaurant that should suit your taste. Want to go try it?"

Bai Chengxi leaned his arm on the car window, scoffing, "What kind of taste do I like? Are you sure you still understand now?"

Su Yingluo’s face went pale, stifled by Bai Chengxi’s response. It was as if he was literally rubbing salt into her wound.

"Miss Su, I’ve made myself very clear. I want nothing to do with you anymore. In the future, please address me as Mr. Bai or President Bai. I don’t want my wife to misunderstand. If you think I haven’t made myself clear enough, I suggest you not do something more ruthless to make you understand," Bai Chengxi flicked the cigarette ash from his fingers, "To me, you’re just a passerby."

Staggered by his words, Su Yingluo almost lost her balance. A passerby? They had been intimate partners, and now she was nothing but an insignificant stranger in his eyes. The vast difference between heaven and earth made it impossible for Su Yingluo to accept.

"Chengxi," she rushed over and leaned on the car window, her hands gripping his arm tightly, "Chengxi, don’t be like this. Let’s get out of the car and talk seriously, shall we?"

"Miss Su, I have nothing to discuss with you, please move aside," Bai Chengxi looked down at her hand on his arm, his eyes conveying a look of disdain.

Su Yingluo, prideful as she was, inevitably withdrew her hands under his gaze. It seemed like she had exhausted all her humility in her lifetime on him.

Bai Chengxi did not look at her again and started the car, speeding away. The wind from the car’s passage forced Su Yingluo to retreat a few steps. She watched the direction he drove off in, clenching her fists in unwillingness.

The man she had loved deeply for so many years—how could she just let go? She firmly believed that he was only confused by that little reporter for now, not knowing what kind of love potion he was given to marry her. No matter what feelings they had, how could it outweigh the twenty years between him and her?

~

Bai Chengxi was about to reach home when he called Zhuo Yuqing, but a prompt told him that the recipient’s phone was turned off.

"Playing hard to get, shutting off your phone," Bai Chengxi tapped the steering wheel with his phone, just as a call came in. It was from his assistant.

"Mr. Bai, Qi Shen got into a drunken brawl last night and was caught on camera." Qi Shen is the top star of Xingdong, and the only one who could compete with Xi Yang for the Best Actor award at the Jinghua Awards. If his negative news breaks out now, he can definitely kiss the award goodbye.

Bai Chengxi realized the seriousness of the situation and said with a stern face, "I know. Have him come back to the company."

This Qi Shen, really causing trouble for him. It seems he’s been too lenient and indulgent with these people lately.

Bai Chengxi had reached downstairs and glanced upstairs, guessing that Zhuo Yuqing was probably taking a nap,

Bai Chengxi watched for a while, then turned the car around and headed back to the company.

Yuqing pulled at the toy’s face and scolded, "Bai Chengxi, if you have the guts, don’t come back. I’m angry, really angry."

Zhuo Yuqing huffed, tossed the toy aside, covered her head with the blanket, and went to sleep.

It was already nine o’clock in the evening by the time Bai Chengxi had dealt with Qi Shen’s drunken fight. Meanwhile, he had called Zhuo Yuqing’s phone several times to find it switched off. After calling the housekeeper who told him Zhuo Yuqing was sleeping upstairs, he continued working at ease.

The Qi Shen incident was definitely not as simple as it seemed on the surface. He has always been cautious and especially careful before the Jinghua Awards, fearful of any trouble arising.

According to him, he was only drinking one bottle of red wine with his friends, which was not enough to get Qi Shen drunk.

He later suspected that someone had drugged his wine, and as soon as he stepped out, those who picked the fight with him were provocateurs. Influenced by the alcohol, his mind lost control, and he got into a fight. Coincidentally, or rather too conveniently, paparazzi caught it all on camera, suggesting that it might have been a setup.

Therefore, the issue wasn’t so easy for Bai Chengxi to handle; smoothing over various relationships took a lot of time, but eventually, he managed to suppress the news temporarily, with no media coverage.

By the time Bai Chengxi drove back home it was almost eleven o’clock. On the way, he drove fast, feeling an urgent desire to return home. He even stopped at a fishball stall and bought a portion of curry fishballs to have as a late-night snack with Zhuo Yuqing.

When Bai Chengxi parked the car steadily and walked up to the front door to unlock it, the key turned in the lock without opening it. He tried a few more times, but it wouldn’t budge, as if it was locked from the inside.

Bai Chengxi had no choice but to press the doorbell, but there was no response even after a long while. The housekeeper was a light sleeper, she couldn’t have missed it. Moreover, she wouldn’t lock the door from the inside knowing he wasn’t home yet.

Without much thought, Bai Chengxi knew it was Zhuo Yuqing who had locked the door.

He couldn’t help a wry smile of resignation; was she giving him the silent treatment, locking him out in the middle of the night?

Zhuo Yuqing had already taken a nap and was annoyed to find out Bai Chengxi hadn’t returned yet. She grabbed her phone, checked the time, and pouted angrily.

"If you dare, never come back, you stingy man." She covered her face with a pillow, ready to sleep again, when suddenly she heard some rustling noise near the window. She got up to check and saw the curtains fluttering and a slender shadow moving behind them.

In the dead of night, like a scene from a horror show, Zhuo Yuqing reflexively grabbed a toy and hurled it towards the sound.

Bai Chengxi, who had just climbed up, didn’t expect to be hit by an object. His hand slipped, nearly falling down again, but luckily, he reacted swiftly and caught onto the window sill in time.

Seeing the shadow stop moving, Zhuo Yuqing mustered her courage, pulled the curtains aside with a swift tug,

and when she saw Bai Chengxi sitting on the windowsill, she

froze for a moment and then, without another word, turned and walked away.

Bai Chengxi quickly jumped down from the windowsill, "Why is the door locked from the inside?"

As if Zhuo Yuqing hadn’t heard him, she went to the bed, picked up a blanket and threw it at him: "Go sleep in the guest room."

Hit by a toy and now by a blanket, Bai Chengxi was caught between laughter and tears, "I’m not going to the guest room."

Zhuo Yuqing’s face was stern, she gazed at him intently for a good while, then took the blanket from his arms. Bai Chengxi felt a spark of hope, thinking that he wouldn’t have to sleep in the guest room, only to hear Zhuo Yuqing say, "Then I will."

She said it angrily and walked away, only to be lifted up by Bai Chengxi from behind after a few steps: "Come on, no need for the guest room."