CH 25

Ling Jia spoiled Yue Gu Zai since he was a boy.

Ling Jia was an unorthodox mum. She gave Yue Gu Zai anything he wanted as long as he didn’t ask her to kill or light anyone on fire. Which was why Yue Gu Zai didn’t experience what it meant to be jealous. He also had teacher and Louis spoiling him. Luckily he didn’t grow up to be a spoiled brat.

For years in Yue Gu Zai’s dictionary, jealousy didn’t exist. All he had to do was open his mouth, and he would get what he wanted. He wasn’t angry another man wanted to serenade his wife with a bouquet of roses. He was in a bad mood because his wife was distancing herself from him.

After the car stopped in front of their home, Yue Gu Zai silently got out of the car and left Zhen Zhen behind.

‘Is he angry?’ Zhen Zhen asked Bai Yu Tian softly.

Bai Yu Tian chivalrously opened the car door for Zhen Zhen.

‘Isn’t the answer obvious?’ Bai Yu Tian asked.

‘If you didn’t drive me here then I would be at my parents’ home,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘Boss would be angrier if I didn’t drive you here,’ Bai Yu Tian said.

Zhen Zhen sighed. She didn’t know why Yue Gu Zai was suddenly angry. Was it because of Ni Sheng’s failed deal? Or was it because Yue Gu Zai’s former gang member was a double agent and betrayed him? Of course she would be angry too if someone she trained and trusted betrayed her. But his former gang member’s betrayal had nothing to do with her. Why was he angry at her? Did he see her as his boxing bag?

Zhen Zhen walked into the bedroom, Yue Gu Zai was unbuttoning his shirt. She stood next to the bed and fiddled her fingers.

‘Honestly it’s normal for you to be angry,’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘It’s inevitable to come across greedy people who only care about their own self-interests.’

Zhen Zhen wanted to say a few comforting words to Yue Gu Zai, but he didn’t look like he appreciated her efforts. She wasn’t a sweet talker, but they lived together long enough for her to be used to his moods. Suddenly her head felt dizzy, she grabbed onto Yue Gu Zai and they fell on the bed. Her lower body was trapped underneath his spread legs, and she couldn’t move. His breath fluttered over her cheeks, and her hair hid his eyes that were engraved in her heart.

Zhen Zhen’s heart was beating fast, her body was sweating and she swallowed saliva. While Yue Gu Zai was looking into her oblivious eyes. He couldn’t believe she thought he was angry about a deal gone south.

‘You dummy woman,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

Yue Gu Zai let go of Zhen Zhen, stood and walked into the bathroom.

Zhen Zhen didn’t understand why he called her a dummy, and sat up on the bed confused.

‘Hey!’ Zhen Zhen said. ‘Explain what you meant by a dummy woman. Who’s a dummy woman? You’re the dummy, Mr Dummy.’

Zhen Zhen only heard the sounds of water running from the bathroom, and she wasn’t certain if he heard her. But she didn’t care if he heard her or not, she wanted to move back home.

Zhen Zhen opened the cupboard and pulled out a small luggage bag. Luckily she didn’t pack too many of her belongings when she moved into his home.

A photo album fell onto the floor. Zhen Zhen was curious what photos were inside so she opened the photo album. The photos were mostly of a young woman’s life photos from childhood to adulthood. There were two other men in some of the photos with the young woman. One of the men was Louis then young woman must be…

Yue Gu Zai walked out the bathroom. He was drying his hair and noticed Zhen Zhen was sitting on the ground browsing through photos. He draped the towel around his neck, picked up reports from the bedside table and sat on the bed.

‘Who’s this woman?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

‘My mum,’ Yue Gu Zai said and continued reviewing reports.

Zhen Zhen looked back and forth at the photos and Yue Gu Zai.

‘Liar,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘I look more like my dad,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

But Zhen Zhen didn’t think Yue Gu Zai looked remotely like his mum… Zhen Zhen thought about how she pictured what his mum would look like in the past. What gentle and beautiful woman? The woman in the photos didn’t look gentle at all. The woman liked to pinch Louis’ cheeks, had average looks and grabbed another person’s lollipop.

Zhen Zhen’s image of Yue Gu Zai was shattered.

Yue Gu Zai didn’t hear Zhen Zhen make a sound for half a day. He looked at her, she looked traumatized.

Zhen Zhen thought Louis looked handsome in the photos with Yue Gu Zai’s mum. Louis’ eyes were always focused on Yue Gu Zai’s mum and Zhen Zhen felt envious and thought Yue Gu Zai’s mum must be a blessed woman. But Yue Gu Zai’s mum didn’t pay attention to Prince Louis.

‘Louis must love your mum,’ Zhen Zhen said.

Yue Gu Zai didn’t deny the truth.

‘What about your mum?’ Zhen Zhen asked. ‘Does she love Louis?’

‘My mum only loves my dad,’ Yue Gu Zai said.

‘Your dad?’ Zhen Zhen asked.

Yue Gu Zai didn’t reply and Zhen Zhen didn’t pry it out of him.

‘Louis is a pitiful man,’ Zhen Zhen said.

‘You don’t need to pity him,’ Yue Gu Zai said. ‘It’s his choice to live that way.’

Zhen Zhen thought love was more complicated than bacteria. Her confused heart flew away after she saw a childhood photo of Yue Gu Zai. He was wearing a weird vintage white outfit, but he looked adorable.

‘Where did you get the bouquet of white roses?’ Zhen Zhen asked. ‘You look adorable in this photo.’

Yue Gu Zai put the reports on the bedside table. He got out of bed, grabbed the photo album out of Zhen Zhen’s hands and carried her to the bed.

Zhen Zhen felt like she was hypnotized by Yue Gu Zai, and she let him lay her on the bed. Afterward their bodies moved naturally like water flowing.

Yue Gu Zai was tossing his and Zhen Zhen’s clothes onto the abandoned photo album and luggage bag while she put aside her plans of running away.

***

End of Chapter Twenty-Five