Chapter 268 - A Call from Lu Yin Ze

The two continued to bicker with each other. Xiong Zhi watched them at the side feeling amused. The pair's relationship was clearly going on the right way. They were now even openly flirting.

She tore her gaze away from the dog food and met Tang Xinyang's questioning eyes. She just stared at her directly wondering what those eyes meant for.

Tang Xinyang was waiting for Xiong Zhi's short explanation of why their dear friend left them and jumped into another's arms. However, she did not hear anything from her so she thickened her face and looked pointedly at Song Xuantin while asking questions.

"Is that her man?" 

Xiong Zhi nodded. "Yes."

"Oh." Tang Xinyang nodded in understanding. Then she peeked at Xiong Zhi. She wanted to ask who was the lucky man that the heiress of Xiong needs to seduce.

So she speaks carefully.

"You know, my senses are quite sharp. We, martial artists, are trained since young. So even though I don't want to hear things, I hear them accidentally. Like how I heard the two of you talking in the fountain." Tang Xinayng threaded carefully.

Xiong Zhi just looked at her, waiting for her to finish beating around the bush.

"And I 'accidentally' heard your classmates gossiping about you and Lu Yin Ze. You both seem famous in this school. Are you a couple?" Ever since Tang Xinyang entered this building, she had been hearing the students talking about how the heiress of the legendary families would join this year's trip. She also heard that a lot of people prepared their camera to just take a clear shot of their favorite couple in the school.

Lu Yin Ze's name and Xiong Zhi's name were mentioned many times.

So Tang Xinyang deduced that Lu Yin Ze was the man that captured Xiong Zhi's heart.

Xiong Zhi shook her head calmly. Her calm and expressionless face was actually wondering how people came up with her and Lu Yin Ze as a couple. Was it because of the play? The two had done a good job as a tragic couple of Princess Ariana and Prince Ethan. 

At the mention of Lu Yin Ze, Xiong Zhi could not help but look at the empty seat next to hers. 

'I wonder how Lu Yin Ze is doing.'

She received a message from him yesterday. Actually, he regularly sent her messages once a week—asking how she was, what she was up to, or if she had free time to come with him to someplace.

However, she had been very busy lately and could not spare some time because she was preoccupied with convincing the other Zhou elders and Xiong masters in the past month. Thus, she could only reply to him that she was busy. 

She only spared time for this two-day trip.

Yesterday, he called her saying that he could not join the trip. He was caught up with something. 

Lu Yin Ze sounded down back then. Xiong Zhi had no idea how to cheer him up. She simply listened to him and stayed for some time on the phone with him, hoping to provide some comfort with her presence over the phone.

At the thought, Xiong Zhi fished out her phone. She sent a message to Lu Yin Ze.

[We are now at the school, assembling with the others in the classroom. In twenty minutes, the bus will arrive and pick us up.]

One minute after she sent the message, Lu Yin Ze called.

Tang Xinyang, who was seating in Song Xuantin's former seat, glanced at Xiong Zhi's phone. She then turned her attention to Song Xuantin and the boy with the eyeglasses out of politeness, in order to avoid listening to her friend's phone call. However, she already caught on the name on the screen.

She could not help but wonder again in the rumors she was hearing today.

The moment Xiong Zhi answered, Lu Yin Ze voice sounded.

"Zhi?" His gentle and soft voice was low and refreshing to the ear. But this voice made Xiong Zhi frown immediately.

"What's the matter? Are you alright?" she asked, a bit worried. He seemed really gloomy at the moment. Given his bad record, he would not be thinking of doing something strange, would he? 

Xiong Zhi was afraid that Lu Yin Ze's suicidal instincts would be back.

The other fell silent, only his breathing could be heard.

"Zhi, I... I am trying to. I am trying to be alright," Lu Yin Ze honestly said, his voice stuttering a bit, sounding aggrieved.

Xiong Zhi stayed quiet. She did not know what to say. She did not even know his current problem. However, she could not just ask, as every person has their own wounds they did not want to show to others.

Like the call last night, she just stayed quiet, patiently listening while he spoke slowly and very little.

"Hmm... Be strong. You can do it," Xiong Zhi said encouraging words. She looked at the door and at the people in the room.

"We still have twenty minutes before the bus arrives. We can talk about it slowly."

Xiong Zhi decided to be a good friend. Song Xuantin was busy hooking up with her man right now and there was no doubt he would choose Gu Zhen over Lu Yin Ze. So, for the meantime, she would stay as Lu Yin Ze's good friend. She was willing to lend an ear, after all Lu Yin Zhe was one of her few friends.

There was another short silence on the other line.

"...I visited the mansion where I lived before with my mother," Lu Yin Ze whispered with a slight tremble in his voice.

Xiong Zhi paused and let him continue.

"Before the tragedy happened in my family, when mother was still alive, she would always bake us cookies with mulberries. Elder brother Ji, my older brother, did not like that taste, so mom would bake two types of cookies. One with peanut flavor and the other with mulberry flavor."

While listening, Xiong Zhi stood up from her seat and looked at Tang Xinyang. She silently gestured that she had to excuse herself. Tang Xinyang nodded.

As she walked to the corner of the room, Lu Yin Ze's voice continued, sounding very gentle. He was reminiscing the good of the past.

Xiong Zhi leaned on the wall, her lashes lowering, covering her eyes.

"…Back when I was five, I remembered clearly that I stole two cookies and hid them in my pockets so that I can eat them later. Later, my mom discovered the cookie crumbs in my pocket. She laughed and told me that the pocket is not a good place to hide them. Because they could be found easily," Lu Yin Ze chuckled a bit.

"That was the day my mom introduced me to the secret safe in the house, which not even my father, or my grandfather knew. She said it was only me who knew aside from her, and soon, my brother would know it, too."

Lu Yin Ze's reminisce continued.

"This is very a distant memory. But I remember it clearly. I... I visited the kitchen of our old mansion, walked to my rooms, and walked to my mother's room. I checked the safe. It was still working after so many years..." the frail man on the other line took a heavy sigh.

"And I—" he paused.

"Zhi... I found it. My mom's diary... and a flash drive." 

Lu Yin Ze's heavy breathing and gloomy tone made Xiong Zhi increasingly worried.

"Lu Yin Ze," she whispered. "Take a deep breath." 

Xiong Zhi could imagine Lu Yin Ze's state right now. She was afraid that the delicate boy would suddenly have another panic attack.

"Zhi... Zhi... It's horrible," the boy choked, his voice hoarse. His heavy breathing and the suppressing of emotions could all be clearly felt through his voice.

Xiong Zhi frowned, the worry in her heart rose. She straightened up and walked back towards the direction of her seat.

"Calm down and follow my breathing. Where are you?"