Chapter 269 - Having her here

"Where are you?" Xiong Zhi went to her seat.

"I am in... the Luxury Hotel. Why?"

"Stay there. I will get you." 

"...! But, how about the trip?" Lu Yin Ze's surprised voice seemed to be distracted from his gloomy thoughts.

"I can catch up. Before that, you and I need to talk about something."

"T-there's no need to—"

"Hold on." Xiong Zhi put the call on hold. Afterwards, she called out to Tang Xinyang.

"Tang Xinyang, you go with Song Xuantin today. She will accompany you while I'm gone."

Tang Xinyang looked at her in surprise. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere I need to be. Just stick to Song Xuantin. See you later," Xiong Zhi did not wait for her response. She went up to Song Xuantin and patted her shoulder.

"I have to go to Lu Yin Ze first. I'll catch up to the rest of you later. Take care of Tang Xinyang," Xiong Zhi reminded her.

"Eh?" Song Xuantin was shocked. Today was the most awaited 'Operation' day! Xiong Zhi, her friend who needed this operation the most, could not miss this! Although Lu Yin Ze was her friend, but what about Xiong Zhi's precarious love life situation?

Besides, she had heard from Lu Yin Ze that he would not be joining the trip. Did something happen? Xiong Zhi, her friend who was the most excited of all for this trip, was actually willing to set aside some time from this important day for another man aside from her most beloved? It must be serious.

What was so urgent? Did something happen to Lu Yin Ze?

"Wait! Is everything okay? I can go with you," Song Xuantin stood up and said, worried. As Lu Yin Ze's friend, she had to go, too.

Gu Zhen who was seated by her side furrowed his brows but did not say anything.

Xiong Zhi glanced at him for a moment, then looked at Song Xuantin. "It's alright. This is where you need to be. Make sure to take care of Tang Xinyang." Then she turned around, put back the phone to hear ear, and told Lu Yin Ze that she was on her way, before hanging up and calling her driver.

Linfeng had told her that he would be late. Since she was not really lacking time today, she could head over first to Lu Yin Ze and ask in detail what he had found, while taking the chance to give some comfort to the kid. Based on Lu Yin Ze's voice, Xiong Zhi deduced that it was something shocking that might affect the whole Lu family.

Xiong Zhi remembered her deal with Lu Yin Ze's grandmother.

'Help the Lu family overcome a tribulation.'

Xiong Zhi did not have any idea what this tribulation was or when it would come. Were they were facing it already? She did not know. 

Perhaps, what Lu Yin Ze found in the old mansion was be a piece of the puzzle of this so-called tribulation.

This was the main reason why Xiong Zhi wanted to meet Lu Yin Ze today. 

Mister Ji had not left yet when he received a call from his Young Miss. 

The car left for the Luxury Hotel.

***

Lu Yin Ze was standing straight in the hotel garden. His silver-blue eyes reflected the small bud of a blue rose. After thinking for a while, he looked at his phone.

It had been an hour ago since his conversation with Xiong Zhi. The bus must have left for the airport already. 

However, Xiong Zhi had told him that she would meet him.

Would that be okay? He felt like an oil bottle pulling her back, a total burden as a friend.

If his mind was not so full of complex emotions, if he was thinking straight, he would not have called her. She would not feel compelled to come here and comfort him instead.

...She probably think he was so troublesome.

Lu Yin Ze felt guilty, distracting him for a bit from his previous confused state. However, there was a part of him that was happy that she would be coming here. He would be able to see her. 

He carefully hid away that tiny bit of gladness. 

How could he be so selfish!

Lu Yin Ze gazed at the blue rose, which always reminded him of her. 

After having a glimpse at his mother's diary and the things he found in the safe, his mind and emotions became turbulent and unstable.

In a confused daze, he told his driver to go to this hotel. His feet led him here to this place, the luxury garden with blue roses.

This was the only place he could think of that might clear his mind. 

When he arrived in the garden, he had walked and stood in this spot for a very long time. 

A boy with silvery hair and snowy skin, like an elf, standing in the middle of the garden. His lonely figure appeared so fragile and ethereal, as if he would disappear into stardust with a mere touch.

And then, a notification sounded out. When he received her message, a string in his mind snapped.

All his emotions that he tried hard to contain flowed freely. His trembling fingers did not hesitate as he called her immediately. He wanted to hear her voice. 

Her cool voice was like a soothing melody calming his turbulent emotions. It felt like the loneliness was being dispersed bit by bit. It made his heart at ease and safe.

He could not help but spill everything to her. 

Lu Yin Ze touched the rose carefully. His fingers caressed the smooth petals of his mother's favorite rose. 

A cool voice sounded behind him.

"Lu Yin Ze." 

His heart skipped a beat. He turned to her, his life saving straw.

"Zhi'er," he murmured. 

She stood amidst the sea of roses, the way she had that night.

"What's the matter? Are you alright?" Xiong Zhi walked closer to him with steady steps.

"I... I feel better now."

Lu Yin Ze swallowed. Was it really okay to be selfish and have her stay here with him at this moment?

"How about the trip? You're not going to join?" he asked carefully.

Xiong Zhi's clear dark orbs looked at him directly, as if pulling him into their depths. "I will catch up with them later. What did you find out?" She stood by his side.

Lu Yin Ze blinked and took out the small diary from his jacket. He also took out a flash drive.

"I read my mom's diary from the start until the last page. I have not checked the flash drive yet," he softly said, his eyes lowering in palpable gloominess. Although it had diminished by a lot after calling her, the heaviness in his heart was still present. 

"But I can guess what it has inside," he painfully added as his silver-blue eyes trembled. 

"..."

Xiong Zhi fell into contemplation. She wanted to read the diary. But it was a very private object. She did not have the right to do so. Although she had a 'mission', she was just an outsider in the end. She also did not want to offend Lu Yin Ze.