Chapter 216: 216

216 "Xie Shiyu, hurry up, your fiancée is about to confess to another dog!"

Wen Zhuoyi didn't listen to her, but insisted on sending her off.

Just like when she was hospitalized for two months after a serious illness years ago, he went to the hospital every day, rain or shine, to take care of her.

Li Runian avoided his gaze, didn't refuse again, and got out of the car first.

His eyes were exactly like those of her A Wen.

She wasn't stupid, so she couldn't possibly not know his thoughts, but he never said anything, and she never even got a chance to reject him.

Several times she deliberately said she couldn't forget A Wen, guessing she'd never fall in love again, but he only replied that A Wen was great, he couldn't forget him either, and they would commemorate him together.

Li Runian had no choice but to go along with him, thinking that as time passed he would naturally give up.

But she never expected that time would fly, and it had already been over three years.

Her A Wen had also been gone for over three years.

The girl she met in the restaurant today was probably A Wen's cousin; back then she was only fourteen, and she never imagined she'd have grown so much.

But she didn't dare go up and greet her, because she no longer had a proper identity, did she?

She started wandering in thought again, to the point that a nearby child running and playing almost bumped into her, yet she didn't notice.

It was only when Wen Zhuoyi reached out and pulled her that she came to her senses.

Li Runian stepped back and said, "I didn't notice, thank you."

Wen Zhuoyi clenched his back teeth, restrained himself from pulling his hand back, and said, "Runian."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Li Runian said.

Wen Zhuoyi lowered his gaze at her, "Can you just walk forward a bit? Is there really nothing better ahead? You...... can you look at me?"

His mouth hung open for a while, but he never managed to say those words.

He let out a sigh and said, "It's fine, go upstairs, get some sleep; I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning to go to Yida."

Li Runian's suspended heart settled back into place; for some reason, she suddenly felt a little afraid he would say those words.

Watching Li Runian's receding back until she disappeared into the building entrance, Wen Zhuoyi took out a cigarette and lighter, flicked one to hold in his mouth, but the lighter failed to ignite after several tries.

The hand gripping the lighter kept clenching, and the veins on it stood out.

His face was full of helplessness.

He put the cigarette away, took a deep breath, and tilted his head up to look at the eighth-floor window where Li Runian lived.

The light wasn't on yet; she hadn't arrived home.

After standing a while longer, the light came on, and only then did he turn and walk out of the residential complex.

Tushan Jiu had no idea that her face was the reason both of them spent the night sleepless.

At that very moment, she was being taken by Bai Yu to play at his friend's bar.

He had gathered several decent people from the circle, including Sun Ying, whom she had once saved (the one Shi Ji had asked to carve the City God's eyes), and Gu Lei, one of those poisoned by the evil sorcerer; Jiang Han happened to be there too, and he had also summoned him.

During that worm-clearing operation, Gu Lei had signed a confidentiality agreement, so when Bai Yu introduced Tushan Jiu, he mentioned that it was her lending a blade that had saved them so promptly, and Gu Lei had thanked Tushan Jiu over and over.

Everyone knew each other; Tushan Jiu also had a little drink, but not much—just a bit.

As she was drinking, Jiang Han sidled up to her and whispered, "Senior Jiu, can I borrow a knife from you?"

Tushan Jiu turned her head, glanced at her twice, then shook her head and refused, "No."

Jiang Han bit her lower lip, holding back from asking why, after all, lending a knife is a voluntary thing; if someone refuses, there must be a reason.

Just...

She glanced at the figure swaying in the dance floor—Bai Yu wearing a mask and sunglasses—and an unconscious smile appeared in her eyes.

And Tushan Jiu caught her little expression in her eyes, helplessly shaking her head.

Humans and demons—how could they ever easily be together?

When the millennium pact was signed back then, one of its stipulations was that humans and demons must not engage in romance or marriage.

Unless a demon voluntarily leaves the demon realm and abandons their cultivation.

But if a demon loses their cultivation, they can no longer maintain a human form.

So this is actually a prohibition.

Bai Yu feared being recognized, so he hopped a couple of times and hurried back to drink.

Tushan Jiu's phone rang; it was a video call from Xie Shiyu, which she answered.

The surrounding music was loud, so she pulled out her earphones from her sling bag and put them on.

Xie Shiyu, still in his car after getting off work, saw her silhouette that looked like she was at a bar, and asked, "Did Bai Yu take you out to play?"

"Yes, at his friend's bar. Have you finished your meeting?" Tushan Jiu didn't touch alcohol anymore, but started drinking juice.

Xie Shiyu noticed, curled his lips into a smile, and answered her previous question: "Yeah, the meeting's over, but there'll probably be another one tomorrow, and we still have to turn in our phones."

At a confidential meeting, even the leaders are not exempt; everyone must surrender their electronic devices.

Tushan Jiu understood completely: "Do your work well; I'll be back in a few days, so you don't need to worry about me."

"Bai Yu sent me a message today—what's up? Did something happen?"

Tushan Jiu glanced at Bai Yu, who was shaking dice with Jiang Han to compare sizes, and suddenly recalled his sullen expression at noon as he stared at his phone—turns out Xie Shiyu had dressed him down.

She let out a light laugh, "It's nothing, just......"

Tushan Jiu told Xie Shiyu the solution she had thought of.

After hearing it, Xie Shiyu said, "Feasible. I estimate Li Runian and Wen Zhuoyi won't sleep well tonight, so this matter really can't have the second cousin show up, or it would only drag Li Runian deeper into her emotions."

Some people, once they're in the memories, must not appear again.

Tushan Jiu nodded in agreement: "Yes, otherwise my second cousin wouldn't have come to me to borrow a blade, getting involved in their karma."

The two chatted a while longer; when Xie Shiyu arrived at the ancestral home, Tushan Jiu urged him to go rest early and not work late again, and only then did Xie Shiyu reluctantly hang up.

When Tushan Jiu took off her earphones, she met Bai Yu's teasing gaze.

Tushan Jiu ignored him, glanced at the time—it was about time; she should head back to the hotel to sleep, tomorrow she still has to go to Yida to work as a matchmaker.

She stood up and said to Bai Yu: "I'm heading back first; tomorrow please help me order a bunch of the best-quality blue hydrangeas—I'll need them; I'll transfer the money to you later, thanks for the trouble."

"Huh? What do you need blue hydrangeas for?"

"To confess."

Bai Yu blinked his eyes repeatedly, quickly pulled out his phone and sent a voice message to Xie Shiyu:

"Xie Shiyu, come quick—your fiancée is going to confess to another dog!"