Chapter 144: You’re By My Side

After Gong Hengjin finished speaking, she followed Cheng Xi’s gaze and only then did she finally see Lu Chenzhou.

Gong Hengjin immediately let go of Cheng Xi, trembling as if she were a little white flower in the freezing wind. “I’m sorry…… I…… I also don’t know what kind of nonsense I’m spouting.” And then she looked toward Lu Chenzhou, calling out in a soft and gentle manner, “Director Lu…… I’m just speaking nonsense, please don’t take it to heart.”

Not only were Cheng Xi’s teeth aching, but her stomach was also twisting now.

Lu Chenzhou didn’t even look at her. He just scrunched up his forehead and expressionlessly replied, “Cheng Xi, I’m going to tell you this again. Don’t bring your patients home.”

Gong Hengjin was a bit stupefied by his reaction. Lu Chenzhou was simply too cold of a person for her to even think about pouncing on him. Thus, she could only turn around and look at Cheng Xi pitifully. “I’m sorry, Dr. Cheng. Did I cause more trouble for you?”

She had perfectly ignored Lu Chenzhou’s evaluation of her as a “patient.”

Cheng Xi carefully examined Gong Hengjin and realized that her condition really was quite poor. Although her appearance hadn’t degraded too much, there were noticeable signs of weariness; her eyes were bloodshot, her mien weary and listless, and when she talked, her mouth would twitch at random.

Cheng Xi opened her mouth, about to say something to her, but her neck was suddenly grabbed by someone. Lu Chenzhou was holding her from behind as if she were a small chick, and then he pulled her inside the apartment.

Cheng Xi was speechless at how easily Lu Chenzhou had picked her up. She really needed to fatten up and put on some more meat!

She turned around to hug him while crying out, “If you lift me up like that, you’re going to make me lose all of my face!”

Lu Chenzhou looked at her coolly before letting go and pushing her away.

All right, Cheng Xi decided to dispense with her tricks, and obediently change into slippers and make dinner. With Lu Chenzhou here, Cheng Xi could barely do anything substantial, so she fell naturally into a supportive role in terms of household tasks. It was only after they started living together that Cheng Xi found out that Lu Chenzhou’s cooking skills extended beyond Western cuisine and into Eastern cuisine as well; it was just that he was far too slow. If Cheng Xi started washing the vegetables while he was descaling the fish, then by the time she’d finished washing the vegetables, he was still descaling.

Would he ever finish?

“Let me do it!” Cheng Xi rolled her sleeves further up, walked over, pushed him aside, took the knife, and, in a few quick swipes up, down, and horizontal, made all the scales fall down on the chopping board like snowflakes. She rinsed it and then the board briefly in the sink before setting both of them on the counter. “All done!” The stripped fish was laid out on the chopping board, flapping its tail weakly and without any strength.

Lu Chenzhou turned a blind eye to her churlish behavior as he leaned back against the countertop with a single hand solidly supporting his body. His posture remained graceful and charming no matter his stance. He raised his lower jaw a little. “Kill it.”

Cheng Xi frozen in place: “……”

Her proud attitude instantly crumbled to pieces. “Killing fish is my sole weakness.” With her fishy hands, she reached out to hug him. “Lu Chenzhou, you’re so handsome! Give me a kiss~”

He was going to reject her, but when lips as soft as feathers lightly landed on his, and a tongue lightly swept past his, it was as if he had tasted a morsel of the most delicious thing in the world. He couldn’t reject it even if he wanted to.

His eyes drooped as he stood still and enjoyed her kisses. His gaze remained cool, but his lips were engorged and glistening, and his reserved and endlessly patient appearance made Cheng Xi want to tease him even more.

But afterwards, he still mercilessly chased her out of the kitchen.

He explained, “Your being here distracts me from preparing the food.” But just a short while later, he called her back in to ask some random question. “Where’s the sugar?” Or, “These vegetables haven’t been washed cleanly,” or, “Where are the peppers?”

Cheng Xi ran around in circles due to his constant requests, and was unable to sit down and do anything. Finally, she saw through his charade; he wanted her next to him even though he had chased her out earlier. So, she just stood in the kitchen and accompanied him without trying to help out.

Most of their conversation revolved around her talking and him listening; she chattered about funny work stories, interactions with her students, and other occurrences throughout her day. The two of them actually had a very lively time.

Tonight was the same. She called Shen Wei on the phone while by Lu Chenzhou’s side, and he passively overheard Cheng Xi say, “Shen Wei, Gong Hengjin came over to find me today. Did you do something to her?”

The phone was on speaker mode, so Lu Chenzhou could also hear Shen Wei’s lazy voice drift over. “She went to find you? She must be crazy. What’s she trying to do by finding you?” And then, somewhat nervously, Shen Wei commanded Cheng Xi, “Ignore her and don’t talk to her. That way, she can’t harm you.”

Cheng Xi unhesitatingly said, “That isn’t why I shouldn’t talk to her, is it?”

“Yes, it is!” Shen Wei replied resolutely. “Anyway, just ignore her. Even if she tries to stand back up, she won’t be able to stand for much longer. Don’t worry.”

Why did her words sound so ominous? Cheng Xi frowned in disapproval as she chastised, “……What on earth are you trying to do?”

“Nothing much. I’m just going to get a divorce with Fu Mingyi and then casually ruin her life. She’ll lose her job, her future, and get tangled up with a nasty person. It’s a very light punishment for what she did.” Cheng Xi could feel Shen Wei smile through the phone, and then she abruptly changed the subject. “I heard that you and Director Lu are entering the honeymoon phase of your relationship. When are you getting married? You have to let me know—although I can’t be a bridesmaid for you, I can at least be a marriage consultant. Also, if the wedding takes place a bit later, my little baby might even be able to be a flower child for you.”

Cheng Xi couldn’t even process how quickly the topic had changed. “……”

The topic had shifted just like that. After Cheng Xi hung up, she muttered somewhat worriedly, “I keep getting this feeling that Shen Wei’s going to do something big. Gong Hengjin looks like a little white flower, who’s unable to handle even the slightest of setbacks, but when people are pushed to the brink, no one really knows what they’ll do.” Cheng Xi placed her face in front of Lu Chenzhou. “Lu Chenzhou, do you think that I should check to see if she’s still outside, to try to pacify her?”

Lu Chenzhou stuffed a mouthful of food into her mouth. “Is it ready?”

“Yes,” she replied uncertainly.

“Then prepare for dinner.” He lowered his gaze, moving the food from the pot onto plates.

With regards to other people’s business, what did any of that have to do with them?

Cheng Xi tried to calm her emotions and went to prepare the bowls and chopsticks, but in the end, she couldn’t help herself from going out to take a look. Gong Hengjin wasn’t there anymore. She felt somewhat uncomfortable by her disappearance, as if she had forgotten something. After dinner, the two of them were relaxing on the sofa; he was working while she was reading. Then, she suddenly remembered to ask Lu Chenzhou, “Oh, right, are you really not going to ask me about Lin Fan?”

Lin Fan had gotten married last month, completely out of the blue. The ceremony was very simple, and he hadn’t invited a single classmate of his. Meng Qingyang’s family was originally dissatisfied with the planning, but the reason that he gave was, “I haven’t achieved anything of importance yet, and all I can give her is my love. As for the ceremony, give me five years. During our fifth anniversary, I’ll put on a magnificent ceremony for her.”

And it was only because of those cheesy words that showed off his deep love and consideration for Meng Qingyang that news of their marriage had ultimately spread. When someone posted this news in Cheng Xi’s group chat, it had caused a huge commotion.

So, Cheng Xi had overheard this from someone else, not even from Lin Fan himself.

She didn’t expect that something like this would be brought up today under the current circumstances.

“What is there to ask?” Lu Chenzhou’s hand stopped shuffling through his pile of papers as he turned around to look at her. “Regardless of whether you love him or not, aren’t you by my side right now?”

He said it so indifferently and so confidently that Cheng Xi involuntarily let out a small laugh. “Alright, alright. My Mr. Lu is a little darling who doesn’t get jealous very easily.”

Of course, when Lu Chenzhou said this assured statement to Cheng Xi, neither of them could have expected that there were indeed circumstances that could make Mr. Lu jealous, or that his jealousy would be so overpowering that it would leave the both of them wounded.

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