His Addiction - Chapter 11

The meal Liang Mushi had intended as an apology never happened. He left.

As Yang Xue and Xu Zhi went upstairs, Yang Xue felt a sense of triumph. “Zhi Zi, did you see his face? He was fuming!”

Xu Zhi managed a small smile, but her feelings were complicated.

In truth, the moment those last words left her mouth, she had felt a flicker of satisfaction too. But…

After that brief moment, a desolate feeling of things changing settled in her heart.

Because of Xu He Ping and Zhao Nianqiao’s constant arguments and the chaotic atmosphere at home, she had countless times over the years run to Liang Mushi’s house for comfort, relying on him as her last refuge.

Sometimes she even felt that he treated her better than her own parents. She had imagined that if they built a future together, he would never treat her the way her parents did, always threatening to abandon her.

These were all just wishful thinking. It suddenly dawned on her that she no longer had that safe haven to escape to, that corner where she could temporarily hide from her dysfunctional family.

Liang Mushi, the young master, hadn’t been so publicly disregarded before. He didn’t contact Xu Zhi for several days.

In the past, Xu Zhi would have been the one to try and smooth things over. But now, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

Heartbreak coincided with the impending exam week, a truly bitter combination. She suffered through several sleepless nights, and even when she attended her study sessions, she felt dazed and disoriented.

She persevered, constantly telling herself that love was only a small part of life, and her studies were more important.

However, even as she sat in class, she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering. What was Liang Mushi doing now? He was probably with Chen Jing. What were they doing? They certainly weren’t suffering like she was.

Occasionally, she would pick up her phone and look at the pinned chat at the top of her WeChat. It was Liang Mushi. The conversation remained frozen on the day he’d asked her to cover for Chen Jing. There were no new messages.

She would reread their chat history over and over until her heart felt numb with pain.

Xu Zhi’s major was Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. After finishing her first exam, English Intensive Reading, she knew she had failed.

As her classmates compared answers, she couldn’t even recall how she had answered the questions.

Panic seized her. She felt like she had lost control of her life. Hiding in a corner of the rooftop, her mind empty, tears welling up in her eyes, she instinctively picked up her phone and sent a WeChat message: “I think I bombed the exam.”

Seconds after sending the message, she realized what she had done and quickly retracted it.

Just as she had countless times before, in moments of distress, she instinctively reached out to Liang Mushi.

The screen clearly displayed: “You retracted a message.”

Unsure if Liang Mushi had seen it, her heart raced. She turned to go downstairs. Just as she rounded the corner of the stairwell, she bumped into someone.

The person was tall. Clutching her forehead, she quickly apologized, “I’m sorry…”

Looking up, she froze.

She wondered if she was hallucinating. She had actually run into Liang Jinmo at school.

He still had that same cold and distant demeanor, his eyes, like a deep pool, fixed on her.

Her eyes were slightly red-rimmed, giving her a pitiful appearance. She asked, “What are you doing here?”

“Liang Corp. is recruiting on campus this year. Didn’t you know?” He held an unlit cigarette between his fingers. “There’s someone in the Computer Engineering department I need to talk to, so I came over.”

Xu Zhi’s mind was slow to process. Her first reaction wasn’t to wonder what position Liang Jinmo held at Liang Corp. that he was personally handling recruitment, but rather that he worked in computer science.

“You work with computers, so can you delete WeChat messages?” She looked at him as if he were her savior, handing him her phone, its screen warm from her grip. “Like this.”

She pointed to the system notification indicating the retracted message.

Liang Jinmo: “…”

His gaze moved upwards, landing on the recipient of the message: Liang Mushi.

Xu Zhi looked at him with pleading eyes, clinging to him like a lifeline.

“It can be deleted, but,” he stated frankly, “even if the notification disappears on your end, he can still see it.”

Xu Zhi still held onto a sliver of hope. “Is there any way to make it so he can’t see it either?”

“You’d have to get his phone.”

Xu Zhi’s hope completely evaporated.

She clutched her phone tightly, her lips pursed, and remained silent.

The stairwell near the rooftop was deserted and quiet. Liang Jinmo lowered his gaze.

Even though he was standing on a step below her, she was still almost half a head shorter. Her figure was petite and slender. He glanced at her tightly pursed, cherry-pink lips.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. He shifted slightly, leaning against the railing, and asked, “Do you still want to delete it?”

Xu Zhi closed her eyes. She felt pathetic for sending that message to Liang Mushi. Even if she retracted it, the trace remained. The thought of Liang Mushi seeing the notification made her feel awful.

Dejectedly, she whispered, “No, forget it.”

Liang Jinmo raised his hand, putting the cigarette between his lips. Before he could reach for his lighter, a male voice called out from below.

“Boss, why didn’t you bring me when you went to the roof to smoke?” The newcomer complained. “I just looked at the other resumes HR received. These university students even list the clubs they participated in and any awards they received. Tell me, what value do those things even have?”

Xu Zhi looked towards the voice. The man had already walked up the stairs. He was a handsome man, looking around 25 or 26 years old.

The man, noticing the two of them, paused, looking first at Liang Jinmo, then at the teary-eyed Xu Zhi. “What’s this… some kind of awkward melodrama?”

“I’m not crying,” Xu Zhi quickly said.

Liang Jinmo took the cigarette out of his mouth. “Zhou He, go on up ahead.”

When Liang Jinmo returned from abroad, he joined Liang Corp. with his own team. Zhou He was one of the core members. He was technically skilled, but whenever he saw a girl, he couldn’t be serious.

True to form, Zhou He’s old habits kicked in. Staring at Xu Zhi, he addressed Liang Jinmo, “Boss, you’re too sneaky. You didn’t tell me you knew a beautiful girl from C University. Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Liang Jinmo frowned. “Are you looking for a beating?”

Zhou He laughed heartily, extending his hand to Xu Zhi. “Hello, I’m Zhou He, Liang Jinmo’s best buddy.”

Xu Zhi’s reaction was slow, partly because she hadn’t fully recovered from her earlier emotions, and partly because of Zhou He’s enthusiasm.

However, she wasn’t good at refusing people. Seeing his outstretched hand, she extended her own.

But before their hands could meet, Liang Jinmo blocked them.

He didn’t say anything, simply staring at Zhou He with a warning look.

Zhou He wasn’t bothered, chuckling. “Boss, you have such a possessive streak.”

Xu Zhi felt embarrassed and explained, “Liang Jinmo and I are neighbors.”

“Oh, the girl next door,” Zhou He calmly retracted his hand. “But why do you look so familiar…”

He looked at Xu Zhi. “Have we met before?”

Xu Zhi was bewildered. “I don’t think so.”

“Doesn’t matter if we haven’t. We’ve met now,” Zhou He said, pulling out his phone. “What’s your name? Let’s add each other on WeChat.”

Liang Jinmo raised his hand, pushing down Zhou He’s phone. “Enough.”

Xu Zhi’s attention was completely diverted. She was slightly amused. So this was how Liang Jinmo interacted with his friends. Even he could be exasperated by someone like Zhou He.

Zhou He glared at Liang Jinmo. “Boss, you’re being way too protective of the girl next door. I’m not a bad guy.”

Liang Jinmo: “Not much better.”

Zhou He: “…”

Xu Zhi couldn’t help but giggle.

Liang Jinmo glanced at her, and she quickly covered her mouth.

Zhou He spoke again. “So, we’re heading to a bar later. Want to join us?”

Before Xu Zhi could react, Liang Jinmo spoke. “She doesn’t go to places like that.”

His words stung Xu Zhi.

She had indeed never been to a bar. She was too well-behaved. She had always declined invitations from classmates in the past. But right now, she really wanted to let loose.

“Who says I don’t go to bars?” She looked at Liang Jinmo. “I owe you a favor anyway. Let me buy you guys a drink tonight.”