Chapter 26: Parting

The room was silent and chaotic, with broken glass from wine bottles scattered across the floor. On the coffee table, a bottle of whiskey had tipped over, its amber liquid soaking into the pristine white carpet.

Among the debris, he found Chen Su’s shattered phone and traces of blood on the shards.

Was she hurt?

Qu Bonan’s face darkened as he contacted the building management to pull the security footage. The footage showed Chen Su leaving the Xiyuan residential complex alone in the rain, getting into a taxi.

He pulled out his phone and called Wen Zhi.

Wen Zhi’s voice was laced with icy sarcasm on the other end. "Ever since you were kids, you’ve been the person closest to her. Last night, with the rain pouring down like that, you left her alone in that apartment, and now you’re asking me where she went? Qu Bonan, you really aren't afraid of something happening to her, are you? You waited until daybreak to contact me!"

After hanging up, Wen Zhi immediately reached out to the Wen family, asking for help to find her.

Qu Bonan, his expression grim, was just about to call the police when his mother suddenly called.

"No need to look anymore," Mother Qu said. "Su Su is with me."

After leaving the Xiyuan complex, Chen Su had wandered around in the taxi, only to realize she had nowhere else to go. In the end, she had returned to the Qu residence, narrowly missing Qu Bonan. Mother Qu was not an unreasonable person, and after all, she had watched Chen Su grow up. She had brought her inside, had her shower and change clothes, and waited until she was asleep before Qu Bonan arrived.

As he walked in, he saw his mother just coming down the stairs.

"Where is Su Su?" he asked anxiously.

Mother Qu’s tone was flat. "In her room."

Before the words had even faded, Qu Bonan rushed upstairs.

Mother Qu called out to him, "She’s asleep. Are you sure you want to go in and disturb her?"

Qu Bonan gave a brief nod. "I’ll just take a look and come right back out."

Qu Bonan headed straight for Chen Su’s room. His hand touched the doorknob, but he suddenly calmed down. He stood at the door for a moment before turning and heading back downstairs.

Mother Qu raised an eyebrow. "Back so soon?"

Qu Bonan had walked the entire way back without an umbrella, and he was drenched. He raked his damp hair back from his temples with one hand and lit a cigarette.

"She wasn't hurt, was she?"

Seeing his state, it was clear he hadn't even gone inside.

Mother Qu didn't press him. "What kind of injury could she have? At most, she just got caught in the rain. But you—you’ve always been a man of composure since you were a child. What’s gotten into you today? Have you lost your mind, making yourself look like this?"

It was the first time Mother Qu had seen Qu Bonan look so disheveled, and all because of Chen Su. To say she wasn't angry would be a lie.

Qu Bonan flicked the ash from his cigarette. "In your eyes, must your son always wear a mask, never able to take it off for a single moment?"

There was a hint of sneer in Qu Bonan’s voice; Mother Qu almost thought she had misheard.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing." Qu Bonan stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, his expression returning to its habitual coolness. "It’s almost dawn. I’m going to take a shower; there’s a meeting at the company later."

He rose to head upstairs.

Watching his back, Mother Qu said abruptly, "Your father mentioned your engagement to Zhiwei to me. We’ve already set the date for early next month."

Qu Bonan’s footsteps faltered, and he turned to look at her.

"I don't care what you're thinking," Mother Qu lowered her eyes. "Either Su Su marries Song Mingyu, or you marry Shen Zhiwei. You must choose one of these two options. This is the greatest degree of tolerance I can offer you."

She looked up, meeting his gaze. "This isn't just my decision; it’s your father’s as well."

Qu Bonan said neither yes nor no.

It was at that exact moment that Chen Su emerged from her bedroom.

"I will marry Shen Zhiwei."

In the quiet living room, Qu Bonan’s voice pierced through to Chen Su’s ears, so clearly that she missed whatever else he might have said afterward.

She leaned against the cold wall, her head buzzing.

Over and over again. Every time, he would give her hope, only to crush her back into the mud. And yet, every time, she would believe him.

She didn't know how much time had passed before Qu Bonan walked upstairs and saw Chen Su leaning against the wall, her eyes rimmed with red.

His pupils trembled slightly. "How long have you been standing there?"

Chen Su shrugged. "About, since before you said you were going to marry Shen Zhiwei?"

She stood up and walked over to Qu Bonan.

"Brother," she said, a smile gracing her fair face, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Don't worry, on the day you marry my sister-in-law, I will definitely give you a big red envelope."

She suppressed the stinging in her nose and walked back to her bedroom, bending down to pick up her bag and coat from the sofa. As she left, she brushed past Qu Bonan at the door.

In his peripheral vision, Qu Bonan caught sight of a ring of blood-stained gauze wrapped around her slender wrist.

His pupils constricted, and he grabbed her hand. "Did you cut your wrists?"

Chen Su’s gaze paused, and she pushed his hand away. "If I really had cut my wrists, would you choose not to marry Shen Zhiwei?"

The eyes behind Qu Bonan’s glasses were impossibly dark. He started to raise his hand, but it twitched at his side, and in the end, he did nothing.

"Su Su," he said, his voice raspy, "don't do things that hurt yourself."

"Why?" Chen Su raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling sorry for me?"

Qu Bonan did not deny it. "Your hands were meant for painting, not for being hurt."

With that single sentence, the resolve Chen Su had finally managed to muster crumbled to pieces. In her past, no one had ever truly cared about her—only Qu Bonan, only him. He had been part of almost every aspect of her life, so that trying to detach from him felt like being skinned alive, leaving her in agony.

She chuckled softly. "Then should I thank you for caring so much about my hands?"

Qu Bonan was stunned, and before he could react, Chen Su had already turned and headed downstairs. She rarely used such a sarcastic tone with him. This was the first time.

Mother Qu was surprised to see Chen Su awake and coming down. "Su Su, why are you up?"

"It’s daybreak," Chen Su looked out the window, her expression docile. "I have classes during the day, so I need to go back to school. I’ve already called Song Mingyu, and he said he’s coming to pick me up."

Mother Qu was very pleased with how close Chen Su and Song Mingyu had become. She smiled and took Chen Su’s hand. "If you ever feel down like this again, just come back. The doors of the Qu family will always be open to you."

Chen Su’s expression stiffened, and she quietly pulled her hand away. "I will."

After nodding obediently, she left the villa.

Not long after she made the call, Song Mingyu arrived to pick her up. He opened the car door for her. "Are you hungry?"

Chen Su looked at his face, as if having made a great decision, and slowly exhaled. "Song Mingyu, do you really like me that much?"

Song Mingyu raised an eyebrow. "Is that even a question?"

"In that case," Chen Su looked up, her expression sincere, "I heard you don't need a household registration book to get married anymore. You... did you bring your ID card?"