Volume One, Chapter Thirty-Two He hurried over, only to find her entangled once again with Liang Muzhi.

The question had come out of nowhere, and just as he finished reading it, it was withdrawn.

Liang Jinmo frowned deeply.

Zhou He, noticing his troubled expression, asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Liang Jinmo replied, his fingers tightening around his phone.

He realized almost instantly what Xu Zhi had been asking about.

"You have permission to leave early today," he suddenly announced, standing up and reaching for his coat. "Something's come up. I need to step out for a bit."

In the elevator, Liang Jinmo pressed the button for the second basement level where the parking lot was located.

He sent Xu Zhi a message: Where are you?

There was no response. He went downstairs, got in his car, and called her directly on WeChat.

She declined the call.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel. He didn't know what had happened, nor where to find her.

He called Zhou He, got Yang Xue's number from him, and dialed her next.

Yang Xue, upon hearing he was looking for Xu Zhi, said, "Zhi should be home. She told me the day before yesterday she was heading back."

After hanging up, Liang Jinmo pressed the accelerator and drove toward the villa district.

Halfway there, he tried calling Xu Zhi again, but was met with the same rejection.

A sense of restlessness pressed on him. He kept just below the speed limit, and while waiting for a red light, sent her another message: I'm almost at the south gate of your villa complex. Will you come out, or should I come in?

Xu Zhi, lying in bed, sat bolt upright at the sight of the message.

She had sent him that impulsive message earlier, and her refusal to answer his calls or reply was simply because she was still caught in her emotions.

She never expected Liang Jinmo to come looking for her.

Her eyes were swollen like walnuts; she really didn't want to see anyone in this state. Yet, knowing how things were, she couldn't escape her own ingrained weakness—just the thought of Liang Jinmo coming to her house and being seen by Xu Heping and Zhao Nianqiao made her anxious.

She immediately called Liang Jinmo.

He answered almost instantly.

"Hello?"

His voice was low and mellow, carrying an indescribable tenderness. Just hearing it made her eyes sting, and all her grievances surged back.

She opened her mouth, but after everything they'd been through, she realized she still didn't know how to address him. "I..."

Her voice sounded thick with tears. After a pause, she said, "Don't come. I'm fine."

A few seconds later, she heard him say, "I'm just one intersection away."

It was hard for Xu Zhi to describe how she felt—she had sent a single unfinished message, and he had come looking for her.

When she thought the whole world had abandoned her, there was still someone willing to come to her.

It was as if she was being pulled back into the world, and she regretted her impulsiveness. "Aren't you at work?"

"I left early," came his reply.

Xu Zhi fell silent.

Neither spoke, a long silence stretching between them, but neither hung up.

After a while, Liang Jinmo said, "I'm here now, at the temporary stop by the south gate. Will you come out?"

Xu Zhi rubbed her face. "It might not be convenient for me..."

"You asked me what it felt like to jump," he suddenly interrupted, answering her earlier question. "It was very cold."

Xu Zhi pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

"But I know how to swim now," he added. "This time, I'll pull you out."

Her throat tightened. His tone was calm as always, yet it warmed her deeply.

She felt as if she had already been rescued.

"I'll change and come out right away," she took a deep breath. "Wait for me. And..."

Her voice grew softer, muffled. "My eyes are swollen. I look awful right now."

Liang Jinmo replied only, "I'll wait."

After hanging up, Xu Zhi quickly got out of bed, washed up, and changed clothes.

Her eyes were still badly swollen, so she brushed her bangs forward, put on a hat and a mask, and went downstairs.

The house was empty. Xu Heping and Zhao Nianqiao had finished their argument long ago, and she had no idea where they'd gone. She headed straight out.

But just as she stepped out the main door, she ran into Liang Muzhi.

He had been pacing along the roadside. At the sight of her, he stopped at once, facing her with an uncharacteristic awkwardness.

Xu Zhi frowned. She didn't even want to speak to him.

Liang Muzhi spoke first. "Are you going out?"

He watched her carefully, trying to read her mood.

Most of her face was hidden under her hat and mask, but her red, swollen eyes were obvious, and he felt a pang in his chest.

"Yes," she replied flatly, and kept walking.

He blocked her path. "Can we talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about," she said, head down, avoiding his gaze.

Liang Muzhi sounded defeated. "I didn't expect my parents to say those things last night. If I'd known, I would have told you in advance, so you wouldn't have had to come to dinner."

Her hand at her side clenched slowly. So even now, he still didn't think anything he'd done was wrong.

Of course, why would young master Liang ever be at fault?

"I have things to do. I have to go," she tried to step around him.

"Your luggage is still in my car..." He reached out to stop her. "Come get it with me, will you?"

It was an excuse. He just wanted to talk to her a little longer.

Remembering her luggage in his trunk, Xu Zhi's frown deepened, her mood worsening.

"I didn't mean to leave you by the roadside that day," he said, his voice low. "Chen Jing is my girlfriend. For my sake, you should have been polite to her. Besides, she didn't do anything unforgivable. You're always so gentle with strangers—I don't understand why you spoke to her like that."

Xu Zhi closed her eyes. "Is this really what you want to talk about now?"

Liang Muzhi grew agitated. He didn't know when it had started, but Xu Zhi was slipping further and further from his grasp. She'd changed, and he no longer knew how to reach her.

She used to be so easy to talk to.

He tilted his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, then tell me—what do you want?"

Xu Zhi felt dazed. What did she want? She couldn't even answer that herself.

If only she could go back, to before Liang Muzhi had a girlfriend. But then again, what was the point?

Back then, she was like a fool—her whole world was him, foolishly believing they understood each other.

"I don't want anything. I'll get my luggage from you another time," she said. "I really have something to do today. I need to go."

"What could be so urgent?" Liang Muzhi frowned, staring at her. "Can't you just talk to me for a moment?"

His tone clearly showed his displeasure.

Xu Zhi tried to step around him again. As she glanced up, she caught sight of a familiar figure some distance away.

Liang Jinmo, apparently unable to wait any longer, was walking into the complex—he was only about twenty meters away now.

He saw them as well.

Again, he had rushed over, only to find her entangled with Liang Muzhi.

He stopped, hesitating to leave, but before he could react, Xu Zhi suddenly waved to him.

In that instant, inspiration struck—she'd found the perfect way to rid herself of Liang Muzhi. Without thinking, she called out, "Jinmo, big brother!"