Zhang Xin couldn’t stand steadily and fell down; she hadn’t even had the chance to get up before she struggled to clutch onto Qu Chaozong’s leg. She knew that if Qu Chaozong walked out that door today, it would truly be over for them.
Zhang Xin burst out and cried uncontrollably: "Chaozi, you can’t leave! You can’t abandon me! You can’t walk away just when I’ve begun to feel happiness and warmth. I can’t live without you; I love you, Chaozi! I’m begging you; I’m begging you, isn’t that enough!"
Qu Chaozong turned his head, looking down at her with extreme disdain and coldness: "Let go!"
Zhang Xin cried until she was a tearful mess, pleading helplessly: "No, I won’t let go, Chaozi. If you really can’t vent your anger, hit me, beat me up, okay? As long as you don’t leave me, I’ll do whatever you want; I’m begging you!"
Qu Chaozong, overwhelmed with rage, had long since lost his senses. With disgust, he kicked Zhang Xin away: "Hit you? I’m afraid of dirtying my hands!"
Qu Chaozong turned away and walked off, his footsteps quickly fading away.
Zhang Xin felt as if her head exploded; her heart was cut open with a knife, torn to pieces...
Qu Chaozong left; he didn’t want her anymore. He would never come back; she had truly lost him.
Zhang Xin sat dazedly on the floor; the cold ground seemed to freeze her in place, immobile.
Slowly, she raised her hand to hold her head; why did it become ? Everything was fine; why had it turned into this now? ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel⚑fire.net
Zhang Xin felt she was being consumed by despair. Over and over, she muttered Qu Chaozong’s name, her voice growing softer and more hopeless.
Zhang Xin slowly got up from the floor, thinking, Qu Chaozong is gone, he doesn’t want her anymore, her last hope is gone. What meaning was there in living? She should have died long ago; she was so dirty, so disgusting. Why was she still alive?
Zhang Xin walked into the bathroom, her gaze falling on the hotel’s disposable razor. She picked it up, extracted the blade, the sharp edge glinting coldly under the light.
Zhang Xin raised her wrist, gripping the blade, and without hesitation, sliced down.
Just as the blade barely cut the skin, Qu Chaozong suddenly returned. He rushed in through the open door, reflexively charging forward to stop Zhang Xin’s wrist-cutting attempt.
Qu Chaozong pried Zhang Xin’s hand open, grabbing the blade recklessly; the sharp edge cut his hand, and he tossed the blade away, then slapped Zhang Xin hard: "Are you crazy? What are you doing!"
"Zhang Xin!" Qu Chaozong shouted the name, as though chewing it up and spitting it out again: "What on earth are you trying to do? Wake up!!"
Zhang Xin ignored the pain of her swollen, red face from the slap and hurriedly grabbed Qu Chaozong’s hand, seeing the cut on his fingers, and cried out concernedly: "Chaozi, you’re bleeding!"
Qu Chaozong was still caught in the emotion of being scared out of his wits by the prior scene; he roared in pain and collapse: "Are you crazy!"
Zhang Xin called Qu Chaozong’s name softly, aggrievedly, and with enduring difficulty: "Chaozi, don’t leave me. I’m really not lying to you; you have to believe me. There’s really nothing going on with me and Teng Jiye. I don’t even know why he suddenly called and said those things. I really wasn’t with him last night... Oh, that’s right, the video, I remember now, the video was shot by him earlier. I really wasn’t lying, Chaozi, believe me, I’m begging you."
Zhang Xin seemed to be back in kindergarten when she was bullied by other children, explaining her grievances to the teacher sentence by sentence.
"Chaozi, I really love you. I’ve never loved anyone before. I can’t be without you, can’t lose you; don’t leave me. Really, I’m not lying to you..."
Qu Chaozong shouted in suppressed pain: "How am I supposed to believe you? Even if I believe you about the video, what about the phone call? He spoke so clearly, saying you were together last night, Zhang Xin, are you taking me for an idiot?"
Zhang Xin’s tear-filled eyes suddenly sparkled brightly, as if a dying person had found a water source. She grabbed Qu Chaozong’s hand: "Chaozi, I really wasn’t with him. You can check my body; there definitely aren’t any marks. I didn’t even leave the house last night. Yes, my dad can prove it for me. My family’s housekeeper can too, and Zhang Zhao too. Yes, he can also prove that I didn’t go out last night!"
In a flurry, Zhang Xin started tearing off her dress. She quickly unzipped it, pulled it off, and stood before Qu Chaozong wearing only white lace lingerie.
Zhang Xin’s body was as white as snow, her waist slender, her transparent lingerie covering nothing, leaving only a bikini area with a small, beautifully shaped inverted triangle, and her legs, straight and slim, like lotus segments.
But Qu Chaozong’s gaze was fixed on Zhang Xin’s chest, suddenly dazed.
Under the bright bathroom light, the tattoo on Zhang Xin’s chest entered Qu Chaozong’s sight directly.
A beautiful, rounded heart shape encased a neatly and forcefully engraved character, a word deeply carved on Zhang Xin’s chest, fully enveloped by the heart shape.
Qu Chaozong stared blankly at the character; he slowly reached out, gently touched it, fingers warm and delicately tracing the unique and beautiful tattoo. He mumbled, "When did this happen..."
Qu Chaozong felt his heart racing, like the long-awaited desire was right in front of him, only needing to reach out to touch it.
He raised his head, looking at Zhang Xin.
Zhang Xin had tattooed Qu Chaozong’s name on her chest, the place closest to her heart. She wanted every heartbeat to resonate with Qu Chaozong’s name, like a devoted believer eternally loyal to their love.
Qu Chaozong said nothing; the shock in his eyes and the overwhelming emotional turmoil almost drowned him in an instant.
Suddenly, he understood what Zhang Xin had been secretly busy with behind his back all this time. Zhang Xin had been joyfully planning over the phone, saying there was a gift for him, that he’d be pleasantly surprised once he saw it.
Qu Chaozong looked at the tattoo, unsure of what feelings stirred in his heart.
When he returned, intending to give Zhang Xin back her bank card and sever ties completely, he saw her attempting to cut her wrists. The choking sensation he felt in that instant made him realize painfully, regardless of his strong words, he really couldn’t bear to lose Zhang Xin at heart.