Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The secretary watched his back for a while before she walked up to him. “Mr. Lu?” Indulging in his own world, Lu Bancheng didn’t respond.
“Mr. Lu, your coffee is already cold. I can make another one for you.” The secretary continued standing next to him. Finally, she touched the coffee cup intending to take it from his hand, causing him a jolt to his senses when her fingers barely touched his. He quickly took two steps back, causing his coffee to splash on his wrist and white shirt, leaving a stain.
“Gosh!” the secretary exclaimed in a hushed tone. She walked over to the coffee table after she scanned around the room and saw napkins on it. She quickly walked back to Lu Bancheng with a napkin and wiped the coffee off his shirt with it. “Mr. Lu, I am going to just dab it for now. You can take it off later, and I’ll wash it for you…”
The secretary continued talking, but Lu Bancheng didn’t hear anything she was saying. He was distracted and soon turned to look out the window. The darkness was punctuated by glamorous lights across the sky.
She didn’t feel good. She drank way too much. I’m worried about her, especially at night.
“Mr. Lu, I can’t get the coffee stain out. Do you want to take off your shirt now?” The secretary saw Lu Bancheng staring out the window and not responding to her. After a while. She reached her hand out to shake his arm lightly. Lu Bancheng responded by trembling for a second and then slowly turning around to at her.
“Mr. Lu, I’ll hold your coffee for you. Can you take off your—”
Lu Bancheng shook his arm from her hand before she could finish speaking; then, he pointed at the entrance and said, “Leave now.”
“Mr. Lu?” The secretary pursed her lips and did not really want to leave.
“I am asking you to go away!” Lu Bancheng looked like he had exhausted every bit of patience with her and threw his coffee cup on the floor. Its loud crashing sound was that of shattering glass and then shards scattering everywhere.
Frightened, the secretary moved two steps back while looking at him and daring not to speak a word. Lu Bancheng yelled at her when he saw her staring without moving, “Get out!”
The secretary did not hesitate again. She hurriedly turned to grab her purse and then ran out of Lu Bancheng’s apartment.
After the door closed behind her, Lu Bancheng was alone again in his large luxury apartment. He stood there for a moment, feeling the emptiness, before rushing to the master bedroom as he started taking his clothes off. He pushed the bathroom door open and walked to stand under the shower head.
He had already planned a hot shower before bed to help him fall asleep, but the longer he showered the more upset he became. Before completely rinsing off the soap on his body, he suddenly turned off the water and pulled a towel off a clean stack and wiped his body dry. He put his clothes on before drying his hair. Although it was still damp, he hurriedly grabbed his car keys and left the apartment.
……
Qin Zhi’ai had not stayed at the apartment she had rented with Xu Wennuan for a long time after she had married Gu Yusheng. Xu Wennuan had thought it was a waste to keep the apartment after she had moved in with Lu Bancheng, so she had broken the lease with the landlord.
It was late at night, and Xu Wennuan had no place to go. She could stay at her parents’ home, but she didn’t want them to see her coming home drunk and worry about her. After exiting the building, Xu Wennuan stood by the curb for a while before she flagged down a taxi and went to her company.
It was almost midnight, and not a soul was there except the security guard. After getting to her desk, she sat at it in the dreary, quiet night, wanting to cry.