Chapter 163 (1/2)
Chapter 163
Su Chan paced back and forth in the room . Come on . . . Pick up . . . Pick up . . . Pick up . . .
Master would be back soon, so she didn't have much time left to talk to Yundong . Probably ten minutes give or take .
”The number you have dialed is unavailable . Please leave a message after the—” Grr! Su Chan lowered the phone and bit her lip . Had she pressed the wrong b.u.t.tons? Maybe she had pressed the wrong b.u.t.tons . That had to be it . These b.u.t.tons were way too tiny . Su Chan flipped the phone over and tried again, thumbing each b.u.t.ton carefully . Once she was sure she had gotten the sequence correct, she pressed the green b.u.t.ton .
The phone trembled slightly when she raised it to her ear . It rang, rang, and rang—
CLICK!
Su Chan's heart soared . Yayyy!!!
”h.e.l.loooooooo!!!! Beloved! Guess who is calling?”
Silence .
Hmm? Maybe he was too surprised to hear her voice that he got tongue-tied? Su Chan giggled into the phone . ”Hehehe . . . Don't tell me you've forgotten my voice already? It's me! Your little cheap monk!”
Then, Su Chan's blood ran cold .
She heard a laugh . A feminine laugh .
Su Chan hands dropped limply to her sides . The phone slipped from her grip and fell to the carpeted floor with thud .
H- He's replaced me . . . He's found… a n-new lover . . . He's abandoned me . . .
Su Chan thought back to the voice she'd heard over the phone . Who was that girl? Zi Yuan? Ruan Hongling? But no, that voice didn't sound like either of them . Besides, why would Zi Yuan or Ruan Hongling have Yundong's phone?
Maybe Yundong left his phone at the motel and someone else had it now? Maybe it was one of those girls with the strange uniforms, the ones pus.h.i.+ng those large trolleys around the motel every morning? Maybe—
CLACK!
”Chan'er!! Where are you?”
Uh-oh! Master's back! Master's back! Argh!
Su Chan scrambled for the phone on the floor and then stuffed it under her pillow . Then, she jumped onto the bed and lay down with her back facing the door .
Yundong wouldn't just replace me, would he? No, no, no . . . Yundong is the nicest . . . the most loyal . . . and . . . and . . . Su Chan's shoulders began to tremble . B- But . . . what if he really doesn't want me anymore? What if he got tired of my absence and then . . . and then he . . .
A sob escaped Su Chan's lips . She bit her bottom lip to stifle another one .
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The door opened . ”Chan'er? Are you—” Master paused mid-sentence .
Su Chan bit her lip harder and endured the sting in her eyes . Seconds later, she heard Master's dejected sigh .
”You're thinking about him again, aren't you, Chan'er?”
Su Chan decided to abandon all pretense right then . She turned around on the bed and faced her master, teary face and all . ”Can I go see him, Master? Please? Chan'er misses him, Master . . . Let me go see him . . . ”
”No . . . ” The coldness in Master's voice made Su Chan flinch . ”Absolutely not! He will fail the Zhuji phase if you go back now, do you understand? He will fail . And then he will die! Do you really want that?”
Su Chan let her shoulder sag, then shook her head weakly .
Master was already stepping out of the door . ”Remember that he only has one chance left, Chan'er . One chance . ”
The door slammed shut a second later .
***
The entire apartment screamed ”weird vibes” when Li Yundong walked in . He paused at the doorway with bags of groceries hanging from his hands . Ruan Hongling was on the couch, scowling . Zi Yuan was leaning her back against the sliding door with her eyes closed .
”What happened?” Li Yundong asked . He looked from Zi Yuan to Ruan Hongling, then back to Zi Yuan again .
n.o.body answered .
Okay . . . ? This was awkward . Li Yundong cleared his throat loudly and moved from the doorway into the living room .
”Well! So, um… I know we got off on the wrong foot, but you two have been so helpful to me for the past few days . I figured I'd repay you with a meal . Plus, you guys haven't had your lunch yet, so . . . ” He shrugged .
Zi Yuan opened her eyes and smiled at him . ”You're too kind . ”
Li Yundong returned her smile . ”Nah . It's no big deal,” he said casually . ”It doesn't feel right to let you two watch me eat anyway . ”
Ruan Hongling shot him a skeptical look . ”You know how to cook?” Then, her expression turned suspicious . ”You're not trying to poison us, are you?”
Li Yundong rolled his eyes . Annoying girl . ”I guess you'll see . ” Li Yundong padded into the kitchen . ”Make yourself at home . I won't be long!”
***
”Need a hand?”
Li Yundong looked up from the chopping board at the sound of Zi Yuan's voice .
Li Yundong smiled . ”Nah . It's okay . Girls should avoid the kitchen at all costs . ”
Zi Yuan gave him an amused look . ”Why?”
Li Yundong shrugged . ”Well, all the smoke and . . . ” He cleared his throat . ”And… you know, the oil . . . Might ruin your skin . . . ”
Li Yundong dropped the knife and turned away from the counter .
I miss her . . . G.o.d I miss her so much . . .
F*ck! Why didn't he chop onions instead of . . . of . . . s.h.i.+t, what the heck had he been chopping? He couldn't even remember . d.a.m.n it . Should've gone with onions first . At least he could use the onions as an excuse for his tears .
A warm hand touched his shoulder a second later .
”Are you okay?”
Li Yundong turned and saw Zi Yuan's concerned expression .
”I'm fine,” he said, then sniffed . ”I just . . . ”
”You miss her,” Zi Yuan said .
Li Yundong sighed . ”Yeah . . . ” Suddenly he smiled . ”I told her the same thing I told you earlier . ” He chuckled . ”I mean, about why women shouldn't spend so much time in the kitchen . ”