Chapter 562 - 485: Taking Care
Chapter 562: Chapter 485: Taking Care
Lu Jianguo slowly emerged on his crutches. Seeing Bai Junfan standing in the courtyard, he nodded slightly. "Ah, it’s Mr. Bai. I wasn’t expecting you. Is there something I can help you with?"
Bai Junfan watched Lu Jianguo with a cold gaze. The aversion he had felt upon their first meeting hadn’t lessened; on the contrary, it had intensified, subtly escalating into hostility. He still remembered Yang Liu’er calling this man "Brother Lu" in her sweet, clear voice. He remembered how she attentively served "Brother Lu" tea and water, how she personally pushed his wheelchair to reposition him. Her movements were so natural and practiced, it was obvious she did it often, as if she were truly serving her own flesh-and-blood brother. Bai Junfan felt a deep sense of displeasure. ’She’s just staying with the Lu family for a few days. Is all that really necessary?’
Of course, what bothered him even more was Lu Jianguo’s appearance. The man had handsome features and a tall build, seeming to project an even tougher image than he, a supposed star of the military, did. Even while seated, Lu Jianguo’s powerful presence could not be underestimated.
And Yang Liu’er even smiled at him. That smile... In any case, Bai Junfan simply couldn’t bring himself to be friendly toward Lu Jianguo. ’He’s just a common laborer who drills tunnels and builds bridges,’ he thought. Bai Junfan couldn’t even be bothered to feign politeness.
"...Hello. I’d like to ask, is Yang Liu’er here?" Bai Junfan had also spent time at the bottom of the social ladder. The last time he came, he had followed Yang Liu’er’s lead and called him Brother Lu, but today, he didn’t even bother with a form of address. The thought of Yang Liu’er living under the same roof as this man made bubbles of jealousy practically fizz out of his nostrils.
Lu Jianguo also stared back at Bai Junfan, his face devoid of expression, as if looking at a passing stranger. ’He knew it. Bai Junfan must have gone to the company and that small courtyard early this morning to corner Yang Liu’er. When he couldn’t find her, he came here. Clever Yang Liu’er must have anticipated this. Weiwei needed her to go to the school to register and pay tuition, so they’re probably long done with that by now. Who knows what shop they’ve run off to.’
He had no intention of inviting Bai Junfan inside to sit. In a flat tone, he said, "Mr. Bai, are you looking for Liu’er? She should be at the clothing company. School is about to start, so Liu’er is busy arranging company affairs. She’s been staying at the company these past few days."
Bai Junfan: "..."
’He really didn’t like other men calling her Liu’er so familiarly,’ but right now, he didn’t have time to dwell on it.
He pulled a white envelope from his pocket and handed it to Lu Jianguo. "I’ll be transferred back in two months at most. I’ll be able to take better care of Liu’er then. There are some things I need to tell her in here. Your sister works with Liu’er, so please give this letter to your sister and ask her to pass it on to Liu’er. Thanks!" After speaking, Bai Junfan turned and left.
Lu Jianguo watched the open courtyard gate and gave a cold smile.
’Truly a young master from a wealthy family,’ he thought. ’So much arrogance, even when asking for a favor.’
This one glimpse revealed the whole picture. If the man who claimed he could take care of Liu’er had this kind of attitude, he could imagine how the rest of the Bai family would treat her. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.
Never mind that Liu’er had already decided to let go. Even if she were still stubbornly holding on, Lu Jianguo was certain he would have stepped in to sever this connection himself.
He would do it even if it meant facing condemnation and earning Liu’er’s resentment. Bai Junfan couldn’t even offer Liu’er marriage, let alone the delusion of a stable, happy life with him.
At noon, Gu Shaojun drove over to pick up Lu Jianguo and take him to a restaurant. Yang Liu’er was out, having arranged to meet Xiao Man after a phone call. She was also going to pick up medicine for Luo Chunxiang, whom she was seeing off at the train station for her trip home tomorrow. Since the two women had things to discuss, Gu Shaojun would have to stay out of the way. He felt that simply having Yang Liu’er say goodbye to Lu Jianguo on his behalf was too hasty, so he decided they should all have lunch together. He dropped Xiao Man and Yang Liu’er off at the restaurant first to book a private room, then came back to get Lu Jianguo. Since Weiwei was having lunch at school and Uncle Lu and Lu Jianling weren’t home, he figured he would see them another time.
Lu Jianguo was very pleased. His leg made it difficult to get around, so he usually didn’t go out, but he was happy to go with Gu Shaojun. He saw another handsome and energetic-looking man get out of the car. Gu Shaojun introduced him as Wei Zhenling, his partner of many years and a trusted comrade who would be taking the train with him that afternoon.
Following Gu Shaojun’s lead, Wei Zhenling addressed him as Brother Lu. He smiled warmly, shook Lu Jianguo’s hand, and then helped him into the car.
They exchanged a few pleasantries on the way, and then Lu Jianguo asked Gu Shaojun, "Bai Junfan, isn’t he in the same unit as you?"
Gu Shaojun nodded. "That’s right. What about him?"
"He came by my place this morning and said he’s being transferred back to Beijing in two months. If he can get a transfer, you should be able to as well, right?"
Gu Shaojun mulled it over for a moment. "I can’t yet. Actually, for him to transfer at a time like this... Hmm. I can only say everyone has their own way of thinking. Did he tell you that himself? Why would he tell you?"
"He came looking for Liu’er. He told me just like that: ’I’m being transferred back in two months, and I’ll be able to take better care of Liu’er.’"
"Hah!" Gu Shaojun sneered. ’Take better care of her? As if!’
He recalled what Yang Liu’er had told him about her past life: After he broke off his engagement with Tang Yaxuan due to his disability, Bai Junfan seized the opportunity to pursue her. The two hit it off immediately. By then, Grandma Tang had already passed away from illness, and Grandpa Tang soon followed. Tang Qingshan moved out of the Tang Mansion, leaving Tang Qingyun and Wu Xiaowen in charge. They arranged a marriage alliance between the Bai and Tang families, and the Gu family’s fortunes gradually declined... In truth, Gu Shaojun could imagine that even if he hadn’t initiated the breakup in his past life, Wu Xiaowen, the mistress of the Tang family at the time, would never have allowed the marriage to proceed.
And had Yang Liu’er ever received Bai Junfan’s "care"? Bai Junfan married a woman from a powerful family, which surely meant he had to first abandon his fiancée, who had no background to speak of. Since Yang Liu’er had refused to give up and walk away, her tragic end was inevitable.
He wasn’t the type to gossip about relationships, and he didn’t want thoughts of Bai Junfan to ruin his mood. After all, that guy had once tried to plot against his Xiao Man. Just thinking of the man’s name made him angry, so he changed the subject.
When they arrived at the private room in the restaurant, Lu Jianguo was shocked to see that Yang Liu’er’s eyes were as red and swollen as two large peaches. He couldn’t very well ask her about it in front of everyone, so he could only endure the ache in his heart and eat the meal without tasting a thing.
Understanding that Gu Shaojun was short on time, Lu Jianguo insisted that he not drive them back. He urged him to hurry home, saying that since he was about to leave Beijing, the elders in his family would surely want a few more words with him.
Yang Liu’er also promised she could get Brother Lu home safely and told Gu Shaojun and Xiao Man not to worry. She said she would call Xiao Man later. Seeing that they both insisted, Gu Shaojun didn’t stand on ceremony and personally hailed a taxi and saw them off.
They got out of the taxi at the entrance to their alley. Lu Jianguo was on his crutches, so all Yang Liu’er had to do was walk closely beside him. The two of them conversed in low voices as they walked, staying quite close to each other. Neighbors passing by would greet them with a smile, and after walking a little further, couldn’t help but look back. They all knew a Miss Yang was staying with the Lu family, supposedly a distant relative of some sort. But seeing Miss Yang walking with the Lu family’s son today... well, they looked quite well-matched.
By the time they entered their courtyard, Lu Jianguo had already managed to get the reason for her swollen eyes out of Yang Liu’er. The old saying goes that truth is stranger than fiction, and it was certainly the case here: Bai Junfan was about to leave Beijing, and not only had he never asked Yang Liu’er to see him off, he had asked Tang Yaxuan to accompany him on the flight to G City!
Tang Yaxuan seemed to be eagerly looking forward to the trip. She and Bai Junfan were taking a car to the Suburban Airport, and they were even making a detour to a time-honored preserved fruit shop to buy sour plums and salted plums for the road. Yang Liu’er and Xiao Man happened to be browsing in a shop across the street. She watched with her own eyes as the two walked arm-in-arm, and heard with her own ears the man’s gentle words and the woman’s cheerful laughter. The woman kept asking if, once they reached G City, he could stay and have fun with her for a couple of days before sending her back.
Even though she was utterly despondent and thought her heart had gone completely numb, tears still welled up in Yang Liu’er’s eyes. A dull ache tightened in her chest, making it hard to walk. Xiao Man stood with her on the side of the street, and they watched helplessly as the car started up and drove past them. Incredibly, neither Bai Junfan nor Tang Yaxuan noticed they were there.
Lu Jianguo, however, breathed a sigh of relief. ’This is for the best. It’s a good thing they didn’t see them!’
He took the letter Bai Junfan had asked him to pass on from his pocket and handed it to Yang Liu’er. She took it and stared at the flamboyant calligraphy on the envelope, gritting her teeth with the urge to tear it to shreds.
Lu Jianguo quickly stopped her, persuading her, "He’s not here. Tearing it up would be pointless; it won’t make him angry. You might as well see what he has to say."