Chapter 234: Chapter 233: Are you looking for death?
In the living room, a few empty beer cans were scattered haphazardly on the coffee table. Shi Yang was slumped on the sofa, and Zhao Meimei, upon getting closer, noticed his flushed face and heavy breathing, indicating that he was obviously drunk.
Zhao Meimei quickly leaned over with concern and asked, "Brother, are you okay?"
Shi Yang attempted to prop himself up on the sofa, slurring his words, "I, I’m fine. Come, come here, I, I need to talk to you."
Zhao Meimei hurriedly grabbed his arm, trying to help him sit up. Suddenly, Shi Yang cupped her face with his hand, his lips trembling as he scolded, "Zhao Meimei, you little bastard, you dare to fool around behind my back. You, damn it, do you think I’m dead?"
Zhao Meimei’s eyes widened in surprise. Momentarily stunned by Shi Yang’s outburst, she quickly explained, "It’s not like that, brother. There’s nothing between Xu Xu and me. I didn’t even know he liked me before!"
Shi Yang was emotionally charged, his gaze turning frightening. He wasn’t listening to anything Zhao Meimei was saying. He squeezed her face harder, shouting, "What... what did I tell you back then? Did I warn you? You’re mine; you can’t be with anyone else. I... I can’t tolerate this! Zhao... Zhao Meimei, are you asking for it?"
Zhao Meimei’s temples throbbed from the pain of his grip. She desperately pried his hands from her face, feeling a mix of amusement and distress, a touch of heartache, and a tinge of indescribable sweetness.
Zhao Meimei supported Shi Yang again, "Brother, can you stand up? Come on, let me help you back to your room."
Shi Yang did not cooperate at all. He waved her arm away, struggling to sit up but as soon as he leaned against the sofa, his body went limp, and he collapsed back down.
Shi Yang held onto Zhao Meimei’s arm without letting go. When he suddenly fell, Zhao Meimei was pulled along, fearing she might crush him. She tried to prop herself up on the sofa frantically, but Shi Yang kept a firm grip on her wrist, rendering her motionless.
With his body already weak, Shi Yang was dizzy and momentarily dazed by Zhao Meimei’s bump. He let out a muffled groan and lost all strength. A warmth surged in his eyes, making each breath feel laborious.
Noticing this, Zhao Meimei struggled to get up but was pulled tightly into Shi Yang’s embrace. Shi Yang mumbled softly, calling her name repeatedly, "Meimei, Meimei..."
Shi Yang lay limp on the sofa, murmuring a couple of times, his voice gradually fading.
Zhao Meimei extracted her wrist and quickly got up from him. Upon closer inspection, Shi Yang had already fallen asleep.
Watching him in his drunken stupor, Zhao Meimei felt a deep pang of heartache.
She reached out, brushed aside the bangs dampened by sweat on Shi Yang’s forehead, helped him stretch his legs on the sofa for more comfort, and then returned to the bedroom to fetch a pillow and quilt.
Sitting on the floor, Zhao Meimei leaned against the sofa, staring intently at the sleeping Shi Yang, looking at him with longing.
Sound asleep, Shi Yang was still impossibly handsome. Zhao Meimei leaned over, pecked his cheek, rested her face against his, and mumbled to herself, "Brother, you’re so good. How could I ever like someone else behind your back? You’re the only one I’ll ever love in this lifetime."
As Zhao Meimei recalled Shi Yang’s drunken scolding, a sharp pain pierced her heart. She lifted Shi Yang’s hand and pressed it against her face, reproaching herself, "It’s my fault. When Zhang Zhao mentioned this to me, if I had taken it seriously, today wouldn’t have happened. Brother, I really didn’t know Xu Xu liked me."
Thinking of Xu Xu made Zhao Meimei feel anxious. She knew Xu Xu’s character all too well. He always kept things to himself, and this sudden confession led to such chaos. She had no idea how to face him at school tomorrow.
After all, she and Xu Xu had been friends since childhood. It wasn’t something she could simply cut off completely. Yet continuing as friends would be awkward and uncomfortable.
Zhao Meimei pondered so much that her head ached. She couldn’t help but complain to Shi Yang, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing her face against his, "Oh, brother, what should I do?"
After nuzzling for a while, Zhao Meimei gave Shi Yang another soft kiss on the lips, finding some solace in her heart. She lifted her head, comforted herself by thinking, whatever happens tomorrow, I’ll deal with it then. Xu Xu wouldn’t just ignore her forever, and Shi Yang wouldn’t stay mad at her for long.
With a sense of relief, Zhao Meimei turned her attention away from the whole fiasco, and with carefree determination, started contemplating how she could manage to cuddle up and sleep with Shi Yang tonight.
Meanwhile, Xu Xu, who was being thought about by Zhao Meimei, felt an intense itch in his nose and let out a massive sneeze. He sat dejectedly on the ground, locking eyes with Zhang Zhao, who was lying beside him.
Zhang Zhao glanced at the small indentation on the floor caused by the impact, his voice icy and piercing, like it had been weathered by wind and snow, "Xu Xu, have you lost it? Were you trying to kill me?"
The force Xu Xu used in his throw had sapped all the courage he had painstakingly gathered. Panting, he rubbed his eyes vigorously, his vision blurred as he stared at Zhang Zhao without speaking.
"You... you’ve really got guts!" Zhang Zhao’s anger turned to laughter, "I really misjudged you; you’re quite the man!"
Xu Xu stared blankly at Zhang Zhao, taken aback by his reaction.
Getting up from the floor, Zhang Zhao walked over to the TV cabinet, grabbed a bottle of mineral water provided by the hotel, and tossed one to Xu Xu.
Receiving the water, Xu Xu realized his throat was parched.
He twisted it open, took a couple of swigs, and heard Zhang Zhao ask, "What do you plan to do next?"
The urge to destroy everything subsided, and Xu Xu calmed down, shaking his head, his voice hoarse but less constricted after being soothed by the water, "I don’t know." He paused, then added bitterly, "Meimei probably won’t want to see me again, nor will she ever talk to me."
At this point, a wave of anger surged within Xu Xu, and he glared at Zhang Zhao indignantly, "What I plan to do, what’s it to you? Weren’t you just using me as a test subject to see what happens after I confess to Meimei, so you’d know how it turns out?"
Zhang Zhao didn’t deny it. His head bowed, eyelids drooping, his expression unreadable.
Standing from the bed, Xu Xu moved towards the door. As he reached for the door handle, he heard Zhang Zhao’s voice from behind, "I’m sorry."
Xu Xu halted his steps, responding coldly, "I won’t forgive you."
The door was slammed shut with a bang. Zhang Zhao sat on the bed, unmoved from his previous position, quietly remaining there for a long while before reaching for his phone.