Tentative

"I do not love you anymore."

Such an understatement blocked all the words Shen Yizhuo wanted to explain in his throat.He originally wanted to tell Qu Zhe the truth about his marriage with Qu Xiaoyu.Although he could only explain this matter, he couldn't say other words—or what Qu Zhe wanted to hear, but at least he could explain clearly the most unacceptable thing Qu Zhe could do.

But everything looks different now.

Qu Zhe didn't disagree with it, he accepted it calmly; and the meaning behind these words seemed to be that he didn't want to understand any complicated entanglements in it, because it didn't matter to him.

Shen Yizhuo was involuntarily annoyed, and his voice became deeper and deeper: "I didn't ask you this."

"I know," Qu Zhe said indifferently, "but I should tell you."

The couch was not very long at first, even though Qu Zhe had already leaned on the armrest next to him, he was only one person's width away from Shen Yizhuo.Hearing his words, Shen Yizhuo suddenly laughed: "You think I care if you love me or not?"

"..." Qu Zhe didn't speak, and Shen Yizhuo continued, "Qu Zhe, you really think highly of yourself."

No one cares about what kind of mood is behind the words.The two people who have gone against each other can't do anything other than obey the literal meaning.Shen Yizhuo's smile was gloomy and cold. Even Qu Zhe, who was used to seeing his true face, would feel a little terrified, but he still seemed relieved, slowly took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and lit one skillfully.

He smokes Yellow Crane Tower, a very common cigarette that many people smoke.

"It's just right, we're clear." Qu Zhe said with a smile.

Shen Yizhuo could feel that the other party was deliberately pulling away the relationship. He really wanted to be the same as before, and he was sure that he could see through what Qu Zhe was thinking.But he couldn't—from such a perfect polite smile, he couldn't tell whether Qu Zhe's words were sincere.The former Qu Zhe was so easy to understand, his unconscious movements and the tone of his speech were all betraying his inner thoughts.So now Qu Zhe seems to be wearing a prescribed facial makeup, those micro-expressions and small movements are all covered up tightly, Shen Yizhuo tried to find something to support his guess, but there is no trace to be found .

Shen Yizhuo didn't speak for a long time, he put away his smile, leaned on the sofa with a tired expression, raised his head, and could smell the smell of burning tobacco.

After smoking a cigarette, Qu Zhe said lightly, "Actually, I don't need to live here tonight. If it's to please Xiaoyu, you don't have to do it."

"Why should I please her?"

"You should please her." Qu Zhe said, his tone finally changed, "Shen Yizhuo, treat her better, okay..."

Shen Yizhuo squinted at him: "Are you begging me?"

"Well, I'm begging you."

He clearly said such words, but there was no begging tone at all.Qu Zhe didn't seem to have any defenses, and there were flaws everywhere; however, flaws everywhere meant that there were no flaws, no matter what Shen Yizhuo said, he could maintain this pretended calm and indifferent.

Shen Yizhuo wanted to get angry... He had gotten angry with Qu Zhe more than once before.It was a very comfortable and easy reaction to respond to emotions, but now, he couldn't do it.Because if he is the one who is furious here and Qu Zhe is the one who keeps calm, he will lose completely.

After pondering for a while, he finally said, "Then make a deal."

"what?"

"Xiaoyu is three months pregnant." Shen Yizhuo restrained his emotions and said softly, "There are still eight months at most. During this period, you can stay with her."

"...I can come and see him if I'm not here."

"You stay here with her, I will," his tone suddenly became brisk, Qu Zhe looked at him suspiciously, before Shen Yizhuo continued, "I will consider treating her better."

Qu Zhe couldn't hide his emotions so well when it came to Qu Xiaoyu's matter.Shen Yizhuo's expression was full of playfulness, which was blatantly threatening him.

"Shen Yizhuo, it's your duty to treat her well!"

"Yes, legally speaking." Shen Yizhuo continued, "But I don't have to fulfill my obligations. It's only eight months, and she isn't worth even eight months?... Qu Zhe, stay, treat you and me , it's all good for her."

The two men looked at each other coldly on the sofa, like a confrontation.In the end, Qu Zhe was defeated. He sighed, lowered his eyes and said, "I don't want to see you."

He suddenly let go, and the words made people daydream.

Qu Zhe said again: "Let me go, Shen Yizhuo, I really don't want to see you again."

Shen Yizhuo didn't know when he took out the lighter that he had been using all the time. He turned it back and forth in his palm, and even got a little sweat from his fingertips.It took him a long time to reply: "I said, this is your choice, you can't go back on your word."

"But I've already..." "We're not finished until I say it's over." Shen Yizhuo said.

Qu Zhe looked at him in surprise, but the other party just unhurriedly lifted the metal cover of the lighter with one hand, rubbed the gears, and lit a beam of faint blue fire: "Stay here and be with him, he needs it very much." you."

"Okay, yes." Qu Zhe took a deep breath and said, "But we never started."

Having achieved his goal, Shen Yizhuo didn't want to stay any longer. After Qu Zhe finished speaking, he stood up and walked towards the entrance.He didn't respond to Qu Zhe's last words, he picked up the key on his own, put on his shoes, opened the door and finally said, "I will pick you up tomorrow to see her."

"Ok."

Qu Zhe responded softly, and the door was closed with a bang, followed by the sound of the lock cylinder turning.Even if he didn't check, Qu Zhe knew that Shen Yizhuo probably locked the door with a key - because he was afraid that he would leave at night.

He had lived in this room for some time in the past, and the furnishings and colors hadn't changed much, and it looked strangely nostalgic.Shen Yizhuo left, and he was the only one left in the apartment. He relaxed his tense nerves. He curled up on the sofa and looked at the ceiling. After being in a daze for a while, he finally realized that he should go to bed now, so that he could visit Qu Xiaoyu tomorrow.

He went to take a bath, now it was the end of summer, it was not cold, and even occasionally it would suddenly become very hot.He simply lay down on the sofa, just looking at the overhead light on the ceiling.

The overhead light in his bedroom used to be a round lampshade, like a prying eye.Now in Shen Yizhuo's living room, there is a beautiful chandelier above, and the light diverges into a halo in a trance, like a dream he had had a long time ago.

There is always a time to wake up from a dream, so the current him is already after waking up from the dream.

Shen Yizhuo left the apartment calmly and returned to the car.The garage is quiet, only occasionally the owner parks in.He had no intention of driving in the car, the key was inserted in the console, he opened the window, and lit a cigarette.

In fact, he stopped smoking Lucky a long time ago, and now he smokes Marlboro. Although he doesn't like it very much, it is a good buy.

He couldn't tell how he felt in his heart, but when he listened to Qu Zhe's sarcastic remarks, he wanted to humiliate him with the things in the past for a few moments, so that he could recognize his identity clearly.But he still didn't do that, he just listened and responded with a more indifferent attitude.

A person like him has long been familiar with wearing a mask. If necessary, he can even maintain that gentle and polite posture in bed.But in front of Qu Zhe, in front of the current Qu Zhe, he seems to be unable to restrain his nature, and wants to pinch his chin so that he can only say what he wants to hear, and if he says something wrong, crush him jaw.

That's what he used to do, only closer to mental oppression than physical.

Shen Yizhuo was thinking about these things in confusion, his eyes lost focus, and refocused after a long time, but just stopped on the rearview mirror.He looked vaguely embarrassed in the rearview mirror.

He could have made it clear to Qu Zhe two years ago that he and Qu Xiaoyu had no male-female relationship; he could have told Qu Zhe the real reason for their marriage after seeing Qu Zhe again...but Qu Zhe refused. The first time he refused without saying goodbye, but this time he told him bluntly that he was not curious anymore.

That is, I don't care anymore.

When he thought that all the reasons why Qu Zhe appeared in front of him were for his sister, not for himself, he wanted to get angry.

Maybe he should treat Qu Zhe in a different way, but how, he couldn't find the answer.

That night, Shen Yizhuo smoked half a pack of cigarettes consecutively in the car. After he was dizzy and uncomfortable, he rested for a while, then drove back to the company and slept in the lounge.

Early the next morning, he came to pick up Qu Zhe to visit Qu Xiaoyu as promised.

When Shen Yizhuo entered the door, Qu Zhe was still fast asleep, but Yue Mo didn't sleep well. When he heard the door opening, he lifted his eyelids exhaustedly, then sat up slowly from the sofa, covered his eyes and woke up.

"Why are you sleeping on the sofa?" he asked.

In fact, Shen Yizhuo only slept for four hours last night. When he said this, his voice was a little tired and his voice was very hoarse.

Qu Zhe is on the contrary. When he wakes up in the morning, he often has no strength, and his voice is small and thin: "...It is better to sleep in someone else's house, on the sofa."

"You don't want to sleep on my bed, you can sleep in the study, there is a folding bed in it." Shen Yizhuo said indifferently.As he spoke, he walked into the house, drew the curtains, and opened the windows to let in light and fresh air.

Qu Zhe didn't seem to be restrained at all. After a few minutes, he stood up and went to the bathroom: "I'm going to wash up."

"Well, the new stuff is in the locker."

In the beginning, Shen Yizhuo was no different from others, and he also hated Qu Zhe's submissive and cautious appearance, as if a muffled thunder could scare him into tears.

...But now, he might want to see that Qu Zhe more.

There was the sound of water coming from the bathroom, the sound was very small, but Shen Yizhuo couldn't help but listen carefully, and even secretly guessed Qu Zhe's movements and expressions at the moment.If he went in hastily, maybe Qu Zhe would panic, but reason told him that Qu Zhe would most likely be expressionless and ask him humbly and politely, "What's the matter?"

For the first time, Shen Yizhuo felt that it was difficult for people to get along with each other.He has been synonymous with "likability" since he can remember. He has never worked hard on it, but he can know exactly what kind of face to use to treat what kind of person.

Soon Qu Zhe came out of the bathroom, looking in good spirits.

Shen Yizhuo said, "Let's have breakfast together."

Qu Zhe smiled and shook his head lightly: "No, I want to see Xiaoyu."

"She's probably still asleep."

"Then I'll wait for her to wake up over there." Qu Zhe didn't notice the "possibility" in Shen Yizhuo's sentence - if Shen Yizhuo and Qu Xiaoyu shared the same bed, how could he not know that she is sleeping now? Are you awake?

Apart from that, Shen Yizhuo couldn't say anything more, and Qu Zhe's refusal left no room for it, so he had no choice but to respond: "...OK."