Seven

Zhang Momo had never imagined she would meet Lou Keyu under such circumstances; for the first time ever, her car had been sent to the repair shop, and on her way to work, she just happened to run into him.

His hands gripped hers so tightly it hurt; hands characteristic of someone in medicine—long and fair—now trembling with excitement as they wrapped around her. They were as warm and strong as ever, yet at this moment, they churned her heart like molten lava meeting ice-cold spring waters, clashing violently within.

“Momo, I was just about to look for you! I only returned to the country last week and had been planning to contact your sister to ask about you. I didn’t expect to see you here! When did you leave the hospital? Have you fully recovered?” His words tumbled out in a rush, joy radiating from him; that gentle, refined face could no longer conceal the surge of emotion and excitement. Yet Zhang Momo stubbornly pulled her hands free; she lowered her head and bit her lips until they lost all color.

“It’s all better now.”

She pushed the words out through clenched teeth, then slipped her hands into her trouser pockets, clinging hard to the lining inside, refusing to let go.

In truth, she wanted nothing more than to chop his hands away and ask him—if, when “Zhang Momo” fell into a coma after that car accident a year ago, you only visited once before hurrying back to England and never cared for me again, why put on this passionate, soul-stirring concern now? What’s the point?

But how could she bring herself to ask?

For a girlfriend who had suddenly become a comatose patient, wasn’t it already enough that he had flown all the way from England to visit? Was she to expect this promising young medical doctor to tie the rest of his life to a woman who might never wake up?

Moreover, she had deceived him first! Shortly after the accident a year ago, when this diligent man had dropped everything to rush home from England and visit the unconscious “Zhang Momo,” she had pretended to be Zhang Nianqing and received him! She had lied to him—it was she who deceived him first!

That night, she hadn’t slept at all; her mind was filled with the image of Lou Keyu, his eyes red as he gazed at the comatose face on the hospital bed. She had vowed, come what may, to tell him the truth. But unexpectedly, the very next day, she heard he had hurriedly returned to England.

And once gone, he disappeared for over a year, not a single word.

A helpless, bitter smile; such a reunion was truly heart-wrenching. She tried several times to turn away and leave, but her body would not obey; not a muscle dared move, all her nerves taut in anticipation, listening for his explanation. After all this time, she was still waiting for him to explain…

Lou Keyu, seeing Zhang Momo’s silence, felt his initial joy at their reunion gradually replaced by bitterness and regret. Behind his elegant, rimless glasses, the light in his eyes slowly dimmed.

“Momo, are you blaming me?” His voice dropped, a trace of helplessness furrowing his brow. “I’m sorry.” As he spoke, his slender, immaculate hands rose hesitantly, hovering in the air for several seconds before gripping her shoulders firmly. “That year-long internship in Pinsk was really important to me; Momo, you know I’ve studied medicine in England for more than a decade, waiting for this very opportunity…”

A belated explanation, but better than none. Zhang Momo let out a long breath; for a moment, it was as though the burden she had carried for so long slid from her shoulders. She shook her head, “I’m not blaming you. If it were me… I might have made the same choice. I have to get to work, let’s leave it at that.”

She had barely taken a step when Lou Keyu seized her wrist again. His anxious tone betrayed a flush in his eyes. “Wait, Momo, I’m back in the country now, and you’ve recovered—everything’s fine. Let’s find a place to sit down and talk, all right? We still have a chance…”

Zhang Momo gazed at his familiar face, and in this moment, it felt utterly foreign. If not for today’s reunion, could she still have called this first love beautiful? Lou Keyu’s grip tightened until she could hardly breathe. She turned her face away, about to say ‘It’s impossible for us now,’ when she caught sight of a man standing less than ten meters away!

His posture was straight as a pine, his suit impeccably neat, his every outward feature severe, yet none as chilling as the expression on his face.

Zhang Momo had no time to consider what she’d almost said; she could only gasp and leap half a meter back. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she realized her lapse in composure and stammered, “Brother-in-law.”

Lou Keyu, hearing her call out, turned to see that it really was Xiang Zuo! He quickly composed himself, extended his right hand politely, “Hello, I’m Lou Keyu, Momo’s boyfriend.”

His hand hung in the air, but was not taken. Xiang Zuo only fixed him with a cool gaze, and Lou Keyu’s heart sank. Then Xiang Zuo turned to Zhang Momo and asked, “What are you doing here?!”

At this moment, Zhang Momo had no mind to correct Lou Keyu’s self-introduction; seeing Xiang Zuo’s displeasure, she felt like a rabbit caught by an eagle, or a debtor who’d run into the creditor by misfortune. Perhaps she’d felt guilty from the start, and now, faced with his stern look, she instinctively braced herself for punishment.

Her instincts took over. She quickly waved her hand, “It’s nothing, I was just passing by.” As she spoke, she tried to slip away.

But before she could move, Lou Keyu caught her arm again. Zhang Momo silently cursed her luck—one devil not yet dealt with, another blocking her path. Filled with grievance and worry that the creditor might pursue her further, she struggled in vain.

In the midst of this, Lou Keyu brought up their unfinished conversation, “Momo, we need to talk.”

“All right, all right! I’ll call you!” she replied, eager only to escape, and wrenched her arm free, darting five meters away.

Xiang Zuo’s face was thunderous. Back in the car, and for the rest of the morning, he said only one thing—to his secretary, Yu Nianyuan: “Everything we discussed just now, cancel it all.”

Yu Nianyuan was about to breathe a sigh of relief, only to find his heart suspended in midair once more. The instincts of an excellent secretary told him—the matter was far from over.