Chapter 701: Chapter 86: Misunderstanding
Chapter 86: Misunderstanding
This day was long and difficult for Li Yan, and the same for Yurong.
At that time, Li Yan said he needed to go out and left. Yurong didn’t see him take anything, so she thought he was going to look for a place first and would come back later to pack his things. Yue Yao had advised her to talk to Li Yan, to set a time for him to return, have him accompany her shopping for clothes, and buy him a set of clothes, which might ease their relationship. Yue Yao said things like how couples don’t hold grudges overnight and how arguments at the bed’s edge end in reconciliation.
Yurong didn’t know how to respond to Yue Yao’s kindness; this time, it was more serious than previous issues and not something Yue Yao could easily mediate. After Yue Yao went upstairs, she looked out the window and saw Li Yan driving away in his car and went to the garage to confirm it.
Indeed, Li Yan did not reject the new Lexus she gave him, but this time he left in his original small QQ car, which left Yurong with mixed feelings. Li Yan had given her flowers and a sachet before, and she had officially bought him a gift. Other clothing and such were things he bought himself. Now, Li Yan was essentially returning the gift to her. Although the value of the sachet and the car cannot be compared, she hesitated whether she should return it to Li Yan as well.
Even at that time, Yurong still believed Li Yan would come back to pack and leave, thinking he was just going out to find a place. When she returned upstairs, she once thought about asking Li Yan not to move out when he came back to collect his things, and she wouldn’t return to her parents’ home. The house was big enough that if she just staggered her meal times, they could avoid seeing each other. This could be considered a type of separation that wouldn’t affect anyone else.
She wasn’t sure about this idea, considering bringing it up but finding it hard to articulate. Ultimately, by lunchtime, Li Yan hadn’t returned or called. After lunch, she went to Li Yan’s bedroom. She noticed not much had changed, and Li Yan hadn’t taken all his things, but like when he went on a business trip to Beihai Country, the clothes he frequently wore were packed away. Especially the card and car keys on the table – at that moment, she understood that Li Yan had already taken his luggage when they hadn’t come downstairs in the morning.
In that instant, she felt utterly empty!
Not only did it feel like her body had been hollowed out, but the entire house seemed to become void suddenly. She sat weakly on the bed, taking deep breaths to calm herself.
At that moment, she was blank and confused. She had never thought Li Yan’s departure would affect her so much. In her mind, Li Yan should have been optional; even if he didn’t come home and was out indulgent, it didn’t matter to her, and she wouldn’t have any particular reactions. However, now that he was gone, really packed his things and left, it seemed he took a lot with him.
After a long while, she slowly walked out of the familiar yet unfamiliar bedroom, looked around the house she had lived in for so long, and realized that, unknowingly, she had gotten used to it and it had gradually become "home" from a "temporary stay." Now, even with Liu’s wife and Yue Yao still there, another person who made this a "home" and formed the "home’s" atmosphere was gone, so it no longer felt like "home," just a big empty luxury house...
Yue Yao noticed her looking somewhat despondent, got a fright, and thought she was ill. Upon careful inquiry, she barely managed to understand what had happened through Yurong’s few words.
This was an issue between the two of them; she had always been the mediator. But this time, perhaps Li Yan had touched Yurong’s bottom line, leaving her unsure of how to counsel her, only being able to accompany her. Yet, since Li Yan left without telling her anything special, it made her believe Li Yan would return, perhaps only needing some time apart to cool down due to the current atmosphere.
Yue Yao herself hoped Li Yan would return. She stayed there because of Li Yan, and if he didn’t come back, she would also leave with him. These past months of living together had made her very satisfied and hopeful; she would be happy to retire and live like this if she could.
Yurong was only out of sorts for a while, then promptly immersed herself in work. After the conversation the night before, she had no heart for work, including spending the morning thinking about whether or not to keep Li Yan when he returned, but once she knew he had truly left, she could throw herself into work.
The entire afternoon, she kept herself busy without a break. That evening, Yurong also instructed Liu’s wife not to prepare dinner as she and Yue Yao went into town to find a restaurant to eat. Like Li Yan, she kept herself from pausing, ensuring driving and dining outside would distract her.
It was only when the two returned home to rest that Yue Yao called Li Yan, not detailing much but essentially conveying Yurong’s situation to him.
...
Upon waking the next morning, both Zhang Yurong and Yue Yao felt something different from usual. Without Li Yan for breakfast, and without a reassurance of his return, the atmosphere was unpleasant. Yurong didn’t say much, and seeing her downcast mood, Yue Yao didn’t say much either.
Arriving at the company, she buried herself in work again. Mondays were usually busy with meetings, and given the rivalry with Changhe Group and the additional PR department tasks, Zhang Yurong felt quite fulfilled, leaving her no time to think about Li Yan proactively.
But being in the same company, it was impossible to erase all traces of Li Yan easily. His apple green compact car in the parking lot seemed prominent in her view, reminding her of someone’s existence; during meetings, discussions about the Prince Hotel conspiracy’s impact on Changhe Group reminded her it wasn’t mere luck, but Li Yan’s behind-the-scenes effort; visiting the PR department, thinking of Lin Fenni, who had left the company, also made her associate it with Li Yan uncovering an insider...
Actually, these weren’t new; only today did they seem infinitely magnified in her eyes. Someone once said that the more you try to see if you’ve forgotten about something, the clearer you remember. Like Li Yan, she buried herself in work to forget, to avoid thinking or having time for anything about him, even if it meant hating him, but the subconscious, by avoiding, would instead pay more attention, exaggerating at the slightest prompting.
By the afternoon, when she was busy with work and nothing prompted thoughts of Li Yan, Zhang Yurong was disturbed again. And this time, it was Li Yan himself calling!
Because last week Zhang Yurong had called Li Yan to her office, including during a meeting with Ye Jiahong, he hadn’t been dismissed. Coupled with his rapid promotion, everyone except Ke Yunyun from the CEO office thought Li Yan was someone the CEO valued and didn’t slight him for being just a subsidiary manager. So when a girl answered the call, she didn’t ask what it was about and first asked if Zhang Yurong inside could take a call from Li Yan. Whether she was available meant whether she wanted to answer.
This was unexpected for Zhang Yurong; she hadn’t expected Li Yan to call. He had her mobile number but used the company line to call. She wouldn’t believe it was to save a few cents on mobile fees. So, why would Li Yan use the company phone to call? Did he delete her number? Or was it about business? What business could he have with her unless he wanted to resign?
Remembering what he said the previous night, ’Let me move out first! This house is your dowry, and now that I was wrong, making you suffer, there’s no reason for you to return to your parents’ home..., he might have such a notion. He returned the car and card, moved out of the villa, and Yurong guessed that coming to work today, he might be resigning, definitively returning everything to her, leaving without any debts!
This thought discomposed her, making her say she was too busy and couldn’t take his call. She really wasn’t ready for this; his moving out already heavily impacted her, and if he left the company, it would sever their connection! With him gone, what significance would a marriage certificate hold?
Just as he appeared suddenly, she feared he might vanish unexpectedly.
Yurong decided to avoid him for now. If he called to resign, she wouldn’t take it; if he submitted his resignation to the administration, as a subsidiary’s general manager, her approval would be necessary, and she could just delay it. In any case, she wouldn’t allow him to escape so easily...
Thinking about this, a mix of anger and bitterness filled her heart. She quietly wept alone in the vast office. Clearly, he was wrong, it was their problem, so why should she be dragged down? Why should she feel sad for him?
Aside from frustration and sadness, she was also angry, thinking that if he loved leaving, then let him go, deal with the divorce with Yushu quickly, never see each other, and find someone a hundred times better to spite him.
But in the end, she couldn’t let go. Wiping her tears away, she ignored Li Yan’s call and continued to work in silence. Unbeknownst to her, she had misunderstood Li Yan; he merely wanted to check on her, had no intention of resigning, and was instead slightly hurt by her refusal to take his call!
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