Chapter 62

So a person’s life really can change just because one person is missing.

Just one person,

And everything feels so out of place.

—Zhang Lu Rang

—

Hearing her words, Zhang Lu Rang’s pupils constricted, his expression lost and at a loss for what to do.

It was the first time he had seen Su Zai Zai like this.

He had no idea where to start, no idea what to do.

Carefully, Zhang Lu Rang held her wrist and pulled her hand away from her face.

Her reddened eyes were exposed, filled with fear and the brink of collapse.

His heart ached.

“How could I not be willing?” Zhang Lu Rang’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke in a low, hoarse voice. “I didn’t do well. I’ll do better in the future…”

Before he could finish, Su Zai Zai took her bag from his hand.

She instinctively lowered her head, wiped her eyes, and cut him off.

“Go back.”

Zhang Lu Rang was still holding onto her hand, stubbornly finishing his sentence, “I’ll change.”

Suppressing her emotions, Su Zai Zai’s voice was thick with congestion. “I never wanted you to change. It’s just my own mindset that’s off. Go back, you have work tomorrow.”

The next second, she pried his hand away and softly said, “I want to go back alone today.”

Zhang Lu Rang’s palm was suddenly empty, and he instinctively grasped at the air.

Su Zai Zai glanced toward the road and reached out to hail a cab.

She took two steps forward, then turned back to look at him.

Her expression had returned to calm, only her eyes remained red.

She seemed a little disappointed. Her lips moved.

The words she spoke were cold, making him freeze in place.

“Zhang Lu Rang, I don’t like things that are forced.”

—

After saying that, Su Zai Zai got into the cab.

Zhang Lu Rang remained silent, memorizing the taxi’s license plate.

He watched as the car started and moved forward, the red glow of the taillights fading into the distance.

Snapping out of his daze, Zhang Lu Rang turned and walked back to the parking lot to get his car.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, he stared blankly ahead, the fear in his heart growing stronger.

Then, Zhang Lu Rang started the car and drove toward Z University.

The car couldn’t enter the school, so he found a spot nearby and parked.

He got out and ran toward the girls’ dormitory, dialing Su Zai Zai as he ran.

She picked up quickly but didn’t say anything.

Breathless, Zhang Lu Rang wasn’t sure if it was the wind or something else, but his eyes stung with pain.

His steps gradually slowed, and he asked softly, “Are you at the dorm yet?”

Su Zai Zai hummed in acknowledgment. Her tone was light. “Almost.”

A brief silence followed.

Through the phone, Zhang Lu Rang heard the sound of girls laughing and footsteps going up the stairs.

Soon, only the quiet sound of their breathing remained.

Then, Zhang Lu Rang spoke. “I’m at Z University.”

The other end remained silent, no longer as lively and bright as before.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

Zhang Lu Rang lifted his foot again and continued walking forward.

His voice was so fragile, as if it would shatter at any moment.

“Su Zai Zai, anything—anything but breaking up.”

Scold him, hit him, treat him badly.

Anything was fine.

Su Zai Zai’s dried eyes welled up with a thin layer of mist.

She quietly walked into her dorm room and turned on the light.

Her roommates were all out on internships, leaving the small room empty.

Su Zai Zai walked to the balcony and leaned against the railing, looking down.

Immediately, she saw Zhang Lu Rang standing downstairs. It was as if he sensed something too, because he looked up.

Su Zai Zai parted her lips and spoke.

Her gaze remained on Zhang Lu Rang below. The distance made it hard to see his expression clearly.

“I never wanted to break up.”

She reached out, tracing the air as if touching his face.

Then, she said seriously, “I can’t live without you. You know that, don’t you?”

Zhang Lu Rang’s heart finally loosened, and before he could respond—

Su Zai Zai suddenly let out a bitter laugh, her voice steady as she asked:

“But what about you?”

After that, she fell silent for a moment before hastily saying one last thing and hanging up.

“Go home. You’ve been staying up late a lot lately—get some rest.”

—

In the days that followed,

The company happened to be at its busiest, and Zhang Lu Rang was required to work overtime until ten or eleven at night.

It was too late to call, afraid of waking Su Zai Zai, so he could only text her.

She would only reply the next day, around noon.

Even when he managed to call during breaks, all he could hear was her quiet breathing.

It was like they had entered a frozen period.

The once lively WeChat chat, always filled with Su Zai Zai’s words, had dwindled to just a few sparse messages from Zhang Lu Rang.

Her emotions seemed to have piled up for a long time, unable to dissipate.

Zhang Lu Rang walked to the office break room, holding his phone while making coffee.

For some reason, Su Zai Zai spoke more than usual today.

“A lot of my friends, after meeting you, said I was really lucky.”

“Actually, it’s not just them—I thought the same too.”

“You’re so good to me. You never talk to other girls because of me, and that gave me so much security.”

On the other end, her breathing hitched slightly before she quickly asked, “Am I asking for too much?”

Before, she only hoped he wouldn’t hate her.

And now?

It seemed like nothing was ever enough.

The more she received, the more afraid she became.

Zhang Lu Rang’s hand paused, his voice low and raspy.

“Why wouldn’t you?”

“Who said you weren’t allowed to ask for more?”

Su Zai Zai sniffled, carefully thinking it over. “I guess… no one.”

Zhang Lu Rang’s expression was dazed as he slowly pressed the button to dispense hot water.

As he watched the hot water pour into the cup, a large cloud of steam rose.

“You think it’s your good luck, but have you ever considered this—”

“After luck found you, the very next second, it came looking for me too.”

—

Silence fell on the other end.

Zhang Lurang pressed his lips together, the corners of his mouth slowly stiffening into a straight line. He repeated what he’d been saying for the past few days.

“I’m coming to see you after work today.”

“Aren’t you working overtime?” she asked in a low voice.

Zhang Lurang ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Not anymore.”

Su Zai Zai thought for a moment and replied seriously, “Let’s wait until you’re free. I might have to work late tonight too.”

The corner of his mouth twitched as he exposed her lie. “You just don’t want to see me.”

“……”

Zhang Lurang repeated, his tone carrying a hint of grievance, “Do you not want to see me?”

“I’ve been—”

Before Su Zai Zai could finish, a man’s voice rang out from her side. “Hey! Su Zai Zai, we’re going out for dinner. Want us to bring you something?”

The voice was all too familiar.

Zhang Lurang listened as she spoke to the person on the other side.

He matched the voice in his mind, comparing it to the people he knew.

And finally, he had an answer.

Xie Linnan.

Zhang Lurang’s grip on the cup handle tightened.

Soon, Su Zai Zai’s voice, now carrying a bit of distance, returned to his ears.

“I’m going to eat now. I’ll call you later.”

Zhang Lurang’s expression remained unreadable. He gave a soft “Mm.”

—

That afternoon, Zhang Lurang flatly refused his manager’s request for overtime.

As soon as he clocked out, he drove straight to Su Zai Zai’s office building.

He pulled out his phone and checked the time.

6:30 PM. He wasn’t sure if she had already left.

Just as he was about to call her, he looked up and saw her walking out of the building.

He was about to step out of the car and call her name when he noticed Xie Linnan following closely behind her.

Zhang Lurang’s eyes darkened. He immediately got out of the car.

The two were chatting as they walked toward his direction, unaware of his presence.

Zhang Lurang strode over and called softly, “Zai Zai.”

Su Zai Zai instinctively turned toward the voice. When she saw him, her expression barely changed.

She turned back to Xie Linnan, said a quick goodbye, and walked straight toward Zhang Lurang.

She had only taken a few steps before Zhang Lurang reached her, took her hand, and led her toward his car.

His grip was firm—almost too tight, as if he were suppressing some emotion.

Su Zai Zai licked her lips and spoke softly, “Why are you here so early?”

Zhang Lurang opened the passenger door without saying a word.

Su Zai Zai hesitated for a second, glanced at him, then got in.

A loud bang echoed as the door shut beside her.

She lowered her head, focusing on fastening her seatbelt.

A gust of wind rushed in as the driver’s side door opened.

Without looking at him, Su Zai Zai turned her gaze to the window. “I already ate at the office. If you’ve eaten too, you can just drop me off at my dorm—”

Before she could finish, another loud bang interrupted her.

Her jaw was suddenly grasped, forcing her head to turn.

A rough, forceful kiss followed—a mix of desperate possession and biting intensity.

Su Zai Zai’s eyes widened in shock. Instinctively, she parted her lips, making it easier for him to deepen the kiss.

She had never been treated this aggressively before. Unable to resist, she pushed against him.

But Zhang Lurang held her down with one hand, overpowering her struggle and deepening the kiss.

Moments later, he finally pulled away.

His dark, ink-like eyes locked onto hers. He traced the corner of her eye with cool fingertips.

“Zai Zai,” he murmured.

Su Zai Zai looked dazed, unable to process this unfamiliar side of him.

The next second, Zhang Lurang suddenly let out a small laugh and spoke in a gentle yet unwavering tone.

“We’re getting married after graduation.”

Su Zai Zai turned her face away, as if wanting to say something.

But Zhang Lurang took her hand, his voice carrying an undeniable finality.

“I’m going to meet your parents tomorrow.”