Chapter 49 The Stone of Longing for His Wife: He Was Very Foolish

Zhao Jichuan stepped on the gas and immediately caught up with the taxi.

In fact, he didn’t even have time to think about why he was doing this; he just followed his instinct and went after her.

On the bustling street, traffic flowed endlessly, with cars and horses crowding the road, horns blaring all around.

Zhao Jichuan furrowed his brows, his face filled with an indescribable irritation. He stared intently at the taxi, and through the rear window, he could vaguely see Han Rao's jet-black hair and the full shape of her head.

He seemed to be able to see her every move through the small square window.

At this moment, she must be sitting up straight, her back stiff. She was probably still resenting him, her gaze unfocused, not really looking at anything.

The imagined scene replayed over and over in his mind. Zhao Jichuan squinted, feeling that the sunlight just before sunset was particularly glaring, even interrupting his wild thoughts.

The man followed all the way, trailing down to Han Rao’s apartment building.

This was his first time coming to her neighborhood, and he never expected it would be in such an improper way as "stalking,"

something he himself despised.

Zhao Jichuan watched Han Rao push open the car door and get out, then quickly walk into the gatehouse. After that, the taxi made a U-turn, brushed past him, and drove away.

A sudden gust of wind rose outside the window, causing the withered branches to tremble wildly, stirring up a wave of desolation.

Zhao Jichuan stood firm

He reached into his coat pocket with his right hand and finally found a pack of cigarettes. He immediately took one out, bit it, then clicked his lighter with a "snap"

to light it.

The man took a deep drag of the cigarette while fiddling with the silver lighter’s lid, repeatedly flipping it open and snapping it shut.

The taste of nicotine, accompanied by a rhythmic sound, filtered through his insides. After a cycle, the man slightly parted his lips, exhaling clouds of smoke.

Through the somewhat mottled glass, wisps of white smoke could be seen rising, obscuring his deep, mysterious eyes.

Zhao Jichuan lazily adjusted his chair and leaned back.

His original intention was to safely send Han Rao home, but at this moment, looking through the glass window at the low-rise buildings, he no longer wanted to leave.

He wanted to wait for Han Rao.

　　-

After Han Rao went upstairs, she fumbled for a long time before finally pulling out the key from her pocket. When she inserted the key into the lock, she realized someone was already home.

It was Han Ting who, hearing the noise of someone coming upstairs, immediately came to open the door.

“Sis, didn’t you leave with brother-in-law?”

Han Ting held the door.

Not long after Han Rao and Zhao Jichuan left, Su Zhiyu sent Han Ting back, telling him to rest at home and go to the hospital later that night to relieve Old Han and the others.

Han Ting was hungry on the way, so he went to a nearby stall to eat a bowl of knife-cut noodles. He had just arrived home not long ago.

When he got home, he found Han Rao wasn’t there and naturally assumed she had gone to Zhao Jichuan’s place since they left together.

Han Rao casually took off her mask, bent down to remove her knee-high boots, and slipped on her own cotton slippers. She didn’t answer his question, and said weakly, "I'll take a shower first."

She only said these few words, and Han Ting immediately understood.

He blocked Han Rao's way and noticed the corners of her eyes were a bit red, her makeup even messier than when she had just returned—she had obviously been crying.

"Did you have a fight with your brother-in-law?"

Han Ting immediately came to this conclusion.

Han Rao tugged at the corner of her mouth and shook her head, saying no, "I'm tired. I'm going to take a shower and sleep for a while. You go play by yourself."

She dealt with Han Ting as if handling a child.

Han Ting wrinkled his nose, watching her shuffle into the bedroom in slippers, open the wardrobe, and pull out a set of pajamas.

Immediately after, the door was closed from the inside.

Han Ting stood in the living room, sighing helplessly. He always felt that Han Rao’s back just now looked especially lonely, as if she had been greatly wronged.

Lost in thought, Han Rao had already changed into her pajamas, holding a towel and a hair-drying cap in her hands as she pushed the door open and stepped out.

She glanced at Han Ting and said to him, "Don’t worry about me, this is my business."

Han Ting was certain upon hearing this; they were truly having a fight.

He carefully examined Han Rao, trying to figure out if she had been bullied. If Zhao Jichuan dared to bully her, Han Ting wouldn’t care what good deeds he had done today; he would definitely settle the score with him.

The next moment, Han Ting’s gaze fell on Han Rao’s neck, and he quickly withdrew his eyes. A dense patch of red hickeys faintly marked the side of Han Rao’s neck, extremely suggestive.

As her younger brother, he could only stand up for his sister when she was being bullied.

But judging by the situation, things were a bit complicated. He scratched his head, realizing he shouldn’t get involved.

Han Ting immediately changed the subject, pointing to the still buzzing juicer and asked if she wanted some orange juice.

Han Rao pursed her lips, "Make me a cup of soy milk, add some peanuts, and throw in two walnuts."

"Alright then."

Han Ting didn’t complain about her demands and immediately agreed.

After speaking, Han Rao went into the bathroom and closed the door. The moment she did, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She covered her face, leaned against the door, and crouched down, clutching the towel in her arms tightly.

Han Rao felt that this was the second time in her twenty-four years of life that she had experienced such a dark day, with her emotions swinging wildly, immense psychological pressure, and nerves on high alert—one moment feeling alive, the next feeling like she was dying.

Especially the recent encounter with Zhao Jichuan; she was truly in unbearable pain.

Even though her heart strongly resisted this relationship, when he invaded her, her body still experienced an unparalleled peak of pleasure.

She didn’t want to rely on him, yet she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck and depend on him, letting him support her with the hardest, most aggressive part of himself.

Han Rao felt like she was going crazy.

Before making love, she had truly considered breaking up with him, but at that time she was emotionally shattered, like a madwoman, completely irrational.

But in the taxi, she had completely calmed down, becoming the clear-headed and rational Han Rao once again, so she had to weigh the costs and consequences of breaking up with him.

Would he blacklist her?

Could she continue acting as the female lead in this current project?

After finishing this role, would she once again face the cycle of endless auditions and constant rejections?

Han Rao remembered that during their tender moments, he had said that even if one day they parted ways, he would never make things difficult for her in the slightest.

But should she trust him?

She only mentioned "let's stop here,"

and before she could finish her sentence, he was already that angry.

If they really broke up, would he actually want to kill him, leaving her shattered and ruined?

He’s not a good person, she knew that.

Han Rao sniffled, feeling a splitting headache. She shook her head, forcing herself not to think about these things.

What she needed to do now was wash up, then sleep, and later go to the hospital to see her grandmother.

“Sis, did you eat lunch? Let me get you something to eat,” Han Ting asked anxiously, noticing she hadn’t made a sound after going inside for a long time.

Han Rao exhaled softly, “I’ve eaten. Don’t worry about me.”

"Oh."

Han Ting's words pulled her out of the nightmare.

Han Rao stood up, holding onto the door, looked at herself in the mirror, and gave herself a pep talk to lift her spirits.

She told herself it was okay, that there was nothing she couldn't get through, to take it one step at a time, that where there's life, there's hope, and everything was the best arrangement.

The mirror was stained with watermarks, somewhat blurred.

Han Rao looked at herself in the mirror, raised her hand to touch the marks Zhao Jichuan had left on her, forced a smile, and turned to take a shower.

After showering, Han Rao dried her hair, drank the soy milk Han Ting had freshly made for her, quickly applied a face mask, then closed the door and went to bed.

She slept straight through until midnight.

When Han Rao woke up again, it was already one o’clock in the early morning.

She patted her head, scolding herself for sleeping too long, then opened WeChat and saw that Han Ting had sent her a message around seven o'clock.

[Sis, you should rest well and go to the hospital tomorrow. Tonight, I'll stay with Grandma by myself.]

Han Rao threw down her phone and immediately got dressed.

Probably because the noise was a bit loud, Xu Lianqiu from next door pushed the door open and raised her hand to turn on the bedroom’s main light.

"A Ying."

"Mom."

Han Rao raised her hand to tie her scarf, "I'm going to the hospital."

Xu Lianqiu came over and grabbed her hand, "Your dad and Xiao Ting are here."

Han Rao paused for a moment, her hand movements gradually slowing down as she listened to Xu Lianqiu say, "Grandma's health is quite good, the doctor said there's nothing serious."

Xu Lianqiu touched her hair again, "It's so late, your grandmother must have fallen asleep. Don't bother her now. Wait until tomorrow morning, and you and Mom can make something delicious to bring to your grandmother."

Xu Lianqiu always spoke in a gentle and soft manner, carrying a scholarly air that made listening to her especially pleasant.

Han Rao looked at her, suddenly feeling a sting in her nose. She quickly blinked and turned her head, pretending to adjust her scarf, but the more anxious she became, the more flustered she was, feeling as if the scarf had somehow caught on the button at the shoulder of her coat.

Xu Lianqiu had just woken up, not wearing glasses, but still keenly noticed the change in his daughter's mood.

She raised her hand and patiently helped Han Rao untie the scarf.

Xu Lianqiu was only 1.63 meters tall, much shorter than Han Rao. When Han Rao lowered her head, she saw the faint white hair on top of her head.

"How old are you, still so impatient."

Xu Lianqiu smiled as she took off the scarf, folded it neatly, and held it in her hand.

"Go back to sleep for a while. You came all this way, you must be tired."

The night outside the window was deep and quiet; all was silent, and not a single star could be seen at a glance.

Han Rao suddenly felt a lump in her throat, and her vision gradually blurred. She looked at Xu Lianqiu, desperately wanting to undo all the bad things she had done.

Once everything was confessed, as long as she spoke it out, she would have no psychological burden.

But her lips trembled slightly, hesitating repeatedly in her heart, weighing her words, and in the end, she didn’t say a single word.

Han Rao felt extremely cowardly and wronged, so she could only raise her hand and tightly hug Xu Lianqiu.

Xu Lianqiu's back stiffened, and she gently patted Han Rao, "Yingying, what's wrong?"

As soon as the words fell, Xu Lianqiu heard a faint sobbing, repeatedly lingering in her ears. Her eyes immediately reddened, and she touched Han Rao's hair gently, saying softly, "A Ying, you were wronged outside, weren't you?"

Han Rao shook her head, pressing her lips tightly together and clenching her teeth to hold back her sobs. She endured until the veins on her forehead bulged, but tears still fell onto Xu Lianqiu's neck.

Xu Lianqiu patted her back, coaxing her like when she was a child.

In Han Rao’s memory, the last time she broke down crying like this in front of Xu Lianqiu was when she was very, very young, probably before she started elementary school.

Back then, she had gotten into a fight with some neighborhood kids who called her a fatherless child. She scratched one of them, and when the other child's parents came to find Xu Lianqiu, Han Rao cried just like this.

Later on, when Han Rao was a bit older, her personality became more reclusive and she grew harder to mess with, so no one dared to bully her.

Then came the year she was nineteen, when she met that bastard Lin Silang. But that time, she didn’t dare tell her family; it was Xie Yaochen’s mother who gave her the warmth and care of a mother’s love.

Han Rao was trembling all over, her heart repeatedly struggling.

She thought, just say it, confess to Xu Lianqiu, tell her that her daughter sold her body to gain resources.

Xu Lianqiu hit her and scolded her, and she accepted it all.

But Han Rao only called out "Mom"

once, and these thoughts were pushed back down by her again.

She thought of her grandmother again; her grandmother had just undergone surgery, and she wondered if she would be very upset upon finding out.

"What’s wrong?" Xu Lianqiu asked gently.

"I just feel guilty for not coming back to see you and Grandma during the New Year. When Grandma was sick, I didn’t even get a call. If something really happened to her, I don’t know what I would have done. Also, I’ve been under so much pressure lately. I haven’t played a lead role in a long time. I want to do well; I don’t want to let this opportunity slip away. I…"

Xu Lianqiu's heart ached as well. She knew her daughter too well; she understood that if she hadn't been pushed to her limits, she wouldn't be crying while saying these things to her.

Xu Lianqiu pulled her to sit by the bedside, holding her hand tightly.

"Mom believes in you. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You’ve already done very well; no one could have done better than you."

Xu Lianqiu hesitated to speak; in fact, she wanted to say that as a mother, she also felt very guilty. Her daughter had been drifting alone in Beicheng for seven or eight years since starting university, facing everything on her own. The family had never really helped, nor did they have the ability to.

She remembered the year Han Rao just graduated, when she went to Beicheng to see her and found out she was sharing a basement apartment with others—it was so heartbreaking.

But she couldn't blame Han Rao.

Because she knew that Han Rao loved performing, had loved it since childhood, loved it to the very core.

Xu Lianqiu remembered that when Han Rao was a child, during the airing of TV dramas like "The Legend of the White Snake"

and "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber,"

she liked to wear a beautiful dress, wrap herself in a bedsheet to pretend to act, and perform in front of the mirror.

Han Rao was very smart and had excellent academic performance. If she had taken the regular college entrance exam focusing on cultural subjects, she could have gotten into a good university.

But she didn’t. She resolutely chose to take the art entrance exam for the film academy. She lived up to everyone's expectations and was admitted that year with the top score in her major.

Xu Lianqiu said nothing. She didn’t want to impose or criticize Han Rao’s education from the perspective of a mother, dictating what she should or shouldn’t do.

She knew Han Rao had her own goals and persistence, so at this moment, she just held her tightly, gently patting her back, listening to her cry, listening to her vent, listening to her emotions slowly calm down.

After crying, Han Rao wiped her tears and felt a bit embarrassed.

Xu Lianqiu didn’t say a word, tucked her hair behind her ear, and said, “Let’s sleep a little longer. Tomorrow morning, we’ll go see your grandmother.”

Xu Lianqiu watched her get into bed, tucked her in, then turned off the light, closed the door, and left.

Only Han Rao was left in the bedroom. She clutched the blanket in her hands, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She increasingly didn't know where to go or what to do.

The more tangled a person's emotions become, the harder it seems to make a decision.

　　-

The next morning, when Han Rao got up, Xu Lianqiu was already cooking.

Because Su Zhiyu had just undergone surgery and could only eat liquid food, Xu Lianqiu cooked some porridge.

Han Rao glanced at Xu Lianqiu, and the two tacitly remained silent about what happened last night.

Han Rao opened the thermal lunch box on the coffee table.

"Mom, let me help you."

"Mm."

After having breakfast, the two of them took the insulated box downstairs.

Han Rao had already called a car in advance with her phone. When she went downstairs, the car had just arrived, so the two of them opened the car door and left.

In a corner where no one cared, Zhao Jichuan was still sitting in the car wearing the dirty clothes from yesterday.

A new day, sunlight streamed through the car window onto his face.

The man squinted, catching sight of Han Rao, immediately straightened his back, adjusted the seat, and then started the engine.

Perhaps because he had been sitting in the car in the same position for too long, Zhao Jichuan felt his whole body tingling and his legs stiff. He raised his hand to rub his neck and immediately followed the taxi.

Actually, he didn't even know what his motivation for this behavior was. Since coming back with her yesterday, he had been waiting for her downstairs at her place, just waiting for her.

He hardly slept all night, sitting in the car, repeatedly smoking. He finished a whole pack, but it didn’t make him feel any better.

His mind was filled with the scene of her saying she hated him, asking if he was trying to drive her to death, and no matter what, he couldn't shake it off.

Zhao Jichuan knew her well; she was a resilient woman who, no matter how much pressure she was under, would never consider the foolish act of suicide.

But he just couldn't trust her; he wanted to guard her like a "Wangqi Stone,"

only then could he feel a bit more at ease.

Just now, the moment Han Rao and Xu Lianqiu stepped out of the building entrance, he saw them at a glance.

He was especially looking forward to Han Rao slightly turning her head, so she could see him.

But she simply didn’t look back; she opened the car door and got in, leaving him with a resolute silhouette.

Zhao Jichuan's eyes were deep and intense, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as he fixed his gaze on the car ahead.

Suddenly, a phone call came in; it was Sun Hao.

The man woke up as if from a dream.

"What’s wrong?"

Sun Hao reported professionally, "President Zhao, are you returning to Beicheng today?"

When they came to Suzhou yesterday, they had already planned to take the afternoon flight back to Beicheng today, because Zhao Jichuan was truly too busy to get away. It was the first time he left in the middle of a meeting.

He had never been this "willful"

before; he knew that promptly going back to deal with the "mess"

he left behind was the wise thing to do.

But Zhao Jichuan hesitated for two seconds and said, "Let's wait a little longer."

He didn’t want to have a cold war with Han Rao; he wanted to resolve the conflict between them before leaving. He wanted to hold her hand and tell her himself that their relationship was not one where "she had to strip naked to be with him."

He had so many things to tell her, so many truths to share with her.

So he couldn't leave.

Zhao Jichuan was too clear-headed; he knew that if he left today, they would never have another heart-to-heart conversation again, and they would only grow further apart.

It's probably because it was still early, so the road was relatively clear.

Zhao Jichuan parked the car at the hospital entrance and sat quietly inside, waiting.

He saw Han Rao and Xu Lianqiu get out of the car and enter the hospital. Less than ten minutes later, he saw Old Han and Han Ting come out together.

Zhao Jichuan lightly tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, repeatedly checking the time on his watch.

He guessed that Su Zhiyu had probably finished eating, so he took out his phone and called Han Rao.

Han Rao didn't answer.

The man had no choice but to send her a WeChat message, saying he wanted to have a good talk with her.

She didn't respond either.

Zhao Jichuan looked at his phone and let out a self-mocking laugh.

He actually knew there was a high chance she was deliberately ignoring him.

He also knew that there was actually a very simple way to find her: go upstairs to Su Zhiyu’s hospital room. When they confronted each other, no matter what pressure she was under, she would definitely come out with him.

This method would achieve the goal, forcing her out.

But he didn’t want to, and couldn’t do that.

Zhao Jichuan knew that at this moment, in Han Rao’s heart, he was a villain. What she hated most was for him to appear in front of her family, reminding her of the “despicable”

nature of their relationship.

How could he keep rushing toward the barrel of the gun?

By then, who knows what dirty water she’d splash on him again, what baseless charges she’d pile on him.

他

He couldn’t take it.

The man tugged at the corner of his mouth and closed his eyes.

He could only choose the clumsiest way: wait for her to come out at the hospital entrance. Then he would forcefully pull her into the car, kiss her lips, and make her listen to what he had to say.

When would Han Rao come out?

Maybe at noon, maybe in the evening, or perhaps he would have to wait until Su Zhiyu was discharged tomorrow?

He didn’t know the exact time, but in any case, he had to wait.

Zhao Jichuan didn't expect that around ten in the morning, he would catch sight of Han Rao.

What made his heart skip a beat was that she was walking out side by side with Xie Yaochen.

Zhao Jichuan didn't know when Xie Yaochen had gone to the hospital.

All he knew was that, from Xie Yaochen's facial expression, he could tell they were having a very pleasant conversation.

He could also guess that it was probably because Xie Yaochen knew Su Zhiyu was ill, so he came to the hospital to see her.

But why was it that Xie Yaochen, this ex-boyfriend, could appear openly and even be politely escorted out by Han Rao?

And why couldn’t he, this "boyfriend,"

do the same?

Zhao Jichuan frowned, a fire burning in his eyes.

Envy, jealousy, anger, grievance, or injustice?

He couldn’t explain it clearly; a flood of emotions surged in his heart.

He squinted, only seeing the taxi stop at the bottom of the steps, Xie Yaochen waving goodbye to Han Rao.

Han Rao showed no expression, watching the taxi leave before turning and going inside.

The woman's figure had disappeared for a long time before Zhao Jichuan finally came back to his senses. He raised his hand to reach for a cigarette, only to remember that he had smoked them all last night.

Zhao Jichuan shrugged his shoulders, laughing at his own foolishness—foolish enough to be so emotionally invested over a woman, foolish enough to stay awake the entire night because of her, foolish enough to fly thousands of miles from Beicheng to Suzhou for her.

He was just pathetic.

The man clenched his molars, pulled out his phone, and called Sun Hao.

"Mr. Zhao."

Zhao Jichuan said, "Returning to Beicheng at the scheduled time."

Sun Hao glanced at the time, still more than three hours left.

"So where should I pick you up?"

Zhao Jichuan rubbed his temples.

"Let's go to the hotel."

He needed to change into clean clothes and wash away the bad mood he had brought back from Suzhou.

"Alright."