Chapter 89: Violetta is coming
1405 Words
CC handed the phone to Renee, and before she could say anything, I asked her reproachfully, “Where have you been? Your phone is off too!”
Renee said in a very calm tone, ‘I've been a bit tired lately, and I went to South Korea for a week's vacation. The phone you called wasn't with me.”
Renee's calmness suddenly calmed me down, and it made me realize that I had indeed been over-anxious. After a long silence, I replied in a flat tone, ’Oh.”
“CC said that you've been looking for me nervously?”
I froze for a moment before answering, “Did I? I was just concerned, I wouldn't say I was nervous.”
“CC said that, does that mean CC is lying?” Renee's tone was a little mocking, as if she wanted to expose my pretense.
I suddenly said unhappily, “I'm nervous, so what? I'm worried about you, so what?”
My sudden outburst left Renee speechless for a long time before she said, ”Thank you for worrying about me.”
“You're welcome. I just felt sorry for you, that's all,” I said, angry. I couldn't say where the anger came from, but it might have been because I was annoyed that she had seen through my pretence of not being nervous, or because she looked so indifferent, while I had been nervous all day.
Renee's mood suddenly dropped. Maybe the words ‘I just felt sorry for you’ had hurt her. After a long while, she said softly, ”I don't need your pity... If you don't have anything else to say, I'll hang up.”
“Wait, don't hang up,” I said hastily.
“What?”
I was silent for a moment before saying, ‘I'm sorry, I spoke a bit harshly just now, I was just... I was just afraid that something had happened to you!”
“What does it matter if something happens to me?’ Renee replied in a bad mood.
“Don't say that, okay?”
“Then I don't know what to say... That's it, I'm hanging up. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself!” Renee hung up without giving me a chance to respond.
I was a little dazed as I listened to the dial tone on the phone. Finally I reacted, and dialed again, but this time CC answered.
CC probably didn't hear the content of my conversation with Renee, and asked with confusion, ”Why are you calling again?”
“Well...if you have time in the future, spend more time with Renee, she's quite lonely...” I didn't say the word ‘pity’ at the end.
CC understood what I meant and said, ‘Don't worry, I'll become her best friend.”
I smiled and asked, ’For me?”
“Of course not, because she's a woman who can enchant even other women.”
I quickly said, ”Don't you dare think about her, think about Robben...think about Robben!”
CC laughed out loud and said, “You're right, Robben doesn't have the hots for me anyway...”
“Wake up, you hussy!”
“Okay, I'm not kidding. I'll invite her to the restaurant sometime, or go shopping together.”
“Well, after dinner, you can walk her home. I'm a little worried about her being alone so late...”
CC interrupted before I could finish, ”Lucas, when did you become such a nag?”
I subconsciously replied, “Did I?”
“Of course you did. I don't want to hear you nag anymore. I'm hanging up!”
“Go ahead... and don't forget what I said!”
“Again!”
Listening to CC's exasperated complaints, I finally fell silent. CC hung up the phone in my silence, and I suddenly felt like I was falling into an unfathomable abyss of loss for no reason at all.
I still had the suitcase I had packed in a hurry in my hand, but now I didn't need to go to Suzhou anymore. Renee was just going on holiday to South Korea, and my worries were completely unnecessary.
I looked in the direction of Suzhou through the darkness, smiled to myself, and finally headed back upstairs with the suitcase.
...
Christmas was just around the corner. This afternoon, I went to the Christmas sales event at Times Department Store. This Christmas sales event at Times Department Store was planned entirely by Orson Advertising, and as the initiator and person in charge of the planning, I naturally went to Times Department Store to provide some cooperation in implementation.
In the time that has passed, I have been working very well. In just over a month, I have successfully completed several marketing plans, gradually established myself at Orson Advertising, and won the appreciation of my leaders. Devoting all my energy to my work, I have gradually stopped thinking about what happened in Suzhou.
In fact, I hadn't contacted Harlan and Natalie for nearly a month, and I hadn't heard from CC or Robben either. As for Renee, she seemed to have faded from my memory. I only thought of her occasionally in the quiet of the night, as did Brittany.
I held the walkie-talkie in my hand, directing the staff on site to carry out the activities. After a while of busy work, I finally found a moment to rest. I sat on a wooden bench in the mall, thinking about lighting a cigarette. It suddenly dawned on me that I was in a public place where smoking was not allowed. So I put the cigarette back in the cigarette case and absently played with the walkie-talkie in my hand.
My fiancée Daphne arrived with a handbag in hand, following the crowd of people shopping in the mall. She was holding a can of Red Bull in her hand and handed it to me with a smile, saying, “Here, to refresh you. I just used boiling water to heat it up for you at the service desk in the mall. Drink it while it's still hot.”
I responded with a smile to Daphne, took the drink from her hand, tore open the top and started drinking. Daphne sat down next to me.
“You've worked hard recently. After work, I'll treat you to a big meal to reward you!”
“I've been waiting to hear you say that!”
“Then I won't go anywhere, I'll wait here for you to finish work...”
I nodded, but then my phone suddenly rang. I looked at the caller ID, and it was Violetta, someone I hadn't spoken to in a long time.
I only consider Violetta a friend, and I don't avoid her. In front of Daphne, I answered the phone and asked with a smile, “Big shot, it's Christmas today, did you call just to wish me a Merry Christmas?”
Violetta said to me in a low voice, ‘Lucas, I'm in Xuzhou, where are you now?”
“What! You're in Xuzhou...why did you suddenly come to Xuzhou?’ I asked in great surprise.
“I need your help with something... It's hard to explain over the phone, where are you? I'll come and find you.” Violetta's voice was still low.
Violetta's words made my heart tighten, but I remained calm and asked, ”Where are you? I'll come and find you.”
“The train station.”
“Okay, find somewhere to eat first, I'll be right there.”
Violetta answered, and then we both hung up.
I handed the walkie-talkie in my hand to Daphne next to me and said to her apologetically, “Daphne, a friend of mine has come to Xuzhou, and I have to go pick her up now. I'm afraid we won't be able to have dinner together tonight.”
“I'll go with you, and we can bring your friend along,”
I shook my head and said, “I need you to keep an eye on things here, but I'll try to come back as soon as I can and we can go out to dinner together.”
Daphne hesitated for a moment, but then said, ”Okay, then. Be careful on the roads. It's rush hour and there are a lot of cars.”
I nodded and then ran outside the mall.
- Writer
