NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: Am I That Kind of Person in Your Eyes?!
Chapter 19: Am I That Kind of Person in Your Eyes?!
Su Mu’s lips curved into a bitter smile – clearly, this person didn’t believe anything.
“Chu Hanting, if I say I truly like you, would you believe me?”
Chu Hanting frowned, staring intently at Su Mu for a while. When he caught Su Mu’s seemingly wounded expression, he couldn’t tell if it was just Su Mu’s superb acting skills that could even fool him.
But he had already said he would help the Su family even without the marriage alliance, so was there any need for Su Mu to keep acting?
Perhaps there was, since he was no longer the legitimate young master of the Su family, and they might even drive him out.
“Su Mu, are you looking for someone to rely on?”
Su Mu’s eyes suddenly widened, looking back at him in disbelief. His eyes were filled with hurt, as if saying “How could you ask such a question?”
The hand resting on his thigh unconsciously tightened, his lips pressed together, and an icy chill ran from head to toe, making his whole body tremble.
His nails dug painfully into his palm, but he paid no attention to it. Barely suppressing the sob in his voice, he asked hoarsely, “Is that the kind of person I am in your eyes?”
“I know you’ve long known I’m not the Su family’s young master anymore, and the Su family’s intention was indeed to get dowry money from your Chu family through this marriage alliance to fill their financial gap.”
“But the Su family is the Su family, and I am me. Chu Hanting, do you think I’m pretending to like you just to rely on you?”
“I know my feelings might seem sudden to you, and you might not accept them right away, but please don’t belittle my sincerity or insult my character.”
As Su Mu spoke, his emotions grew more intense. He stood up directly, leaning on the table edge, bravely meeting Chu Hanting’s still scrutinizing gaze.
“Whether you believe it or not, I’ll say it again: Chu Hanting, I, Su Mu, fell in love with you at first sight.”
After saying this, it seemed to drain all of Su Mu’s energy.
With reddened eyes, he resolutely left the private room.
He needed some quiet time.
Meanwhile, Chu Hanting, who remained in the room, was experiencing rare agitation.
Yang Hua, waiting in the car, saw Su Mu walking away hurriedly, as if someone was chasing him.
‘That meal ended so quickly? Did boss make him cry? He’s still just a student.’
When Yang Hua entered the private room, he saw the boss standing straight by the window, smoking.
Chu Hanting rarely smoked, only lighting up when he was extremely agitated.
He had thought the negotiation would go smoothly.
Based on his observations, Su Mu was intelligent enough that they should have been discussing a mutually beneficial cooperation, taking what each needed, rather than talking about true feelings.
There had been many women and men who liked him, and without exception, he had pushed away all those who eagerly approached him.
He thought Su Mu was just one of them, only with more sophisticated methods, not making people feel uncomfortable or desperately trying to get something from him.
But why, when he saw Su Mu’s reaction, so hurt and surprised, did it all seem genuine rather than an act?
For someone usually so sharp at reading people, he found himself rarely unable to distinguish truth from falsehood.
What should he do about Su Mu?
The rising smoke swirled with unclear agitation, intertwined with various doubts, tangling and merging, spreading through the space.
By now the night had turned completely dark. The window reflected a handsome face with sharp features as if carved from stone, but his brows were furrowed, his dark eyes deep and unfathomable like an endless abyss, making his emotions unreadable.
Yang Hua stepped forward, “Boss, that student has left. It’s raining outside, and he doesn’t seem to have an umbrella.”
As a qualified assistant, he simply reported what he had seen, not knowing the entanglement between these two.
After a while, Chu Hanting turned around sharply, his furrowed brows still not relaxing. He dropped his cigarette and crushed it, saying concisely: “Take him home.”
The image of Su Mu before he left flashed in his mind – that lost and dazed look made him uneasy.
Su Mu, who had run out of the hotel, felt his mind in a fog, as if rusted over, unable to think clearly.
He only knew he felt terrible, extremely terrible, his heart feeling as if it was being wrenched, unable to find solid ground.
He walked aimlessly, completely ignoring the rain falling on him. With or without the rain, his heart felt ice-cold anyway.
His steps felt heavy as if filled with lead. When tired, he sat down on some steps, hugging his knees, arms wrapped around himself, head buried in his arms, curled up into a small ball.
The heavy rain hitting his head had weight to it. Cold water droplets flowed down his cheeks like a waterfall – indistinguishable from tears – running down his neck into his clothes. His wet clothes clung to his body, making him feel like he was completely soaked.
So this is how hard it is to pursue someone, Su Mu thought.
Being misunderstood was also this painful, but he felt not just grievance but also heartache.
If being misunderstood once already made his heart ache to the point of suffocation, how did Chu Hanting endure all those cruel words in his previous life?
Thinking of this, he felt he had been truly terrible.
He couldn’t tell which was stronger – the hurt of being misunderstood, the sorrow of rejection, or the guilt over his actions in his previous life. Perhaps it was all of these intertwined, hitting Su Mu so hard he felt about to collapse, his body feeling as if it was being torn apart, aching all over.
Yang Hua drove the car in the direction Su Mu had run, but after a while, there was still no sign of him.
In the back seat, Chu Hanting felt the sound of rain hitting the car windows growing heavier, indicating the rain was getting stronger.
“Stop the car.”
Yang Hua obediently pulled over to the side of the road.
The direction Su Mu had run was completely opposite from the Su residence.
They wouldn’t find him this way.
Grabbing an umbrella, Chu Hanting said before getting out, “Split up and search.”
Fifteen minutes later, Chu Hanting found him sitting on some steps at the entrance of an alley.
There was an eave right next to him, yet he chose to sit there in the rain like a fool.
Holding his large black umbrella, Chu Hanting’s footsteps were lost in the heavy rain as he approached, completely unnoticed by Su Mu who remained with his head buried, lost in his sorrow.
Only when Su Mu felt the rain suddenly stop falling on him did he lift his head.
Chu Hanting was startled when he met Su Mu’s face, which looked like a wet kitten. Su Mu’s eyes were red and swollen, his thin lips tightly pressed together, his expression filled with pain and hurt, looking utterly pitiful.
Just like an abandoned stray cat on the street.
Could this also be an act? But if he hadn’t come looking, who would Su Mu be acting for?
Chu Hanting had to admit, he was beginning to doubt his judgment. Perhaps he had wronged this person today.
“You…”
Su Mu’s face was soaking wet, his vision blurry. Feeling dizzy, he could barely make out who had come, but this inexplicably comforting presence felt extremely familiar.
He couldn’t hear what the other person was saying, only feeling a ringing in his ears before a wave of dizziness hit him and he lost consciousness.
“Su Mu—” When Chu Hanting saw him starting to fall sideways, he threw away the umbrella and stepped forward in one motion to catch him in his arms.