Chapter 73 Indifference She Has Nothing in Her Eyes

Time goes back to an hour ago.

“Xiao Zhou, where are you going again?” Seeing him changed into clothes and about to go out alone, the agent quickly called out to stop him.

After all, he is a public figure now. Yesterday, he was photographed going to the airport alone, and some people deliberately stirred up rumors, saying he went to the airport to wait for an old lover. “If you’re photographed again, who knows what they’ll say. Don’t go out for the next couple of days. It’s better to wait until the topic dies down before going out again.”

For a public figure, such rumors can greatly reduce fans’ favorability. Fortunately, his good looks and stable skills meant it wasn’t a big deal.

Yet this person seemed to care nothing about these things, as if they had nothing to do with him, coldly detached in a way unlike others in this circle.

Xu Muzhou put on a baseball cap, standing in front of the mirror adjusting his clothes as if he hadn’t heard a word.

“I’m saying, Xiao Zhou…”

“I didn’t ask you back to lecture me.” Xu Muzhou said coldly, his beautiful peach blossom eyes flashing with frost as he looked at him through the mirror.

The words caught in his throat, the agent lowered his head, his voice much softer: “I’m just afraid these rumors will affect your popularity.”

For someone like Xu Muzhou, who doesn’t participate in any industry activities and has only appeared in public a few times, to maintain such high popularity is already a miracle in the entertainment industry. He’s afraid this heat will be lost by his “antics”.

“Isn’t this your job?” Xu Muzhou’s long fingers picked up the mask set aside, his well-shaped lips moving slightly, cruelly saying: “If you can’t even do such a simple thing, why are you by my side?”

The agent’s face turned pale. He opened his mouth, stuttering: “I’m sorry, I know what to do now.”

Xu Muzhou didn’t look at him again. He put on the mask, adjusted it in the mirror, and walked out in his trendy branded shoes.

Yesterday he waited at the airport for a whole day but didn’t see her. He didn’t doubt there was a mistake in the return time, but he wasn’t sure if Ningning… had already returned to Z City.

She must have seen the news about him, right?

He had gone to such lengths, exposing himself to the public eye like an actor, though he hated this identity. Yet he longed for her to see it. He couldn’t bear the possibility that she might forget everything about him over five years.

Just as he stepped out of the company, the dazzling hot sunlight rushed to pour over him. Xu Muzhou raised his paper-white hand to lower the baseball cap, walking into the bustling crowd.

“Where to, young man?” The taxi driver asked the young man who had just gotten in the back seat, looking in the rearview mirror.

“Gaohai Villa District.”

The clear, crisp voice was pleasant to the ear. The driver couldn’t help but glance at him again. His face was wrapped up tightly, the baseball cap pulled low, even his eyes couldn’t be seen. The driver regretfully turned his gaze away and started the car.

Xu Muzhou lowered his head to fiddle with his phone. The phone only had built-in apps, the main interface so clean and simple it didn’t look like a young person’s phone. He habitually opened the photos. The front ones were all photos of him and her together. The later photos were of Fang Chuning alone, each from a different angle, taken from afar.

Those were taken when they weren’t together yet, stalking and secretly photographing like a pervert.

There were nearly ten thousand photos.

Xu Muzhou slowly scrolled through the photos, a hint of strange satisfaction appearing between his brows and eyes.

Ningning must have come back. He was going to find her now, to tell her how much he had missed her these five years. Xu Muzhou brought the phone closer, gently pressing his face against the photo, his long dark eyelashes lowered.

The traffic light ahead turned red, and the car slowed down. Ignoring the driver’s strange look, Xu Muzhou turned his eyes slightly to look out the window.

As if he saw something, his expression froze. “Stop the car.”

The taxi stopped on command. After paying, Xu Muzhou got out. He was a bit suspicious and didn’t rush forward rashly, looking towards the Maybach about ten meters away from him. He glanced at the license plate, confirming it was the Fang family’s car.

Although the possibility was small, he couldn’t control that tiny bit of hope in his heart.

“Hi?”

A tentative voice sounded beside his ear. Xu Muzhou gave a faint glance, pressed down his baseball cap, and didn’t respond.

The girl was a bit uncertain, her heart beating fast. “You’re Prince, right?”

The person in front of her still didn’t respond, but the possibility in her heart grew stronger. She got a bit excited, looked around, and said softly: “You’re Prince, right? I can tell! I’m a huge fan… and I love your songs. Can I get your autograph and take a selfie with you?”

It was like a fly buzzing annoyingly by his ear. Gloom settled in Xu Muzhou’s eyes.

The more he ignored her, the more frantic the girl became, even trying to touch him. Xu Muzhou dodged, his eyes slowly turning to her, enunciating each word: “Your smell is disgusting. Stay away from me.”

The girl’s excited expression froze, then after embarrassment came anger: “Who do you think you are, dressed up like that? How could someone like you possibly be Prince! Wearing a mask probably because you’re too ugly to show your face, huh.”

Xu Muzhou didn’t pay her the slightest attention. He glanced towards the Maybach, then walked to the roadside to hail another taxi.

If she had just returned yesterday, Ningning probably wouldn’t be out at this time.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, Xu Muzhou saw someone walk out of the flower shop. His hand froze as he was opening the car door. He stared blankly, his slightly widened pupils unable to contain anything but that figure.

“Are you getting in or not?” The taxi driver called out irritably.

Xu Muzhou’s ears were buzzing. His eyes reddened upon seeing the woman. Five years of longing and grievance gushed out, intertwining complexly. He walked quickly towards her, desperately wanting to throw himself into her arms for comfort.

“Senior, you’re so good to me.”

Xu Muzhou halted his steps abruptly. The scene before him was even more heartbreaking and suffocating than in his dreams where she abandoned him without hesitation. It felt like a hand was cruelly crushing his heart, his throat filled with a sweet and bloody taste.

Those eyes looking at him were no longer as eager and loving as before, clean as if looking at a stranger.

Tang Jiali tightened his arms around her waist, warily eyeing the man in the baseball cap not far away. “Why does he keep staring at you?”

Fang Chuning calmly withdrew her gaze. “I don’t know. Let’s get in the car, it’s hot outside.”

“Okay, okay, whatever you say, senior.”

Tang Jiali got in the car first. Just as Fang Chuning was about to get in, she found her clothes caught by a pale, bloodless hand. She frowned, turned back, and met a pair of beautiful eyes brimming with grief and tears.

“Ningning… it’s me…”

The familiar voice was now hoarse, as if it might break at any moment.

Fang Chuning gently shook off his hand, her expression calm. “Do you need something?”

Do you need something?

Under the scorching sun, Xu Muzhou felt as if he was in an icy cold cellar, his whole body shivering with cold.

“You…” Don’t remember me?

Xu Muzhou’s trembling fingertips gently grasped a bit of her clothing again. “Ningning…”

Don’t be like this, it hurts so much.

“If there’s nothing, I’ll be going now.” Fang Chuning sat in the car as if she hadn’t seen the hand on her clothes, closing the door without a backward glance.

The car drove away. Xu Muzhou stood on the roadside like a statue, one step forward would be the busy road with rolling traffic.

Su Qi stood at the flower shop entrance, giving him a cold look before turning back into the shop.

In the car, Tang Jiali’s expression was strange. “That person, do you know him?”

Fang Chuning lowered her eyes to look at her phone, the colorful screen lighting up flashing in her emotionless black eyes. She said faintly, “Maybe.”