Chapter 705 Destroying One's Own Hope

Chapter 705 Destroying One's Own Hope

Huo Zhizhou snapped out of his daze and asked, "Did you go to find Ruan Ruan?"

"How did you know?" Lin Bei was somewhat surprised and subconsciously looked towards the flower.

Huo Zhizhou: "She taught you how to fix it?"

Lin Bei: "?"

How can you tell that?

Aren't all flower arrangements pretty much the same?

"Is there any trace of Miss Jiang in this?" he blurted out on a whim.

"Don't bother her again." Huo Zhizhou didn't answer, his gaze fixed on the flowers. "Take special care of this bouquet and preserve it permanently."

Lin Bei: "?"

Lin Bei was somewhat flattered.

He leaned closer and asked, "Did you keep this flower forever because it reminds you of Miss Jiang, or is this my first time arranging flowers?"

Huo Zhizhou gave him a look: "What do you think?"

Lin Bei: "That must be because of Miss Jiang!"

Huo Zhizhou didn't say anything more.

Lin Bei immediately made the arrangements.

As soon as he left the room, he sent Jiang Ruan a message: "[The BOSS really liked the flowers I sent.]"

Jiang Ruan didn't show much emotion and politely replied, "Mm."

Lin Bei: [They even made me handle it specially for permanent preservation.]

Jiang Ruan paused for a moment.

My gaze was fixed on the words "permanent preservation".

Lin Bei then went on to say a lot more, saying that Huo Zhizhou kept it permanently because of her, that Huo Zhizhou still missed her, and that he still hoped she would be friends with Huo Zhizhou.

All sorts of news are pouring in, but none of them compare to those four words: "permanently preserved."

She didn't know what Huo Zhizhou was thinking when he said those words, nor did she understand why a vase of flowers was worth him spending so much money to preserve permanently. If it was because of her, then he...

Isn't that a bit too silly?

Overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, Jiang Ruan felt as if a stone was pressing down on her heart.

Lin Bei's messages kept coming in: "Miss Jiang, you are my idol."

Lin Bei: [Next time I'll pretend you taught me how to trim it, so the BOSS can keep it permanently.]

Looking at these messages, Jiang Ruan asked a question: "What is he doing now?"

“BOSS?” Lin Bei sent a voice message. “He’s staring blankly at the flowers in his room, holding your chat window on his phone. He probably wants to message you but is afraid of bothering you.”

After his first transgression, Lin Bei became more and more skilled each time.

So much so that I feel no guilt about saying these things now.

After Jiang Ruan replied with a thank you, she called Huo Zhizhou.

The moment her number appeared on the screen, Huo Zhizhou paused for a moment, his heart pounding. He answered almost instantly, his voice low and hoarse: "Ruan Ruan."

Jiang Ruanxin was momentarily stunned.

She has been restraining herself ever since she arrived.

Try not to think about feelings, not to think about the good times we had, and not to think about anything about him now.

Therefore, she remained calm and rational.

But as I listened to his voice, which was filled with a myriad of complex emotions, my own emotions began to surge.

She managed to suppress her emotions by force.

"What did you have for dinner?" she asked in a calm voice, the emotions she had just experienced known only to herself.

Huo Zhizhou: "It was arranged by a nutritionist."

Jiang Ruan: "Did you feel unwell after eating it?"

Huo Zhizhou: "It's alright."

Jiang Ruan: "Did Su Zhu come to see you?"

Huo Zhizhou: "Mm."

Jiang Ruan pretended not to know and asked, "What did you say?"

Huo Zhizhou didn't tell the truth: "It was nothing, we just chatted about daily life. He told me that only by taking good care of my health can I give Sui Sui a complete childhood and let him grow up properly."

Jiang Ruan: "Really?"

Huo Zhizhou: "Mm."

The two chatted casually like that.

The content was utterly meaningless; it consisted of things that everyone knew the other was doing.

Yet it was this very conversation that brought Huo Zhizhou an unprecedented sense of peace, as if they had returned to the days before their divorce, sitting together every day chatting about a lot of nonsense.

Those silly words made him happy and content.

"Huo Zhizhou," Jiang Ruan suddenly called his name.

The long-unheard form of address made Huo Zhizhou's heart skip a beat. His eyes were dark, and his voice was deep and husky: "Go ahead."

Jiang Ruan thought about what happened today, and what Su Zhu and Mo Mo had said. After a struggle with her mind, she decided to give it a try: "Eat well and take good care of yourself. I'll stay with you."

These words, like spring rain silently seeping into the soil, spread throughout Huo Zhizhou's body. He tightened his grip on his phone slightly, his eyes churning with intense emotions.

He knew all too well why Ruan Ruan said those words.

It makes it even clearer how much courage and determination it took for her to say those words.

"Do you know what you're saying?" His voice was terribly hoarse.

“Message me if you don’t have an appetite or feel unwell after eating,” Jiang Ruan continued. Now that she had brought it up, she wouldn’t back down. “I’ll reply when I’m free.”

Huo Zhizhou: "Ruan Ruan..."

Jiang Ruan told him her thoughts: "I hope you're doing well."

She cared about the hurt, but there were also beautiful moments. From beginning to end, all she wanted was for each other to leave each other alone and for everyone to be well.

Instead of being physically worn down and even facing death like this.

"You should know what the consequences would be if I took that to heart." Huo Zhizhou didn't want to hurt her, so he chose to be honest. "I will tell you every day that I can't eat, that I'm not feeling well, and I will use all sorts of despicable and shameless methods to pester you."

He knows his own personality all too well.

The reason things have turned out this way is because two versions of myself are fighting.

One was willing to be despicable and shameless, while the other didn't want to cause her any more harm.

When the two contend, the body naturally suffers damage.

But now she's telling him he can bother her, and once his brain fully receives that instruction, the situations he just described will occur, and he won't care anymore whether it will cause her trouble.

Because that's what she allowed.

"Take it back, I'll pretend I never heard of it." He suppressed his emotions and forced himself to say it.

Jiang Ruan: "I hope you are well."

Huo Zhizhou: "I know."

Therefore, he would struggle with himself rather than simply die.

Jiang Ruan said calmly, "Jiang Yu said that every time I call or text you, you feel better and at least you can eat."

“But I’m greedy,” Huo Zhizhou said frankly into the phone. “I want more than just this.”

Jiang Ruan remained silent.

Huo Zhizhou asked her, "Ruan Ruan."

Jiang Ruan's eyes flickered slightly.

It's been a very long time since they divorced that he's spoken in this tone.

Either confront each other head-on, or remain indifferent and distant.

"If you don't want me to pursue you, are afraid of being entangled by me, or afraid of reconciling and remarrying me, then take back what you just said." Huo Zhizhou extinguished his own hope. "If you don't take it back, I will take advantage of you and use any means necessary. Your behavior during the cooling-off period should have given you some understanding of me."

He mentioned the harm caused by the cooling-off period in order to make Jiang Ruan recall the past.

He didn't want her to gamble her future on him out of momentary pity and kindness.

She wasn't happy at all.

He only wants her to be willing to accept him again.