Defeated By Love

Translated by Fairy_Dust

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By the end of October, Ruchuan City was already in late autumn.

The whole city was covered in rain for several days. The mist in the air condensed into ice, alternating between wet and cold. The heavy rain seemed to have no intention of stopping and would occasionally hit the window with a clattering sound.

In the airtight room, blackout curtains covered the outside scenery. Three silver locks were embedded in the white wooden door, which looked depressing and gloomy.

The ceiling lamp was switched on and the light was a soft warm yellow. The room was bright, not at all like the kind of light people would fall asleep in.

But under this light.

On the bed by the window, the pink-blue quilt was raised.

A girl was curled up into a ball inside it with her eyes closed. Half of her fair face and soft hair was exposed.

It seemed that she was not sleeping well. Although Shu Nian had not moved, her face was pale, her eye bags were greyish-blue and her eyelashes trembled from time to time. She was haggard and restless.

Suddenly.

A loud and clear click sounded from far away.

It was the sound of the front door opening. Shu Nian’s heart palpitated and she immediately opened her eyes. She looked around blankly and gradually awakened with cold sweat on her forehead.

Thinking about the sound that she had just heard, Shu Nian slowly got out of bed, faintly gasping. She stepped on the soft carpet and stopped in front of the bedroom door.

Standing there, she could hear her mother’s muffled voice, Deng Qingyu talking to herself.

However, she still looked very alert and opened the two lower locks, leaving the top chain lock untouched. Shu Nian opened the door carefully, leaving only a small gap.

Shu Nian completely relaxed after it was determined that the person outside was really Deng Qingyu. She pursed her lips, scratched her head and searched around for her slippers that she didn’t know where she had kicked.

After putting them on, she walked out of the room.

The house could not be considered too big, about 50 square metres. One bedroom, one living room, one bathroom and a small balcony. At that time, the curtains had been opened and apart from the luxuriant camphor trees outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see raindrops constantly fall.

The sky was gloomy, but night had yet to arrive.

A slight draft came in through the gaps of the window, the wind felt icy cold.

Shu Nian couldn’t help but shiver.

There was no carpet in the living room and the sound of slippers hitting the floor was loud, which quickly attracted Deng Qingyu’s attention.

“Why is your complexion so bad? Didn’t sleep well?”

Shu Nian shook her head and asked in a low voice. “Why are you here?”

“I called you yesterday and heard you coughing. It just so happened that your aunt had sent a box of pears and I thought of bringing some to you.” Deng Qingyu pointed to the kitchen. “I put a bag in the refrigerator. Now I am going to stew come rock sugar pears for you.”

Shu Nian picked up the kettle on the coffee table and filled it with water from the water dispenser and warmly responded.

“Thank you, mum.”

Deng Qingyu paused and simply began cleaning up the living room, she said. “The seasons are changing, you have to pay attention. Don’t always keep the windows closed, it’s important to maintain ventilation to prevent getting sick.”

Shu Nian nodded: “Okay.”

Having half-filled the kettle, Shu Nian returned to the coffee table holding it and started boiling the water.

The kettle was very efficient and it didn’t take long for it to make boiling sounds and emit steam. Shu Nian opened the plastic bag on the coffee table, took out several boxes of medicine and carefully looked at the instructions.

Deng Qingyu couldn’t mind her own business so she straightened the pillow on the sofa and asked casually. “You don’t have a fever, right?”

Shu Nian raised her head and answered obediently. “No, I’m just coughing a little.”

Deng Qingyu said nothing and just glanced at Shu Nian.

She pursed her lips, lowered her eyes again and stared at the fine print on the box, looking very serious.

Later, Deng Qingyu entered the kitchen.

When Deng Qingyu returned to the living room, she found that Shu Nian was still in the same posture as before, motionless. Her spine was straight and her soft hair was loose, slightly fluffy.

Her facial features were small and soft, she looked like a child who has not yet grown up.

The slippers underneath were kicked away by her, laying messily on the ground.

“What is it?” Deng Qingyu walked to her side and suddenly remembered. “Today is Thursday, right? Are you going to see the psychiatrist later?”

“En.” Shu Nian put stored the medicine back in the box and put it away. “I have to go every week.”

The atmosphere returned to silence.

Deng Qingyu squatted down and put her slippers back into place. Her voice was small but cautious: “Niannian, you’ve been to this psychiatrist for almost a year now, has there been any results…”

After pausing, she thought about it for a moment and hesitatingly replied: “I think so.”

Deng Qingyu’s expression looked like she was hesitating to say something, but in the end, she didn’t say anything. She reached out and rubbed her head: “That’s good.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Deng Qingyu smiled. “Mum just wanted to ask about your condition.”

Shu Nian recalled what the doctor said to her last week: “The last time I went, the doctor told me that if the treatment continues, soon I can start going there just once every two weeks. The appointments will slowly be further apart.”

“And then you’ll be completely healed, won’t you?” Deng Qingyu’s mood suddenly improved, she even had some joking thoughts. “Mum is still waiting for you to bring a boyfriend back.”

With the sudden topic jump, Shu Nian immediately froze and looked at her in shock.

Deng Qingyu couldn’t help but ask: “What’s with this expression?”

“It’s just.” Shunian didn’t know what to say, only after thinking for half a day did she say something. “Mum, are you in a hurry?”

Deng Qingyu said: “Not anxious.”

Hearing that Shu Nian breathed a sigh of relief: “Then let’s wait until the I’m completely healed before looking for one, okay? At that time I will go find a good-looking one, one that mum will find pleasing to the eyes.”

Deng Qingyu shook her head, disagreeing: “Good-looking men are not reliable.”

Shu Nian was choked by her words. She coughed twice and softly mumbled: “If he’s not good-looking then even if he’s reliable I won’t feel happy…”

“…”

A good while later, Deng Qingyu looked at the clock on the wall and packed up her things: “It’s almost four o’clock. Mum is going to pick up your brother from school. Remember to drink the rock sugar pears. I have a lot stewed. Remember to bring some to Police Officer He.”

Shu Nian stood up to send her away and vaguely said: “I can finish it by myself.”

Deng Qingyu couldn’t bear seeing that stingy look on her face, frowned and said. “How do you expect to find a good-looking boyfriend like this?”

“…”

After saying goodbye to Deng Qingyu, Shu Nian closed the door.

The room quieted down instantly.

Such an atmosphere made Shu Nian feel lost. She looked down, twisted her hands and locked the door. Back on the balcony, she relocked the French windows that were opened by Deng Qingyu.

Her actions were neat and crisp like she had done them a million times.

She remembered Deng Qingyu’s earlier words to pay attention to ventilation.

Shu Nian hesitated. She opened a small gap in the French windows and then closed the curtains.

These were all just little movements.

After eating the rock sugar pears, Shu Nian washed the dishes. When she passed the floor-to-ceiling windows, she closed then again and returned to the bedroom with confidence. She changed her clothes and went out.

It took a little more than ten minutes for Shu Nian to walk to the entrance of the hospital in the city centre. She went to the fifth floor and arrived at the psychiatric department for a one hour of psychotherapy.

After it was over, Shu Nian went to the downstairs pharmacy department to be prescribed some cold medicine.

She didn’t know why but during that period there were a lot of people so it took a while. When Shu Nian left the hospital, the sky was half dark.

The street lights outside the hospital were bright and long shadows were drawn on the concrete floor. The rain was getting weaker, drizzling. It came down, reflecting the white light.

There were still people coming and going. But not much, it was very quiet.

Shu Nian wanted to go home before it was completely dark and her pace was much faster than before. Just before opening her umbrella, she subconsciously looked around.

Suddenly she noticed that beside her, there was another lonely person like her.

The man was sitting in a wheelchair. The fine hairs on his forehead were slightly longer, covering his eyebrows. Half of his face was against the light, drowned in darkness, vague and unclear with a gloomy hostility.

There was no sound.

Very quickly, Shu Nian withdrew her gaze. Suddenly remembering something, she stopped moving and looked over again.

Her lips opened and she was taken aback.

…She seemed to know him.

Shu Nian tightened her hold on the umbrella, her eyes were blank and froze in place. She stopped her eyes on the wheelchair under him, trying to say something but was stumped because of that sight.

Not knowing how long had passed.

The man raised his eyes suddenly and glanced across her body. But it was in an unfamiliar manner and he didn’t even pause for a second. Her breathing stagnated and her throat was choked by the look in his ice-like eyes.

The rain was still falling.

There was a hula la la sound from the wind, accompanied by a biting chill. Shu Nian took a deep breath, pinched the palm of her hand to gather courage for herself and walked over. Her voice was small and gentle with some uncertainty: “Xie Ruhe?”

Hearing the sound, the man looked over and fixed his eyes on her revealing his full face. He was an extremely beautiful man. Peach blossom eyes, deep double eyelids and a pale face. Obviously, he had a passionate face, but his expression was as cold as ice.

Her whole body’s temperature seemed to have dropped quite a bit.

Shu Nian pursed her lips, feeling a little helpless and subconsciously handed him the umbrella.

“Did you not bring an umbrella? How about I—”

The man didn’t finish listening and neither did he stay.

There was no change in his expression from beginning to end. He moved his wheelchair and went straight into the rain.

Shu Nian stood there for a while, but did not catch up to him. She kept her eyes away and didn’t look at him again. She opened out her umbrella, strolled around the puddle in front of her and walked in the direction of home.

When Fang Wencheng drove the car to the entrance of the hospital he happened to see a woman talking to Xie Ruhe.

The next moment, Xie Ruhe suddenly moved and came out into the rain in silence. Fang Wencheng was startled by this unpredictable action and immediately opened the car door. He ran in his direction under an umbrella.

“Young master.” Fang Wencheng put most of his umbrella on him and anxiously said. “Why are you out in the rain…”

Xie Ruhe didn’t speak, half of his body was already soaked and his dark eyes were wet with drops of water. His skin was pale, the purple veins under the eyes could be clearly seen and the curve of his jaw was sharp and cold.

Fang Wencheng was used to it and continued: “Mr Ji just called me and asked you to go back to Ji’s house.”

After getting in the car.

Following the rear-view mirror, Fang Wencheng realised that Xie Ruhe’s face was not very good.

All that time, he was looking out the window.

The drops of water slid down the side of his face and dripped down his chin. His eyes were like dark ink, showing a feeling of depression, reaching out to the person in the distance.

Fang Wencheng followed his line of sight.

——It was the woman who just spoke to him.

Fang Wencheng started the car: “Young master, do you know that lady? Do you want to pick her up?”

Xie Ruhe withdrew his gaze and slowly closed his eyes.

His reaction was expected by Fang Wencheng so he did not continue to mention it: “There was a robbery in the parking lot just now. I went to help so I wasted some time.”

“…”

Xie Ruhe’s eyelids moved slightly.

“Who knows how much longer this kind of rain will last.” Fang Wencheng reluctantly said. “The drainage system in the southern district hasn’t been fixed yet, the roads are flooded and there is always a traffic jam. Mr Ji is still waiting for you and I don’t know if we can get there by 8 o’clock—”

The man in the back seat suddenly interrupted him: “Keep up.”

Fang Wencheng was stunned and didn’t react in time: “Huh?”

Probably because he has not spoken for a long time, Xie Ruhe’s voice was slightly hoarse, low and heavy, like red wine in a dark night. He turned his head, opened his eyes again and unconsciously looked out the window.

A long time later.

Three more words came from the back. A low, cool voice, still like water.

“Follow her.”