RMM -Chapter 252 Only a Swift Blade Can Cut Through the Tangle

That day, when Zhou Yunzhen returned to her office, the very first thing she did was pick up her phone. Yet in the very next second, the anticipation and delight on her face abruptly froze into blank astonishment.

…Nothing… there was nothing at all…

After so long, Xi Yuechen still hadn’t replied to her message.

Zhou Yunzhen felt as if her heart had suddenly lost its weight, drifting aimlessly, and then someone poured a bucket of icy water over it. She felt miserable to the extreme, yet couldn’t quite put her finger on what that feeling was.

Her face showed both disappointment and exhaustion. She sank weakly into her chair, staring blankly at her phone.

Tired. Unwilling to accept it. In that instant, Zhou Yunzhen felt as though she had been sentenced to death, plunged into despair. It was as if all her hopes had fallen apart, leaving shock and sorrow scattered all over the ground.

Why didn’t he reply? Zhou Yunzhen tortured herself, forcing herself to think it through.

She had already humbled herself this much—what right did he have to ignore her? Was it because of Su Ruo? In what way was she, Zhou Yunzhen, inferior to Su Ruo? Family background? Looks? Figure? Ability? Or… the ability to bear children?!

Since birth, she had never thought of herself as a pampered princess, but she certainly hadn’t lacked anything either! Why was it that whatever Su Ruo could have, she could only gaze at from afar, quietly admiring it in envy?

She had always been the one everyone looked up to, a strong woman in the spotlight. When had she ever schemed so painstakingly or humbled herself so much just to obtain something? Why was it that Xi Yuechen wouldn’t even spare her a glance?

I have a good family background. I have looks. I have a figure! Is it because Su Ruo bore you a son? As long as you want, I can bear you one too!

She had gone this far, even cast aside her dignity—how could Xi Yuechen remain completely unmoved?

All of Zhou Yunzhen’s confidence seemed to crumble at that very moment. She felt dazed, yet beneath that daze there was a faint trace of ruthlessness in her expression.

If it had merely been a matter of an unanswered text, her reaction wouldn’t have been this extreme. It was just that everything had piled up at the worst possible time. Because of Xi Yuechen, she had already been suppressing herself and suffering in silence for a long while—on top of that, she still had to face Su Ruo. Hatred filled her heart, yet she had to put on an excessively warm and intimate façade. Watching Su Ruo flaunt her happiness so brazenly felt like a knife carving into her own heart.

All that endurance, all that torment, all that humiliating compromise—and on top of it, she had to be constantly cautious around Su Ruo, treading as if on thin ice, afraid that even the slightest hint of her feelings would be discovered. Every time she did something even slightly inappropriate in front of Su Ruo, she would be terrified afterward, like a thief afraid of being caught. Was such a life really easy?

Zhou Yunzhen wasn’t stupid. In truth, she had long seen that Xi Yuechen had no interest in her. Not to mention anything else—just his attitude at Xi Zi’s full-month banquet had already made everything clear. But once Zhou Yunzhen set her sights on something, how could she give up so easily? The harder it was, the more determined she became to seize it. What’s more, she had truly given her heart. So even though she understood everything deep down, she still pretended not to, continuing to plan and scheme with lofty ambition.

However, what had just happened at Zhengjia Courtyard, followed by being reprimanded by her director today—every word a warning and a reminder—was something she could no longer endure. She had always been strong-willed and proud. Yes, her romantic path had been full of obstacles, but she had never once prepared herself to fail in her career. She had long planned to develop herself well, to achieve the greatest success in the shortest time, to earn the title of “young and promising.” That way, the distance between her and Xi Yuechen would shrink. She wanted everyone to see that she was more than worthy of him.

But recently, because of Xi Yuechen, problems kept arising in her work. Even the director who had always favored her spoke up to criticize her. That blow landed squarely on her head, leaving her panicked and unsettled. Then she came back and found that her text message had sunk without a trace once again. And so, with that final spark, the emotions Zhou Yunzhen had suppressed for so long finally erupted.

Xi Yuechen… Su Ruo…

Zhou Yunzhen felt as though her entire life was being staked on these two people. Fine. I’ve humbled myself, endured everything, and you both couldn’t care less? Then let’s cut through the mess cleanly. Don’t think that I, Zhou Yunzhen, am only capable of this much.

Xi Yuechen, I will never give up on you.

Physically and mentally exhausted, Zhou Yunzhen sat there dazed for the rest of the afternoon. Though she had made up her mind, the recent blows were simply too many for someone who had always enjoyed smooth sailing. For a moment, fatigue overwhelmed her so completely that she didn’t even have the strength to sigh. She stared blankly out the window at the gray, overcast sky.

When it was time to get off work, Zhou Yunzhen still didn’t stand up. Curious colleagues asked her a few questions, and she brushed them off by saying she still had something to take care of. Only when the city lights outside were fully lit did she finally stir slightly.

After taking a long, deep breath, a smile bloomed on Zhou Yunzhen’s face, hidden in the shadows. On closer inspection, it was still her usual confident, gentle smile—but this time, it no longer carried the warmth of spring. Instead, there was something eerie about it.

Xi Yuechen must have been busy earlier, right? The army wasn’t like the outside world—he couldn’t keep his phone on him at all times. Maybe he’d been so busy with work that he hadn’t even had the chance to glance at his phone.

Zhou Yunzhen thought this way, as if she had completely forgotten what had happened that afternoon. Her expression and emotions showed not the slightest hint of anything being wrong. Yet because of that, she seemed even more abnormal—her self-hypnosis was working well, but it also made her all the more determined to get Xi Yuechen at all costs.

It was already so late now; he should be resting, right? And if he was resting, then calling him now wouldn’t count as disturbing him, would it?

In the dark office, a small light suddenly flickered on. Looking closer, it was the phone in Zhou Yunzhen’s hand. Her slender, pale fingers opened the contacts list, found Xi Yuechen’s number, and tapped it without hesitation.

Be brave. Stop hesitating. Otherwise, these days will never end. Since it’s already come to this, she might as well go all in. Only a swift blade can cut through a tangled knot.

At this time, Xi Yuechen had already returned to his place and finished showering. Because he had been paying extra attention to his phone these past few days, he had already checked it earlier.

Although Su Ruo only called Xi Yuechen once a day, she had been sending quite a few messages lately. Some were casual chats, some about everyday family matters—but what she was most enthusiastic about was reporting Xi Zi’s daily condition and her own experiences caring for him. She even attached several adorable photos of Xi Zi, followed by paragraphs of praise.

Like today, Xi Yuechen once again saw photos of his own son. The little fellow was actually smiling at the camera. Looking at it, Xi Yuechen felt as though his son was smiling right at him, stirring his heart for a long time.

Su Ruo said in her message that Xi Zi had grown again and even learned how to smile—though not very often yet. Still, she had managed to capture a photo. Look how cute he is. She also said she had measured Xi Zi’s leg length and found that it had grown a bit more. He was awake more during the day now, but always very well-behaved. Whether someone held him or he lay alone, he wouldn’t fuss.

Su Ruo also said that when their son put on a serious little face, he looked exactly like Xi Yuechen—but when he smiled, he clearly resembled her. She had compared it in the mirror for a long time herself. Don’t believe it? Just take a look.

Looking at the photo of his son grinning with his tiny mouth wide open, a rare warmth flickered in Xi Yuechen’s eyes. Even the corners of his lips softened slightly.

After Su Ruo mentioned it, he truly felt that when their son smiled, his brows and eyes looked especially like hers—warm and beautiful, like sunlight.

Su Ruo chattered on, telling Xi Yuechen many more things—she even mentioned how many times she had changed Xi Zi’s diaper today. She said she was already very skilled at taking care of him now, and in a few more days, she would surely be able to handle everything with ease, even on her own.

Xi Yuechen knew that Su Ruo was intentionally or unintentionally revealing how well she was managing with Xi Zi—she had a purpose. Although she never said it outright, how could he not understand? Su Ruo had always been eager to accompany him to the army, so she had been working especially hard these days.

Anything related to Xi Zi, if Su Ruo could do it herself, she absolutely wouldn’t let others handle it. And if she didn’t know how, she would stand by and watch carefully, learning attentively. Her attitude was extremely serious.

To say that he felt nothing would be a lie. Xi Yuechen only felt that every time he thought of his little woman, his heart softened. A gentle warmth flowed quietly within him, and along with it came a faint sense of longing.

With a slight smile at the corners of his mouth, Xi Yuechen finished reading Su Ruo’s messages. After thinking for a moment, he replied with just two words: “Mm. Very similar.”

Counting the days, Xi Zi was already three months old. Su Ruo’s grand plan had moved another step forward—truly something worth celebrating.

Just as he was about to exit the messaging app, Xi Yuechen noticed an unread message from an unfamiliar number. Without thinking much about who it might be, he opened it.

“Yuechen, long time no see. It’s Zhou Yunzhen.”

Xi Yuechen was clearly taken aback for a brief moment. He hadn’t expected that at all.

By now, he naturally knew who Zhou Yunzhen was—but why would she be messaging him?

Looking at the text, a rare trace of displeasure crossed Xi Yuechen’s face. His expression remained calm, but unmistakable impatience showed in his dark eyes.

He not only remembered Zhou Yunzhen, but also her behavior at Xi Zi’s full-month banquet. It was obvious that even back then, she had already displeased him.

Xi Yuechen was the type of person who was calm and mature. Generally, he didn’t develop likes or dislikes toward others based on personal emotions; he was used to dealing with matters objectively. But this time, for the first time, he broke that rule.

At first, he truly had no impression of Zhou Yunzhen at all. Although he had met her twice because of Zhou Tingzhang, he hadn’t taken it to heart and had completely forgotten her the moment he turned away.

An irrelevant passerby—what was there to remember?

It wasn’t until Su Ruo repeatedly asked him whether he knew Zhou Yunzhen that he gained a faint impression. Then, at Xi Zi’s full-month banquet, they finally had real contact—and after that, for the first time ever, he developed a personal dislike toward her.

That day, Zhou Yunzhen had pretended familiarity, speaking with an air of closeness that felt all too deliberate. Xi Yuechen had never encountered anyone being so self-familiar. He firmly believed that he had no relationship whatsoever with Zhou Yunzhen—let alone with a woman. After all, aside from family, Xi Yuechen normally had no dealings with women at all.

So, he didn’t know why, but he felt unhappy. Perhaps it was Zhou Yunzhen’s self-righteousness, or perhaps it was the argument that He Wen and the others had gotten into because of her, ruining everyone’s mood the moment she appeared. If this were in his unit, it would be a textbook case of causing disunity. In any case, he simply couldn’t tolerate her sitting beside him for even a second—he didn’t want to be tainted by the presence of any other woman.

He had thought that such a passerby would appear only once. He never expected her to pop up again after several months.

Xi Yuechen didn’t bother to think about how this woman had gotten his number. He quickly exited the message and tossed his phone aside. After that brief irritation, he chose to ignore it completely.

Such a trivial interruption didn’t stir even the slightest ripple in Xi Yuechen’s heart.

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