After a few minutes, Lu Lijun felt something was not right. He realized that she had stopped struggling, and he felt something moist and warm on his cheek. He stopped kissing her to take a look, his breath still heavy. Her eyes were closed, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She stood there like a statue. Seeing her in such a state, he came back to his senses. He slowly released her hands and moved back a few steps.
It was raining heavily, and the sound of thunder grew more frightening. When he looked at her, he felt a pain deep down in his heart… as if lightning had struck it and burned it to ashes. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He stood there, looking at her in a daze.
Realizing that he had retreated, she opened her teary eyes. Her expression was pained and full of disgust. She moved towards him with speed unknown to her and slapped him with all her might. Then, she ran away, making her way through the heavy rain. While running, her feet entangled with an errant root which had fallen due to the rain. She stumbled and hurt her knees and scr.a.p.ed her palm, but immediately stood up as if not feeling any pain. She ran towards the iron gate. Raindrops pricked at her skin, but it couldn't overshadow the sharp pain in her heart that grew more intense than ever. She ran as if that place was hell and the demon was chasing her.
Lu Lijun watched her retreating back. He saw her falling and wanted to run towards her, but she had already gotten up and fled. He felt pain in his heart as he saw her hurt silhouette making its way through the rain. He stood frozen to the spot, not wanting to make the situation worse for her.
Somehow, Jiang Yuyan reached the gate of the mansion. When she saw her car, she hurriedly entered it, started the engine, and with the full speed moved away from that place. When there was some distance between her and the mansion, she stopped the car on the roadside and cried her heart out as she leaned on the steering wheel.
Time passed by just like that. Her face was swollen, and her eyes were red due to crying. She was drenched in the rain but was not feeling cold. She looked lost, confused about what to do or where to go.
Since Lu Qiang passed away, she never thought about her life. She was young at the time… just twenty-years-old. She could have started a new life, but she devoted herself to protect the people and things he left behind. She tried her best to make all his dreams come true. Her love for Lu Qiang was something that would never end even if he was not with her. She closed her eyes and collected herself. She increased the temperature in the car as she felt cold. She started the car engine and drove in the direction of The Lu family's current residence.
When Jiang Yuyan reached Lu residence, it was already three in the morning. The guard greeted her and opened the gate. She drove inside and parked the car. When she got out of the car, she suddenly felt a gust of chilled air hit her body, making her feet trembled. Her teeth started to chatter. She crossed her hand tightly across her chest and dashed inside the villa. She opted for a hot shower when she rushed into her room.
As she closed her eyes under the stream of water, she remembered the events from earlier that evening and felt disgusted. She opened her eyes and reached for the shelf in the bathroom to take out the bottle of body wash. She scrubbed, again and again, unable to remove the phantom touch. In frustration, she started to cry. She stared into the mirror on the opposite wall and observed her reflection. When her sight stopped at her lips, she began to rub it harshly with her palms. Tears still rolled down her cheeks.
After being in the shower for a while, she cleaned herself and got out of the bathroom, covered in a bathrobe. She sat on the corner of the bed, and her sight fell on the small, wooden photo frame which displayed her wedding picture.
In that picture, Jiang Yuyan was wearing an elegant white wedding dress, and Lu Qiang was wearing a black tuxedo. They both looked adorable as they gazed at each other with eyes full of love and happiness. Both his hands were on her waist, holding her close to him, while her hands were placed on his chest.
She held the frame in her hand, looked at the picture, and said," Why did you leave me alone?" Her voice cracked as she sobbed. "You—you promised me that you would always be there with me a-and never leave me. You pro-promised to protect me. You said we would grow old together. I trusted you. But why? W-why did you break your promise? I-I hate you! I hate you, Lu Qiang! I hate you!"
She held the frame tightly to her chest, closed her eyes and started to mumble," I-I miss you. Please come back! P-please… Lu Qiang!" She was exhausted from the events of that day and fell asleep holding the picture close to her chest, with her legs curled up, a mumble of his name on her lips._
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