MTMIO Chapter 48
by VolareLu You turned back, holding onto the half-open courtyard gate.
The bodyguard lifted the fat man from the ground with one hand, first pulling off the hoodie that covered his head, then ripping off his mask.
Thus, a large face covered in acne was revealed to Lu You.
The fat man’s features weren’t exactly well-proportioned; he was ugly in a distinctive way.
Therefore, almost the instant she saw his face, Lu You remembered seeing him before, twice.
The first time was when Tao Xin expressed her unwillingness to go public with their relationship, and she had specifically pulled up this man’s photo to show her.
Lu You still remembered Tao Xin covering her chest with a look of disgust on her face, saying to her, “It’s this fat guy, he’s so scary! During the commercial performance in Zhou City, I don’t know how he got my room card, came into my room, took my perfume, ate my unfinished snacks, and even lay on my bed taking pictures and posting them online. It’s so disgusting!”
It was also because of this that Lu You agreed to Tao Xin’s request to conceal their relationship from fans.
Seeing Tao Xin maintain her single persona in the fan groups and fans randomly shipping couples, she didn’t expose her, but chose to leave the group.
The second time was at Tao Xin’s fan meeting, when this man suddenly took off his clothes and rushed onto the stage to hug Tao Xin. Fortunately, the host stopped him, but it scared both Tao Xin and her badly.
The pain in her ankle became more pronounced, and Lu You quickly collected her thoughts and went home.
“Eh? Weren’t you going out? Why are you back again?” Grandma, pinching dumpling wrappers, came out of the kitchen, and seeing Lu You limping towards the shower, she quickly followed, craning her neck to take a look. “What happened to your foot? Did you twist it again?”
“I was scalded by hot water.” Lu You, holding the showerhead, propped her long leg up and put her foot under the cold water. “Grandma, can you get me a stool?”
“…Where did the hot water come from?” Grandma muttered to herself as she walked to the living room, glimpsing Auntie Liu stretching her neck to look outside in the entryway. She casually called out to her, “Little Liu? What are you doing standing there?”
“Oh, I saw that bodyguard catching someone!” Auntie Liu went back into the house, taking the stool from Grandma’s hand. “He’s not a child at all! He’s an adult! The stool is for Yoyo, right?”
“Yes, do we have burn ointment at home?” Grandma also went to the entryway and looked towards the door. “Who is this person? Did you offend someone, Yoyo?”
Lu You sat on the chair that Auntie Liu brought, hesitatingly saying, “He’s Tao Xin’s illegitimate fan.”
“Illegitimate fan?” Grandma frowned, asking uncertainly, “Is he a fan? Does that mean Tao Xin sent him?”
Lu You pondered, “Tao Xin shouldn’t know about this. He probably found out about my breakup with Tao Xin from somewhere, and felt that I let Tao Xin down, so he came to take revenge.”
“My girl told me that illegitimate fans are the kind of fans who seriously affect the private lives of celebrities, and the celebrities themselves hate them to death.” Auntie Liu brought out the medicine box, rummaging through it for ointment as she spoke. “These fans are especially extreme. There are those who stalk, peep, and kidnap! And there’s—”
Lu You coughed lightly, interrupting, “Auntie Liu, don’t scare Grandma.”
Grandma suddenly reacted, “Did that person scald your foot? Did that person deliberately use hot water to splash you?! He didn’t just want to scald your foot, did he? Did he want to…”
Walking to the shower, Grandma turned her head to look at her face, not daring to continue.
Lu You innocently blinked her eyes, switched hands holding the showerhead, leaned over, and hugged Grandma, comforting her, “Didn’t I just scald my foot? Don’t think about things that haven’t happened yet.”
Grandma took a deep breath to calm her emotions, thankfully saying, “It’s a good thing Yunxi and them hired a bodyguard.”
“Yes.” Auntie Liu took the burn ointment and came over, sighing, “The bodyguard that Teacher Yue picked is really tall, carrying that man like he’s a broiler chicken.”
Lu You laughed, but quickly suppressed her smile, took out her phone, and looked at the time.
The police hadn’t arrived yet, and she probably wouldn’t make it in time to pick up Yue Yunxi from the airport.
Lu You had no choice but to privately message Yun Zhu, sending Yue Yunxi’s flight information and saying: [I’m having a little trouble here, do you have time to pick her up from the airport?]
Yun Zhu replied relatively quickly: [What’s wrong?]
YoYo: [The bodyguard worked, caught the guy, now waiting for the police to come.]
Just as the message was sent, Yun Zhu directly made a voice call. Lu You answered, but the voice coming from the phone was Chen Feifei’s.
“Are you okay, Yoyo?” Chen Feifei asked, “Why do I hear water noises over there?”
“It’s nothing, I just got scalded on the ankle, and I’m using cold water to rinse it.” Lu You bent her leg, pulled it in front of her, and looked at her ankle.
Maybe the water temperature had dropped a little when the person came over with the thermos, or maybe she cooled it down in time, but no blisters had formed.
Chen Feifei asked anxiously, “Is it serious?”
“It’s not serious, it’s already a little better.” Lu You asked, “Are you with Yun Zhu?”
Chen Feifei stammered in response.
Usually, Chen Feifei hadn’t woken up yet at this time, but now she was with Yun Zhu.
Thinking of the two’s ambiguous relationship, it felt like there had been a qualitative leap.
Lu You didn’t say much, just reminded again, “Tell Yun Zhu, don’t forget to pick her up from the airport.”
“Okay, okay, she’s already arranged for a driver to go.”
Catching the sound of a police car outside, Lu You said goodbye, “The police are here, I’ll hang up first.”
After ending the call, she turned off the water, applied a thick layer of ointment to her ankle, changed into a pair of mules, and went out.
After registering her personal information, the police took her, the bodyguard, and the fat man to the police station together.
Taking statements, reviewing surveillance footage, and lengthy quibbling and arguing. After staying in the mediation room for nearly two hours, the severity of the situation was determined after discovering that the fat man had a prior criminal record.
The fat man was detained, and Lu You and the bodyguard left after giving their statements.
As they were leaving, the fat man disregarded the police’s obstruction and followed them out of the mediation room, standing on the steps and shouting a sentence at them.
His voice was very loud, but his pronunciation was like a spider spitting silk with sticky liquid, mumbled and vague, and his accent was very heavy, like a pure dialect.
Lu You’s attention was all on above, and she didn’t see a black Mercedes stopping at the entrance of the police station.
She didn’t understand a single word of what the fat man said, but the bodyguard understood, turning his head to remind the police, “They might have some kind of organization! He said that messing with him is useless, there are others! You have to interrogate him properly!”
Lu You’s eyebrows jumped, and she suddenly remembered the harassing call she received on the way to Jin Duan Fang that day.
Although the person on the other end of the phone used a voice changer to process the sound, the swear words were very clear and didn’t have a trace of dialect accent.
Almost at the same time she thought of this, her phone vibrated, receiving a MMS message with her photo photoshopped into a black and white obituary.
Lu You’s scalp tingled, and she turned to look at the fat man.
The other party was sitting lazily on the steps at the entrance of the mediation room, staring at her with dead fish eyes, scratching from his forehead down to his chin with both hands, and then, like demonstrating a firework display, he opened his fingers and silently said, “Bang!”
It was as if he was watching and imagining ruining her face.
Finally, the fat man burst into laughter.
In the early autumn season, on a cloudy day with no sun, the air was filled with a verdant dampness that drilled into her coat collar with the wind, a chill that went through her spine.
Lu You clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and didn’t let herself show any sign of fear.
“Yoyo.” A familiar voice, like water flowing across a plain, came from behind her.
Lu You’s nerves were almost stretched to the extreme at this time. Hearing Yue Yunxi’s voice gently calling her nickname, she was even briefly in a daze, thinking she was hallucinating.
Until she slowly turned around.
Outside the retractable door two steps away, Yue Yunxi was wearing a white coat, draped in the warm orange sunlight of autumn, tall and slender, her waist-length black hair curled, lifted by the wind, and entangled with her warm, yet tense voice.
“Come here, Yoyo.”
As if there was a bewitching effect.
Lu You couldn’t help but, treading on her agitated heartbeat, walk towards Yue Yunxi.
The fear in her heart hadn’t faded, and a new emotion of surprise was added. She was so surprised that she lost her voice, “You…”
Knowing what she wanted to ask, Yue Yunxi explained calmly, “Yun Zhu told me everything. I just went back to Lanwan, and Grandma said you hadn’t returned yet, so I guessed you might still be here.”
Lu You hadn’t recovered yet, and nodded slightly, without speaking.
Yue Yunxi’s long eyelashes drooped, her gaze falling on her ankle, freezing on the brown ointment, and she squatted down, vaguely holding her ankle to check.
Lu You was stunned for a moment, and instinctively took half a step back, but she just happened to touch Yue Yunxi’s hand.
The soft, cool fingertips were like touching her pause button, making her whole body freeze in place.
“It’s a good thing no blisters formed.” Yue Yunxi got up. “Does it hurt? Were you scared at the time?”
From the time of the incident until now, only Yue Yunxi had asked her if it hurt and cared if she was afraid at that time.
Lu You looked at her and lowered her head.
“Do you want to go to the hospital for a check-up?”
Lu You shook her head.
“Then go home?”
Lu You nodded.
Like a very obedient robot, Yue Yunxi silently curved her lips, took her hand, walked to the car parked next to them, and opened the passenger door. “Get in, let’s go home.”
Almost having her face slashed with a knife; being scalded by hot water; listening to that person in the mediation room reversing right and wrong, spreading malicious rumors… Lu You didn’t feel anything, and could watch the other party go crazy with a blank expression.
She made herself look indestructible and fearless.
But at this moment, a wave of grievance surged uncontrollably. Every gentle comfort from Yue Yunxi was like peeling off her strong exterior.
Stripping her down to nothing but fragile flesh and blood, her nose couldn’t help but feel sore, with an urge to cry.
“Wait.” She lowered her head even further, her throat choked, “Can you give me a hug?”
Yue Yunxi was stunned for a few seconds, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
Her heart felt like it was being twisted by something, a subtle, dense pain spreading with a soft ache.
It felt like a long time had passed, but it was only a few seconds. The anxious wait made the time seem longer.
A woody, cool, and fragrant shadow first loomed over her, and then she fell into a warmth, being gently and carefully embraced.
Like vaguely holding a treasure, afraid of breaking it, not even daring to hug it tightly.
Lu You buried her face in her shoulder, saying in a muffled voice, “Can you, use a little more strength?”
“I’m afraid if I use too much strength, you’ll feel offended.” Yue Yunxi explained, slightly tightening her arms.
Lu You couldn’t hold back and sobbed twice, her emotions overflowing, and she no longer cared about holding back or being shy. She reached out and wrapped her arms around Yue Yunxi’s waist, hugging her tightly, “Like this!”
Yue Yunxi’s eyebrows and eyes relaxed, and she softly replied “Okay,” doing as she said, increasing the strength of her hug, even tighter than Lu You’s.
The tight embrace created a sense of security that put her heart at ease.
Lu You let herself be immersed in it.
When her emotions calmed down, she let go of Yue Yunxi, glanced at the tear stains spreading on Yue Yunxi’s shoulder, and hurriedly looked away, embarrassed, “Sorry, I got your clothes wet.”
Yue Yunxi handed her a tissue, not caring about her clothes, and asked her, “Are you feeling better?”
With tears hanging on her eyelashes, Lu You wiped her eyes, and suddenly felt a gaze, following it.
She realized that the bodyguard, who had consciously walked away, was glancing this way from time to time.
The feeling of embarrassment slowly washed over her.
Without lingering any longer, Lu You quickly got into the car.
The police station was very close to home, only about a five or six-minute drive.
On the way, Lu You called Grandma to reassure her.
But the old lady was still worried, and after hanging up the phone, she called Auntie Liu to stand at the door and wait together, just in time to meet Yue Shao, who was coming back from her beauty treatment.
The three chatted at the door.
When the car stopped in front of the house, Yue Shao had already heard a rough outline of what happened from Auntie Liu.
Seeing them getting out of the car, Yue Shao immediately went up to them, first carefully asking, “Yoyo, are you okay?”
Guessing that Lu You probably didn’t want to talk at the moment, Yue Yunxi replied for her, “She scalded her ankle, but it’s not serious.”
Yue Shao asked again, “What about that illegitimate fan?”
“He’s being detained at the police station.”
“Although this matter was done by Tao Tao’s fan, Tao Tao definitely didn’t know about it. You know those illegitimate fans of hers, she herself is very troubled by them.” As Yue Shao spoke, she reached out to take Lu You’s hand.
Lu You avoided it imperceptibly, brushed her hair behind her ear, pursed her lips, and tugged at the corners of her mouth, taking it as a response.
“If she hadn’t revealed in the fan group that Yoyo had mentioned breaking up with her, how could she have stirred up such a thing?”
Having never heard Yue Yunxi speak in such a cold tone, like a river that had frozen over in early winter, not only was it cold, but there were also undercurrents surging.
She was angry.
Lu You turned her head to look at Yue Yunxi.
In her line of sight, was an even more stern expression than her tone. Those gentle and generous features contained coldness, giving off an aura that made people feel awe.
“What kind of identity are you using to explain for her? A mother?”
Yue Shao opened her mouth. After that day, Yue Yunxi had never returned to live in Lanwan.
Her prompt responses made her think that the cracks in their relationship had long been healed with the passage of time.
She didn’t expect it to be an illusion.
“If you’re a mother, instead of making these useless explanations, you should discipline your daughter properly.”
Yue Yunxi’s tone was very light.
Lu You frowned slightly, sensitively feeling some emotions from these words, like jealousy.
Yue Shao licked her lips and sighed, “You child…”
Realizing that the atmosphere was not right, Grandma smoothed things over, “It’s okay, it’s okay, the person has been caught. We’ll discuss it with Tao Xin later and have her restrain the fans in that fan group. Oh right, is this bodyguard going to be hired for a few more days, or what?”
The bodyguard was acting like an emotionless doorpost, and couldn’t continue acting when he heard this, opening his mouth to remind, “…We might have to hire him for a few more days. At the police station just now, that person said there were accomplices, not just him.”
“What?! There are accomplices? And not just him?” Auntie Liu was shocked into a repeating machine.
Grandma looked at Lu You, pointed at the bodyguard, and confirmed, “Is what he’s saying true?”
Lu You took a breath, tiredly letting her shoulders slump, and nodded.
“They probably know the address of Lanwan, so this place is a little unsafe now.” Yue Yunxi said in a deep voice, “At least for this period of time, you can’t live here.”
Lu You was just about to say that if it really didn’t work, she would move to Lu Huai’an’s place.
Before she could open her mouth, she heard Yue Yunxi arrange things in an orderly manner, “I suggest that you hire a bodyguard to watch this place as normal, and then you go back and pack your luggage, bring some clothes to change into, and move to my place tonight. You can stay there for the time being.”
Lu You widened her eyes slightly, turned her head to look at Yue Yunxi, and quickly suppressed her expression, afraid that Grandma and Yue Shao would find something from her expression.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over Yue Shao, and Lu You couldn’t help but be stunned.
Yue Shao’s face was paler than before, her eyes staring unblinkingly at Yue Yunxi, her slightly furrowed brows twisting with obvious displeasure.
Grandma pushed back, “This, this isn’t very good, it’s too much trouble for you.”
“It’s okay.” Yue Yunxi noticed Yue Shao’s gaze, looked back, and said calmly, “We have some responsibility, too.”
…You have responsibility for what?
Lu You swallowed, continuing to pretend to be in a bad mood and not wanting to talk, saying nothing.
The fingers of her hands behind her back curled slightly, like her heart was itching, unable to resist scratching.
Yue Shao let out a long sigh, compromisingly advising Grandma, “Just listen to her arrangements. Her place is private enough. Tao Tao was curious about where she lived before, and wanted to see the address through express delivery and original photos, but she couldn’t find anything… She hasn’t revealed a thing, even to me, her own mother.”
The ending trailed off into a sigh, Lu You was close, and her ears were sharp, so she heard it clearly.
Mixed in with the complaint were disappointment and loss.
Only then did Grandma agree, thanking her repeatedly.
Afterwards, Yue Shao told Yue Yunxi to take good care of the old lady, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but it seemed like she couldn’t bring herself to say it, and in the end, she left directly without saying anything. Grandma also called Auntie Liu to go back to the house to pack their luggage.
Lu You was still standing in place, drooping her head, and said softly, “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to be so polite with me.” Yue Yunxi paused. “I have selfish motives.”
Lu You touched her ears, her voice even lower, “I know.”
She lowered her eyes, seeing Yue Yunxi’s shadow take a step closer to her, and heard the captivating sound again.
“Knowing that, you still don’t refuse?”
More alluring than the previous sentence.
Lu You moved that injured foot, lightly stepping on her shadow, “You really want me to refuse?”
The shadow seemed to be in pain from being stepped on, and retreated back.
Lu You raised her eyebrows, feeling that the accumulated bad emotions had dissipated a lot after teasing Yue Yunxi. She turned around, “I’m going back to pack.”
After walking two steps, she heard Yue Yunxi’s clear voice being sent to her ears by the wind.
“There are only two rooms at home. Grandma and Auntie Liu in one room, you and me in one room.”
There was a pause of two seconds in the middle.
She said, “You have no chance to refuse.”
Lu You stopped, slightly turning her head, and saw her own shadow extending all the way to the feet of the person behind her in her lowered line of sight.
Her stop made that shadow seem to be stepped on tightly.