Chapter 7: Departure

Fu Hansheng had been abroad for nearly half a month.

Luo Nanchu’s rented apartment was almost ready for moving-in. Having been staying at Fu Hansheng’s place temporarily, she felt she should at least inform the owner before leaving.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally dialed Fu Hansheng’s number.

The call was answered.

By a sweet, clear female voice.

“Hello, who is this?”

Recognizing Song Feiwan’s voice, and realizing it was nighttime in their timezone, Luo Nanchu hung up.

Fu Hansheng didn’t care about her anyway. The farther she stayed away, the better.

She decided not to tell him at all.

Luo Nanchu simply packed her belongings, called a moving company, and left.

After moving into her new home, she invited Yu Yuan over for hotpot.

Yu Yuan accompanied her shopping for daily necessities and kitchenware before returning to her two-bedroom apartment.

While Nanchu chopped the ingredients, Yu Yuan washed the vegetables.

Once everything was prepared, they brought the dishes to the table.

Steam rose from the bubbling pot as ingredients swirled in the broth.

Yu Yuan tentatively asked,

“Nan Chu.”

“Do you still like Fu Hansheng?”

Without any hesitation, Luo Nanchu replied,

“No, I don’t.”

Yu Yuan could tell she truly meant it.

From an outsider’s perspective, Yu Yuan felt Fu Hansheng wasn’t suitable for Luo Nanchu.

Hearing Nanchu’s answer, Yu Yuan breathed a slight sigh of relief.

When Fu Hansheng landed at Jingbei Airport, Lu Zheng came to pick him up.

Tall and lean, Fu Hansheng’s black suit accentuated his broad shoulders and long legs, drawing frequent glances from passersby.

Seeing the young girls stealing looks at Fu Hansheng, Lu Zheng couldn’t help but laugh as he approached to tease him,

“Along the way, three aunties turned back for a second look, and five young girls were checking you out.”

Without responding, Fu Hansheng got straight into the car and took the passenger seat.

Lu Zheng:

“Damn.”

“Really treating me like a chauffeur.”

Fu Hansheng’s tone was weary and indifferent:

“What else?”

Lu Zheng snorted.

“Congratulations, then. Free at last.”

Not understanding his meaning, Fu Hansheng replied dismissively,

“Thanks.”

A few days earlier, Lu Zheng had visited Jingbei Hospital and learned that Luo Nanchu had moved out of Fu Hansheng’s home and was living near the hospital. He was surprised that the girl who always clung to Fu Hansheng like a shadow was willing to leave him and live independently.

“She must have been really hurt by you.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t like you either.”

Fu Hansheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed against the seat, slowly opened them upon hearing Lu Zheng’s words.

His voice drowsy, he asked casually,

“What are you talking about.”

Lu Zheng said,

“I’m talking about Luo Nanchu.”

“She moved out of your place, didn’t she?”

Fu Hansheng’s body stiffened slightly:

“When?”

Lu Zheng found it amusing that he didn’t even know, despite her living with him.

“Just a few days ago?”

“I had some business at Jingbei Hospital the other day and ran into Luo Nanchu. She tried to avoid me, but I stopped her.”

“That’s when I found out she’d moved out.”

Fu Hansheng’s eyes darkened.

He considered telling Lu Zheng to drive near Jingbei Hospital but then thought better of it.

Luo Nanchu was twenty-two now; she shouldn’t be clinging to him all the time.

Back at the apartment, Fu Hansheng messaged Luo Nanchu.

After searching around, he found all her belongings were gone.

The only thing left was a box in the room.

He didn’t open it to see what was inside.

A long time passed with no reply from Luo Nanchu.

The doorbell rang outside the apartment, and Fu Hansheng immediately went to open the door.
He thought it was Luo Nanchu returning.

Instead, he met Lu Zheng’s face.

Lu Zheng asked with a smile.

“Let’s go, Fu San.”

“Come hang out.”

Fu Hansheng replied impatiently, his brows tightly furrowed.

“What are you doing here?”

Lu Zheng squeezed in regardless.

“Inviting you out.”

“Oh, by the way, half a month ago.”

“I saw Nan Chu meeting a man in a suit at a café.”

“You wouldn’t be forcing Nan Chu to go on blind dates using your elder’s authority just because she likes you, but you don’t like her back, would you?”

Fu Hansheng froze momentarily, glanced at him, his eyes flickering.

“Where did you see her?”

Lu Zheng scratched his head.

“Half a month ago, at the café near her hospital.”

Fu Hansheng shook his head.

“Have you been in contact with Nan Chu recently?”

Lu Zheng shrugged.

“No, Nan Chu’s been avoiding me.”

“Last time I saw her at the hospital, she couldn’t be bothered with me.”

“If I hadn’t stopped her, she would’ve run off already.”

Lu Zheng chattered on.

“Ah. Maybe Nan Chu will bring a boyfriend home in a few days.”

Fu Hansheng’s heart skipped a beat before quickly returning to normal.

Fu Hansheng slightly frowned and pushed Lu Zheng out.

“Alright.”

“You’ve had your tea; you can leave now.”

Before Lu Zheng could react, he was shoved out by Fu Hansheng.

Fu Hansheng pushed open the door to Luo Nanchu’s bedroom.

The bedroom was already empty except for the suitcase she had left behind.

On the desk, there was still a calendar.

A date was circled on the calendar, marked with 【Day of Departure.】

Fu Hansheng’s eyes turned colder.

So, Luo Nanchu had planned to leave all along.

Previously, he had tried to help her find a place and urged her to move out.

He had earnestly advised her that men and women should maintain boundaries.

Luo Nanchu had been unwilling to move then, but now she left cleanly without even leaving a word.

Luo Nanchu only replied to Fu Hansheng after receiving his message.

【I’ve moved out. Thank you for taking care of me all these years.】

When Fu Hansheng heard the notification tone, he immediately opened his phone and clicked on his chat history with Luo Nanchu.

Seeing this reply, Fu Hansheng pressed his thin lips together.

He took a photo of the suitcase.

【You forgot to take something with you.】

Luo Nanchu only remembered she had left something behind when she saw the photo.

She replied.

【Can you mail it to the hospital for me?】

【Just address it to Beijing North First Hospital, Gynecology Department.】

Fu Hansheng called her. The man stood under the light, his eyelids slightly lowered, his nose bridge tall and straight.

When the call connected, his eyebrows lifted slightly.

“Come get your things yourself.”

Luo Nanchu felt irritated. She didn’t want too much contact with Fu Hansheng.

Nor did she want to step into his house again.

So, she politely called him “Little Uncle.”

“Can you bring it to me?”

Hearing this address, Fu Hansheng’s Adam’s apple moved, and he fell silent for a long moment.

“Luo Nanchu.”

“Since when have you been so polite, willing to call me Little Uncle?”

His words carried sarcasm and a cold laugh.

Luo Nanchu ignored his mockery.

Instead, she continued.

“If it’s convenient, have your assistant mail it to me.”

Fu Hansheng’s voice was cool.

“My assistant isn’t that idle.”

Luo Nanchu said nothing more and hung up.

Everything in the suitcase had been given by Fu Hansheng birthday gifts, New Year’s gifts.

When you no longer care about someone, their gifts cease to be treasured.

She no longer felt the need to handle them with meticulous care.

When she cared about him, she wished she could steal away everything related to him, keeping it free from even a speck of dust, afraid that any memory connected to him might fade or break.

But now, Luo Nanchu no longer cared.

Three days had passed, and Luo Nanchu still hadn’t retrieved that box of items.

Fu Hansheng called again to ask.

The man’s voice was deep.

“You don’t want these things anymore?”

Luo Nanchu softly hummed in agreement.

“Could you send them via same-city delivery to the hospital when you have time?”

“Ask Aunt Chen to help or have your assistant do it.”

Fu Hansheng sat in his office, overlooking Beijing, his long legs crossed as he leaned back in his chair.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he gazed at the distant overpass.

The overpass was bustling with an endless stream of vehicles.

“My assistant is very busy and doesn’t have time for such trivial matters.”

“Aunt Chen is on vacation recently.”

“Tell me your home address, and I’ll bring it over to you.”

Luo Nanchu didn’t understand why Fu Hansheng was so persistent.

If his assistant was busy, wasn’t he busy too?

“No need.”

“You can dispose of the items as you wish. Just throw them away on your way to work.”

Fu Hansheng’s usually calm and indifferent eyes flickered slightly at this.

His voice was lazy.

“Why throw them away?”

Luo Nanchu repeated her tone a bit sharper.

“Those things aren’t valuable anyway, just discard them.”

After finishing his meeting, Fu Hansheng returned to his apartment.

He walked into the bedroom that once belonged to Luo Nanchu.

He opened the box.

Inside there were some jewelry and handbags.

Fu Hansheng’s eyes shifted, his pupils suddenly contracting.

These were all things he had given to Luo Nanchu.

Luo Nanchu had always treasured the gifts he gave her.

Once, a casual ladies’ watch he gave got wet, and she had been so upset she cried.

Now, she was willing to throw everything away.

Unable to accept it, Fu Hansheng called Luo Nanchu again.

“If you really don’t want these things, I’ll throw them away tonight.”

Luo Nanchu let out an impatient, soft click of her tongue.

“I really don’t want them.”

Fu Hansheng’s voice was light.

“Insides are all the birthday gifts and New Year’s presents I gave you.”

Luo Nanchu.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Then return them to their original owner. You can keep them or throw them away if you find them in the way.”

Luo Nanchu was on night duty that evening, so busy she didn’t even have time to eat, and she didn’t want to talk to Fu Hansheng any longer.

Hearing a nurse call her name, “Dr. Luo,”

She immediately hung up the phone and hurried toward the ward.

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