If You Could Hear My Heart

Chapter 138: Shen Chi, I Don’t Want You Anymore

Translator: 549690339

After the speech, the auditorium erupted into thunderous applause.

When he was ready to leave the podium, Bai Man took his hand with a smile and walked to the microphone.

“Today, I am very grateful for everyone’s presence. I hope you will continue to support Shen Group and continue to support me. In the future, I will complete the endorsement for this jewelry. Just like the name of this necklace, ‘eternal’, forever. I also wish that all lovers in the world will unite in marriage.”

Bai Man was graceful and composed, her words delivered with light humor.

Many reporters were not focused on Bai Man’s speech but on her hand holding Shen Chi’s hand.

A match made in heaven, displaying such affection.

“Click” “Click”…

Then came a frenzy of photography, with flashes going off incessantly.

For a moment, the lights at the press conference flickered wildly, with flashbulbs and spotlights alternating, and the noise of the crowd made it a lively scene.

The whole press conference lasted an afternoon, with Shen Chi and Bai Man making an appearance, followed by speeches from other Shen Group executives. At night, there was a jewelry exhibition and a gala.

Nearly all of C City’s elite were present, making the gala both grand and prosperous.

This was huge news that rocked the entire C City, and journalists were working overtime just to capture a few exclusive photos.

Soon, media, newspapers, and magazines were all scrambling to report the event.

Shen Chi had always kept a low profile, but this time he made a high-profile announcement about his marriage during the press conference, and he became the headline of major media outlets overnight.

In this era of advanced internet connectivity, it took less than an hour for the news to spread throughout the entire city.

However, Xu Chaomu found out about this only the next afternoon.

The next day happened to be Saturday, and she did not return to the Shen Family home, nor did anyone come to see her. She spent half the day alone in the classroom doing homework and got so bored in the afternoon that she sneaked to the newsstand at the school gate to buy some newspapers.

When she first got to the newsstand, Xu Chaomu was startled.

All sorts of newspapers and magazines, all with headlines featuring Shen Chi and Bai Man.

Shen Chi was in a black suit, while Bai Man was in a long blue dress. Different layouts, but the same photos all over.

The headlines were eye-catching, “Shen Group Press Conference, Mr. Shen and

Miss Bai Publicly Display Affection”, “Popular actress Bai Man supported by Shen Group’s President Shen Chi”, “President Shen spends fortunes for his lady, her smile in return for her loving man”…

Her gaze shifted downward, downward, downward…

Xu Chaomu saw the hands Shen Chi and Bai Man were holding.

A wave of pain spread through her chest, a pain that had appeared from time to time recently. It was as if she were drinking tea steeped with lotus seeds, the bitterness magnifying slowly…

Even someone as optimistic as her couldn’t help but lower her head.

The grip on the newspaper tightened, and a misty layer of tears formed in her eyes.

The sun bleached white, casting down on her body, the tip of her nose glistening with beads of sweat, yet she was unaware.

“Young lady, do you want to buy that newspaper? You’ve been reading it for quite a while now,” the newsstand owner finally spoke up.

The owner had been watching Xu Chaomu for a while, at first thinking she was browsing without intent to buy, but then realizing that the girl was fixated on the huge photo on the front page of the newspaper, motionless and staring intently.

“Young lady!” Xu Chaomu didn’t respond, so the owner called out again.

“Ah? Oh, I’ll buy it.”

Xu Chaomu came back to her senses and took out a dollar to give to the owner.

She hurried away with the newspaper and read all the news once she was back in the classroom.

She felt shameless. After Shen Chi had treated her this way, why should she still care about him?

He had her stay in school just so he could be lovey-dovey with Bai Man. Maybe he had already given her room to Bai Man.

Xu Chaomu felt a bit miserable. In the past, she would have cut out Shen Chi’s pictures, draw big Xs over them, and write the words “Eternally Doomed — Shen Chi”.

But now, she didn’t even have the interest to do such things.

Silently tossing the newspaper into the trash bin, she bit her lip, “Shen Chi, I don’t want you anymore.”

From now on, he would take his broad road, and she would walk her narrow bridge.

To forget each other in the rivers and lakes would be best, never to interact in life or death.

She returned to her seat, took out her reference book, and began doing homework.

She had fallen behind on many courses and needed to slowly catch up. Although studying wasn’t the only way, at least she wouldn’t starve in the future.

As she was pondering over a math problem, someone tapped the window

“thud, thud, thud”.

Xu Chaomu looked up to meet Lou Yanli’s gaze.

He smiled slightly, and all the surrounding scenery seemed to lose its color. That smile, like a spring breeze caressing the face, like pear blossoms falling— gentle, clean, unhurried.

She couldn’t help but smile back, tilting her head to look at him, “Are you looking for me?”

Lou Yanli, as if by magic, produced a doll as tall as a textbook and waved it at

Xu Chaomu, “Come out!”

Xu Chaomu’s eyes sparkled. A doll — did Lou Yanli really remember her casual comment from the cafeteria last time?

She skipped out of the classroom, snatched the doll from his hands like a bandit, “Is this for me?”

“Of course. It’s made in your image. Take a look and see if you like it,” he said.

Xu Chaomu was delighted. She looked it over from left to right and then pouted at Lou Yanli, “How does it resemble me? I’m much cuter than this. Look, these eyes are not as big as mine, this hair isn’t as black as mine, this skin isn’t as white as mine, this…”

“Xu Chaomu, are you shameless?” Lou Yanli laughed out loud, cutting off her words.

“Really, don’t you agree? I’m such an honest person, speaking nothing but the truth,” she said.

“Then give it back to me; I’ll take it home to keep as a pet,” Lou Yanli said, then reached out to grab it.

“Hey, hey, hey, although it’s a bit ugly, a gift once given and water once poured can’t be taken back. This doll, I’m keeping it!”

Lou Yanli smiled too. His family didn’t run a doll factory; he had personally sketched the design and had it made.

“Chaomu, I heard you started boarding at school?” Lou Yanli asked.

The joy Xu Chaomu had been feeling dimmed at the question, and she replied indifferently, “Yeah, it’s nice at school.”

“Then you can come and ask me anytime if you have any problems, or, I can find time in the evening to tutor you. Don’t worry, it’s free of charge.”

“How could I accept that?”

“If you feel bad about it, you can be my girlfriend, okay?”

Lou Yanli’s tone was serious, and he looked at Xu Chaomu earnestly. His attractive eyebrows slightly raised, his eyes brimming with sincerity and tenderness.

“You really dare to take me?” Xu Chaomu laughed.

“If you dare to agree, then I dare to take you.”

“My grades aren’t good, my attitude isn’t good, and I often get scolded by teachers.”

“No problem, my grades are good enough.’

“But I can’t do anything; I can’t even wash clothes properly.”

“No problem, I can do it.”

“And all I know is how to eat, drink, and have fun. What do you say to that?”

“No problem, I can afford to keep you..”