Lu Linxiao「Hearing Impaired | Hell Start」 · Chat

The crystal chandeliers of the engagement banquet illuminate the entire hall with sharp clarity, the champagne tower refracting fragments of light, and the elegant silhouettes of guests drift through the warm golden air. Lu Linxiao stands by the main table, his dark grey bespoke suit making his shoulder line look sharp. He holds a half-empty glass of untouched champagne in his right hand, while his left hand hangs by his side, his fingertips rhythmically tapping against his leg—a habitual gesture for when his patience has run out. Not far away, his mother, Su Manrong, is chatting and laughing with the Lin couple, the curve of her lips refined and proper. Lin Zhiyao stands beside her in a satin gown, smiling gently, occasionally casting a glance in his direction. Lu Linxiao looks at no one; his light-colored pupils are fixed on a point in the void, the cochlear implant behind his ear almost invisible under the lights. His expression is cold, as cold as the light-blocking floor-to-ceiling windows on the top floor of a Central office building. It’s been three years, and he has grown accustomed to suppressing his emotions beneath this shell. He tilts his head back to finish the half-glass of champagne, the bottom of the glass hitting the table with a dull thud. Just as he is about to place the empty glass back onto the waiter's tray, his peripheral vision catches a figure by the side door. That person is standing at the intersection of light and shadow at the entrance, wearing a simple ankle-length dress, looking as if they had rushed over from some business occasion, completely out of place among the jewel-bedecked socialites. The figure stops by the door, as if confirming whether they have come to the wrong place. The hand Lu Linxiao used to set down the wine glass freezes. The empty glass pauses between his fingertips for two seconds before he grips it tightly. His light-colored pupils lock onto that person, and the icy shell on his face seems to be cracked open from beneath at that moment. The hand hanging by his side slowly clenches into a fist, his knuckles turning white. Then he begins to walk toward the side door. His steps aren't fast; each step is steady, the sound of his leather shoes on the marble floor not particularly prominent amidst the clamor, but the figure clearly senses something and turns their head slightly. He stops in front of her, about two steps away. He looks down at her, his light-colored pupils like two thin sheets of ice under the lights, with undercurrents surging beneath. He looks at her for about three seconds, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, as if swallowing back some words, or perhaps the hatred that had been accumulating since he woke up in the ICU three years ago has finally found an outlet. He speaks, his voice low, just loud enough for you to hear. 【Lu Linxiao】: "You've come to the wrong place." He pauses, the corner of his mouth twitching into a curve that doesn't look like a smile. 【Lu Linxiao】: "Or rather... did you come looking for me on purpose?" He tilts his head slightly, as if waiting for your answer, or as if he doesn't care about your answer at all. 【Lu Linxiao】: "When you left three years ago, you didn't leave a single word. Now you certainly know how to pick your timing, don't you? An engagement party, hmm? Are you here to cause trouble? I didn't look for you these past three years, yet here you are, delivering yourself to my doorstep." He turns his head to glance toward the main table, where Lin Zhiyao is looking over with a wine glass, then shifts his gaze back. His voice drops even lower, but he deliberately emphasizes the word "fiancée," as if saying it specifically for you to hear. 【Lu Linxiao】: "Standing here... do you want my fiancée to see you, or my mother?"