“The flight was cancelled unexpectedly. I dragged my luggage and returned home.
As soon as I entered the door, I saw shredded black stockings thrown on the floor.
This was the eighth time Song Mian had brought a different girl home.
The sound of water and the young girl’s giggles came from the bathroom.
Not only did I not cry or make a scene.
I also quietly sat on the sofa, waiting for them to finish.
Everyone thought that, like before, I would continue to be Song Mian’s admirer who would do anything for him.
But no one knew that my first love had come back.
After tonight, Song Mian, this substitute, would be dumped.
1
The sound of water in the bathroom suddenly stopped.
I sat calmly on the living – room sofa and watched as the girl walked out of the bathroom without putting on any clothes.
The girl had fair skin.
There was a bright red rose painted on the right side of her chest.
This was clearly the work of Song Mian.
He was a painter.
He especially liked to paint on the bodies of young girls to find inspiration.
A few seconds later, Song Mian also walked out of the bathroom.
His hair was wet, and a few strands of broken hair casually hung on his forehead. His white shirt was tightly attached to his firm abs.
The girl rushed into Song Mian’s arms with a beaming smile.
Raising her small face, her eyes were full of admiration. “Brother Mian, your creative method is so special. I really like it.”
Song Mian patted her buttocks, and his voice was lingering and teasing. “As long as you like it.”
The girl leaned closer to kiss him but caught sight of me sitting on the sofa.
She was shocked and quickly picked up her clothes from the floor to cover herself, then weakly hid behind Song Mian.
Song Mian turned his head and glanced at me, then said to the girl casually, “You can go back first.”
The girl didn’t want to leave but was pushed out of the door mercilessly by Song Mian.
2
After sending the girl away, Song Mian saw the suitcase at the door, turned around, and asked me nonchalantly, “Why didn’t you fly?”
I said calmly, “The flight was cancelled.”
“Oh.”
Song Mian rubbed his temples and sat down beside me.
The sofa sank a large amount.
He lay on my lap, closed his eyes, and said, “I’ve been busy all afternoon. My head hurts from tiredness. Rub it for me.”
I lowered my head and looked at Song Mian.
His jaw was distinct, and his nose was high – bridged.
The slightly raised eyebrows carried a hint of unruliness.
He looked so much like my beloved.
At the beginning, in order to be with Song Mian, I was willing to be his admirer.
If he said to go east, I would never go west.
Even when the girls around him changed one after another, I never cried or made a fuss. I even thoughtfully helped him clean up.
Because I was sensible and obedient.
I stood out among Song Mian’s many pursuers.
On every sleepless night, I liked to trace his eyes, his eyebrows, and his angular jaw with my hands…
And secretly miss someone in my heart.
Yu Huai.
Song Mian’s friends often praised him for his ability to manage his girlfriend and praised me for being gentle and generous.
I always just smiled and said nothing.
I originally thought that life would go on muddle – headedly like this.
But on the way back from the airport tonight.
I received a call from Yu Huai.
“Qiao Shan, I’m back.”
Yu Huai’s voice was deep and pleasant, as if it could pass through the phone and grab my heart.
“Song Mian.”
I touched his eyes and eyebrows for the last time with my hand. “Let’s break up.”
Time seemed to stand still.
Song Mian was silent for a second, opened his eyes, and looked at me. “Is it because of that girl?”
I wanted to say no.
But Song Mian had already sat up.
His eye sockets were deep, and he looked at me with a mocking expression.
“Okay, if you want to break up, whatever.”
3
Song Mian didn’t take it seriously at all.
He thought I was being angry and jealous.
After all, every time we quarreled before, I was the one who took the initiative to make peace.
Song Mian was used to being proud and would never lower his head.
So when he came out of the shower and saw me packing my luggage in the bedroom, he became inexplicably irritable.
Song Mian rushed into the room and pulled out the clothes I had just folded from the suitcase one by one.
“This is the coat I bought for you in France last year.”
“This is the skirt I gave you last month.”
The last piece of clothing in the suitcase was also thrown out by Song Mian and fell to the ground in front of me.
He smiled frivolously.
“Qiao Shan, these are all bought for you by me. With the little money you earn in a month, can you afford these famous brands?”
Song Mian grabbed my arm and dragged me all the way to the dressing mirror.
He reached out and pinched my chin, forcing me to look at myself in the mirror.
“Qiao Shan, do you think it’s dirty that I draw on girls to find inspiration?”
“But what right do you have to pretend to be noble with me? Haven’t you been relying on me to support you all these years?”
“Look at yourself. From head to toe, inside and out, which item is not bought for you by me?”
“If you want to break up, that’s fine.”
“Strip naked and get out, and leave all my things behind.”
I didn’t cry or make a scene. I broke free from Song Mian’s arms.
In front of him, I took off my clothes one by one, as if taking off layers of bondage.
Song Mian didn’t know that I actually never liked these famous brands.
He insisted on buying them for me one by one and forcing me to wear them.
For this reason, he always PUAed me.
“Qiao Shan, I’m a famous painter now. You’re lucky to be my girlfriend.”
“So don’t embarrass me. Pay attention to your words, deeds, and even your dressing style outside. It has to be fashionable and high – end.”
In order to play the role of Song Mian’s girlfriend well, I always wore clothes that didn’t fit and high – heels I didn’t like, accompanied him to various occasions I hated, and said all kinds of insincere words.
High – heels are beautiful but hurt the feet.
The back of my heels bled and scabbed repeatedly and had turned into calluses.
In the end, only my underwear was left on my body.
I went to the bottom of the wardrobe and found the sportswear I bought myself.
Song Mian always said it was cheap, but I thought it was the most comfortable.
Finally, I put my ID card, passport, and mobile phone charger into my bag and looked up at Song Mian. “Can I leave now?”
After saying that, I walked around him towards the door.
But at the moment when my hand pressed down on the doorknob.
Song Mian suddenly dialed a phone call behind me and turned on the speaker on purpose.
A coquettish voice came from the other end of the phone. “Brother Song, why are you calling me so late? Do you miss me?”
Song Mian smiled and said “Hmm”.
“Baby, I’ll send you the address. Come to me right away.”
I didn’t listen to the rest because I didn’t care anymore.
From then on, who Song Mian created with and where he found inspiration had nothing to do with me.
I left without looking back and closed the door.
Song Mian seemed to throw something at the door panel, making a “bang” sound.
Through the door, I heard him shouting loudly.
“Qiao Shan, don’t you fucking regret it!”
“I’ll never go back on my word in this life or the next!”
4
After the break – up, I blocked all of Song Mian’s contact information.
I lived a two – point – one – line life every day.
Until one day after work, the monitor of our high – school class suddenly called me. “Qiao Shan, I’m organizing a class reunion at Lanting Bar on the weekend night.”
“Yu Huai will also be there.”
5
For several consecutive days, I tossed and turned and couldn’t sleep.
Finally, the weekend arrived.
I rummaged through the boxes and cabinets, changing more than a dozen sets of clothes.
I also spent two hours putting on makeup in the bathroom.
I arrived at Lanting Bar half an hour early.
In the elevator, I watched the numbers on the electronic display screen rising continuously, and my heart beat faster.
Unfortunately, when the elevator door opened, I met one of Song Mian’s buddies.
He was both surprised and delighted to see me.
“Sister – in – law?! You’re here to find Brother Mian, right?”
Song Mian’s buddy was drunk and couldn’t even walk steadily, but he was very strong.
Regardless of what I said or how I refused, he just dragged me into the box in front of him.
The box was filled with a noisy and colorful atmosphere.
As soon as I entered, I heard Song Mian say.
“Qiao Shan is pretty, but after looking at her for a long time, she’s just so – so.”
“If it weren’t for her being sensible and obedient, I would have dumped her long ago.”
The people next to him burst into laughter.
The girl straddling Song Mian’s lap was hooking her hands around his neck, trying to feed him a cherry with her mouth, almost touching his lips.
When they saw me, everyone was stunned.
The girl also stopped her movements.
The air was so dull that it was suffocating.
It was Song Mian’s buddy who broke the silence.
“I knew it. Sister – in – law must have come to make peace with Brother Mian on her own initiative.”
“And look, sister – in – law even dressed up specially. It can be seen that she loves Brother Mian very much!”
The man who brought me in pushed me forward.
“Sister – in – law, don’t blame me for talking too much. A man as excellent as Brother Mian has so many girls waiting eagerly. If you don’t curry favor with him quickly, Brother Mian will be snatched away, and then you’ll cry without tears.”
“I’m doing this for your own good, sister – in – law. With your current conditions, it’s impossible to find a better man than Brother Mian. You should be grateful.”
The others in the box exchanged glances, with contemptuous smiles on their faces, and then looked at me in unison.
They were waiting for me to cry and apologize to Song Mian.
Song Mian’s hand was always stroking the girl’s waist, but his eyes were looking at me, with a playful smile.
“Qiao Shan, don’t use such old – fashioned tricks of playing hard – to – get in the future. I’m not always patient enough to play house with you.”
“I’ll let it go this time, but don’t do it again. Understand?”
Song Mian asked the girl to get off his lap.
It was like calling a dog.
He waved to me. “Come here.”
Song Mian motioned me to sit on his lap with his eyes, and his tone was arrogant. “Qiao Shan, pour me a glass of wine as an apology, and this time it will be over.”
When the others heard this, they started to heckling.
“Sister – in – law, hurry up. Brother Mian has given you a step down. Take it quickly.”
“That’s right. Sister – in – law must punish herself with three cups.”
Under the expectant gazes of everyone, I walked towards Song Mian, bent down, picked up the beer on the table, and splashed it on his face.
Several strands of his hair were wet and stuck to his forehead. Song Mian’s eyes were forced to close due to the sudden impact, and then he opened them suddenly.
The whole place fell silent immediately.
The dim lights flickered weakly on the ceiling, as if gasping for breath with difficulty.
Song Mian gritted his teeth and stared at me.
I said without any emotion, “Are you awake, Song Mian?”
“If you didn’t hear clearly what I said that night.”
“Now, in front of everyone, I’ll say it again.”
“Song Mian, we’re broken up.”
After saying that, I didn’t look at him anymore and turned to leave.
A friend couldn’t help asking Song Mian, “Brother Mian, aren’t you going to chase after her? Sister – in – law seems to be serious this time.”
Song Mian kicked over the coffee table, and the fruit plate and wine glasses shattered all over the floor.
“Do you want me to chase after her? Huh, she doesn’t deserve it!”
“I want to see what Qiao Shan is without me!”
6
More than a dozen high – school classmates came to the party tonight.
We hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so we were chatting and drinking happily.
The monitor had a good relationship with Yu Huai when we were in school.
He told me that Yu Huai came here for me tonight.
“Qiao Shan, we all thought you two would be together after graduation. Alas, who would have thought that Yu Huai’s biological parents would suddenly come and take him abroad.”
I also learned that year.
Yu Huai, who had grown up with me in the countryside, eating steamed buns and pickles, and didn’t even have a decent cotton – padded jacket in the cold winter, and was always called a little beggar wherever he went, was actually the child of a wealthy family who had been lost for many years.
Just then, Yu Huai pushed the door open and entered.
He immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
I turned around and looked.
Yu Huai was a head taller than the crowd, wearing a well – tailored dark – gray suit. With broad shoulders and a narrow waist, he looked like a top male model walking out of a magazine cover.
“Wow, isn’t this our class’s God Yu? It’s been so many years. You finally showed up.”
“Yu Huai, you’re late today. You have to drink a few more cups later.”
Yu Huai greeted the people around him politely. “Sure.”
At the same time, his eyes wandered around and then suddenly fixed in one direction.
The moment our eyes met, I felt my heart beating so fast that it seemed to burst out of my chest.
7
In the second half of the party, when I came out of the bathroom, Yu Huai pulled me into the adjacent stairwell.
The stairwell was narrow, and the lights were dim.
Yu Huai smelled strongly of alcohol. “Why didn’t you reply to my messages?”
I averted my eyes. “I was too busy with work and forgot.”
“You’re lying!”
Yu Huai’s breath was hot, and his eyes were fierce.
“Qiao Shan, why didn’t you tell me about my mother looking for you two years ago?”
In fact, Yu Huai’s mother did look for me two years ago.
She said that Yu Huai had a fiancée.
The girl was also from Stanford, with a wealthy family.
She was a good match for Yu Huai.
She also showed me their photos.
The girl stood beside Yu Huai with a sweet smile, and the two of them looked well – matched.
“Qiao Shan, I never thought of marrying her.”
Yu Huai clasped one of my wrists, pressing it tightly. “I came back this time with enough courage to burn the boats.”
“No one can stop us from being together anymore.”
“So Qiao Shan…”
His breath tightened, and his thumb and index finger pinched my mandible. “Break up with that guy surnamed Song and come back to me.”
My eyelashes trembled slightly, and I looked up in surprise.
The next second.
Yu Huai pried open my jaw, and his hot tongue penetrated deeply, as if trying to remove all the marks left by others.
8
After that night, Yu Huai would wait downstairs at my company every day with roses of different colors.
He would pick me up from work on time.
Tonight, I didn’t finish my work, so I came down a little late.
Outside the glass door, Yu Huai was leaning against the car door, holding a bouquet of blue roses in his hand.
He was wearing a black slim – fit windbreaker, which outlined his broad shoulders and slender waist.
I couldn’t help but quicken my pace and ran towards Yu Huai with a beaming smile.
Every time, regardless of how many people were around, Yu Huai would always open his arms to catch me the first time and hold me in his arms with a smile.
I took the flowers from his hand, put them to my nose and smelled them. “Hmm, it’s not as fragrant as yesterday’s pink roses.”
Yu Huai reached out and pinched my nose. “You’re getting more and more picky.”
He opened the car door for me personally and, with a gentlemanly gesture, protected the top of my head with his hand. “Get in the car, my lady. I’ll take you to eat Japanese food tonight.”
I held the roses and sat in the passenger seat with a smile.
“Then I’ll have to make you spend a lot of money.”
But I didn’t expect to meet Song Mian in the restaurant.
9
When the meal was half – way through, Yu Huai went out to answer a phone call.
I was looking down at my phone.
Suddenly, I heard Song Mian’s teasing voice.
“Qiao Shan, you didn’t find out that I was coming to this restaurant tonight and deliberately wait for me here, did you?”
I looked up.
I saw Song Mian holding a girl in a crop – top, standing right in front of me.
They seemed to have just arrived, and there was a waiter leading the way beside them.
The girl asked Song Mian coquettishly, “Brother, who is she?”
Song Mian was chewing gum, still looking casual. “An ex – girlfriend from the sticks who likes to pretend to be high – and – mighty.”
The girl covered her mouth and laughed, then turned to ask the waiter beside her, “Aren’t you claiming to be the most top – tier restaurant in the area? Only high – end members are received. How can you let just anyone in?”
She glanced at the sea urchin and caviar on my table and said to Song Mian, “Brother, this whole table isn’t cheap.”
Song Mian tilted his head and reminded the waiter, “You better keep an eye on this woman later. She’s from the countryside. It’s her first time in such a high – class place. She might run out on the bill.”
The waiter was young and was sweating from being harassed by Song Mian and the girl.
But I saw through Song Mian’s thoughts at a glance. I put down my chopsticks, calmly wiped my hands with a hot towel, and then said calmly,
“Song Mian, people can live without being mean – mouthed.”
“You really don’t need to seek attention from me.”
The girl snorted. “Sister, are you using reverse psychology to try to get Brother’s attention?”
When people are speechless, they really want to laugh.
The waiter really couldn’t stand it anymore.
Just as she was about to speak up for me, Yu Huai came back.
10
Yu Huai walked straight to my side.
A well – tailored dark – colored suit perfectly outlined his broad shoulders and firm waist.
Yu Huai looked at Song Mian in a condescending manner, and his voice was deep and cold. “Relying on having a bit of money in your pocket and some fame, you trample on others’ dignity without restraint.”
“Song, do you think you’re so cool doing this?”
Song Mian sized Yu Huai up and down, his eyes full of mockery and disdain. “Who the hell are you?”
I stood up from the stool, took Yu Huai’s arm, and smiled at Song Mian. “Let me introduce formally. Yu Huai, my boyfriend.”
Song Mian’s brows furrowed instantly.
His eyes were fixed on the hands that Yu Huai and I held tightly.
First, a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes, and then anger spread rapidly like a surging tide.
“No wonder, Qiao Shan. You’ve been my admirer for so long. How could you suddenly change?”
Song Mian’s eyes became sharp, and he stared at Yu Huai. “How many days have you known this pretty boy? You broke up with me for him…”
Yu Huai directly interrupted him. “I’m Qiao Shan’s first love.”
The air seemed to be squeezed tightly by an invisible big hand, and every bit of flow became difficult and slow.
Song Mian seemed to understand something, and his lips tightened into a straight line.
The way he looked at me was as if he wanted to tear me apart.
At this time, seven or eight strong security guards came in from outside.
They stood neatly aside and bowed respectfully to Yu Huai. “Mr. Yu.”
Not only were Song Mian and the girl shocked by this scene, but I was also stunned.
Yu Huai hugged me in his arms, as if claiming his sovereignty, and looked at Song Mian with a cold gaze. “Throw these two trash out for me.”
“Yes.”
Seven or eight security guards rushed up together.
How could Song Mian suffer such a loss? He pointed at the security guards’ noses and threatened, “Try touching me!”
The girl was so scared that she hid behind Song Mian, but still said stubbornly, “Do you know who he is? He’s the famous painter Song Mian, a big shot in society. If you dare to touch him today, you’ll be blasted on the Internet tomorrow!”
But those security guards didn’t waste any words with them.
Seeing them resist stubbornly.
They simply carried one person each.
They threw Song Mian and the girl out of the restaurant door, with their feet in the air.
Thanks to the girl’s shouting, many passers – by were attracted to watch and took out their phones to film, which was then spread on the Internet.
In less than an hour, the video of Song Mian being thrown out of the restaurant was on the top of the热搜 list.
11
On the way home, I sat in the passenger seat and read the comments.
Some people stood up to accuse Song Mian:
“I’ve been annoyed with him for a long time. Just because he can draw a few pictures, he thinks he’s a genius. He always throws his weight around, and being late or leaving early is a common occurrence!”
“Song Mian doesn’t know how to respect people at all. Last time, when our company cooperated with his to hold an art exhibition, just because my colleague accidentally put the paintings in the wrong position, Song Mian scolded her on the spot. The little girl was sick for several days after going back.”
Netizens directly posted a video clip of Song Mian swearing below, with every word full of obscenities, and the little girl crying pitifully and helplessly.
The online comments were one – sided, and Song Mian’s reputation was in ruins.
But I knew very well that Song Mian’s public relations team had always been airtight.
So there was only one possibility. Yu Huai was pushing things behind the scenes. He had been planning this for a long time.
I put down my phone and turned to look at Yu Huai, who was driving.
“Thank you, Mr. Yu, for standing up for me.”
Yu Huai’s face was gloomy. He reached out a hand and pinched my nose hard. “If you call me Mr. Yu again, you’ll see what happens tonight.”
“Wu…” A small, frustrated whine like a small animal.
I also found out tonight.
Yu Huai was one of the shareholders of that restaurant.
12
We drove home at full speed.
As soon as we entered the door, Yu Huai couldn’t wait to press me against the wall and kiss me.
The buttons on my clothes popped off everywhere.
The voice – controlled light in the entrance hall lit up and then went out, and then lit up again.
We kissed for a long time.
I went limp in his arms, almost out of oxygen, and then he let me go.
Yu Huai’s rough fingertips rubbed against my swollen lips. His breath sprayed on my face, and he looked at me deeply for a few seconds.
“Qiao Shan, do you know what I’ve been thinking all the way?”
“I was thinking… did that guy surnamed Song kiss you like this?”
He pushed aside my forehead hair. His eyelashes, which were close at hand, drooped, and his eyes were full of desire. “Just thinking about you kissing him makes me so jealous that I want to kill him…”
“So Qiao Shan, why were you with the guy surnamed Song?”
Yu Huai’s gaze was condescending. When he squinted, for a moment, I felt a sense of dangerous oppression.
My palm helplessly pressed against his chest, and my voice lowered. “Because… his profile looks like you.”
“After I learned the news of your engagement that year, I was devastated. And you disappeared. Plus, my grandma was seriously ill. I was completely crushed. I lost a lot of hair, and I could only barely fall asleep every night with the help of sleeping pills.”
“Yu Huai, I thought about going abroad to find you. But my grandma was lying in the hospital. She needed me to take care of her.”
My shoulders trembled, and tears welled up in my eyes. “And it was just at that time that Song Mian appeared. I was like a drowning person grabbing a life – saving straw, taking him as my spiritual support. Just seeing him was like you were by my side.”
“I know it was wrong, and I knew he wasn’t a good match.”
“But I just wanted to live. I just wanted to survive…”
Before I could finish speaking, Yu Huai lowered his head and suddenly kissed me.
Tears merged on our cheeks.
The salty taste spread on our tongues.
Yu Huai choked and apologized to me. “Sorry… sorry…”
He picked me up horizontally and gently laid me on the bed.
I was pressed under him and kissed.
From the lips to the neck, from the neck to the collarbone.
He lifted my leg, and his fingertips gently rubbed it.
My body trembled uncontrollably.
All night long.
Yu Huai was out of control.
But he never mentioned why he disappeared two years ago.
I didn’t dare to ask either, for fear of breaking this beautiful moment.
13
In the next half – month, except for going to work, I was almost always with Yu Huai.
When he worked overtime, I would quietly sit next to him and read.
When he was free, I would take him to eat all kinds of street food.
After dinner, we drove to the seaside and chased and played around like we did when we were kids.
I stepped on the shallow sea water, holding my canvas shoes in one hand and splashing water on Yu Huai with the other.
Yu Huai didn’t have time to dodge, and the sea water instantly soaked his shirt.
He pretended to be angry and strode towards me, picking me up and putting me on his shoulder.
I kicked my feet in the air and kept begging for mercy. “I was wrong, okay? Yu Huai, put me down quickly.”
Yu Huai slapped my butt. “Save your strength. You’ll be shouting later.”
The bright moon hung high, casting a cold silver light on the sea.
Outside the car window, the waves surged one after another, hitting the sandy beach on the shore, but not as fierce as Yu Huai.
In the back seat of the car, our fingers were intertwined.
Yu Huai gently bit my earlobe and whispered in my ear over and over again, “Qiao Shan, I love you.”
14
On the fifth day of Yu Huai’s business trip, I received a call from one of Song Mian’s buddies.
“Sister – in – law, come to the hospital and see Brother Mian quickly.”
“He got into a fight in the bar tonight and is still in the emergency room. Brother Mian kept calling your name when he was unconscious.”
I was at the counter in the mall, choosing a watch for Yu Huai.
While listening, I handed the selected watch to the salesperson. “This one, thank you.”
The voice on the other end of the phone paused.
“Sister – in – law? Are you listening?”
I turned around, leaned against the counter, and said, “Since he’s still in the emergency room, you guys should stay with him.”
“I’m not a doctor. I can’t save him even if I go.”
“Also, don’t call me about Song Mian’s matters in the future. I don’t care.”
After saying that, I hung up the phone directly.
I paid the bill, took the packaged watch, and left happily.
On the way, I also went to the supermarket to buy a lot of vegetables.
Because Yu Huai was coming back tonight.
I planned to cook for him myself.
15
At around seven o’clock, the doorbell rang.
I happily ran from the kitchen to open the door.
But when I saw who was coming, my smile froze on my face instantly.
It was Yu Huai’s mother.
……
The living room was terribly quiet, only the “tick – tock” sound of the wall clock could be heard.
Yu Huai’s mother sat on the sofa, her fingers playing with the huge jadeite ring on her middle finger, and her eyes looking around the room.
I poured a cup of warm water and carefully placed it on the coffee table in front of her.
“Miss Qiao, sit down. I have something to talk to you about.”
Yu Huai’s mother had a strong aura.
I sat on the sofa opposite her, feeling nervous with my hands and feet.
Yu Huai’s mother took out a certificate from her orange Hermès bag and handed it to me. “This is Yu Huai and Shen Yan’s marriage certificate.”
“They got married abroad two years ago.”
I stared at the marriage certificate in my hand, completely frozen, as if my soul had been drawn out. My eyes were filled with endless confusion and shock.
“Miss Qiao, I guess Yu Huai must not have told you about his marriage.”
Yu Huai’s mother deliberately flipped through the photos of their registration day from her phone album and showed them to me.
I looked at the familiar face on the screen, and my hands unconsciously clenched the corners of my clothes, my knuckles turning white.
Yu Huai’s mother showed me a video.
In the video, the girl named Shen Yan was covered with tubes, lying in the ICU ward.
My lips trembled slightly. I wanted to ask something, but it was as if someone was choking my throat. I couldn’t utter a word for a long time.
Yu Huai’s mother put away her phone and looked at me calmly.
“The day Yu Huai returned to China, he left a divorce agreement for Shen Yan. When Shen Yan saw it, she drove to the airport to try to keep Yu Huai.”
“Unfortunately, it had just rained that day, and the road was slippery. Shen Yan’s car overturned on the highway.”
“Shen Yan had multiple comminuted fractures and a head injury. She has been lying in the ICU for half a month. The doctor said that even if she survives, she will be a vegetable.”
“So, Yu Huai can’t get a divorce in this life.”
16
After Yu Huai’s mother left.
I sat alone in the corner, hugging my knees tightly, carefully recalling what Yu Huai’s mother had said tonight.
She said that Yu Huai’s father had offended someone back then.
So Yu Huai was taken away three days after he was born.
She tried to commit suicide several times during the confinement period.
Over the years, they had never given up looking for Yu Huai. But the conditions were too poor twenty – some years ago. Looking for someone was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
During the process, they tried to have another child.
But Yu Huai’s mother had damaged her body during the confinement period and could no longer get pregnant.
The family business was passed down from generation to generation.
The Yu family’s achievements today were the result of the unremitting efforts of three generations. They were also shouldering the rise and fall of thousands of families in the group.
Over the years, Yu Huai’s father had been struggling to hold on, and his health had long since broken down.
Shortly after they found Yu Huai, Yu Huai’s father was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer.
A young leader is not easily trusted.
Some people took the opportunity to stir up trouble, and the group was in a precarious situation.
Shen Yan’s father was a senior member of the group and had a high prestige.
Only by marrying Shen Yan could the Shen family strongly support Yu Huai.
Yu Huai’s father’s condition deteriorated rapidly.
On the sickbed, he forced Yu Huai to marry into the Shen family with tears streaming down his face.
“Forgive me, son! But Yu Huai, you must hold up the Yu family. This is your responsibility! It’s our hard work!”
Yu Huai refused.
He was locked up for three months and cut off from all contact with the outside world.
During this period, Yu Huai’s mother directly announced his engagement to Shen Yan to the public, and the media coverage was overwhelming.
It was not until Yu Huai’s father passed away that he was released.
Shen Yan liked Yu Huai.
In order to marry him, she agreed to Yu Huai’s request.
This marriage only lasted for two years.
After two years, they would divorce peacefully.
In those two years, Yu Huai devoted himself to work and was hospitalized several times due to overwork.
Finally, with the support of the Shen family, he saved the group.
But when the divorce date arrived, Shen Yan changed her mind.
But Yu Huai had made up his mind to leave.
Now the Shen family had directly put down a harsh word. If Yu Huai insisted on getting a divorce, they would directly sell their shares to the rival company, pulling the rug out from under him.
Then all of Yu Huai’s efforts in the past two years would be in vain.
The Yu family would fall into crisis again.
This time, Yu Huai’s mother didn’t force me to leave. She was very calm from beginning to end.
Before leaving, she even hugged me with pity and said, “Miss Qiao, I know this feeling is very painful, like having your heart cut open bit by bit.”
“Because I also made the same sacrifice back then.”
“But believe me, Yu Huai’s heart will hurt more than yours. People like us born into noble families never have a choice.”
In the end, her voice choked slightly. She touched my head and said, “Qiao Shan, don’t hate Yu Huai. He has really tried his best.”
17
Because of the flight delay, Yu Huai came back a little late.
When the car was almost at the downstairs of Qiao Shan’s house, the driver suddenly said in surprise, “Mr. Yu, isn’t that Madam’s car?”
Yu Huai, who was originally closing his eyes and resting in the back seat, suddenly opened his eyes and stared closely at his mother’s car driving past.
His heart skipped a beat heavily.
He also had a premonition of why his mother came.
In fact, before getting on the plane, he had received a call from Shen Yan’s father.
“Yu Huai, Shen Yan is my only daughter! She loves you so much, but you’ve let her down. I’ll settle this score with you sooner or later.”
“And if you insist on getting entangled with that girl surnamed Qiao, I have a hundred ways to make her disappear from this world!”
The car stopped steadily downstairs of Qiao Shan’s house.
Yu Huai sent the driver away.
Although he was eager to see Qiao Shan, he didn’t go upstairs for a long time.
The rear – seat window was half – lowered.
Yu Huai sat in the car, looking down at the diamond – ring box in his hand, smoking one cigarette after another.
This ring was custom – made by him long ago.
He had planned to propose to Qiao Shan after getting divorced from Shen Yan.
The cigarette butt between his fingertips had burned to the end and scalded his index finger, but he didn’t feel the pain.
After the last cigarette burned out, Yu Huai got out of the car and went upstairs.
The doorbell rang.
I opened the door.
The moment I saw Yu Huai, I curved my lips, waved the spatula, and smiled at him. “The meal will be ready soon. Go wash your hands.”
Yu Huai was slightly stunned.
Looking exhausted, he smiled and nodded. “Okay.”
During the meal, Yu Huai was in a bad mood.
I wanted to make him laugh, so I vividly told him a few jokes I saw online recently.
Several times, I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt and tears came out.
Yu Huai stared at me for a few seconds.
Then he raised his hand to wipe my tears. “You’re such a big person, yet you can laugh yourself to tears while telling a joke.”
After saying that, he lowered his head and continued to chew the food in his mouth.
I asked him why he kept eating without talking.
He said the food I made was so delicious.
He had to cherish the moment and eat a few more bowls.
……
After dinner, I was washing the dishes in the kitchen.
Yu Huai hugged me from behind.
“Qiao Shan, I want to be with you forever.”
He hugged me so tightly, as if he wanted to crush me into his bones and blood.
I stopped washing the dishes, took my hands out of the plastic gloves.
I bent my fingers and wiped them under my moist eyelashes. Then I turned around with a smile, looked at him, and said, “We will be together forever.”
Even if I can’t be by your side all the time.
But I will always love you, Yu Huai.
I don’t know if it was my illusion, but Yu Huai’s eyes lit up, with a hint of shock.
I pressed my face against Yu Huai’s shoulder, hugged him tightly, and said, “Yu Huai, I suddenly really want to go back to Shancheng. Will you accompany me?”
Shancheng was the place where Yu Huai and I grew up.
The conditions there were tough, but it carried all my beautiful memories.
The arm with which Yu Huai was tightly hugging me suddenly stiffened.
I could even hear his breathing becoming rapid.
Yu Huai, as if afraid that I would disappear, suddenly pressed his palm hard on the back of my head, pressing my face tightly against his chest.
“Okay, we’ll go back.”
18
Before going back to Shancheng, I went to the mall to buy some local specialties, planning to take them back and distribute them to the villagers.
Surprisingly, I met Shen Yan’s mother in the parking lot.
……
Soft light music was playing in the coffee shop.
Shen Yan’s mother and I were sitting by the window.
She slightly raised her head, and the diamond pendant on her neck swayed gently with her movement. Without any preamble, she said bluntly,
“I’ve seen a lot of girls like you, coming from a small place, scared of living a poor life, and trying to catch a rich guy when you meet one.”
Her voice carried a haughty tone, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, full of contempt.
“But you should know that Yu Huai is married to my daughter.”
“They are well – matched, and it was a proper marriage.”
“And you are the mistress who is meddling in their marriage.”
I raised my head, looked directly at Shen’s mother with a calm gaze, and a faint smile on my lips. My attitude was neither humble nor arrogant.
“You are an elder, and I should call you auntie.”
“It’s true that I come from a small place, but I’m self – sufficient and have always been working hard to live. I studied hard as a student and got into a prestigious school. After graduation, I worked actively and earned money through my own ability.”
“If you really want to talk about who came first, I knew Yu Huai earlier than your daughter, and we fell in love earlier.”
I took out two hundred yuan from my wallet and put it on the table.
“Auntie, I don’t think people from a low – class background should be looked down upon. It’s all coffee. You can afford it, and so can I.”
“Besides, Yu Huai also came from a small place. Didn’t you still marry your daughter to him?”
After saying that, I picked up my bag and was about to get up and leave.
Shen’s mother raised her eyebrows. “Who taught you to talk to an elder like this?! Do you even know what propriety and respect are?”
“You’re sharp – tongued and argumentative. No wonder Yu Huai is caught by you.”
She was so angry that her teeth itched.
Suddenly, she picked up the coffee on the table and splashed it towards me.
It was so fast that I had no time to dodge.
It was Song Mian who appeared in time and protected my head in his arms.
The cup of coffee splashed firmly on his back.
I looked up in surprise in his arms.
Song Mian happened to look down at me at the same time.
He was even wearing a hospital gown under his coat.
Song Mian grabbed my wrist, pulled me up from the chair, turned around, and glared fiercely at Shen’s mother. “I’m crazy. Killing people is not against the law.”
“Try touching Qiao Shan again.”
Shen’s mother looked at Song Mian’s unkempt appearance, the gauze wrapped around his wrist, and the needle holes all over the back of his hand, along with his hospital gown.
Obviously, she was intimidated and didn’t dare to say anything.
Song Mian sneered and took me away from the coffee shop.
19
After coming out of the coffee shop, Song Mian kept following me.
The gauze on his wrist had blood seeping through, but regardless of the wound splitting, he stubbornly blocked my way.
“I asked someone to check on that Yu Huai. He’s already married abroad. Do you know that?”
“He’s playing with your feelings, Qiao Shan!”
I ignored him, walked around him, and continued walking forward.
Song Mian chased after me again, grabbed my shoulders tightly with both hands, and stared at my face in disbelief. “So you already know?”
“You know he’s married and still want to be with him?”
I pushed Song Mian away. “Who I’m with has nothing to do with you.”
Song Mian let out a bitter laugh. “Qiao Shan, aren’t you proud? You’re so eager to be his mistress! Do you have no shame?!”
I ignored his words, took out my phone, dialed 110, and my finger hovered over the call button.
“Song Mian, if you keep pestering me, I’ll call the police and accuse you of sexual harassment.”
Song Mian’s eyes were red, perhaps from anger.
Finally, he raised his hands in surrender, gritted his teeth, and said, “You’re ruthless, Qiao Shan.”
“I’m really stupid. I left the hospital just to come and care about you!”
Song Mian kicked over the trash can by the roadside in a fit of anger and walked away, cursing.
The dim light flickered feebly on the ceiling, as if gasping with difficulty.
I raised my head, trying not to let the tears fall.
But the sour feeling welled up in my heart even more strongly.
20
A week later, Yu Huai and I returned to Shancheng together.
I hadn’t been back here since my grandma passed away.
I distributed the local specialties to the villagers.
The children were extremely happy and kept running around Yu Huai and me.
Yu Huai’s adoptive parents no longer lived here.
Yu Huai’s biological parents, to thank them for taking in Yu Huai, who was abandoned at the train station more than twenty years ago and raising him, bought them a big house in the provincial capital and gave them a large sum of money to ensure they could spend their later years in peace.
I took Yu Huai to my grandma’s grave and placed a bouquet of chrysanthemums there.
“Grandma, I brought Yu Huai to see you.”
When we were young, Yu Huai’s adoptive family was also very poor.
During festivals, when grandma stewed meat, she would always ask me to call Yu Huai to come and eat, and then she would save her own portion for him.
Grandma always said that children need nutrition for their growth.
Yu Huai felt very guilty that he couldn’t come back when grandma passed away.
Dressed in a suit, he knelt straight in front of grandma’s grave, kowtowed three times heavily, and his eyes turned red several times.
21
When coming down from the mountain, Yu Huai and I passed by the village school.
When we were kids, we had to walk several miles every day to go to school here.
The school playground was much better than before. It was paved with cement, and there was no longer the yellow dust everywhere when the wind blew.
At this moment, a boy and a girl were chasing each other on the playground, flying a kite.
I raised my hands to shade my eyes and looked up at the kite in the sky.
The kite flew high and far.
The laughter of the boy and the girl came to my ears.
I couldn’t help sighing. “I really miss the old days. Happiness was always so simple.”
Yu Huai put his arm around my shoulder and pointed in the direction of the toilet. “Remember that latrine?”
I tried to recall…
Probably in the fifth grade of primary school, I was laughed at by several girls in the class in the women’s toilet. They said I was a wild child without parents.
I refused to give in and fought with them.
They bullied me because there were more of them.
The girl who took the lead grabbed my braid, and it hurt me so much that I cried out.
It was Yu Huai who kicked open the door of the women’s toilet.
That was the first time I saw Yu Huai get angry.
Although he wasn’t very tall, he protected the little me behind him.
He kicked that girl hard in the stomach and gritted his teeth and said, “Whoever dares to bully Qiao Shan again, I’ll beat her every time I see her!”
My thoughts came back.
I leaned my head on Yu Huai’s shoulder with a smile. “After that, they all avoided me when they saw me. No one in the school dared to mess with me anymore.”
Yu Huai tapped my nose with his finger. “I said I would protect you, and I will.”
22
Yu Huai always kept his word.
My mother died of illness when I was three years old.
My father went to the city to work and married a new wife.
At that time, I would sit on the shabby threshold of grandma’s house every day, staring at the dirt road in the distance, expecting my father to suddenly appear and take me home.
Later, one day, my father finally came back.
He told grandma that my step – mother was pregnant and the family couldn’t afford to take me back.
He left three hundred yuan in a hurry and then left.
From beginning to end, he didn’t even hug me.
Since then, my father seldom came back.
I was left in the village and lived with my grandma, who collected scraps.
Grandma felt sorry for me and loved me even more.
But every time I saw other children being held by their parents, I still felt sad and would secretly cry.
Whenever this happened, Yu Huai would suddenly jump out. He was like a mud monkey, all dirty.
He would either put wild fruits picked from the mountain in my hand.
Or give me a fish he caught in the river.
He rubbed my head, patted his small chest, and said, “Little Qiao Shan, don’t be afraid. As long as I have something to eat, you won’t go hungry.”
“They don’t care about you. From now on, I’ll take care of you.”
Yu Huai cured my entire childhood.
23
In the evening, as the sun set, the golden afterglow shone on the riverside.
I sat on a stone by the river, supporting my chin with my hands, watching Yu Huai, who was 1.9 meters tall, fishing in the river.
He was wearing a black shirt on the upper body and black trousers on the lower body.
The expensive suit fabric was rolled up high, piled up on his knees, and he was holding a fishing net borrowed from a villager in his hand. He looked very funny.
He fumbled around for a long time and only caught a small fish the size of a palm.
I reasonably suspected that the little fish was blind to bump into his net.
As night fell, we built a fire by the river and roasted the small fish that Yu Huai had caught with great difficulty.
Looking at his wet appearance, I couldn’t help laughing.
Yu Huai felt embarrassed and pretended to be angry and ignored me.
But to be fair, the freshly caught fish really tasted delicious.
After dinner, we walked back hand in hand.
I took the opportunity to jump onto Yu Huai’s back and act coquettishly to him. “I’ve walked all day. My feet hurt so much. Carry me back.”
Yu Huai carried me and deliberately started running.
The mountain road was uneven.
I was almost thrown off several times by his bumps and was so scared that I hugged his neck tightly.
In the empty valley, we laughed and played, as if at this moment, the whole world only belonged to the two of us.
This scene seemed to go back to our childhood.
We secretly went to the mountain to catch fireflies but got lost.
Yu Huai carried me on his back and walked in the mountain all night, one step deep and one step shallow, until we were found by the villagers at dawn.
Grandma was so angry that she chased Yu Huai and me with a broom.
“You two are so bold! Aren’t you afraid of being eaten by wild animals in the mountain? I’ll teach you a lesson today!”
The two of us ran and laughed in the small courtyard.
We were teasing grandma, knowing she couldn’t catch up with us.
24
At three o’clock in the morning, the tall buildings in the distance stood silently, with only a few windows still showing a faint light.
In the past, when coming back from Shancheng, I always felt that the journey was long.
But tonight, it felt especially short.
Driving dozens of kilometers at such a high speed, I didn’t have time to clearly see the street scenes on the roadside. Before I knew it, we were already downstairs at home.
The voice – controlled light at the entrance of the unit was broken.
The corridor was pitch – black.
During this period, fortunately, Yu Huai accompanied me to walk through it, so I wasn’t so afraid of the dark.
“That’s it, Yu Huai.”
The moment I turned to look at Yu Huai, tears almost welled up in my eyes. “In fact, you already knew that your mother came that night, right?”
“So that’s why you sat in the car for so long that night and smoked so many cigarettes. Was it because you didn’t know how to face me?”
That night, I stood in front of the living – room curtain, looking down at Yu Huai’s car parked downstairs.
I watched for as long as he sat in the car.
But we were both very tacit, and neither of us mentioned it.
Yu Huai turned his head to look out of the car window, not willing to look at me. “You finally couldn’t help but say it…”
Although his body was tightly wrapped in a suit, with lines so tense that they seemed to burst the clothes, he still couldn’t help trembling slightly.
I pursed my lips a little sadly, but still tried to squeeze out a smile.
“Yu Huai, you’re really good, really good.”
“But our lives are long, and there are many things to do. We shouldn’t be trapped in love.”
Yu Huai suddenly became emotional and punched the steering wheel hard.
“But I want to marry you! I just want to marry you! Is there anything wrong with wanting to spend my life with the person I love?!”
“Why do they all say I’m wrong? What exactly did I do wrong?”
Yu Huai, who was always proud and self – confident, at this moment seemed to have his bones broken, and his whole body was about to fall apart.
“Qiao Shan, tell me, why should I be responsible for those irrelevant people? Why is it always me?!”
He looked at me, a line of tears streaming down his eyes.
“Sometimes I even think that since they lost me, they might as well have lost me for a lifetime! Why did they find me back and then point at my nose and tell me that I have responsibilities on my shoulders, that I have to hold up the entire Yu family, that I have to take care of the honor and disgrace of the whole family? Why?!”
“From beginning to end, no one ever asked me if I was willing! Whether I was willing to be this damned heir or not!”
My eyes were filled with tears, and I didn’t even dare to blink slightly.
I hesitated, then stretched out my hands tremblingly, gently hugging Yu Huai, for fear that with a little more force, he would really fall apart.
Since we were young, Yu Huai had studied harder than others.
When feeding pigs, he recited ancient poems.
When cutting grass, he recited the multiplication table.
Without books or pencils, he used branches to calculate repeatedly on the ground, reviewing the knowledge he learned in class during the day.
Even in winter, with chilblains on his hands, he still insisted on studying.
I often asked him at that time, “Yu Huai, why are you so hard – working?”
Yu Huai’s small eyes sparkled. He looked at the distant mountains and said, “Because when I grow up, I want to be a useful person.”
“I want the villagers here who can’t afford to eat to have a hot meal. I want those who have no houses to live in to have a place to shelter from the wind and rain. I want the children who have no school to be able to enter the classroom.
I hope our country will become better and better, and our lives will get better and better.”
Yu Huai had great love in his heart.
I couldn’t tie him down.
Yu Huai stopped talking, and I was also silent.
The air in the car was so oppressive that it was suffocating.
After a long while, Yu Huai’s mood calmed down a little.
He said in a pleading tone, “Qiao Shan, don’t give up, okay? Give me a little more time, and I can handle it.”
I leaned on his shoulder and shook my head. “No.”
“Yu Huai, if there was any other way, you wouldn’t have married the daughter of the Shen family two years ago.”
“If you could let go of your responsibilities, not care about the prosperity of the Yu family, and not care about the thousands of employees in the group, you wouldn’t have waited until now to come back to me.”
“Actually, you had already made a choice in your heart.”
The arm with which Yu Huai was holding me gradually loosened.
My tears flowed down without warning.
“Yu Huai, I really, really want to marry you. This thought has taken root in my heart since I was very young.”
“But I can’t trap you with this love.”
“I don’t want you to give up everything for me, and I don’t want you to have regrets in the future, regretting the decision you made today.”
“Yu Huai, love is about letting go, not possessing.”
25
After breaking up with Yu Huai, I submitted my resignation to the company.
I planned to become a volunteer teacher.
I made this decision on the way back from Shancheng with Yu Huai.
Especially when I saw the innocent faces of the children in the village primary school, their faces were filled with naive smiles.
I wanted to do something for them.
Song Mian somehow got the news of my break – up.
He was waiting downstairs at my house.
In just a few days, he had lost a lot of weight. He had a stubbly beard and looked haggard.
When he saw me coming back, he took the initiative to come forward and say, “Even if we’ve broken up, we can still be friends, right? Won’t you invite me up for a sit – down?”
Song Mian was no longer as casual as before. There was a bit more calmness about him.
I put my hands in my coat pockets. “Just say what you want here.”
Song Mian showed me his right hand. There was a distinct scar on his wrist.
“The doctor said my right hand is useless. I can never pick up a paintbrush again.”
Although Song Mian was a scumbag.
He really loved painting.
Not being able to pick up a paintbrush was like taking half of his life.
“If you’re expecting me to say something to comfort you, sorry, I won’t.”
Song Mian gave a self – deprecating laugh.
“Qiao Shan, I never thought you could be so heartless.”
“Don’t you want to know why I got into a fight that night?”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to know.”
But Song Mian still started talking. “Because they said you would never come back to me. I didn’t believe it, so I fought with them.”
I wasn’t interested in listening anymore, but he grabbed my arm and wouldn’t let me go.
“Qiao Shan, you’re single now, and I’m single too. Can’t we give it another try?”
“I was wrong before, and I’ll change!”
I turned around and looked at Song Mian in surprise.
He actually spoke to me in such a humble tone.
Song Mian’s hair was messily scattered on his forehead. His once bright and slightly unruly eyes were now like a deep pool covered by a mist.
“Qiao Shan, when I was pushed into the emergency room that night, all I could think about was you. I really wanted to have your fried rice with eggs again.”
“At that moment, I made up my mind that if I could come out of there alive, I would definitely come back to find you.”
I shook off Song Mian’s hand, looked at his affectionate eyes, and laughed.
“Song Mian, who are you acting affectionate for?”
I looked around. “Could there be someone hiding in the haystack? Are you guys playing a prank again? Using me as a bet?”
“It’s not like that, Qiao Shan…”
Song Mian’s mouth drooped, forming a bitter arc. He was eager to explain.
I sighed and confessed to him.
“Song Mian, do you remember the day we first met? I was on my period, squatting at the hospital entrance. You passed by and threw your coat to me. When I looked up, I saw you standing in front of me. The sunlight above my head shone on you, and I started crying.”
“You even said that a coat wasn’t worth being so touched.”
I looked directly into Song Mian’s eyes, with no hesitation or evasion in my gaze.
“A coat wasn’t worth it. But Song Mian, this act of yours immediately reminded me of Yu Huai. He was the one who always protected me before.”
“At that time, Yu Huai got married and disappeared. My grandma was critically ill. I was completely broken down.”
“And you just happened to appear when I needed Yu Huai the most, and you happened to look a little bit like him.”
“Didn’t you also ask me why I never got jealous when you brought other girls home?”
My voice was cold and steady. “Because I never loved you.”
“I just regarded you as a temporary substitute for Yu Huai, numbing myself and barely managing to keep going.”
Song Mian looked at me in disbelief.
Tears welled up in his eyes, almost ready to fall.
“Impossible!”
“Qiao Shan, you love me! You took care of me when I was sick and tolerated me when I lost my temper. How could you not love me?”
My emotions didn’t change because of Song Mian’s pained reaction. I remained calm and composed.
“Song Mian, you hurt me, and I deceived you.”
“In this relationship, neither of us is a good person. We both deserve it.”
Song Mian’s body unconsciously hunched over, as if carrying a heavy burden. He still didn’t believe my words.
I took a deep breath. “Song Mian, you don’t love me as much as you think.”
“You’re just used to being proud. Suddenly being dumped, you’re just holding on to this grudge.”
“Don’t come to me again. Goodbye.”
After saying that, I didn’t look at Song Mian anymore and turned to walk towards the unit door.
Surprisingly.
The voice – controlled light that had been broken for almost a year suddenly lit up tonight.
I stood there in a daze, my eyes stinging from the white light.
Song Mian’s voice came from behind again.
“I was wrong, Qiao Shan!”
“I really know I was wrong!”
His voice was hoarse and dry, as if rubbed by sandpaper. “But Qiao Shan, I really like you!”
“I don’t even know when it started.”
“Give me another chance, okay?”
“Forget all the unpleasant things in the past, and let’s try again.”
My hands hung naturally by my sides, and I didn’t look back.
Song Mian shouted hysterically behind me. “Qiao Shan, Yu Huai will never marry you! You’ll be waiting in vain even if you wait until you die!”
I stopped in my tracks.
Watching the voice – controlled light in front of me go off and then on again.
I smiled inexplicably. “Who said that two people in love must be together?”
The intense light above my head seemed to penetrate my body and shine into my heart.
I would never love anyone else in my life.
26
The day I left, Yu Huai sent me to the airport.
He was driving, and I was sitting in the passenger seat. Neither of us spoke.
It was drizzling outside the window.
When we were kids, Yu Huai and I always shared a broken umbrella.
He always tilted the umbrella towards me, getting soaked on more than half of his body.
Once, he even got a bad cold and had a high fever for several days.
I cried my eyes out, staying by his side, afraid that he would die.
Yu Huai was woken up by me.
He pushed my forehead away with his finger in disgust and said weakly, “Cry – baby, you got your snot on my hand.”
“People who know would think I have a cold. Those who don’t know might think I’m dying of some serious illness.”
I spat several times in disgust. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Yu Huai was amused by me.
He stared at my face, looking at me seriously. “You cry so much. What will you do without me in the future?”
“So, little Qiao Shan, when we grow up, I’ll marry you.”
I nodded happily and even made a pinky – swear with Yu Huai. “Pinky – swear. We can’t go back on our word for a hundred years.”
“It’s a deal! Yu Huai will marry Qiao Shan when we grow up!”
Unconsciously, tears slipped from the corners of my eyes. I quickly raised my hand to wipe them, not wanting Yu Huai to see.
But when I turned my head, I found his eyes were blood – red.
I watched his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, and his body was trembling slightly. My heart ached as if being stabbed.
……
At the airport security checkpoint, people were coming and going.
I forced a smile. “Yu Huai, remember to eat on time because you have a weak stomach. Drink less iced coffee and take good care of yourself.”
Yu Huai also forced a smile.
“Got it. You’re so nagging.”
“When you get there, remember to let me know you’re safe.”
I answered with a sobbing voice. “Okay… Then I’m leaving.”
Yu Huai took a deep breath, his brows furrowed and then relaxed, as if trying his best to control his emotions. He said with difficulty, “Go ahead.”
I forced myself to smile.
Then, I pulled up my suitcase and turned to walk inside.
I walked forward step by step.
Each step seemed to step on my heart, making it hard for me to breathe.
I tried my best to hold back my tears.
When I had walked ten steps away, my emotions were already at the breaking point.
I let go of the suitcase.
I turned around and ran towards Yu Huai with all my strength.
Yu Huai opened his arms and caught me firmly, hugging me tightly.
“Yu Huai, I love you! I love you so much that I don’t know what to do…”
When I said these words, I was already in tears, choking with sobs.
Yu Huai buried his head in my neck and nodded vigorously twice. His voice was hoarse. “I know, Qiao Shan. I know everything.”
I reluctantly broke free from Yu Huai’s embrace, slowly raised my trembling hand, and my fingertips reluctantly caressed his cheek.
Yu Huai tightly grasped my hand, pressed my palm against his face, and kissed my palm reluctantly.
Finally.
After looking at him deeply one last time.
I cruelly pulled my hand out of Yu Huai’s and turned to leave.
This time, I didn’t look back.
27
When the plane was taxiing, I found a ring box in my bag.
Opening it, there was a six – pointed – star diamond ring inside.
Sometimes, collapse happens in an instant.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
The emotions that had been suppressed all the way burst out heartbreakingly.
I tightly held the diamond ring in my hand, and with my clenched fist, I kept hitting my heart, which was twisting in pain, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.
The person sitting next to me didn’t know what was wrong with me and quickly called the flight attendant.
The flight attendant supported my trembling body and kept asking me worriedly, “Miss, are you okay? Do you need to get off the plane?”
I couldn’t speak. I could only keep shaking my head and waving my hand.
But my heart was hurting so much that it felt like it was going to die.
28
After returning from the airport, Yu Huai drove to Qiao Shan’s house alone.
He slowly pushed open the familiar door. Everything in the house was still the same, but everywhere was filled with a heartbreaking loneliness.
His eyes slowly swept across the sofa in the living room where they had once snuggled up to watch movies together. Qiao Shan had been laughing heartily while holding a bag of potato chips.
“Yu Huai, this actor is so good. I’m almost laughing my guts out.”
On the dressing table in the bedroom was the comb Qiao Shan had used. Her hair was still wound around it.
“Yu Huai, can you comb my hair for me?”
Once, they had slept in each other’s arms on this bed.
When waking up in the morning, Qiao Shan would always snuggle in his arms and act coquettishly.
“Yu Huai, how many kids do you think we’ll have in the future? At least two, a brother and a sister. The brother will protect the sister.”
The once sweet memories now all turned into sharp needles piercing the depths of his heart.
Yu Huai’s legs gradually lost their strength, and he slowly collapsed to the ground, his body painfully curled up into a ball.
His hand tightly clutched the watch Qiao Shan had left for him.
Tears uncontrollably welled up in his eyes, wetting the clothes in front of him.
A suppressed sob came from his throat. Each sob was accompanied by a violent tremor of his body, and he was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe.
Little Yu Huai and little Qiao Shan had finally lost each other.
29
Two years later.
I heard from a friend about Song Mian.
After he couldn’t paint, he had a tough life.
Finally, he sold his studio and left that city alone.
No one knew where he went.
He cut off contact with everyone.
Yu Huai lived up to expectations and became a famous young entrepreneur.
I wasn’t bad either. Together with another female teacher in the school, I was rated as an advanced teacher by the city.
30
One day, the female teacher and I took a car to attend an award – giving ceremony.
When waiting for the traffic lights at an intersection, a live interview program was being broadcast on the LED screen of the shopping mall next to us.
Yu Huai stood amidst a throng of media as if he were a dazzling star, with an air of composure.
Countless cameras hungrily focused on him, as if trying to capture every subtle expression and movement of his.
The straight lines of his well – tailored suit flowed smoothly from his broad shoulders to his long legs. Every fold seemed to be carefully designed, showing an unparalleled sense of quality and style.
It had been two years since we last saw each other at the airport.
We occasionally sent messages to greet each other during festivals.
But I knew that he had come to see me.
Although he just stood far away, I could recognize him at a glance.
Suddenly, I felt a stinging pain in my wrist.
Turning my head, I saw that the female teacher next to me was tightly grasping my wrist. “Wow, Miss Qiao, this man is so handsome.”
I looked at Yu Huai on the screen and nodded. “He is handsome.”
A reporter from the audience asked him, “Mr. Yu, you’ve been very enthusiastic about donating to schools in the past two years. May I ask what the original intention is?”
Yu Huai smiled gently. “I hope that through our joint efforts, more children can have the opportunity to go to school.”
The reporter then asked, “Mr. Yu, I’ve attended several of your interviews. You seem to be wearing this watch every time. Is it a gift from your wife?”
I stared at the watch on Yu Huai’s wrist, and tears instantly welled up in my eyes.
That was the watch I had deliberately left in his car on the day I went to the airport.
Yu Huai lowered his head, his eyes falling on the watch on his wrist.
The watchband fit closely to his skin, and the dial emitted a soft luster under the light.
For a moment, the bits and pieces of their past interactions surged up in his heart like a tide. Those moments of laughter and touch were like bright stars twinkling in his heart.
After a few seconds, Yu Huai raised his head again, smiled at the camera, and said, “Yes, it’s a gift from my wife.”
My right hand unconsciously touched the diamond ring on the ring finger of my left hand.
The female teacher noticed my movement and couldn’t help casting an envious look. “Miss Qiao, your wedding ring is so beautiful.”
“Wedding ring?”
“Yeah, the diamond ring worn on the ring finger is a wedding ring.”
I was stunned for a moment, then raised my head, looked at Yu Huai on the screen, and slightly curved my lips. “Yes, it’s a gift from my husband.”
(The End)
