My wife, inebriated and vomiting, had barely collapsed when her gay best friend rushed to her aid, stripping her of her soiled clothes without a second thought.
“I’ve had it, darling, how would you survive without me?”
My wife claimed she was just a piece of meat in her gay best friend’s eyes, nothing special.
Ha, I rather thought it was like throwing meat buns to dogs, gone forever.
But since she was so willing, let her live with the dog!
01
My wife Chu Qing had been working hard for three years and her career was just starting to take off. She invited her group of girlfriends over to celebrate at home.
It was the first time I knew that there was a man in her group of girlfriends. His name is Lu Xi, fair and clean. Supposedly, he’s my wife’s gay best friend.
To thank them for their support, I volunteered to cook and let them taste the skills of a top chef.
After several rounds of drinking, everyone got drunk. Chu Qing took the initiative and decided to let her friends sleep at our home tonight.
Considering that it’s really not safe for drunk girls to go home, I started to tidy up the second bedroom and the guest room so that men and women could rest separately.
Listening to them chatting excitedly, I was also full of joy. How many true friends can one have in life? What more could I ask for?
My wife usually couldn’t handle much alcohol, but today she surprisingly drank a whole bottle of red wine. I was afraid she would feel uncomfortable and was just about to go downstairs to the pharmacy to buy her some hangover medicine.
Then I heard a commotion outside. Chu Qing was already lying on the toilet and started retching.
I was just about to go forward when Chu Qing took off her top, leaving only her bra on, and then waved to Lu Xi.
“Xi, go… go to the master bedroom, and… ugh…” She didn’t even call me?
I was wondering when Lu Xi quickly got up and walked straight to the master bedroom. In less than a minute, he was already holding a slip dress in his hand and walked into the bathroom.
How did he know Chu Qing wanted to change clothes? And how did he even know where the clothes were?
Chu Qing didn’t avoid suspicion at all and even let Lu Xi help her change.
“Qingbao, honey, you’re so clumsy. Come on… stretch out your hand!”
“How can you live without us sisters!” He also didn’t forget to turn around and complain to me.
“Fang Yu, you should be nicer to our Qingbao in the future. She’s so carefree every day.”
The cold wind outside the window blew away my drunkenness.
“She waves her hand and you know what to do? Do you have a telepathic connection?”
Lu Xi winked and shook his head proudly.
“Hey, I’ve been her best friend for so many years. How could I not know her?”
“She always looks ugly when drunk and even worse when sleeping… Don’t I have to wait here to take care of her?”
I said faintly,
“What? Were you a eunuch in your past life? Why are you so fond of serving others?”
He looked unhappy, frowned, glanced at Chu Qing, opened his mouth, but then swallowed his words.
Chu Qing sobered up a bit, stood up leaning against the wall, and saw Lu Xi’s aggrieved face.
“What’s wrong? You look so ugly. Do you also want to vomit?”
Lu Xi snorted coldly, turned around and walked into the guest room, slamming the door shut.
One of her sisters held Chu Qing’s arm and pointed at me angrily.
“Your husband is so narrow-minded. He scolded Lu Xi!”
“He did it for you! Sisters should take care of each other. How could your husband be jealous? What a jerk!”
Chu Qing’s face became even more unpleasant. She glared at me and ran into the guest room to comfort him.
I sighed. I was completely sober from the wine.
02
More than half an hour later, Chu Qing came into the bedroom and angrily snatched the mobile phone from my hand.
“Why did you target Lu Xi? What did he do to you?”
I looked into her eyes. “He changed your clothes right in front of me. Is that appropriate? Don’t you know the difference between men and women?”
Chu Qing looked a bit embarrassed and stammered, “He’s my sister… my best friend! He’s gay. What are you afraid of?”
“He doesn’t like women at all!”
“He’s… he’s also a doctor. In his eyes, I’m just a piece of fat meat!”
If these things hadn’t happened, I might have believed her nonsense.
But now, with her guilty expression and the look in Lu Xi’s eyes when he changed her clothes,
I’m not blind or stupid!
“If you’re all just pieces of fat meat, then what’s the difference between men and women?”
“Why don’t you let your other sisters sleep with him?”
Chu Qing was speechless and muttered in a low voice, “Well… there’s still a difference.”
I simply turned off the light, closed my eyes, and ignored her.
Chu Qing knew that I was usually gentle-tempered. Soon, she came up behind me and hugged me.
“Oh… Fang Yu, don’t be angry. I know you’re worried about me…”
“I saw you busy around and was afraid you’d be tired.”
“Besides, I didn’t take off all my clothes. He couldn’t see anything. Don’t be jealous~”
She carefully coaxed me, which made my heart soften a little.
But then I thought that I often went on business trips.
She and Lu Xi were so in tune with each other.
Judging by how familiar he was with our home, it definitely wasn’t his first time here.
Five years ago, I bought a house and settled down in this first-tier city.
It was also with the support of my first bucket of gold that Chu Qing started her business.
I’ve been busy with my career and traveling around these years.
I didn’t know when Lu Xi had mixed into Chu Qing’s group of girlfriends and was even close enough to help her change clothes.
“He said you look ugly when drunk and even worse when sleeping. Could it be that you two…?”
Her hand holding me became a bit stiff. After a pause, she said,
“When you’re not at home, I’m bored and invite them to accompany me.”
“It’s normal for us to drink some wine and play cards together. He just happened to see me when I took a nap.”
I was really busy with work and did owe her something.
But when I thought of the scene just now,
Even now she was still wearing the nightdress that Lu Xi had changed for her,
I just couldn’t hold back my anger.
“Take off that dress!”
03
I turned on the light, got up and went to the wardrobe to get another nightgown.
“Chu Qing, wear this one. There’s no need for us to argue because of another man.”
“If you change the dress, we’ll let this matter pass.”
Males are possessive about their territory and their females by nature.
But after all, I was also at fault first. I was willing to lower my head and let this matter go.
Don’t wash your dirty linen in public. Why break our harmonious life for an outsider?
Who would have thought that Chu Qing didn’t appreciate it at all.
“You’re fucking crazy! I’ve already told you that he’s my sister. What are you going crazy for?”
“You’re insulting his character!”
“I won’t change. Believe it or not!”
She turned her head away and lay on the bed angrily.
I was also burning with anger.
“Should I just believe him when he says he’s gay? I don’t even want to mention the look in his eyes when he was changing your clothes!”
“Asking you to change clothes is insulting him? Did he put gold on this dress? Will you lose five million if you take it off?”
Chu Qing picked up a pillow and threw it at me, cursing.
“Go get treated if you’re sick! Several sisters came here specially to help me celebrate. And you’re nitpicking here!”
“Where were you when I usually needed you? Probably fooling around somewhere!”
“He makes me happy, but you just cause trouble!”
I grabbed her arm.
“I’m causing trouble? Making things difficult?”
“I invested your first bucket of gold. I’ve also found a lot of connections to help you these years!”
“Today you’re the star. Did I let you do any housework? From buying groceries to cooking, I did everything by myself!”
“You said don’t let them go back. I even booked hotels for them. But you asked them to sleep at home. I didn’t say anything and started tidying up the guest rooms!”
“Don’t you think what you and your so-called gay best friend did was too much?”
Chu Qing was so angry that she scratched my neck.
I let go of her in pain. There were already several blood marks on my neck.
Too lazy to argue with her, I grabbed my coat. Just as I was about to go out, I received a video.
04
It was from a few days ago, the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony of my wife’s new store.
I couldn’t go because I was on a business trip that day. To make up for it, I even bought her a handbag.
In the video, not only did Lu Xi and Chu Qing cut the ribbon together,
They also sang a song called “Marry You Today” on the stage.
Their eyes were full of affection. There was no sign at all that Lu Xi thought women were just pieces of fat meat.
After singing, they were also urged by other sisters and played a game of “Zhu Bajie Carrying His Wife on His Back”.
“Who are you carrying on your back today?” One of the sisters teased.
Lu Xi’s hand was just supporting Chu Qing’s buttocks.
He said with a smile, “It’s my wife, of course. Don’t believe me? Ask her.”
Others also jokingly asked Chu Qing if it was true. She blushed shyly and lay on Lu Xi’s back.
I watched the video through gritted teeth,
And threw my mobile phone in front of Chu Qing.
“Chu Qing, is this what you call sisters? Why don’t I make room for you to remarry!”
She took the mobile phone, pulled the progress bar a little, and curled her lips.
“What’s the big deal? It’s just a song. It was just to liven up the atmosphere.”
I just felt my blood boiling.
“Liven up the atmosphere? What will others think?”
“For business performance, don’t you care about your face? Many of the people who came to support were my friends. Do you know what they think of me?”
No wonder my friends who went to the opening ceremony that day were so ambiguous when talking to me.
My old leader patted my shoulder hesitantly and told me to hold on.
When chatting with my friends, they always sent me emoticons of green hats.
I didn’t notice anything at that time and was kept in the dark all the time.
I even stupidly asked him what that emoticon meant, like a fool!
Seeing that I was getting angrier and angrier, Chu Qing lost her patience.
“Have you gone crazy enough? I still have to open the store tomorrow! It was just a scene for the event, just putting on a show. You’re so unforgiving! How boring!”
“Besides, Lu Xi has introduced quite a few clients to me. Do you think you’re the only one with connections?”
“Making more money is also for this family. I’ve said it so many times. He doesn’t like women!”
I felt even more disappointed. I originally thought that Chu Qing was just being careless.
After all, she was usually reasonable and knew her limits.
But when it came to Lu Xi, she kept lowering her bottom line.
I became even more suspicious of their real relationship.
And I also began to question our marriage.
“Tell me clearly, what’s your relationship exactly! I don’t believe this gay thing at all!”
“I don’t believe that you two don’t understand the difference between men and women at your age!”
“Fang Yu, you’re the one with a dirty mind. You think everything is dirty! We’re completely innocent. We’re just ordinary friends!”
“Do you want to make everyone laugh at us? Are you ever going to stop?”
“Do you have psychological problems? Are you hoping that your wife has an affair with another man?”
Her voice was getting louder and louder,
But the anger in my heart was gradually replaced by grief and indignation. I never expected that the two of us who had come this far would end up like this.
When we got married, Chu Qing asked me to make a vow that I would be nice to her for the rest of my life. I nodded with a silly smile.
At that time, her eyes were filled with tenderness.
But now she’s like a shrew, just trying to defend another man.
My heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cave. I let her curse me and didn’t say a word in response.
The bedroom door was knocked on, and Lu Xi’s voice came from outside.
“Qingbao, are you okay?”
05
Chu Qing seemed to see a life-saving straw. She sobbed and opened the door, then slammed it shut and left.
The sound of our quarrel was so loud that all of her sisters could surely hear it.
Obviously, our argument was caused by Lu Xi, but he still came to stir up trouble!
I heard Chu Qing crying pitifully outside the door.
One of her sisters asked about the situation,
And she stammered as she accused me, “He’s just drunk and looking for trouble! He keeps arguing about a stupid dress!”
Another one added fuel to the fire, “Men are all bad! He married you but doesn’t cherish you!”
Lu Xi then came to make things worse at this time:
“Stop talking. It’s all because Chu Qing’s business relies on him to cover the losses. Men, they care about their face. It’s my fault… I didn’t know any better.”
Chu Qing said coquettishly, “Xi, you’re taking sides with others. What do you mean by relying on him? It’s my own business!”
“With the cash flow in my store now, it’s easy for me to support a few gigolos!”
Lu Xi joked, “Oh, why don’t you support me as your gigolo too? 500 yuan a month will do…”
One of the sisters whispered:
“Chu Qing, your husband deserves a beating. Back then, Lu Xi went with you to choose your wedding dress… You even changed the one your husband liked into the one he liked…”
I kicked the door open.
“If you have the guts, say it louder! Say it in front of me!”
Do you really think I’m deaf?
06
I still remember when we were choosing the wedding dress. I picked a white and elegant one decorated with pearls, shining brightly.
Chu Qing liked it very much when she tried it on. But then she sent a few photos to her girlfriends and immediately pouted and said she wanted to change it!
Finally, she chose a mermaid-style dress with a deep V-neck in the front and a slit at the back, saying that she wanted to be the sexiest woman at the ceremony.
So it wasn’t for me at all. It was because someone liked that gaudy style!
Lu Xi called himself “lady” and really thought of himself as a noblewoman?
He’s clearly just a lecherous eunuch who hasn’t been castrated!
I’m so stupid. Back then, to thank them, I paid for their flights and hotels, and gave them a lot of gifts like souvenirs and bottles of Maotai.
Maybe in Lu Xi’s eyes, I’m just a fool!
I put so much effort into it, but in the end, I’m not as important as her gay best friend in my wife’s eyes. I don’t even know for whom this wedding was held.
Back then, I stood on the stage like a fool, holding Chu Qing’s hand and vowing that I would only love her in this life.
Chu Qing saw that my face was not right and interrupted them.
“Fang Yu, don’t listen to them. I liked both of those wedding dresses at that time. It wasn’t Lu Xi’s idea…”
“Didn’t you also praise my good figure back then?”
I just stared at them with a dark face.
Lu Xi saw that I was silent and glanced at Chu Qing, then said in a strange tone:
“Oh my, look at this mess. I just said it looked nice when I saw the photos. I didn’t expect you to take it to heart. It’s my fault for having this mouth!”
“Fang Yu, don’t blame me for speaking bluntly. As a man, why bother digging up old scores and making things difficult for your own wife?”
Me? Digging up old scores? Who started it first?
I grabbed his collar.
“Who do you think you are, calling yourself ‘lady’ like that? Don’t you just want to show off that Chu Qing took your casual words to heart?”
“This is my home. Do you have the right to speak here?”
Chu Qing quickly came up and grabbed my sleeve.
Her friend wasn’t afraid of making things worse and continued to be sarcastic:
“Chu Qing, what’s your husband’s problem? Does he look down on gays or just dislike Lu Xi? How dare he lay his hands on others? What a jerk…”
“That’s right! I didn’t believe it when I heard you say that his mother died early before. Now it seems that he really has no manners!”
I just felt my blood boiling and my teeth grinding.
Chu Qing quickly signaled them to shut up.
I threw Lu Xi aside and pointed at those girls.
“Are you all out of your minds? Do you have a crush on him and want to be his mistress? Or are you just plain stupid?”
“Are your eyes just for decoration? Can’t you see that there’s something wrong between him and Chu Qing?”
One of the girls saw that I was really angry and lost her nerve. She then tried to stop the fight.
“Stop talking. It was supposed to be a happy day. Look at what a mess it’s become… Let’s just make do for tonight and we won’t come again in the future. Okay?”
“Lu Xi has been a doctor for so long. He’s seen all kinds of women. You really overestimate Chu Qing…”
I retorted, “Just because being a doctor is a noble profession doesn’t mean he is noble. There are scumbags everywhere!”
Lu Xi suddenly screamed in a shrill voice:
“Alright! I’m wrong! Okay? I’m leaving!”
With that, he picked up his waist-cinched leather jacket and ran out of the door.
Chu Qing saw this and pinched me hard, scolding,
“Fang Yu, you’re really crazy! Do you still want to live with me or not?”
I was so angry that I laughed instead.
“I don’t care if I’m crazy or not. Anyway, that crazy ‘lady’ of yours has already run away without a trace!”
“It’s so late at night. He’s dressed so flashily. He might be targeted by other men. Let’s see if he gets into some trouble!”
Hearing what I said, the women looked at each other in dismay.
Chu Qing gritted her teeth, stamped her foot, and dragged the remaining sisters and ran out too.
My heart was completely chilled.
I’ve been with Chu Qing for so many years. She would rather risk running out in the middle of the night to chase after Lu Xi than stay and communicate with me properly.
True feelings are revealed in times of trouble indeed!
Only at critical moments can you see who matters more in her heart!
07
They left a mess behind and ran out. I opened all the windows. Even if the room was blown cold, it was better than having the stale air left inside.
I took a can of beer from the fridge and gulped it down.
Only then did I realize how tiring arguing could be. My muscles felt extremely tired after being so tense.
I still had the scratches and bruises from where Chu Qing had grabbed and pinched me.
Is this the real Chu Qing?
Is this the wife that I held in my hands and treasured in my heart?
I felt like I had fallen from the clouds into the mire and could hardly move forward.
My mother did pass away early, but she had always taught me to cherish my loved ones and safeguard our family.
She had endured my father’s cold violence for years but still remained hopeful and didn’t transfer her resentment onto me.
I had always kept my initial enthusiasm for marriage.
I also knew that some men would act like tyrants at home, yelling and ordering others around.
I always thought that they were just incompetent, being oppressed outside and could only bully their families at home.
I was determined not to treat my family as a dumping ground.
That’s why I supported Chu Qing in starting her business, hoping that we could progress together.
But in the end… I had let a wolf into the house.
I sat on the sofa and looked through our old photo albums.
Our wedding, our trips, our picnics…
In every photo, we were smiling so happily.
At that time, we were truly happy, just having fun like fools.
Or maybe, it was just my own perception of happiness.
Unfortunately, just in one day, my world was falling apart.
Just then, I noticed a familiar figure in the corner of our honeymoon photo.
I had always thought it was just a passerby, but now when I looked carefully…
It was Lu Xi!
08
I carefully looked through the photos of these years again.
I found that in the photos taken by Chu Qing, especially the landscape ones, Lu Xi’s figure could often be found.
My heart skipped a beat.
Was Lu Xi following Chu Qing?
I guessed that it was more likely that Chu Qing had revealed our whereabouts and even invited Lu Xi on her own initiative to make it convenient for them to meet secretly!
These photos spanned several years.
They had been fooling around right under my nose. They were playing me like a fool!
I didn’t bother to guess whether Lu Xi was really a gay best friend or not!
But the relationship between the two of them was definitely not that simple!
I wasn’t sure if they had physical intimacy, but spiritually, it definitely exceeded my bottom line.
Either Chu Qing was addicted to this ambiguity, or Lu Xi was taking advantage of his identity as a gay best friend. Anyway, the two of them couldn’t be innocent!
I suddenly woke up and swore that I would never let this pair of scoundrels off!
There was a sudden sound of keys at the door.
Chu Qing and her sisters came back, and Lu Xi was with them.
Chu Qing saw that my eyes were bloodshot and there was beer beside me. She thought that I was feeling guilty and couldn’t bear to part with her, so she arrogantly dragged Lu Xi into the house.
“Fang Yu, you’re feeling bad now, right? If you had known this would happen, why did you say such mean things? You were just being unreasonable and jealous!”
“Well, how about this? Say something soft and apologize, and we’ll just let it go today.”
I snorted coldly.
“You’re a man. How can you be so spineless? After being scolded so harshly, you still have the nerve to come back?”
Lu Xi clicked his tongue and nudged Chu Qing with his elbow.
She stupidly continued to stand up for him, “Why are you being so persistent? Is this how you treat your own wife?”
I stood up and reopened the door. The cold wind rushed into the room.
“Of course I’ll be gentle with my own wife, but there’s no need for me to be warm to other people’s wives!”
“I’m different from Lu Xi. I won’t shamelessly cling to other people’s wives.”
“If you still have any shame, you’d better leave as soon as possible. I won’t hit women, but I won’t spoil you either!”
Chu Qing was obviously scared. I had never been so angry with her before.
The girls were also hesitant. Lu Xi’s face looked ugly. Seeing that Chu Qing wouldn’t help him anymore, he spat on the ground, turned around and left.
I glared at them and walked into the bedroom by myself, slamming the door hard. They didn’t dare to say anything more.
09
After a while, Chu Qing quietly walked into the bedroom and whispered in her defense,
“Husband, actually, Lu Xi is a pitiful person. His father expected him to carry on the family line, but he refused. So his father found an older woman… and did something to him. Since then, he… has had no interest in women.”
“He’s been my best friend for so many years and has never harmed me. I treat him like a real sister. We’re really innocent!”
What an idiot!
Whether what Lu Xi said was true or false.
Chu Qing didn’t know that I had already discovered the secret in the photos and still wanted to play the victim to make me forgive her. Bah!
“Stop! I don’t want to hear about your stupid affairs anymore.”
“Go to sleep. Don’t bother me.”
I decided to call a temporary truce. Endless quarreling was meaningless. I needed to catch them red-handed!
Chu Qing was put in a difficult position and didn’t say anything more. She just snuggled up beside me and fell asleep obediently.
The next day, before I got up, a fragrant smell wafted over.
As soon as I sat up, she handed me a neatly folded set of clothes.
She had a big smile on her face, “Fang Yu, time to get up? I’ve already made breakfast. It’s your favorite egg pancakes! Here, put on your clothes.”
“I’ve already sent the others away. I’m afraid you’ll be annoyed if you see them again.”
I ate breakfast without any qualms. Chu Qing was also busy cleaning the house again.
In the past, she would never have done these things. Suddenly being so diligent was like a weasel paying a New Year call to a chicken. There must be something fishy going on!
While she was in the bathroom, I checked the surveillance camera. Sure enough, the memory card was missing.
If she had nothing to hide, why would she remove it?
However, she, who usually didn’t care about daily life at all, surely didn’t notice that the camera had cloud storage.
Since she was so nervous, there must be some shameful secrets stored in it.
Well, in that case, I’ll play a long game to catch a big fish!
To make her lower her guard, I offered to drive her to the store.
Chu Qing thought that I wasn’t angry anymore and happily accepted. She kept saying nice things to please me along the way.
After she got out of the car, I secretly stuffed a recording pen into the gap of the car seat.
10
When I got home, I copied the videos from the cloud storage.
In the cloud storage of the past three months, I found that Lu Xi often came to meet Chu Qing when I was on business trips.
He behaved as if he was in his own home. The two of them lived together like an ordinary couple and had done everything.
I gritted my teeth and watched it roughly. Then I called my classmate who is a lawyer.
I talked with my classmate for several hours. He said that he would help me draft a divorce agreement.
Suddenly, I received a consumption reminder. It was from a four-star hotel near my home.
Hmph, Chu Qing probably only remembered after paying that the card bound was mine, right?
According to the consumption record, they had booked three rooms in total, but only returned two.
It seemed that a certain troublemaker hadn’t left yet!
In the evening, when I got home, I found that Chu Qing had already driven back.
She also sent me a message asking what I wanted to eat and that she would cook for me.
I opened the car door, took out the recording pen, and found a secluded shady spot to start listening.
“Qingbao, your husband insulted me so much yesterday! I can’t bear it! When are you going to ask him for money?”
“Don’t you really take me as your gay best friend? I’m so tired of acting… Do I even matter in your heart?”
The deep voice of Lu Xi came from the recording pen, which was completely different from his usual affected high-pitched voice.
“Just wait a little longer. My store has just started to do well. I still need his resources!”
“Besides, he’s often not at home. We can do whatever we want. For my sake, just bear with it for a while. I’ll make it up to you in a few days, okay?”
Chu Qing gently comforted him, and then the sound of them kissing came out.
I frowned and fast-forwarded. Finally, I found the hidden murderous intention among their sweet words.
The two of them actually wanted to drain my funds and then plan an accident to kill me and cheat on the insurance!
I’m not looking down on them, but with their IQs, could they really pull it off?
Of course, I’m not an overconfident person either. When the person you sleep with every day wants to kill you, how can you stay calm?
11
I called my friends and cut off their support for Chu Qing.
Chu Qing’s client base shrank drastically. She naively asked me why all the clients had abandoned her.
I could only shrug and say that the business environment was bad and consumption was declining.
The second step was that I pretended to have a quarrel with my boss and put on a gloomy face every day, telling her that I was going to lose my job.
Chu Qing was already in a mess with her business. When she heard that I was going to be a freeloader, she immediately felt disgusted and didn’t pretend anymore.
“Fang Yu, you’ve really disappointed me. You’re such a waste!”
“Don’t stay at home and be an eyesore. I’m so annoyed just seeing you!”
I just laughed coldly, “Didn’t you say that Lu Xi has connections? Why doesn’t he help you?”
“If you don’t like seeing me, then let’s get a divorce!”
When Chu Qing heard the word “divorce”, her eyes rolled around.
“My business still lacks some funds. Where’s the money you promised me last time?”
“Money? You’re still asking me for money? I’m broke! I lost my clients and I don’t even have enough money to compensate my boss!”
I simply played dumb and made her think that I was useless. Then they would consider taking action.
Sure enough, the next day, Chu Qing changed her previous nasty attitude and started to show concern for me, saying that I was under too much pressure and wanted to take me on a trip.
“Husband, we haven’t gone out to play for a long time. Where do you want to go? Mountain climbing? Swimming?”
“Don’t worry about work. I’m still with you. We can always get through difficulties together.”
She spoke softly, massaged my shoulders and legs for me, and even put on a lace skirt at night, trying to seduce me.
People can really do anything for money.
“Let’s go mountain climbing. It’s autumn now. We can go to see the red leaves.”
I held her hand and she nodded with a smile.
12
The autumn sky was clear and crisp. Chu Qing held my hand and carried a backpack on her back, looking very happy.
I felt a bit dazed. If these things hadn’t happened, we would also be a happy couple.
It’s a pity that people’s hearts are not what they used to be. This morning, I saw her secretly sending messages to Lu Xi.
They were going to make a move on me.
We walked up the mountain all the way. Chu Qing still pretended to be well-behaved, asking me about my well-being from time to time.
But the furtive glances she threw behind her from time to time betrayed her inner panic and uneasiness.
“Husband, look, the scenery over there is better! Let’s go and have a look there!”
She took my arm and pointed coquettishly at a winding mountain path.
I tightened my grip on her hand and followed her deeper and deeper until the figures of other tourists gradually disappeared from our sight.
She suddenly squatted down and rummaged through her backpack.
“Fang Yu, my camera is missing. You go over there and wait for me first. I’ll go back and look for it.”
I folded my arms and stared at her deeply.
“Chu Qing, how long are you going to keep pretending?”
“Lu Xi is not here anymore.”
When she heard Lu Xi’s name, her body stiffened and her face changed drastically.
“I’ve known your plan for a long time.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can call Lu Xi and see if he’ll answer you?”
Chu Qing showed a fierce expression on her face.
She rushed at me with a stone in her hand, roaring like a devil:
“Go to hell! Go to hell! How dare you play tricks on me!”
With Chu Qing’s pampered body, how could she defeat me when I was on guard?
I subdued her in just a few moves.
Chu Qing knew that she had no chance left and knelt on the ground to beg me for mercy:
“Fang Yu, I’m wrong! Husband, please…”
“It’s all Lu Xi’s fault! Years ago, he pretended to be gay and approached me, saying that he wanted to be my best friend. I believed him and told him a lot of my innermost thoughts.”
“There was a time when my business was losing money. I didn’t dare to tell you, so I complained to him. He took me to drink, and when it was late, he said he’d take me to a hotel…”
“I hesitated, but then I thought that he didn’t like women, so I went…”
“But… when we got to the hotel, he praised me for being beautiful and said that my appearance made him have feelings for women…”
“I was afraid that you’d find out, so I kept saying that he was gay. Husband, I know I’m wrong. Please don’t let me go to jail!”
Chu Qing was deceived by a straight man pretending to be gay. She thought that she was so charming that she could turn a gay man straight.
However, that’s not a reason for her to plot for money, betray me, and even attempt murder!
At this time, two police officers came over.
“Sir, the male suspect has been arrested. We’ll also take this accomplice back to the police station.”
I watched her being taken away by the police officers, feeling a mixture of emotions in my heart.
The autumn wind blew, and a large number of leaves fell rustling down.
Love, trust, betrayal, these words intertwined in my mind and finally turned into a sigh, floating away with the wind in this autumn mountain.
13
I spent several days cooperating with the police in their investigation.
After the investigation, I gradually understood the general outline of this case.
Everything that Lu Xi and Chu Qing described was a fictional lie.
He was not a doctor at all but belonged to a carefully planned fraud criminal gang.
This gang was very cunning. They carefully designed many scams targeting women.
Among them, Lu Xi deliberately disguised himself as a homosexual to approach and win the trust of the target women.
He made up one sad life story after another to win the women’s sympathy, and then used the identity of “gay best friend” to establish a so-called “sister” relationship with them, thus obtaining their personal information.
Many women, just like Chu Qing, naively thought that their beauty and charm were enough to make a homosexual fall in love with them.
They were immersed in this illusory love, not knowing that they had already become the prey in others’ eyes.
While they were lost in this dreamlike love, the fraud gang was secretly coveting their property and bodies.
It was a carefully arranged hunting game. Unconsciously, the women became the cicadas being hunted, and the cheaters were the orioles hiding behind, waiting for the opportunity to plunder everything from them.
Chu Qing was blinded by the false ambiguity and easily believed Lu Xi’s sweet words and false promises.
As the investigation deepened, more and more victims came to light.
Some women, like Chu Qing, were stupidly cheated, gave money to the cheaters, and even ignored everything and dragged their families into the mire.
Some women, after realizing that they were cheated, due to self-esteem or social public opinion, could only swallow their bitterness.
This investigation gave many victims the opportunity to speak out and report.
Within a month, several cheaters like Lu Xi were caught in this city.
14
The case became more and more serious. My mother-in-law rushed over from her hometown in a hurry. As soon as she entered the door, she started scolding me furiously.
“You damned beast! How could you send my daughter to prison like this?”
“If my daughter hadn’t had a bad life in your home, how could she have got involved with such dirty people?”
“You go to the police station right now and bail her out, or I’ll never let you off!”
Her words were full of accusations and anger, as if all the mistakes were on me.
Our divorce procedures had already been completed. Legally speaking, she was just an old lady I knew to me now.
But after all, we had been husband and wife. I didn’t want to make things too ugly.
It’s a pity that she wouldn’t listen to me no matter what I said.
I had no choice but to throw the videos and photos of Chu Qing’s affair, as well as the recordings, in front of her and said coldly,
“Mom, I’ll call you mom for the last time. Take a good look. Who was the one who cheated first!”
“Moreover, your daughter attempted murder and was caught red-handed. It’s a crime!”
“If you don’t accept it, let’s go to the police station and talk about it!”
Her face turned pale. She opened and closed her mouth, looking at those photos, not knowing how to defend herself.
After thinking for a while, she lay on the ground and started to make a scene.
“How miserable I am! My daughter! There will be no one to take care of me when I’m old. I might as well just kill myself by hitting my head against the wall…”
She was crying while watching my reaction.
“What sin have I committed to have such a son-in-law! You won’t give me a penny for my old age! I’ll be too ashamed to face people when I go back home!”
Her crying got louder and louder, but it was just a means for her to extort money from me.
I looked at her indifferently, picked up my phone, and pressed 110.
“I’ll give you one minute to perform. Chu Qing cheated first and we’ve already divorced. If you continue to make trouble, I’ll make this call!”
“I don’t mind spreading all these things back to our hometown. I don’t care about my reputation. It’s you who live in our hometown, not me!”
“Taking care of your old age is Chu Qing’s responsibility, and it has nothing to do with me. Three seconds left, 3, 2…”
Her crying stopped abruptly. She stood up, patted her buttocks, glared at me, and wanted to say something.
Seeing that my finger was only a few millimeters away from the phone, she pursed her lips and left.
Fortunately, my father-in-law still had some sense of propriety and came to apologize to me in person.
After so many troubles, his hair had turned white. I knew that he had also been tortured by family life over the years.
He was an old technician, honest and quiet all his life. His wife always blamed him for not making much money and told Chu Qing to find a man with potential when educating her.
Having such an unreasonable wife, he endured it again and again. But in the end, his daughter got into such trouble.
I offered him a glass of wine.
“Everything is in this glass of wine.”
He sighed deeply, nodded, and left everything unsaid.
15
Considering that Chu Qing was a victim who was instigated by others and it was her first offense, the court’s sentence on her was not too severe.
While in prison, she would write to me whenever she had the chance, trying to communicate with me.
However, I never opened those letters.
Whether she still held a grudge against me or deeply regretted her past actions,
I didn’t care anymore.
Our relationship had already ended.
Those unopened letters and the photos of our once happy times were burned together,
Turning into ashes and floating away with the wind.
Those past events were like passing clouds and were no longer worth looking back on.
I chose to move forward and bury the past deep in my heart.
I only hoped that she could reflect on herself in prison, start anew after being released, and live a stable life.
As for me, getting rid of the burden of family, I devoted all my energy to my career.
My leader appreciated my ability and specially fought for an opportunity for me to be assigned overseas, allowing me to get away from this sad place.
Time flies like a white horse galloping past.
Abroad, I won recognition with my excellent work performance and finally got a management position.
My life has stepped onto a new track, happy and fulfilling.
My new wife is a talented painter.
We share the same values and get along very well. She has always been quietly supporting me behind the scenes.
At this moment, I’m holding our child, sitting in the warm sunshine, watching her focus on painting on the drawing paper.
Her paintbrush dances lightly, freezing the happy appearance of our family on the canvas.
The child’s laughter, my wife’s concentration, and my inner peace form a harmonious and warm family picture.
This is a new beginning, a new story, and a future full of hope and love.
