A Peach Wood Comb

Li Yueqin hadn’t really tried to kill herself. She had made several attempts with the sharp glass shards on her wrist, but her dry skin only left a few white marks. She couldn’t bring herself to do it, perhaps because she feared Zhou Yuqian would truly stop caring whether she lived or died. She hesitated subconsciously, wondering if she should call a friend or family member to leave some last words. She picked up the phone, and the first number she dialed was Zhou Yuqian’s mobile. She made up an excuse for herself — saying a few last words to her husband was reasonable, and then she would kill herself. Zhou Yuqian’s phone was off, so she called her first love. When the call connected, the sound of a child crying came from the other end. Before Li Yueqin could even start lamenting, the voice on the other side hurriedly said, “Yueqin, my son has a cold, he’s crying a lot, I’ll call you back later!” She then called other relatives and friends one by one, but as expected, they were all used to her “despair” and after a few perfunctory words of comfort, they all had excuses to hang up. The cold moonlight pierced through the window, and the woman lying on the floor lifted her face, her expression chilling under the disheveled hair. There were no more numbers to call in her phone’s contact list. “Why? Can’t they tell I’m about to die? I really want to die!” A low murmur escaped her throat, sounding as if it had been bitten, the pain resonating in her voice. When a classmate friend of Li Yueqin, hired by Zhou Yuqian, arrived, Li Yueqin was immediately moved to tears by this “good friend.” She spent the whole night expressing her determination to die: “I really don’t want to live anymore. If you had been a minute later, maybe I would have… Zhou Yuqian is really not a person, he even said if I died, he’d erect a monument for me. Oh, you know, I once wanted to eat Shanghai’s xiao long bao, he flew there to buy it, but by the time he got back, it was cold. I said I didn’t want it, I wanted egg tarts, so he went to Macau. He used to be so submissive, but look at him now, he has another woman, and I can’t even scold him a bit, I really don’t want to live anymore, really…!” In the latter half of the night, her “friend” could no longer bear it, coldly said a few words, and left: “You should remember how good Zhou Yuqian was to you before, how did you treat him? Li Yueqin, you’re over thirty and still haven’t grown up — self-centered, arrogant, selfish, Zhou Yuqian is your husband, not a slave to kiss your toes. You need to understand you’re living together, not playing a princess game. Listening to your complaints for years, even I can’t take it, let alone him! Take care of yourself, it’s merciful that Zhou Yuqian hasn’t divorced you yet!” After leaving, the “friend” called Zhou Yuqian’s mobile, which didn’t connect, so she called his secretary: “Tell Zhou Yuqian, his wife won’t die, no need to transfer the ten thousand tomorrow!” After hanging up, she looked at the same moon, feeling clear in her heart, although she needed the money, she felt she had done the right thing… Zhou Yuqian still transferred the ten thousand, then left for Seattle on business. Four years later, Xie Jiayi entered the Nanling villa once again, this time as a guest. The bodyguards slightly bowed as he entered, and Xie Jiayi, expressionless, found Lai Hui and invited her to dinner to reminisce, as classmates. The International Trade Building was the tallest in City A, with seventy-five floors. Sitting in the revolving restaurant on the top floor felt like floating above the clouds, looking down on everyone. Any dish on the MENU could feed an ordinary family for ten days or half a month. Here, payment was made with gold cards because no one would pull out a wad of cash, counting it bill by bill, attracting the attention of the waitstaff. If you didn’t have a card or money, the waiter would politely say, “Please, turn left out the door, that’s where the observation deck is!” Look, how civilized, they wouldn’t embarrass you. After four years apart, Lai Hui and Xie Jiayi were no longer just students who could only afford to eat at KFC. Although Lai Hui was a mistress, she was not like those kept by petty-minded Taiwanese or Hongkongers; Zhou Yuqian was a well-known entrepreneur nationwide, and spoiling his mistress was at least presentable. Not to mention Xie Jiayi; he had studied abroad, had a gilded resume, earned a salary of over a million, and had some secure investments. They both came from humble beginnings, so they weren’t necessarily inclined to splurge like nouveau riche, but Xie Jiayi couldn’t swallow his pride, always feeling that things had changed, and Lai Hui had seen the world. Going to restaurants where one had to queue was beneath him, even though he felt nauseous eating Western food abroad and was craving hot pot so much he could almost taste it, they ended up here for the sake of appearances! The elegant ambiance, the luxurious setting, yet the former lovers had nothing to say to each other. Lai Hui had no intention of accepting the invitation, but Xie Jiayi had said, “All the old classmates in A City have gathered, only you haven’t. It would be too disrespectful if you don’t show up!” He made it clear it was just a meal with an old classmate, with no ulterior motives. With that, Lai Hui found it hard to refuse; to decline further would seem like she had ulterior motives.