A Peach Wood Comb

In the daytime, the cafe is deserted until it’s time for meals, with only a few waiters in light blue aprickets wandering around. Lai Hui and Xiao Yu chose a window seat where a man-made mountain was built outside the window, and a fountain was shooting water down onto the flower beds. Lai Hui ordered coffee, while Xiao Yu asked for juice. Both gazed at the gloomy sky outside, then Xiao Yu broke the silence first, “I didn’t want Jiayi to know, and I certainly didn’t intend to disrupt your lives, but my actions have still caused you trouble.” Lai Hui turned to her and said, “What do you mean? We all know you didn’t have that intention.” “It’s precisely because you all know that I feel even more uneasy. I never thought of making Jiayi marry me; you haven’t seen me before, just forget about it! I’ll raise the child alone, and he will take my surname, but if you don’t mind, Jiayi can still visit him.” Xiao Yu hurriedly clarified her stance. Lai Hui found it laughable; now that things had come to this, could they pretend it never happened? Besides, how could Jiayi possibly marry someone else knowing he has a child? His recent avoidance of her didn’t it signify that his own flesh and blood was far more important than her, a friend who had been lost and found again but without any blood relation? “This isn’t something I can decide; Jiayi has his own choices. But you—” Lai Hui paused, then spoke directly, “Who do you really love, Xu Ya or Jiayi?” Xiao Yu suddenly lowered her head, gripping the tablecloth under the table, and after a moment, she looked up and said, “I love neither; I only love the child in my womb!” “Perhaps, who can be more important than your own blood?” Lai Hui said with a meaningful tone, referring to Jiayi, and also to Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu gave a bitter smile, shook her head helplessly, then admitted, “I never thought that since middle school, when I started writing novels with protagonists who believed in true love above all else, I would end up as the cliché character forcing marriage by pregnancy. It’s quite vulgar and ironic.” Lai Hui thought to herself, those who see themselves as protagonists are doomed to be supporting roles. She looked up at the sky, which seemed to enjoy playing tricks on people, and said, “Everyone is the protagonist in their own world, but in this grand play of life, fate is the director. Who dares to challenge him by claiming to be the lead? Sometimes, accepting fate, although out of helplessness, can bring some joy amidst the bitterness, far better than playing a tragic role for a lifetime!” She spoke with melancholy, referring to herself and those like her who could only resign to fate. Xiao Yu looked at her in surprise, then suddenly realized, “I’ve been writing novels for so many years, yet I just understood this truth, how shameful!” “Now that you understand, perhaps you won’t be a romance novelist anymore. I look forward to your future works,” Lai Hui said with a smile, then changed the subject, “Tell Jiayi for me, the truth must be faced. Find some time to talk with me!” Jiayi’s avoidance of Lai Hui wasn’t because he was afraid to face it; he just couldn’t figure out what to do. Of course, he also thought of running away with Lai Hui, but when he accompanied Xiao Yu for a checkup and saw the little Jiayi in her womb, the joy of becoming a father overwhelmed him with reluctance to leave. He often thought about holding that child, feeling the soft touch of the baby’s skin, the tender, smooth flesh, his own flesh and blood. One day, the child would walk on his own, chasing him and calling “Daddy” — The willow branches by the lake swayed in the wind, and Lai Hui stood under a tree, behind her was the newly renovated villa, the key in her fingers reflecting silver light. “Here’s your key back!” Of course, Jiayi wouldn’t take it. Sitting on a stone bench, the wind blew his hair into disarray; he couldn’t look at Lai Hui, only at the shimmering lake surface, saying, “Once I give something away, I won’t take it back!” “As you wish, returning the key is just a formality; that lock can be opened by any locksmith!” Lai Hui tossed the key into the lake, causing ripples, then spread her hands, “I won’t have the key, so I won’t come here anymore!” Jiayi suddenly stood up, looking at Lai Hui, tears streaming down, he choked back sobs, painfully asking, “Is there really no other way?” “You want to be with me while thinking of someone else and their child, do you think I could be that generous? Remember, I also lost a child, one you insisted on getting rid of!” Lai Hui felt another cramp in her abdomen; bringing up old wounds, she was resentful, very much so, but she had never mentioned it before. Now, it was as if she had been triggered again, and speaking out was her way of finding relief. Seeing Jiayi’s tall figure tremble violently, almost falling, she rubbed her hair, softening her tone, “Let’s leave it at that; each to their own path, each bearing their own responsibilities, let’s not torture each other anymore!” Saying it was simple, but accepting it was not easy. The boundless love, the tender entanglement, the myriad connections, the pain and disturbance were all part of their youthful experiences; he had decided she was his life’s companion, and she had seen him as her only support. They had only eyes for each other, not considering anyone else. But after so many twists and turns, they were back on their original paths, destined to walk through life hand in hand again, who knows if the changes would continue endlessly, this time it wasn’t even a misunderstanding, they both clearly knew — they couldn’t go back to the past. They had to separate, and this time, it was a permanent departure from each other’s world. The root of the pain lay in not being able to completely let go, in not being able to retreat unscathed; he had left his heart in her world, and in the long years to come, it would be irretrievable. “Lai Hui, you know I truly love you! I did before, I do now, and I will in the future. If only I could hate, if hate could replace love, if my days ahead were filled with hate, I might feel better!” “Then learn to hate me! Those who can’t have what they want will hate, it’s easy!” “Now I understand why people in books always talk about making appointments for the next life; it’s to make up for the regrets of this life!” Jiayi said. “Let’s make it the next life then. In my next life, I’ll become a tree, growing by the roadside, waiting for you to rest in my shade!” “What if in the next life I also become a tree, and we are one in the south and one in the north?” “That’s why I’m telling you now, in your next life, you should still be human, and I’ll be a pine tree. Whenever you pass by a pine tree, look closely at the trunk; the one with the most resin is me, those are my tears!” “That’s quite cheesy!”