That evening during dinner, Zhou Yuqian, looking at the simple home-cooked dishes on the table, asked with unusual consideration, “Is cooking tiring?” Lai Hui thought he was referring to the overtime pay, and if she said it was hard, he might think she was trying to raise her price. Better to make him think she enjoyed it; perhaps he’d be even happier. So she smiled lightly and said, “How could cooking be tiring? As long as you don’t find it bad.” Zhou Yuqian was delighted; she was genuinely cooking for him. He then asked, “What about washing clothes?” Lai Hui’s smile grew brighter, saying, “Your clothes are dry-cleaned, and there are only a few undergarments to wash. Of course, it’s not hard!” Inside, she thought, “Now you should be even more moved, right?” Zhou Yuqian indeed beamed, placing a piece of fish in her bowl, his tone unusually gentle, “I won’t mistreat you!” Lai Hui thought he meant the overtime pay and was delighted, immediately saying, “Just tell me what you’d like to eat in the future, and I’ll buy the groceries!” Although their thoughts differed, they could still find happiness in their interactions.
The next day, passing by a jewelry store, Zhou Yuqian thought he hadn’t given Lai Hui any promises or even money, yet she was still cooking and washing for him with all her heart. Should he give her something? He asked Xiao Li to stop the car, went into the jewelry store, and selected a diamond necklace worth over ten thousand yuan. He had it beautifully wrapped in a gift box and took it home. Downstairs, Lai Hui was washing dishes when Zhou Yuqian was about to go to his study to read. His eyes caught the necklace box on the vanity table; he usually left gifts there for her to find. But today, for some reason, he didn’t want to send it off in the same old way. Pacing back and forth, he decided to change his approach. Hearing Lai Hui’s footsteps coming upstairs, Zhou Yuqian walked from the study to the bedroom. Lai Hui thought he wanted tea and said, “The water hasn’t boiled yet; I’ll make you some later!” Then she sat at the vanity table, applying hand cream. Zhou Yuqian was moved again, embracing her from behind and kissing her cheek, saying, “I didn’t say I wanted tea!”
Just as Lai Hui was about to ask why, she felt a cool sensation on her neck. She looked up to see the diamond necklace in the mirror, sparkling brilliantly under the lights. Overjoyed, she covered her mouth, estimating that the necklace must be worth at least a hundred thousand, far exceeding her overtime pay. She turned to Zhou Yuqian, too excited to speak. Zhou Yuqian thought she was delighted by his way of giving gifts and felt that his effort was well worth it, so he kissed her immediately. Little did he know, Zhou Yuqian thought that since he had previously given Lai Hui necklaces without ever seeing her smile like this, her current happiness must be because she was moved by his gift-giving method! However, Lai Hui had been longing for her overtime pay for a long time, and Zhou Yuqian gifting her a necklace more expensive than her overtime pay naturally filled her with immense satisfaction. It’s like when someone owes you money, and just when you think they won’t pay it back, they suddenly do, and even add interest. Wouldn’t you be thrilled? Of course, you’d be ecstatic! So that night, both were happy for their own reasons!
Chapter 15
After a month and a half of treatment, Cheng Lan’s health had fully recovered. On the day Lai Hui came to pick her up from the hospital, it was drizzling, and the whole world seemed enveloped in a light gray. The shop windows were lit, providing a faint, almost insignificant glow in the gray mist. Cheng Lan excitedly told Lai Hui, “Ouyang has divorced that vile woman!” Lai Hui didn’t want to respond; the term ‘vile woman’ made her uncomfortable. She knew many had silently cursed her with such names, or worse, like whore or harlot, and she didn’t want to guess what others might call her from their looks. But she was also aware that ignoring it wouldn’t stop people from thinking it. Initially, her friendship with Cheng Lan was partly because Zhou Yuqian and Ouyang were friends, and partly because she admired Cheng Lan’s intelligence and forthright character, both being mistresses, sharing a kind of empathetic sorrow. Now, hearing those words from Cheng Lan, she realized Cheng Lan now saw herself as the legitimate wife, vastly different from her, the mistress.
Ouyang’s divorce had been mentioned by Zhou Yuqian. His wife, during the signing, only said one thing: “I never intended to keep him, but his lawyer was quicker than mine, so I had to accept this hefty alimony.” Zhou Yuqian said Ouyang drank a lot that night, muttering only a few phrases: “I’ve wronged her! I’ve wronged her! Yuqian, you witnessed our love, why don’t I love her anymore? Why don’t I want her anymore?” The next day, Ouyang was back to his usual self, fresh and clear-headed. Lai Hui found it ironic; how many people at the moment of parting think, ‘Why don’t I love her anymore, or why doesn’t she love me anymore?’ Yet, who, during the time of love, thinks about what to do to keep love alive?
Ouyang and his wife were a typical couple ruined by societal pressures. From university sweethearts to marriage, they had their vows and inseparable moments, yet they couldn’t withstand the wear of time. When the focus of love shifted to mundane life, Cheng Lan appeared. Ouyang initially enjoyed the secretive thrill, believing it to be true love, thus negating the companionship with his wife. When the divorce was finalized, his wife signed away with ease, and he was left feeling lost in this murky, gray world. The entire city was shrouded in fog, cars had their lights on in the daytime, and Lai Hui, gripping the steering wheel, saw the beams of light cutting through the mist, the sharpest irony in this dim world! Ignoring Cheng Lan’s chatter beside her, Lai Hui looked at the hurried pedestrians and the faint glow from the shop windows, murmuring, “Cheng Lan, look how gray it is outside; no one can see into their own heart.”
Cheng Lan didn’t speak further. Lai Hui focused on driving, using the little light available to see the road ahead, but that light could only illuminate a short distance—who could see far into the future?
