After the divorce, Lai Ru Yun, without a job, had to learn hairdressing to support herself. She opened a small salon, serving neighbors, making ends meet. Disillusioned by her previous marriage, she focused on raising her daughter, never considering remarriage. Thus, Lai Hui grew up with everything earned through her mother’s hairdressing, every penny hard-earned, while her father, after the divorce, never contributed a single cent. Their relationship was as thin as paper. The last time Lai Hui saw her father was when Lai Ru Yun was ill, and he was certainly in no position to offer financial help, even if he had money, he probably wouldn’t have provided any. Instead, he suggested borrowing the house they lived in since they were moving to a big city. Lai Ru Yun, out of pity for his tough life, agreed. However, Lai Hui didn’t share her mother’s kindness; once she handed over the keys, she severed ties with her father. She hadn’t expected Xie Jiayi to go to that house, let alone betray her. Now, with Zhang Zongxiang showing up with little money, Lai Hui couldn’t just leave him to starve on the streets. She planned to take him back to Nanling for a couple of days before sending him back home.
When Zhang Zongxiang learned that his daughter was a mistress, he tried to lecture her, albeit gently, understanding his lack of parental rights. Upon entering the luxurious villa in Nanling, he felt out of place, especially with Zhou Yuqian’s imposing presence. Zhou Yuqian, sipping tea and flicking away ash, asked, “Is this your first time in City A?” Zhang Zongxiang replied in his thick accent, “First time!” Zhou Yuqian nodded, stood up, and said, “Make yourself comfortable. I have to get back to the company. If you need anything, just tell the staff.” After observing Zhang Zongxiang, Zhou Yuqian found him to be an unremarkable rural old man and lost interest. Before leaving, he left his business card, thinking the old man wouldn’t bother him anyway.
Once Zhou Yuqian left, Zhang Zongxiang relaxed, crossing his legs and exploring the place. Seeing an elevator with ornate ironwork, he exclaimed, “Good heavens! An elevator in such a house!” Before he could fully marvel, Lai Hui led him upstairs via the stairs to a guest room. Zhang Zongxiang grumbled about not using the elevator, unaware that it was reserved for the master bedroom. Although initially displeased, he forgot all about it upon entering the room, which featured a European-style bed, a wall-mounted flat-screen TV, and a spacious bathroom with a blue-tiled tub. Outside was a small balcony, and the room was equipped with books and magazines. Pinching himself, he felt the soft, warm silk duvet — he would be sleeping in this luxury, his daughter’s home.
He felt a surge of pride mixed with a touch of regret, wishing he could tell everyone back home that he was living in a place as grand as a palace. Ha, wouldn’t they be green with envy? After giving him the room key, Lai Hui left. Zhang Zongxiang lay on the bed, humming a tune, fantasizing about the day when Old Chen and Old Wang from his hometown would come to City A, and he could invite them to stay here for a couple of days. They would be too scared to even sit on the bed, he thought. Then, he wished that Lai Hui was his current wife’s daughter, so he could openly bring his wife to share in the luxury. He reached for the cordless phone beside the bed, dialed home, and said, “Are you suffering, old wife? You won’t believe it, but the place I’m staying in now, you wouldn’t even imagine!” Little did he know, Lai Hui was already worrying about how to send him back home!
Chapter 18
Xiao Yu moved into Xie Jiayi’s apartment. After spending the night together last time, Xiao Yu asked for the password to Jiayi’s door lock. Previously, due to their different schedules, Jiayi would be asleep while Xiao Yu was still battling with her work at the computer; by the time Jiayi left for work, Xiao Yu would be yawning and curling up in bed. Their time awake together was so limited that Xiao Yu decided to move in with her boyfriend, at least to share a meal together.
On the first day of cohabitation, the housekeeper had prepared dinner and left. Xiao Yu, in a pink cotton nightgown, with disheveled hair, had just woken up, her eyes still unable to focus, and lazily groped her way to the dining table. Jiayi, amused yet slightly annoyed, pulled her up, herding her to the bathroom like a train conductor. “Wash your face and brush your teeth, you dirty thing!” Xiao Yu suddenly turned, her blurry eyes glaring fiercely at him. “Who are you calling a dirty thing?” “Whoever answers, I’m talking about.” Before Xiao Yu could lunge at him, he stepped back three feet and laughed, “Hurry up and freshen up; the food will get cold!”
After Xiao Yu finished washing up and sat at the table, Jiayi picked up his chopsticks. The meal was simple and practical: three dishes and a soup, two stir-fries, and a cold meat dish. Xiao Yu scanned the dishes and let out an “Eh?” “What’s wrong?” Jiayi asked. “No sugar-tomato salad!” Xiao Yu, puzzled, looked at him with chopsticks in her mouth. It was his favorite, an indispensable part of every meal. Even when eating out, he would pay extra for the chef to make it separately. Why was it missing today?
Jiayi took a mouthful of rice, pretending to be joking, “I wanted to see if I could survive without it!” Xiao Yu didn’t catch the underlying sadness and helplessness in his jest, she said, “Can’t survive without one dish? At most, you’d need some extra vitamin C. If you want to eat it, just eat it. Why so stubborn all of a sudden?” Jiayi smiled without responding, the rice in his mouth losing its flavor. The absence of that vibrant red dish made it hard to swallow. Falling in love with something and then giving it up is really hard! He had just learned to make that dish, and now he must stop. It was like learning to love someone, only to forget her, how hard was that? Lai Hui, she definitely wouldn’t know, he said he would, but he hasn’t forgotten at all!
“Jiayi, why aren’t you eating?” Xiao Yu noticed he was just eating the rice in his bowl.
“Huh?” Jiayi responded, putting down his chopsticks and standing up with a bitter smile, “I really can’t get used to it without tomatoes. Let’s start from tomorrow!” He walked to the kitchen, took out the tomatoes the housekeeper had bought, and soaked them in hot water. Lai Hui, it seems I can only start forgetting you from tomorrow!
The summer sun had already begun to shine into the Nanling villa. Lai Hui changed her clothes and went downstairs to prepare breakfast, only to find Zhang Zongxiang had already set out breakfast: sticky white porridge, golden youtiao, several cold dishes, and various types of noodles. Seeing Lai Hui come downstairs, he wiped his hands on his apron and said, “I was just about to ask the workers how to wake you up!”
Lai Hui was momentarily lost, as if back in high school when she would wake up to see her mother had prepared breakfast, urging her to wash up quickly or she’d be late. Feeling a twinge of nostalgia, she turned and headed towards the elevator, saying, “Oh, wait, I’ll go wake him up!”
Zhou Yuqian hadn’t expected that Lai Hui’s father was once a chef. Although he had tasted many chefs’ dishes, Zhang Zongxiang’s local specialties, especially items like youtiao, were something Zhou Yuqian would never eat from street vendors, which made it a fresh experience. During the meal, he teased Lai Hui for only knowing how to cook green bean and lotus seed porridge, lacking creativity.
The breakfast felt like a scene of “family bliss.” After Zhou Yuqian left for work, Zhang Zongxiang eagerly took over the dishwashing, saying, “I’m used to these chores; I’m quicker than you. Go watch TV!”
