“Why are you angry?” Jia Yi, seeing her soften, asked with his eyes closed. Xiao Yu wouldn’t admit it was because she had fantasized about various ways to surprise him, which he hadn’t done. She simply said, “I thought you’d give me a gift, something you personally chose.” “I personally went to get that card. I asked you many times what you wanted, and you never said, so I got a card for you to buy whatever you need!” Jia Yi’s thought process had already gone further than most; he had thought Xiao Yu would be happy. If it were Lai Wei, she would have happily accepted the card and bought things they both needed. In the past, when she celebrated her birthday, he would ask what she wanted, and her answer was always something practical for both of them, very pragmatic, not at all romantic, but easy. Women, indeed, were different. Who would have thought that what made Lai Wei happy would make Xiao Yu furious? His hand habitually touched his chest, which was throbbing with pain, feeling only sorrow. Hearing his explanation, Xiao Yu understood he hadn’t been thoughtless, just naturally unromantic. Her anger subsided significantly, and she decided to forgive him, “Alright, just make up for it on Christmas!” Jia Yi agreed, then added, “Let’s get some sleep; I have an important meeting tomorrow!”
The storm passed, but the differences between the two were starkly highlighted during this incident. Jia Yi, who grew up in poverty, learned how to make money as an adult, while Xiao Yu, who had never known want, had completely different views. Xiao Yu began to look forward to a romantic Christmas, while Jia Yi was thinking about the meeting tomorrow and the CEO’s inspection next month. Subsequently, minor disputes continued between them, with Xu Ya caught in the middle, feeling awkward. After finding a job at the end of the month, he immediately moved out of Jia Yi’s apartment. He tried several times to invite Lai Wei out, but she always found an excuse to decline. Unhappy at work, unaccustomed to the new environment, and with Lai Wei’s avoidance, Xu Ya became disheartened. Each lived their own life until Lai Wei’s university roommate, Xu Nuo, returned to the country for her wedding, causing a ripple effect that shattered the calm facade.
Chapter 26
Seeing Xu Nuo, Lai Wei suddenly felt a weariness as if she had experienced a lifetime of hardships, and she found it amusing herself. When she reunited with Jia Yi, she was startled, only fearing he might seek revenge, but Xu Nuo made her recall all the joys and sorrows she had experienced, as if the events of those years had happened overnight, aging her by over a decade with worry. Xu Nuo stood in front of her, her university classmate and roommate. Lai Wei hugged her like a family member, with tears in her eyes, “Xu Nuo, how did you find me? I thought we’d never see each other again, but here you are!” She knew her excitement might be one-sided after four years apart, but seeing Xu Nuo, she felt the comfort of an abused wife seeing her family, who, even if they couldn’t take sides, would at least listen to her grievances. She believed Xu Nuo would understand her. Xu Nuo hugged her back, smiling, “Lai Wei, can we sit down? I want to catch up with you!” Lai Wei agreed, pulling her hand to sit on the couch, then went to the kitchen to make tea, her heart calming down a bit. Looking at the now fashionably dressed Xu Nuo, she exclaimed, “You’ve changed so much, you’ve become so slender, but you look really beautiful!” Xu Nuo opened her handbag, took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, and laughed, “Staying up late and smoking a pack a day, it’s hard not to lose weight!” She slid the cigarette pack towards Lai Hui and asked if she smoked. Lai Hui shook her head, pushed the ashtray towards Xu Nuo, and frowned, “A pack a day, you should really cut down! When did you start smoking?” Xu Nuo held the cigarette between her fingertips, tilted it to her lips, and exhaled a puff of smoke elegantly, saying, “A couple of years ago, it started because of overtime work, just to kill time. Then I got addicted. Maybe it’s also because of loneliness; when I’m really busy, I don’t even think about it!”
Lai Hui was surprised by her transformation. When they were in college, Xu Nuo, coming from the countryside, had less to talk about due to their similar modest family backgrounds. Back then, Xu Nuo was timid and not very talkative. Years later, if Xu Nuo hadn’t introduced herself, Lai Hui might not have recognized her. “By the way, how did you find me?” Nowadays, it’s normal for women to smoke, so Lai Hui didn’t try to dissuade her anymore. Xu Nuo leaned forward to flick off some ash and gave an unexpected answer, “Xie Jiayi told me. I wanted to see your surprised look, so I came without calling!” Lai Hui hadn’t expected that Xu Nuo was still in touch with Jiayi. Before she could ask, Xu Nuo explained, “I only found him after I returned to the country. My husband works for the same company as him, though two levels below!” Lai Hui thought it made sense; MOIO was a big company with branches in every region, possibly filled with many former classmates they didn’t know.
“Lai Hui!” Xu Nuo called her, her expression uneasy, “I’ve thought about this for a long time before coming to find you. There are things I need to tell you. Over all these years, on one hand, I felt guilty towards you, and on the other, I couldn’t find you. Now that I’ve found Xie Jiayi and you, I should tell you about some past events. You’ve been wronged, you know?” Lai Hui listened, completely puzzled, not understanding what Xu Nuo meant. As she was about to ask, Xu Nuo continued, “Xie Jiayi is now successful. If you hadn’t broken up back then, you’d definitely be happy.” She glanced around the luxuriously decorated villa. “Though this place is nice, I know you don’t want to be here. Ultimately, I was wrong back then!” “What are you talking about?” Lai Hui was utterly confused. Xu Nuo, irritated, took a drag from her cigarette, her expression softening slightly, “It’s not easy to explain in a few words. Let me take you somewhere.” Saying this, she stood up and pulled Lai Hui along.
“Xu Nuo, what’s so urgent?” Lai Hui asked, still bewildered, as she stood up. “Just go with her!” Zhou Yuqian entered at that moment, his gaze sweeping over Xu Nuo to rest on Lai Hui. “She’s probably taking you to see Xiang Qing.” “How do you know Xiangzi?” Lai Hui froze, puzzled by his cryptic remark. Zhou Yuqian didn’t answer, only looking at Xu Nuo, “Take her. My driver is waiting outside!” As Xu Nuo pulled Lai Hui towards the door, he turned, his gaze complex on her retreating back, calling out, “Lai Hui!” He paused, then said, “—Remember, our contract ends next spring, make sure you come back here after you go!” Lai Hui nodded and left. He stood there, like a bare tree in a desolate field, solitary and cold. After a while, his ears twitched as the car drove away. He looked around the living room, still in its cold palette, yet something seemed different. He couldn’t pinpoint what, but regardless— you still have to live with me for half a year. After that, I’ll give you back your freedom. He glanced at the open door again, reached out to press the elevator button, suddenly not feeling like working. He decided to wait for her return.
