Leaving the Lai’s home, Xie Jiayi sorted out his thoughts. From the old man, he learned that Auntie Yun had lent the house to her ex-husband’s family after she was hospitalized in City A, and it was during the time when he and Lai Hui were breaking up. Back at home, he lay motionless on his bed, feeling a mix of regret and self-loathing for being so impulsive during such a time, even slapping her. How could he not have taken a knife to himself then? Thinking of this, he wanted to pull his hair out in frustration, but he was so numb that he couldn’t even muster the strength to lift his arm. This season was truly hot; the midday sun was fierce, casting golden patterns on the windowpanes. Lying on the soft cotton, he was sweating all over, only then realizing he had forgotten to turn on the air conditioner. He adjusted the temperature to the lowest setting, and as the cool air blew against his face, he seemed to see all his pores opening, the cold sweat being forced back into his body, chilling him to the bone. He shivered, and his phone rang – it was his alarm, reminding him to head to the airport. He put away his phone, slapped his forehead several times, thinking, “What am I doing? How could I forget everything? I have an important meeting tomorrow, and I haven’t prepared the materials…” He murmured aloud, “What am I doing? What should I be doing?…”
Lai Hui and Zhou Yuqian were practically living like a married couple. Zhou Yuqian not only stayed at Nanling every night but also frequently had dinner “at home.” Lai Hui was at her wits’ end; every morning she had to get up before him to make breakfast and coffee. After work, Zhou Yuqian wouldn’t call to say whether he was coming home for dinner, so she had to prepare every afternoon, ready for his arrival or not. What frustrated Lai Hui even more was that Zhou Yuqian used to calculate her overtime pay, but for the past week, he hadn’t mentioned money at all. She couldn’t bring it up either, hoping he was just too busy to remember and would recall it in a few days.
