It’s already the beginning of winter, yet this city still allows for short skirts and thin shirts, with greenery everywhere. She suddenly missed the first chill of winter in her hometown, where the leaves of the sycamore trees had almost all fallen, and golden leaves danced in the streets. Wrapped in thick winter clothes, she walked with Jia Yi on the quiet streets, stepping on the dry leaves with a “crunch, crunch” sound. A few shops here and there had pulled down their rolling shutters, giving the small town a touch of cold solitude, yet her heart was warm. Recalling those moments, it was so serene and peaceful. She really wanted to go back home; counting the days on her fingers, soon, very soon! Once summer arrives, she could go back. There was nothing left in this city where she had lived for five years to miss. She took out her deep brown wallet from her handbag, flipping it open. Inside was a photo taken by Xu Ya with a point-and-shoot camera, which was somewhat blurry compared to digital photos, and speckled with white dots, giving it an aged feel. The background was an ancient tree, hundreds of years old, majestic and lush. Jia Yi had his arm around her shoulder, both looking sullen as they had just had a fight. Looking at her childish self back then, Lai Hui couldn’t help but smile lightly; youth was always fleeting. The negatives were lost, and all that was left were these bits of memories. She put the photo back into her wallet.
Looking up, she saw Zhou Yuqian entering, his face gloomy. Without even glancing at her, he started to take off his coat. She stepped forward to take his clothes, asking, “Who upset you? Your face is so sour?” Zhou Yuqian didn’t respond, heading straight to the room. Lai Hui hurriedly said, “I’ll draw you a bath, sit down for a while!” He gave her a cold glance, sidestepped her, and locked the door behind him. Lai Hui sat back down, puzzled about what she might have done wrong this time. But she really didn’t have the energy to deal with his moody antics. Jia Yi’s words were still ringing in her ears; she couldn’t help but be moved, yet she knew she shouldn’t be. When Zhou Yuqian decided to be difficult, she would just let him be.
After the clock had gone around and a half, just when Lai Hui thought Zhou Yuqian might have drowned in the bath, he came out wrapped in a towel. Lai Hui quickly fetched a robe for him, draping it from behind and tying it in front, serving him as if he were royalty. “Are you going to rest, or do you need to work?” she asked, looking up at him with professional attentiveness. Zhou Yuqian didn’t answer, just pinched her chin with two fingers, looking deeply into her watery eyes. What disheartened him was that there was no other emotion in her eyes except confusion, especially no affection. He slowly spoke, “Now that the contract is ending, wasn’t there anything in these five years that you would miss?”
Lai Hui looked at him; his expression was not like the usual warnings but a serious question. Lowering her eyelashes, she answered earnestly, “It’s not that there’s nothing to miss, but in this world, whose nostalgia matters? To you, whether I miss it or not makes no difference! I think I won’t miss something that someone else discards like an old shoe!” It was the first time she hadn’t pandered to him, knowing he was just looking for an answer.
Zhou Yuqian gave a faint smile and released her chin. “You really are clever. But the Lai Hui who used to obey me in everything now doesn’t even want to feign compliance.” “I can still feign if you want,” Lai Hui said, not even lifting her eyes, really not in the mood to deal with him today. Zhou Yuqian sneered, “Thinking the contract is almost up, no need to keep up pretenses, right?” Lai Hui looked up at him with fiery eyes, “If you think saying this will hurt me, make you feel better, or make me feel worthless, then go ahead, I’m listening!”
Zhou Yuqian stared at her for a long while, then pulled her up, spinning her around and pinning her down. He laughed coldly, “Who said I want to hurt you? Who said you’re worthless? Isn’t there someone who treasures you?” He said in a mocking tone, then kissed her, biting her lip with force, his hand reaching for her buttons. The suppressed anger made his grip stronger, his sharp nails scratching her tender skin. She let out a pained groan and pushed him away, shouting, “Who upset you today? Isn’t it enough to take it out on me? Don’t forget I’m human too, with emotions!”
Zhou Yuqian propped himself up on his elbows, staring at her flushed cheeks, and said in a low voice, “Of course, I know you’re not in a good mood. But if I say I’ll let you go now, your mood would improve, and you’d thank me endlessly!” “If you let me go, do you think I’d stay and wait for you to kick me out?” Lai Hui retorted angrily.
Zhou Yuqian suddenly found her current defiant look much more adorable than her previously submissive one, his mood improving slightly. He sat up, pulling her onto his lap, saying, “If you don’t want to leave, no one will make you!” “That’s not necessarily true!” Lai Hui turned her head to look outside.
“There’s no feast that doesn’t end; you have your life, and I just want to take my mother back to our hometown to live a quiet life!” She said, feeling unexpectedly melancholic. After five years together, once they parted, they might never see each other again. Zhou Yuqian seemed to sense her mood, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her hair beside her ear, whispering, “Sleep!” Half an hour later, moonlight filtered through the gauze of the window, laying a thin layer of silver-gray on the floor. Zhou Yuqian lay awake; Lai Hui had fallen asleep beside him. He withdrew his hand from under her neck, walked to the window, and lit a cigarette.
Going back to live quietly in her hometown? That might be good! Besides money, he couldn’t give her much else. He would miss her, imagine his life becoming monotonous after she left, but that wasn’t enough for him to risk his reputation. Marriage was out of the question unless she was willing to stay with him. But how long could that last? Sooner or later, he would marry someone of his status. Besides, they were both rational; this emotional chasm was too wide to bridge. He extinguished his cigarette, walked to the bed, and bent down to kiss her lips lightly, “Even if we part, I won’t forget you, the joy you’ve brought me, your caring company, or your look of silent anger!”
The next day, Zhou Yuqian did not stay for breakfast at Nanling and did not return to the Nanling villa for nearly a month afterward. During this time, Lai Hui was anxious because her aunt was seriously ill, and after calling Zhou Yuqian to “request leave,” she rushed back to her hometown.
