A Peach Wood Comb

When she first got her hair perked and dyed red, it was to remind herself of her identity constantly—she could be seductive, flamboyant, but could never retain the innocence of the past. Now, even though the red in her hair had faded, it was of no avail. The relationship between her and him was not something that could be easily changed. “Lai Hui!” Xie Jiayi came out of the hospital entrance, jogging up to them and said, “Six stitches on the forehead, but no significant brain damage!” Lai Hui patted her chest, letting out a sigh of relief, “Thank goodness, what about Xu Ya? Is she still negotiating with them?” Jiayi nodded, “It’s almost over, I came down to check. Although it’s for Xu Ya’s friend’s sake that we only paid the medical fees, I think they might agree on the surface but plot something behind our backs. Lai Hui, come back to City A with me, it’s not safe for you here alone!” Both Jiayi and Lai Hui had left City C early, they had no social connections there, and although Jiayi was a millionaire, he was not as influential in City C as one of Xu Ya’s police friends. This incident made him feel somewhat useless, but it also gave him a legitimate reason to persuade Lai Hui to return to City A with him. “Yes, those people are good at ambushing in dark alleys, and they might even sneak into your home. They’re capable of anything.” At this, Zhang Lin showed a look of anxiety and guilt, adding, “You should go back with Brother Xie!” Should she go back? Lai Hui thought, feeling as if an invisible hand pushed her. She didn’t feel coerced; on the contrary, she accepted it quite easily. City A, so close to him, had she missed him too much? Why did the thought of returning to City A make her feel like she was receiving a blessing? That day, in City A, Zhou Yuqian hung up the phone, his expression icy as he sat in his study, twirling a teddy bear pen in his hand, pondering for a moment. He said to Secretary Lin in front of him, “Cut the salary of those two bodyguards by half a year’s worth!” “Yes, given the current situation, Lai Hui might return to City A!” Secretary Lin cleverly remarked. Zhou Yuqian threw the pen onto the desk, the transparent teddy bear head spinning on the desk. “Do you think I’d feel lucky that she’s coming back to City A because she nearly got beaten?” His voice was seething with anger mixed with a hint of self-blame. After thinking for a moment, he added, “Find me the best detective. Within half a year, I want that person who can’t control himself to be put behind bars!” He pulled out another pen from the pen holder, threw it onto the desk again, grinding his teeth in anger at the thought of someone daring to hurt someone he was reluctant to touch himself. A man’s dignity could not be challenged, especially not a successful man’s, and especially not when the person hurt was someone he loved but could not have. He would rather endure the pain of letting her go than see her in distress, unwilling to make her suffer, even after thirty years, still foolishly waiting for her return. So, who had the right to hurt her? “Negotiate with the local government, I’ll fund the construction of the road in her uncle’s village, but it should be under the local government’s name. Also, I’ve found some medicinal herbs in that village, send an expert to assess the investment feasibility!” After noting down his instructions, Secretary Lin left. Zhou Yuqian picked up the teddy bear pen again, his fingers twirling the wobbly bear head, recalling how she used to shake her head in his arms, a tender smile appearing on his face—was she coming back? If she’s coming back on her own, he had no reason to let go again, right? As the plane took off, with the reminders to turn off mobile phones and fasten seat belts, Lai Hui was still in a daze. In two hours, she would be back in City A, a place she swore she’d never return to. Over the years, she had accumulated many things in Nanling, but she left everything behind when she departed. Was it fate that she was going back now? Was fate determined to keep them together, or was she playing hide and seek with him, and since he stopped looking for her, she was now showing up to admit defeat? No, that wasn’t it. She was returning to City A to escape those people, not for him, definitely not for him! She suddenly turned her head towards the window, gazing at the vast sea of clouds, closing her eyes, her mind clouded with darkness, trying to hide her ridiculous thoughts. Zhang Lin, experiencing her first flight, was extremely excited, looking around. Just a day ago, her life seemed dark, but now it was as if a torch had been lit. She planned to learn singing earnestly, work hard, to light more torches, to become an elegant and charismatic person like others. With this in mind, she glanced at Jiayi and Xu Ya talking across the aisle, then at the resting Lai Hui, thinking, “I can’t embarrass myself like an ignorant fool.” She also closed her eyes, slightly leaning towards Lai Hui but not really touching—couldn’t disturb her, she smiled lightly, and fell asleep! Jiayi folded the newspaper and tucked it into the seat pocket, leaning back comfortably, legs crossed, and said to Xu Ya, “I thought you wouldn’t come back!” Xu Ya furrowed his brows, lifting his head slightly, pulling down the sunshade with a “swish,” “I’m just going back to find an answer, I must find it!” Jiayi was stunned for a moment; Xu Ya had always avoided mentioning Xiao Yu, why bring it up now? “How are you two doing?” “I haven’t seen her in three months!” Xu Ya rubbed his nose, then gave a bitter smile, “I couldn’t find her anywhere, I didn’t say anything bad, just mentioned she gained a bit of weight, and she didn’t talk to me for two days, then she disappeared. She’s really hard to please!” Jiayi thought, Xiao Yu couldn’t stand unartistic speech or a life devoid of romance, and Xu Ya wasn’t exactly the best match. After being pampered, her leaving was inevitable, but he couldn’t say that out loud, so he agreed, “Yeah, she does have a bit of a temper.” “Not just a bit!” Xu Ya was getting heated, gripping the armrest tightly, blood rushing to his nose, making it red like pickled buckwheat heads. “All she has in her head are these fantasies, listening to her talk about it all day, I got tired of it, but I still pretended to be interested. Who else is like me, brainwashed by these notions of princesses, princes, and true love every day? Not to mention, I had to read her drafts over and over, fearing I’d forget the plot and disappoint her if she asked, and then she’d get upset and not write anything for days—” Xu Ya was recounting his moments with Xiao Yu, his face lost in a trance. Jia Yi sighed to himself; it seemed Xu Ya was in love, even though he stubbornly claimed that his heart still belonged to Lai Hui. But who knows when, he had been consumed by the daily intimacy and affection with Xiao Yu. “I’ll find her, and when I do, I’ll get to the bottom of this. If she left with you because she didn’t like me, then why did she sleep with me?” His words sent a shiver through Xie Jia Yi’s heart; he had thought the same when he parted ways with Lai Hui, which led to misunderstandings. In reality, it was just men saving face, not wanting to look bad after being dumped, and thus saying harsh words out of spite. His expression changed, and he solemnly warned Xu Ya, “If you truly love her, when you find her, ask properly, don’t say hurtful things. Hurting her is hurting yourself, isn’t it?” Xu Ya lowered his head, silencing himself, his hand pressing on his temple, covering his eyes. Jia Yi clearly saw the corner of his mouth twitch in pain; he knew Xu Ya was close to tears, that hand was probably hiding his tears. “If you love her, don’t dwell on the past!” He glanced at Lai Hui, who was napping slightly to the side, and with a bitter look, he continued, “Though it’s painful to think about, and you might even wish to cut off your own head, you must endure. Think about the days without her, which is more painful?” He asked for two blankets from the waiter, gently covering Lai Hui and Zhang Lin. Lai Hui, disturbed by the noise, opened her eyes slightly, saw it was Jia Yi, and turned back to sleep. If only those unpleasant memories could be erased, how wonderful that would be? He had once thought about escaping from those memories, but when he saw her grieving over another man, he realized that what he deemed bad might actually be good memories for her. Jealousy was pointless; it was better to learn to be inclusive, to create new memories with deep, broad love, to replace those old, hurtful ones.