“Please wait, I’ll brew some tea.”
” Watching the service staff about to exit, I wanted to sarcastically remark: Captain Ye, did you forget to tell her you’re married? But I thought better of it.
Shortly after, the female service staff brought in a pot of top-grade Tieguanyin tea, pouring it for us and presenting the menu. Seeing Ye Zhengchen nod at me, she handed the menu to me.
I looked – it was all Sichuan cuisine. “Is this a Sichuan restaurant?”
“No, we do both Chinese and Western cuisine. However…” she glanced at Ye Zhengchen, her big, watery eyes full of affection. “Captain Ye only eats Sichuan cuisine.”
I felt a complex mix of emotions, sensing the spiciness filling my stomach before tasting the food. My hand under the table tightened, each finger gathering a sense of sourness. “Just make whatever,” I handed the menu back to her.
She looked at Ye Zhengchen, and he nodded. “Whatever works.”
We sat facing each other, very close yet distant. The room was quiet enough to hear each other’s breathing. I lowered my head to drink tea, my emotions like tea leaves unfurling in boiling water, gradually soaked and dried by a scalding sourness.
He spoke again, his tone and expression calm. “Don’t you want to ask why I’m wearing this uniform?”
The teacup in my hand trembled, tea spilling over my fingers, scalding hot. I answered indifferently: “This has nothing to do with me.” “
I had long given up on him and accepted another man; anything he did was irrelevant to me. Clearly, he didn’t think so.
He actually fixed this watch for me. “Darling…” “Yu Yin… How is she?”
Some readers find the female lead melodramatic, and some find the male lead hateful. I want to share my perspective: Why must female leads in novels be cute and naive, while male leads are treated like gods? Men who have experienced much cannot adhere to old conventions. Women who have been emotionally hurt cannot remain rational like bystanders. Some understand the female lead’s heartache, some do not; some admire the man’s devotion, some do not.
When reality is cruel enough to destroy both past and future, we will not choose to continue loving. This is the story I want to tell: in love, men have no reason, women have no wisdom, and for those who love each other, nothing is impossible!
“Yu Yin, how is she?” My question might have been too abrupt; Ye Zhengchen’s gaze darkened as he studied my expression. Before he could speak, I said, “I heard you and your wife have a good relationship. Congratulations!” Ye Zhengchen was stunned and clarified, “I never married her! At the time, circumstances forced me; I had no choice…”
His voice echoed, thundering in my ears. If only I had heard this three years ago. Back then, he could only watch me heartbroken, using one lie to cover another. Now that the truth is out, how can I respond? Have we gone too far to go back?
I blame it on meeting the wrong person at the wrong time. No matter how many regrets, they are in the past. Now, I just want to know how Yin Zhongtian, who suffered in the interrogation room, is doing, and whether he will feel guilty.
A beautiful waitress knocked and entered with a plate of spicy chicken and two bowls of dan dan noodles. The scene resembled our first meeting; looking at him felt like a lifetime ago. The waitress glanced at us and left.
“Darling, these three years, I’ve missed you so much!” One sentence stirred countless longings. I smiled, a smile that exhausted all my strength. “Is that so? Then I want to ask… Your marriage to Yu Yin was fake. Were the three years of sharing a bed also fake?”
Before I finished, Ye Zhengchen’s teacup crashed on the table, the purple clay shattering in his hand, tea spilling everywhere. “Who told you? Yu Yin?!” He gripped his fist angrily. “You believe such absurd words?”
I looked at the trembling teacup beside me. “Why would you rather believe her than me?”
His questioning was like an approaching storm. “I don’t believe either of you.” I took a breath, looking directly at him: “In this world, except for closest family, no one can be trusted…” This is what he taught me, something I’ll never forget.
He looked out the window, and after a while, his tone calmed. “Yu Yin and I are just work colleagues, nothing more.” I said nothing, staring at the diamond ring on my finger. He followed my gaze, looking at the ring. The ice-blue light reflected on it, colorful. I found it hard to understand how a stone accumulated over millions of years could be so beautiful.
So it represents eternity, a lifelong promise. He put away the watch and placed it in his pocket. After a tasteless lunch, Ye Zhengchen drove me home, silent the entire way. Leaving, I told him: “I should return to Nanzhou. If you hear news about Zhongtian, please let me know.”
He suddenly grabbed my hand, the ring pressing painfully against my palm. I didn’t refuse, but he let go. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way about your fiancé’s matter.” “Thank you!”
Back in the hotel room, I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Did he and Yu Yin really have nothing more than work?
I remembered that winter after returning from Japan when I accidentally saw a photo Qin Xue posted online, a group photo of friends in the apartment that made me feel emotional.
Uncle and Aunt Feng were still so loving, both having gained weight, like a pair of lucky dolls. Ling had a man by her side, smiling as red leaves fell, while Qin Xue was with a handsome boyfriend, somewhat resembling Ye Zhengchen. I found myself lost in thought.
Clicking to the next photo, I was struck by Ye Zhengchen. My heart ached, but it dulled upon seeing Yu Yin beside him. I continued clicking through the photos until I froze at one—a beautiful picture at Yu Yin’s home, warm and filled with flowers. Colorful candles burned atop a strawberry cake while everyone sang happy birthday, and Ye Zhengchen leaned down, lips near Yu Yin’s ear. She held a bunch of vibrant roses, and Ye Zhengchen wore a mischievous smile.
I stared at the photo, my eyes dry and painful from forgetting to blink. Qin Xue was online, so I messaged her: [How have you been?]
[Long time no see!] [Just saw the photos in your space; your boyfriend is handsome!] [Not bad, from medical school.]
My hand hesitated on the keyboard. Only after sending my message did I realize I had written: [How is Ye Zhengchen?] It was too late to recall. She replied that not long after I left, Ye Zhengchen moved out to live with a woman named Yu Yin, a beautiful and elegant woman from a noble background. It seemed Ye Zhengchen had truly fallen in love this time.
She told me they often pair up on campus, in supermarkets, or in libraries. I heard they are already married.
Looking at the computer screen, I felt drained, wanting to cry but not a single tear fell. That night, I had a terrible dream of returning to my apartment in Japan, leaning against the wall…
The other side of the wall: Yu Yin’s moans, each breathless gasp was so clear. Each time she called his name: “Chen…” I scratched the writing on the wall with my nails, scratching until blood flowed. The next day, I called Ling Ling.
Under my questioning, Ling Ling finally told me: “Qin Xue is right, he has a girlfriend… they have been living together for a long time.”
“Oh.” Beyond that, I couldn’t say anything. Ling Ling advised me, but I didn’t hear her clearly.
Hanging up, I walked out in a daze. In winter, I wore a thin knitted sweater, sitting under an old elm tree, not feeling cold. People passing by looked at me with crazy gazes.
I felt I had gone mad; how could I still have fantasies about Ye Zhengchen? Having been deceived so many times, I still fantasized that his feelings for me were real. Until I froze my heart, a warm coat was draped over me, and Yin Zhongtian sat down beside me.
