“What?” It was rare for this arrogant young Tang to drop such a praising remark, and he sounded so sincere that Shi Zhongcheng was shocked.
Tang Hua looked at him, his flat expression revealing minimal emotion:
“More than seven years ago, you warned me not to be captivated by beauty and assume that person was my lifelong partner. I didn’t listen, so I deservedly fell into a cold tomb to gnaw on my own regrets.”
The playful mood instantly vanished, and Shi Zhongcheng’s face turned serious: “What’s happening between you two? I remember telling you at your wedding that a successful marriage requires effort. Your regrets might also be your wife’s regrets. I must say, in recent years, you’ve been completely indifferent to her. This year, when Xue went to elementary school, you even had him board instead of staying in Taichung, and on holidays, you had your secretary bring him to your company and then to your home in Neihu. Your love has faded so quickly and so ruthlessly that it’s frightening. This is your personal matter, and I shouldn’t interfere, but I must say: you’re wrong.”
Tang Hua smiled bitterly, a taste of sorrow spreading through his chest.
Have differences? He had long been accustomed to a life without maternal love.” He extinguished another cigarette. “Moreover, I doubt her capacity to love. Her world is only of good and bad people. Anyone who has caused her pain is a bad person. I caused her pain, made her suffer the pain of childbirth, so I am a bad person. And Xue Qian made her suffer for two days and a night, so he is also a bad person. Since that’s the case, let bad people stay away from her world.”
After a long silence, Bai Jian finally spoke softly:
“I hope you will explain things to her properly, not send a lawyer to Taichung to have her sign and stamp documents.”
“I will. I don’t love her, but at least we had marital affection.”
How laughable, the woman who once made him love to the point of madness, now discovered to be merely an infatuation, and ruthlessly ending all relationships.
Yes, he was selfish. But because he was tired.
He wanted to return to his own life, to find the feeling of “home” again. He wanted a normal life.
He wanted a woman who would love him and return his love.
The sunlight was intensely penetrating through the gauze curtain, casting its all-encompassing passionate light into the dark bedroom. So bright it was hard to keep one’s eyes open.
A slender white hand timidly tried to pull the thick curtain by the window, attempting to completely block out the sunlight. But the moment her fingers touched the curtain, the daylight illuminated her pale, delicate skin, and she quickly withdrew her hand. Only after a long while did she tentatively reach toward the sunlight, trembling slightly.
She feared the fierce sunlight and the gloomy darkness; feared the unknown and the inevitable paths; feared strangers and disliked people getting close. Yet helplessly, she had to accept others’ meticulous care, otherwise she could not survive in her ivory tower.
It was already four in the afternoon, and the sunlight was no longer harsh, having softened to a comfortable temperature. So she moved her body sitting on the carpet, her delicate silhouette completely immersed in the sunlight, letting the daylight reveal her exquisitely beautiful face and slender, willow-like figure. Dressed entirely in white, in a loose robe, her body was undeniably frail, yet it was hard to tell if she was delicately proportioned.
Living in an elegant villa with servants at her disposal, she was probably what people would call a “young mistress of a wealthy family”. Even if she didn’t like going out, the front and back yards were designed with pleasant scenery for her to while away time.
Was this kind of life good or not?
Since her doting parents passed away one after another, her world had collapsed, and she no longer knew how to live. Birth, aging, sickness, and death have their own cycles, but in her inner world, it was undoubtedly an endless pain.
She was Xiao Susu, an in-vitro fertilization baby born after her parents tried various scientific methods over many years. At the time, the Xiao couple was already near fifty, and no one would blame them for their subsequent overwhelming love and indulgence.
Moreover, Xiao Susu was a premature infant.
Premature babies often have weaker constitutions compared to full-term babies. Especially with Taiwan’s poor air quality, respiratory systems are easily compromised. Xiao Susu’s overprotection stemmed from her fragile health at birth, causing her parents immense anxiety. If possible, the Xiao couple didn’t even want their precious daughter to attend school, so she never went to kindergarten, and about a third of her subsequent educational stages were spent on sick leave at home. After late-age childbirth, the couple retired from their jobs, wholeheartedly and hypervigilantly guarding this hard-won daughter. They didn’t care how much their sickly behavior might invite criticism; they only wanted their cherished treasure to be happy and healthy, living under their tight protection, unaware of life’s hardships.
She did not know why her husband wanted to strip her naked and hurt her. She could not understand what was happening, as no one had ever told her what married life was like.
The man had been very patient with her for a while, and had shown her many books. Apart from this troubling and embarrassing matter, he truly loved her. However, when he realized that she was unwilling and unable to enter his world, his repeated frustrations made his gaze grow increasingly cold. He had once asked her, “Why did no one tell me that you are autistic?”
Was she sick? She was just very shy around strangers, disliking unfamiliar environments, noise, and large groups of people shaking hands with her. Did this mean she was ill?
She dared not tell her parents about this, afraid they would worry. Her parents had only let her marry, believing she would be happy. If they knew she was too scared to even leave her room, they would be heartbroken. She could not speak, could not speak…
During intimate moments between husband and wife, she would often be stiff with fear, gradually reducing such activities. When she became pregnant, she was truly relieved, believing he would be considerate of the child and would not touch her.
But she did not expect childbirth to be so painful! So painful that she almost wished for death to provide relief.
She was surely not a complete woman, otherwise she would not view her son as a demon to be avoided at all costs. When he cried, was hungry, or needed a diaper change, she would only flee, leaving her husband and the maid to handle all necessary aftermath.
Of course, the beautiful new life did intrigue her. When he was not crying, she enjoyed being near him. Although she resented him for causing her such heartbreaking pain that nearly cost her life, blood ties remained, and she was not as terrible as others claimed. However, the baby’s crying would leave her frustrated and at a loss.
Moreover, in the year after the baby’s birth, her parents passed away one after another. The overwhelming grief left her powerless to establish a new relationship with her son, and no one helped her emerge from the depths of her sorrow to start life anew.
Perhaps her husband had made some effort, but he gave up after a few months. With his heavy work responsibilities and a growing son needing meticulous care, this was more important than her “imaginary” suffering.
Yes, she was always complaining without cause, possibly an autistic patient. No one could pull her out or enter her world, and she was powerless, allowing herself to sink repeatedly into darkness. Her life had started on the wrong path, with an uncertain future, and looking back revealed only emptiness, indicating this path was impassable.
