Chapter 26: The End of the Sea

He Dongli felt that she simply didn't want to eat the preserved food that hadn't been in the refrigerator, so she took out the box of shredded eels she brought back to help someone.

The shredded eel was cleanly prepared. He Dongli only needed to stir-fry some scallions and ginger, along with onions and green peppers, and thicken the broth with more starch. The next handful of noodles, which he managed to coordinate in the middle, was a bowl of steaming hot dry-fried shredded eel noodles.

She was just about to take the food out of the kitchen when someone came in through the curtain. He saw the finished dish was already served, and the words "How can I help you..." on his lips seemed a little funny.

"I just made a phone call." Zongchi explained.

He Dongli handed him the bowl and told him to put it in the sink after eating and then leave.

Zong Chi stirred the noodles in his bowl and said it was a bit too much. "Let me share some with you."

"No, I've already eaten."

"Are you also eating eel noodles?" he asked.

He Dongli didn't respond. In the heating room, she took off her coat, revealing a black wool base layered over a white shirt and denim pants. She sat on the sofa, watching a video on her laptop.

Liang Jianxing gave it to her in a nice name, but in fact it was a pot of Eighteen Scholars to help Zong Chi get into the family. It was placed in a corner and she took good care of it.

Zong Chi came closer, holding the bowl. Her eyes were still fixed on the screen as she reminded him, "I'm watching the surgical video. You'd better not come over."

Zong Chi picked up a handful of noodles and put them in his mouth. Honestly, she was still a bit behind Ms. Yu. As for the surgical video she mentioned, he had long been accustomed to it and just ignored it. "Did your mother give you this shredded eel?"

She lay sideways on the sofa, a coral fleece blanket covering her legs. Zong Chi walked over with a bowl in hand. He Dongli looked up at him with some displeasure. Zong Chi picked up a piece of eel silk as evidence and asked her, "Did your mother kill or cut it?"

There was an orange floor lamp behind the person on the sofa, and the whole person was set off with a furry halo. "What's the problem? Is it broken? Does it smell?"

Zong Chi tutted, "If you're deliberately trying to spoil my appetite, just say so." He then fed the shredded eel into his mouth. "You can tell her technique; the shreds she makes are larger. I remember she always made us double-glazed eel and kidney slices."

He Dongli closed his eyes in annoyance and was about to urge him, "Finish your meal and leave quickly."

In the blink of an eye, Zong Chi sat on the sofa. He even sat on her feet. Through the blanket, He Dongli retracted her feet and listened to Zong Chi ask her, "Did she hate me later?"

"No. She's not well educated, has limited knowledge, and is superstitious. She even avoids killing fish on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month. It's hard to make her hate someone who doesn't matter to her."

Zong Chi choked on those four words and said, "Oh, you mean hatred is also unique to you intellectuals."

He Dongli didn't answer, turning up the volume on his computer. Zong Chi glanced at the screen. It looked like an arm skin transplant. He didn't even need to look closely to feel his scalp tingling. He'd heard surgeons say things that might be a little painful.

He had barely taken a few bites of the noodles when his phone rang again. Zong Chi put his bowl down and answered the call. After answering a few words on the other end, he realized that the video on the computer next to him had suddenly gone silent.

He turned his head to look at the people around him, but He Dongli didn't look at him. Zong Chi was stunned for a second. Representative Qi on the other end called him, "Are you listening, Mr. Zong?"

Zongchi asked him to continue.

He Dongli next to her was about to stand up, but Zong Chi grabbed one of her ankles. He was talking on the phone through the blanket, and the person under the blanket was too embarrassed to speak. The instigator seemed unaware and changed his position, facing her, with one leg bent at the side and the knee pressed on the foot under the blanket.

Without waiting for He Dongli's eyes to glow with anger, he immediately put the phone he was talking on on speakerphone and threw it on the blanket between them, then reached for the bowl of noodles on the coffee table.

He Dongli wanted to take advantage of the second he moved to get up, but Zong Chi quickly turned back, holding the bowl in his hand, staring at his phone, and kept saying, "Don't move, I dropped my phone."

Qi was confused, "Mr. Xiao Zong, are you there?"

"I didn't tell you. Just continue." The person who asked someone to continue, holding the bowl of noodles, finished his dinner in no time.

When Representative Qi heard the young boss eating, he laughed and put his official business aside for the time being, teasing him, "It seems like you really hate white food. You ran away from the office and went out to cook for yourself."

Zong Chi put down his bowl and chopsticks and replied calmly, "Well, today's chefs are a bit subpar. The Russians' steak tastes like a bitter squash, like someone's wife ran off with her mistress on their 30th wedding anniversary and suddenly lost their sense of taste. And our Eastern chef, who owes her eight million, is so obsessed with salt, determined to marinate you until you're perfectly seasoned, even if it doesn't kill you!"

He Dongli blushed for no reason, and the middle-aged man on the other end was laughing again. She felt even more uncomfortable.

It wasn't until Zong Chi hung up the phone that He Dongli finally spoke up, "If you think it's salty, just say it earlier. Why do you have to be so sarcastic?"

When Zong Chi heard her say that, he asked her, "Oh, you didn't make it salty on purpose."

He Dongli struggled to pull himself out, got off the sofa, and went to take the bowl back, "I'm not that bored."

Zong Chi then stood up and took her bowl, "I'll wash it myself."

He Dongli looked at him. Zong Chi insisted on washing the dishes himself and stated objectively, "It's indeed a bit salty, compared to your mother. It's probably what you said, she avoids killing animals on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, while you, an atheist, pick up a knife every day. It's understandable that you can't control the saltiness."

*

The person who volunteered insisted on washing the dishes, so He Dongli did not argue with him and told him calmly that washing dishes is not just about washing a bowl literally, but also about putting the pots, stoves, cutting boards, kitchen knives and all the used firewood, rice, oil and salt back in their places.

Including the collection of kitchen waste and replacement of garbage bags.

Zong Chi agreed readily and said that he couldn't do it, and she could do whatever she wanted to him tonight.

He Dongli pretended not to hear and let him go.

As a result, within five minutes, there was a sound of a bottle rolling on the kitchen floor. He Dongli walked over to take a look and saw that it was a bottle of pepper, which was knocked over by someone at the kitchen counter and rolled to the floor. Fortunately, it did not break.

*

Zong Chi turned around and saw He Dongli standing there. He remembered that year in the villa building on Sangtian Road. He didn't let her leave, and the two of them were trapped in the mountains. It felt like the end of the world, like they were in a safe house eating up the remaining food.

He Dongli couldn't bear to see him waste food, so he still cooked three meals a day for him.

The villa's walk-in cold storage was full of things, including two freshly caught yellow croakers.

Yu Xiaohan often made yellow croaker noodles for them. He Dongli woke up that morning with a slight fever, and Zong Chi tried to find her some medicine, but she refused to take it. She felt very unwell. Zong Chi tried to coax her, saying, "I'll make you some yellow croaker soup and let you eat it."

He Dongli was so exhausted from the heat that he had no energy to argue with him. He just let him do as he pleased and declared, "Zongchi, if you can make yellow croaker noodles that satisfy me, I will forgive you. I admit that I can't beat you."

He took it seriously and was eager to show her his determination and confidence.

-

Before he could gut the two fish, the villa was broken into.

The snow on Zong Jingzhou's head and shoulders hadn't melted in the warmth. He slapped his son in front of the others and asked, "How dare you, you bastard! What are you trying to do by holding him captive? Are you trying to force him to change his mind, or is this the end of his life?"

Zong Chi, blame me and your mother for spoiling you. You went to someone else's mother's house, meddling in their affairs, disrespecting your elders, and then brought them here and cut off all communications. You bastard! My entire team was left in limbo during the Spring Festival just for you. I had to resort to so many favors to break this blockade. Even if I had a hundred daughters, I wouldn't marry a jerk like you! Send him down the mountain right now. I want you to personally escort Xiao He to the car. If you dare to say no again, I'll break your legs.

*

As they looked at each other in bewilderment, He Dongli always remembered that day when the gate was wide open, the sky was filled with wind and snow, Zong Chi sent her to the door, and a car parked not far away was ready to take her down the mountain.

He was wearing only a single layer of clothing and turned around and went in without saying anything.

He Dongli got in the car and the driver handed her a box of medicine, which contained the fever-reducing medicine that she had refused to take.

That day, as they walked down the mountain, He Dongli endured a high fever, and the tears that fell to her lips were bitter and hot. At that time, her only feeling was that breaking up was indeed as numb and fragmented as described in the book. She couldn't put it into words, and she was convinced that she might never see him again in this life.

Later, his lawyer and his mother came to see her and confirmed her guess.

-

Yu Weishi apologized for his son's recklessness and paranoia. He Dongli was almost breathless at that time. She said she never blamed him, but she didn't know where to go. She wanted his mother to tell Zong Chi that they were just not suitable...

Before he could finish his words, Yu Weishi coldly told He Dongli that Xiao Chi had agreed to go abroad and leave. If it weren't for your words that disturbed his mind, he wouldn't have been so obsessed with it today.

It wasn't just high school. His father and I were certain he'd stay in ninth grade because of you. This is my biggest regret. I shouldn't have let his father urge me to transfer. Perhaps if he hadn't gone to the system for a few years, he wouldn't have ended up like that. He's his only child, and his father had his plans for Xiaochi practically from birth, handing over all his assets in China to him. That's why his father insisted on keeping him in China for a few more years to study, and it's also why Xiaochi and his father have different nationalities. But, because of this incident, his father practically put him under house arrest, forcing him to agree...

He Dongli understood everything. She lowered her head, numb to the grievance and humiliation, unable to distinguish them. In the end, she could only mumble and agree to Yu Weishi's so-called motherly request:

Delete all his contact information, including his friends', everything. If he comes back, ignore him and don't see him.

Don't give him any hope.

-

Yu Weishi learned that He Dongli had given her the money Zong Chi had left for her expenses, and she eventually reinvested it in Zong Chi's name to Chen Xiangyang. Before leaving, she promised to give her a supplementary amount, which would be transferred to her account within three days. This money was not only compensation for the years Zong Chi had given her, but also a contribution to her studies and life. This way, she could complete her studies and even pursue further education without any worries, without relying on her mother's support.

He Dongli smiled, and before Yu Weishi said goodbye, he asked her, "Do you know why I insisted on breaking up with him even though I clearly still loved him? It's because he, like you, can blame and even humiliate others without any burden, but I can't. I can't be like him, recklessly attacking someone's mother over a disagreement. When I say 'can't,' I mean a kind of ability, a talent, even a class. This is the biggest problem between him and me."

Yu Weishi just stood there coldly.

He Dongli stood up and politely thanked Mrs. Zong for the breakup fee she had paid for their son. He also told Mrs. Zong, "I don't think any of the support my mother has given me is insignificant." She simply had limited knowledge. She chose a new partner out of necessity, the necessity of a woman having a husband and their relationship being her destiny, and the intuitive sense that some exchange would benefit her daughter. She was simply remarrying, not cheating.

*

For five years, Zong Chi has been like a ghost or a god. He has come over and performed tricks again and again. He Dongli knows it clearly, but it is difficult to expose him.

It was even harder to say no to him.

Zongchi, please go. Perhaps if you leave for another five years, I'll be able to completely reconcile with myself.

I don't want to be the culprit in your mother's mouth again.

He Dongli's prepared remarks were completely sucked into the shredder and shattered into pieces when Zong Chi approached him with a rag in his hand.

He was about to speak when He Dongli turned and left the kitchen.

The man who cleaned the kitchen finally finished his task reluctantly. During this time, his cell phone kept ringing. He Dongli couldn't bear it anymore, so he took the phone inside and asked him to answer it quickly.

Zong Chi washed his hands and asked her to check.

He Dongli didn't say anything. He took the phone and before she could speak, he hurried away. "I have to go back. I have an extra meeting. I'll come over at five tomorrow night, okay?"

He Dongli thought he had remembered the time wrongly, "Six o'clock."

Zong Chi laughed and said, "Oh, just remember it."

Before leaving, He Dongli reminded him, "Take your clothes away."

Zong Chi said it as a matter of course, as if he was leaving the house and leaving the shop, "I've worn it and need to wash it. Please send it to the dry cleaner for me."

"Zongchi!"

"I'm leaving. Go to bed early and remember to lock the door."

“…”

He walked to the sliding door and closed it for her. Seeing He Dongli standing there stupidly, he looked as if he was about to die. He smiled at her and said, "Do you want to see me off?"

He Dongli walked over and subconsciously closed the sliding door. After a while, the person outside the door left in a hurry.

The moment the outer door was closed, everything He Dongli saw seemed to have calmed down after the war.

*

The next day, He Dongli went to the hospital in the morning and slept for a few hours at home in the afternoon.

She got up, took a shower, changed her clothes, and put on makeup. At around 5:30, Zong Chi called her and said he had arrived.

He Dongli came out, wearing white casual pants, a denim shirt with a navy blue sweater vest, a camel wool coat, and a pumpkin-colored commuter bag with an Anpanman pendant hanging on it.

When she got into the car, she held the bag on her knees and Zong Chi reached out his hand.

He Dongli's hand holding the seat belt stopped in mid-air, and she subconsciously wanted to say something, but her hand fell on the pendant on her bag.

"I've noticed that you've been regressing in recent years. You used to be eighteen, but now you're almost eight."

He Dongli pushed his hand away from the pendant. Zong Chi turned sideways and let her hold his hand, pretending to look at her carefully.

He Dongli fastened her seat belt. The person next to her was reluctant to start the car, so she couldn't help but look at him. Zong Chi then sat up straight, but did not start the car immediately. Instead, he lowered the window on both his and her sides. The cold wind rushed in, and He Dongli was hit by the wind.

She didn't say anything, but Zong Chi complained, "Take a breath, it smells so good."