Chapter 80

On New Year's Eve, Chen Zhiyi returned around 2 p.m. Lin Ting packed their luggage and waited for him in the underground parking garage.

Chen Zhiyi recently bought a Volkswagen and now drives it everywhere. Several times when he drove it to the film set, other people criticized him, saying, "Does this car match your class?"

He didn't care at all and drove very smoothly. At least he no longer had to worry about being bumped or hit on the road, and even if he did get bumped or hit, he wouldn't feel bad about repairing it.

Even Du Yuan was disgusted by these words. "You're short of this little maintenance fee?"

Chen Zhiyi laughed at him, "You don't understand. There are strict people at home who keep an eye on things. Besides, when it comes to making a living, you still have to be careful with your money."

Du Yuan was simply at his wit's end; was this some kind of veiled display of affection?

Lin Ting opened the trunk, and there was another box full of gifts. He had no idea when Lin Ting had prepared them; it was like magic.

She didn't want to argue anymore, since he would find a whole bunch of reasons to get her mother to accept it anyway.

Ultimately, it's a matter of loving someone because of their family; Chen Zhiyi had long regarded Lin Qin as an elder in his heart and respected her. The more gifts he gave her, the more important she was to him.

On Lunar New Year's Eve, a day for family reunions, people who were away from home were in a hurry to get back, and traffic jams were inevitable. What was supposed to be a two-hour drive back to Lizhen took nearly four hours due to traffic jams, and we didn't arrive in Lizhen until six or seven in the evening.

As darkness fell, the festive atmosphere of the New Year grew stronger.

Fireworks began to bloom in the sky, and the sound of firecrackers exploding grew louder and louder. The houses that passed by were decorated with red lanterns and red couplets, creating a festive atmosphere. The air was filled with the smell of firecrackers and the aroma of New Year's Eve dinner. Every household was looking forward to the moment of reunion, perhaps expressing their boundless hopes and dreams for the new year.

Lin Ting looked ahead in the direction of her home, knowing that a red lantern would be waiting for her to return. Turning her head to look at Chen Zhiyi driving attentively, with her loved one by her side, she felt that this New Year was complete.

Lin Ting at home.

Qin Qiang looked worried and anxious, as if the sky had fallen.

He grabbed Lin Qin's arm and pleaded, "Qin, this time only you can help me."

Lin Qin was even more anxious than him; after all, she still loved him. "What happened? Why do you suddenly need so much money? Have you become addicted to gambling?"

Qin Qiang lowered his arms, his eyes darting around, and stammered, "The Discipline Inspection Commission is going to investigate me."

Lin Qin was taken aback. Although Qin Qiang hadn't explained it clearly, she knew what he meant. "How could you do such a thing? It's illegal."

"I know there are too many temptations surrounding someone in that position. At first, I resisted, but everyone around me said it was okay, small rewards and small bribes wouldn't be a problem, and that you can't walk by the river without getting your shoes dirty. So I did it the first time, and then it happened again. Greed gradually grew amidst these temptations, and everything became uncontrollable. I know very well that what I did was wrong, but I just couldn't control myself. I hate myself for this, but now I'm truly awake. I just want to repent, and I just want to return what didn't belong to me to its rightful place." Qin Qiang looked remorseful, but why did he always only repent when things had spiraled out of control?

"What about Xie Yuling? Won't she help you? Doesn't her family have influence?"

"They're almost at the bottom of the case. They can't even protect themselves, let alone me. Seriously, Ah Qin, I'm really counting on you this time. Please help me out of our past relationship."

Lin Qin looked at the man in front of her. His face was covered with stubble, his eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and it was clear that he hadn't slept for a long time. His hair was messy and had many obvious silver strands mixed in, making him look much older.

In her memory, even when they first got together and were struggling financially, he had never looked so haggard and downcast. How could the refined and gentle young man she knew have become like this?

Lin Qin felt a pang of heartache but was powerless. Leaning against the table, she said helplessly, "But I don't have that much money either."

Hearing this, Qin Qiang grasped Lin Qin's arm tightly again, his eyes full of hope. "I know your area is going to be demolished. We should be able to discuss the compensation with you in detail after the New Year."

"No, it's not true. The idea of ​​demolishing it was proposed five years ago, but it hasn't happened yet. It's all fake news."

Qin Qiang was quite certain, "This time it's for real. A new tourism developer has approached the government, wanting to cooperate to develop this area into a tourist resort. The letter of intent has already been signed, so the demolition is absolutely true. I was involved in the compensation process when Taozhen, a neighboring town, was demolished before, so I have some understanding of the compensation standards. If you don't want resettlement housing and demand money, you can get about 2 million yuan."

He spoke with a serious expression, but Lin Qin felt a chill in her heart. "If the house is demolished, and you get the money, but you can't get a resettlement house, where will Lin Ting and I live?" It turned out that he had already planned everything. He was still so selfish.

“I thought of that a long time ago. When my work unit allocated housing, I was assigned a studio apartment. The apartment wasn’t big, but the layout was nice. It had everything I needed, so I could move in right away. Plus, it was in the county town, so transportation and daily life were very convenient. Once this storm passes, I will pay you back as soon as possible, or I will buy you a new apartment.”

The plan seemed well-conceived, but Lin Qin found it laughable. "Reassured? If Xie Yuling finds out I'm living in your house, won't she cause a huge uproar? Haven't we suffered enough humiliation from her over the years?"

Qin Qiang's heart skipped a beat, his throat bobbing violently. This was a sin he couldn't escape. "Yes, I'm sorry. I know one 'I'm sorry' isn't enough to repay the grievances you and Tingting have suffered over the years. It was my incompetence and weakness that caused this. But this time, Yuling definitely won't come looking for trouble. This is a company-allocated welfare apartment. They don't know anything about it. When I'm tired and want some peace and quiet, I go there to sit for a while. It's my own apartment and my fallback. But because it's a company welfare apartment, I don't have a property certificate, so I can't resell it. However, my children can inherit it. I had already planned to secretly pass this apartment on to Lin Ting. Now, consider it an early inheritance, okay?"

"Qin, I'm really desperate this time. I don't want to go in. You're the only one who can save me." Qin Qiang's eyes were full of pleading as he tightly gripped Lin Qin's arm. This was his only lifeline, and he had to hold on to it tightly. He even knelt down on one knee.

Lin Qin squatted down beside him, looking at the helpless and frightened man before her. Her heart ached, and her eyes reddened slightly. She asked again, "Have you ever regretted it?"

Regret? Qin Qiang had already regretted it long ago. What could he do? He could only grit his teeth and move forward. For so many years, he had been living in pain and inner turmoil. On the one hand, he couldn't let go of Lin Qin and her daughter, and on the other hand, this life of dependence on others made him feel extremely depressed.

Xie Yuling's unreasonable behavior, the Xie family's arrogance, her parents' servility, and her youngest son's congenital defect—each of these was like a rope tightly gripping his throat, tightening more and more, suffocating him, causing him pain, and making even breathing freely and smoothly extremely difficult.

Qin Qiang frowned, his lips drooped slightly, and his eyes revealed a deep sense of despair and helplessness. "If I could, I really wish this were a nightmare that has haunted me for many years. This nightmare is so dark and deep that I don't know when I will wake up and be able to go back to the past."

“Actually, I knew what kind of person Xie Yuling was when I first met her, and I could see through her methods, but I was just stupid. I was stung by the novelty she brought, and I did something wrong in a moment of weakness.”

Suddenly, Qin Qiang looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, gripping Lin Qin's hand tightly. His voice became urgent. "But at the time, I was extremely regretful. I knew very clearly that I was controlled by desire, that I didn't love her. I wanted to turn back, but everyone around me forced me to continue down this wrong path. They all said that once you've taken a step down this road, you have to see it through to the end. And you know that at the time, I really wanted to be successful in my career, to rise step by step, and to live a wealthy and respectable life. All of this forced me to make it impossible to turn back. I am such a cowardly, incompetent, ambitious, and power-hungry person, but now I am finally reaping the bitter fruit of my own actions."

"But Aqin, in this life, I have never truly loved any other woman but you. I still clearly remember your blushing face and gentle voice when we first met, I remember our life together, I remember you nestled in my arms as we set savings goals and planned for the future together. I'm sorry, Aqin, I betrayed the promise I made to you when we got married and ruined our once happy and beautiful life. I've wanted to say this belated apology for a long time, but I never dared to. I didn't dare to face you, to face Xiaoting. I know that saying it today is despicable and disgusting, but I truly, truly repent."

Over the years, Lin Qin has almost completely shut down her emotional outlets, living alone amidst the shattered ruins of her marriage. She desperately tries to find out why Qin Qiang cheated on her, but she doesn't dare ask. She's afraid to hear the answer: "What other reason could there be? Because I don't love you anymore. I've fallen in love with another woman. She's prettier than you, richer than you, better than you in every way. What do you have to compare with her to keep my heart?"

Although she was not highly educated and had never seen much of the world, she still had dignity and married the man she loved with all her heart. She could not accept that in her husband's heart she was a vulgar person and that he had no love for her. She could not beg him not to leave her and not to abandon her and her daughter.

So she withdrew, blaming herself for everything. Just like Qin Qiang said, "What do you have to compare with others?" Lin Ting blamed herself countless times, saying that a man's infidelity was his own problem, that he couldn't control his lower body. What nonsense about being inferior to others. If he could control his desires and restrain his restless lower body, even if she were a celestial being descended to earth, it wouldn't matter.

Lin Qin couldn't blame him. He was the lover she fell in love with at first sight, the partner she had been with for many years, and the embodiment of her beautiful love in her youth. If she denied him, she would be denying her youthful years, which were the most beautiful years of her life.

But today, Qin Qiang told her that he regretted it and that his past love was genuine. Lin Qin was relieved and no longer dwelled on the reasons for her past infidelity.

Even now, he is still someone I can't let go of.

"Get up." Lin Qin helped Qin Qiang to his feet.

“I’ll transfer the compensation to you once it’s paid out. You don’t need to worry about where you’ll live after that. Xiaoting has settled down in Jinshi. She always wanted me to live with her before, but now I’m planning to move there too.”

Qin Qiang couldn't hide his excitement, "Thank you! But it's true that Xiaoting will inherit the welfare housing, you believe me."

"Okay! But you have to promise me that you won't do anything wrong again. If you do too many wrong things, there's really no going back."

"I know, I know, thank you, Aqin!"

Lin Ting never expected that the first thing she saw when she stepped into her home was Lin Qin and Qin Qiang holding hands and looking at each other. She didn't find it touching, but rather ridiculous. What was the point of disturbing our lives again and again?

Don't you understand the saying "let's part ways amicably"?

She stormed over, "Mom, what's he doing here again? Is he bringing us bad luck during the New Year?"

The two then realized that Lin Ting had returned, followed by Chen Zhiyi.

Lin Qin quickly withdrew her hand and greeted him with a smile, "You're back! Your dad brought us some things."

"He's not my dad," Lin Ting insisted.

Lin Qin twitched the corner of her mouth, pointed to the cardboard box on the ground next to her, and continued, "There are your favorite red bean rice cakes, perilla sesame cakes, and some spicy snacks."

Lin Ting glanced over and saw that it was indeed true. She just didn't understand why they hadn't sent any in the past but were suddenly sending some this year. It was also her mother's fault for being too soft-hearted; she could shake hands and chat with him over such a small amount of food.

She glanced at Qin Qiang out of the corner of her eye. Had it been a long time since she'd seen him? He seemed much older this time, with droopy eye bags, a stubble beard, and gray hairs at the temples and crown. He used to be impeccably dressed, unlike now, who looked so unkempt.

She was a little stunned, but still didn't give him a friendly look.

Qin Qiang lowered his head, his hands unconsciously crossed in front of his abdomen, his fingertips gently rubbing them, a slight smile on his lips, his tone light and ingratiating, "Dad, no, I just happened to be here, and today is New Year's Eve, so I thought I'd come and see you. I remember these are all things you liked to eat when you were little, I don't know if your tastes have changed, if you don't like them, you can tell me what you like to eat, and I'll bring it next time."

It turns out it was just "just right," but the "just right" on New Year's Eve is truly disgusting.

Lin Ting replied curtly, "Thank you, but what I liked when I was a child, I may not like when I grow up. Besides, I can buy whatever I like and whatever my mother likes myself. I don't need you to deliver it to me at the 'perfect' time. It's quite pretentious."

Lin Qin grabbed Lin Ting's hand, "Don't say that, your dad really did send it over specially."

"Mom, you're so easy to fool. How come you acted like you were dead all these years?" With that, Lin Ting picked up the box from the ground and threw it into Qin Qiang's hand. "Take the things and leave. It's the New Year, and I don't want to argue with you. We don't need these things. What we need is to never speak to you again. Just grant us that wish."

Qin Qiang failed to catch them, and all the gift boxes fell to the ground. Looking at the mess of overturned gift boxes on the ground, he felt somewhat embarrassed but not angry. After all, he was the one who caused this situation, and he had no right to be angry or lose his temper. He continued to smile and look at Lin Ting.

"Okay, Dad's going now. Happy New Year, Xiao Ting!"

Lin Ting snorted coldly, then immediately turned her back, not even willing to let Qin Qiang see her.

Lin Qin quickly straightened the gift boxes on the ground, intending to go over and see Qin Qiang off, since his current condition was quite worrying.

Lin Ting grabbed her arm, saying, "Mom, why are you being so overly friendly? His wife and kids are waiting for him to come home for the New Year."

Upon hearing this, Qin Qiang froze, as if he had been stabbed unexpectedly. His face turned pale, and his fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly at his sides. He felt utterly humiliated. He gritted his teeth and continued walking towards the door.

Lin Qin was also brought to her senses by these words. No matter how much she sympathized with him or couldn't let go, he was still someone else's husband and father.

All that I did was to move myself.

My heart was stabbed again, and it aches faintly.