Chapter 68

Before Tong Yufei showered that night, she noticed a sticky stain of blood on her sleeve. It wasn't hers, nor was it Ye Yimo's. Could it be Mo Daoyan's? She thought about it carefully, then immediately ruled it out. He'd spoken those vicious words with such force, how could he look injured? Or perhaps it was just an accidental scrape from him while he was taking his brother to see his doctor?

No matter what, she had already decided to stay away from him. Whether he was hurt or not was not her concern.

Blood was indeed an ominous thing. She lay down with a head full of confused speculations and almost stayed awake all night. She didn't feel sleepy until dawn. Just as she closed her eyes, she was awakened by a knock on the door. She opened the curtains and looked at the clock. It was already seven o'clock.

The people who came were Chen Ruchao's sisters. The elder sister was wearing a blue shirt and white pants, and her temperament was as elegant as orchid. The younger sister was wearing a red windbreaker and shiny black leather boots. Her curly black hair was set off by her plump red lips, and she was covered in jewels. These two sisters were the most unlike twins she had ever seen.

Before she could say anything, Chen Jueyao spoke first: "Why did you move to such a remote place? It's so hard to find it after all the twists and turns!"

Out of courtesy, Tong Yufei let the two of them into the house and brewed two cups of passion fruit tea. Chen Jueyao picked up the teacup and drank it all, praising her for the thorough drying of the passion fruit and the perfect amount of lemon juice, which was much richer than the ones sold outside. Then he explained his purpose in a few words, saying that the modern musical was about to be performed at the People's Theater, and although her role had been replaced, she would still play the third female lead instead of being an extra. He took out six tickets and invited her to watch the show, and gave her the remaining tickets as a favor.

Chen Jueyao is still as straightforward as ever. It seems that the teacher-student romance scandal is long over.

After those reports were published, Miss Chen Er's attitude towards her took a 180-degree turn. Regardless of whether she agreed or not, she unilaterally announced that she wanted to be friends with her. She would send tickets to the troupe whenever there was a new show. Now that the play she was acting in was being performed, she even went to her house in person to deliver the tickets. In the past, her simple residence would probably not even catch her eye.

Chen Jueyao held his chin with both hands and asked curiously, "Last time you said you lost something precious, and you haven't told me the answer yet?"

Tong Yufei refilled Chen Jueyao's tea: "If I don't say that, how can I let you accept the interview?"

"So you were just kidding me! No wonder people say those who are righteous are often butchers, and those who are unfaithful are often scholars."

"Don't just act, improve your cultural literacy occasionally."

"Are you saying I'm uneducated? Humph, you're pretending to be something you are not. I have a higher education than you!" Although he was harsh in his words, Chen Jueyao's concern for her was genuine. He walked around the room, complaining about the poor lighting and worrying about the old furniture. He spoke up for her, "Renting is not buying a house, and divorce is not separation. Why bother saving money for Mo Daoyan? We're breaking up now, so you should just give him a good payout! If I were you, I'd rush to Xinli and throw a tantrum to see who's afraid of whom. You're a big manager, and you're treating your ex-wife so harshly?"

Chen Ruchao stopped his sister with his eyes: "I didn't divorce."

"You're driving people here without even leaving? You're nothing."

Tong Yufei ended the topic: "He doesn't owe me anything."

Seeing the person involved make such a statement, Chen Jueyao did not want to say anything more. She had rehearsals in the morning, so she said goodbye first. Before leaving, she repeatedly asked Tong Yufei to go to the theater and said that if he was short of money, he could come to her house at any time.

Chen Ruchao said she wanted to have another cup of tea and asked her sister to go first. After her sister disappeared around the corner of the stairs, she turned her gaze back to Tong Yufei and said, "Thank you."

Thank you for not telling Chen Jueyao the truth and not puncturing her sister's dance dream. With Chen Jueyao's pride, if he knew that the admission quota to the city song and dance troupe was obtained at the cost of ruining Tong Yufei's future through improper means, and that the stage was tainted with impure stains, he would probably never be able to dance confidently again.

"No need. I'm not doing this for you. Without her, my work wouldn't be able to reach new heights."

Tong Yufei opened the window and looked out into the deep and vast sky. The busy figures in the oil and cotton factory were clearly visible. A few white clouds floated in the clear sky, hanging on the roof of the factory, so bright and clear that they seemed to reflect the intaglio marks on the ground.

The world suddenly seemed vast.

"Tong Yufei, I'm sorry!" Chen Ruchao said from behind, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

The apology, which came six years late, was so bland that it left no trace.

Her tone was even lighter: "You've already done it."

Chen Ruchao seemed to understand, but didn't quite understand. He wanted to say something else, but couldn't find a suitable topic, so he could only chat about random things.

"Are you and Mo Daoyan...really going to get a divorce?"

"He's a really twisted person sometimes. Maybe it's because he grew up with such high standards that he never allowed himself to fall behind. He always wanted to be the first in everything, thinking he was invulnerable. He even hid his sadness, like a hedgehog, covering up its soft belly so no one could see it. But there's no such thing as indestructible in this world. It's just that he hasn't encountered a spear sharp enough."

"When he's nice to people, his gentleness is often tinged with harshness. When he's mean to people, he's even more ruthless and unsympathetic. But when it comes to relationships, he's never one to hesitate. If he doesn't want a relationship, he'll reject it cleanly and decisively, just like he did with me, never giving in. If he keeps going back and forth, it means he's struggling with years of ingrained habits. If someone gives him a push, he might be able to overcome himself."

"By the way, there's something I think I should tell you. He was seriously injured last night. There was a hole in his lower left abdomen, and the blood soaked through two layers of clothing. My colleague treated the wound for him. He refused to be hospitalized and was supposed to leave at midnight, but before he even left the house, he started bleeding again. He reluctantly agreed to stay overnight for observation. As a doctor, I see so many patients, and every year I encounter one or two people who don't take life seriously. He's not that kind of person. He's simply obsessed with work. Studying and working are his livelihood, and they're also his way out of the world."

"Do you want to try to persuade him? Maybe you're the only one he'll listen to right now."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this because I can't let him go. I've been on a blind date. I'm currently dating an associate professor at Jiaotong University's Law School. He's from the same class as Senior Brother Zhou, and he's not as good-looking, but he always has endless things to talk about in front of me. He must be the one. Haha, I still can't escape the Jiaotong University circle after all."

"If you feel unwell in the future, remember to come to the hospital to see me. I will give you a free consultation. Don't worry, I won't use public funds. I will pay for it myself. It is absolutely legal and compliant."

"The tea is delicious. I'm leaving now."

When seeing Chen Ruchao off to the door, Tong Yufei finally whispered, "Congratulations."

---

Clinic of Xida Hospital.

Mo Daoyan was so focused on taking Ye Yimo to the hospital that he forgot that he was stabbed in the abdomen by Ye Yimo in the melee. After completing the whole process of debridement, disinfection, suturing, and tetanus injection, the doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs and reminded him that although the injury did not damage the internal organs, the wound was deep and the blood loss was heavy, so it would be best to be hospitalized for fluid replacement and observation for a few days, and then leave after the condition stabilized.

In the middle of the night, he stared out the window at the pitch-black night, feeling a little dazed. He'd been having meetings non-stop these past few days, and he also had to find time to teach practical classes to his junior students at the "Huachu Experimental Base," a joint venture between his company and Jiaotong University. He also had two more lab meetings waiting to be presided over tomorrow. Work was piling up. Being hospitalized? It was a waste of luxury.

The next morning, the doctor came to persuade him to be hospitalized, but he refused again.

The doctor's voice was raised with anxiety: "Don't take advantage of your youth and don't take your health seriously. If the wound becomes infected, it will fester. If it's serious, surgery will be required. If it causes an organ infection, it can be fatal!"

"You're talking about an extreme case. If I were really infected, I would come back immediately for treatment..."

"Listen to the doctor and be hospitalized." At this moment, Tong Yufei pushed the door open and walked in. At a glance, she saw his suit stained with large bloodstains. After being injured like this last night, he still had the energy to argue with her? She couldn't help but curse in a low voice, "You're so stupid."

Although Mo Daoyan wasn't out of breath, a layer of sweat covered his pale face. He forced a smile at her, "Don't you just like stupid people?"

She had no intention of chatting with him, so she asked seriously, "The old lady is not at home, Aunt Lin should have a lot of free time, can you ask her to come and take care of you?"

"If Aunt Lin comes, won't Mom and Dad know? That way, I won't bleed to death, but will just be annoyed to death." He held the doctor's hospitalization form and looked at her hesitantly, "Can... could you please stay a few days?" Afraid she would refuse, he added in a low voice, "Let's be honest, this injury was indeed caused by your brother."

Tong Yufei asked Mo Daoyan to wait in the clinic while she went downstairs alone to complete the admission procedures. When she returned, her cheeks were lightly flushed, and a wisp of bangs on her forehead was damp with sweat, curling like a soft willow branch, gently tucking it around her eyelid and behind her ear. The chic, casual style seemed carefully planned. She hadn't originally planned to stay long. She arrived in a hurry and hadn't made any preparations. Now, since she had to take care of the patient, she had to stop by the supply and marketing cooperative downstairs to buy some daily necessities: an enamel toothbrush with a red penny printed on it, Liangmianzhen toothpaste, a soft-bristled toothbrush, a red and white striped towel, an army green kettle, a sky blue plastic washbasin, two packs of toilet paper... There was also a bag of apples in the basin, and the bright red, plump fruits swayed gently at the bottom of the basin with her steps, like a few beating hearts.

These are for emergency use only. She can only use the spare clothes for now and wait until she has time to go home to get them.

Afraid that he would be bored, she bought two pirated books from a street stall, one was "Half a Lifelong Romance" and the other was "Ordinary World". He happened to flip through both books. In her aunt's literary collection, history books and world classics each accounted for half of the book, with a few popular reading materials in between, including several novels by Eileen Chang.

Mo Changying, the philosophical master of the Mo family, once said that reading more Zhang Ailing and seeing through people's desires can help eliminate unnecessary expectations.

Mo Daoyan disagreed. Reason and emotion always trade off. If people could live a good life simply by understanding the truth, there would be no wars in the world. Moreover, with his limited literary knowledge, he had read about this woman writer who saw through the world and the anecdotes of a famous person who had been hurt by love. As for "Half a Lifelong Romance," he picked it up three times and couldn't finish it. At the time, he was obsessed with martial arts novels, his mind full of heroic dreams of traveling the world with a sword. Even though he understood the limitations of the times, it was difficult for him to empathize with the indecisive male protagonist who was completely oblivious to his lover's pain.

Now it's his turn, and he's not doing much better.

He finished reading "The Ordinary World" and repeatedly reread the part where Tian Xiaoxia drowned while saving someone. Then he guessed with a somewhat sinister mind that the author probably had a dream of helping grassroots people rise to prominence and letting poor boys win the hearts of rich girls, but he didn't believe in such fairy tales from the bottom of his heart, so he simply wrote the perfect woman to death and finally used marriage to balance the classes of the two brothers, which echoed the theme of "ordinariness".

Mo Daoyan couldn't help but wonder if Tong Yufei had chosen these two books to avoid communicating with him. After all, in just a few days, a voluminous work like the latter would be difficult to finish without a rush. But he also admired her clever choice. Both works told stories of pure love shattered by reality. Was it a reference to their shattered marriage?

The quality of the pirated book was extremely poor. The ink was not dry yet, and after turning two pages, three black marks were left by my fingertips.

He asked, “Have you read both of these books?”

Tong Yufei lowered her head to peel an apple, the peel drooping into spiral ribbons. Her nails were neatly trimmed, gleaming with a shell-like pink. "No."

"Then buy it?"

"There are only these two left. The others are all folk tales about supernatural phenomena."

Mo Daoyan thought of her notebook filled with poems: "You prefer poetry."

"It's not a preference, it's just that the poems are short."

She is always racing against time. A long novel requires a whole block of time to be immersed in and read carefully. Reading it intermittently is a very bad experience.

Mo Daoyan felt a pang of pain in his heart. He had been with Ye Yimo for just one day, and the atmosphere was already chaotic. How had she managed to survive all these years? When his eyes met hers, he quietly put on a relaxed expression: "How much is this book?"

"Five dollars, package price."

He twisted the stuck pages apart and shook his head, "Cheap goods are always good. With this kind of quality, it's going to ruin my eyes after reading this."

She took the book and examined it: "I'll return it later."

"Forget it, it's just a few dollars, and they might not even acknowledge it."

"Five dollars is still money. I won't extort money from people for five dollars, and they won't lose their business for five dollars."

Her tone was resolute, as if she would literally overturn the bookstall on the spot and shut down the seller's business if she was rejected. Mo Daoyan looked at Tong Yufei like this, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure. Stripped of her gentle exterior, she revealed a sharp edge. For nearly a year, she had been so tolerant in his presence. How much effort must have gone into maintaining this? It was just an ordinary, everyday occurrence for him, but for her, it was a tormenting precarious situation.

Now that the ice was broken, she no longer wanted to look back.