entanglements and choices

On January 27, 2011, the day of the Lunar New Year, the Ninghai Shopping Center was still shrouded in a winter mist. Wenqing parked his car securely in the parking lot. He had brought Xiaofeng over for her part-time job; the maternity and baby store was short on staff due to the year-end sales. The mall was still closed, and only the sound of scattered footsteps echoed through the empty corridors.

Wenqing sat on a bench in the lounge area. Through the still-dry mist, he could vaguely see Xiaofeng tidying the shelves inside the store. He noticed Xiaofeng affixing promotional labels to milk powder cans one by one, while other employees moved between the shelves, hanging red lanterns for New Year's decorations from the ceiling. The sound of bells mingled with the crackle of tape being torn.

At ten o'clock sharp, the mall's announcement sounded, and a crowd instantly poured in. Wenqing's eyes remained glued to the girl with the ponytail—she trotted between the shelves, carrying a box of diapers, the corner of her apron lifted by the wind, like a nimble rabbit.

Around noon, Xiaofeng returned from the bathroom and found several store employees gathered in the lounge area, whispering to each other. Their gazes averted as she approached, and their conversations abruptly ceased.

Xiao Qi pounced on her, her nails almost digging into her arm. "Xiao Feng, did Jiang Wenqing send you here? Where is he?"

"Waiting for me to get off work." Xiaofeng lowered her head to organize her shopping bags, and the rustling sound of plastic packaging drowned out the second half of her sentence.

"Maybe, maybe we saw it wrong... Jiang Wenqing and a woman were shopping in a clothing store." Xiao Qi's voice was like a stone hitting the water.

Xiaofeng's fingers froze in mid-air. She mechanically piled the hangers into the shopping basket. "I must have seen it wrong," she heard her own voice so soft it sounded like a sigh.

As the musty smell of the warehouse hit my nose, my phone rang in my pocket. Wenqing's voice, mixed with piano music, came over: "Can you have dinner with me?"

"Too busy..."

"Then I'll eat first and pack it for you later?"

"No need." The words "You order" before hanging up were like needles piercing her eardrums. Xiaofeng leaned her back against the door. The light in the warehouse flickered, making her eyes hurt and tears fell to the ground.

At 1:10, the chimes of the maternity and baby store rang. Wenqing and a woman in nursing shirts walked in, the logos on their shopping bags gleaming coldly under the light. Xiaofeng was bending over to tie up gifts when a man's presence suddenly enveloped her. She looked up sharply, meeting the woman's smiling eyes—they looked so happy, so well-matched...

Without waiting for Wenqing to speak, Xiaofeng ran to the store manager and said, "Sister Fang, please go greet Mr. and Mrs. Jiang. I'm going to eat now."

Jiang Wenqing and Mickey looked at each other. Just as he was about to look for Xiaoqi, Sister Fang came forward and greeted them, "Mr. Jiang, Mrs. Jiang, what can I do for you?"

With just one sentence, Jiang Wenqing knew that there was a big misunderstanding. It was really like yellow mud falling into a trouser pocket - it was either shit or shit.

"I need you to come with me." After saying that, Jiang Wenqing walked out of the store with his long legs.

Everyone had just watched Xiaofeng flee the store in disarray. She'd gone downstairs in her work clothes, waiting for a taxi in the biting wind. Her thin shirt and apron rustled in the wind, and the phone in her pocket buzzed anxiously.

She simply turned off her phone, stumbled out of the taxi, and staggered inside. She couldn't hold on any longer and knelt in the hallway, her back arched into a fragile arc, her shirt collar already darkly stained by tears. She clutched the apron string tightly, her knuckles white, as if grasping at a last straw.

She buried her face between her knees, a whimper like a young animal escaping her throat. The coolness of the floor tiles pierced her skin, but she didn't dare to get up. She didn't know how to face everything related to Wenqing at home.

"Mom, what should I do?"... She finally cried out loud, like a lost child, but calling a name that would never be answered.

Xiaofeng gathered herself, sorted out her chaotic thoughts, and went upstairs to pack some daily necessities—she planned to stay at Uncle Zhou's house for a few days. But when she came downstairs with her luggage, she saw a tall woman standing in the living room, staring at the photo wall in a daze.

Hearing footsteps, the woman gracefully turned, naturally taking Xiaofeng's hand, and then took the black luggage bag from her hand and placed it on the dining table. She casually glanced at the photo wall and said lightly, "He seems to like you very much." After a pause, she tilted her head and counted carefully, "The way you sleep, the moment you eat, the way you brush your teeth, the back of your back while doing homework... every little moment, he remembers it all."

Xiaofeng lowered her head, her breathing almost stagnant, and subconsciously stretched the hem of her sweatshirt with both hands. The sound of the fabric wrinkling in her palms seemed to silently announce her inner devastation.

The woman sat down at the table and looked up at her. "Don't you have anything to say?"

"Sister, I'm sorry." The apology came out in a voice as thin as a mosquito. "I know it's useless to apologize, but I really didn't mean it."

"You are more sensible than many college students. At least you didn't call me 'Auntie'." The woman raised the corners of her lips, and her tone did not reveal whether she was happy or angry.

Xiao Feng was stunned—how could she still be in the mood to joke? Was there some hidden meaning behind these words? Her mind was in a mess, and she simply threw in the towel: "Sister, what can I do? Please don't be angry."

"Sit down."

Xiaofeng quickly sat down beside her, his back straight.

The woman reached out and brushed away her bangs, then gently touched the ends of her hair on her shoulders. Suddenly, she burst out laughing and said, "I'm not going to act anymore. This is really not fun."

Xiaofeng's heart skipped a beat: Is she crazy? Or is she trying to drive me crazy?

The woman pointed to her chest and spoke faster: "My 'signal' is here. I need to go home quickly. To make a long story short."

Xiaofeng understood the helplessness of the nursing mother, so she lowered her head again and repeated in a low voice: "Sister, I'm sorry."

"My name is Mickey," the woman said briskly. "Jiang Wenqing and I have been classmates since high school, and we went to the same university and graduate school." At this point, she smiled slyly and leaned closer to Xiaofeng. "Just like you might imagine, I've been following his lead to pursue him. I confessed my feelings twice, but was rejected both times. I originally thought I wasn't qualified enough, but after becoming his assistant, I realized there was never any other woman around him."

Xiao Feng looked up and happened to see Mickey's mischievous smile on his face: "I was wondering if he had any special hobbies. After all, we don't understand the world of rich people, right?"

Xiao Feng was amused by her and curled the corners of his lips. He couldn't help but ask, "What happened next?"

"Then, I got married." Mickey spread his hands. "Women's blooming period is short, so there's no need to fight to the death." She took out her phone and showed Xiaofeng wedding photos and family photos before putting her phone away and continuing, "He went to the maternity and baby store to buy me a gift, but he didn't understand - milk powder is divided into stages, diapers have sizes, and toys have to be selected by age. In the end, he had no choice but to flee the maternity and baby store and called me and said, 'Let's just give you a red envelope, even though it's not original.' Isn't it funny?"

Xiao Feng was completely relieved and asked with a smile: "Sister, what do you want to buy at the maternity and baby store today?"

"Breast pump and breast milk bags. I have to go back to work after my maternity leave ends after the New Year." Mickey smiled helplessly. "It's also because I have to go back to work that I found out a few days ago when I was looking through my closet that my clothes had 'lost weight' behind my back..." They both laughed, and she continued, "I wanted to buy a few sets of clothes and happened to run into Jiang Wenqing. He said he wanted to give me a few sets and help me carry the shopping bags, so I didn't refuse. Who knew he had a condition - he treated me to a Chinese meal and asked me to explain to you why he went to the maternity and baby store. It seems that it has deepened the misunderstanding."

"You two look so good together, I..." Xiaofeng's voice became lower and lower.

"You're still young, you don't understand." Mickey interrupted her, his eyes lighting up. "Love is different from business negotiations. Talking about data and calculating benefits is useless. It has to be mutual attraction at first sight, determination at second sight, and then madly lusting after each other's body..." At this point, she couldn't stop laughing, and finally caught her breath. "That's true love."

Mickey stood up and pulled her to the window. Xiaofeng followed her gaze and saw Wenqing pacing anxiously in the yard. Mickey's voice softened, "He and I weren't meant to be together, so I stayed by his side as a work partner. For so many years, he'd been able to handle any challenge with ease, but today, I saw him panicking—because of you."

Xiao Feng's heart warmed, and she said softly, "Thank you! The maternity and baby store can deliver to your door. If you need anything else..."

"No need, I'll ask my 'brother' to buy it."

Mickey turned and waved, "I'll be leaving now."

Xiao Feng laughed so hard that his shoulders shook. He also joked, "Well, go and register my name. There's no discount, though."

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Wenqing saw two women shaking in panic.

"Mr. Jiang, I'm leaving first." Mickey waved to Wenqing, then turned and waved to Xiaofeng, "Xiaofeng, come and play with me when you have time."

"I'll take you home." Wen Qing said.

"No need." Mickey smiled, waved his hand, and turned to leave.

Wenqing didn't hesitate for a second. He swept Xiaofeng into the house like a gust of wind and closed the door behind him.

Xiaofeng walked straight into the living room, and Wenqing took off his shoes and followed her barefoot, cautiously. It wasn't until Xiaofeng stopped by the sofa and turned around that Wenqing knew his "judgment moment" had arrived.

As a man, you should take the initiative when necessary, and the same applies to admitting your mistakes.

"I was wrong!" he said immediately.

"What's wrong?" Xiaofeng asked with raised eyebrows.

Wenqing was speechless for a moment.

"You admit your mistake without even knowing where you went wrong. Do you really know you're wrong?" Xiao Feng pressed.

"I was wrong." Wen Qing was still sincere.

"What went wrong?"

"My mistake is... my mistake is that I didn't recognize my mistake." Wen Qing said a little embarrassedly.

"Oh, I'm angry." Xiaofeng waved his hand, obviously not wanting to have this meaningless conversation anymore.

Wenqing reached out to grab her hand, but she broke free. Xiaofeng pouted and pretended to be angry: "Don't touch me, it's hard to comfort me when I'm angry."

Wenqing reached out his hands to grab her arm again. Xiaofeng took a step back and stood on the sofa, hands on her hips, lowered her head slightly and glared at him: "When I'm angry, I can be very fierce."

"He's really fierce. I'm so scared." Wen Qing said, and he put his arms around her hips, picked her up, carried her on his shoulders, walked all the way to the room on the second floor, and gently threw her on the bed.

Xiaofeng sat on the edge of the bed, somewhat bewildered, with her head lowered, not daring to look at Wenqing. Wenqing unbuttoned his coat, gently squatted beside the bed, looked up at Xiaofeng's eyes, and slowly brushed her left cheek with his right hand. He said earnestly, "Xiaofeng, I love you!" After that, he slowly stood up and moved his lips towards Xiaofeng's.

Xiaofeng's eyelashes trembled softly under the overlapping shadows, like the wings of a frightened butterfly. Wenqing's fingers pressed against her jaw, caressing her slightly cool skin. Xiaofeng tasted the coolness of the mint candy on his tongue, but when he pried open her teeth, that coolness transformed into boiling magma, spreading between her lips and teeth.

As they exchanged saliva, Wenqing's palm sunk into Xiaofeng's hair at the nape of her neck, as if he wanted to rub her into his bones and blood. Xiaofeng's nails scratched crescent-shaped marks on his clothes, and pain and pleasure exploded in his heart at the same time.

When they finally separated, their lips were swollen and shiny. Xiaofeng panted and wiped the water from the corners of his mouth, his eyes inadvertently falling on Wenqing's rolling Adam's apple. At that moment, his hormones seemed to burst out with great impact.

"Xiaofeng, you are mine." Wenqing's embrace didn't tighten suddenly as he said this, but instead carried a gentle, slowly seeping warmth. Xiaofeng pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling the rhythm of his heartbeat, and slowly said, "Let's talk."

Wenqing took Xiaofeng's hand and sat down on the sofa in the living room. His body unconsciously moved closer to her and he simply held her in his arms again.

"Wenqing, we met in a maternity and baby store. At first, I thought you were married, so I kept avoiding you. After Uncle Zhou showed me your 'certificate of singleness', I believed you. But just now, I don't know what happened to me. When I saw you with other women, I just couldn't control myself..." Xiaofeng didn't finish her words when she felt Wenqing's hands tightening, as if to seal all the misunderstandings in this hug.

"Just now, Sister Mickey told me about you two, and then I realized what was in my heart. Wenqing, I love you." Wenqing lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

"Your love makes me feel at ease, and I hope it will always be like this. However, I don't really know you. Can you tell me about yourself?" Xiaofeng said, looking into his eyes.

"What do you want to know?" Wen Qing asked.

"Everything."

"Then should we start from when Pangu created the world?" Wen Qing asked jokingly, trying to ease the slightly serious atmosphere.

Xiaofeng, amused by his words, turned around and gently punched Wenqing's chest with her fist, only for him to catch her hand and lift it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "My name is Jiang Wenqing, born on June 6, 1981, a native of Ninghai. I received my PhD in Business Administration in 2009, and, including internships, I have approximately eight years of work experience." These seemingly resume-like self-descriptions were actually a gentleness hidden beneath his rigor, a love code carefully prepared for her. "I'm a disciplined person, in good health, and have never been in a relationship. I own a house and three cars... I wonder if, with these qualifications, I could be your friend?"

It turns out that the top student’s first love experience was so sweet that even his sweet words sounded like a serious performance report.

Xiao Feng deliberately put on a stern face: "If I had known this would happen, I would definitely have refused."

"Why?" Wen Qing raised an eyebrow and stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips. "What about now?"

"The gap between us is so huge..." She drawled out her words, her eyes suddenly curling with a smile, "But it doesn't matter now. I can't live without you. You're so great, so I don't have to struggle."

Wen Qing reached out and tickled her waist, his gesture hinting at both punishment and affection: "How old are you and you're already planning on retiring?"

Xiao Feng curled up in laughter, struggled in his arms, and said word by word, "Having you is enough for me."

"Well, I'm here." Wen Qing tightened his arms and hugged her tighter, "Don't even think about escaping from my grasp."

"I will study hard. My immediate goal is to be admitted to Ninghai University."

"I'll stay with you." Wen Qing lowered his head and rubbed the top of her head. "Holiday will be here soon. I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"It's a deal." Xiaofeng stretched out her little finger and hooked it with his finger.