Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Do you love me?
Wen Yu didn't dare go in yet. She was still in her slippers. After a moment's thought, she took the elevator to the underground garage and hid in her car for a while.
Cars drove back one after another. When the empty spaces in front of Wen Yu were all full, Pan Xianchen sent her a WeChat message: "Stop hiding. Come back. I'm leaving. Thanks for the hot water."
Wen Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
She was increasingly puzzled by Pan Xianchen. Just two days ago, he'd been threatening and forcing her, but tonight, he'd changed his tactics and shown weakness, appearing before her like prey. Was this the man of such cunning and deceit?
Before going out, Pan Xianchen dressed himself up, buttoning his shirt all the way to the top button, which covered his collarbone and masculine virtues, and almost covered his Adam's apple.
He drove to find Ning Kai. Ning Kai and Hu Jingjing were dining at home, four dishes, a soup, and red wine, with scented candles lit on the table. Pan Xianchen was hungry, so Ning Kai offered him a bowl and chopsticks, kindly letting him partake of their candlelight dinner.
Over dinner, Pan Xianchen told Ning Kai everything that had happened over the past few days. Ning Kai sat there stunned. Hu Jingjing scoffed and snarled, "You stinky men, when you get frivolous, you're nothing for us women."
"You, you, you—" Ning Kai pointed at Pan Xianchen and said, "You actually sold your body???"
Pan Xianchen moved Ning Kai's hand away and said, "Didn't your wife teach you? When talking to people, don't point your hands at them, and don't point your chopsticks at them. It's so rude."
Hu Jingjing spoke up for her husband: "Brother Pan, your actions are too shrewd. Our Kaikai is really shocked."
Ning Kai said, "What's more important is that you sold the meat, but you haven't succeeded yet!"
Pan Xianchen: “…”
Hu Jingjing added: "It seems your meat isn't that delicious after all."
Pan Xianchen: “…”
Ning Kai and Hu Jingjing looked at each other and both smiled like adulterers.
Pan Xianchen lowered his head and said nothing. The way he'd acted in front of Wen Yu just now had already shown him every ounce of his power. He'd never done anything like this before. It had always been women who'd done this to him. Now, with the roles reversed, he finally understood how those women who'd thrown themselves at him felt when he'd rejected them.
Ning Kai asked him: "What's next? What are you going to do?"
Pan Xianchen frowned, thinking. He'd made his point clear to Wen Yu. What exactly was Wen Yu's attitude? Seeing Wen Yu holding her wedding dress at the door, he'd almost rushed over and ripped it apart. Had she tried it on? Had she tried it on for that man to see? He gritted his teeth, suppressing the resentment.
After swindling his way into Wen Yu's house, he surveyed the furnishings. It didn't seem filled with shared possessions, as he'd initially imagined. There were few traces of the man's presence. Pan Xianchen thought: If it were him, he'd surely fill the house with their love and memories. Her favorite incense was in the living room, his gramophone was on the table, the small rug she used to cover herself with while watching TV was folded up on the sofa, his laptop sat on the coffee table, her bottles and jars were in the bathroom, his razor lay on the sink, her favorite four-piece set was on the bed, and in the nightstand drawer was a set he'd prepared.
Does that man really love her?
Around the corner from the banquet hall in that seaside town, he'd done such a horrible thing to her. His deliberately provocative words, the sounds of their kissing, couldn't he hear them on the phone? Absolutely not. Then why? Why were they still so peaceful? Why was that man still willing to accompany Wen Yu wedding dress shopping? Pan Xianchen was baffled. If he knew there was a man treating his woman this way, he'd drop everything and rush over to fight.
And is the man that Wen Yu is going to marry so calm and indifferent?
Pan Xianchen said bitterly, "Even after all this, that guy is still so patient, a Ninja Turtle?"
He felt that he might have met his match.
Ning Kai stared at Pan Xianchen speechlessly for a moment, then silently reminded him, "The same thing happens to you. Wen Yu had a fiancé and didn't tell you, yet you rushed to get close to him. I think you're pretty patient. Can you two stop making fun of each other, please?"
Pan Xianchen was so angry that he threw his chopsticks.
Hu Jingjing said: "If it breaks, you have to pay for it!"
Pan Xianchen hadn't eaten enough, and had been driven out by the intolerable Ning Kai and Hu Jingjing. He drove home, cooked himself a bowl of vegetable noodles, showered, and went to bed. It was already past ten o'clock in the evening. The bedroom was silent, and the curtains were so effective at blocking out light that even when he opened his eyes, it was pitch black.
But Pan Xianchen couldn't sleep. He thought back to what he had done at Wen Yu's house a few hours ago, and recalled Wen Yu's expression and movements at that time. She didn't push him away immediately, nor did she show any annoyance. Her face was red, and her eyes kept dodging.
Wen Yu wasn't completely indifferent to him. Did she have different feelings for him? To what extent did she feel towards him and that guy? Pan Xianchen wanted to ask her right now, so he pulled out his phone and opened WeChat, but then he thought better of it. If she liked him more, she would have immediately broken up with that guy, but that wasn't the case.
The night dragged on, and Pan Xianchen tossed and turned in his bed. His mind began to wander, a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts. In his daze, he seemed to be back on that stormy night. Wen Yu hadn't pushed him away; her soft hands had wrapped around him, binding him tightly like a rope. He hadn't untied the belt himself; she had helped him. A torrential rain was pouring outside, and they were also experiencing a torrential downpour inside.
Pan Xianchen woke up. For a moment, he couldn't distinguish between dream and reality. But then, he felt the cool, dampness of the sheets. Suddenly, he realized—everything just now was fake; only the dirty sheets were real.
It was a rare occasion that he failed to arrive at work on time.
The office was filled with the clacking of keyboards. Wen Yu was at her desk, finishing her daily tasks when Yan Qianqian sent her a WeChat message. She'd been busy lately, and Yan Qianqian, as if aware of her busy schedule, had thoughtfully not disturbed her during this time. It had been a while since they'd spoken, so seeing Yan Qianqian's WeChat message surprised Wen Yu.
Qianwanfuweng: Sister Wenyu, how have you been recently?
Wen Xiaoyu: I’m fine, what’s wrong?
Qianwanfuweng: ...Nothing, I just wanted to check on you...For example, last night, it was raining heavily, did anything happen to you?
Wen Xiaoyu:?
Wen Xiaoyu: I don’t understand…
Qianwan Millionaire: It’s good that you don’t understand. If you don’t understand, does that mean nothing happened?
Qianwan Millionaire: Hehehe.
Wen Yu read these words and couldn't help but think of what happened last night. Considering Yan Qianqian's relationship with Pan Xianchen, she wondered if Yan Qianqian knew something. She thought for a moment, then carefully crafted her words to Yan Qianqian: "Pan Xianchen came to see me yesterday, but don't worry, it's nothing special."
Qianwan Millionaire: Ah!
Qianwan Rich Man: Did he still come to look for you? I didn’t even tell him your address…
Wen Yu thought: Yan Qianqian really does know, but I wonder how much she knows. There's no need to tell Yan Qianqian about what happened last night. Yan Qianqian is just a little girl, and she's worried about her safety right now. Wen Yu sent some soothing words to Yan Qianqian, hoping to reassure her.
Qianwanfuren: He actually knows you have a boyfriend, but he's still like that... I've tried to persuade him, but he doesn't seem to listen and still insists on being a mistress...
Wen Yu frowned as she read Yan Qianqian's WeChat message. The word "mistress" was a bit harsh. Yan Qianqian and Pan Xianchen had known each other for years, and their families seemed to be old friends. Would someone so close to them say that about Pan Xianchen? Pan Xianchen was clearly not a mistress.
Wen Xiaoyu: Qianqian, don't worry about me, and don't get involved in these things anymore. Thank you. Also, can you please stop calling Pan Xianchen "mistress"? It sounds so rude.
Yan Qianqian was silent for a long time, and finally replied with an "Oh".
Wen Yu wasn't very happy. During lunch, she listened to Ye Yinuo chattering non-stop, and she didn't feel like talking herself. Ye Yinuo noticed and paused for a minute. But after a minute, as if she couldn't hold it in any longer, she gestured for Wen Yu to look aside and whispered, "Mr. Pan is coming to the staff cafeteria for lunch. It's so rare."
Wen Yu followed the direction of Ye Yinuo's finger and saw Pan Xianchen sitting in a seat not far from them, with other senior executives sitting opposite him.
Ye Yinuo said: "Why did he suddenly come here to eat? Is it because of you?"
Wen Yu returned his attention to the food in front of him and said nothing. Ye Yinuo began to analyze to himself, "Looks like the sequel to the beach is coming. Wow, I can't believe that Mr. Pan, who usually looks so respectable, is willing to be a mistress when he finds true love."
Wen Yu: “…”
How could this happen? Everyone wanted to call Pan Xianchen a mistress. And she was inextricably linked to all of this. Wen Yu lowered her eyes sadly and pleaded with Ye Yinuo, "Please don't call Mr. Pan a mistress, okay? That's a serious accusation."
Ye Yinuo glanced at Wen Yu. This was the first sentence Wen Yu had spoken since dinner. Seeing Wen Yu's unhappy expression, she realized she had made a mistake and shrugged, stopping the teasing.
Over the next few days, Pan Xianchen appeared in the staff cafeteria every day. The person sitting opposite him changed frequently, but his seat remained the same. He was either in front of Wen Yu's left or to her right, always maintaining a moderate social distance.
Ye Yinuo couldn't help but say, "It's confirmed! He came here to eat just because of you!"
Wen Yu noticed it, too. They hadn't communicated at all lately, aside from normal work-related chats. The same thing happened on WeChat. Wen Yu almost wondered if Pan Xianchen had reverted to the time when they first met. But what was the point of always eating in the same cafeteria with her, always sitting five steps away? Wen Yu felt a pang of itch. Today was Friday, and she wanted to go back to the villa after work.
When the car stopped outside the villa, Wen Yu took a deep breath and sent a WeChat message to his mother: Mom, I'm here, and I have something to say to you today.
Mom didn’t reply, maybe she was busy.
Wen Yu entered the villa and saw her mother picking vegetables in the kitchen. She walked over and hesitated for a long time before saying, "Mom, can we just forget about Wen Yu? I've tried, but it seems like we can't develop any feelings for each other. I don't like him."
Mom didn't say anything, but her hands that were picking vegetables paused.
Wen Yu continued, "I don't want to marry him. I don't like him. I can't imagine living with him in the future."
With a bang, the vegetables were thrown into the basket.
Wen Yu stopped talking and looked at her mother's back. After a moment, her mother started picking vegetables again. As she picked, she said, "What do you mean you can't imagine being with him? You haven't even tried, how can you imagine being with him? I told you long ago that liking someone is useless. Why are you always so stubborn and disobedient? Now you tell me you don't want to get married? The invitations have been printed, the wedding candies have been ordered, and everyone's friends and family know you're getting married to Wen Yu. Now you don't want to get married again? You want to embarrass yourself, can you please not bring your mother along?"
Wen Yu suddenly felt a pang of bitterness in her nose, and asked her mother, "Mom, do you think my happiness is more important, or my face?"
Mom paused again, then sneered, "Why wouldn't you be happy with Wen Yu? I've already told you the truth, why do you keep going back and forth like this?"
Wen Yu held back her tears: "But I don't like him."
There was another bang, and this time the whole pot of food fell to the ground. Wen Yu was so scared that she trembled all over. Her mother turned around and yelled, "I like you! I like you! I like your dad! Look at how your dad treats me! I just found out today that he bought another house outside and supports that stinky woman! Your dad hid it so well that the child he had with that stinky woman is already in elementary school! I, your legal wife, went to his house to ask for an explanation, but your dad actually protected that woman and kicked me out! Look! Look! How did he kick me out!"
Mom broke down, her hands trembling as she pointed at her neck. Wen Yu was shocked to see a dark circle around her neck, like a shackle that bound her soul. Tears streamed down her face, her eyes swollen. Sobbing, she told Wen Yu that Dad had strangled her and pushed her out.
Wen Yu couldn't hold back her tears any longer and she hugged her mother and said, "Mom, let's get a divorce, let's get a divorce!"
"Bah! Absolutely not! You used our marital property to buy a house and raise an illegitimate child! Now you want me to abdicate and let that stinky woman and that bastard get the advantage?" Mom scolded and laughed at the same time. Wen Yu felt his heart almost jump out of his chest when he saw her out of control.
Mom screamed in the kitchen for a long time, as if to vent her anger. Wen Yu was cold all over and kept saying comforting words. She didn't dare to mention Wen Yu's matter again.
…
I'm so tired tonight.
Wen Yu soaked in the tub for a long time, the warm water covering her head. She closed her eyes and held her breath. At one point, she had a thought: Why not just fall asleep in the water? Sleep in the water, and never open my eyes again. But the human desire for life is an innate craving. When Wen Yu's breath was about to suffocate, she leaped to the surface like a fish suffocating in the water, seeking air. The pond before the rain is a cage for fish; it's also a cage for Wen Yu.
After washing and wiping herself clean, Wen Yu lay down, scrolling aimlessly on her phone. She saw Wen Yu's WeChat Moments—a photo from the day Wen Yu tried on her wedding dress; they were a perfect match. She and Wen Yu had almost no mutual friends, and she saw only a few scattered compliments in the comments section.
Wen Yu didn't want to read the post or the comments below it at all. She swiped past them like a fool. Yan Qianqian's voice call suddenly rang. Wen Yu answered it. Without even saying hello, Yan Qianqian hurriedly said, "Sister Wenyu, be careful. Brother Pan Xianchen just came to see you!"
Wen Yu sat up straight. As if worried she hadn't understood, Yan Qianqian briefly recounted the entire story: "I was having dinner at Uncle Pan's house tonight. I noticed that Brother Pan Xianchen wasn't in a good mood and had been drinking. He had just finished eating and left without even saying a word to his parents. I asked him where he was going, and he said he was going to see you! Oh, he's drunk, be careful!"
After hanging up the phone, Wen Yu prepared to go downstairs. She didn't dare hide from Pan Xianchen, as she was afraid he wouldn't be able to find her and would ring the doorbell, which would wake her mother.
She walked out the door, looked down at her casual camisole, thought for a moment, and went back to get a coat to put on. When she came out again, she saw Pan Xianchen walking towards her from a distance.
Under the influence of alcohol, he said: "Wen Yu, I just want to ask you one question: Do you love me?"
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