Chapter 145: On the Stage
This was both absurd and infuriating.
Damn it, she remembered when she first saw Cat Grandpa in the teahouse, it was such an adorable little cat, wearing its four tiny white paws, so cute that she spotted it instantly in the hallway, such a soft, tiny thing. Just a simple glance, and it let out a soft "meow," and Xie Huailing was determined to kidnap it immediately. Not to mention its natural affinity with her; although it kicked her quite a few times, it only proved their destiny.
Now, where is her cat? What's this in front of her? Yes, a truck, a piglet, a gas cylinder—she sees them all. But where's her cat? That damned cat trafficker! She's going to report him to the authorities!
Adults break down so easily. Xie Huailing's regret came like a tidal wave, relentless and unstoppable. If she had known this would happen, even if she had kept Su Mengzhen up all night and torn the ceiling off his bedroom, she would have insisted that he get the cat back for her. So what was this all about? Was it just a stroke of incredible luck?
Xie Huailing didn't want to rely on any luck in a physical sense. In that instant, she empathized with so many people, determined to get an explanation from Di Feijing. Rarely did she display such a vivid expression on her usually calm and composed face, drawing Di Feijing close and forcing him to answer.
Di Fei was less than two punches away from her, her fragrance filling his senses, and his gaze fell upon her. He didn't resist at all, even when she grabbed his collar—a highly disrespectful gesture—he obediently let Xie Huailing do as she pleased. Looking down, he saw her slender, delicate fingers, which seemed even paler, and a hint of anger in her eyes, filling his vision. Perhaps he would look down further, for this was a rare angle from which he could see her completely.
Hearing Xie Huailing's annoyed question, Di Fei looked up at her eyes. She was glaring at him. He looked at her before speaking, explaining, "It's just that I usually feed her a little too much."
"Slightly?!" Xie Huailing could practically write those two words on his face. What did "slightly" even mean? "Are you using the Song Dynasty's system of weights and measures? Who uses 'slightly' like this? Could you please use this 'slightly' for 'slight concession' next time you negotiate?"
She was truly furious. She released Di Feijing and suddenly felt a pain in her chest, as if a cat had been crashing into her chest. Xie Huailing took a couple of breaths, then bent down again, finally hoping that the cat was just chubby and actually quite slender. She reached out her paw and tried to pick it up.
Unable to reach an agreement, Xie Huailing was heartbroken.
She mourned deeply that the old cat was gone forever, and tried to weigh the gas cylinder again. Again, she failed. It was rooted to the ground like a weight, clearly deeply attached to this floor. With a struggle, it leaped nimbly from her grasp; Xie Huailing couldn't even lift it on her first attempt.
Xie Huailing admitted that she wasn't a very strong person, but wasn't this really a bit too outrageous? She stared blankly at the cat, who, although fatter, was no less agile, and realized that it really had become a grandpa.
How exactly were these cats raised? Xie Huailing stood there, contemplating life. After failing to find the answer on the third attempt, he turned to Di Feijing for answers: "Does your Six and a Half Hall even have cats practice martial arts?"
Di Feijing couldn't follow up on that sentence. His doting affection for the cat was evident in his words. He bent down to scoop up the kitten—uh, the big cat—and the cat lay obediently on his arm, turning into a soft, fluffy ball that seemed to melt away. He said, "...No, I play with it for a while every day, and someone takes care of it when I'm not around."
Xie Huailing couldn't understand it at all. She reached out to Di Feijing, who handed her the cat and told her to use some force.
When her hand touched it, the old cat flailed again, but fish aren't allowed on dry land, and it was a cat, not a fish. Di Feijing skillfully caught it and pressed it into Xie Huailing's arms. Xie Huailing felt a sudden weight on her, as if she were holding a bag of warm rice. She couldn't be sure she could hold it with one hand, so she could only hold it like that, stroking its fur with her fingers.
Confirming that she was holding him tightly, Di Feijing let go. Her focused gaze gave him a lingering illusion, which overwhelmed him and made him hold his breath. Many long nights of tossing and turning were diluted by this illusion, along with the damp sorrow accumulated by the rain, all washed away in the coming and going of the illusion, leaving behind marks and fantasies.
She asked him about cats, as if they were friends who had bonded over cats, without needing to speak ill of each other due to differing stances. His affections no longer needed to be unspoken, and he no longer needed to recall her scent a thousand times, only to end up asking for her name. And the nights he spent stroking the cat's back wouldn't be so unbearable.
Di Feijing answered her gently, trying to say more than she did, and before reality caught up with him, before the illusion faded, he did something he had always wanted to do.
Her beloved lowered his head, his face as pure as a lotus flower, frantically trying to hold the cat in his arms as it struggled. After finally managing to hold it tight, a stray strand of hair from her temples began to bother her. He gently touched her face with his fingertips, brushing her cheeks and tucking the unruly strands of hair back behind her ear.
So this is what it feels like.
He silently thought to himself, as if it were how it should be; stories of handsome men and beautiful women have always been written this way.
However, they were not. Xie Huailing raised his head slightly.
His fingers were still behind her ear, but seeing her clear eyes, Di Fei looked away, completely refusing to look. Grandpa Cat was still in her arms, completely filling her hands, and he took advantage of this opportunity, before she could turn away, to finish what he was doing.
"I'm sorry." Di Feijing withdrew his hand and looked down apologetically.
Xie Huailing remained silent, like the light of a candle drifting away in the wind. The misty waves on the horizon merged into the outline of the distant mountains, which then overlapped into the gaps of the night. The only thing left to linger on the ground was the moon, and so it was an illusion.
Di Feijing felt an emptiness again. He felt somewhat uncomfortable.
There was nothing he could do about feeling miserable. She wouldn't do anything for him, and what could he do for her? He said softly, "Let's go inside; it's cold outside."
Xie Huailing remained silent. His gaze was soft and gentle, as if he couldn't do anything if she didn't answer.
Thankfully, she went inside. Although she didn't say a word, she slowly walked into the corridor, carrying the cat. Di Feijing didn't know what he was so relieved about. He quickly followed her. In the corridor, which was decorated with lanterns, lamps, and silk, his shadow overlapped with hers.
He hadn't returned to this room in a long time, and since she stopped coming, he hadn't stepped inside for just as long. All the furnishings remained unchanged from when he last left, as if they shouldn't change. If even inanimate objects flow and change, what could he possibly think about in this ever-moving world? So thankfully, it was still those two chairs, that table, frozen in place, even the wine pot still steaming, though that was several months ago.
Di Fei waited for her to sit down first before sitting down opposite her. Xie Huailing placed the cat on her lap and coaxed it gently for a while. Even though it was as fat as a gas cylinder, it was still her own little cat. After coaxing it five or six times, it calmed down a bit, and she felt relieved.
Then Xie Huailing chose to get to the point. It was already evening, and she had to worry about Su Mengzhen's temper: "What did Master Di invite me here today to talk about?"
Di Feijing set out two cups, a scene that seemed somewhat familiar. Xie Huailing raised an eyebrow, and sure enough, Di Feijing said, "I wonder if Miss Xie remembers the game we played when we met here last time. Tonight, we both have quite a few questions to ask each other, so why don't we play a few more rounds?"
Xie Huailing could tell at a glance that he was worried that she wouldn't answer him or say a word to him. They had no relationship, and even meeting required careful planning, so they had nothing to say to each other.
"Unfortunately, I'm not in good health and haven't fully recovered, so I can't drink alcohol." It was a good idea, but Xie Huailing was also telling the truth. If she really drank alcohol, she wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, and who knows how long she would cough.
Di Fei replied in surprise, "Miss Xie can have tea instead of wine."
He pushed a teapot over and, under Xie Huailing's "Do you know what you're saying?" look, introduced it: "This is tea that I specially found for Miss Xie. It was collected by a reclusive doctor and has quite a medicinal effect. If Miss Xie doesn't mind, you can use it instead of wine."
He could have easily tried to force her or bribe her, but he didn't. That's why Xie Huailing no longer considered Di Feijing a rival. Rather than not refusing her, he seemed genuinely concerned about her health; even if she didn't object to drinking, he wouldn't let her.
However, having gone through this ordeal, tonight, whether from a perspective of self-interest or out of pity, she only has one option left: to agree. If she says no... how pitiful.
She looked at Di Feijing and thought, "He's so pitiful." "Okay, I promise you."
Di Fei was delighted. He poured himself a cup of wine and then poured her a cup of tea. As the aroma of wine and tea rose, the stage downstairs resounded with the deafening sounds of gongs and drums, and the opera began to play. Yet, this only served to highlight the pervasive tranquility throughout the building. No matter how many times love and hate were played out, the ending would never change. No matter how many tears the actors shed, the audience would come and go.
The first question was asked by Di Feijing, whoever proposed the game asked first. He asked the question that concerned him, saying, "How is Miss Xie's health? Is she alright?"
Xie Huailing answered slowly. Since she was almost recovered anyway, she had no need to lie to Di Feijing, so she said, "I've been overworked, lack of sleep, and have some injuries. All of these have piled up and caused this condition. But it's not a big problem. I'll be fine after resting for a while longer."
"After months of travel, Miss Xie, please take good care of your health. In any case, health is the most important thing." Upon hearing the first three paragraphs, Di Fei was reminded of the experiences Xie Huailing had gone through, as reported by his spies.
He had so many questions that he couldn't even properly express his concern. He talked too much and took up all the time tonight, leaving him the only one with regrets.
Xie Huailing had heard these words so many times she could recite them by heart, so she asked her question directly: "Has anyone ever said that Master Di is like a shy girl?"
Di Fei was startled, his neck bent. Her words were offensive and teasing, and he still looked like a frail scholar. His question was exactly the same as hers. He replied, "Many years ago, someone said..."
As soon as he finished answering, he asked, perhaps half of this meeting was for this question. He couldn't live with this question on his mind any longer, or he would surely die. Di Fei stared at her in surprise and asked, "I heard that Miss Xie has been engaged. What's the story behind this?"
He didn't turn a single turn; how utterly desolate. He wished she could at least offer a few words to brush him off. He hadn't really wanted the truth anyway, but on this matter, he didn't want her to remain silent. He didn't want her to keep quiet.
Fortunately, Xie Huailing only hesitated for a moment. She quickly replied that it wasn't a past she would avoid, and that she would have to clarify it sooner or later. She couldn't keep bearing the identity of Wang Lianhua's fiancée forever: "It's just something that's over—can it be simplified a bit?"
She could only be asking about Grandpa Cat. It's really not easy for a truck to lose weight. Di Fei hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "I can try, if it's willing."
After receiving her reply, he felt at least a little relieved. His heart was soaked with tears, and it was rare for him to be able to let some of the tears flow before he immediately moved on to the next topic. He blamed himself for thinking too much.
Di Fei asked in surprise, "What does Miss Xie like to eat?"
Xie Huailing's eyes paused slightly. It was something she never expected. The gaze from across the table seemed to be directed at her like a wild goose returning from the south. She explained, "When we were ordering last time, Miss Xie only said that she didn't like anything, so I asked her one more time."
She then realized that this seemingly mundane and ordinary question was what Di Feijing truly wanted to ask.
He could say he knew her very well, or he could say he knew her nothing at all. They were not the kind of people who could chat casually, nor could they ever become that kind of relationship. But as long as he thought of her, he had an endless stream of things he wanted to know, and the more he wanted to know, the more minute the details became.
Grandpa Cat had been on Xie Huailing's lap for a while. The cat's size made her thighs and belly a little sore, so Xie Huailing patted its bottom and carefully put it down before answering. She didn't let it jump directly, mainly because she wasn't sure her body could handle it. It turned out her choice was wise; as soon as it landed, Grandpa Cat suddenly lunged forward like a small knife, then retreated to the edge of the cabinet in a strange posture.
Xie Huailing was startled by the sudden commotion, but considering that the cat was a black and white cat, she figured it was just a normal occurrence. She got up and went over to check if it had bumped into anything, or if the cabinet should actually be checked, while answering Di Feijing's question: "I don't have any favorite foods, I don't like anything."
Before she could touch it, the old cat nimbly climbed onto the top of the cabinet, making her want to give it a good rub. Xie Huailing leaned against the edge of the cabinet and stroked its back, then turned slightly to face Di Feijing.
The young man stood alone, head bowed, looking just right. Tonight, she had a sense of déjà vu; recalling that name inevitably brought to mind that person, that single tear, and that resolute act.
Speaking of tonight, it's pretty much the same; she admits she's a cold-hearted person.
Therefore, she will never be a good man.
"It's my turn to ask."
Di Fei looked over in surprise.
Beside Xie Huailing sat a lamp, its warm, bright light framing her figure and highlighting her slender, almost ethereal silhouette. She appeared even thinner and more delicate than before. He remembered her so vividly from the past that he recognized her instantly. Those memories were so real, even more vivid now. When she leaned closer, her ambiguous lies, her eyes filled with a mixture of resentment and longing, her breath warm and fragrant with burning desire—he should have asked for a hug then.
A lingering fragrance, an unforgettable fragrance, a dazzling fragrance, a fragrance that seems to come from afar and then appear near... What would it feel like to hold it in your arms?
Will there be an answer?
The two moles under Xie Huailing's eyes were no longer clearly visible in the backlight. She straightened the wooden hairpin in her hair, a gesture that felt slightly familiar. She seemed to read him completely, yet it all felt like an illusion as she spoke to him, her words so unreal: "Want to hug me?"
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The story of how everyone benefits from the legacy left by Wang Lianhua, but not Wang Lianhua himself.
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