The plum blossoms remain the same, but the bright moon is not as bright as the orchids.
The busy schedule did not end until the afternoon. After having a formal lunch, Mei Rugu was still in a state of confusion.
Not long after, Mei Rugu, still dressed in her business suit, appeared at the entrance of a small courtyard. Just as she was about to enter, a girl emerged from within. Her skin was whiter than snow, and she was as graceful as a startled swan. Her light green dress illuminated the entire courtyard with a vibrant glow. Her beauty captivated Mei Rugu, who couldn't help but glance sideways. Coincidentally, the girl glanced over, exchanged a smile, and passed by.
"Sister Mei, you're here." Li Jingzi came out to greet her with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm going to bother you again!"
"Look at what you said. It's my honor to be able to talk it out with you."
The two exchanged greetings and entered Li Jingzi's room.
As soon as she sat down, Mei Rugu couldn't wait to start describing, "Our husband, Qian, has been acting strangely lately. It was a rare day when he came home, so we decided to go out for dinner together..."
Li Jingzi listened quietly, only occasionally responding with slight movements. When Mei Rugu took a short break to drink some water, she softly asked, "Do you have evidence to prove that Mr. Qian's promises about traveling and giving you gifts were all lies?"
"Not really." Mei Rugu thought for a moment and added, "The trip he talked about was real, but the gift wasn't certain. Later, I didn't dwell on the gift anymore. I was just angry at his attitude towards my work! It was like watching children play house. It was a deep-seated contempt!"
"Have you discussed this matter with Mr. Qian?"
"This can't be communicated. The purpose of communication is to express my thoughts to him, to let him know! But we've argued about this many times, and he knows exactly where I stand, and he's still like this. This isn't something that can be resolved through communication; it's a matter of worldview! Am I supposed to beg him to prioritize my career? It's like a child pestering his parents to play with him."
"Wow, you're really exaggerating! It's not that serious. I think Mr. Qian just thinks you don't need to work so hard. Having him support the family is enough. He protects you from the wind and rain, and you give him the warmth of home. This is a pure expression of love!"
"A manifestation of love?" Mei Rugu, who is decisive at work, is hesitant in her feelings.
Li Jingzi looked into Mei Rugu's eyes and gave her a firm answer, "Yes!"
A hint of joy flashed across Mei Rugu's face, but it was fleeting. "But this kind of love is so passive! My life's happiness is completely tied to his feelings. I've become a complete vassal. Once he stops loving me, I'll have nothing. Even if I get a share of the property, I'll be disconnected from society. Without my own independent career or social circle, I'll be socially dead."
Li Jingzi knew that independent-minded women like Mei Rugu were the hardest to persuade. They had mature, logically sound perspectives and were unlikely to be swayed by other people's arguments.
"Ah..." Li Jingzi sighed deeply, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke, "What you said does make sense! But there are no assumptions or ifs in life, and sometimes it really does require a test of vision and luck!"
"Lan, what you said is questionable. Is our life as women just a gamble?"
"Sister Mei, although there is a certain element of luck, life and marriage are our own business! You are afraid of being hurt, you want independence, and you don't want to be dependent on a man. These are all correct. But you consider your own wishes. Who will consider Mr. Qian's wishes? Mr. Qian always needs you to need him. Mr. Qian always needs to take care of you, protect you, and support you. This is the release of his love!"
"Does he need me to need him?" Mei Rugu repeated these somewhat awkward words.
"Yes. The greatest need of human beings is to be needed! From ancient times to the present, countless men have risked their lives, not just for personal enjoyment, but more often in the hope of securing a title and a son, all because they need to be needed. Women are the same, but more often, this need is transferred to their children, because maternal love is also a form of being needed. A person's value is often reflected in being needed. That's why many people feel that the world can't rotate without them, and it's actually because of this sense of being needed."
"If it's really as you said, then what should I do?" Mei Rugu was a little tempted.
“Make a change.”
"Change? Let me give up on myself?"
"When two people are together, they compromise with each other."
"Why me?" The familiar words made Mei Rugu a little excited.
Li Jingzi suddenly smiled. "If Mr. Qian could compromise and be a little more of a mama's boy, of course things would be more harmonious. But do you think Mr. Qian could do that? Or if Mr. Qian really acted like that, would you get used to it? Would you like it?"
Mei Rugu imagined the scene in her mind and also burst out laughing.
"Is there no other way?" she added.
"Yes!" Mei Rugu was surprised by her straightforward answer, but Li Jingzi quickly explained, "Have a baby. Then both of your focus will shift to the baby. Qian's unresolved love will also have a place to go. Someone once made a metaphor: husband and wife are the left and right pieces of a garment, and children are the buttons."
"Well..." Mei Rugu began to hesitate. "Before, I didn't care because my career was just starting out! After my career stabilized, we kept stumbling over things, so having children was never on the agenda. Actually, I'm not too young to have children now."
"That's right, it's time to have a baby!" Li Jingzi encouraged further.
"Actually, I'm worried that if he has someone else outside, I'll bring him into this world, which will be painful for him. He won't have a complete family from the beginning. How can I explain his father to him?"
Li Jingzi looked into Mei Rugu's eyes and increased her strength a little, "Is this really the only reason?"
Mei Rugu's eyes dodged, and finally, like a child whose lies had been exposed, she whispered, "I'm also afraid that getting pregnant and having a child will delay my work, and I'll end up being a housewife."
"I'm really afraid that he has someone else outside and can't give the child happiness. You know that too." Mei Rugu added with a blushing face.
Li Jingzi smiled and said, "Sister Mei, why are you so unsure of yourself? Don't worry, Mr. Qian only has you in his heart. No matter how many temptations there are outside, they are always stronger than the way."
"I wish it were just as you said," Mei Rugu sighed. But soon, her newly relaxed nerves were tensed again by a subtle memory. "Let's not talk about the gift for now. Old Qian has been acting rather strangely lately. For someone who can't sit still, he actually loves hanging out at coffee shops. He even left a reservation card for a cafe called 'Inch by Inch of Time.' Could it be some special temptation? You know, he never asks about these things; it's all arranged by his assistant."
That night, while Mei Rugu was helping the drunk Qian Jianjun change his clothes, the reservation card for "Inch by Inch of Time" slipped out. Although she calmly put it back at the time, the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it became. Today, she finally asked Li Jingzi about it.
"I don't know about other coffee shops, but the owner of this 'Inch of Time' is a real beauty. She's the one you bumped into when you walked in just now."
"Who was that just now?" Xue Jiuyue's image quickly appeared in Mei Rugu's mind. Although they had just passed by and smiled at each other, her outstanding appearance left a deep impression on her.
"Well, the one in the light green dress is the owner of 'Inch of Time'. She's incredibly beautiful, and she's single."
Mei Rugu's heart suddenly jumped into her throat when she heard Li Jingzi's introduction. "No wonder Lao Qian put down his work to hang out in the coffee shop. It's because of her!"
"I'm not kidding," Li Jingzi explained with a smile, "Believe me, I can't guarantee anything about others, but she definitely won't become a mistress!"
"It seems like you know her very well?" Mei Rugu was still skeptical.
"At first she was my guest and we got along very well. But then by chance..." The scenes of memory began to emerge as the story began.
"Lan, why do I always have the same dream?" Xue Jiuyue's voice was as soft and weak as the drizzle outside the window.
Li Jingzi felt a pang of heartache watching Xue Jiuyue like this, but she still gave a professional explanation, "It's probably post-traumatic stress disorder, commonly known as PTSD. It's just that yours is more severe and complicated than usual. It has both the symptoms of acute stress disorder and the characteristics of delayed psychogenic reactions, so not only do you have selective amnesia, but it also causes negative effects such as nightmares. The most difficult thing is not to rush into using strong medication, otherwise it will not only cause secondary damage, but may even be more serious and fatal."
"What should we do then?"
"There's always a way out, especially for a beauty like you. How could God make things difficult for you?" Li Jingzi smiled, dispelling the slightly solemn atmosphere. "It's like a closed room filled with gas. A spark will cause an explosion. But if we open the windows to ventilate, the gas will slowly dilute, and after a while we can light a fire and cook."
"Yeah, that makes sense!" Xue Jiuyue nodded happily, but changed the subject to another topic. "I didn't expect that our young and beautiful Miss Lan is also good at both housework and housework. Whoever marries you will be blessed!"
"How dare I, a humble woman, call myself beautiful in front of the beautiful Yue..."
The two people's private laughter was disturbed by a faint knock on the door.
As soon as I opened the door, I was greeted by a thick cloud of steam. It turned out the rain had already intensified. Standing outside was a man, tall and straight, with three-dimensional features without being sharp. His snow-white shirt and fair complexion made the sky seem even darker. His dark eyes were like two deep abysses, seemingly possessing everything and yet possessing nothing. It was Liu Che.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Dr. Li. I was just passing by and the sound of the rain didn't seem right, so I wanted to remind you to check if your house is leaking."
"Thank you, Doctor Liu. Let me take a look."
Li Jingzi's room was a suite. She had just been talking with Xue Jiuyue in the inner room and hadn't paid much attention to what was happening outside. She then looked around and saw that the old house, which had seen its age, hadn't been able to withstand the erosion of the rain.
"Oh, it really is leaking. Thank you so much. If it were any later, the water would have flooded Jinshan Mountain."
"What's wrong, Doctor Li?" Xue Jiuyue also came out after hearing the voice.
Liu Che was stunned at first, then his face flushed with embarrassment, and he apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't know there were guests."
After saying this, he subconsciously raised his right hand and smoothed the bangs of hair hanging on his forehead.
Only then did Li Jingzi realize that Liu Che's hands were also very beautiful. Like a Buddha's hand carved from mutton-fat white jade, they were soft and delicate, with long, flowing lines. Especially on the lower back of his hand, three pale pink crescent-shaped patterns lined up along the direction of his pinky finger. They looked like tattoos, scars, and even like they were peeking through the skin. They were like the lively colors of a jade carving, like a few plum blossoms dotted on the snow.
Fortunately, Liu Che couldn't see her blunt and bold gaze. Li Jingzi secretly rejoiced as she said, "It's okay, no need to be polite. I should be thanking you! Besides, she's not a stranger. This is my guest and sister, Xue Jiuyue. Xiaoyue, this is Liu Che, Doctor Liu, the most skilled doctor here."
"Hello."
"Hello."
The two greeted each other, but both seemed shy and awkward, and seemed numb.
The scene suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of rain beating against the tranquility...
"Hey, I'm just talking now. Come in and sit down, Dr. Liu. I'll go find a bucket to collect the rainwater. If it's any later, the house will be flooded." Li Jingzi broke the silence first.
Liu Che smoothed his hair again and said, "No, thank you. You're welcome. I have something else to do. I'll go get busy first."
After Liu Che left and sat down again, Xue Jiuyue came back to her senses and said to Li Jingzi quietly, "Lan, I wonder if I can also ask Doctor Liu to treat me?"
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