Episode 29 Night and Drink
Six years later, the jade-white wool coat remained in the villa, and even the packaging after dry cleaning had not been unpacked.
Jiang Shu always wanted to use this dress to tie her back to him, but he didn't expect that no one would be interested in it after that time.
After returning to the villa that night, he folded his clothes and put them in a bag, changed into his home clothes, picked up his graffiti-stained shirt and went into the laundry room, only to find that the laundry basket had been emptied and Xu Yiwei had just turned on the washing machine...
They looked at each other in bewilderment. Xu Yiwei rolled his eyes, snatched the stained shirt from his hand, and soaked it in water naturally.
"This stain can't be washed clean by the washing machine, so it's just right to rub it by hand."
She has been living here for almost a week and is very diligent every day, just as she said. She cooks and cleans, trims flowers and plants, and even buys daily household items. Every time she reports the bill to him, she is very meticulous and thoughtful.
This girl's hands-on and learning abilities are indeed not exaggerated.
But Xu Yiwei was not a real cleaning lady after all, and her skillful operation made Jiang Shu feel uncomfortable.
"How's your job search going?"
The girl pursed her lips, looking unlucky. "I've interviewed for several administrative positions, but received no response. It's hard to get a position outside of sales these days, and I'm a fresh graduate with no experience..."
"You should be good at business with your mouth. Don't always stick to the same position."
Hearing encouragement from Jiang Shu for the first time, Xu Yiwei's hands were half a beat slower when rubbing the clothes, but his mouth was half a beat faster——
"Thank you, Mr. Jiang. Xiaowei has learned a lot!"
Her tone was coquettish, and her little mouth opened, which made her look even sweeter.
Looking at Jiang Shu's unmoved face, she could only lower her head and continue rubbing the clothes...
Jiang Shu then put down the bag containing the coat and said:
"Send this coat to the dry cleaners and give it to me before the weekend."
After saying that, he walked into the study and closed the door tightly.
Jiang Shu checked his contacts, and ten minutes later, he took the initiative to call Lin Ying and got straight to the point—
"I asked the curator of the square, and they said there were too many modules and they were planning to cut the toddler group. However, they promised me that they could consider including Ruxing's painting in the children's group and count it as a 'rising star'."
Upon hearing this, Lin Ying hesitated for a moment, "I've read about the 'Rising Star Group'. Ruxing isn't old enough, but putting that aside, her painting is indeed far inferior to the level of the other members of the group..."
"Aying, the rule is that the dead are alive..."
"This matter is different. You've spent time with Ruxing these past few times, and you should understand her character. She's not the kind of child who lacks encouragement and is timid. On the contrary, her temperament and learning ability are every bit as good as her peers. Since she's naturally capable, and her reasons for not participating in the exhibition are reasonable, there's no need to force her into the children's group.
I don't want Ruxing to think that success is always within reach. No matter where you start, facing failure is inevitable, so I'll take this opportunity to let her experience frustration.
It was the first time that Jiang Shu was lectured by Lin Ying, and he could only agree without saying anything in rebuttal.
In other words, he has no right to refute anything - what say does he have in how to educate children?
"That's fine. You're her mother, so I'll listen to you."
Lin Ying was about to hang up the phone, but Jiang Shu still insisted and added:
"Aying, do you want to go to Disneyland with me this weekend if you're free?"
"…ah?"
"Didn't you say you broke your promise to Ruxing? Why not take this opportunity to take her out for a trip, as a way to comfort her?"
"A whole day at Disney is tiring, I can just take her myself."
"Wouldn't it be more difficult for you to take care of her alone? Since I suggested it, I certainly have an obligation to help you. If you have time, I'll book the tickets right away."
His invitation was sincere, but Lin Ying still didn't give in easily——
"Not this weekend, I have an appointment."
"With Cen Shuo?"
She paused for two seconds and chose to tell the truth: "With my boss, business."
At work this new week, Lin Ying still adhered to her previous principles in dealing with people, but she was less close to Cen Shuo.
Cen Shuo saw it and felt upset.
After work that day, he deliberately stayed until the end, just to intercept Lin Ying's steps to the kindergarten -
"I'm sorry, sister!"
Lin Ying was not surprised by this clichéd apology.
"That matter is over. I don't want to mention it again, and you don't have to apologize."
"You keep ignoring me, how can you say that you've turned the page?"
"We have a rule: no personal conversations during work hours."
Lin Ying glanced at the time impatiently. The kindergarten class was about to end. She was about to walk past him and leave, but he was more stubborn than she thought.
"I know I said something I shouldn't have said the other day. I was just a little jealous and didn't mean to expose your scars, but I'm serious about you, Lin Ying. Don't give me the cold shoulder. Let's talk it out, okay? Even if you have to scold me?"
Hearing this strategy of retreating to advance, Lin Ying was immediately furious:
"What's there to bring up? It was obviously you who was unreasonable first, and it was you who pushed the issue further. After all, we only slept together a few times. You're not at the point where you can question my past!"
She pushed Cen Shuo away and walked quickly towards the kindergarten.
Cen Shuo stayed where he was, his eyes filled with indignation and helplessness - he had crossed the line, the line in her heart.
This might be the generation gap that cannot be bridged. His love should have been gradual, first touching a person's soul, and then exploring each other's bodies tacitly.
But the boundary between them had already been crossed, the first step being to touch each other's skin. Like two magnets, the moment they stick together, without asking why, they simply follow the laws of the magnetic field, and when they get close, they stick together.
He got her body, but knew nothing about her heart. Even actively asking about it would hurt her.
Cen Shuo was not the only one who was in a state of confusion that night; Lin Ying wasn't much better off.
But it wasn't just Cen Shuo who made her upset.
After coaxing Ruxing to sleep, she saw that it was still early, so she leaned on the edge of the bed and flipped through the pages of a book. Not long after, she felt that the words were heavy and messy, but she lay down without feeling sleepy at all.
She had no choice but to get up quietly and go to the deepest part of the kitchen fresh-keeping room to dig out two bottles of Tsingtao... On a midsummer night, this seemed to be the only thing that could calm her restless heart and bring her some comfort.
After years of ups and downs in the workplace, Lin Ying has deliberately improved his drinking capacity. Although he can't drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, he can still cheer himself up by having a few bottles of beer occasionally - he doesn't have many opportunities to drink to relieve his worries when he is taking care of his children.
After becoming a mother, even worries have to be picked at specific times and places.
The moon is bright tonight and the breeze is gentle. Cheng Xinran, who has just finished a civil dispute case, returns home under the moonlight.
After returning to my room to change, I went to the balcony to collect clothes. I happened to run into Lin Ying, who was leaning on the railing, drinking alone under the moon.
"Oh? You're so pretentious, drinking secretly without asking me?"
Seeing her happy face, Lin Ying pushed a can of beer to her: "Are you in a good mood?"
"Isn't it? I just finished a domestic violence divorce case that lasted almost a month, and it's finally closed."
She had been talking about this case for a long time. The client caught her husband cheating on her, and the couple argued so hard that she fell down the escalator and broke her legs. After hearing Cheng Xinran's story today, Lin Ying asked with interest:
"What was the verdict? Can they get a divorce?"
"Yes, but my client is also pitiful. Although the verdict is satisfactory, she will have to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair."
This case is the first civil dispute case that Cheng Xinran has handled since entering the industry.
The client is a woman who has been married to her husband for ten years and has a son. Her husband owns five industrial companies, three of which have the woman as the legal person and the shareholding weights are also the woman's capital. However, during the ten-year marriage, the wife has been suffering from violence from her husband, both physically and psychologically.
The woman endured it all the time because she had a child with her husband and they also had business cooperation.
Six months ago, she discovered her husband was cheating on her and secretly transferring their shared property. An argument ensued between them, and during the scuffle, the husband pushed her down a steep staircase, knocking over a two-meter-tall celadon vase. The vase's weight landed on the client's knees, piercing them with broken pieces.
In the end, the doctor had to saw off her legs to stop the heavy bleeding and save the client's life.
This bitter lesson finally led the woman to stand up and formally file for divorce, demanding compensation for her mental and physical losses from her husband.
"This case wasn't difficult. After all, the client's condition was dire. There was a wealth of witnesses, evidence, and certificates from the hospital and company. Her husband was inherently responsible, and divorce compensation was inevitable. Our main task was to help her search for evidence of domestic violence, both minor and major, inflicted on her by her husband over the past decade, in order to secure more rigorous protection for her rights. The final result was, to be fair, unsatisfactory. The fact that her legs were paralyzed served as a catalyst, significantly enhanced the credibility of the domestic violence allegation."
When Cheng Xinran said this, she couldn't help but sigh——
"But I find it quite ironic. If she didn't have these legs as a price, even if she revealed the abuse and violence she suffered, it would be difficult to obtain evidence, let alone... be able to successfully divorce her."
At this point, Lin Ying had already taken out two more bottles of beer from the refrigerator, handed one to Cheng Xinran, and opened the other for himself.
The two of them clinked their glasses under the gentle breeze and bright moon. A little foam rolled out of the cup. Although the amount was small, it was rich enough.
Lin Ying suddenly asked, "She got divorced. Who did she give the child to?"
"It was her too. After having both legs amputated, she was quite worried that this would be disadvantageous in her fight for custody. But luckily, she has a wealthy family and her parents are willing to help her. Also, the man's behavior is not good, so in the end, the child was awarded to her."
Hearing this, Lin Ying had previously felt that her wife's experience was somewhat similar to hers, a kind of sympathy between them, as they were both stranded in the world. But now that the dust had settled and she saw the full picture, she couldn't help but laugh at herself.
It's not about mutual sympathy at all. Her family really treats her as family.
And her family just used her as a tool...
Seeing Lin Ying was silent for a long time, Cheng Xinran touched her cup and took the initiative to ask——
"Let's not talk about that. Let's talk about you. Is something bothering you? Last time I heard you say you had a fight with Cen Shuo? Haven't you reconciled yet?"
This name made Lin Ying shudder suddenly, as if a piece of ice suddenly appeared in his mouth.
"I get angry whenever I mention this, but then I think... there's no point getting angry at him, and it's just me overreacting."
"Well, he's younger than me, that's the way it is. Just treat him like a child."
"What about the child? If he is a child, then what is the one in my family?"
Cheng Xinran couldn't help laughing and said, "Yeah, no matter how young he is, he is still an adult."
Although Lin Ying has had many suitors over the years, the results have always been inconclusive.
She said that she didn't want to be careless for the sake of her children, but in fact, even if she put aside her relationship with Ruxing, she still couldn't find balance in her intimate relationship.
What I got in the end seemed to be the same as before - physical pleasure.
But at the age of thirty, she can no longer have a pure attitude towards many things.
She longed for someone to understand her, but was also afraid that she would be truly understood, because she was afraid that once the other person saw through her, there would be no "future" between the two of them.
This encounter with Cen Shuo was her first attempt, but after that, she suddenly regretted it.
I regret breaking this rule.
Whenever she thought about this, she couldn't help but sink into the whirlpool of the past. What she regretted most in her heart was why she let Jiang Shu meet him?
Why did you compromise and give birth to the child?
Why did you have a relationship with Jiang Shu in the first place?
Why…why…
For a small thing, recalling a decision made long ago.
Each decision, like the flapping of a butterfly's wings, changes the course of life in that instant...
She was powerless to repair it, powerless to recover it.
Only by looking forward, taking every step in the present, can she not verify any past moments. Only the track in front of her belongs to her...
"By the way, what did Cen Shuo say that day that caused you to react so strongly?"
Cheng Xinran suddenly broke Lin Ying's chaotic memories. She suddenly came back to her senses, looking at the wine in her hand and the moon above her head. She was drunk and replied softly:
"He mentioned Ruxing's father."
Cheng Xinran then started cursing:
"Hey! What's wrong with him? No wonder you're angry. He's just being unreasonable. Bringing up your ex-husband at a time like that would really ruin the atmosphere..."
However, tonight, Lin Ying, after three bottles of beer, pretended to be tipsy and tried to deny it.
"Ruxing's father is not my ex-husband."
"……ah?"
Lin Ying opened the fourth bottle of beer. The foam became denser and fuller under the moonlight...
"She is the daughter of Jiang Shu and me."
For a moment, there was silence except for the sound of beer foam evaporating and dissolving.
Cheng Xinran was stunned for a long time, but could only repeat that one syllable:
"……ah?!"
Lin Ying didn't look at her, swallowed three more mouthfuls of wine, and laughed at himself.
"You're talking about a woman whose husband discovered she was having an affair with her stepbrother, and who suffered domestic violence. Before she could even file for divorce, her husband unexpectedly died. At the same time, she was found to be pregnant. She wanted to escape the control of her in-laws, take her child and run away, hiding the fact that the child wasn't her ex-husband's...
If her case were to be brought to court, what are her chances of winning?
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