03 The sales office in the rain
Wen Xueyan locked the bathroom door. She entered their wedding anniversary, the password Song Tiancheng had always used.
"Incorrect password."
Wen Xueyan tried her own birthday, then Song Tiancheng's birthday, and even the date of their first date.
"Incorrect password. Please try again in 15 minutes."
This last prompt made Wen Xueyan's finger freeze in mid-air. She stared at her phone screen, deciding not to try again for the time being.
Wen Xueyan looked at herself in the bathroom mirror.
"What am I doing?" she asked herself softly in the mirror. When did Wen Xueyan, who once spoke eloquently at academic conferences, the independent and confident Wen Xueyan, become a wife checking her phone in the middle of the night?
Wen Xueyan put the phone back in its place and went back to bed.
Song Tiancheng turned over and went back to sleep.
She recalled Cheng Boyan's words from earlier that day: "Our company has an intern..."
The next morning, the first rays of dawn pierced through the clouds outside the window. Wen Xueyan got up and went to the balcony.
The June morning breeze, carrying the fragrance of flowers, brushed against her cheek.
After a while, Wen Xueyan stood in front of the dressing table and looked at Song Tiancheng tying his tie through the mirror.
"Tiancheng," Wen Xueyan put down the comb, her voice soft yet firm, "what's your phone's unlock password?"
Song Tiancheng's fingers suddenly stopped, and the tie knot remained unfinished.
"What's wrong?" Song Tiancheng turned around. "Why are you suddenly asking this? Is something the matter?"
Wen Xueyan picked up her lipstick and carefully applied it in front of the mirror, prolonging this simple action and allowing the silence to continue to spread between the two.
She wanted to wait for his reply.
"Nothing special. I just wanted to use your phone to look up some information last night, but I found the password had been changed."
"Oh, the company recently asked us to strengthen information security and change our passwords regularly." He walked to the bedside table, picked up his phone, and said, "What do you need to check? I'll check for you."
Looking at his tense back in the mirror, Wen Xueyan suddenly felt that this man she had shared a bed with for three years was so unfamiliar.
"No need, I've already found it." She closed her lipstick. "By the way, your Cheng Group's newly established R&D center is hiring; I'm thinking of giving it a try."
Song Tiancheng whirled around. "You want to join our company? Did you submit your resume online? Our company doesn't allow office romances. We're married; your presence will affect my work."
Wen Xueyan looked directly into his eyes. "It's not the same company. It's the R&D center of a chemical machinery technology company under your group. The office isn't located in the same place as yours."
"I'm going to be late for work, there's a morning meeting today." Song Tiancheng suddenly grabbed his suit jacket. "We'll talk about this tonight, I'll try to get home early."
Wen Xueyan watched his retreating figure, which was almost a hasty retreat, and sighed softly.
The morning breeze stirred the curtains and brushed against the business suit in her hands.
The June rain arrived quietly at dusk, the fine raindrops gently caressing the windowpane, turning into a hazy curtain of water.
After work, Wen Xueyan stood alone on the balcony, gazing at the world outside the window blurred by the rain. Her phone screen displayed a message from Song Tiancheng, sent two hours earlier. He said he would be away on a business trip for a week.
She was determined to get the phone password tonight. She had even rehearsed her confrontation lines in her mind countless times.
However, Song Tiancheng avoided a direct confrontation.
Physical distance became his best shield.
What's the point of discussing phone passwords when you're hundreds of kilometers away? Even if you get the password, you can't see it for the time being.
My phone vibrated in my palm; a voice message from my best friend, Ning Zhiyi, popped up. "Xueyan, are you free to come look at apartments with me tomorrow? I'm planning to rent a small one first. Haohao will stay with my mom tomorrow."
Wen Xueyan recalled Ning Zhiyi's situation when she got divorced.
Ning Zhiyi's shrewd ex-husband, Li Hengyang, not only refused to divide the property, but also demanded that Ning Zhiyi move out. He even took away the robot vacuum cleaner they bought after their marriage, claiming that he had paid for it.
In contrast, the 50,000 yuan deposit for the house that Song Tiancheng transferred this morning made her feel that her husband wasn't so bad after all.
The next morning, the two women met at the real estate agency. Ning Zhiyi had dark circles under her eyes, but her steps were light. "This apartment is old, but the monthly rent is only three thousand five hundred," she said, touching the kitchen countertop, "and it's close to Hao Hao's kindergarten."
Wen Xueyan looked out the window. Diagonally opposite was the sign for "Yanyan Hairdressing," and next door, in front of "Jianhua Hardware," there were piles of grinding wheels, and the owner was squatting on the threshold eating noodles.
The security guard at the gate of the residential compound was an old man who looked to be in his fifties.
These vivid scenes of daily life suddenly made her wonder if she would consider renting a house like this if she got divorced.
The rental apartments she looked at today were noticeably worse than the apartment she currently lives in.
The balcony of the second apartment faced the elementary school playground. Children were having physical education class, their whistles and laughter echoing through the glass. Ning Zhiyi leaned on the railing and watched for a long time, so long that even the real estate agent impatiently checked her watch. "Hao Hao will be starting elementary school next year," she said softly.
Ultimately, Ning Zhiyi decided to rent a second apartment. Since becoming a mother, she has always prioritized her child in everything she does.
In the afternoon, they arrived at the sales office of Platinum International. A saleswoman in a suit greeted them with two bottles of mineral water. After touring the property with the saleswoman, Wen Xueyan took some photos of the model apartments and sent them to Song Tiancheng.
The kitchen countertop gleamed coldly under the spotlights, and it was twice the size of her current kitchen.
Wen Xueyan told him the total price of the house and said that the deposit for this house was 100,000 yuan.
Surprisingly, Song Tiancheng replied within minutes, almost as fast as he had been right after their wedding. "Great, you choose one and pay the deposit. I'll transfer another 50,000 to you, and we'll pay the balance when I get back."
Knowing about Song Tiancheng's deposit, Ning Zhiyi nudged Wen Xueyan's arm. "Honestly, could your husband just be under a lot of work pressure? Look at how many programmers go bald in middle age. Real estate is an important asset; it definitely represents his sincerity. My ex-husband was always very calculating. Even the house we bought before marriage was in my mother-in-law's name, so I couldn't get a share after the divorce. After we got married, he was even less inclined to buy a house."
"But..." Wen Xueyan also voiced her doubts.
"It's definitely not normal to go a year without marital relations," Ning Zhiyi continued in a low voice in a secluded corner. "But the fact that he's willing to buy a house after marriage and add your name to it shows he still considers you family. Why don't you observe him further? Even if you ask for his phone password, try to be tactful and avoid making things awkward. If he can treat you well financially, it's still worth considering."
Wen Xueyan informed the saleswoman that she was willing to pay a deposit. The sales office prepared the contract and served her two lattes.
Ning Zhiyi stirred her latte, the milk foam leaving crescent-shaped marks on the rim. "Marriage is like this latte art," she suddenly chuckled softly, "It looks like a heart on the surface, but in the end it's just a jumbled mess of foam. It won't always be beautiful; as long as you can get by, that's fine. To be beautiful alone after a divorce requires financial means."
"How much child support does your ex-husband give each month?" Wen Xueyan asked.
"2,000 yuan, and that's what I negotiated. He said if I wanted more, he wouldn't give it to me unless I sue him and see what the judge decides. Sigh, not all fathers love their children. Happiness often depends on comparison, especially between you and me," Ning Zhiyi advised.
It started raining again outside the window.
Wen Xueyan recalled the rusty security door of the old residential complex she had just seen, and then the spacious and bright model apartment she had just visited. She suddenly understood why so many marriages could exist in name only for many years.
However, Wen Xueyan felt a little unwilling inside.
The saleswoman came over with the agreement in her hand.
"Sign it." Ning Zhiyi's voice carried the confidence of someone with experience. "No matter what Song Tiancheng does outside, this house is a solid guarantee. If my ex-husband had bought a house like your Song Tiancheng, I wouldn't be renting a small, dilapidated apartment with Hao Hao right now."
Ning Zhiyi's voice was gentle: "Listen to me, Xueyan. Feelings may lie, but a property deed won't."
After paying, Wen Xueyan looked out the window. The rain continued to fall softly, washing the new leaves of the roadside trees until they shone.
My phone vibrated; a message from Song Tiancheng popped up, the longest it'd been in nearly a year: "Xueyan, did you pay the deposit? I'll take you to see the interior design when I get back. We didn't know each other when we bought the house before, but this time we can decorate it according to your preferences, especially the children's room. I don't expect to be as busy at work next year, so let's have a baby next year."
Wen Xueyan didn't refuse for the time being. She then remembered that her cousin was about to take the college entrance examination and planned to visit her one more time.
On a night in early June, my cousin Wen Haijing was walking among the crowd of students leaving school. Her steps were a little strange. The front of her faded sneakers on her right foot was cracked, and with each step, the color of her socks could be vaguely seen.
She tried her best to make her steps appear natural.
She suddenly remembered the scene when she went home last weekend.
"Jingjing, it's not that your parents are heartless," said Wang Suying, the mother, glancing sideways at her daughter who was reading a book while cracking sunflower seeds. "What's the use of girls studying so much? Old Zhang's daughter next door went to work after graduating from junior high school, and now she sends three thousand yuan home every month."
Wen Haijing was looking down at her book. The clothes she was wearing were so faded from washing that their original blue color was no longer visible, and the collar was frayed. She had already saved as much as she could.
“Your brother is getting engaged soon, and we’re still short a lot of money for the bride price.” Father Wen Dongping squatted on the doorstep, smoking. “If you’re sensible, you should go out and work as soon as possible to help support the family.”
Wen Haijing fell silent.
"Jingjing!" A voice interrupted her reverie.
My cousin, Wen Xueyan, stood under the camphor tree at the school gate, holding a shoebox in her hand. The weather in June was already quite hot, and fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead; she had clearly come here specifically to wait for her.
"Sister, what brings you here?" Wen Haijing instinctively tried to hide the cracked toe of her shoe.
Wen Xueyan's gaze, however, had already fallen on her shoes. There was no pity in her eyes, only deep heartache. "I was just passing by and thought I'd drop by to see you," she said casually, handing over the shoebox. "Try them on and see if they fit."
Wen Haijing opened the shoebox, inside was a new pair of sneakers, simple and stylish, the tags still on, from a brand she had never dared to enter before.
"Sister, this is too much money..." Her voice choked with emotion. She knew her cousin had it tough too.
"Try it quickly."
When Wen Haijing put on the new shoes, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
"Perfect timing. Thank you, sis. For the past three years, if it weren't for you paying my tuition, I might have..."
"Don't say that." Wen Xueyan stood up, patted her shoulder, and looked into the distance. "The college entrance exam is coming soon. I know you're working hard. Good luck."
Wen Haijing looked down at her new shoes, which reflected a soft light. "When I start working, I'll definitely pay you back all my tuition fees."
Welcome to leave comments if you enjoy reading this! Thank you!
It's really good, write more haha
It's getting better and better, looking forward to the next installment.
One chapter a day isn't enough, teacher... hehe
The female lead has inner strength
I really like the female protagonists in Toyama's works; they are all independent, confident, and powerful.
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Thank you for your comments, readers! Feel free to leave more messages!
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