12 After the Beginning of Autumn
Wen Xueyan stood in front of her house.
Instead of knocking on the door immediately, she retreated to the shade of the ginkgo tree downstairs, and then dialed her best friend Ning Zhiyi's number.
"Zhiyi, can you come to my house now?" She lowered her voice, but her eyes were still fixed on the louvered window on the second floor, and briefly explained the situation.
Wen Xueyan felt that the person in the room might not be Song Tiancheng, after all, he wouldn't be so stupid as to bring his mistress home.
Ning Zhiyi's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone, with the lively sounds of the street in the background: "What a coincidence! Today is my last day as a part-time food delivery driver, and I'll be finishing my last order near your house. Wait five minutes! I'll be right there! By the way, I've switched to a sales job, starting next week, and I expect the pay will be higher. I've been dealing with all sorts of people these days, and let me tell you, I've become quite assertive, which will be perfect for keeping you in check!"
A few minutes later, Ning Zhiyi arrived in a flurry, still wearing her delivery uniform, with beads of sweat on her forehead, exuding a fiery and assertive aura.
She immediately noticed something amiss: "The door was locked from the inside?"
Wen Xueyan said she was not sure what was going on inside, but did not rule out the possibility that it was a thief.
Ning Zhiyi deftly took off her delivery jacket, revealing a crisp white shirt underneath, instantly transforming from a delivery lady into a sophisticated career woman.
"How about it?" Ning Zhiyi spun around. "Do I look like a formidable character? When you're out in the world, you earn your own identity!"
Ning Zhiyi went straight up and pounded on the door, so hard it looked like she was going to break it down: "Open the door! It's a community census!"
Soon, rustling footsteps finally came from inside the room. To their shock, standing behind the door was a glamorous woman in her fifties, wearing a silk slip dress.
She maintained a good figure, but the loose skin on her neck betrayed her age. The neckline of her nightgown was very low, and she exuded a strong fragrance.
Wen Xueyan's first reaction was shock. Song Tiancheng actually had an affair with someone so old?
The woman, however, remained completely unfazed. Instead, she leaned against the doorframe and lazily asked, "Who are you looking for? What's all this noise about in broad daylight?"
Ning Zhiyi flung open the door and immediately fabricated a story: "We are lawyers, here on behalf of the homeowner to inspect the property. Who are you? Why are you staying in someone else's residence without permission?"
The woman was momentarily stunned by the word "lawyer," but quickly regained her composure: "What lawyer? I'm a guest invited by the homeowner! You're trespassing!"
Footsteps could be heard coming from inside the bedroom.
Wen Xueyan walked towards the master bedroom, and the scene there left her speechless: her father-in-law, Song Minghai, was only wearing underwear and was frantically putting on a shirt.
The bed was in disarray, and the air was filled with an ambiguous scent of lust and perfume.
She immediately realized that this was her father-in-law's mistress!
Wen Xueyan quickly turned around and waited for him to get dressed.
"Xueyan? Why are you back early? Tiancheng said you weren't returning to the country until tomorrow. This is Meiling, my friend. We stopped here to rest for a bit." Song Minghai's face was ashen.
The mistress, Meiling, hooked her arm around her father-in-law's and provocatively said, "Oh, the daughter-in-law? Minghai and his wife have no feelings for each other anymore. We are the true love!"
As she spoke, she deliberately tossed her hair with her fingers, revealing a delicate bracelet on her wrist that sparkled.
Ning Zhiyi immediately adopted a lawyer's stance: "According to the Civil Code, marital property cannot be disposed of without the wife's consent. The items Mr. Song gifted you, such as the bracelet, are your wife's property that she has the right to reclaim. Do we need to calculate the total value?"
Meiling was taken aback, but she stubbornly retorted, "Who are you trying to scare! Minghai gave it to me willingly!"
"Meiling, go to the living room and wait for me," Song Minghai said to the woman.
Then, Song Minghai lowered his head in shame: "Xueyan, please don't tell your mother. She's very controlling. Otherwise, I would have gone to the hotel instead of coming here. I know it was wrong of me, but I promise I will never do it again. We've been married for so many years, and our feelings have just faded a little..."
Wen Xueyan suppressed her anger, "Dad, but if you do it again, I will let Mom decide what to do."
It was late at night, and the hands of the wall clock struck twelve.
Wen Xueyan lay awake on the bed in the second bedroom, hearing the sound of a key turning outside the door, followed by deliberately light footsteps. Song Tiancheng had come home at this time again.
She didn't get up, but just listened quietly.
The footsteps paused for a moment at the master bedroom door, as if hesitating about something, before finally turning into the soft sound of the door lock closing.
Wen Xueyan's thoughts drifted back to their first year of marriage. Back then, no matter who worked late, the other would always leave the light on and wait for them.
There's always a bowl of porridge warming in the kitchen, and someone curled up on the sofa dozing off. When they hear the door open, they rub their eyes and go to greet them.
Those moments of smiling at each other, those sleepy embraces, now seem as distant as a past life.
She suddenly remembered her father-in-law and his lover whom she had seen during the day. Her in-laws had been married for over thirty years and always treated each other with respect in public, but behind the scenes, Song Minghai was acting like this.
Is marriage, this walled city, destined to turn from deep love to mutual loathing? Is the initial form of love destined to be worn down by time?
Wen Xueyan turned over, and moonlight leaked in through the gap in the curtains.
The thought of divorce resurfaced clearly in my mind once again.
It wasn't just a momentary outburst of anger, but a profound sorrow. If marriage is destined to lead to mutual deception and torment, then why force it to continue?
*
The days passed seemingly peacefully for over a month. Song Tiancheng's enthusiasm from the previous few days almost vanished again, and he reverted to his usual indifference at home.
Wen Xueyan no longer cared much about this; her mind was focused on her work. Looking at the circled date on the calendar, she anticipated that she would be officially promoted next week, at which point she planned to formally file for divorce from Song Tiancheng.
Cheng Boyan's image would occasionally flash through her mind. Perhaps it was because President Cheng was truly busy; he rarely came to Nuosai Chemical Company. In the past month, Wen Xueyan had only seen him once in the conference room, catching a glimpse of him from afar. She couldn't quite figure Cheng Boyan out.
In the stillness of the night, Wen Xueyan would listen to "Irish Bagpipes" alone, recalling that night and that dream.
My phone rang on Wednesday as I was leaving get off work. It was a message from Song Tiancheng: "I finished a project today. How about we have dinner together tonight?"
Then she sent a restaurant address, which was only a few minutes' walk from Wen Xueyan's company.
Wen Xueyan raised an eyebrow slightly. Such an invitation was quite rare in recent months. She replied with a simple "okay," packed her things after work, and headed to the restaurant.
It was an elegant restaurant, with a low-key yet stylish facade.
After entering, you have to walk through a carefully designed bamboo forest path. The cobblestone path is flanked by swaying bamboo shadows, and the environment is so quiet that it makes you feel like you're in a dream.
Wen Xueyan thought to herself that Song Tiancheng hadn't brought her to such a high-end restaurant in a long time.
Song Tiancheng has always managed his own salary. They've recently become more like roommates, except that Song Tiancheng is responsible for all the daily expenses, such as utilities.
The waiter led her to her reserved seat, where Song Tiancheng was already waiting. He was wearing a well-pressed shirt and his hair was meticulously styled.
“The project went very smoothly,” Song Tiancheng explained, “and the company expects to give a substantial bonus.”
Wen Xueyan nodded.
Song Tiancheng was very satisfied with Wen Xueyan's attitude of not checking up on him.
After the dishes were served, the two chatted casually. Just then, Wen Xueyan noticed Su Yunzhu and a handsome young man in fine clothes sitting at the table diagonally opposite. Song Tiancheng also saw them when he turned to talk to the waiter, and his expression instantly became unnatural.
"What's wrong?" Wen Xueyan asked calmly.
"It's nothing." Song Tiancheng lowered his head and took a sip of water.
Wen Xueyan didn't press the matter further. The atmosphere at that table was clearly off; Su Yunzhu looked displeased, while the man opposite her had a cold expression.
Suddenly, Su Yunzhu's voice rose a little: "Gu Yizhou! Can't you be a little more enthusiastic towards me? We already see each other so infrequently, and every time you go on a date, it's like you're just completing a task!"
The man coldly replied, "Yunzhu, ask yourself honestly, do you really like me, or do you just like my money? Our engagement was arranged by our parents anyway, so why pretend to be so affectionate?"
"You!" Su Yunzhu's face turned pale with anger. "Since that's the case, then we have nothing more to say!"
The man stood up, turned and left without looking back, leaving Su Yunzhu sitting there alone, her face turning pale and then red.
Just then, a torrential downpour began outside the window, with large raindrops pounding violently against the glass.
After sitting there for a moment, Su Yunzhu also picked up her bag and hurriedly left.
Seeing this, Song Tiancheng suddenly stood up and said, "Xueyan, I have something to do right now. I'll be home tonight, so don't worry about it." After saying that, he ignored the heavy rain and chased after her.
Wen Xueyan sat alone in the restaurant, looking at the torrential rain outside the window, and suddenly felt that all of this was ridiculously absurd.
Soon, Wen Xueyan saw Song Tiancheng's Audi pass by the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows, with Su Yunzhu sitting in the passenger seat.
She ate for a while longer, and when she got up to leave, the waiter told her that Song Tiancheng hadn't even paid the bill in his haste.
The meal cost over a thousand yuan, and Wen Xueyan planned to go home and ask him for it back.
After paying the bill, she stood under the eaves at the restaurant entrance, watching the torrential rain. The city, shrouded in the night, was blurred by the rain.
"Wen Xueyan?" A deep voice came from behind.
Wen Xueyan turned around and saw Cheng Boyan standing behind her, with a handsome face.
"President Cheng? What are you doing here?" Wen Xueyan asked in surprise.
"I had dinner here with a French client today. You saw that intern today, didn't you?" Cheng Boyan's voice was cold.
"Yes."
It was early September, and the first heavy rain after the start of autumn came unexpectedly. The rain was so heavy that it seemed to extinguish the last bit of warmth left in the height of summer.
Cheng Boyan changed the subject, "The rain isn't going to stop anytime soon, let me take you home. Do you want to go to a hotel or my place?"
Welcome all readers, teachers, and darlings to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.
Haha, another wonderful night!
Hurry up and update to see where the female lead will stay tonight.
More updates
Mr. Cheng is so direct!
Looking forward to the next chapter
Wow, what's your relationship with me? Why did I go to your house?
Not enough! Not enough! Hahaha!
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Thank you for your comment, reader!
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