That puddle of mud is where I came from.
Lin Zhen'er's new drama, unsurprisingly, has achieved good results on various platforms. Having attended several consecutive celebration banquets, she was so exhausted that she barely had enough time to sleep. During those long hours, she could only pet her dog's chubby little face by its bed after it fell asleep.
"I haven't been home for days, you won't be mad at me, will you?"
It was late at night again. Lin, the screenwriter, was squatting down to pet the dog and was about to go upstairs when her husband, who had been lying in wait behind her, suddenly picked her up and carried her in his arms.
"I've drawn the water for you, so you can take a nice bath and relax."
Jin Yanzhi's wife carried him to the bathroom door before putting him down. He then gentlemanly closed the door before answering his earlier question from outside, in a voice loud enough for both of them to hear:
"Zhen'er, we have a long life ahead of us. I will do my best to give you the resources you want."
So don't put too much pressure on yourself. My support for you isn't something that will happen overnight, so there's no need to rush.
Screenwriter Lin, who had already started removing her makeup in the bathroom, looked at her reddening eyes in the mirror, sniffed to calm herself down, and then gently hummed in agreement before soaking herself in the bathtub with just the right amount of water.
Strawberries, her favorite food, were laid out on a small table in front of her, and aromatherapy candles were lit. Mr. Jin, who usually didn't even wash the dishes at home, even poured her a glass of red wine. Her currently popular new drama was playing on a tablet set up in front of her.
The person tilting their head back and closing their eyes listens to those lines they know by heart. Suddenly, tears well up and silently stream down their face. The person outside the door always seems to see through everything silently and then accurately calms their own emotions.
These past few days, working day and night, were not only because the cast of her new drama was exceptional, and because it was her first time joining a large production, making it all the more precious, but also because she was afraid. The domineering CEO's love was too blatant, and the person being pampered was constantly worried about how long that novelty and passion could sustain her.
If news breaks again that her husband has a new lover, it's not hard to guess how a woman who has whirlwind marriages into wealthy families will slink away in disgrace. Even if he's a respectable man and provides some money to settle his ex-lover, those opportunities to climb to the top will never come again.
So these days, screenwriter Lin, exhausted from socializing at various events, never dared to give herself a chance to breathe. The man who seemed too busy to care about these things had actually secretly seen through everything.
He watched her exert herself to the utmost, accompanying her through the social gatherings and toasts. He didn't disturb that rapidly growing ambition, only whispering "I'm not afraid" when he was exhausted.
"There's the Birch Awards ceremony tomorrow, and my new drama has been nominated for Best Screenplay. Can you come with me?"
husband? "
She rarely called him that, so much so that Jin Yanzhi, who had already lain down, immediately sat up upon hearing this coquettish voice. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times as he walked to the bathroom door to push it open, and he answered in a low, hoarse voice, "Okay."
Only when he heard the sound of a hairdryer coming from inside did he happily rush in. Taking the hairdryer, he stroked his wife's hair while secretly admiring the patch of snow-white skin peeking out from the neckline of her bathrobe, a smile creeping across his face.
With her head bowed, Lin Zhen'er let her husband blow-dry her hair while she carefully applied skincare products in front of the mirror.
In recent days, she has lost the initial fear and trepidation, and has gradually become accustomed to Mr. Kim's meticulous care. The heart that was once like a frightened bird has been placed in soft cotton and landed safely.
The next day, Mrs. Jin, wearing a pink Song brocade cheongsam and a complete set of dragon-stone jadeite jewelry, stood on the podium, looking at her husband sitting directly in front of her, and noticing the dark green patterned tie he had specially chosen to match hers. She nervously gasped.
"The person I want to thank most here is my husband."
Thank you for taking care of me, caring for me, and protecting me; without you, I wouldn't be who I am today.
Although these two sentences were short, both the person on and off the stage had tears in their eyes amidst the clamor of the crowd.
Mr. Jin pretended to straighten his suit, subtly wiping his slightly moist eyes before raising his head again to applaud his wife vigorously. Under the light, even her hair seemed to glow, completely devoid of the caution and carefulness they had shown when they first met, constantly observing each other's expressions.
He took good care of the woman he had worked so hard to win over, and the satisfaction he felt at that moment far surpassed that of when he had secured those big projects in the business world.
The people below the stage were all smiling and sending their blessings, but in such a lively scene, Lin Zhen'er could only see the man who lowered his head to wipe his eyes and then quickly met her gaze, cheering loudly. His eyes, which were also somewhat watery, were looking at her affectionately.
The world before me is so noisy, yet my lover's eyes are as calm as a still lake, reflecting only my own spirited self at this moment.
“You came back this afternoon when you had some free time, and he came back again.”
Before screenwriter Lin could even enjoy the celebratory banquet her husband had arranged in advance, she received this disheartening news from her mother.
The person in the message was her childhood nightmare. She pursed her lips and silently turned off her phone. Under her lover's questioning gaze, she shook her head as if nothing was wrong. This was something she never knew how to bring up, or perhaps deep down, she just didn't want to talk about it.
After several rounds of drinks and everyone had eaten their fill, she leaned over to her husband and told him that her mother might have some urgent business and she needed to go home. After repeatedly assuring him that it was nothing serious, she left the table full of guests to Mr. Jin, who was used to socializing, and hurriedly took off her jewelry and got into Xiao Xie's car.
The Jin family members, from the driver to the housekeeper, were all very perceptive. Seemingly sensing that she had something on her mind that she didn't want to talk about, this trusted confidant who had been with her husband for many years tactfully parked the car downstairs and then, under the pretext of buying cigarettes, walked straight out of their somewhat old neighborhood.
"We can't help Zhen'er, but at least we shouldn't cause her any trouble."
Do you think you can just get by in the Jin family? She has so many things to deal with all by herself. If you go to her for money now, aren't you just making her lose all face? How is she supposed to face anyone after that?!
Her mother's suppressed voice reached her ears through the door, before she could even open it. A familiar, restrained groan escaped her lips. Lin Zhen'er, who rushed in, had no time to think.
She quickly raised her handbag and hurled it viciously at the man who had rolled up his sleeves and was about to attack again.
The powder compact, lipstick, and tissues in the bag scattered all over the floor with this movement. Relying on years of experience in grappling with the opponent, the person who had been smiling sweetly while holding a trophy not long ago quickly grabbed a kitchen knife from the kitchen and held it in hand:
"How much do you want? Tell me! How much do you want this time!"
Upon hearing this, the man who could only be called "father" in biological terms suddenly lost the anger in his eyes. He grinned mischievously, circling the room twice, carefully scrutinizing his daughter who had burst through the door, and then let out a sly laugh:
"Not much, not much, the total debt is 650,000."
"For the young mistress of the Jin family, this really is nothing. I'm telling you, you've really made it big these days, daughter! I never realized you were so promising when you were little!"
Six hundred thousand yuan is not a large sum for me now, but for my mother, who has been emptied out of her pocket and burdened by years of hardship, it is absolutely impossible for her to come up with it.
“I’ll give it to you, but you have to go and get a divorce from my mom tomorrow. I can transfer it to you right after you get your marriage certificate.”
Lin Zhen'er's voice trembled slightly. She had been staying up late and drinking for many days in a row, and her hand holding the knife was already a little sore, but she still hesitated to put it down.
"No! We can't get a divorce! People will laugh at us if we do. Just leave it at that and go now."
The woman she was protecting, just like in many years before, suddenly became concerned about the opinions of her neighbors at this moment. The gossip she would suffer for betraying her daughter who had fought so hard to protect her and marrying a gambling addict seemed to far outweigh the shame that divorce had brought to the old teacher.
The mother's inexplicable logic hadn't changed over the years, and the person with a heart full of wounds suddenly sneered.
The man across from her, watching with a mocking gaze, and the woman behind her, who valued her pride above all else and would borrow money to pay off her husband even after being beaten or humiliated—this was the background music of her life, incongruously reminding her of her origins in this glamorous setting.
"Then why did you call me back! If you think you can handle this, then don't call me back!"
How many more times in my life, from childhood to adulthood, will it ever be enough for me to rush back like this to see you get beaten and cry?
Slumped down, she put down the knife and knelt down to pick up the scattered cosmetics, letting her tears fall silently. This was the most helpless she had felt since her marriage, no matter how comfortable and luxurious their new home was, or how gentle and doting her powerful husband was.
Whenever she returned here, it seemed as if her fate had never changed. She became that little girl again, disheveled and crying alone on the ground during her parents' fight, or rushing up to get beaten along with her mother, choosing to return to those two unchanging paths in hell.
"Look at what you're saying. Your mother doesn't have that kind of money. Even if I beat her to death, I still wouldn't be able to get a single penny from her if you didn't come back."
Hey, is that the car with the lights on downstairs the one the Jin family sent you? Is it an Alphard? This is the first time in my life I've ever seen that car in person.
"Hurry up and take out your phone and transfer me the money, or I'll push this old woman out the window and kill her. Let's see if your wealthy family still wants you. How will the Jin family, who's on the front page, save face? And my worthless life..."
The man who had been standing by the cupboard moments before had somehow appeared behind her, grabbed her mother, and slammed her against the windowsill. With half her body dangling in the air, her mother, seemingly afraid of being discovered, didn't utter a sound.
Lin Zhen'er stood up, trembling all over. In the cool autumn night, her back was soaked with cold sweat. She shakily raised her phone, surrendering desperately to the person on the other end:
"Let her go first! I told you to let her go!"
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