(87)
Ye Wenyu raised his head and looked at Lin Tingfeng. There was indeed a warm smile in his eyes. He seemed to be happy, just as he said.
He possessed a restrained tenderness, which she strongly sensed.
Ye Wenyu thought painfully, of course he was happy. He asked her to be his mistress, such an insulting thing, and she actually agreed. Any man in the world would be happy.
Besides, she was happy to be back by his side, to see him again, and to hear him speak, because she loved him. Now, if she were to never contact him again, it would be as if her life had lost its meaning.
Ye Wenyu didn't speak, her face as pale as ice. Her hands were trembling.
Lin Tingfeng gazed at her and said softly, "You may have some misunderstandings about me, but Xiaoyu, you will know in the future—"
His voice trembled slightly. Ye Wenyu sensed something was amiss and looked at him. His expression was particularly serious and nervous. The car's interior lighting was a warm, crab-shell yellow, and Lin Tingfeng's handsome appearance appeared quite gentle under this light, no longer like his usual icy demeanor.
Lin Tingfeng said softly to her, "I really love you." He said the word "love" very softly and slowly, as if he was having a hard time. His embarrassed look made it seem like this was the first time he had ever said the word "love."
Ye Wenyu stared blankly, his heart pounding. It felt as if sugar threads could be drawn out of the air. When he said the word "love," it sounded as beautiful as singing.
But dreams are easily shattered. Soon, Ye Wenyu came to her senses. She thought painfully, "Does he really love her? Is that why he made her his lover in the shadows?" A sarcastic smile appeared on Ye Wenyu's lips.
Lin Tingfeng mustered his courage, reached out, and gently grasped Ye Wenyu's small hand. Her hand was small, delicate, and smooth, and felt cool to the touch in his palm, like melting wax. He felt as if he were holding a cloud, as if it would vanish in the blink of an eye.
Ye Wenyu gently struggled to free her hand from his grasp.
She looked up at him, her large, bright eyes sparkling like diamonds. Her face was flushed with shame, and she asked in a trembling voice, "If I were with you, would it hurt her, would it hurt them?"
What? Lin Tingfeng didn't understand for a moment. Who should be hurt?
Ye Wenyu asked softly, her voice filled with anguish, "Hurting your wife and children—" Being a mistress is shameful, destroying other people's families, and harming children's happiness. The education she received from childhood made Ye Wenyu hate herself for this, which is why, years later, she tried her best to escape this sinful life.
Happiness built on hurting others is like a floating lamp on flowing water—it cannot last.
Lin Tingfeng realized what was happening and felt ashamed. He gazed at her; what a kind child she was, with a heart of gold. He was hurting her, yet she was still worried that her existence would hurt others.
He smiled and said gently, "Don't worry, she and I are just doing our own thing. She knows everything about me and won't hurt anyone."
He reached out his hand, wanting to hold hers. She pulled away.
Such a cynical person's tender heart instantly melts into ice and snow.
She interrupted him, coldly saying, "My stepfather is sick and needs tens of thousands of yuan for surgery. Can you give me the money?"
“Of course.” Lin Tingfeng nodded immediately and said to her readily, “I will give you 100,000 yuan in a while. It is what I should do. Your parents are also my parents.”
Ye Wenyu was stunned, not expecting Lin Tingfeng to be so agreeable. He picked up his phone, asked for her Alipay account, and then her phone rang with the Alipay notification sound—the kind of sound where coins are swishing into your pocket, it's very pleasant to hear.
She picked up her phone and saw that, sure enough, her Alipay balance had increased by 100,000 yuan. Before, her balance was only a few thousand yuan. Haha, how ironic.
On her Alipay statement, the balance was just a bunch of cold Arabic numerals, but it changed her life.
She said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you, it's good to be rich." She thought painfully, "With money, you can buy a young girl's body, can't you?" A sarcastic and sorrowful smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.
Lin Tingfeng looked at her, seemingly troubled, because he didn't know how to comfort her or explain to her why he had no choice but to do this. She was his favorite girl, but she was suffering in front of him because of shame and guilt.
After a moment, as if to reassure her, he softly said to her, "My marriage to my husband was arranged by our parents. It's what they call a perfect match in the business world, a powerful alliance. Back then—" He paused here, then continued, "I had no feelings for her. I never loved her, and I've never loved anyone before—" He looked at her, his expression earnest yet desolate. He wanted to tell her that she was the only girl he had ever loved, but in this situation, the truth was already set in stone. If he said such things again, she wouldn't believe him at all. He had personally destroyed her trust in him.
Ye Wenyu remained silent; she did not believe his words.
A hint of pain flickered in Lin Tingfeng's eyes. Her doubts had hurt him. He said with a touch of helplessness, "Xiaoyu, you're a smart person. You should understand that someone like me wouldn't spend so much time, energy, and money on a girl unless I loved her to the extreme."
Ye Wenyu raised her head, her large, crystal-like eyes looking at Lin Tingfeng. She thought to herself, since it's a business deal, then she'll stick to business and have no shame. She said coldly, "Since you've brought up money, I've remembered something. I hope you keep your word."
Lin Tingfeng paused for a moment, then said to her, "Okay, go ahead."
Ye Wenyu tightened her skin, her chin squared, her pupils narrowed, and she coldly said to him, "I want the property rights." Her demands for material things seemed to form a protective shield, protecting her fragile self-esteem and hiding her love for him. See, I didn't become your lover because I love you. I'm a materialistic woman. I came to you because of life's hardships and for money.
Lin Tingfeng was stunned for a moment and looked at her. He sensed the change in her. The girlish joy and shyness she showed when she saw him was completely gone from her face. He felt a little sad. Had he pushed her too hard?
Her eyes were filled with coldness.
He was hurt. He and she had a beautiful beginning, but gradually things changed, turning into a situation where both of them were hurt and regretful.
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