Chapter 60: Falling in love with a poor girl at first sight and possessing her beauty
"No! I won't wait! Come with me now. Philip told me something very strange..."
Before she finished her words, the crystal flower-like curtain at the back of the hall moved, and a cool touch slid across her arm, and Gustav leaned out.
Gu Weiyi said to him: "I'm ready."
"I'm so proud of you."
They were about to leave when Li Wenjing stood in front of them and said, "Wait, I don't care what you want to do, I want to talk to you alone."
"Don't be nervous, everything is okay." Gustav patted her shoulder, as if comforting a sulky child. "It's settled. After we finish the refugee issue, Charles will go to Geneva to work. Switzerland is a great place. We can go skiing together then, and I'll take care of you."
Li Wenjing's mind suddenly exploded. "What? Switzerland?"
Gustav finished his conversation, "Charles and I both feel sorry for you. As a girl, you can't stay in Africa forever and do those hard jobs at the bottom."
Wen Jing just stared at Gu Weiyi, hoping he would say something. The flickering light in his eyes obscured their original brightness, and his eyes grew dim and dull. He seemed to obey his father's loving instructions, letting his father slowly smooth out his original pride, leaving behind a sense of absurdity that she couldn't understand.
"You don't want to work like a slave. You want to be rich, independent, and study abroad like everyone else. But many things hinder you, so you can't fly so high or so far. Switzerland is great, there's nothing to worry about." Gu Weiyi finally spoke, "I feel sorry for you, just like you feel sorry for me. I don't mean to look down on you by saying this. I know your self-esteem and pride. You are a good girl, and I want to help you. I hope you can accept my kindness."
"I... really don't understand you now." Her voice became softer, as if she was retreating step by step in front of him.
"Maybe it's because you never believed I loved you. I understand. Even your parents didn't truly love you. You've never had anyone you could trust. So you're always on guard against me. You always have a way out in front of me, but I don't. I'm sorry. I'm not saying you're bad. You're doing well. First of all, you have to protect yourself and live with clarity. But my mind is in turmoil. I'll do whatever you say. I'm the hopeless fool."
It felt like something was gnawing at her heart, and her chest was shaking violently, making her speechless.
Gustav continued, "Love is like this. Someone always has to play dumb to get it going. Wenjing, you got what you wanted. It's obviously wiser to play dumb."
With that, they left. The overhead light stung her eyes, blurring everything. The sound of the piano in the hall rolled like flowing water, as if sweeping her away into the endless darkness of the night. She stumbled to the bathroom. The sink gurgled, and stomach acid rose in her throat. She braced herself on the sink, as if trying to hold herself up, not to be swept away by the current.
What else does she want? What is she still striving for? What she wants, what she has pursued all her life, is nothing more than the handouts of food scraps that slip through their fingers. Of course she can accept it, using the excuse of "love" and "being loved" to cover up the inequality of this relationship and comfort her excessive self-esteem. Gu Weiyi actually said that it was because she didn't believe in his love for her? But time and time again, she has been prepared to lose her job for him. She wants independence, and at the same time, she hopes that he can also be truly independent and get out of Gustav's control. So what is he doing now? What does little Philip mean? Has he really fallen too deep to the point where he can't get out?
No, she absolutely didn't believe it. She was the one with nothing, without the support of a family, yet she had managed to get to where she was today on her own. He had so much, it couldn't be any harder for him than she was. At worst, Gustav could just give up his house, car, and money, and not go to Switzerland or Europe. He had such a high degree, and she had the work skills. No matter what happened, they could start over and live together.
After calming down a little and making up her mind, she gritted her teeth and decided to go back to him. No matter what he said, she would take him away. As long as he was there, since he said he loved her, she was not afraid of having no money. Living, living hard, was hope.
"How are you?"
A gentle female voice reached her ears, and Wen Jing turned around. It was Nika, Philip's girlfriend. She politely asked if she minded turning off the tap. Wen Jing then realized how much water she had wasted in her daze, and quickly apologized.
"Water is so precious that many people even sell their bodies for it."
Nika's high nose cast a faint shadow, and her eyes were also pale, full of tenderness. Facing the mirror, her neck exposed through her skirt like a black pearl, she wiped under her eyes with a small cotton pad, then touched up her makeup with a powder puff, applying a layer of scarlet lipstick to make her eyes shine even brighter.
Li Wenjing explained, "I was just...ummm...distracted by something else. I came from a refugee camp in the north. Our company has dug many wells, but it's still not enough. I know we can't waste water."
"It was just a joke. The rich waste so much, but they tell the poor to be frugal." She laughed, her skirt hugging her hips and leaning against the sink. "But are you okay? You look drunk. Let me take you home."
"I'm not drunk, thank you."
"Because Philip offended you just now? He is just like that. He doesn't care about anything and looks down on others."
"A little bit," Li Wenjing said, "I've seen a lot of people like this. I'm used to it, but..."
Although Nika is black, she is stunningly beautiful. A pair of ruby earrings dangle from her ears, complementing her red lips. She wears a tight white dress, and her figure has no extra fat. A diamond ring is worn on the slender knuckles of her hands.
"You're a good person, he really doesn't deserve you."
"Really? He has other lovers and sleeps with many people. Men's desires in that area are empty and boring, but they always have to satisfy them, find new people, and keep things fresh." She smiled again, "You don't seem to understand the relationship between us. I don't think there's love, but he gets what he wants and I get what I want, like a game. He takes me to Paris, Milan, New York, and I can fly to many places. I don't have to sell bananas barefoot on the street anymore, nor do I have to sell myself like my mother. And my sister..."
She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm living a good life."
Li Wenjing lowered her eyes and her gaze fell on Nika's high heels. The silver heels were shining and stuck in the soles like embroidery needles.
"Are you happy, then?"
“I am very satisfied with my current life.”
"You should be able to leave him now, right? Even though you don't seem to care..." Li Wenjing paused, "Maybe I was really drunk. I said so much, even though it was clearly our first meeting."
"It's okay, I'm drunk too. Let's go out, they're about to start."
"What?"
"Men's long speeches are meaningless and there's no need to listen carefully. All we have to do is applaud and blow them a kiss, which is sure to charm men to death."
She folded her arms, a small black bag tucked under them. Her dark skin flowed quietly, like the mystery of a deep lake, while her lips and eyes shone with an incomparably bright charm, like white waves rising on the beach. This sense of contradiction in this woman made it impossible not to explore further. Li Wenjing could understand why Philip liked her and brought her out of the slums.
At the same time, Wen Jing felt an inexplicable sadness. She couldn't quite articulate why, perhaps simply feeling that a woman like Nika deserved better than to be with a rich, rotten man. Or perhaps it was because of Gu Weiyi, whose pity for her was, in essence, no different from Philip's feelings for Nika. Gu Weiyi could have said he loved her, and Philip could have said the same thing, falling in love at first sight with a poor girl and possessing her beauty.
Under Nika's surprised gaze, Wen Jing suddenly rushed out. She had to find Gu Weiyi immediately and explain everything clearly. There was still time. Before she even reached the venue, she heard applause from the hall, and then she heard that familiar voice—his voice, clearly transmitted through the microphone to every corner:
“I would like to thank the Minister for bestowing upon me this honor on behalf of the President – the ‘National Health Service Outstanding Contribution Award’…”
They have already started.
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