It was late at night. When Lin Hezhi returned to the old house, the lanterns under the eaves had long been extinguished. Only a solitary lamp was left in the hall, emitting a faint light, and swaying shadows of trees were reflected on the window paper.
He pushed open the door, and the wooden hinges made a slight creaking sound, startling the person under the lamp.
Cheng Suxin sat quietly at the table, holding an unopened letter in her hand, looking lonely. The letter was sent by her sister from the Nanyang Women Workers Night School, and it seemed to be one of the few sources of warmth and comfort for her in this cold and lonely night.
Hearing the noise, she slowly raised her head and saw that it was Lin Hezhi. Her cracked lips slightly opened: "Why are you back so late?" Her voice was very hoarse, as if she had been suppressing her tears for a long time.
Lin Hezhi frowned, feeling impatient. He pulled his tie hard to loosen it, and the rustling sound of the silk was particularly clear and piercing in the quiet night.
"Why aren't you asleep so late?" His tone was stiff, with a hint of blame.
"Want to wait for you to come back." She said softly, standing up and taking his coat.
The moment her fingers touched his collar, she smelled the lingering perfume, a strange and strong scent that was out of tune with her ordinary life. Her fingers trembled slightly, as if they were burned, but soon returned to normal.
Lin Hezhi was slightly startled, then turned away, deliberately not looking at her expression, and said coldly: "No need to wait for me. Now our newspaper's reputation is getting bigger and bigger, and there are too many people inviting us, so socializing is inevitable."
Cheng Suxin nodded silently without saying anything else. She squatted down and began to untie Lin Hezhi's shoelaces.
"I know you have talent, and you've worked so hard traveling around." She moved very gently, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.
Lin Hezhi sat silently on the edge of the bed, letting her serve him. He lowered his eyes and saw her head washing his feet. Under the candlelight, she was only twenty-seven years old, but there were a few dazzling hairs in her hair.
For a moment, a trace of pity welled up in his heart.
"I'll do it myself, you take the water and take a rest." He said softly, with a rare hint of gentleness in his tone.
Cheng Suxin paused for a moment, and suddenly a trace of comfort welled up in her heart. A faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth: "Hey, I'll get the medicine soup for my dear first."
"I've been studying abroad for these days, thank you for taking care of my family." He wiped his feet, his voice muffled.
"We are husband and wife, this is what I should do." She picked up the wooden basin, and the ripples in the water reflected her haggard figure. "Now that you are back, I have someone to rely on."
The word "husband and wife" was like a thorn that suddenly pierced into Lin Hezhi's heart, causing the unspeakable knot in his heart to quietly rise up again.
He threw the towel in his hand into the basin, splashing water and soaking the corner of his wife's clothes. He turned around and lay down on the bed, his back to her, without saying anything.
Cheng Suxin looked at his back as he lay on his side, feeling a sense of loneliness in her heart. She moved her lips, but finally closed the door silently and left.
Lin Hezhi listened to her footsteps gradually fading away, and his mind couldn't help but recall the encounter in the dance hall today.
Su Manqing's pearlescent cheongsam flowed with her dance steps, and the scarlet nail polish on her fingertips left burning marks on her palms.
After dancing, they went to the Astoria for dinner. At the table, she talked excitedly about the Paris art exhibition and the London theater. Every look and every word exuded the style of the "new woman" that he had described thousands of times in his poems.
Her world is full of novelty and vitality, which forms a sharp contrast with his dull and boring wife at home.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
