0030 Wedding Events (1)
It was past nine o'clock at night, and it was already completely dark in City B.
Even though it wasn't a workday, Wanqi Fuze drove around the Third Ring Road by himself.
It's rare for him to have so little work and such a leisurely time. He wasn't wearing a coat in the car, just a shirt with the collar unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up. He didn't look so formal and serious, but rather had a touch of decadent roguishness, making him look just like one of those playboy playboys in Beijing.
He had a cigarette in his mouth, which was still burning.
After getting together with He Lingling, he rarely smoked in front of her because she hated the smell of smoke. When his craving for cigarettes got strong, he would just put one in his mouth and chew on it, and it gradually became a habit. He basically quit smoking, at least his addiction wasn't as strong as before.
But for some reason, it still caught fire today.
The car window was wide open, and he rested one arm on it while turning the steering wheel with one hand. The evening breeze rustled in, making him feel cool but comfortable.
When I was younger, I liked to do this when I was drunk: drive around the Third Ring Road, and the cold wind would sober me up.
He drove a little longer today and had a feeling that such opportunities were becoming increasingly rare, so he decided to take a good look at the night view of B City.
It is beautiful.
Even though he grew up here, he still feels that it is a city full of youth, vitality, and hope, yet also rich in history, charm, and stories. Many old stories have gradually faded away, but warm blood continues to flow in.
The aroma of tobacco lingered on his lips and teeth. He glanced at his watch and turned the car around.
The CBD office buildings are still brightly lit.
Wanqi Fuze parked his car and went up to the tenth floor, where the sound of renovations could be heard from the center.
Bai Tijiang was bending over to wipe the newly installed glass panel when he saw the figure coming in and called out "Old Wan" without stopping his work.
Wanqi Fuze found the surroundings cluttered and difficult to find a place to stand, so he sat down on the sofa, which had not yet been properly arranged.
The wind had given him a bit of a headache, so he leaned back against the chair, propped his head up, and closed his eyes slightly.
Seeing that he looked unwell, Bai Tijiang threw down the rag in his hand, wiped his hands, and sat down.
After a busy day of prayers, he stretched his limbs and said, "What's wrong? Has your stomach started hurting again lately?"
Wanqi Fuze shook his head, ignoring his question. "Can you make money buying such a high place?"
"Could you please understand the plight of ordinary people, young master? I'd have to use up most of my life savings and take out a loan just for this area!" Bai Tijiang spoke fluently and in a Beijing accent to an acquaintance.
He plans to quit his job and open a private clinic. He's been preparing for this for several years. First, his job at the public hospital is too demanding, leaving him with too little free time. Second, he wants to go to Europe for two more years of further study and wants to free up time for research and learning.
“I told you I’d invest in you, and even if I gave you the money, you still wouldn’t take it.” Wan Qifuze took out another cigarette and put it in his mouth.
He had mentioned this matter many times, but Bai Tijiang had never agreed, and it was unclear what was wrong with him.
"Just take care of yourself." Bai Tijiang also lit a cigarette from Wanqi's cigarette pack. "Daniel said you haven't been to his place for a while. How are you doing?"
Wanqi Fuze nodded.
Daniel is Wanqi Fuze's psychologist.
Bai Tijiang knew that he had been stubborn since childhood and that no one could persuade him, so he didn't say anything more.
Even in his worst condition, he couldn't compare to his younger days. He was terrified by Wanqi's dejected appearance. He was so tired that his eyes were lifeless, but he just couldn't fall asleep.
The doctor said it was a psychological illness. He knew it was the shadow of what happened to the Wan family, but he didn't expect him to have kept it to himself for so many years. Later, somehow he finally stopped having insomnia, but when asked what happened, he wouldn't say.
They grew up together in the same compound and were very close, but after Wan Qifuze was sent to D Province by his uncle when he was twelve, Wan Qifuze seemed to have changed a lot when he returned. Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for several years and he had become a little estranged from his friends, but he still felt that Wan Qifuze had become too taciturn. Or rather, his heart had closed itself off, making it difficult for anyone to enter.
Indeed, after something like that, who could bear it? Especially a child who is only twelve years old.
He sighed inwardly, "You're such a grown-up, can't you take better care of yourself?"
Wanqi Fuze smiled, thinking to himself that the person beside him had always been a meddlesome chatterbox since childhood. But at this age, it was rare to receive such genuine care.
He stood up, patted Bai Tijiang on the shoulder, and said, "I'm leaving now. I'll go see our grandma another day."
Bai Tijiang also stood up and snorted, "The old lady is still the same as ever, her voice hasn't diminished even at her age."
They both laughed. Now that they're older, they understand that having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. Having someone in the family who cares for you is the greatest happiness.
"I see Sister Bobo is back. Your family must be getting married soon, right?" Bai Tijiang turned off the lights and saw him out.
Wanqi Fuze nodded, telling him not to leave, "It's just a matter for the next couple of days, wait for the wedding banquet."
Bai Tijiang was slightly surprised, inwardly cursing himself for being so busy these past two days that he had forgotten everything else. He angrily shouted at Wanqi, "Why didn't you say so earlier?" and hurried back to get his car keys.
I have to go back to the compound. I haven't given him the red envelope yet. I don't know how much Grandma will nag me when I get back!
Wanqi Fuze laughed out loud, and even though his face was somewhat pale, he looked extremely handsome.
-
Life seemed to have returned to normal, yet it also seemed to have veered off course somewhat.
Wanqi Fuze hadn't returned to Songhan Residence for two days. He Lingling didn't know what he was busy with, but she had been extremely busy herself lately.
The two of them were back to how they were when they lived in a small apartment by the river. She was busy studying, and he was busy starting his business. They rarely saw each other.
With her laptop on her lap and the job search page lit up, He Lingling drifted off into thought for a moment.
The computer screen displayed a job search interface. She wanted to find a teaching job for Shen Yan in City B first.
Logically speaking, Shen Yan's undergraduate institution wasn't bad, but he's no longer a recent graduate and has always worked as a part-time teacher, so his work experience isn't extensive. Most importantly, his disability will cause him to miss out on many good opportunities.
She had already submitted numerous resumes for Shen Yan, noting his special circumstances on each one. She felt that rather than passing written tests only to be rejected in interviews, it was better to highlight Shen Yan's disability beforehand, which would save a lot of trouble.
It definitely saved me a lot of trouble; all the resumes I submitted were rejected.
Frustrated, He Lingling clicked the X and switched to another page—Rental Room.
She didn't know if the one-year agreement Wanqi Fuze mentioned was true, but the fact that she and he were going to separate was already a foregone conclusion.
Her salary is in City B, and she has no intention of giving up her career there, so she needs to prepare for everything after she separates from him. She wants to rent or even buy a house near the Normal University in City B.
What made her, a perpetually indifferent person, suddenly become so energetic was simply that she had come to a realization. Even if letting her leave after a year was just Wanqi Fuze's joke, or even if he wanted to go back on his word, it didn't matter, because she understood that she could no longer stay by his side.
At first, she agreed to take the college entrance exam in B city and to follow him—even if it was in a clandestine way—all to protect her brother, Ah Yan. But recent events have been a wake-up call for her.
She wanted to know for herself… that he loved her. But love is never about selfish possession and exploitation; that's a distorted form of love. The things he did to Brother Ayan had made her hate him for so many years. But at one point, while planning for Brother Ayan's future, she suddenly felt a little tired.
She realized that their years together had been a cycle of mutual torment; he loved her possessively, and she hated him with unwavering intensity. They were entangled, both wounded and scarred.
She used to be just a student with no strength to even kill a chicken, unable to contend with him. But even now, compared to him, she still doesn't have the power to overturn the heavens, yet she will do her best to earn her own freedom.
She wanted to leave him, she thought.
Leaving means letting go, but it also means letting go of the past. Let go of yourself, and let go of him.
She no longer considered Wanqi Fuze's "one-year agreement" as just a whim of his; she wanted to fulfill this "promise" with him.
At this moment, her future with Brother Ayan was uncertain, while her future with him was already set in stone.
Separation...
Looking up, I saw the coffee table opposite the bed in the master bedroom.
The room was designed in a Western style—Wanqi Fuze had a particular fondness for Western styles, but he had placed a Chinese-style ceramic vase on the coffee table.
The patterns on the blue-and-white glaze are absolutely gorgeous.
It looked somewhat out of place there, but she still liked it. She felt as if she had seen this vase before.
Later, he kicked it and shattered it into pieces, the ceramic fragments symbolizing "separation." Looking at the clattering shards filling the room, she momentarily felt that it represented their ending.
His face, which never showed his anger, suddenly appeared in her mind.
Even if an incongruous vase has been there for a long time, its disappearance leaves one feeling empty.
He Lingling felt she had lost the will to continue searching and closed her laptop.
P.S.: ① Daughter: This vase looks familiar.
Son (thinking to himself): Honey, I spent a whopping £600,000 to buy this…
Me: One sentence made a man spend 5 million on me
② Daughter: Why do I feel a little irritable when I think about separating from that person?
Me (at the top of my lungs): That's love!
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