Chapter 1 (2)
Fenglai Pavilion. Yu Meng embraced Yu Jia. Sworn brothers, Yu Jia was the eldest, and she was the second, about the same age. Yu Meng was willing to date Yu Jia because she wasn't competitive, always modest, reserved, and virtuous. She wanted to be the peony, while Yu Jia was the orchid. She didn't steal the spotlight.
Yu Meng held up a goblet and yelled, "If you hadn't come, we wouldn't have been able to see the leader. Now that you've come, you're hiding the leader from us!"
Yu Jia's face flushed slightly. Yu Shuang had brought the wine. All four of them drank. They weren't driving tonight.
"I'm really busy." Yu Jia responded with a smile.
It was the truth. Di Liren had been seconded to a big city for a while, and she had been alone in a small town raising her child to study, enduring countless hardships. Now, Liren had been hired as a permanent employee and given an apartment, no longer needing to live in the dormitory. She had finally achieved her goal, and could reunite with her husband as the "leader's wife" with their daughter, Di Sisi.
Yu Jia actually didn't like going out at night. It just so happened that Li Ren was going out for a social event today—his fellow townspeople from big cities, most of whom worked in the civil service, had a strong sense of camaraderie and a close-knit, semi-secret community that they couldn't avoid. So, after Li Ren left, she made sure her daughter had dinner, checked in on her homework, and finally told her not to watch TV. She also locked up her daughter's phone. Then, she remembered to ask her younger brother, Yu Yi, to accompany Li Ren—Yu Yi was studying for a master's degree at the University of Mining and Technology—to go along to see the world and act as a spy.
Yu Jia wasn't worried about her husband; she was just worried that if he drank too much, she would be able to rest assured knowing her brother was the driver. Therefore, she especially warned Yu Yi, "Don't drink, just say you're driving."
While still drinking, Yu Rui toasted Yu Meng. She had wanted to date Yu Meng before Yu Jia arrived. After graduating from university, she'd been a minor actress for a few years. She wasn't a bit player, but at best, she was an 18th-tier supporting role or a "special guest." The road was truly difficult. Yu Rui became even more convinced that acting for a living was unrealistic. The men she'd met on set weren't reliable. She hoped to use Yu Meng to break into "high society." After all, Meng had arrived in the big city early, and with a husband to support her, she had deep roots, extensive connections, and a wide network of contacts.
She had seen a photo Yu Meng shared with a famous writer. The one with the chubby face. The writer had written a Chinese character for "Fu" (meaning "blessing") for the couple. Yu Meng and his wife were incredibly proud. Of course, Yu Rui looked down on the writer; she wanted an entrepreneur or an official. Therefore, when Yu Jia arrived, she had to be there immediately. Di Liren was now a very important figure.
Yu Rui kept leaning in to talk, leaving Yu Shuang feeling a bit uncomfortable caught in the middle. She wasn't interested in their conversations about husbands, children, marriage, and love. She'd come today, firstly to give Yu Jia face. They were from the same clan, and Jia was a distant relative, and secondly, to see Yu Rui. Yu Shuang was slightly older than Yu Rui. When Yu Shuang was in high school, Yu Rui was already the most beautiful girl in the entire department. While Yu Shuang had good grades back then, she lacked confidence. Yu Rui's willingness to be her friend was a bit of a boost to her youth. Therefore, even after all these years, Yu Shuang still remembered this old favor.
Yu Shuang went to the bathroom, and Yu Rui accompanied her. Yu Meng looked at the two girls from behind and said, "Look, Bibi, we're all old." She hoped Yu Jia would flatter her for not being old. Yu Meng had spent a lot of money on her face and body. But Yu Jia said, "Everyone gets old one day. I'm worried about Xiao Shuang, all alone. A woman should always have a family."
Yu Meng said: "Her mother is with her."
"Can you accompany me for a lifetime?" Yu Jia said in a long tone.
"Marriage doesn't guarantee a lifetime relationship."
"That's different."
"Shuang is lucky to have such a big house. I caught up."
"No one. The house is just big, it absorbs the yang energy." Yu Jia analyzed, "Shuang is still a child, Rui is an adult, and she is also worried." Turning to Yu Meng, he said, "You are still better. The child is grown up, you have everything, you are free. You are alive again, you are young."
After a long night of nagging, Yu Meng finally heard this compliment, feeling her two hours of dressing up were worthwhile. However, she disagreed with Yu Jia's assessment of her current situation. Suddenly, Yu Meng leaned in close to Yu Jia's ear and whispered, "Keep it a secret." Yu Jia shrank back and looked at her. Yu Meng continued, "I'm going to say goodbye to Luan Chengyun. Bye—" She had just sent her son on the plane when she turned around and handed her husband a divorce agreement. Let him go! She treated Yu Jia to dinner, also to cheer herself up.
Yu Jia's eyes nearly popped out of her head, she couldn't believe her ears. But since Yu Meng had already said this, it must have been carefully considered, and she was revealing it to her as if she were her own person. She couldn't object immediately. She could only express her emotion with a look of surprise.
She didn't approve of divorce. Deep down, Yu Jia believed in lifelong loyalty. When two people live together, friction is inevitable. Women are water, men are mud, and a daughter needs to be tolerant and smooth things over.
Marriage is a marathon, and Yu Jia despises those who quit halfway. Even if she dies of exhaustion, she will run to the finish line.
Yu Meng saw Sister Jia’s panic-stricken expression, so she explained to herself, “She’s not good enough. I’ve seen through everything over the years! Alas—” She sighed deeply, feeling extremely aggrieved. “My child has grown up, and it’s time for me to be free.” She didn’t mention the domestic violence she suffered, as it was embarrassing.
Yu Jia still didn't say anything. Yu Meng was afraid that she would think the wrong thing, so she quickly said, "I didn't cheat!"
She is a good woman.
The second half of the sentence was not said, implying that it was his fault that Luan Chengyun had some clues outside.
"To admit one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue," Yu Jia said elegantly. Hiding in the words of the ancients seemed less awkward.
"No, no, we can't waste time." Yu Meng had made up her mind. In this moment of uncertainty, she felt she still had a chance to fight. She had to overwhelm Luan Chengyun, vent her anger, and prove her "commercial value."
Yu Meng recently likes to take Zhu Lingling as an example - leaving a rich man and marrying another rich man.
Thinking about it, it's not right. Pah! Luan Chengyun is not a rich man. But the second half is a dream that Yu Meng must realize.
Shuang and Rui returned, and the group sat for a while longer. When the wine and soup were gone, Yu Yi arrived to pick up his sister. Yu Jia, a bit surprised, whispered, "Where's your brother-in-law?" Yu Yi replied that he'd already sent him home. Yu Meng quickly said, "Is this Xiaoyi? He's grown up already?" To Yu Meng, Yu Yi was always the little brother. Yu Rui smiled, but remained silent. Yu Shuang said, "Xiaoyi's in graduate school." Li Ren had been a big help to Yu Yi in preparing for the exams and choosing his advisor. He'd maintained relationships with teachers at his hometown's Mining College who had transferred. Finally, his brother-in-law needed help with his studies. Therefore, Li Ren held an even greater position in the Yu family.
Yu Meng was far away, so she called a taxi. Yu Rui stayed overnight at Yu Shuang's place. Yu Jiafei asked Yu Yi to take a detour and drop off Sister Shuang and Sister Rui first. Yu Yi was happy to oblige. He had a slight interest in Yu Rui. She hadn't taken it seriously before, but now that her brother was older, she could see it and was willing to work hard to create opportunities for him. However, Yu Jia knew that Yu Rui, a member of the entertainment industry, might not be interested in a student like Yu Yi.
After getting in the car, Yu Jia sat in the passenger seat. Shuang and Rui were in the back. Yu Jia said politely, "Coming here suddenly, it's much better with you guys. Otherwise, I'd be like a headless chicken, not able to adapt."
Shuang didn't respond. Rui noticed Yu Yi looking at her through the rearview mirror. She couldn't help but feel a little proud. But the more he looked at her, the more she avoided him, to show her dignity.
Yu Jia added, "Go out more often. Being out there is different from being in Yingzi. Help each other out. Three cobblers are better than Zhuge Liang." He added, "Shuang, say hello to your mom. I'll go see her once you're settled." Yu Jia then urged everyone to keep in touch. This was mainly to build a bridge for his younger brother.
Yu Yi was slow to react, but Yu Jia had already pushed his business card to Shuang and Rui. After dropping them off and saying goodbye, the car turned back. Only then did Yu Jia finally relax. Even when socializing with her younger sisters, she was always extremely cautious, afraid of anything inappropriate, and so she was nervous. Now, facing her brother alone, she didn't need to be defensive and asked, "How is your brother-in-law?"
Yu Yi said, "Eight ounces of wine."
He'd drunk too much again. Needless to say, Di Liren was probably unconscious. Yu Jia blamed her brother for not trying to dissuade him, but before she left, she'd asked Yu Yi to stop drinking. He couldn't possibly do it for Liren. While he couldn't do it for him, persuading him was certainly possible. Yu Jia was silent for a moment. She didn't want to criticize her brother, so she could only express her feelings through emotion.
Yu Yi turned the steering wheel and said, "Sister-brother-in-law is happy too."
What was he happy about? Happy that she was in the big city to be together as a couple? At least, she hadn't seen or felt it in the past few days. It had been ages since they'd had sex. So long that she'd almost forgotten the feeling. It felt like a lifetime ago. The last time, he'd been there to visit his family. At this age, Yu Jia could understand that things weren't as good as they used to be, but despite her persuasion, she still felt there was something wrong between them.
There was no third party involved. She was certain that no one would dare to do so. In this system, poor conduct was a major taboo.
He is a good husband.
As the car drove into the alley, Yu Jia asked, "Did you vomit?" He was referring to Li Ren.
Yu Yi said, "She vomited once in the restaurant and once in the car, but she caught it both times." The car still smelled of alcohol. Fortunately, they had been drinking, otherwise it would have been embarrassing.
"Sisi is at home, right?" she continued to ask.
"He said he's finished his homework," Yu Yi reported. He added, "Auntie's here too."
Auntie, which auntie? Yu Jia didn't react for a moment. She looked at her brother. "Brother-in-law's mother," Yu Yi explained. Yu Jia's heart skipped a beat. Her mother-in-law had always been a woman of measure. Arriving at this hour, without calling, was definitely not normal.
She blamed her brother for not telling her sooner, for not reporting the situation sooner. Then, she had to understand him. He probably thought Liren's mother had always lived with them. Or perhaps there was nothing wrong with the elderly being at home.
After all, when she was not with Li Ren, Yu Yi rarely came to his house.
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