Chapter 81
There was no ice at home, so Tong Yufei wrung out a wet towel and applied a cold compress to Mo Daoyan. "You know my sister was arrested." Her voice was low, her eyes cold. "She's not worth your worry. Don't let innocent people be implicated in our affairs. Let her go."
The wound on his forehead was badly swollen due to delayed treatment. He used to be silent when it bumped into him, but now he gritted his teeth in pain: "I thought even if it was just fake, you would at least show some concern first."
She had seen through it long ago. He didn't want to be scolded. As long as he brought up Ye Yimo, Tong Wan's anger would be mostly gone. Maybe he would even turn against him and persuade her to give up Ye Yimo for the sake of the overall situation. Moreover, she knew him well. He would never stand and passively take a beating, unless it was voluntary. He voluntarily calculated others and voluntarily played a trick on himself. Why should she feel distressed? "Dr. Mo is in charge of the overall situation. Does he still care about these empty things?"
"Whether you care or not is secondary. After all, you are the one who needs help now."
He did not hide the fact that he had done everything to irritate Tong Wan and take the hit of the cup, all on purpose, in order to lure Tong Yufei to come to him. If Tong Wan had caused the trouble himself, she might have dealt with it coldly, but Tong Wan was sent to jail for standing up for her, and it was his second time in seven days. Without his forgiveness, he would definitely be dealt with severely, and she could not sit idly by.
He had used her sister, causing her family to be restless, and now he was forcing her to come and meet him. At this point, he could have said a few words against his will to show his magnanimity and gain her last bit of favor, but he was reluctant to let go of this opportunity. If a bad reputation could bring a glimmer of hope, he would decisively bear it.
"I can let your sister go, but my injury can't be in vain. You know what I want."
She understood his intentions, but even hearing it with her own ears, she was still shocked. He used her sister as bait, and even put on a condescending attitude, claiming she came to beg him. Even if the result proved to be true, it couldn't cover up his shameless behavior this time: "You want me to move back in and continue to be your husband? Aren't you disgusted by those who evade the truth? When did you become so ridiculous?"
"Laugh more if you want to laugh. A smile makes you look ten years younger. I haven't seen your childhood yet, so this is a good time to make up for it." He moved towards her and pulled her into his arms. She had been standing outside for so long, her clothes were soaked with cold air, but he melted away the coldness bit by bit. "At least for the next two years while I'm away from home, you have to treat this place like your real home. If you promise, your sister will be home before sunset."
"What's that? You've read so many books and received such a good education, don't you know that a forced melon won't be sweet?"
A forced melon may not be sweet, but it is better than watching the garden become barren. In the past, he refused to give in and pushed her further and further away. Now, except for this matter, he can give in on everything. Even if he retreats to the edge of a cliff, he can dig a way out.
He closed his arms with a burning gaze, pulling her deeper into his embrace, his eyes filled with restrained desire. "It's not sweet, but I want to eat it. I know what you want to prove, but I also want to prove that I won't be an obstacle to you. Being with me won't prevent you from being yourself. Tong Yufei, you're not my choice, and neither am I."
The next morning, Mo Daoyan knocked on her door before going to work and wanted to help her move. Tong Yufei had a year-end morning meeting and wanted to postpone the move, but he seemed impatient and stuffed her a key to her house and took away the key to her dormitory. He said that she could leave the moving to him and promised that he would not disturb her after she moved in. Even if she returned to China, she could still live in the old house, since she had to be with her grandmother. He had already prepared all the daily necessities for the new house, so this time she didn't have to move out every towel and bar of soap like she did last time. He only kept a satin quilt that she liked. He took away her and Ye Yimo's personal belongings and gave away the rest that could be used to the neighbors. That way, she could move in directly after work in the evening.
Tong Yufei was busy until 10 o'clock in the evening. He was pulled back to the dormitory of the oil and cotton factory by his body memory. He took the key to unlock the door, but it didn't open after twisting it for a long time. He stamped his feet in anxiety.
Hearing the commotion, Sister Jiang poked her head out and asked, "Didn't your wife come over this morning and help you move out? The coal briquettes have been sent to our house. Do you still want to come back and live here? Do you want the coal briquettes returned to you?"
It was then that she realized: "No need to return it."
The new house was in Room 402 of the Hongqi neighborhood. Mo Daoyan had given her the master bedroom, the slightly larger second bedroom to Ye Yimo, and the other bedroom a study. Last night, when they'd come to negotiate terms, she'd been so flustered she hadn't even looked closely. Now, she finally had the time to examine it. Compared to their previous house in Hongsheng, the layout remained the same, and the decor was somewhat similar. The walls were still beige, but the furniture had switched from dark brown to a light wood color, and the flooring had been changed from tile to solid wood. The master bedroom walls, once covered in photos of exotic landscapes, were replaced with their wedding photos and solo photos of her. She only had a few of her photos up, the others in a drawer, leaving a few empty sticky hooks on the wall, giving her the choice of the remaining photos.
Although she agreed to move in, she only thought of it as helping him look after the house for two years. She would have to leave eventually, so she didn't hang any more pictures and even took down the ones on the wall. This was not her home, and she would not take the house for herself.
As soon as she entered the door, she noticed the willow yellow curtains. She had wanted to change the curtains before because she wanted to find a spiritual outlet for her dull life. Later, she found that it was not a problem that could be solved by changing a piece of cloth. When she was able to leave, the feeling of suffocation disappeared. It didn't matter what color the curtains were. Besides, now it seemed that the beige walls and willow yellow curtains did not match well. She would go to the mall tomorrow to change to a set of dark curtains, not pure black, but bright gray.
If he doesn't like it, he can change it back after returning home.
There was a letter on the bedside table, written by Mo Daoyan. The letter said that he was going to Hong Kong today and would transfer to Germany. He told her to take good care of herself and to be calm and composed when taking Ye Yimo out in the future, without fear of other people's eyes, because when people start doing something special, others may laugh, but if it continues for several years or even decades, people's views will be changed by her persistence. Besides, compared with real life, those views are not important at all. As for home, he will write a letter to explain to his parents, and she doesn't need to come forward to deal with it.
At the end of the letter, he said frankly for the first time: "Dear Miss Tong, next time we meet, I hope you will try to love me."
Fortunately, the letter was silent, and she didn't have to face the writer directly. Otherwise, she couldn't imagine him saying such cheesy words. He probably liked her a little, and she couldn't tell how much sincerity and reluctance there was in that liking. But when a proud person bows his head, it always makes people feel pity, which temporarily dilutes her hatred. She called it "delusion" because Mo Daoyan could retract his softening towards her at any time. It would have no effect on him, but she might become a laughing stock, just like last year when she went to the train station with great anticipation to meet him, but he actually didn't want to see her. She never wanted to experience that embarrassing feeling again.
Besides, she has more important things to do right now and has no time to care about emotional issues.
She has just received a new interview assignment, and the subject is the former famous opera actor Ling Ke.
A typical case occurred during the crackdown in 1983. There was a world-famous male actor named Chi. He was reported for "commotion" because he danced cheek to cheek to decadent music while partying with friends. He was sentenced to four years for hooliganism. Later, he was given a two-year reduction in sentence for good behavior in prison. After he was released from prison, he worked as a laborer delivering coal and plastering walls until he was discovered by a music producer. He recorded a series of "prison song" albums with very personal characteristics, which unexpectedly became popular all over the country.
Ling Ke comes from a family of opera performers and rose to fame at a young age. His life journey is highly similar to that of the male actor surnamed Chi. They both committed "hooliganism" during the crackdown. They went from being popular male dan in local opera to being a prisoner and their reputations were gone. They both used their outstanding professional abilities to contribute to enriching the prison's entertainment life and were able to have their sentences reduced. Now they work as logistics cleaners in their old troupe. Whether they can smoothly transition back to their old job, replicate the acting path of the male actor surnamed Chi, and usher in a smooth second spring in their careers, the public is still waiting to see.
When Cheng Yuan assigned her the task, she explained that the world of fame and fortune was never short of suitors. Ever since the success story, young musicians and filmmakers had flocked to the scene, hoping to capitalize on the right timing, location, and people to create a new legend. But all had failed, blocked by Ling Ke. Whether Ling Ke was seeking a secluded life or waiting for his mentor was a question everyone eagerly awaited. This type of literary and artistic interview was Tong Yufei's specialty. If she could pull it off successfully, her fame would surely soar alongside Ling Ke's attention. However, she also frankly warned her that Ling Ke possessed the common aloofness and arrogance of artists, and after such a devastating change, his temperament had become even more erratic. The two reporters sent by the Hexi Morning News to cover the story hadn't been seen, and one had been hospitalized after being beaten. The department prioritized this interview, preparing two veteran reporters as backup. It was unclear whether Tong Yufei would have the time to prepare.
No matter how tired she was, she never showed any signs of fatigue. Cheng Yuan's question must have been groundless: "Have you heard any rumors?"
Cheng Yuan then told the rumors she had heard recently. Her husband wanted a divorce and separated from her. Her sister went to the other party's unit to cause trouble and was detained. In order to retaliate, she kept pestering the other party, occupied the other party's house, and forced him to seek refuge abroad... The outline of the incident was roughly correct, but the details were already very different. It would probably take three days and three nights to clarify these misunderstandings. She could only make a simple statement that she had talked about divorce with her husband, but he went abroad and would stay there for two years. The divorce storm was temporarily subsided, so the problem Cheng Yuan was worried about would not exist.
"Whatever the reason, he went abroad for five years and then two more, and he didn't even have a child with you. Is he the kind of person who can live a good life?" Cheng Yuan complained for her. "In Europe, the sky is high and the emperor is far away. Who knows how many beautiful women are around you? Trusting a man to remain chaste is worse than trusting a sow to climb a tree. Don't be too naive. If he can ignore you, why bother to stick around like a fool? If you ask me, if you meet a young man you like, you should seize the opportunity."
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