Chapter 43 Love Has an Expiration Date When Passing Through the Human World…
Chapter 43
The downpour subsided, leaving only raindrops falling sporadically from the dark sky onto puddles under the streetlights and onto the glass.
The windshield wipers, from time to time, silently wiped away the raindrops.
At 9 p.m., Pingkang Road was no longer congested. Cars sped by under the trees, the lush foliage blocking out all the light.
Wen Yining sat in the back row and heard the silence in the air.
She sat in the darkness of the back row, looking at the person in front of her, and tentatively called out softly, "Li Changjing?"
He seemed to tilt his head slightly toward her, but did not answer her question.
Sitting in the darkness, Wen Yining quickly went over all the strange things that had happened since the afternoon. A sudden, vague sense of unease rose in her heart. After a while, she asked softly, "What's wrong with you today?"
After asking the question, Wen Yining waited two seconds, but he still didn't reply, and the unease in her heart grew. She couldn't help but stare at his back.
After a moment of silence, Li Changjing suddenly seemed to have returned to normal. His voice was a little hoarse as he gently replied, "It's nothing."
After saying that, he added, as if explaining, "There were some work-related issues, but they've been resolved. Have you had dinner?"
Hearing his usual answer, Wen Yining's unease gradually subsided. She shook her head. "No, I was just thinking about Lingling and didn't feel hungry. Have you eaten?"
"not yet."
"That's perfect. The dishes I prepared this afternoon are still in the kitchen. Let's go back."
Li Changjing didn't say anything, but the car suddenly turned around. Wen Yining was thrown off balance by the sudden and violent turn and almost fell over. She managed to steady herself by bracing herself with her palm on the seat.
The car drove to the basement, and the two went upstairs. Wen Yining walked ahead to unlock the door, while Li Changjing silently followed behind her.
She turned on the light, changed her shoes, rolled up her sleeves, and walked towards the kitchen. "You look so tired, go and rest. I'll take care of it." She was thinking about what to cook and didn't notice that Li Changjing hadn't answered her.
Li Changjing walked step by step to the walkway outside the kitchen and stopped far away, watching Wen Yining's busy figure in the kitchen.
She washed her hands and stood in front of the vanity, looking down at the ingredients in front of her. Her long hair was tied into a low bun at the back of her head for convenience, and her sleeves were rolled up high to her elbows, revealing a slender, fair arm.
Outside the window, the lights of countless homes shone brightly in the night.
Wen Yining turned her head casually and caught a glimpse of Li Changjing standing behind her, but she didn't pay any attention to it.
Looking at the ingredients in front of me, I casually said, "It's a bit late now, and it's not good to eat too much. How about I just cook some simple porridge? Actually, I'm not hungry, but I should still eat something. Not eating is bad for my stomach."
As Wen Yining was speaking, she turned around and put the plate wrapped in plastic wrap into the refrigerator. Suddenly, she saw Li Changjing and stopped talking.
He stood there motionless, staring intently at her, as if suppressing something. She held the plate and looked back at him, stunned.
She was about to speak.
Li Changjing could no longer hold back. He strode over and hugged her tightly. The plate in Wen Yining's hand fell to the ground. His kiss pressed down on her, and her vision went dark. Her ears were quiet for a moment. She only heard the plate fall to the ground with a "crash" and shatter.
His kisses were heavy and urgent, almost bloodthirsty. He held her tightly, pinning her against the wall, and slipped his hand under her clothes to caress her waist. Then his fingers went down to unbutton and unzip her pants.
Wen Yining was almost breathless from his kiss, her lips and teeth filled with his breath and the taste of tobacco in his mouth. Sensing his movements and seeing that he seemed to intend to stay there, she hurriedly and frantically tried to push him away.
Li Changjing then picked her up, kicked open the half-closed bedroom door, and without turning on the light, placed her on the bed and pressed his entire body against hers.
He was acting very strangely tonight, as if he was venting or deeply repressing something. Wen Yining was a little afraid of him like this.
His voice kept repeating in my ear, almost frantically, "Ningning, call my name! Call me Li Changjing!"
All she could do was beg for mercy and call out his name.
Wen Yining didn't know when she fell asleep. When she woke up from her dream, the room was dark and the room was cold and empty. Li Changjing was not there.
She turned on the desk lamp, got up, put on her clothes, and opened the door. It was still dark outside; Li Changjing didn't seem to be in the room. She switched on the light and walked into the living room. "Li Changjing?"
A long, slanted shadow loomed in front of the living room's floor-to-ceiling window, along with a faint crimson glow.
She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was 5 a.m.
Hearing the sound, Li Changjing turned around, stubbed out his cigarette, and walked towards her. His face was calm, without a smile or any other expression. "Why are you awake?"
Wen Yining looked up at him seriously and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
He paused almost imperceptibly for a moment, then smiled nonchalantly, "Couldn't sleep, came out for a smoke."
This answer was obviously perfunctory, but he clearly didn't want to say it. He put his arm around her shoulder and walked towards the bedroom, turning off the light as he did so. "Don't you have to get up early tomorrow to see Menglan? Go to sleep."
Although Li Changjing always acted gentle and like a peer in front of her, Wen Yining knew that he was just accommodating her. If he didn't want to talk about something, there was nothing she could do.
He had promised her he would take her to the zoo to see the giant pandas. The next day, when the alarm rang, Wen Yining got up early.
Li Changjing remained the same as before, but his gaze was no longer fixed on her; he began to look out the window frequently.
Li Changjing had something to do and suddenly became very distant from her; Wen Yining hadn't felt this way in a long time.
But the next second he turned to look at her, and Wen Yining felt that it was just her imagination.
Wen Yining asked Gu Lingling, and only after she learned that Gu Lingling's fever had subsided did she feel relieved enough to pack her things and head to the zoo.
Fortunately, it was a cloudy day. The sky was dark, and the ground was still wet, with patches of red and yellow maple leaves stuck to it, dampened by the rain. The autumn atmosphere was very strong.
If Li Changjing were just average-looking, it wouldn't matter how he went out. But the problem is that Li Changjing is too good-looking, and his aura is even more outstanding than his face. He is the kind of person who is so eye-catching that you can spot him at a glance. If he were photographed, his identity and position would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Li Changjing wore a hat, glasses, and a mask to cover his face. Today, he was unusually dressed in a distressed black denim jacket and a white short-sleeved shirt. He had specially chosen this outfit for today. Dressed like this, he didn't look like a leading cadre, but rather like an ordinary rich young man going out for fun. It made his skin look particularly fair, and he looked very handsome and clean.
Wen Yining put the hat on his head, looking at her work with satisfaction. She smiled and looked up, but Li Changjing didn't look at her. Instead, he looked away from her, his gaze deep yet indifferent.
Wen Yining was taken aback, her smile immediately faded, and she felt uneasy as if a piece of her heart had collapsed.
It's the weekend, and the zoo is packed. Menglan is so popular that the queue is almost endless. Everyone seems to be excitedly talking, and there are lots of children chattering and screaming. Security guards have to use a loudspeaker to urge visitors to move forward when their time is up, making room for those behind them.
Wen Yining is a calm and restrained person when she sees people and things, but when she sees cats and dogs, she becomes a different person, her emotions are very outward. Her eyes light up with excitement, and she stares intently at Menglan, who is lying not far away eating bamboo, through the glass. She is like a fan who has met her idol. She is only excited and only has eyes for Menglan, completely ignoring her surroundings.
Li Changjing still didn't bring bodyguards today. He stayed with her alone in the queue. He wasn't interested in cats and dogs, but carefully protected her from being jostled.
Ahead of them was a family with their child who came to see the giant pandas. The aunt kept glancing at the two of them with strange looks, especially at Li Changjing, since his fully armed outfit did look a bit odd.
Wen Yining snapped out of her reverie and turned to look at Li Changjing behind her, following her aunt's gaze. He was clearly very uncomfortable with the noisy, crowded atmosphere. Although he didn't say anything, his subtle body language couldn't lie, especially not to his lover whom he spent every day with.
Even though he was dressed casually and standing there, he still seemed out of place amidst the hustle and bustle around him.
Like a bucket of cold water being poured over her, Wen Yining immediately lost all her enthusiasm. Disappointed, she followed the crowd to the intersection and pulled Li Changjing aside.
Unbeknownst to her, Wen Yining had been spoiled by Li Changjing and developed a bit of a temper. She often looked at giant pandas on her phone, not only sharing them with him but also forcing him to watch them, which led to Li Changjing knowing all about these pandas.
Wen Yining walked towards a less crowded area, saying, "There are too many people, and it's too noisy."
Li Changjing patted her head and said softly, "How about I make a call another day and have the zookeeper take you to see it up close?"
Wen Yining shook her head, "No need, it's too risky for pandas."
After leaving the zoo, Li Changjing took Wen Yining back to school, while she had to accompany Gu Lingling to the hospital for another injection. The two didn't exchange a single word the whole way.
She got out of the car, closed the door, and crossed the road under the overpass. For some reason, she suddenly felt extremely panicked, as if she was about to lose something. The great unease made her immediately turn around and want to go back to see Li Changjing again. As soon as she turned her head, she saw that Li Changjing's car had just started to drive away, and it looked like it had been parked in the same spot for a long time.
The gleaming black car started moving, glided through the crowd, and gradually disappeared.
Wen Yining later came to believe a saying: people have premonitions.
*
After that day, her contact with Li Changjing became very rare. He stopped calling her and even replied to her messages very slowly.
Late at night, Wen Yining stood on the balcony and called him, listening to the dial tone, and then the call automatically ended because no one answered.
The window wasn't closed properly, and the cold air from outside blew in. Wen Yining took a breath of the icy air, closed the glass, and turned to go into the dormitory.
The office became Li Changjing's safe haven. As the night grew deeper, the lights in his office remained on.
Li Changjing held a cigarette between his fingers, his eyes lowered as he watched the phone on the table ring and then automatically hang up before the screen went dark again. His face was hidden behind the smoke, looking ethereal and expressionless.
After a long while, he stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the cars and the fluttering red flags, their color as bright red as blood.
His life became a monotonous routine, working frantically as if he were competing with someone. Meetings made everyone feel insecure. Secretary Feng half-jokingly said, "Young Master, if it really comes down to it, I'll invite you home for a meal, or I'll drive you around."
Li Changjing put down his pen and remained silent until Secretary Feng began to feel uneasy. He looked up at Secretary Feng and suddenly said, "Feng Yi, tell me, after all the hard work I've put in to get to where I am today, shouldn't I also strive to reach even higher and farther positions?"
Secretary Feng was taken aback for a moment, then immediately smiled and said, "Wasn't your birth destined you to move forward?"
Li Changjing smiled and said, "You're absolutely right."
His smile was quite unusual, and Secretary Feng couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
Li Changjing smiled and said, "What do you mean, 'what happened'? I'm perfectly fine."
Secretary Feng fell silent.
Li Changjing then turned to chatting with various friends, discussing those hidden topics that were constantly changing. Behind every casual remark they made lay the life trajectories of thousands upon thousands of people.
Behind his "good friends," every seemingly casual joke they made with him was a carefully crafted script, tailored to his expression.
Li Changjing smoked his cigarette indifferently, looking down at the northern city below. He was standing too high up; from this distance, the people and vehicles below looked as small as ants.
He smoked a cigarette, listened to the conversation behind him, and looked down at the flow of people.
This is the taste of power.
The taste he's been most familiar with and fascinated by since childhood.
So his choice was right, and he should move forward.
*
Shooting range in the suburbs of Beijing.
Li Changjing held his gun and aimed it at the target in front of him.
Fang Qi looked at him and said, "Li Zeqing, don't you think something's wrong with you?"
Li Changjing didn't speak, nor did he even turn his head, as if he hadn't heard what was said. He held the gun steadily and fired a shot.
Hit the bullseye.
He lowered his arm, turned around and lit a cigarette. He had been smoking heavily lately, and always smelled of smoke. The ashtray next to him was full of cigarette butts.
He raised an eyebrow at Fang Qi and smiled, "What the hell are you talking nonsense about?"
Fang Qi chuckled at his dirty laugh, realizing something was off about what he'd said.
After raising his hand and striking forward, Fang Qi lowered his arm. "Why haven't I seen Juan-meimei lately?"
Li Changjing stared ahead, calmly finished typing, and said a single word, "Busy."
This game ended in another draw.
Fang Qi pointed his gun and said, "I heard you've been arranging blind dates lately? What? Getting married?"
The voice beside him said calmly, "Yeah, he's an old classmate. There's no rush to get married."
Fang Qi didn't know how he felt. His first shot went wide, and he knew he couldn't win.
I thought he would finally fall for that little girl this time, but it turns out he's still the same as before.
Fang Qi sighed and simply threw down the gun. "You win."
Ignoring his surrender, Li Changjing raised his gun and fired a round. Looking at the score, he finally smiled and said, "I won."
Fang Qi smiled and said, "I've admired you since I was a child. You know what you want. You're amazing. I've lost."
Li Changjing put down his gun, looked at the target in front of him and the messy, yellowing leaves in the mountains behind him, and was momentarily lost in thought.
After staying in the office for so many days, Li Changjing finally went home. He didn't go back to the two houses, but went back to his parents' house.
In the stillness of a late winter night, the house was quiet, and he didn't disturb anyone.
He hadn't been back to live here for a long time. He opened the door of the ancestral hall, where there were memorial tablets and burnt-out butter lamps on the table, and the ground in front of the memorial tablets was where he used to kneel as a child.
He returned to his room, which was connected to his study.
Li Changjing turned on the light, stood in front of a wall of books, accurately pulled out one of them, picked it up and flipped through it. Tucked inside the off-white pages was a yellowed strip of paper with a line of words on it. The writing was so forceful that it seemed to penetrate the paper, pushing it up and leaving marks. You could clearly feel how much pressure the person who wrote it had applied.
"I want to climb up step by step, I want to surpass them, I want to reach that position."
"I want to climb up step by step, I want to surpass them, I want to reach that position."
Like a madman, Li Changjing repeated this sentence over and over again, as if by doing so he could firmly tell himself that he was right.
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