Seeing the excitement on Jian Wei’s face as she told me the news of Yan Yan’s pregnancy, my mood became complicated again. It seemed that even when we casually mentioned Fang Yuan or Yan Yan, it would tear open a piece of our past. I remembered: once, when we were joking around, talking about arranged marriages between our children, Jian Wei insisted she would have a son, saying that our son could date the daughter of Fang Yuan and Yan Yan, and that we could become in-laws later—adding intimacy to our relationship. But now, it truly was just a joke, not something to be taken seriously. However, the news of Yan Yan’s pregnancy, while making us happy, also reflected the disillusionment that time brings. It erodes emotions and shatters those real or imagined expectations.
I said to Jian Wei, “I already heard about Yan Yan’s pregnancy. I’m really happy for her and Fang Yuan!”
Jian Wei’s expression suddenly turned very serious. “Pregnancy is the hardest time for a woman. Fang Yuan must take one hundred and twenty percent care of Yan Yan. It’s not only his responsibility but also his redemption… That jerk has wronged Yan Yan so much. He even cheated on her behind her back before…”
I stopped Jian Wei from continuing and said, “Let’s not bring up the past. Fang Yuan must have deeply repented. I think he is capable of doing anything for Yan Yan now!”
“You shouldn’t take his side just because he’s your friend…”
At that moment, Jian Wei actually didn’t know that Fang Yuan had had a serious conflict with Mi Cai because he wanted to stay in China to take care of Yan Yan. But I didn’t think it necessary to tell her that. I just interrupted, saying, “I’m not taking his side just because he’s my friend. I’m just stating the facts.”
Jian Wei didn’t argue with me anymore. She checked the time, started packing her handbag, and said to me, “Anyway, Fang Yuan must devote one hundred and twenty percent of his attention to Yan Yan, or I won’t forgive him!”
I nodded. Jian Wei added, “Then I’ll go first. I’m going to Nanjing with Xiang Chen soon.”
A sudden tension gripped my heart, but it quickly eased. I smiled and asked, “Is this a visit to meet the future in-laws?”
Jian Wei instinctively hesitated before replying, “No, he has a friend coming from France, and we arranged to meet in Nanjing.”
I asked no more, though I couldn’t quite identify the emotion inside me. But I was certain that despite the argument they had at the “West of the Old Town” café and the breakup-like words they exchanged, Jian Wei and Xiang Chen still chose to continue their relationship. Just like Mi Cai and me—we had twice chosen to break up, but after the sedimentation of time, we still ended up with each other. Whether to break up or stay together, to put it lightly, was just a choice, without any compelling reason. It was only the mood at that moment that could influence it. People, after all, are emotional creatures. We need to constantly examine ourselves so as not to take a wrong path due to impulsiveness and emotion!
Perhaps Yang Congrong had misled me. Jian Wei’s decision to invest in Lukuo wasn’t about rekindling old feelings. It was simply because we had lived together for such a long time that we influenced each other’s perception of the world. Thus, we both pursued the “literary path” persistently. Viewed this way, Jian Wei’s full commitment to investing in Lukuo was actually a simple matter. And after spending so much time with Xiang Chen, she must have developed feelings for him too, because Xiang Chen truly treated her very well—at least much better than I ever did. Compared to Xiang Chen, I was definitely a poor match!
…
After parting with Jian Wei at the company, I drove to the supermarket, hurriedly bought some nourishing ingredients, and then went to the old house to prepare a nutritious late-night meal for Mi Cai.
It was still raining. The wind outside rattled the old wooden window, and rainwater seeped through the gaps. I fetched a dry towel to soak up the water and thought about whether I should renovate this old house again. Lost in these thoughts, I heard Mi Cai finally open the door. She stood in front of me, wearing only light clothing. I quickly fetched a blanket from the bedroom and wrapped it around her, saying with both concern and reproach, “Look how much the temperature has dropped. You should have worn more clothes. If you catch a chill and get a cold, you’ll know how miserable it is!”
“There’s a blanket in the car.”
“But you’re not in the car all the time, are you? Can you even wrap yourself in a blanket during meetings? … Sigh! You just don’t know how to take care of yourself. Go sit on the sofa quickly. I’ll make you a bowl of ginger soup to prevent illness.”
A short while later, I brought Mi Cai a bowl of ginger soup, but she didn’t drink it. Instead, she tightly hugged my waist and rested her head on my shoulder, saying nothing. Her fragile behavior made me realize that Fang Yuan’s actions today might have truly hurt her. I felt guilty and heartbroken but could not bring myself to criticize Fang Yuan. I gently stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. Deep down, I understood that even though she was a top businesswoman, after the intense conflict with Fang Yuan, she still went to Shanghai for a meeting as if nothing had happened. But when she returned home at night, she was just a fragile girl who needed to be cherished by her boyfriend.
Finally, I said to her, “Can you forgive Fang Yuan? I’ll make him apologize to you and fix the computer!”
“You’re treating this like a fight between kids?”
Trying to lighten the mood, I coaxed her, “Isn’t that exactly how it seems to me? In the end, the computer will be fixed, of course, and the apology is a must!”
“He smashed it to pieces. What’s there to fix now?”
“Even better, then make him buy you a brand new one! In the end, you’ll even profit from this. Isn’t that right, my love?”
“You’re the silliest one!”
I finally turned serious and said, “I may be silly, but I want you to feel less sad… I really don’t know what to say about the conflict between you and Fang Yuan, but both of you are close to me, so I have to get involved, right?”
Mi Cai let go of me, looked at me for a long time, and said, “Please don’t blame me for this incident, okay? … When you get angry, I really feel anxious.”
Her fragility at that moment reminded me again of the times I had shouted at her before. Sometimes she would fight back, but most of the time, she would just look at me helplessly and remain silent, letting my anger subside. I felt guilty and remorseful again. I realized that I had too much of a temper, but it absolutely should not be unleashed on my girlfriend. Mi Cai’s tolerance was entirely out of her feelings for me; otherwise, she wouldn’t even bother with me!
I gently exhaled, held her hand, and said, “It would be truly absurd if I actually got angry. I just want to talk with you calmly and figure out what really happened… What I can’t understand the most is: why did you insist on making him join your team to the U.S.? He hasn’t even been involved in the Zuo Mei IPO matter all along!”
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