I left the comfort of the sofa and walked to the balcony. Only after unconsciously lighting a cigarette did I answer the call. I felt heavy and couldn’t speak immediately. Yan Yan was equally silent on the other end, showing no sign of speaking either… I knew it was completely over.
I tried to calm myself and asked, “Why did you call me and not say anything? Is the signal bad?”
“Zhaoyang, I’m downstairs at your apartment complex. Come down, I have something to ask you.”
I sensed a dangerous signal in Yan Yan’s emotionless tone. She was suppressing her emotions, trying to get answers from me with whatever rationality she had left. After telling her to wait a moment, I hung up the phone, instinctively took another deep puff from my cigarette, extinguished it in the ashtray, and rushed downstairs without even putting on my coat.
Outside the residential compound, under a tree by the roadside, I saw the white Mazda 6. This car had once been proof of Yan Yan and Fangyuan’s joint efforts, and I had envied them for a long time—not merely for owning a car, but for transforming their mutual efforts into something tangible.
They had once shared common goals!
Now, the car still looked new, but the people seemed worn out.
Through the car window, I saw Yan Yan sitting inside, wearing maternity clothes. Her figure had slightly changed, and her short hair no longer had the vitality it once had when it flowed past her shoulders. She had completely transformed into an ordinary woman because of the child in her womb. She was experiencing one of the most significant moments in a woman’s life, yet someone refused to support her greatness… My mind flashed the face of Milang, whose beauty rivaled Mica’s. Physically, Yan Yan at this moment was incomparable to her.
I exhaled heavily and finally approached her car, opened the passenger door, and got in. Although I already had a rough idea why she had come, I tried to use a light tone to avoid provoking her. “What’s this all about? You came all the way here to ask me?”
Yan Yan remained as calm as she had been on the phone. She said, “Today, a woman claiming to be Fangyuan’s boss came to see me. She said… Fangyuan has been in a relationship with her for over half a year… And now Fangyuan plans to marry her… Zhaoyang, is this true?”
What I had feared had finally come to pass. Mi Lang truly had no intention of supporting Fangyuan. When it comes to love, no woman is entirely selfless. She hadn’t exposed him earlier because of Zhuomei. Now that there were no more concerns, from her perspective, why should she continue to endure?… But Yan Yan is pregnant! How heartless must she be to not even consider this?!
“Yan Yan, listen to me. You should ask Fangyuan about this, not me…”
Yan Yan gave a bitter laugh. “Zhaoyang, half a year ago, you and Jian Wei already exposed those two bastards in a hotel, right?… You bastards!! Why did you hide this from me and keep me in the dark, making me the biggest fool in the world!! At that time, I wasn’t pregnant yet, I still had a choice. What am I supposed to do now?…”
I hadn’t expected Milang to tell Yan Yan about this too. She was not only ruthless but also despicable. Perhaps in her heart, this was her way of getting back at Jian Wei for the slap she had received before. She had succeeded. At this moment, Yan Yan, who could no longer think rationally, now hated both Jian Wei and me!
I remained silent out of guilt… In my silence, another car pulled up beside us. Before I could see what kind of car it was, Jian Wei, whom I hadn’t seen in days, had already appeared beside Yan Yan and me. She waved at me, signaling me to get out of the car. It turned out Yan Yan had called more than just me…
I opened the car door and got out. Unaware of the full details, Jian Wei whispered to me, “Zhaoyang, has Fangyuan really decided to abandon his family for that fox?”
I nodded. “I met him once before. Originally, he wanted to hide this from Yan Yan and divorce her after she gave birth. But Milang couldn’t wait anymore. She came to see Yan Yan today and told her everything—what should have been said and what shouldn’t.”
Jian Wei gritted her teeth and blurted out, “He and Xiangchen are exactly the same kind of people… Zhaoyang, now is the time to open your eyes and see what your so-called brothers are really worth!”
I had no words to respond… In this whole series of events, I had already been deeply hurt. If it weren’t for Mica giving me a chance to stay together, I might have completely broken down by now!
Finally, I said to Jian Wei, “I admit I misjudged him, but… after knowing each other for so many years, I really couldn’t bring myself to doubt him! It’s been several days already. Thinking back now, I still feel like I’m in a fog, unable to accept these facts easily.”
Jian Wei’s voice was filled with dissatisfaction. “Then tell me, what will it take for you to finally accept these facts? Do you need to see Yan Yan lying on the operating table having an abortion to finally realize your so-called brother is a heartless bastard?”
“Speak softly… That’s not what I meant. I feel more sympathy for Yan Yan!! Fangyuan’s mistake shouldn’t be borne by Yan Yan!”
As Jian Wei and I were talking, Yan Yan, disregarding the cold, also got out of the car. She no longer asked me but turned to Jian Wei instead. “Jian Wei, you’re my good friend. I want you to tell me the truth. Was Fangyuan already cheating on me half a year ago?…”
Jian Wei remained silent for a long time. She gritted her teeth and finally told Yan Yan, “Yes, that’s true. This time, Fangyuan not only betrayed you, but also hurt Zhaoyang badly. He really is despicable!… I hope you won’t blame Zhaoyang. He trusted Fangyuan too much. The main problem lies with Fangyuan. Zhaoyang and I kept it a secret because we still had hope for him, but he…”
Before Jian Wei could finish her words, Yan Yan painfully collapsed onto the ground. She finally cried… crying heartbreakingly!!
The cold wind blew into the car through the open door, flipping through the pages of an unbound parenting journal lying on the dashboard… Her crying became even more desperate!!
In her cries, we seemed to see another pale winter… In this winter, no matter how many joyful moments and wishes they had once shared, all had withered in this relentless wind!!
Jian Wei crouched on the ground and hugged Yan Yan, whispering comfort into her ear. But as Yan Yan ignored her, she also began crying bitterly… Her tears contained not only sympathy for Yan Yan but also her own suffering…
I felt suffocated and dizzy. If not for fate’s intervention, if after the college entrance exam we had chosen different schools and never created the conditions to meet each other, would this script have been so tragically unbearable?
Or perhaps, in the drifting and temptations of the mundane world, none of us were good actors. We ruined this play that shouldn’t have been a tragedy!… Was that really the case?
Who can give me the answer?… I truly don’t want to see our world shatter at the slightest touch anymore!
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