In the sound of raindrops falling, I thought through everything that had happened over the past two years. Then, in front of Mi Lan, I lit a cigarette. Only near the end of smoking it did I finally say to her, “Mi Lan, if I were you, I wouldn’t have done this… You shouldn’t have come to find me, because no matter how I look at it, there’s nothing I can change.”
My refusal instantly made Mi Lan emotional. She choked back her tears and said to me, “What benefit could this possibly bring you?… I know Fang Yuan approached you before. He talked to you about cooperation, but you refused!… I swear, that time he definitely had no ill intentions. He sincerely wanted to work with your company to expand the market. Our competitors should be those traditional sales counters and physical stores, not each other… Can’t you see such an obvious business intention?”
“I understand. If any other group had come to discuss this with me, I would have accepted. But not Wansen!”
My firm response left Mi Lan helpless and tearful. She seemed unable to find any way to persuade me further… And time passed slowly amid our mutual silence.
Finally, I told her, “Mi Lan, you should go back. You won’t get anything from me!”
“Yes, Fang Yuan and I did many wrong things, but can you just watch my family fall apart like this?… I’ll call you ‘brother-in-law’ one more time and beg you to look carefully at the house you’re living in now. This was once my home. Back then, our family was so happy together… If you and my sister could just forgive Fang Yuan and me, we could forget our past grievances and live together as a family again. Isn’t that better?”
I sternly replied, “Don’t talk anymore. I can’t tolerate your logic of always thinking from your own perspective… Everything in this world has its cause and effect, and people must pay the price for their mistakes… Furthermore, let me tell you: the disintegration of your family has nothing to do with any of us, because no one encouraged Fang Yuan to do those improper things. If you truly loved each other, even if Wansen Group collapsed one day, you still could have found happiness in an ordinary life… Zhaoyang and I did exactly that in Xuzhou. Mi Lan, I hope you can mature a bit and calmly think about where the problem really lies, rather than making completely unreasonable demands on someone you’ve hurt!”
Mi Lan is indeed a spoiled and unreasonable woman, but after my harsh scolding this time, she chose to remain silent and bow her head… Actually, she was just desperate and acting recklessly without really being clueless. I could see the pain she felt from Fang Yuan’s misconduct; moreover, I knew she was utterly helpless with Fang Yuan now, because she no longer had much leverage in front of him. At this moment, it was Fang Yuan and Chu Xinrui’s investment company that controlled Wansen Group, while Mi Zhongde had already been sidelined by Fang Yuan’s schemes a year ago. In fact, the shares owned by the Mi Zhongde family were no longer sufficient to control Wansen… All this could be blamed on Mi Lan’s recklessness and blind devotion to Fang Yuan. She not only ruined herself but also dragged her biological father, Mi Zhongde, down with her!
What a pity that Mi Zhongde, a shrewd and brilliant man who had lived wisely all his life, finally misplaced his trust in Fang Yuan, that insatiable wolf. Perhaps he truly believed Fang Yuan was a good son-in-law to entrust the rest of his life to!
In her silence, I continued, “Mi Lan… Now is really the time you should seriously consider your future path. Fang Yuan is a man who, once he makes one mistake, keeps making mistakes…”
“I won’t divorce him, absolutely not… I believe he loves me, he just…”
I angrily interrupted this woman, who had nearly become foolish because of love: “Your constant indulgence will only make him worse and worse. If you still have a bit of reason left, you should face up to everything you’re experiencing now… Instead of running here to beg me and seeking an answer from me that doesn’t exist at all… That’s damn stupid, do you understand?”
Mi Lan left this old house in a daze. The world seemed to fall silent in an instant. I closed my eyes and leaned weakly back on the sofa. It felt like I had just had a dream, in which there were no winners. We had all been tormented by life… In this dream, I felt an unprecedented exhaustion, yet there were still things I had to do… It turned out that the hatred one couldn’t let go of was the most tiring. And the love one couldn’t wait for was even more terrifying…
…
Recently, due to extreme work fatigue, I’ve declined all evening social engagements. Usually, I return home after leaving the office at 6 p.m., and this habit has continued for many days. But tonight, which was still raining, was an exception… because Mo Zishi, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, had returned to China. We made plans to meet at a small restaurant on Pingjiang Road for a drink, though surprisingly, Jian Wei, who usually accompanied him, was not there.
He poured me a glass of baijiu and apologized, saying, “Last year, I left abruptly with Jian Wei without saying goodbye, which was indeed inappropriate. But it was Jian Wei’s own decision!”
I thought again of Jian Wei, who seemed to have faded from my life. Yet the moment I recalled her, she still burned brightly in my heart. Even the rain outside the restaurant seemed to pour fuel on the fire. I found it hard to adjust at first, so I downed the glass of alcohol and said to Mo Zishi, “Actually, whether we said goodbye or not doesn’t really matter… As long as she is happy, that’s the best outcome for me… Oh, didn’t she come back with you this time?”
Mo Zishi also drank his glass and shook his head, replying, “She didn’t come back this time. Now she’s in charge of the entire hospital’s operations. It’s quite hard work, so she didn’t have time to come back with me. But she’s really outstanding. Without her support behind me, I wouldn’t have had the extra energy to make new breakthroughs in my research field… Oh, the reason I came back to China this time is to apply my latest research results to clinical treatments here!”
I smiled and drank another glass before saying, “Seeing how well you two cooperate in your careers, I’m genuinely happy for both of you, especially for Jian Wei, for regaining her true self!”
Mo Zishi nodded, then fell silent again. I keenly sensed the subtle change in our interaction tonight. We didn’t chat freely and without restraint like we used to… Thus, I realized that there really was a romantic relationship between him and Jian Wei, which naturally created some unavoidable psychological burdens in our interactions, given that I was the ex and he was the current partner.
After finishing two more glasses of alcohol, I finally asked Mo Zishi, “You two have been together for quite a while now… Any plans to get married?”
Mo Zishi put down his glass but didn’t answer immediately. I didn’t know whether he was intentionally creating suspense, but my mood indeed became anxious because of his silence. I couldn’t even determine exactly what kind of answer I wanted from him!
Perhaps, whatever answer he gave, I would respect it… Jian Wei deserves a home now. Although it no longer concerns me, I’m still willing to offer the necessary blessings!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage