After learning that Xun Xun had thoughts about leaving Xie Ping Ning, Zeng Yu only asked her one question: “Have you thought it through?” Even this inquiry was merely a formality, as Zeng Yu wholeheartedly supported Xun Xun’s decision. Although after marriage, Xie Ping Ning had been unfailingly polite to his wife’s family despite not being particularly warm, the real reason for Zeng Yu’s support likely stemmed from her deep-seated disapproval of how Xun Xun and Xie Ping Ning interacted. To Zeng Yu, Xun Xun had always been a magical existence, and she wanted to see such a person experience more magical changes in life. Moreover, as she had never hidden from Xun Xun, she simply didn’t like men like Xie Ping Ning.
What type of men Zeng Yu liked remained a mystery. Her adult relationships included both stout and slender partners, making it impossible to categorize her preference into a specific type.
After breaking up with “the most lovable person” and resigning from her position as “Political Commissar,” Xun Xun only witnessed Zeng Yu express heartbreak once during her venting sessions. After that, she never mentioned the person she had considered marrying again. Later, Zeng Yu became busy with work daily. At first, Xun Xun thought she was using work to numb herself but later discovered that not only had she not grown haggard from love, she became increasingly radiant, with an indescribable gleam in her eyes. This gleam was all too familiar to Xun Xun – appearing on Zeng Yu, it could only mean one thing: she had encountered another person who was “destined to be with her.”
When Xun Xun specifically questioned Zeng Yu about her suspicions, she received a denial, which made her even more curious. Given her understanding of Zeng Yu, this guess shouldn’t have been far from the truth. Zeng Yu had shared even more embarrassing things with her before, so there was no apparent reason for her to hide anything. Moreover, compared to Zeng Yu’s unusual behavior, the predicament facing Xun Xun herself was more troublesome, so she had no energy to investigate further.
Zeng Yu insisted that even if Xun Xun wanted to leave Xie Ping Ning, she should fight for her rights as much as possible. Thus, she actively recommended a lawyer who was reportedly somewhat famous in the industry and personally accompanied Xun Xun to meet with him.
The famous lawyer was very young and had a unique name that left quite an impression on Xun Xun. His surname was “Lian,” and his full name was Lian Quan. Although this consultation was technically just friendly advice, Lawyer Lian provided very objective suggestions after understanding Xun Xun’s situation. He believed that if Xun Xun wanted the court to favor her in the division of family assets due to her spouse’s misconduct, her current subjective assumptions about her husband’s extramarital affair wouldn’t be convincing enough. In other words, she needed to obtain more concrete evidence of Xie Ping Ning’s infidelity to gain greater leverage.
After hearing this, Xun Xun fell into a long daze. Zeng Yu suggested the three of them could continue their discussion over dinner, but Xun Xun said she had something urgent to attend to. After formally expressing her gratitude to Lawyer Lian, she left the meal early.
Zeng Yu chased her to the restaurant entrance and said, “What’s the rush? Even if you want to catch him in the act, it won’t make a difference if you wait a moment.” She wondered to herself – Xun Xun had never been an impulsive person, could life’s changes make a woman who once desperately wanted to stay within the fortress of marriage and grow old in her small world so disgusted with marriage overnight?
Xun Xun laughed, “What do you mean ‘catch him in the act’? What nonsense are you talking about?”
Zeng Yu crossed her arms over her chest, looked at her sideways for a moment, and came to a new conclusion in her mind. Someone like Zhao Xun Xun had always been skeptical of people who were too young and outstanding in appearance. She would always choose elderly doctors with graying hair at hospitals, preferred listening to unremarkable-looking singers, and believed fruits with blemishes were sweeter. Looking at it this way, it wasn’t surprising that Lawyer Lian, who looked like he stepped out of an elite magazine, gave her an unreliable first impression.
“Do you think the lawyer I introduced is too young?” Zeng Yu asked. Before Xun Xun could answer, she indignantly added, “You should know that judging people by their appearance is narrow-minded. There’s no reason to doubt his professional capabilities just because he’s attractive!”
Xun Xun’s expression turned strange. “Did I say he was attractive?”
Zeng Yu blushed and defended herself, “I’m just making an objective assessment… Don’t look at me like that, we’re just ordinary friends.”
Xun Xun responded with an “Oh,” and said, “I never said you weren’t ordinary friends. I wanted to say that I would have more faith in his professional capabilities if you and your ordinary friend weren’t playing footsie under the table.”
Seeing Zeng Yu speechless, Xun Xun finally couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m leaving early because I’ve already accomplished my mission for today. Otherwise, even if you don’t mind the bright third wheel, I wouldn’t want to burn out the filament prematurely.” She paused, then added, “But you’re right about one thing – your new boyfriend is quite attractive.”
“I told you he’s not my boyfriend!” Zeng Yu still stubbornly denied it.
Xun Xun said, “I’ve been out of touch for too long; I didn’t know ordinary friends had so many uses.” Even from a distance, she could smell the scent of romance between these “ordinary friends.”
Zeng Yu felt somewhat embarrassed. “To be honest with you, I haven’t known him long. We met at a bar just a few days after breaking up with that jerk. You know how it is – mutual attraction, mutual consent, that sort of thing.”
“Then you’re quite lucky. He doesn’t seem any worse than your previous carefully selected ones. You might have accidentally found your true soulmate.”
“Forget it,” Zeng Yu snickered. “Don’t try to console me. I don’t believe in that anymore. A true leftover woman dares to face a loveless life and confront the deception of jerks. I’ve figured it out – what’s so good about getting married?” She deliberately glanced at Xun Xun. “Marriage is the most boring institution. Who says you have to spend your whole life with one person? Lian Quan and I clicked on this point exactly. The most important thing in life is today; being happy right now is enough. No matter how much you prepare for tomorrow, you never know what’s waiting for you ahead.”
Zeng Yu put an arm around Xun Xun’s shoulders and said, “I have to thank you for enlightening me that day. Although your words weren’t always pleasant to hear, occasionally they made sense. Why did I always have to knock myself out with such strong drinks? I can change, can’t I? From now on, I’ll choose sweet, low-alcohol drinks. This girl is going to drink joyfully, a thousand cups without getting drunk!”
She looked like someone who had suddenly unblocked their meridians right before their martial arts training went awry. From this moment on, the high-quality leftover woman Zeng Yu of proper upbringing fell, and a new Zeng Yu who had seen through worldly matters and lived life as a game stood up. Xun Xun felt somewhat guilty, feeling as if she had done something wrong – inadvertently passing by and transforming a proper, well-bred young woman into a female demon who played with the bodies and hearts of the male population.
“I’m going back in,” Zeng Yu winked at Xun Xun before leaving. “If you have any legal questions in the future, feel free to consult him. We shouldn’t waste men’s residual value. Trust me, he’s just as excellent in professional matters!”
Xun Xun watched her walk away gracefully, mumbling, “Well, alright then.” But in reality, no matter how she tried to rationalize it, she had to admit that having Zeng Yu’s “friend with benefits” serve as her lawyer was a bit strange.
Xun Xun awoke to a faint phone ringtone. She was the type of person who slept very lightly; any slight disturbance that aligned with her subconscious sense of insecurity was enough to make her alert, just like that night many years ago when thieves broke in. She had been too afraid to open her eyes, fearing she would once again see a notched knife emanating a heavy, sweetish iron rust smell by her pillow.
On this morning, as ordinary as any other yesterday, there was no knife by her pillow. The other silk pillowcase was smooth without a single wrinkle; when she ran her hand over it, it was cold, as if reminding the lady of the house that she had just spent a night alone.
Although Xun Xun and Xie Ping Ning hadn’t had any face-to-face arguments, a low pressure had consistently hung between them since that day of cold words. Xun Xun had made her point briefly and then continued to let things be, but Xie Ping Ning’s gaze toward her carried more scrutiny and doubt. He didn’t know if this was the same woman he had grown accustomed to, nor did he know exactly what she had discovered. That night, he silently got into bed, turned off the lights as usual, and went to embrace his wife. She still lay there quietly, however, a hand silently pressed against his chest, not forcefully, but just enough to keep her body separate from his.
Xie Ping Ning felt an inexplicable irritation in his heart. Half-propping himself up, he struggled to say, “What are you doing? Things aren’t what you think!”
She made no response, but the pressure from her hand didn’t diminish at all. In the darkness, he could sense her eyes watching him – cold, knowing, and mocking. This gaze left him nowhere to hide even in the darkness, yet he dared not turn on the light, fearing that when illuminated, he would see an unfamiliar face so close to him. He was panicked, unable to find an exit, and annoyed at himself for being this way.
“You want to make a scene? Fine, have it your way!” In this feeling of chest tightness and shortness of breath, Xie Ping Ning quickly got up, fumbled in the dark to pull a blanket from the wardrobe, and headed straight for the living room couch.
Xun Xun felt disappointed. Her disappointment wasn’t from being left alone in bed but from his avoidance. She would have preferred if Xie Ping Ning had righteously argued with her, accused her of making trouble out of nothing, called her petty, and then given her a reason during the argument, even a poor one.
“Things aren’t what you think” – then what exactly were they? He wouldn’t say, perhaps because he didn’t know himself. Nothing in the world is inexplicable; if one cannot explain it with words, it must be because they haven’t figured it out in their heart.
She opened her eyes slightly and, through the half-closed bedroom door, vaguely heard him answering a phone call. At first, she could catch fragments of words floating over, but soon, with the opening and closing of the balcony door, even the last whispers became inaudible. He had found a hidden place to make his call.
Xun Xun recalled the “Twenty Signs Your Husband is Cheating” that Zeng Yu had sent her. After reading it, everything matched except for “suddenly giving unusual gifts to wife.” In this regard, at least Xie Ping Ning was straightforward. Xun Xun sat up, and the moment her feet touched the ground, she found that even that disappointment was gone, replaced by a sudden clarity, as if dust had finally settled.
She had tried to live a good life and had done her best to understand him within her capacity.
After finishing his call, Xie Ping Ning went to the bathroom to wash up. Xun Xun didn’t see his phone; he had taken it into the bathroom with him, even though she had never been the type of wife to check her husband’s phone messages. The old house cat saw its mistress and excitedly circled her feet begging for food. Xun Xun found some cat food to feed it. During this process, Xie Ping Ning changed his clothes and prepared to leave.
The two who had slept separately met in the well-lit morning living room, creating an indescribable awkwardness. Xun Xun crouched down to pet the cat, suddenly asking, “Working on the weekend? Won’t you have breakfast before leaving?”
“Mm.” Xie Ping Ning’s voice sounded somewhat surprised. “Senior leaders are coming for inspection at the end of the month, lots of preparation needed… I’m going.”
He gently closed the door with a “bang,” leaving only Xun Xun and the aging cat in the house, which felt empty. This wasn’t a castle where she could grow old, but a grave. They say marriage is love’s grave, but she and he didn’t have much love to bury. However, now she knew that love outside marriage was marriage’s grave.
She changed the bedsheets and washed them again, not for any cleanliness-obsessed man, but for her habits. When everything was ready, another phone ring startled the sleeping old cat.
“Are you free? Want to come with me to see a play today?” Chi Cheng’s voice was enthusiastic.
“A play? I don’t understand them,” Xun Xun said.
“What’s there to understand? They perform the most worldly things. Adultery, sneaking around – you can understand that, right? This play is called ‘An Autumn Breeze and Jade Dew Meeting.’ I’ve arranged good seats for you. It’s in a small theater, up-close live performance, very impactful. Don’t regret it if you miss it!”
Xun Xun gripped the phone tightly. Near noon, the sun grew increasingly fierce, making her palms sweaty, but fortunately, a breeze passed by, blowing the drying bedsheets against her face, carrying the half-dry smell mixed with traces of dust.
“I only care about who the lead actor is?”
“See, that’s good. We don’t need to pretend between us anymore. If you want to catch the performance, we need to leave now. I’m waiting at the hotel, you know where I’m staying, Room 516, don’t get it wrong.”
Xun Xun slowly sat in the small rattan chair on the balcony, letting the hanging bedsheets repeatedly approach and retreat, like a hand repeatedly pushing her.
Really!
Fake?
Go!
Don’t go!
Sister Yan Li said: It’s normal for men to have wandering eyes when they’re young, just turn a blind eye, and life will pass by. Money is most important – if you hold onto the money, you won’t fear anything.
Zeng Yu said: Why let him do whatever he wants? Even if you divorce, you should get what you deserve.
Lawyer Lian said: If you want the court to favor you in the division of family assets due to the other party’s fault, you must obtain more evidence.
Chi Cheng said: You won’t be left with nothing, I’ll help you. He will pay for his actions.
The old cat said: Meow, meow, meow.
…Xun Xun dialed Xie Ping Ning’s mobile phone and asked, “Are you coming home for dinner tonight?”
Xie Ping Ning said, “No, you eat first, too many things at work… colleagues are calling me for a meeting, let’s talk about anything else later.”
“Okay.”
She hung up, then made her next call to his office’s landline. It took a while before someone answered.
“Hello, is Section Chief Xie there?”
“It’s the weekend, Section Chief Xie isn’t working. Please call back on Monday if you have any business.”