Translator: Helliot
Editor: P’Raikantopeni
–
He thought he wouldn’t leave, he thought he would see that man standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, watching the wintersweet flowers outside. He thought that he would smile and say “thank you” when he handed him the small pot of wintersweet flowers. He thought…
These “thoughts” were just like a mirror, reflecting a facade.
Gu Ze’s face looked grim as if it were being covered by dark clouds. All of a sudden, he slammed down his rice bowl on the dining table and suppressed his anger, which he had nowhere to vent.
“Big Brother, I’m hungry…” Meng Yi stood next to him, bleary-eyed as he looked at all the delicious food on the table.
“Where is Meng Fu?”
“Big Brother, can I eat some food?”
“Where is Meng Fu?”
His tone was sinking deeper by the minute.
“Big Brother, I don’t know where Meng-Meng is. Meng-Meng didn’t tell me.” Meng Yi slowly edged his fingers toward the food on the table.
He was hungry, starving, in fact.
However, Gu Ze grabbed him by the wrist and shoved him aside. “Fine, let me ask you again, then. Who was the woman who came to see Meng Fu? Was it Xie Zhenzhen?”
He could vaguely guess what the answer was, but he was still in denial. They had already broken up, and Meng Fu told him that he did not love Xie Zhenzhen… He declared it himself.
Meng Yi’s eyes widened, a shocked expression as if his secret had been exposed.
Gu Ze knew then that the woman had to be Xie Zhenzhen.
Rage burned through the wilderness. He threw his bowl violently to the floor, shattering it before stomping upstairs in a hurry, heading straight into Meng Fu’s room. He lifted up the pillow, grabbing Meng Fu’s notebook from underneath it where he recorded his knowledge of law and tore it to shreds.
Only after tearing it up did he realize that there was really nothing related to Meng Fu left in this house. Even the smell he left behind faded all so quickly.
He reached out his hand, but there was nothing to grab.
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he called Secretary Wang. “Go and investigate where Meng Fu is right now. Find him with all the connections you have.”
“Did Meng Fu… escape…?”
“Cut the crap and find him, now! And also, Xie Zhenzhen. I want you to find out where that woman is too,” Gu Ze barked into the phone.
He wanted to see him; he wanted to hate him. Meng Fu, what gives you the right to live out your days with that woman, Xie Zhenzhen? By what right?!
–
That morning, Meng Fu woke up at exactly six, but Xie Zhenzhen was still deep asleep. He pulled Xie Zhenzhen’s hand away and put his shoes on, heading outside. After buying breakfast and leaving it on the table, he went out again.
Xie Zhenzhen did not bring much money with her to begin with, and now that she had paid the rent for the apartment, hardly any of the money was left. He bought a mask and put it on, thinking that maybe people would not be able to recognize him this way, then he would not get as many strange looks as well.
He handed out leaflets all morning with his head down, worried that even with his mask to act as a layer of armor, someone might still recognize him, pointing fingers from behind and calling him a murderer.
When he returned that afternoon, Meng Fu did not see Xie Zhenzhen. Just like back then, she was suddenly gone. Could she have been taken away by her husband?
When he thought about the scars all over her body, Meng Fu’s heart seized. No, he could not just watch Xie Zhenzhen being hurt like this. No, but… What could he do? What could he actually do… However, when he stood up to look for Xie Zhenzhen, he did not hesitate for even a second.
As soon as he went outside, he saw the old landlady helping Xie Zhenzhen over.
Xie Zhenzhen’s face was covered in tears and her hair was a mess. Almost running over, she threw herself into Meng Fu’s arms. “Meng Fu, I thought you left! I was looking for you everywhere.” Her choked voice was heavy with grief.
Meng Fu patted her shoulder. “I’m still here. Sorry, I made you worry.”
She wiped her tears off on Meng Fu’s gray sweater and smiled, sounding glad. “Thank God you didn’t leave.”
The old landlady pushed up her reading glasses and said to Meng Fu, “This girl has been crying at my place for ages. Boy, she’s pregnant so you better take good care of her.”
It turned out that she had mistaken him for her husband, but Meng Fu did not try to explain the situation and simply nodded. “Yes, I’ll take good care of her, thank you.”
After going back inside, Xie Zhenzhen’s face was still wet with tears, but the corners of her lips were raised up. She imitated Meng Fu’s tone, “I’ll take good care of her.” Blinking her eyes, she moved closer and stared eagerly at him. “Meng Fu, was what you said true? Will you really take care of me?”
“I will.”
His eyes darted aside, evasive toward her. Every cell in his body was screaming in helplessness. “Zhenzhen, you must be hungry. You should have lunch.”
The lunch was bought using the money he earned handing out leaflets this morning. There were both meat and vegetables, and though it was not a rich selection, it was still a tasty-looking meal.
While eating, Xie Zhenzhen told Meng Fu about what happened in the morning, telling him about how long she had been looking for him, where she went to find him… Then, she looked up and asked, “So Meng Fu, where did you go?”
“I went to find a job.”
Xie Zhenzhen suddenly went quiet. Dropping her head, she felt guilty. “I’m sorry, Meng Fu. This is all my fault.”
“I’ll have to find a job eventually,” Meng Fu gave her a blunt response, “no need to apologize, Zhenzhen. If anyone should apologize, it should be me.”
“All right, all right. None of us will apologize, okay?”
“Yeah.”
After a short pause, Xie Zhenzhen asked, “So where are you working, Meng Fu? It’s so boring alone at home. Can I come with you?”
It had only been one morning, but she could not stand it any longer.
Living a life like this, cooped up at home all day.
“…Zhenzhen, you’re pregnant. You should stay home.”
Standing on the street and handing out flyers, it would take him several hours to hand everything out, so how could he let Xie Zhenzhen stand around with him? What was more, she was pregnant right now, and even if she wasn’t, there was no way he would let her do such a lowly job as handing out flyers.
Xie Zhenzhen was eager to stay by his side, but after begging for a while, Meng Fu still would not relent, so she had no choice but to give up. As soon as he finished his lunch, Meng Fu was in a hurry to go out and work again.
There would always be lofty people who would claim that money was nothing, and that one’s dreams were instead the ultimate pursuit, but there was nothing one could do without money. Even survival became a problem, something that Meng Fu knew all too well.
He needed money, and he needed lots of it.
He had to work hard, taking on lowly jobs.
The afternoon felt extremely long. Even though his legs were extremely sore, it was still within a tolerable range, but he only received a few dozen yuan for his work.
That was only enough to cover for one meal.
Once he returned home, Xie Zhenzhen was missing again. He went straight to the landlady’s to look for her, but Xie Zhenzhen was not there. He had no choice but to walk around the neighborhood, calling out her name, “Zhenzhen, Zhenzhen.”
Xie Zhenzhen got out of a taxi and shouted from afar, “Meng Fu, I’m over here!” She sounded excited.
She had changed into a new outfit, all fresh from the shop racks, and she was even holding a few shopping bags.
Meng Fu walked over to her. “Zhenzhen? What is…”
Xie Zhenzhen, where did you go? And where did you get the money to buy all of these?