La vida de la gente del campo en la ciudad durante la dinastía Song

Capítulo 90

Why not investigate? Yes, why not investigate the truth of the matter thoroughly? He had asked himself this question countless times, until Bingye coldly asked, "Do you want my help?" Suddenly, the image of that pained, conflicted, yet soundly asleep face flashed through his mind. At the height of his passion, at the peak of his desire, his wife had fallen asleep beneath him, offering not even the slightest response.

"Bingye..." Xu Lie didn't answer, but asked through his drunken eyes, "What would you do if Xiaoyu fell in love with someone else?"

Bingye punched him and said coldly, "Kill him."

Xu Lie slumped on the soft leather sofa and laughed: "If I kill him, Xiaoyu will come back?"

Bingye glanced at him sideways, her eyes cold and her face full of displeasure, but she still answered decisively, "Yes."

Xu Lie paused for a moment, then continued drinking. Bing Ye was always like this; once he set his mind on a goal, he was determined to achieve it, without any room for compromise. Because there was only one path, one choice, he was always so confident, or rather, resolute.

But he couldn't do it. Without investigating, he could still struggle through his pain, deceiving himself. But once the truth came out, he would lose even his last remaining illusion. He feared the truth he couldn't accept. He feared even more that when he finally understood his own feelings, he would find only tragedy at the end of the road.

Huanjie happily opened the door for him, took his few belongings, and led him into the living room, nagging him about how "you must be very tired, you should eat something and take a nap."

Xu Lie silently finished the white fungus and bird's nest porridge that Huan Jie had cooked. His mind was a mess, and his sense of taste was completely dulled; he couldn't really taste anything. Huan Jie was wiping her hands and about to leave when Xu Lie suddenly asked, "Where's the young mistress?"

Huanjie was taken aback, and after a long while, she stammered, "I haven't seen the young mistress for several months."

Xu Lie frowned, and then Huan Jie continued, "About four months ago, a man came to the main house saying he wanted to pack up the young mistress's things and take them away. I initially refused, but... but the man angrily produced a divorce agreement that you had signed, so I had no choice but to..."

"Is that so?" Xu Lie smiled, a smirk playing on his lips. "What kind of man is he?"

Looking at the young master's smile, Huanjie felt a strange unease, and a cold sweat broke out on her spine. She stammered, "Tall...tall and big, and quite refined-looking..."

"Bang—" Xu Lie put down his chopsticks and said, "Prepare a room for me on the third floor. I need to rest."

"Ah—?" Huanjie was taken aback. "Young...Young Master, aren't you sleeping in the bridal chamber on the second floor? I've already prepared it. And, Young Madam, she..."

Huan Jie watched Xu Lie's stiff departing figure, swallowed the rest of her words, shook her head in confusion and helplessness, and walked up to the third floor.

In the dead of night, Xu Lie woke up inexplicably. He tossed and turned in bed for a long time but couldn't fall back asleep. His mind was filled with Huan Jie's words: "Tall and handsome, with a rather refined appearance."

He got out of bed and walked barefoot on the soft carpet, not feeling cold at all. When his hand finally grasped the doorknob, he trembled slightly, his palms sweating a little.

The door slowly opened, and in a daze, he saw a woman wearing a thin wool sweater run out, looking at him with surprise and delight: "Xu Lie, you're back?"

As she pulled him inside, she said happily, "Wei Ye and I went to the bookstore today and bought the latest cookbooks. The desserts were just made and they're still warm. I've tried them, and they taste great!"

The woman tilted her head back, her forehead slightly damp with sweat, her face flushed, and a speck of dirt on the tip of her nose. Her expression was a mixture of shyness and pride: "I know you don't like things too sweet, so I only put in a little honey. Want to try it?"

“Okay…” Xu Lie responded softly, reaching out his hands as if possessed, wanting to hug that small body. However, he stumbled and stood there blankly, staring at his empty palms and the empty room, a sense of desolation from long-abandoned living washed over him.

He clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth to barely suppress the tearing pain in his heart as he walked in step by step. She walked barefoot across the thick, soft plush carpet, wearing his oversized pajamas, revealing her long, white legs. A crooked trail of water stained her path, making his mouth dry. She looked at him with innocent and apologetic eyes and said, "Xu Lie, I... I forgot to bring my pajamas inside."

On the long desk, she curled up beside him like a docile kitten, her eyes half-closed, silently waiting for him to finish his work. Then, when he could finally turn off the computer and catch his breath, he found that she had fallen into a deep sleep with her head on her arm, drooling all over the desk.

On the soft, large bed, he held her as she fell asleep every night. She was someone who was so afraid of the cold, always curling up and finding the warmest place to snuggle into. As soon as she started to drift off to sleep, she would naturally snuggle into his arms.

The soft quilt was neatly folded on the bed. Xu Lie remembered that it was a rare holiday, and he was going to take her for a physical examination, but she huddled under the covers and refused to come out. Finally, she simply showed him her big eyes, looking at him with a very aggrieved expression: "I'm not Galan, I'm a quilt." Her dark eyes rolled, and she added, "Xu Lie, you can be a quilt too."

Xu Lie felt both helpless and amused, wishing he could pull her into his arms and "punish" her severely. Just as he was angrily cursing himself for being crazy and preparing to jump up to make the quilt, his mother's voice came from outside the door: "Lie'er, you and Lanlan get up quickly, the sun is shining brightly, let Huanjie take the quilts and sheets out to air them."

Xu Lie was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing, glancing sideways at the person under the covers and saying, "Are you going to continue being a blanket?"

Galan blinked, then quickly jumped out of bed and started getting dressed...

Only after loving do you know the happiness of being loved; only after being hurt do you know the pain of being hurt.

Xu Lie stared at the blanket, which was no longer crumpled into a ball, for a long time before the smile that had almost made his face stiff slowly faded.

The pain was excruciating... Why did it hurt so much? Unlike the heart-wrenching, tumultuous pain of Xue'er's departure, this pain was like a spider's web, slowly binding him before he even realized it, letting him know what it meant to feel pain that penetrated to the bone. He could clearly feel every cell in his body trembling violently, because of the pain, because of the love etched so deeply into his being.

Two months, really only two short months, why are there so many memories? I can't forget them, I can't erase them, they're etched into my heart, I'm determined to follow them for the rest of my life.

His gaze suddenly became fixed on a delicate little box on the dressing table, from which a tiny but undeniable glimmer of light reflected, stinging his pupils.

Xu Lie almost trembled as he took the item out of the box. Looking at it, he suddenly laughed. He heard his own dry, hoarse laughter, filled with self-mockery, hatred, and a deeply hidden despair. The laughter abruptly stopped, and Xu Lie strode out of the bedroom. The wooden door slammed shut behind him, as if separating two worlds.

Behind the wooden door was a dressing table, on which sat a delicate little ring. The platinum band was set with a small diamond; the design was simple, yet it looked understated and elegant. The diamond shimmered with a dazzling, silvery-white light, and at first glance, it seemed like fate's cold and cruel mockery of the world.

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Chapter Five: Drunkenness

Chapter Five: Drunkenness

The class reunion was more boring than expected, and there were a bunch of people trying to flirt with him. Xu Lie left after less than two hours. Xue'er was still there, so he asked the driver to stay so he could take her home after the party.

He wandered aimlessly down the street, feeling utterly lonely despite the crowds around him. Xu Lie watched several taxis pass by, but didn't bother to flag one down.

He didn't want to go back to that home. What would he do there? There was no temple there, no family, just a cold and desolate place, like a tomb.

Lost in thought, Xu Lie was bumped into by a couple walking out arm in arm. He couldn't see their faces, but their actions were very intimate. Xu Lie looked towards the bar they were coming out of; it was dark inside, but the atmosphere was lively, and he could feel the heat rising from the doorway. He looked up and saw the neon sign flashing the name of the bar—Bachelordom Bar.

Even he himself couldn't understand why he had taken that step. He knew this kind of bar: crowded, chaotic, with low-quality drinks, and its real livelihood depended on compensated dating. Before, he wouldn't even bother to glance at it, let alone enter.

He sat at the bar, ordered a whiskey, and took a sip. The pungent, off-quality alcohol made him frown slightly. He noticed at least six pairs of eyes glancing at him from time to time, but Xu Lie paid them no mind. He downed the cheap whiskey in one gulp; the dry, spicy sensation almost made him cough, but soon he felt a strange warmth in his chest, much more pleasant than the previous chill.

So he snapped his fingers gracefully, and in no time, the waiter brought him six full glasses of wine.

Xu Lie drank glass after glass, the alcohol burning his stomach, but he felt no pain, only a desperate, exhilarating pleasure. He vaguely heard Bai Ting's words echoing in his ears: "...I saw her at the airport four months ago, with a man. He was hugging her, very intimately... Who are you asking about? Who else could it be but your wife, Lin Jialan! I found it very strange at the time. If you hadn't said she was your wife at the press conference, and if I hadn't gone to the same school as her, I would have thought I'd mistaken her for someone else..."

"Bang—" The bottom of the cup hit the table hard, making his whole body tremble slightly with the echo.

Garan! Garan! Why, why did you do this to me?! You kept saying you loved me, but after taking my money, you eloped with another man! What do you take me for?! What do you take me for?!

"Hey, handsome, all alone?" A soft, sweet voice whispered in his ear.