Mu Xing had finished reading the manuscript. Looking down, he saw Shu Wan looking at him and couldn't help but laugh, "You've been reading it day and night, haven't you had enough?"
Bai Shuwan straightened her back and reached out to hook her arm around Mu Xing's neck. Mu Xing understood and bent down slightly, and the two exchanged a long kiss.
Before she could catch her breath, Bai Shuwan's hand moved downwards, her fingertips flicking and hooking the strap of Mu Xing's camisole. The petticoat slipped down slightly, revealing a hint of red beneath the thin lace, and her tongue gently traced its surface…
A groan escaped his lips. Mu Xing, with one arm around Bai Shuwan, whispered, "...Aren't you going to finish your manuscript?"
Glancing at the hand unbuttoning her cheongsam, Bai Shuwan chuckled, "Ask yourself first if you can still give me advice..."
The manuscript paper held between her fingers had drifted away, the footsteps were chaotic and then stopped abruptly. Bai Shuwan's waist went limp, and she collapsed onto the table. The once neat stack of books collapsed, the fountain pen rolled off, and the ink bottle was pushed outwards little by little with a teeth-grinding sound. Finally, with a sweep of someone's arm, it hit the ground with a thud.
The only sound in the room for a moment was the rustling of the silk gauze: rustling, rustling, rustling…
After a day of revelry, it was already late at night when the two finally lay down properly in bed.
Mu Xing has an experiment tomorrow morning, and then he'll have a weekend off in the afternoon. The two had previously planned to take a bus to a small town in the countryside in the afternoon to attend a local fair and experience the local customs. After washing up, Bai Shuwan urged Mu Xing to go to sleep.
"With such a beauty in my arms, it would be strange if I could fall asleep," Mu Xing laughed.
Bai Shuwan reached out and turned off the wall lamp, then lay down next to Mu Xing: "According to you, neither of us will need to sleep from now on."
"Half a day apart, and you're already boasting about how much you've improved," Mu Xing clicked his tongue.
Shu Wan kissed Mu Xing in the dark and said, "So, I'm just praising you a little. Go to sleep."
Reaching out to hug Bai Shuwan, Mu Xing said, "Goodnight, Wan'er."
Goodnight, Ah-Xuan.
The next morning, Mu Xing went to school to do an experiment. Bai Shuwan checked the luggage she had packed the day before and then started writing again. She wrote until the afternoon, and guessing that Mu Xing would be back soon, Bai Shuwan put away her manuscript and was about to call a car when the doorbell suddenly rang urgently.
"Didn't you bring your keys again?" Bai Shuwan hurriedly went to open the door. "Why are you in such a hurry... Ah!"
Caught off guard, Bai Shuwan was suddenly tackled by someone outside the door. She screamed in terror and tried to push the person off, but what she touched was a strange bulge, like... a pregnant woman's belly.
Bai Shuwan was stunned for a moment, and the woman half-hanging on her murmured, "...Yes, I..."
"Hi-Hi-Hika?!"
Mu Xing almost slipped and fell as soon as he entered the house.
However, before she could even regain her footing, the scene that followed nearly scared her out of her wits: "What's going on?!" She rushed to the sofa, "This, this is Fei Hua?"
Fei Hua lay on the sofa with her abdomen protruding, her pale face swollen and red, unable to speak, a sight too painful to behold.
Bai Shuwan was sweating profusely with anxiety. Upon seeing Mu Xing, she stammered, "Is she going into labor? What should I do? I finally managed to move her to the sofa... I... I was going to call her, but she... she cried out in pain, I..."
Mu Xing hurriedly said, "Don't rush, don't rush, let me see." Together with Shu Wan, he moved Fei Hua on the sofa to a proper position, and Mu Xing lifted Fei Hua's skirt to check her over.
"The cervix is almost fully dilated, but fortunately the bleeding isn't heavy, so the situation is relatively normal," Mu Xing said quickly. "It's too late to get her to the hospital now. Wan'er, get the surgical kit from my study and get some hot water and towels."
Bai Shuwan hurriedly did as instructed.
“Feihua, Feihua, you can hear me, right? Stay awake, are you feeling contractions? Relax, okay, relax, breathe with your chest, don't be too tense…” Mu Xing encouraged Feihua as he untied her dirty clothes, “Your cervix is almost open, push slowly, don't be afraid…”
Lying back on the sofa, Fei Hua breathed with her chest as Mu Xing had instructed. Pain exploded from her chest, as if every muscle in her body was being torn apart, but she gripped the sofa cover tightly and remained silent.
Finally, her body and consciousness plunged into a deep ocean. As she drifted aimlessly, she vaguely heard the cry of a baby.
Fei Hua tried hard to open her eyes, but the horrifying redness and swelling on her cheeks prevented her from moving. Liquid, whether sweat or tears, slid down the corner of her mouth, only causing her excruciating pain.
"...It's a girl..."
"...What exactly happened? We haven't seen each other for only six months..."
"Hika, Hika?"
The touch of a warm towel on her cheek gently wiped away the stinging sensation at the corner of her mouth. Grasping her remaining consciousness, she finally uttered what was on her mind: "...Li Yining..."
Chapter 102 Extra Chapter 2 (2)
At the Li residence, a group of servants were busy running around.
Li Yining sat in the living room, reading a manual while instructing a servant: "I'm taking all my fur coats with me. Remember to pack them carefully, and make sure there are no creases."
"And that velvet coat, the one I brought back from Paris for the New Year, I'll take that with me too."
"Didn't I just say that these books need to be packed separately? How many times have I said that thread-bound books and copperplate-printed books must be separated? Also, remember to put some peppercorns in the box of thread-bound books to prevent moisture."
"And what about Ah Hu? Bring Ah Hu's favorite nest too. You can't find a nest made of such good cotton in America. What if Ah Hu is picky about his bed?"
The servant hurriedly ran to the garden to get the doghouse.
During the year or so that Mu Xing was preparing for her college entrance exams, many things also happened in the Li family: Half a year ago, the Second Master Li's embezzlement of money by falsifying accounts at the bank somehow got the information of Fei Lian, a prostitute he had previously married. She obtained the evidence and made a scene at the mansion. Only then did the Second Madam Li realize what kind of person her husband was outside.
The marriage of Fei Lian had already strained the relationship between the couple and created discord between their in-laws. Now, the embezzlement incident has further chilled the Second Madam's heart—partly because of her husband's moral failings, but also because she hadn't discovered the matter herself, but rather because a concubine had exposed it and even used it to blackmail her, greatly damaging the dignity of the mistress.
Therefore, after exhausting all means to get rid of Fei Lian, the Second Madam finally couldn't bear it any longer and asked Master Li for a divorce.
Even though societal attitudes have changed drastically and divorce is no longer a rare occurrence, it is still unacceptable to the Li family. Moreover, this second wife is virtuous and kind, and everyone from the elders to the servants likes her. Li Yining is also very close to her sister-in-law. If they were to divorce, it would undoubtedly be a major blow to the entire Li household.
However, as the saying goes, "If it's going to rain, it'll rain; if a mother wants to remarry, she will." The Li family was already in the wrong, and after several months of entanglement, the second wife finally left.
Whether it's the Second Master Li who suddenly lost all his wives and concubines, or the Li family who lost their matriarch, after the real and fake sorrows, he can always remarry, the position of matriarch will never be lacking, and life will always go on.
But for Li Yining, she had finally had enough.
Ah Xuan took her lover to Beiping, and Song Youcheng also left. Wang Mengwei, who was left behind, was nowhere to be seen. Now, her only confidante, her sister-in-law, had reverted to the distant "Miss Gao." In the vast Wenjiang River, Li Yining couldn't find anyone to talk to.
In her once-proud home, her brothers and sisters-in-law had long coveted the position of matriarch, constantly mocking and ridiculing her with barbs that were nauseating. Her second brother, having his facade of gentleness and humility ripped away, simply abandoned all pretense, spending his days indulging in lavish meals, drinks, girlfriends, and gambling without any restraint. With him as their "example," the other brothers became increasingly brazen, bringing home anything and everything.
After several unsuccessful attempts to persuade her, Li Yining became determined. Since no one treated her home as their own, she felt she didn't need to be disliked anymore. So she wrote to the United States and applied to study at a university. Out of sight, out of mind, and everyone could have some peace and quiet.
School starts in September, so Li Yining had someone book a plane ticket for tomorrow so she could get familiar with the environment early.
As Li Yining was looking at the to-do list, a maid suddenly approached her: "Miss, should we bring this potted plant?"
Li Yining paused, her pen still holding the drawing. Looking at the tulips in front of her, she remained silent for a while before saying, "Let's leave them here for now."
The maid placed the flowers on the coffee table and went about her business, while Li Yining stared at the flowers in front of her, no longer paying attention to what she was doing.
It has been almost two years since Li Yining last saw Fei Hua.
That day, Li Yining went to talk to Wang Mengwei. When she passed by the private room of the restaurant, she unexpectedly saw Fei Hua toasting inside. Wang Mengwei told her that it was to celebrate Principal Zhang's promotion.
Although it was a banquet hosted by Principal Zhang, he was nowhere to be seen; all the men at the table were listening to Fei Hua's jokes and laughter.
The toasts were melodious and pleasing to the ear, and Fei Hua, holding her wine glass, was equally captivating. This was the thought of Li Yining, who was standing outside the private room, and the same thought of Principal Zhang's superior inside the room.
When the hand that had been on her shoulder fell to her waist, Fei Hua finally saw Li Yining outside the door.
But she was still smiling.
When she looked up again, the person outside the door had vanished. Sweat streamed into her eyes, stinging them, but no tears came. She could only endure the pain.
Even though the hand around her waist was squeezing her painfully, even though everyone inside and outside the door looked at her with disdain, her hand still poured wine steadily, and her lips, painted with lipstick, continued to chatter incessantly, one glass after another, one sentence after another, without end.
After the party ended, Fei Hua saw Li Yining again outside the hotel.
"Miss Li, are you here to see me off too?" After winding her way into the alley, she asked with a smile, her tone as playful as ever. "Are you here to see Principal Zhang off, or to see me off?"
Li Yining didn't laugh, but instead handed her a gift box: "Here you go."
Fei Hua was taken aback, then took the gift box and opened it. Looking at the flimsy check inside, her ever-present bright smile finally vanished. She closed the box and stared coldly at Li Yining: "What do you mean by this?"
Li Yining simply said, "You've had drinks with me twenty-six times, and that night... it cost a total of 50 yuan. Since you're leaving, you should at least settle the bill."
A check worth five thousand yuan was smashed on the ground. Fei Hua shoved Li Yining and forced her in front of her: "Li Yining! Since you remember that night, you should know, you should know that I..." She was so angry that she trembled all over, but she could not continue speaking.
She couldn't continue.
I also know that I am not qualified to continue speaking.
The scent of Farina Dew wafted to Li Yining's nose. She closed her eyes, and the cold, hard wall behind her transformed into the uncomfortable wire bed in the small hotel.
That day, she lay in bed, water droplets dripping from Fei Hua's hair, blurring into annoying wet patches around her ears.
She raised her hand and touched a plump cheek, unlike Ah Xuan's; the back she slid across was smooth and soft, unlike Ah Xuan's; those pert... were also unlike Ah Xuan's.
It wasn't Ah Xuan, but she still kept her eyes closed, letting Fei Hua lie down beside her and leave marks on her body.
From then on, it remained in her dreams day and night.
Only in dreams.
Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared at Li Yining, her chest heaving several times. Finally, she released her grip.
The wind howled and wailed in the alley.
She bent down to pick up the check and put it in her handbag. When she looked up again, Fei Hua smiled and said, "Miss Li, I am flattered by your generosity. I don't know how to thank you."
Li Yining leaned against the wall and said softly, "If you want to thank me, then take a look at the tulips in Beiping and see how they differ from those in Wenjiang."
Fei Hua agreed, and then said, "I'm leaving on the 18th, will you come to see me off?"
“…”
Without saying a word, Fei Hua turned and left the alley.
The last thing Li Yining saw was her back.
Over the past two years, Li Yining has visited Beiping several times.
Sometimes she went to see Ah Xuan and Song Youcheng, sometimes she went shopping, and sometimes she went sightseeing. But she would always forget the address that Miss Bai had given her, and would only remember it by chance when she returned to Wenjiang.
The tulips, which bloom out of season, wither and bloom again. The maids water them, and the gardeners prune their roots; she never does anything about them.
Life is too long; four or five months is nothing at all. This unexpected relationship, in their otherwise solid lives, wasn't even a spice; it was just a fleeting, insignificant breeze.
Li Yining knew very well, and Fei Hua should know just as well, that she would eventually forget her.
That's at least how it should be.
Li Yining was staring blankly at the tulip in her hand when suddenly a maid came to her side: "Miss, Miss Mu called and said she has something urgent to discuss with you."
Coming to her senses, Li Yining got up to answer the phone. The maid was about to go about her business when she saw her mistress's expression suddenly change drastically, her voice trembling: "Contact a plane to Beijing! Hurry, hurry!!"
…
"You should go to sleep first. Ah Xuan and I will stay at the hospital with you tonight. We'll take care of the baby. You should get some rest." Bai Shuwan tucked Fei Hua in and said, "The doctor said it's good that you're healthy. Although the baby was premature, it won't have a big impact. Right now, the most important thing is your own health."
Nodding slightly, Fei Hua then looked at Mu Xing beside her.
Understanding her meaning, Mu Xing quickly said, "I just called Yi Ning, and she said she'd be right over. It takes at least five hours to get from Wenjiang to Beiping, and it's already dark, so she probably won't be able to arrive until tomorrow..."