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墨書 Inktalez
Under the strong presence of Hua Rongxiao, Ke Jie always found himself naturally defeated. He had encountered many strong women, but Hua Rongxiao was unlike any of them; he couldn't quite describe the feeling, as if he were facing a more powerful version of himself.
Hua Rongxiao handed Ke Jie a cigarette, her elegant fingers clicking a lighter to life before bringing it close to him. Ke Jie felt like a flickering flame, teetering on the edge of burning out or being extinguished—either way, it was all up to Hua Rongxiao.
As the smoke ignited, Hua Rongxiao leaned back against the sofa, taking a drag and suggesting they chat about life lately. Ke Jie held the cigarette between his fingers, feeling so troubled that even smoking seemed excessive. He took a deep breath and recounted the pain and deceit he had endured recently: money lost, home gone, his wife pregnant with another man's child, his mother gravely ill in the hospital, and his father facing a long prison sentence that could even lead to death.
His hand trembled around the cigarette as he lamented, "My life has been ruined by Tong Le!"
Suddenly, Hua Rongxiao burst into laughter, her amusement tinged with a sense of superiority and mockery for Ke Jie’s youthful naivety. Yet, Ke Jie did not feel insulted or hurt by her attitude; many years ago, she had given him an opportunity that he had failed to cherish.
Hua Rongxiao reached out to stroke the back of Ke Jie’s head tenderly, as if she were comforting her own man. "Look at you," she began. "It’s been years since we last met. The once youthful boy has grown old before his time—white hairs are sprouting! Didn’t I tell you that being a son-in-law is no easy task?"
Ke Jie remained silent.
Hua Rongxiao stood up and walked over to the water dispenser. As she boiled water for tea, she continued, "Do you know what your biggest problem is? You’re too soft-hearted. You only have half the ruthlessness needed in your actions. You always slack off right when you’re about to finish something. To put it plainly, you don’t understand the principle of cutting down the roots."
Ke Jie looked up at her silhouette. "I understand the principle of cutting down the roots," he replied. "But at that time, I thought Tong Le was carrying my child. So I never considered completely getting rid of her. Since she was pregnant with my child, she would have to listen to me, right? But it turns out that child belongs to the Zong Family!"
Hua Rongxiao laughed again without restraint. She turned to face him and said mockingly, "Where do you men get your confidence from? Just because a woman is pregnant doesn’t mean she belongs to you! Ke Jie, where did your ambition go? When I first met you, you weren’t this foolish! Do you know what the first thing is for someone who wants to achieve great things? It’s to eliminate all obstacles in your path! Without this awareness, how can you expect to make big money?"
At that moment, Hua Rongxiao's words made Ke Jie’s heart tremble slightly. He was indeed swayed by her ruthless logic; when it came to being cold-hearted, he could not compare to her.
He recalled that one major reason he hadn’t chosen Hua Rongxiao was precisely because she was too strong and ruthless. He felt he couldn’t control such a wild woman; rather than fight alongside someone like her, he preferred to be a comfortable son-in-law. As long as he could manage the pure-hearted Tong Family trio, he believed he could take over the entire Tong Family.
In front of Hua Rongxiao, Ke Jie felt almost no need for pretense because she could always see through him. He often thought of her as another version of himself; fundamentally speaking, they were cut from the same cloth.
He remembered seven years ago when Hua Rongxiao actively pursued him while he was still in his first year of college. Due to financial constraints, he had to work part-time at a milk tea shop outside school while studying.
They met at that milk tea shop—he was just an employee while she was the owner. At that time, Hua Rongxiao was married; as a housewife with too much idle time on her hands and money from her businessman husband, she opened the milk tea shop as a way to pass time.
Hua Rongxiao had plenty of money back then because her husband was wealthy. Ke Jie clearly remembered that year—she was in her prime while he was just a blossoming youth.
Their love blossomed almost instantaneously; they went from sleeping together in hotels to spending nights at Hua Rongxiao's home. At that time, Ke Jie was already involved with Tong Le and also had an ambiguous relationship with Lan Qingqing.
Hua Rongxiao showered Ke Jie with gifts—new phones and computers—and even offered to rent him an apartment off-campus. The twenty-something Hua Rongxiao would often say that as long as Ke Jie was willing, she could support him with twenty thousand yuan each month and help him build his career in the future.
Because Hua Rongxiao said that she loved Ke Jie, that she fell for him at first sight, and felt a deep connection with him, she claimed that Ke Jie was like another version of herself.
However, Ke Jie was unwilling. He felt no love for Hua Rongxiao; instead, he was driven more by physical attraction and impulse. He enjoyed the thrill of their age difference and the familiarity and charm he had experienced before. Of course, he also preferred the effortless money that came with it.
Nevertheless, Ke Jie refused to acknowledge Hua Rongxiao's existence because he valued his pride and dignity as a man. He believed it would be a disgrace to his masculinity.
Later on, Hua Rongxiao disappeared for a while, and the milk tea shop closed down. When she returned, she drove a luxurious car—Ke Jie saw a Rolls Royce for the first time.
Hua Rongxiao explained that during her absence, she had been dealing with her husband's funeral arrangements. Her husband had died, leaving her with all his assets. She quickly sold his company and decided to start anew in the field of Medical Aesthetics.
She mentioned that she had fought bitterly with her husband's family, and although it was ugly, she laughed as she said that in the end, she won because none of them could match her ruthlessness. She wanted to provide Ke Jie with a better life.
That day in the car, they shared an intimate moment. Afterward, Hua Rongxiao promised to give Ke Jie a lot of money as long as he behaved and listened to her.
Ke Jie rejected her offer; being a staunch traditionalist, he could never submit to any woman, even if she could provide him with what he desired. He simply couldn't bring himself to be subservient.
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