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墨書 Inktalez
Mu Miaomiao insisted on not staying for dinner, and I didn't press the issue further, especially with a cold and indifferent mother-in-law around. Why would I want Mu Miaomiao to stay and face her judgment? After Miao Miao left, I returned to my room, sitting on the edge of the bed and surveying my home.
Almost everything in the house was purchased by me and Wang Xu together. Even when I shopped online, I would call Wang Xu to help choose. The things I wanted to place here belonged to both of us, so it was only right that we made those decisions together.
But why did Wang Xu decide the direction of his life alone without asking for my input?
Wang Xu said he loved me, that he would protect me for a lifetime, be my harbor, shielding me from the storms. Every word he spoke was etched in my heart, like preserved fruit stored in a jar; I would take it out to taste whenever I felt bitter. Three years passed just like that.
I knew only sweetness, unaware of the bitterness.
But now?
My nose tinged with sadness as I hurriedly wiped away my tears, recalling how Mu Miaomiao had helped me with my makeup. She said that if you’re going to fight a battle, you can’t let your makeup smudge; you can’t lose before the fight even begins.
“Knock knock.”
As I was lost in thought, there was a loud knock on the door. I quickly wiped my eyes and stood up just as the door swung open. My mother-in-law stood there with a cold expression, scolding me, “What time is it? Why aren’t you making dinner?”
It was indeed time for dinner. I nodded gently and walked toward the door. Just as I was about to leave the room, my mother-in-law began muttering again, “All day long without doing anything productive, and look at that ridiculous makeup—like a monkey’s backside. You’re not being a proper wife.”
I stopped in my tracks, my fists clenching involuntarily. I gritted my teeth, wanting to confront her right then and there about whether it was me who wasn’t being a proper wife or if it was because they were sneaking around behind my back bringing the mistress into our home.
Did she really not know about such a big issue? Accompanying him to the hospital for check-ups—she was busy running around; I could picture it even with my eyes closed. Such care—when had I ever experienced that?
“Mom, I’ll go make dinner now.”
I dismissed the thought of arguing with her. Without any evidence in hand, such a confrontation would only earn me the title of an unreasonable person. It wasn’t necessary.
While I was cooking, I heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. No one came back; it must have been my mother-in-law leaving. When I finished preparing the meal and set everything on the table waiting for her return, she finally came back looking rosy-cheeked as if she had just been laughing.
My heart began to ache.
It was just the right time for cooking, and the back-and-forth timing was just perfect. Upon reflection, this period had always been like this, yet I had carelessly failed to notice it.
Why was my mother-in-law so happy? Where had she gone? Did she do something similar to what I had just done?
"Mom, where did you go?" I couldn't help but ask.
My mother-in-law paused for a moment, coldly replying without even looking at me, "I went downstairs for a stroll."
"Where downstairs?"
"Where else could I go? I went to the park! Do I need your permission for everything I do from now on?" She began to question me aggressively.
I felt wronged and slowly shook my head. "Mom, you misunderstood. I'm just worried about you."
Worried that you might be helping someone else cook and tiring yourself out.
Usually, I handle everything at home. As long as I'm around, I never let my mother-in-law do any housework. Wang Xu said that his mother had endured a lot of hardships for him to have a better life now, and even if he wasn't doing well, he wanted her to live well.
I empathized with Wang Xu's filial piety and treated my mother-in-law like a second mother, caring for her attentively. Even if she acted like a hands-off manager, I was willing to accept it. I regarded her as family, but what about her?
"Mind your own business." My mother-in-law sat down across from me, picked up her chopsticks with annoyance, and glared at me. I could only pretend not to see.
I didn't have much of an appetite anyway and hadn't planned on eating. I sat there waiting for Wang Xu to come back. To this day, I still wanted to see him—whether in love or hate, I just wanted to look at him and talk to him. Would he perhaps have a change of heart and confess everything to me?
My mother-in-law ate quickly, finishing in just a few bites before saying she was going out for a walk, leaving behind a messy table as she got up and left. She probably needed to help the child's mother clean up the dishes again.
As I picked up the dishes my mother-in-law had used, the feeling of grievance in my heart was as uncomfortable as something stuck in my throat.
Wang Xu returned late as usual. Previously, I thought it was because he was busy with work and waited willingly. Now, unable to do anything else, I just stared at the second hand of the clock in the dining room as it ticked away second by second, watching the minutes go around and around.
As night fell, my world darkened too.
It was almost nine o'clock when Wang Xu finally returned. I heard the sound of the door lock and looked over, clearly surprised to see me. He casually placed his keychain in a box on the shoe cabinet, quickly walked over, and hugged me, his warm chest pressing against my back.
"My dear wife, why are you waiting for me here? Didn't you go online to watch a drama?"
I shook my head. "No, I was waiting for you to come back. The food has gone cold; let me heat it up for you."
As I broke free from Wang Xu's warm embrace, the cold air hit me. I picked up two plates of food to heat them, but Wang Xu said, "It's okay, I've already eaten outside. No need to heat it up."
Those words completely triggered my most sensitive nerve. I slammed the plates down heavily, some sauce splattering onto my hands. Wang Xu looked at me in surprise while I glared at him, gasping for breath like someone drowning.
"You ate! Where did you eat?"
Was it at that hellish place just one wall away from me?
Wang Xu felt like someone who had personally pushed me into a rushing river. I wanted revenge but also wished for us to perish together!
"What happened to you these past few days? I ate at the company; didn't I tell you about the company dinner today?" Wang Xu clearly couldn't understand why my emotions were so volatile at that moment.
I pretended to be indifferent. "You ate at the company? Does your company have so many gatherings every day? Is it necessary to attend every time? Can family members join? I should be able to go next time too."
Wang Xu looked puzzled. "What would you go for? They're just colleagues from the company. Besides, Mom has been eating at home these past few days; you should spend time with her."
"Spend time with Mom?" My emotions flared even more. "Mom goes out before eating and goes out again after eating. Is the park downstairs really that worth staying in? Why doesn't Mom stay home and keep me company?"
At this point, Wang Xu's expression changed slightly but quickly returned to normal. Seeing all this, all I could do was sneer; it was only a matter of time before his true colors showed.
"Alright, what's wrong with her going out for a stroll? Why have you become so petty? You can't accept such a small thing? Fine, next time there's a company dinner, I'll invite you along."
When he said this, Wang Xu looked as if he had suffered a great injustice.
"Hmph, I am indeed petty, Wang Xu. You know that what I hate most is sharing. I've never had the virtue of sharing; when I agreed to spend my life with you, I simply wanted exclusivity! Am I wrong for that?"
Wang Xu's expression grew increasingly grim. We had argued before, and whether he was angry or apologetic, he had never seemed as tense and flustered as he did now.
What could have happened to make him so anxious?
"You keep saying all this nonsense. I think you've watched too many dramas. You should cut back on that. Do whatever you want; I'm tired and going to take a shower."
That's how Wang Xu was—his first reaction to any situation was to avoid it. He never considered solving the problem, while I was different. I just wanted to resolve things quickly to avoid any lingering worries.
Watching Wang Xu's departing figure felt both strange and heart-wrenching.
I called out to him once more.
"Wang Xu, I want to work."
Wang Xu paused but didn't turn around. After a moment, amidst my anticipation, he agreed.
"Whatever you say."
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