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墨書 Inktalez
“Zhuang Jun?” Wang Xu called out to me tentatively, pulling my thoughts away from memories. I looked at Wang Xu in front of me; his face was the same as always, but his behavior was completely different from how it used to be.
Back then, I had no idea how long Wang Xu waited for me downstairs. Now, I don't know how long Wang Xu has been unfaithful while sweetly talking to me.
Throughout my time with Wang Xu, I have lived in confusion.
My heart began to ache again, and what hurt more was that I was also at fault. I watched Wang Xu change before my eyes but felt powerless to stop it. Wang Xu is not a good husband, and I am not a competent wife.
“What’s wrong?” Wang Xu reached out to touch my face. Instinctively, I shrank back, avoiding his hand. Seeing the loneliness on his face, I tried to keep my voice calm and pushed away the rekindled flames in my mind, responding, “Wang Xu, I just want to live a peaceful life. Let’s let go and get a divorce.”
Wang Xu argued back, “How could that be possible? Wasn’t this the life you wanted when you married me? You’re just saying this out of anger. Stop it. Anyway, I've come to tell you this. When you have time, talk to Mom and Dad about it. In a couple of days, I'll come back to discuss where we can go on vacation to relax. You should prepare too.”
Wang Xu painted a picture of the beautiful life I had once imagined: being together with him and our parents, traveling somewhere far away and enjoying life.
I had always looked forward to it but never received it.
“I don’t want to talk anymore, Wang Xu. I’m tired; I want to go home.” I rubbed my dry eyes as fatigue slowly washed over me, my heart heavy and uncomfortable.
Wang Xu took my hand and said softly, “Don’t rub your eyes so much. Go home and take a nap first. I’ll come find you in a couple of days; it will be soon.”
I didn’t have the strength to argue with him or even respond. Perhaps my “compliance” pleased Wang Xu, as he walked me downstairs and waved goodbye at the alley entrance.
I turned back to look at him just as the sun rose on the horizon. Wang Xu stood in the sunlight smiling at me. I turned around and went upstairs without looking back at him again.
It was too late; my prayers came too late. I had lost the heart to accept anything again and didn’t wish to return to the past.
When I got home, I collapsed onto my bed and slept for over ten hours, waking up around five in the afternoon. As I stepped out of my room, my mom was holding a fish and exchanged glances with me before reminding me, “Go wash your face and brush your teeth; we’re having fish soon.”
Before she left, she added, “Your dad made it.”
My dad’s cooking has never been great; he falls into the category of someone who doesn’t usually cook at all. I didn’t ask why he suddenly decided to cook. Turning around, I went to wash up. When I came out, my dad had just returned looking rosy-cheeked: “Still in bed at this age?”
I smiled awkwardly as I followed my dad into the kitchen, watching him roll up his sleeves and wash his hands to prepare the fish my mom had left in the sink. Curiously, I asked, "Dad, what made you decide to cook today?"
My dad paused, looked around, leaned closer to my ear, and whispered, "Keep it down; today is your mom's birthday. Don't let her hear you."
I was at a loss for words, struck by realization. My dad raised his finger to his lips, reminding me to keep quiet. My face flushed as I stood beside him, suddenly feeling embarrassed to look at him.
I had completely forgotten my mom's birthday. After being busy for a few days and then having some free time, all I could think about were things related to Wang Xu. How could I be so forgetful!
Feeling awkward, my dad patted my shoulder and told me not to take it too hard; my mom would understand. But how could I expect my mom's understanding? As her forgetful daughter, I felt terrible!
Every day, my dad would mention what my mom did wrong or right, but on her birthday, he would personally go into the kitchen to prepare a feast for her and say a few words of appreciation. Meanwhile, I hadn’t done anything or prepared anything!
During dinner, I felt so uneasy that I could barely look at my mom. My dad tried to lighten the mood by joking that I had been an ostrich all day. My mom laughed along, and I felt even more embarrassed.
"Mom, I'm really sorry for forgetting your birthday."
"Zhuang Jun," she replied, "parents don't care whether you remember birthdays or not. As long as you're living well in the present, I'm happy. What’s a birthday anyway? Just another ordinary day. You overthink things; it's fine."
In an ironic twist, it was my mom comforting me, which made me feel even more embarrassed. As we were finishing dinner, the doorbell rang. I went to open the door and found Miao Miao cheerfully entering with bags in hand. She asked me, "Where's Auntie?"
I pointed toward the dining room. Miao Miao walked over and exclaimed loudly, "Auntie! Happy Birthday! Isn’t today your birthday? Zhuang Jun asked me to bring you some things from abroad. Here they are; hope you like them!"
I followed Miao Miao into the room and saw my parents standing up to thank her. They even invited her to stay for dinner, but Miao Miao waved her hands and said, "No thanks! We have a company gathering today; I have to go. If Zhuang Jun hadn't called me, I wouldn't have made it out! Well then, I'm off. Goodbye, Uncle! Goodbye, Auntie!"
As Miao Miao turned to leave and passed by me, she winked playfully. My heart warmed as I returned her smile; having such a thoughtful friend was truly a blessing.
After Miao Miao left, my mom couldn't help but walk over and scold me with a smile: "Look at you! You’re such a hassle for others! And yet you say you can’t remember things. Young people always want to create surprises but end up bothering others like Miao Miao."
I awkwardly smiled and said, "Mom, as long as you're happy."
My mom seemed a bit happier than before. I knew I had done wrong by forgetting her birthday. The most terrifying part was that everything Miao Miao sent was not arranged by me. Miao Miao remembered my mom's birthday and sent these gifts, possibly fearing that my mom would refuse them if they came from her directly. Little did I know, it ended up saving me and made up for some of my mistakes.
The next day, I told Miao Miao about this mix-up, and she was quite surprised, saying that it was better to arrive at the right moment than too early. I agreed, saying it was just in time to save me again. Miao Miao joked that I always seemed distant and told me not to overthink it. She then asked if I wanted to start preparing for my mother-in-law.
Naturally, I wanted to understand the situation better, but with Wang Xu first and then Deng Xiaomei, I had suffered enough losses before. This time, I really couldn't afford to act rashly, fearing that a good opportunity would slip away again. Every night, I tossed and turned, thinking about what to ask my mother-in-law when I finally met her, but all I could come up with were jumbled thoughts.
"Don't rush; this is just the right time to encounter an opponent. Wang Xu and his mom are too cautious; they haven't been in contact with Deng Xiaomei recently," Miao Miao reported on the situation of tracking Wang Xu and his mother during this period. This outcome was not unexpected; we had already alerted them and were clearly in a watchful stance. My mother-in-law must have been eager to see Deng Xiaomei, but she was likely being held back by Wang Xu.
"What should we do? If I now invite my mother-in-law out, there's no good reason for it; the chances of her coming out are slim." Considering Wang Xu's mindset, he must have thought that I would try to contact my mother-in-law again. If I couldn't reach her in my own capacity...
"How about this: I'll pretend to be from Deng Xiaomei's side and use her identity to get my mother-in-law out?" The idea suddenly flashed in my mind and seemed more feasible the more I thought about it.
"That's a good idea, but what if your mother-in-law doesn't fall for it?" Miao Miao expressed skepticism.
"Isn't it just right that Wang Xu has been preventing his mother from seeing Deng Xiaomei? From her perspective, I might be someone else that Deng Xiaomei sent because she was afraid of being blocked by Wang Xu, trying not to approach her directly."
"Not bad; it's worth a try, but you need to find a time when your mother-in-law isn't with Wang Xu so you can keep it from him."
Miao Miao's reminder dampened my enthusiasm quite a bit. If I had thought of this earlier, it might have worked out well. However, Wang Xu had just told me yesterday about resigning from his job. Given how much he cared for his mom, how could he not spend more time with her after quitting?
I shared this with Miao Miao, who exclaimed in surprise, "You mean Wang Xu quit his job? Why?"
I recounted my encounter with Wang Xu yesterday and his plans. Miao Miao remained astonished: "You mean he quit just to spend time with your family? That workaholic? That mama's boy? Would he really go against his mother's wishes like that? Do you believe it, Zhuang Jun?"
"I don't know whether to believe it or not; when he said it, I didn't think much about why. Anyway, he no longer has a job and mentioned he'd come over these days to talk to my parents about travel plans."
"That's strange." Miao Miao sounded alert: "I feel like something's off. Don't you think it's unusual how Wang Xu is acting lately? This doesn't seem like something he would do. If he's so concerned about your parents wanting him to be a good son-in-law, how could he forget your mom's birthday?"
When it comes to my mother's birthday, I felt a bit awkward again. Not only did I forget my mother's birthday, but I'm also the heartless one here.
Miao Miao quickly said, "That's not what I meant, Zhuang Jun. I just wanted to say that Wang Xu's concern for your parents is mostly an act."
"Yeah, I know. Maybe that's true. So do you think he really didn't resign?"
"No, he might have already lost his job, but we need to investigate the reasons further. There must be something off in between. In any case, don't take his word for it and really believe that he suddenly cares about family again. That's impossible; can a dog still eat shit?"
"Yeah, I know. Don't worry."
I won't waver anymore; I only have one goal in mind: to divorce Wang Xu.
"Then it's settled, Zhuang Jun. I'll check it out for you and get back to you once I have results."
"Okay."
Three days later, Miao Miao called me directly to the point: "Wang Xu is a fraud! I knew there was no way he would voluntarily resign! It's all lies!"
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