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墨書 Inktalez
Without waiting for me to ask, Zhang Yunxin took the initiative to say, "Yes, that's my boyfriend."
Hearing the term "boyfriend," I couldn't help but furrow my brows. "Oh really? I thought you were already married."
"Well, you could say that. I did have a failed marriage before." Zhang Yunxin smiled lightly as she spoke about it, seemingly unbothered. "That was several years ago."
"So, is your current boyfriend someone you came back from abroad with?" I asked casually.
"No. He's a local and has always worked here in the country."
"Are you in a long-distance relationship?"
"Actually, I only decided to be with him in the past few days after returning home."
Zhang Yunxin didn't shy away from discussing her romantic issues. "You know, we dated for a while before. At that time, it just didn't feel right, so we broke up. I think we were both young and didn't really know what we wanted. Looking back now, I want to give it another try."
"Oh, that's nice."
Her words struck me like a revelation; it was as if she had almost revealed Xinchuan's identity card number.
Local.
Always worked here.
Had a relationship when he was younger.
These labels pinpointed Xinchuan with uncanny accuracy.
I couldn't tell if Zhang Yunxin was trying to show off or if her words were just thoughtless chatter.
But her remarks had certainly succeeded in angering me.
I had to restrain myself from the impulse to splash the glass of water in front of me right in her face.
At that moment, my phone rang.
I picked it up and held it to my ear, saying a few words before furrowing my brow tightly and glancing at the screen.
"Great, I forgot to charge it before leaving."
I shook my phone in front of Zhang Yunxin, showing her the unresponsive screen. "Sorry, could you lend me your phone for a moment? I need to return a call. It's work-related and quite urgent."
"Of course, no problem," Zhang Yunxin said generously as she handed me her phone.
I pretended to make a call and stood up, walking aside.
I positioned myself behind a tall pillar, using it to block Zhang Yunxin's line of sight, ensuring she could see me but not what I was doing with her phone.
Clearly, I wasn't borrowing her phone to make a call, and I hadn't actually received any calls earlier.
The ringing was from an alarm I had set in advance.
I timed it perfectly; Xinchuan should have received the chocolate cake I sent by now.
Given Xinchuan's personality, he would likely message Zhang Yunxin as soon as he got his hands on the cake.
But I still couldn't let Zhang Yunxin see his messages.
At the very least, I needed to wait for Xinchuan and Anan to finish that cake together.
Zhang Yunxin's phone vibrated in my hand.
The pop-up message box indeed displayed the name "Xinchuan."
I eagerly tapped on it, curious to see what sweet nothings Xinchuan would say to her.
However, the messages I saw were completely different from what I had imagined—
"Cindy, I received the cake."
"I think you might have made a mistake; this was supposed to be for Mr. Zhong, right?"
"I've already asked someone to send the cake back to your hotel. I hope Mr. Zhong won't misunderstand anything."
Three consecutive messages came through, accompanied by a picture of the cake.
On the card placed beside it, a line was elegantly written in beautiful cursive—"To my lover."
I recognized that card; I had spent a red bill at the bakery to have the staff write it for me.
What surprised me was Xinchuan's attitude.
The distance conveyed in those messages was entirely unlike the communication one would expect between two people in love.
I didn't have time to guess aimlessly.
Taking advantage of the fact that Zhang Yunxin hadn't become suspicious yet, I quickly flipped through their previous chat records.
Day One—
Zhang Yunxin: "Thank you for sending someone to pick us up at the airport. You arranged everything so well. I'll treat you to a meal next time."
Xinchuan: "You're welcome. It was nothing. Thank you for being willing to come back and help me."
Day Two—
Zhang Yunxin: "Are you free later?"
Xinchuan: "Sure, I'll follow your lead."
That evening—
Zhang Yunxin: "I've arrived. Thank you for chatting with me so much today. Next time, it's my turn to buy you a drink."
Day Three—
Xinchuan: "Cindy, do you have time to meet this afternoon?"
Zhang Yunxin: "One o'clock at the café."
There were no nauseatingly sweet nothings filling the conversation.
The chat history was mostly filled with polite expressions of gratitude, interspersed with a few voice call records, occurring roughly once a day, each lasting no more than five minutes.
Looking at such chat records, it was hard to believe there were any hidden secrets between them.
I was momentarily stunned.
What was going on?
Why was the situation completely different from what I had imagined?
Could it be that all my thoughts were just my own wild speculations, and there was nothing between them at all?
But how could I explain the conversations I overheard in the café that day...?
I couldn't afford to delay for too long, lest Zhang Yunxin become suspicious.
I quickly deleted a few messages from Xinchuan and hurried back to my seat.
I returned my phone to Zhang Yunxin, my movements revealing a hint of panic.
Fortunately, Zhang Yunxin seemed oblivious, still wearing that gentle expression on her face.
"If you have something urgent, why don't we reschedule?" she suggested.
"Sure, I do have some matters to attend to; I need to rush to the publisher," I replied smoothly.
At this point, I had lost all patience to sit here and chat with her.
Xinchuan had just mentioned in a message that he had someone send the cake back to the hotel where Zhang Yunxin was staying.
I needed to intercept it before Zhang Yunxin got her hands on the cake.
After thinking for a moment, I spoke up as Zhang Yunxin stood up, "By the way, where are you staying? Let me give you a ride back."
"It's okay, you don't have to. Aren't you in a hurry?" she replied.
"Not really, and what if it's on the way?" I smiled awkwardly. "I originally wanted to treat you to a meal, but now I'm rushing off before we even get to eat. Please let me make it up to you; otherwise, I'll feel bad."
Seeing my sincerity, Zhang Yunxin finally nodded in agreement.
She told me which hotel she was staying at, and I quickly assured her it was on my way, helping her into my car.
Before we set off, I plugged my phone in to charge.
"Oh no, I forgot something," I said, fiddling with my phone and letting out a sigh. "I had ordered a cake for a friend to be delivered to the restaurant, thinking I could pick it up after dinner. But now that we're leaving early, the cake is still on its way..."
"Why don't we wait for it?" Zhang Yunxin suggested.
I pretended to think for a moment. "How about I call and have them deliver the cake to your hotel instead? Their shop is closer to where you're staying. I should be able to get there just in time."
"Of course, that works. Just have them say my name at the front desk when they arrive," Zhang Yunxin offered willingly.
Her suggestion was exactly what I needed.
The hotel wasn't far from the mall.
We hardly chatted along the way.
However, when Zhang Yunxin heard my navigation voice, she seemed surprised. "Is that voice... Xinchuan?"
If she hadn't brought it up, I might have forgotten about it entirely.
The voice pack for the map navigation on my phone was recorded by Xinchuan himself.
Since I was used to hearing it regularly, I didn't think much of it, but Zhang Yunxin immediately recognized his voice.
I didn't know why, but even though I was Xinchuan's legal wife, I felt a bit guilty facing Zhang Yunxin at that moment.
"Ah, right, I’m with him..."
"I heard you two have been together for a while now." Seeing me hesitate, Zhang Yunxin thought I was shy and smiled as she took over the conversation.
Just as she finished speaking, Xinchuan's voice interrupted us through the navigation.
"Turn left at the upcoming intersection. Left turn! Silly girl, do you remember which way is left?"
For a moment, the atmosphere became awkward.
I felt uneasy and didn't know what to say, but I heard Zhang Yunxin chuckle. "You two have such a good relationship; I'm really envious."
"What's there to be envious of? You and your boyfriend must be very loving too."
"He's too busy with work. And even if he has time, he's such a dull person that he wouldn't help me with these little things."
Zhang Yunxin's words surprisingly carried a hint of envy.
Amidst the envy, there seemed to be a trace of regret.
I found it hard to distinguish between the two.
I recalled that the reason Xinchuan had helped me record that voice pack was because I used to compliment his voice often.
At that time, I had just obtained my driver's license, and my driving skills were abysmal.
There’s a saying: the worse you are, the more you crave it.
I knew I wasn't good at driving, yet I insisted on picking Xinchuan up from work every day.
The evening rush hour was undoubtedly the most chaotic time for traffic in the entire city. Every time I took a wrong turn, I ended up taking twice as long to get back on track.
As a result, during those days, Xinchuan and I spent an extra two hours on the road every night, and by the time we got home to eat, it was usually around eight or nine o'clock.
I was reluctant to admit that I was simply incompetent and always blamed the navigation system instead.
"It's all this navigation's fault for being so unclear. It just says 'turn left,' how am I supposed to know which way is left?" I pouted in complaint, making Xinchuan, who was sitting in the passenger seat, laugh uncontrollably.
While I scolded him for daring to mock me, I rummaged through my phone, looking to change the voice pack.
During that time, a popular idol drama was airing on television, and I had a particular fondness for the male lead. Without hesitation, I chose his voice pack.
However, unsurprisingly, when I went to pick Xinchuan up from work the next day, I took another wrong turn.
As usual, the innocent navigation system took the blame again.
Xinchuan stood nearby, reveling in my misfortune. "Looks like your new 'husband' isn't so great after all."
"If you think you're so good, why don't you give it a try? Don't push if you can't," I shot back at him.
He raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, do you think my voice is better or his?"
"What good is a nice voice if it can't even give the right directions? Just a pretty face with nothing behind it!"
Reluctantly, I handed over the driver's seat to Xinchuan, who drove me home. After that day, I lost interest in picking him up from work; it was probably just a fleeting enthusiasm.
A few days later, just before he was about to finish work, Xinchuan mysteriously messaged me on WeChat, asking me to come to the office to pick him up because he had a gift for me.
While I complained about how cheesy his act was, I hurried to the garage.
When I pulled out my phone and opened the navigation app, I realized that Xinchuan had somehow replaced my navigation voice pack with his own recorded version.
Throughout the drive, I was subjected to his baby-talk tone—
"Turn right at the next intersection; that's your right hand—the one you use to eat with chopsticks!"
I didn't often drive out.
Aside from Xinchuan, I didn't have many friends who would ride with me.
By now, I had grown accustomed to this childish voice pack and had never thought about changing it.
It was fine to listen alone most of the time, but now that Zhang Yunxin was sitting next to me, things felt a bit strange.
Every time Xinchuan's voice echoed in my ears, I felt so embarrassed that I wished I could dig a hole in the ground and hide.
Fortunately, the distance from the mall to the hotel wasn't too far, and a few minutes later, I finally escaped this awkward situation.
Upon arriving at the hotel, Zhang Yunxin thanked me.
We got out of the car together. In my eagerness, I walked a bit faster than her.
"Excuse me, did someone deliver a cake for Miss Zhang Yunxin?"
"The cake for Miss Zhang Yunxin? Yes, please wait a moment."
The Front Desk Clerk turned to retrieve the cake, and Zhang Yunxin came to stand beside me.
Since I had explained when we got in the car, she didn't suspect anything and truly believed that the cake was ordered by me.
After receiving the deadly chocolate cake, I quickly said goodbye to Zhang Yunxin and hurriedly left the hotel with the cake in hand.
At that moment, I was terrified that if I stayed even a second longer, she would discover the terrible secret hidden within this cake...
It wasn't until I got home that my anxious heart finally settled down.
I didn't dare take a moment's rest; I immediately destroyed the cake and took it down to the trash room to throw it away.
After doing all this, I let out a sigh of relief.
For some reason, at this moment, I suddenly felt a sense of relief.
Relief that Xinchuan did not eat the cake.
Perhaps, in the end, I am still soft-hearted.
After all, we were once a couple; even if this relationship has truly come to an end, it should not conclude in such a cruel manner.
My carefully planned cake idea ended in an awkward and hasty way.
But how am I supposed to face all of this now?
Sitting on the sofa, I fell into confusion once again.
I kept replaying what Zhang Yunxin had said to me during dinner.
That boyfriend she mentioned—could it really be Xinchuan...?
I had no way of knowing.
Their chat history was so clean, too clean for me to suspect that there was anything more than friendship between them.
Could it be that Zhang Yunxin had cleared any traces from their chat history before our meeting today?
No, that didn’t make sense.
Even if she had known all along that the person she would meet today was me, how could she have possibly guessed that I would suddenly ask to borrow her phone?
Moreover, Xinchuan's reaction upon receiving the cake was strange.
Not only did he politely decline Zhang Yunxin's feelings, but he also mentioned someone named Mr. Zhong in his message.
Could it be that Mr. Zhong is actually Zhang Yunxin's true boyfriend?
But even if everything is a misunderstanding, a product of my wild imagination, how do I explain their conversation from a few days ago at the café?
I clearly heard Xinchuan repeatedly asking Zhang Yunxin if he could put the medicine in the water I was drinking.
The doctor at the hospital also said that taking too much of that medicine could be fatal.
I wasn't sick at all; why were they trying to force me to take such dangerous medication?
I couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation.
Countless confusions filled my mind, making my head throb as if it were about to explode.
Having reached this point, I knew I had no choice but to have an honest conversation with Xinchuan.
Zhang Yunxin would eventually tell Xinchuan about our meeting today.
Perhaps he would soon discover that I had tampered with the cake as well.
At this point, neither of us could continue living in self-deceiving lies.
I reserved a private room at the restaurant.
The expensive steak and red wine were laid out before us.
It wasn't a special anniversary or anything, so when I sent the restaurant address to Xinchuan, he seemed a bit surprised.
He knew I was a notorious penny-pincher, a Taurus who often complained to him about how pricey and meager the portions were at Western restaurants.
But perhaps this would be the last meal we shared together, and I thought it deserved to be a bit more solemn.
I hoped that this environment would constantly remind me to maintain my dignity, no matter what happened.
The restaurant was located near Xinchuan's office.
He rushed over after work, eager to see me because I had told him on WeChat that I had prepared a surprise for him.
I didn't intend to beat around the bush; before he arrived, I had already placed the gift box containing the "surprise" on his seat.
When he saw the gift box, Xinchuan's eyes lit up with joy, and he smiled beautifully.
I suddenly recalled a time back in school when we played basketball together. He had taken the Coke I bought for him from my hands and smiled at me just like that.
"What’s the occasion today? Treating me to a feast and buying me a gift?" Xinchuan asked as he took his seat but didn’t open the box right away.
I wanted to smile back at him, but my stiff face wouldn’t cooperate.
"You've been so busy with work lately; we haven't had a good chat in ages," I replied.
"What's wrong? Why so serious all of a sudden?"
Xinchuan seemed somewhat taken aback by my attitude.
He sat down beside me, carefully taking my hand and soothingly said, "Anan, I've been so busy with work lately. If I've done something wrong that upset you, please forgive me, alright?"
"Let's take a look at what's in the box first."
I didn't respond to Xinchuan; I simply gestured with my eyes toward the gift box he had forgotten beside him.
Only after I said that did he hesitantly open the box.
I stared at him intently, afraid to miss any expression when he saw what was inside.
I noticed him furrow his brow in surprise before quickly regaining his usual calm demeanor.
"Anan, is this what made you angry with me?"
"I'm not angry, just curious."
Curious about how many secrets he still had that I didn't know.
I glanced at the contents of the box—a bloodstained shirt and a small white vial.
I had expected Xinchuan to be caught off guard when he saw them, to reveal some flustered crack in his composure.
But he didn't.
He was as composed as if he had already known the purpose of my meeting today and had prepared an answer.
"Where did you find this outfit? Were you scared? I'm sorry, I meant to take it to the dry cleaners to see if they could handle it, but I've been so busy lately that I just kept forgetting," Xinchuan said lightly, as if it were not a serious matter at all.
His words downplayed the situation, prompting me to press further. "Aren't you going to tell me how the blood got on the clothes?"
"You silly thing, where did your mind go?" Hearing my question, Xinchuan couldn't help but chuckle. "This is the outfit I wore during my last business trip. I accidentally got hurt that time and didn't want to worry you by telling you about it. But when I came back, you noticed anyway. Did you forget?"
"During your business trip?"
I recalled what Xinchuan had said.
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