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Distant and Silent Love
墨書 Inktalez
After finishing my morning routine, I headed to the mall to buy a sharp-looking outfit.
Wobbling slightly in unfamiliar high heels, I walked into Zhou Group.
Zhou Bailin greeted me in the president's office. "Mai Ye, you finally made it."
The comments exploded as they saw the tall, handsome man with a straight and sharp nose, exuding an air of noble aloofness:
"What’s going on? Did I miss some important plot twist? Is there a character more handsome than the male lead?"
"How did the female lead know him? Ahhh, how does she get to enjoy such a good life?"
I looked at Zhou Bailin; he was taller and more imposing than he had been twelve years ago, his deep-set eyes sparkling with warmth as he smiled at me.
Zhou Bailin was the older brother of my grandmother's neighbor. He would always stand up for me when my cousin bullied me. After graduation, he started his own company, and at first, everything went smoothly.
Later, I learned by chance from Zhou Ayi that he had been betrayed by his ex-girlfriend, who leaked company secrets, nearly driving the company to bankruptcy. Grateful for the kindness he and his mother had shown me back then, I shared with him the promising development directions mentioned in the comments without holding back.
Zhou Bailin seized the opportunity and, through his own efforts, multiplied his worth by millions in a short time. He was grateful to me and wanted me to join him at the company. But I was afraid of affecting the plot and hesitated.
Throughout my life, I had never been lucky. I could only contact him in secret, not wanting anyone to catch a glimpse of our hidden connection. Back then, I wasn't ready to marry Lu Yancheng. Yet it felt as if invisible hands were pushing me into marriage, thrusting me into a turbulent flow that could change the storyline.
Now, I feared nothing.
Zhou Bailin didn’t mind my lack of experience; he patiently guided me every step of the way.
I had a knack for mathematics. When I returned to live with my parents during high school, I surpassed Jiang Qinghuan in my first exam. Seeing her precious daughter upset, Jiang Mu slapped her hard across the face.
Jiang Qinghuan hurriedly intervened, claiming she was useless and wasted family money on learning nothing—she might as well be like her sister who grew up in the countryside. She handed me her newly bought practice book:
"Mai Ye, make sure to study hard. Your parents' company will depend on you in the future!"
I didn't receive much love, and for a little sweetness, I would fly into the fire like a moth.
I took the initiative to tutor Jiang Qinghuan, trailing behind her and Lu Yancheng like a well-behaved little follower. When it came time to apply for college, she was afraid to go alone and grabbed my hand, asking if I could stay by her side.
Thinking of how my new clothes and shoes were given to me by my sister, who had defended me many times in front of our parents, I felt a warmth in my heart. When I met Lu Yancheng's rare look of expectation, I inexplicably agreed.
Lost in my memories, I was snapped back to reality when Zhou Bailin reached out and ruffled my hair, just like when we were kids. I flinched away slightly, unable to meet his gaze directly.
Zhou Bailin didn’t mind: "Don't be afraid; everything will be alright." He knew I had suffered a lot in my original family and that I had spent a few aimless years married to Lu Yancheng.
"Thank you; I'll do my best."
After taking care of Lu Yancheng and his son for five years, I had developed a busy routine. However, spending time on myself felt completely different from spending it on others. The value of being a full-time mother seemed very low.
Even with the same amount of time invested, the sense of worth I gained was minimal. I couldn't even earn the recognition of my family.
At the company, it was different; Zhou Bailin personally guided me through projects and taught me how to read reports. In the Lu Family, I had asked Lu Yancheng if I could go out to work. Each time, he used Lu Siqing's young age as an excuse to block me.
The comments were filled with envy; people thought that the wife of a powerful CEO didn't need to work and should just take care of the household. But I didn’t want to be anyone's appendage.
I am who I am. Even if I'm just an inconspicuous ear of wheat, I hope to grow into the form I've always envisioned.
I was so busy that I hardly had time to pay attention to what was happening in the Lu Family.
After receiving the divorce certificate, Lu Yancheng felt an unreal sensation wash over him.
Jiang Maiye had been away from home for over a month. The once orderly household had descended into chaos. He had hired a professional nanny to tidy up, but Lu Siqing was too picky, refusing to eat this and that, and was particularly prone to throwing tantrums. She would smash dishes at the slightest disagreement.
Lu Yancheng recalled how, throughout their lives, it had always been Jiang Maiye who prepared supplementary food for Lu Siqing; she even obtained a nutritionist certification. His mother-in-law fussed over her precious grandson while constantly complaining, "It must be that Jiang Maiye spoiled the child and left behind this mess without a care! How heartless!"
In Lu Yancheng's mind, he could picture Jiang Maiye's aggrieved little face. In this household, if she dared to scold Lu Siqing even once, his mother-in-law would immediately unleash a tirade that could last twelve hours. He felt sorry for his son, who had grown up without a mother, and wished she wouldn’t make a big deal out of everything.
The kindergarten teacher frequently reported that Lu Siqing liked to snatch her classmates' crafts and would cry if she didn't get her way. Lu Yancheng was astonished. "Was he like this before?"
"No! When Lu Siqing's mother was around, she often made delicious desserts for him and crafted intricate projects. She even told him little stories from 'Journey to the West.'"
"Lu Siqing would bring those to class to share; his classmates envied him and he enjoyed being the center of attention."
Lu Yancheng lowered his gaze. His work kept him busy, and nearly all the responsibility for raising their child fell on Jiang Maiye. He had never imagined that raising a child could be so troublesome.
A loud slap echoed through the room. Lu Yancheng rushed in to find Lu Siqing crying loudly, pointing at his mother-in-law and shouting, "Grandma Wolf, how dare you hit me?"
Jiang Mu called out his name with concern: "Lu Siqing, Grandma didn’t mean it. But how could you say something like asking me to bring your aunt back?"
Jiang Mu despised how her younger daughter had taken her elder daughter's place. She was even more worried about another woman taking advantage of the situation; not even the nanny was safe. Under the guise of caring for her grandson, she had moved into her son-in-law's home, always watching closely.
Half an hour ago, the little grandson wanted to hear a bedtime story. Jiang Mu sat by the small bed, put on her reading glasses, and began to read the children's version of "Journey to the West," word by word. She spoke slowly, her tone monotonous and stiff, completely unable to be as lively and animated as Jiang Maiye.
Lu Siqing grew impatient. The smell of distant flowers was overshadowed by the stench nearby. Ever since his grandmother moved in, she had sent away four or five nannies, and the meals had become increasingly unappetizing. Even the stories he could have boasted about at kindergarten were told in a stuttering manner. Frustrated, Lu Siqing pouted and complained to his grandmother, "It's all your fault for driving away my aunt! You've made me lose face!"
Jiang Maiye was a sensitive topic for Jiang Mu. She exploded like a bomb: "Have you forgotten who your real mother is? Do you have any idea how much she suffered to bring you into this world?" "Ungrateful wretch! How could Jiang Qinghuan give birth to such a heartless creature like you?" After venting her anger, Jiang Mu acted as if nothing had happened, apologizing to Lu Siqing and showering him with kisses.
Lu Yancheng felt quite annoyed. They were family; how could Jiang Maiye really consider divorcing him over such trivial matters? It disrupted the entire household's order. Could she really bear to abandon her sister's son and neglect her own mother? Why couldn't she show more understanding of his difficulties as a brother-in-law and husband? Without him, what better options did she have, being someone who knew nothing?
At the end of the workday, a black Rolls-Royce pulled up at the company entrance. Lu Yancheng leaned against the car, his eyelids slightly lifted, his features sharp and strikingly handsome. The unmarried female colleagues gasped in surprise: "Whose boyfriend is that? He looks so handsome and wealthy." I pretended not to see and turned to leave.
Lu Yancheng raised his hand to stop me: "Jiang Maiye, are you done causing trouble? It's chaotic at home without you. Do you want Jiang Qinghuan to rest uneasily in her grave?" He didn't want to speak so harshly.
However, Jiang Maiye has always been understanding. Whenever her sister is mentioned, she feels a pang of guilt and compromises in every way possible. I have no idea what Lu Yancheng is thinking. Seeing the confident expression on his face, as if he could easily manipulate me, fills me with disgust.
The comments keep reminding me:
"Sister You saved you, yet you slept with her most beloved man."
"If you weren't the female lead, Lu Yancheng wouldn't have lost his most cherished wife."
They make me feel grateful and warn me not to be ungrateful.
"What’s the female lead doing? The male lead has offered her a way out; she should take it."
"I don’t know how Jiang Maiye got involved with Zhou Group, but being virtuous is a woman's duty; don’t just threaten divorce at every turn."
A wave of bitterness rises in my throat. Over the past five years, I have poured almost all my youth and emotions into those two. In return, they treat me with indifference, expecting me to compromise each time without question.
I almost shouted at the comments: "If someone saves me from drowning, does that mean I have to serve them for life?" It seems Lu Yancheng has never considered that the gentle and obedient me also has a breaking point.
"Throughout my life, my parents' favoritism towards my sister doesn’t even compare to her saving me once." Lu Yancheng was left speechless.
For once, someone in the comments spoke up for me: "Being grateful out of obligation is moral coercion; the female lead has already given five years of her life—shouldn’t that debt be settled?"
"That’s not how it works; without her sister, she would have lost her innocence long ago. She’s got no skills but still managed to marry a handsome and wealthy brother-in-law—she should be secretly happy!"
"Is someone from the Qing Dynasty commenting? Just because the female lead lost her innocence doesn’t mean she can’t live! I think living with a man who doesn’t love her is far more tragic."
"Who says the male lead doesn’t love her? He’s just afraid of betraying his wife. If the original wife were gone, could he accept his husband loving another woman?"
"If he can’t accept it, then he shouldn’t harm his own sister! What’s with using gratitude to coerce the female lead into caring for his son?"
This is the first time the comments have shown a divide over my relationship with my sister. I think this might be a good start to changing the direction of the plot.
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