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墨書 Inktalez
"Hey, that's Zhou Siqi."
"Ah, that's her."
"Yeah, I heard she's been getting close to the Editor."
"Huh, isn't she married?"
"So what if she is? People can still cheat."
"Tsk tsk tsk, I really didn't see that coming."
"You can't judge a book by its cover."
"Sigh, women these days really don't know how to uphold their virtues."
As I walked down the corridor of the company, I caught snippets of their gossip. I couldn't help but feel speechless; these people were such busybodies. There was nothing between the Editor and me—just a normal superior-subordinate relationship. How did it turn into something so scandalous in their eyes?
Lost in thought, I suddenly heard someone call my name from behind.
"Siqi."
I turned around to see my husband approaching.
He walked over and looked at me. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to discuss something with the Editor," I replied.
He glanced at me and then around the office before saying, "It seems like people here really love to gossip."
I gave a wry smile. "Yeah, some people just love to spread rumors."
He chuckled. "You should be careful; don't let them catch you off guard."
I rolled my eyes at him. "What do I have to fear? I haven't done anything wrong."
He laughed again. "That's good to hear."
We walked together to the entrance of the company, and just as I was about to say goodbye, he suddenly called out to me.
"Siqi."
"Yes?" I turned back to look at him.
He hesitated for a moment before saying, "If you ever need someone to talk to, I can be your listener."
I was taken aback for a second before breaking into a smile. "Sure, thank you."
He smiled back. "No need to mention it; we're married after all."
I nodded and said goodbye before stepping out of the company. My feelings were a bit complicated. His words touched me, but they also left me feeling puzzled.
He said he could be my listener. What does that mean? Does he sense that something is bothering me? Or is he just trying to keep an eye on me? The more I thought about it, the more confused and uneasy I felt. I decided to stop thinking about it and focused on driving home.
That evening at dinner, my father-in-law started making sarcastic remarks, implying that I was careless. I was surprised; the company had just announced it, and he knew so quickly! I glanced at my husband, hoping he would say something, but he remained silent. Feeling dissatisfied, we didn’t speak to each other for two days. The atmosphere at home became quite tense.
Just when I thought we would remain in silence forever, my father-in-law suddenly said, “I can’t stay here any longer; I’m leaving.” I was taken aback and looked up at him. He appeared pale, his lips trembling, clearly agitated. I was somewhat surprised and didn’t understand why he would make such a decision; it was actually what I wanted.
My father-in-law glanced at me and then at my husband before turning to walk toward the door. After a moment's thought, I decided to chase after him—he needed to pack his bags before leaving! How could he leave empty-handed? My husband shook his head. “He’s upset; the more you try to persuade him, the less likely he is to stay.”
I frowned. “What’s he upset about?” My husband sighed. “He feels you don’t respect him.” Hearing this made me feel a surge of anger. Me? Not respecting him? What have I done wrong?
I thought to myself and couldn’t help but say, “If he wants to leave, let him go; I won’t beg him to stay.” My husband looked at me but didn’t respond.
After my father-in-law left, the house felt even emptier. My husband and I continued to avoid each other, each absorbed in our own activities. Feeling restless, I decided to go for a walk. I went to the community park and found a bench to sit on, staring blankly at the distant lake.
At that moment, I overheard two middle-aged women chatting nearby. “Have you heard? That Zhou Siqi from our community—apparently she cheated.”
"Really? I can't believe it."
"Why not believe it? Someone saw it with their own eyes; she was tugging at a man in the neighborhood."
"Tsk tsk tsk, I never would have guessed. She always seems so proper."
"Sigh, these young people nowadays really have no shame."
As I listened to their conversation, I felt a jolt of shock. Were they talking about me? When did I ever cheat? Who was I supposedly tugging at? It all seemed utterly baffling.
Suddenly, I recalled the day my husband came to find me at work when someone had commented on us. Could it be because of that incident? But we hadn’t done anything wrong; how could they spread such rumors? Anger and grievance welled up inside me, and I longed to rush over and clarify everything.
But I knew better than to do that. If I went over to defend myself, it would only make things worse and deepen their suspicions. So, I forced myself to stay put, fuming silently.
The two middle-aged women continued their chatter for a while longer before finally leaving. I let out a sigh of relief, but my heart remained heavy. I realized that this situation might be far more serious than I had imagined. I needed to set the record straight; otherwise, I'd struggle to maintain my place in this community.
After some thought, I decided to talk to my husband about it. When I got home, he was in his study reading. I walked in and told him what had just happened.
He frowned slightly after hearing me out. "Don't pay attention to those people," he said calmly.
"But..."
"The innocent will clear themselves," he interrupted. "You don't need to worry about what others say."
I fell silent. Although I understood his reasoning, it didn’t ease the discomfort in my heart. With a sigh, I replied, "Alright, I get it."
After saying that, I turned and left the study.
A couple of days later, my father-in-law returned again. I was speechless; it seemed he hadn’t taken his luggage back, which meant he could come and go as he pleased!
He said, “I’ve been thinking. Why don’t you two have a baby? After all, you’ve been married for a few years now. Once you have a child, who would dare to say anything?”
I looked at my husband, who replied, “We really could have a child.”
I didn’t immediately refuse; I just said I would think about it.
The rumors about my infidelity were spreading like wildfire. I was so afraid of running into acquaintances that I barely dared to step outside.
My husband seemed unconcerned about the whole situation. He went to work and came home every day as if nothing had happened.
Seeing him so calm made me feel a bit angry. Why wouldn’t he explain things on my behalf? Even if he didn’t want to clarify, shouldn’t he at least comfort me?
The more I thought about it, the more wronged I felt, so I decided to have a serious talk with him.
“Honey, are you aware of the rumors going around?” I looked at him earnestly.
He lifted his head and replied nonchalantly, “I know.”
“Don’t you have anything to say?” I asked.
He set down the book he was holding and looked at me. “What do you want me to say?”
“I…” I was at a loss for words.
What did I want him to say? Did I want him to defend me? To comfort me? But would he even do that?
After hesitating for a moment, I finally sighed and said, “Never mind, it’s nothing.”
He glanced at me but didn’t say anything further.
I silently returned to the bedroom, my mind in turmoil.
Lying in bed, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
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