After searching for a glass vase, I inserted a bunch of white ginger lilies before adding in broken pieces of aspirin.
It’s said that aspirin can delay the withering of flowers, but in the end, those that would wither will eventually wither. I was also like those flowers, delaying my end through the use of medicine – dragging out my existence where life and death become uncertain.
I placed the vase down as I sat down opposite of Qiao Yi.
I asked, “It’s so strange that you’ll wake up at noon.”
With an impatient tone, he replied, “I will be meeting a troublesome person today.”
I scoffed. “I think you’re then the real troublesome person here. Despite having grown up, you’re still behaving as though you’re a young person squandering their youth. If you have spare time, why not go visit your wife?”
He stared at me, surprised that I knew of what happened, but didn’t ask further.
He shrugged. “It would not look good for a broken-up couple to sit together and talk about their divorce.”
I ridiculed him, “I think that it’s worse to forsake your ex-wife and seek affection elsewhere.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You seem to have a prejudice towards me?”
“Maybe you’re not being objective enough towards yourself.”
“You really have a prejudice towards me.” Qiao Yi then said while lazing against the couch, “Do you feel that I had let down Zheng YiJia?”
Zheng YiJia was Chen ErXin’s cousin.
Feeling aggrieved for her, I retorted, “Then, do you actually think you treated her the way you should? She miscarried because of you, but you don’t even visit her!”
Finally looking dim, Qiao Yi said, “At that time, we didn’t even know she was pregnant.” He looked up at me again before continuing, “I don’t care if you believe it or not, but I’m doing everything for her sake.”
I snorted, “Everyone would say that they did everything for their lovers when abandoning them.”
For your good, with good intentions – what a high-sounding reason. Instead, why not personally ask the other person whether they’re actually doing well.
Despite my terrible attitude, Qiao Yi didn’t get angry. He said slowly, “Originally, there were four people in the Qiao family – me, my parents, and my sister, but now I’m the only one left. The Qiao’s family is like a vortex that’s gradually devouring everyone. If she continues to stay, she will not be happy. So, I just want to give her a way out before it’s too late.”
I said, “If the Qiao family is like a vortex, you could have just left.”
After all, Zheng YiJia’s family has a foundation in England, and after getting there, he could have started afresh. So why did he have to entangle himself with Qiao Lang till death? If he left now, Qiao Lang would also not have enough opportunities to strike.
Qiao Yi smiled gently while feeling desolate. “Among my family of four, my father was lying in the hospital after a car accident, and my mother committed suicide while my sister was admitted into a mental hospital. If it’s like this, could I still leave, would I be able to leave?”
I was unable to find any words to say to that.
Not expecting that Qiao Lang’s revenge would be so brutal, I didn’t dare ask what had happened to the Qiao family.
Back in my room, I was trembling in pain but could only consume painkillers.
Looking at the increased frequency that I was consuming medicine, my condition had worsened, and I would have to leave the Qiao’s house as soon as possible.
Even when lying in bed for a while, I would wake up in pain. It was at this time that I became aware of my hunger.
I pondered on the food that would be available in the kitchen.
I then pushed open the door and stepped out.
“You can talk to my lawyer and Qiao Lang about the distribution of assets, as I can’t make any decision regarding it.” As soon as I went downstairs, I heard Qiao Yi’s impatient voice.
“My cousin agreed to divorce you, but she wants to see you.”
——this voice? It’s Chen ErXin!
It was evident that Chen ErXin also saw me, as his voice stopped abruptly. He instantly stood up and glared at me. “Why are you here?”
It turned out that the troublesome person Qiao Yi was meeting today was Chen ErXin!
Following the gaze of Chen ErXin, Qiao Yi turned his head and saw me. He then looked back at Chen ErXin, surprised. “Do you two know each other?”
When made aware of the presence of a third person, Chen ErXin realized that he had a lapse of composure. He sat back down and said calmly, “He and I have been classmates for many years.”
Qiao Yi smiled with an unclear intention and didn’t ask further.
He then went on with the previous conversation topic, “I’m not going to meet her.”
This angered Chen ErXin, and he said, “Qiao Yi, you’re too much. She just wants to talk to you face-to-face once!”
“The relationship we had is already over, and we have nothing to talk about. Please tell her that I’m sorry, and I hope that she could be happy in the future.”
“You’ve already ruined her chance of happiness in this whole life!”
To that, Qiao Yi did not answer. With his eyes looking far away, he said faintly after a while, “Even if I promise to see her once, she wouldn’t be able to obtain that happiness again.”
At this point, Chen ErXin was really enraged by him. With his eyes burning, he grabbed Qiao Yi’s collar and pulled him off the sofa.
I hastened to stop him. “Chen ErXin, calm down!”
It was only then that he angrily let go while Qiao Yi unconcernedly tidied his clothes and sat down again.
Qiao Yi said, “Mr. Chen, I don’t think we have anything much to talk about.”
However, Chen ErXin just snorted coldly and ignored him.
After Qiao Yi had gone upstairs, Chen ErXin and I were the only two in the living room.
He asked me first, “Why are you at the Qiao’s house? Whenever I called you, the phone would be off.”
I told him the truth, “I’m confined here.”
“What?”
I had no choice but to explain. “Do you remember that youth named Leo?”
He nodded, unconvinced, as he was unsure why I had suddenly mentioned Leo.
“Leo is Qiao Lang, and he won’t let me leave the Qiao’s house.”
Chen ErXin was stunned.
Even though he didn’t know what had happened to me in the past four years, he had thought that Leo was someone from the past where everything had already ended.
I had also thought so too.
“What he’s doing is a crime, so you should call the police!”
“The Qiao family is an underworld organization, and he commits crimes every day.” Besides, I didn’t want to make such a big fuss. If it gets out of hand, it will not look good for both the Pei and Qiao family.
Personally, I also didn’t want to be on the front page of this city’s newspaper and be the talk of everyone.
Chen ErXin grabbed onto me. “You should leave with me.”
I laughed bitterly. “Do you think all the bodyguards out there are blind? Before we even reach the main gate, both you and I would be beaten.”
“Do you expect me to let him do this to you?”
Powerless and without any solution, I could only remain silent.
In the end, Chen ErXin left alone and said that he would find a way.
He had said, “When that time comes, I hope to go back to England with you.”
I could only laugh, unable to give a response.
When Qiao Yi went downstairs to look for wine, I was sitting on the living room sofa in a daze.
He handed me a brandy. “Fifty years old Louis XIII, it’s older than you and me.”
I accepted it and drank it slowly.
Holding up the glass, I said to him, “Even when Louis XIII, who is older than me, is gone, I would still continue to live.”
Qiao Yi laughed and sat down beside me. “Pei JiYu, you’re actually a very interesting person.”
I rebutted, “If you feel that way, your life is just too boring.”
I knew that I shouldn’t drink, but I really have nothing better to do.
I was like a bird in a cage who couldn’t escape even with wings.
Qiao Yi held onto his glass, but he didn’t drink from it.
He asked me, “Do you also think that I’m unfeeling too?”
Without waiting for my reply, he then went on, “I sincerely love Zheng YiJia, and she had sacrificed a lot for me. I also know that she doesn’t like the Qiao’s family background, so I once thought about giving up my inheritance and leaving with her to live a peaceful and stable life. However, after Qiao Lang came back, I can’t leave like this. This is a fight between us, and I won’t allow myself to run away. I’ll fight him until we both fall into hell together.”
For a long while, I didn’t know what to say. Perhaps as Qiao Yi had described it, the Qiao family was a huge whirlpool that was twisting and swallowing all those involved.
For Zheng YiJia to retreat intact may be the best ending for her.
I thought about it for a while, and finally answered Qiao Yi, “Everyone has their own will, and they will get what they seek.”
“They will get what they seek <sup>1</sup> The author used “求仁得仁” which is usually used to refer to achieving a certain aspiration or goal a person is seeking. .” He repeated it in a low voice, and finally looked up with a smile. “That’s true and I should be content in the face of adversity.”
1
The author used “求仁得仁” which is usually used to refer to achieving a certain aspiration or goal a person is seeking.