How Would You Write a Story Beginning with “Don’t Touch”?
If you’re going to be an out-and-out scumbag, then you deserve to die thoroughly and completely!!!
“Don’t touch.”
He Zhiyang took two steps back, shielding her heavily swollen belly.
Shen Weiqi withdrew the hand suspended in the air. His smile froze on his face, and he tucked both hands into his pockets. “So you’re really not going to let me touch my son.”
“Don’t you have a son outside? Go touch him all you like.” He Zhiyang shot him a sidelong glance and sneered.
“Yangyang, you can’t make me a bastard father who abandons his own son. Besides, Grandpa only had a year left back then. His only wish was to hold a great-grandson. You were far away overseas and refused to come back and have a child no matter what. You know I’ve never had any room to go against what the old man says.” Shen Weiqi smacked his lips. Even he thought this defense sounded terribly feeble.
“Stop finding excuses for not being able to control what’s in your pants.” He Zhiyang turned around, picked up the pitcher, and poured herself a glass of water. Her tone was calm. “Since you slept with her and even had a son together, then take responsibility for her to the end. Yet you just had to trick me into coming back to marry you, then get me pregnant too.”
He Zhiyang lowered her chin slightly and glanced at her belly, a somewhat sinister look in her eyes.
Seeing that look, Shen Weiqi suddenly panicked. His expression changed, and he hurried to say, “Yangyang, if you’re unhappy about anything, take it out on me. Whatever you do, don’t hurt the child.”
“Shen Weiqi, are you really short of this one child?” He Zhiyang’s smile was rather chilling.
Shen Weiqi’s brow twitched. An inexplicable flame shot up from the soles of his feet. He stepped forward, snatched the glass from her hand, and smashed it hard against the floor. Glass shards flew everywhere, splashing onto the back of He Zhiyang’s hand and cutting a series of tiny wounds.
The pain pierced her heart.
They faced each other silently in the wrecked dining room, the anger in their eyes fierce enough to swallow the other whole.
He Zhiyang gave a derisive laugh and looked away.
Shen Weiqi only felt his anger grow hotter.
“He Zhiyang, that’s fucking enough. Do you know how long I spent preparing tonight’s gathering? Do you know how important that opportunity was for the company? Do you know what big shots were there? And because you called the police to report me for organizing a group visit to prostitutes—fine, it’s all ruined.
“Even after that, I started groveling the minute I walked through the door, pressing my hot face against your cold ass, and you still… He Zhiyang, I just don’t understand. What happened back then was my fault. I couldn’t control myself. But now I have no contact with that side apart from my son, and we’re about to have a child of our own. Why do you insist on nailing me to the pillar of shame…
“Every time you look at me, your eyes are like shards of ice stabbing me to death. I’m starting to wonder whether I dug up your family’s ancestral graves in my previous life, He Zhiyang.”
Shen Weiqi simply took off his suit jacket and sat down on the floor, heedless of the glass shards. Alcohol fumes rolled off him as if he had just been fished out of a wine vat.
“Our ancestral graves are perfectly fine.” He Zhiyang pursed her lips in a quiet laugh.
Shen Weiqi felt as if his fist had landed in cotton: soft, with nowhere for his strength to go. He would rather they had a hysterical shouting match than have her keep treating him with this cutting sarcasm.
He had told himself ten thousand times: What was the point of forcing this to go on? Why not do as she said, abort the child and divorce? She hated him to death anyway, did not seem to care much about this child, and had the word divorce constantly on her lips. If he married Shi Ying, at least his Xingxing would have a complete family.
But he could not bear to let go. Not of their child, and even less of her… Having a complete family with her had been his dream since his teens… He had never had patience for people or things, except for her. For her… No matter how she pulled a long face at him, he always wanted to shamelessly cling to her.
“Yangyang.” The man who had been raging a second ago was drowning in the smile at the corner of her mouth the next. “What exactly would it take for you to forgive me?”
“First, make a will. Leave everything you own after your death to me and our child. Your mistress and bastard son don’t get a single cent.”
Her gaze swept over the dejected man before her. She only found him laughable.
Shen Weiqi froze, unable to gather his wits for a moment.
A will… So when she said she wished he would die, it had not just been angry words… They had been together nearly twenty years, since their teens. Every look in her eyes was carved into his heart… He could read it in her eyes: she truly wanted him to die…
Shen Weiqi staggered backward two steps and caught hold of a chair beside the dining table.
Only after a long while did he raise his eyes to He Zhiyang, who radiated no trace of warmth even in the heat of summer. He smiled bitterly. “Yangyang, if I die, you’ll be a widow.”
“Shen Weiqi, I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get to be a widow…” He Zhiyang’s expression remained calm, with only a mocking smile at the corner of her mouth. “What, can’t bear the thought of your bastard son suffering outside? Then divorce me…”
Her voice was very light, yet it pressed down on his heart like a mountain.
He Zhiyang glanced at his increasingly dark face, snorted coldly, and turned to head upstairs.
She had only climbed two steps when the person behind her caught her hand again. She was about to shake him off impatiently when Shen Weiqi said, “Yangyang, if it’ll make you even a little happier, I’ll write one.” He stood beneath the dim light, his face still flushed from drinking. “Whenever you really want to be a widow, I’ll go die.”
He Zhiyang’s heart and eyes ached unbearably, but she still hardened her face and smiled. “Good. Then go tomorrow. Don’t forget to get it notarized afterward.”
“Then can I touch my son now?” His smile was pleading.
“No.” He Zhiyang pulled out her hand and turned to go upstairs. “But if you really do die one day, I could consider letting him kowtow a couple of times in front of your grave.”
“And another thing.” She stopped at the turn in the stairs and looked at him with her watery almond eyes, filled with indifference. “Stop putting on that act of being so deeply in love in front of me. Even if you really die, I won’t shed a single tear.”
His last shred of dignity was ruthlessly trampled underfoot. He felt as if he were floating in the sea without so much as a piece of driftwood around him.
The phone in his trouser pocket kept vibrating. Only after a long while did he take it out. Looking at the name flashing on the screen, he was about to reject the call.
“President Shen, why aren’t you answering? Don’t keep your precious son waiting.” A trace of mockery flashed in He Zhiyang’s eyes as she stood on the stairs.
Shen Weiqi’s hand shook. Somehow, he pressed the answer button. He wanted to hang up quickly, but it was already too late.
“Daddy.” An innocent child’s voice came through.
Shen Weiqi looked at He Zhiyang in embarrassment.
He Zhiyang swayed. Her hand tightened around the banister, and she practically raced upstairs, so fast that even Shen Weiqi was alarmed. Soon her footsteps disappeared at the end of the staircase.
The child on the other end kept calling, “Daddy, Daddy.”
Only then did Shen Weiqi come back to himself. He raised the phone to his ear and smiled. “Son, Daddy’s here.”
By the time Shen Weiqi finished his call in the courtyard and looked up at the second floor, the light had already gone out at some point.
He smoked another cigarette outside before going in.
As soon as he reached the second floor, he discovered a complete mess outside their bedroom.
His pillow, clothes, toiletries, and even their wedding photograph had all been thrown outside the door.
There was also a wedding ring that had rolled to the top of the stairs.
He glanced at the nanny, Liu-yi, who was standing helplessly in the bedroom doorway with an awkward expression. “It’s late. Clean it up tomorrow.”
Translator’s note: Yi (姨) means auntie, also used as a familiar, respectful address for an older woman.
With that, he picked up the ring from the floor and went into the guest room next door.
The next morning, as soon as Shen Weiqi came out, he saw Liu-yi anxiously standing outside the door with a glass of water. Seeing him, she hurried over. “President Shen, Yangyang just won’t open the door. What should we do?”
“Vomiting again?” Shen Weiqi frowned.
Liu-yi nodded worriedly.
He went up and knocked. “Yangyang, are you all right now?”
The person inside did not respond.
“Yangyang, Yangyang.” Shen Weiqi called twice more.
Still no response.
His worry deepened. Just as he raised his foot to kick the door down, it suddenly opened from inside.
He Zhiyang looked at him without expression.
“I… I was a little worried about you.” Her stare unnerved him, and he inexplicably began to stammer.
He Zhiyang said nothing. She walked straight around him and went downstairs.
Shen Weiqi rubbed his chin. He had asked for a snub first thing in the morning.
By the time Shen Weiqi went downstairs, He Zhiyang was already sitting at the dining table, slowly drinking the plain congee before her.
Ever since becoming pregnant, she had been unable to stomach anything. Every morning, she only had a bowl of plain congee.
Shen Weiqi sat opposite her. Glancing at the bowl, he frowned. “Yangyang, can you get enough nutrition from this little bit of congee every day? Didn’t I have someone bring back some blood-red bird’s nest from overseas last time…”
Before he finished, he met Yangyang’s shut-up look from across the table. Sheepishly, he picked up his coffee and took a sip.
It was frighteningly sweet.
He felt as if he was about to get diabetes.
He was about to ask Liu-yi about it when he saw her purse her lips in Yangyang’s direction.
Shen Weiqi paused, then picked up the patterned bone-china cup and poured the whole cloyingly sweet coffee down his throat.
“Hey, hey…” Liu-yi called.
Seeing that it was too late to stop him, she sighed.
What a pair of feuding lovebirds!
“The coffee my wife poured for me is so sweet.” Shen Weiqi grinned shamelessly.
Unfortunately, Yangyang across from him seemed not to have heard. She did not even lift her eyelids.
His phone rang again, startling him into a shudder.
Last night’s incident still left him trembling. Covering the phone, he hurried out of the dining room.
He did not return for a full quarter of an hour.
Yangyang was still sitting at the table, stirring her remaining half-bowl of congee.
He pulled out his chair and sat opposite her again, pretending nothing had happened.
“Say it.” He Zhiyang’s hand holding the spoon did not stop.
Shen Weiqi felt that he had become that bowl of congee, being stirred into a state of agitation.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Mom just called to say today is the anniversary of Grandpa’s death, and the family is going to visit his grave together.” He hesitated a moment, then continued. “Mom said it’s inconvenient for you with your pregnancy, so you shouldn’t go. Stay home and rest. Next year, we’ll take the baby with us.”
He Zhiyang suddenly smiled and raised her eyes to meet his. “The bastard son is going, isn’t he?”
“Yangyang…” With his thoughts suddenly exposed, he was at a loss for words.
“I’m still your family’s properly married daughter-in-law, aren’t I? Why do I feel like I’m the one who has to be hidden away?”
Her smile made Shen Weiqi panic. Even his words became incoherent. “It isn’t like that, Yangyang, it isn’t… If you want to go, then go. I promise you won’t see anyone you don’t want to see.”
Something fell onto the back of her hand. He Zhiyang forced herself to focus, only to discover that it was her own tears.
She had thought her heart was already as hard as iron. How ironic…
Seeing her cry made Shen Weiqi feel even worse. He pulled two tissues from the box and handed them to her.
He Zhiyang did not take them. She spread the remaining tear tracks over her face with her fingertips, stood up, and went back upstairs.
Shen Weiqi turned to watch her back gradually disappear. Only when he heard a door open upstairs again did he pick up his phone and call his mother back.
“Hello, Mom. Don’t let Xingxing come to the cemetery today.”
When He Zhiyang came downstairs again, she had changed into a sky-blue dress with a half-high neckline that showed off her beautiful figure perfectly.
Apart from her much thicker waist, her figure had barely changed at all: the same lovely long legs, straight neck and back, and… pert bottom.
That alluring face was as beautiful as ever. Perhaps because of the pregnancy, her features had gained a few touches of softness.
Although the look she gave him was still cold enough to make a person shiver, Shen Weiqi felt as if his nose were about to bleed.
A faint pride rose in his heart. His, Shen Weiqi’s, wife would always be the most dazzling woman in a crowd.
Still, wearing that color on the anniversary of the old man’s death, wasn’t that a little… Forget it. She was giving him face by not dressing head to toe in bright red.
The morning rush hour had already passed, but traffic was still somewhat congested.
He Zhiyang watched the cars outside the window and said, “Shen Weiqi, don’t forget to make your will today.”
Shen Weiqi’s expression gradually soured. Only after a while did he smile. “Yangyang, I’m still so young, and Mom and Dad are both alive. Isn’t it a little early to make a will? Don’t worry, everything I own, including Shen Group, will definitely go to our son…”
“Why should I believe you?” He Zhiyang cracked the window open, and wind rushed inside. “When you proposed, you also said I’d be the only woman in your life…”
Shen Weiqi felt he was forever a deflated ball in front of her. “Yangyang, I also have to leave that child… I’m the bastard here. The child is innocent. I can’t leave him and his mother sleeping on the streets in the future…”
The wind caught in He Zhiyang’s throat and sent her into a coughing fit. Her face flushed red, her throat felt sour, and she wanted to vomit.
Shen Weiqi hurried to roll up the window. Taking one hand off the wheel, he stroked her back.
He Zhiyang was coughing too hard to breathe, yet still remembered to block his hand. His touch only made her feel more disgusted.
Shen Weiqi said nothing and silently withdrew his arm.
The drive normally took an hour. This time, it took another half an hour before they arrived.
The cemetery’s marble steps were slippery after the rain. Shen Weiqi supported He Zhiyang as they slowly climbed. This time, He Zhiyang did not push him away.
A dense crowd of people already stood before Old Master Shen’s grave. Seeing them approach, everyone looked over. Shen Weiqi’s younger sister, Shen Weizhen, took a couple of steps toward them and took He Zhiyang’s arm.
“Saozi, I thought you weren’t coming today.” Shen Weizhen stuck out her tongue. She had always been very fond of this beautiful, spirited saozi.
Translator’s note: Saozi (嫂子) means an older brother’s wife.
He Zhiyang smiled. The sharpness and indifference she showed Shen Weiqi were gone from her face.
Before the three had even come to a stop, a small figure dressed in black raced up from behind and hugged Shen Weiqi’s thigh.
“Daddy, Daddy.”
Everyone’s expression became a splendid sight: surprise, shock, embarrassment… Perhaps the few tears she had shed that morning had washed away her last weakness, because He Zhiyang actually became the calmest of them all. She even looked over the child’s face a few times.
Mm, quite a resemblance. Shen Weiqi’s seed all right…
Shen Weiqi stood frozen in embarrassment, not knowing what to say. He felt that he ought to offer Yangyang a few words of explanation, but truly had no defense… All he could do was pat Xingxing’s head and ask, “Who brought you?”
The young child did not know what a scene his arrival had caused. He only knew that he was delighted to see the daddy he had not seen for several days. Smiling, he pointed down the hill. “Mommy brought me. Xingxing missed Daddy.”
He Zhiyang looked down the hill. Through the haze of moisture, she could vaguely make out a black silhouette.
That would be the mother of Shen Weiqi’s illegitimate son.
He Zhiyang suddenly felt very curious. She wondered what kind of woman had turned the life that should have been smooth sailing into a complete mess.
Although she was not the one who had started it all.
Shen Weiqi’s mother was the first to react. She gave two dry laughs and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s begin.”
She offered no explanation for the child’s sudden appearance. Of course, everyone except He Zhiyang already knew perfectly well and needed none.
“Wait.” The mountain wind carried away some of He Zhiyang’s voice, but it still reached every person present with perfect clarity.
Gazes shot toward her: questioning, mocking, reproachful, and simply watching the excitement from the sidelines.
“Mom, do you mean that the Shen family has already acknowledged this child as its eldest grandson?” Her voice was light. “The Shen family has always passed its estate to the eldest son and eldest grandson. Then what does the child in my belly count as?”
A needle drawing blood, cutting straight to the vital point without any fuss.
Shen Weiqi’s face went deathly pale. He turned to look at her.
Those fawnlike eyes were no different from when she was fifteen. Time had always treated her especially kindly. Even he had a few white hairs at his temples now, yet her gaze was still as clear as a young girl’s.
She had not changed, but they had. They had become like fire and water, irreconcilable. Perhaps, in the future, they would even fight to the death over something.
He still lowered his head to look at Xingxing, who was holding tightly to his hand. He still could not bring himself to speak.
Shen Weiqi’s mother was deeply unhappy that her daughter-in-law had publicly put her in such a difficult position, but her voice remained gentle. “Yangyang, whatever it is, we can talk when we get home. We’re in front of Grandpa’s grave. Let’s not disturb our ancestors.”
“Mom, it’s precisely because we’re in front of Grandpa, and all the uncles and aunties are here, that we ought to make things clear. Wasn’t this child the one Grandpa worried about most before he died?”
“Yangyang.” Shen Weiqi’s mother frowned and was about to reprimand her when his father shook his head at her.
“Child, Dad knows Weiqi has wronged you, and our Shen family has wronged you too. But the mistake has already been made… Don’t worry. The Shen family certainly won’t treat you and your child unfairly.”
He Zhiyang had always respected this father-in-law greatly. She also knew that once he made a promise, he would fulfill it…
He Zhiyang smiled lightly. “Dad, spoken words alone are no proof.”
Questioned by her daughter-in-law in front of so many relatives, Shen Weiqi’s mother felt she had lost all her face. She wanted nothing more than to find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
His father, too, hesitated.
“That’s right, Dage, Dasao. Although our Shen family has always passed its estate to the eldest son and eldest grandson, little Xingxing’s origins can hardly stand the light of day. This business of the eldest grandson… I think Dasao should weigh it carefully. As I see it, we really ought to give our nephew’s wife a guarantee.” The Shen family’s second aunt, who had always been at odds with Shen Weiqi’s mother, looked as though she would happily watch the commotion grow bigger.
Translator’s note: Dage (大哥) is eldest brother; dasao (大嫂) is his wife.
Shen Weiqi’s mother felt she was going to faint.
“Yangyang, didn’t you want me to make a will? I’ll go in a little while. I’ll leave everything I own to you and the child. Mom and Dad are getting old. Stop tormenting them.” Shen Weiqi kept his voice as low as possible as he spoke into her ear.
He Zhiyang gave him an indifferent glance, showing no intention of stopping.
After a long silence, his father finally said, “Yangyang, I know that by bringing this up today, you want all these uncles and aunties to bear witness. Then I’ll make this promise here today: once you give birth, whether it’s a boy or a girl, I’ll transfer every share and property in my name to that child.”
Although his father no longer participated in managing the company, he still held forty-nine percent of Shen Group’s shares and remained its largest shareholder.
As soon as he said this, both Shen Weiqi and his mother changed color.
He Zhiyang nodded in satisfaction. “Then I’ll thank you on the child’s behalf, Dad.”
His father valued his face. Since he had made this promise in front of so many relatives, he would definitely fulfill it.
With that spectacular opening performance concluded, the memorial rites for the old man were soon finished in a perfunctory rush.
Shen Weizhen helped He Zhiyang down the hill. The woman below had already vanished. He Zhiyang felt a little regretful, her curiosity further piqued.
Shen Weiqi escorted his parents to their car. His mother felt her lungs were about to explode with anger. Stretching out an arm, she jabbed at her son’s forehead. “You! Just look at that wonderful wife you married.”
His father behind her, however, looked as composed as ever.
Shen Weiqi was overcome with guilt. “Dad, I’m sorry. This is all trouble your son caused.”
His father did not reprimand him. He only patted his shoulder. “Son, the greatest taboo for a man striving outside is a fire in his own backyard. What you did before truly broke Yangyang’s heart, and our Shen family did wrong her over Xingxing. Her request isn’t unreasonable… Of course, Dad also knows how you feel about her. You still can’t let her go. If these shares can let her stay by your side with peace of mind, then they’re worth it. Besides, the child in her belly is also a descendant of the Shen family… Conduct yourself properly from now on, and make a good life with Yangyang.”
Shen Weiqi nodded.
His father glanced lovingly at Xingxing, who was fast asleep in Shen Weiqi’s arms, and his heart softened. “Make proper arrangements for Xingxing too. We can’t let a Shen grandson suffer outside.”
“I know, Dad.” Shen Weiqi’s heart ached too. Whatever else, this was his own flesh-and-blood son. The thought that he would have to spend his whole life with the label of illegitimate child really did not sit well with him.
But when it came to Yangyang, he had no choice.
By the time he came back to himself, every Shen family car was long gone, including the one Yangyang had been sitting in. So they had just dumped him in this place where birds would not even shit.
He looked at the Audi nearby with its hazard lights flashing, walked over with the child in his arms, and kicked it.
Shi Ying stepped leisurely out of the car and glanced at him.
“Sit with Xingxing. I’ll drive.”
Shen Weiqi’s face was dark. “I’ll settle accounts with you once we’re in the car.”
Shi Ying was actually a little frightened. She knew what she had done that morning had crossed his bottom line.
But she simply could not swallow it. She could endure it herself, but her son was Shen family blood. Surely he could not be left outside for the rest of his life.
Shi Ying opened the door, took the child from Shen Weiqi, placed him in the child safety seat in the back, and closed the door again.
Turning back to Shen Weiqi, she smiled. “President Shen, let’s settle accounts right here.”
Shen Weiqi tugged hard at his shirt collar and braced one hand on the roof. His face was uglier than the cloud-covered sky. “What do you mean?”
Shi Ying sneered. “Nothing. It’s the anniversary of Xingxing’s great-grandfather’s death. He couldn’t miss it, could he?”
“Didn’t I fucking tell you this morning not to bring Xingxing? Shi Ying, are you deliberately trying to embarrass me?”
“Oh, looks like Mrs. Shen lost her temper?”
“Keep her out of your mouth. As if you’re worthy.” Shen Weiqi’s face darkened further.
“Right, I’m not worthy. I’m a whore who got tossed aside even after bearing a son. What could I possibly mean? Shen Weiqi, whatever else, Xingxing is your own son. Can you really bear to watch other people bully him like this?”
Shen Weiqi clicked his tongue. There really were plenty of loose-tongued women in this world who feared nothing except a lack of chaos… He reached out and caught Shi Ying’s chin, his eyes sinister. “I never realized you had such grand ambitions. Are you planning to enter the Shen family and become the empress dowager someday? If I’d known you wanted so much, I wouldn’t have gotten into your bed even if my right hand were crippled.”
“What am I after? What have I gotten out of following you all these years? Shen Weiqi, I was a girl from a decent family back then too. All these years, I willingly gave you a son and became a whore for you. What do you think I’m after?”
Shi Ying’s tears ran wild over her face like a floodgate had opened.
Shen Weiqi felt as though his hand had been scalded and hurriedly let go of her face. Her crying softened his heart a little too.
“Xiao Ying, I really have wronged you and our son over these years. I’ll make sure you’re properly provided for. But anything more, I can’t give, and I don’t want to give.” He put his hands in his pockets, his suit jacket draped over his shoulder. “Let’s stop meeting unless there’s something necessary. It won’t be good if Yangyang finds out.”
Yangyang… It was the first time Shi Ying had heard him use that name in front of her.
She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Stamping her foot, she shouted hoarsely at his receding back, “Shen Weiqi, you bastard! You don’t even want your own son anymore!”
…
That evening, when He Zhiyang cautiously emerged from the bathroom, someone already lay on the bed, drunk as a puddle of mud.
Arms folded, she stood in the bathroom doorway staring at him for a long while. Then she slowly walked to the bedside, picked up her pillow and quilt, and prepared to sleep in the guest room next door.
Just as she turned, the person on the bed suddenly reached out and pulled her onto it. Before she could make a sound, a dense shower of kisses fell over her…
Shen Weiqi was kissing enthusiastically when a slap landed on his face, followed by another, a third, a fourth… He took ten whole slaps.
His face burned, his ears rang, and a metallic sweetness rose in his mouth. It took him quite a while to recover. Ignoring the pain in his face, he pulled over He Zhiyang’s hand and blew on it. “My wife must have hurt her hand hitting me. Next time, don’t do it yourself. Just say the word, and I’ll do it.”
He Zhiyang pulled her hand out of his warm, broad palms and sneered. “Shen Weiqi, does going a single day without being pathetic make you uncomfortable?”
Anger rose in Shen Weiqi’s eyes as well. Through gritted teeth, he said, “He Zhiyang, haven’t you made enough trouble? Do you insist on taking this all the way until one of us is dead?”
He Zhiyang had just started to get off the bed when he pulled her back. She could only sit cross-legged and glare at the man before her. “Say it. What exactly do you want?”
“Yangyang, I want to have a proper talk with you.”
“Haven’t we already made everything perfectly clear?”
Shen Weiqi exhaled and closed his eyes, both arms falling limply as if he were utterly exhausted. “Yangyang, we still have a long life ahead of us. Are we going to keep going like this forever?”
He Zhiyang sat quietly on the bed, looking at Shen Weiqi beside her, and suddenly remembered her time in America.
Back then, her career had only just begun to take off. She had been promoted and was making a name for herself in her field, only to be falsely accused of plagiarism. Her accuser spoke with such certainty that she could not defend herself even with a hundred mouths. When she was close to breaking, she called him across the ocean.
“Yangyang, if you don’t want to come back and get married, then let’s break up.”
His voice was tired and indifferent.
At first, she thought it was another trick to get her to return to China, until afterward his phone became unreachable.
After hesitating for several days, she boarded a flight home. Back then, she had thought: With her career gone, she could not lose her love as well.
The passenger beside her on the plane was a mother traveling alone with her child. Looking at the barely three-month-old baby, she asked curiously why the father was not traveling with them.
The mother’s gaze flickered. “He’s quite busy.”
As soon as she got off the plane, she saw Shen Weiqi and threw herself straight into his arms, acting spoiled. “How did you know I was coming back today?”
She thought that although he sounded angry with her, in his heart he still cared for her.
It was a long time before he raised his arms and hugged her tightly as he always had. His eyes, however, stared straight past her, his expression distracted.
Only that afternoon, on the way back from the cemetery, when she saw Shi Ying’s photograph on Weizhen’s phone, did she understand: he had not gone to pick her up that day.
But that understanding came too late.
Shen Weiqi pushed the stack of documents scattered on the bed into He Zhiyang’s hands. “What you wanted.”
He Zhiyang did not examine them closely. She placed the documents on her pillow, held everything in her arms, and walked toward the door. At the doorway, she turned back.
“Shen Weiqi, three years ago, you went to the airport to pick up Shi Ying and her son, didn’t you?”
The man on the bed raised his head, surprise flashing over his flushed face.
“I’m so sorry I made you pick up the wrong person.”
After saying this, He Zhiyang pushed open the door and walked out.
The door slammed shut again.
Shen Weiqi slowly lay back down, his heart full of dejection.
He and Yangyang were completely finished.
…
The phone on the bedside table kept vibrating. He acted as if he did not hear it.
But the caller seemed determined to keep calling.
Unable to bear the nuisance any longer, he finally answered and immediately cursed, “Are you fucking calling to hurry me to my death?”
A familiar woman’s voice came through the phone, mixed with quiet sobbing.
Shen Weiqi’s heart jolted. He immediately sat up.
“Which hospital?”
The hand gripping the phone trembled.
After receiving her answer, Shen Weiqi picked up his jacket from the bed and ran downstairs.
…
Shen Weiqi was nowhere to be seen for several days in a row. Liu-yi kept muttering about it: What was going on with President Shen? Before, he had always come home no matter how late it was.
He Zhiyang curled up in the beanbag beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, reading in the sun, and did not respond.
Even when it was time for He Zhiyang’s prenatal checkup, Shen Weiqi still had not appeared.
Liu-yi accompanied her to the hospital. Only after they finished the ultrasound did they see Shen Weiqi sitting on a chair in the obstetrics corridor.
After several days apart, Shen Weiqi looked more haggard, his eye sockets dark.
He Zhiyang glanced at his appearance, as though he had overindulged in sex, and pushed open the door without a word.
The doctor looked over the ultrasound report and said, “The child’s development is quite normal.”
The weight hanging in He Zhiyang’s heart finally eased a little.
“Doctor, should we do an umbilical cord blood puncture?” Shen Weiqi, standing behind her, suddenly spoke.
She could not help looking back at him.
“If that’s what you want, we can…”
“Is it necessary?” He Zhiyang frowned.
Shen Weiqi stroked her shoulders with both hands. “Let’s do one. Neither of us is young anymore.”
He Zhiyang did not object again.
After the umbilical cord blood puncture was finished, Shen Weiqi took a phone call and left first. As usual, he arranged for the driver to take her and Liu-yi home.
They had only walked a few steps when another heavily pregnant woman stopped her.
“Meimei, did you just finish a cord blood test?”
Translator’s note: Meimei (妹妹) means younger sister, also used familiarly for a younger woman.
Yangyang looked at her somewhat blankly and nodded.
The woman scrunched up her face, looking a little scared. “Did it hurt?”
“Not much.”
The woman breathed a sigh of relief, held her hand, and thanked her. She said her older child had leukemia, so she had no choice but to have another baby at forty to save him.
Have another baby to save him… He Zhiyang’s heart beat rapidly a few times.
…
Two knocks sounded at the door.
Jiang Jin’an had a rare moment of leisure in his office. He silently sipped his tea and gave no answer.
The person outside clearly had no intention of standing on ceremony either. Without waiting for him to speak, they pushed open the door and walked in.
“What a rare visitor.”
Jiang Jin’an spoke unhurriedly.
“I wouldn’t come to the temple without a reason.” He Zhiyang sat opposite him with a sour expression. “Talk.”
“About what?” Jiang Jin’an played dumb.
He Zhiyang widened her eyes and glared at him. “Don’t you know perfectly well what? Hurry up. There’s a little nurse waiting outside to give Director Jiang a love letter.”
“You didn’t say anything strange, did you?” Jiang Jin’an blinked as a bad premonition rose in his heart.
He still remembered the last time Yangyang and Yinyin had come, back when he had only just joined the hospital. Both had pretended to be his girlfriend and cursed at each other outside his office. He had inexplicably become a “two-timer,” drawing a whole crowd of spectators.
Afterward, he was publicly reprimanded at an all-hospital meeting. Even after his probation ended, his professional promotion was indefinitely postponed because of his “problems with personal conduct.”
While he was gloomily smoking on the rooftop, Yangyang came behind Yinyin, pinching the edge of her skirt and apologizing in a tiny voice, tears sparkling in her big eyes… It almost made him laugh, as though she were the one who had been wronged.
Yinyin secretly poked him and asked whether he was certain he did not want to tell the muddleheaded little girl before him. “She’s always thought you had a secret crush on me.”
He shook his head. Shen Weiqi was the only person in her eyes and heart. He knew that.
Yinyin looked at him with disdain.
Later still, Yangyang’s family sent her abroad to study…
…
“I didn’t say much. I just said I was your wife…”
Jiang Jin’an spat out a mouthful of tea.
“I’ve been the punching bag for you two since we were kids.” Jiang Jin’an sighed deeply and spoke helplessly.
“How are things between Yinyin and Director Zhou?” Following his detour, He Zhiyang began asking after Yinyin, whom she had not seen in ages.
“How else could they be? Still sulking at each other.” Jiang Jin’an snorted, crossing his legs on the desk and rubbing his temples. “But how could that girl be Zhou Zhan’er’s match? Sooner or later, husband and wife will go home together.”
“If you know that, hurry up and make your move. This opportunity didn’t come easily. Wait too long, and Yinyin will be Mrs. Zhou again,” Yangyang said with a smile.
“No hurry. I’m waiting for you and Shen Weiqi to dissolve your partnership.” Jiang Jin’an opened his eyes and smiled teasingly.
Speaking of which, Shen Weiqi had only gotten to know Yangyang because of his introduction… Later, Jiang Jin’an had mocked himself to Yinyin: other people were “the pavilion nearest the water getting the moon first,” while he had “lifted a rock to smash his own foot.”
After such a long detour, He Zhiyang finally remembered why she had come.
“Every time Shen Weiqi comes to the hospital, he always comes to you. Tell me, what illness does his bastard son have…”
“You really are wronging me this time. I’m not handling this case.” Jiang Jin’an hesitated before saying, “I heard it’s thalassemia.”
“Shen Weiqi just had me take a cord blood test. Was it to check for a match for his bastard son?”
The man opposite her was silent for a long time.
“It’s possible. But the chance of a match between half siblings with the same father isn’t much higher than between ordinary people. Perhaps he really only…”
“Even so, he still made me take the risk of a cord blood puncture…” He Zhiyang smiled as though her soul had left her body and took two steps back, about to collapse onto the floor…
Jiang Jin’an hurried over and caught her in his arms. Seeing her like this, his heart ached uncontrollably.
“Where… is his ward?” He Zhiyang clenched her teeth before she could force out the words.
“Yangyang, look after yourself first, all right…” Meeting her despairing eyes, Jiang Jin’an turned his head away. “Hematology, seventh floor.”
He Zhiyang slowly stood up, picked up the thermos on his desk, and walked out.
Once she reached the seventh floor, it did not take much effort to find Shen Weiqi.
Without another word, He Zhiyang hurled the thermos at him.
It fell with a crash, shards flying everywhere. For a moment, the whole corridor went quiet, and everyone looked over.
Even Jiang Jin’an, who had seen his share of life-and-death scenes, was stunned.
The man before them was steaming all over, as though he had been hauled out of water.
Shen Weiqi’s mother screamed as she emerged from the ward. She gave He Zhiyang a hateful glare and tried to pull Shen Weiqi inside to change his clothes.
He wiped his face and remained where he was, motionless.
“Yangyang…” he murmured.
“If this is the reason you wanted him born, then I’d rather he died in my belly right now.”
As she turned, a scalding-hot hand suddenly caught hers.
“Shen Weiqi, thank you for personally snuffing out the last bit of unrealistic hope in my heart.”
He Zhiyang did not turn around. She pulled out her hand and entered the elevator.
Jiang Jin’an drove He Zhiyang all the way to the entrance of the Shen villa. Looking at Yangyang’s peacefully sleeping face in the passenger seat, he could not help raising his hand, then lowering it again. In the end, he could not bear to wake her. He took his cigarettes and got out.
Under the blazing sun, he leaned against the car and smoked one cigarette after another. The scene at the hospital kept replaying in his mind.
Yangyang had hurled the object in her hand at Shen Weiqi with all her strength, her eyes showing the kind of desperate fixation born of pain so deep it had gone numb…
The Yangyang in his memories was always gentle and steadfast. Even when Yinyin occasionally egged her on to do something naughty, she would always be anxious, like a frightened little rabbit, making one’s heart ache with tenderness.
It was as if every shard of that thermos had lodged in his heart, sending out an endless web of fine, sharp pains.
He tossed his cigarette butt to the ground and stamped on it twice, cursing under his breath, “Scum.”
At some point, Yangyang had woken up. She had already walked around the front of the car to stand beside him.
“You’re awake?” Jiang Jin’an smiled gently.
“Mm.” He Zhiyang nodded. “About today… thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for? You performed that entire martial-arts show yourself. You didn’t even give me a chance to play the hero saving the beauty.” A bitter smile lifted his lips.
“Smart mouth.” She curled her lips and smiled. “I’m going.”
With that, she turned toward the villa’s entrance.
“Yangyang… come to me if you need anything.” The voice behind her paused, then spoke again. “Take good care of yourself.”
He Zhiyang’s footsteps faltered, but in the end she said nothing.
…
For several days in a row, Shen Weiqi seemed to have evaporated from the human world along with that thermos of hot water. He did not even call home.
But another uninvited visitor arrived at the Shen villa.
Liu-yi looked up and down at the fashionably dressed but exhausted young woman before her and said softly, “Please wait a moment. Madam will be down shortly.”
The woman hastily thanked her.
Coming down the stairs, He Zhiyang took in this scene.
“Miss Shi, I trust you’ve been well.” He Zhiyang settled onto the sofa beside her and smiled faintly.
It was as if they were merely old acquaintances who did not know each other very well, with all their former disagreements forgotten. There was no sign of her frenzy that day.
A faint hope actually rose in Shi Ying’s heart. He Zhiyang was a mother too. Surely she could understand something of how she felt.
“He… Mrs. Shen, I came today to ask you a favor.” Her heart remained uneasy, and her face was flustered.
He Zhiyang picked up her juice and took a sip, showing no intention of making conversation. Shi Ying could only steel herself and continue.
“I’m sure Mrs. Shen also knows why I came today. It’s like this… the cord blood matching results are back. There are more matching markers than with me or… his father. So I wanted…”
Before she finished, He Zhiyang interrupted. “Miss Shi, if it’s about this, please spare yourself the trouble of opening your honorable mouth.
“I’m a human being, not the Virgin Mary. With the relationship you and Shen Weiqi have, you still want to use the child in my belly to save your child’s life. Don’t you find that laughable?”
“…Mrs. Shen, you’re a mother too. I believe you can understand how I feel. I promise, as long as you agree, once my child recovers, I’ll take him abroad immediately. We’ll never appear in front of you again for the rest of our lives, and he’ll never set foot in the Shen family again.”
“Sorry. I can’t help you.”
“…Mrs. Shen, I’m begging you. Give my child a way to live.” Shi Ying dropped to her knees, crying as she spoke, and shuffled toward her on her knees. “Every last bit of it is my fault. The child is innocent!”
“When you and Shen Weiqi were rolling around in bed so happily, and when I’d only just become pregnant and you carried the child you two had together right to my doorstep to pressure me, why didn’t you think of giving me a way to live?”
After saying this, He Zhiyang turned to go upstairs.
A moment of silence.
“He Zhiyang.” Shi Ying slowly stood, wiped her face with the back of her hand, and let her voice turn cold. “Don’t you want to know when things between Shen Weiqi and me started?
“It started a long time ago. We got together the very first year you went abroad. Yes, I knew from the beginning that you were engaged to him. I also knew he was only playing around with me. Rich second-generation boys—how many of them don’t play with women?”
Shi Ying straightened her clothes. Looking at the back that had suddenly gone still before her, she wore a mocking smile despite the tear tracks still on her face.
“A dew-fleeting affair: whoever catches feelings first loses. But I still fell for him. I don’t believe I was the only one who developed real feelings, though.
“At first, he was careful with protection every time, terrified of creating a life. But later, I told him I wanted to give him a child, and he let me. Of course, they were fighting over the family estate then, and another son meant another guarantee. But you know Shen Weiqi. Is he someone who’d casually have a child with just anyone?”
He Zhiyang clenched both hands, her nails gradually digging into her flesh. Her heart was already numb.
Sometimes, thinking yourself a fool was one thing. Having someone else personally confirm how foolish you were was another.
“After Xingxing was born in America, no matter how busy he was, he called overseas every day to ask how his son was doing. He even said he’d come to the airport to pick us up when we returned to China. I knew I wasn’t far from getting what I wanted… Who could have known that, at the airport… we’d meet someone we shouldn’t have met…
“Isn’t it funny? Some things, other people don’t treasure at all, yet you treat them like the most precious treasure. But every time they’re almost yours, all that other person has to do is crook a finger and snatch them away halfway…” Shi Ying murmured to herself, utterly lost.
“Have you said enough? If so, leave.” He Zhiyang’s lips trembled as she said these words. Holding the banister, she climbed the stairs.
Just past the turn, she weakly slid down to sit on the steps.
A warm stream gushed between her legs, and waves of tearing pain came from her lower abdomen. Only when she could no longer bear it did she call for Liu-yi.
…
Only in the delivery room did He Zhiyang come back to her senses. Crying, she begged the doctor to save her child.
Zhou Zhan’er removed his mask, patted her shoulder, and said, “Don’t worry.”
“When did you get back? Where’s Yinyin?” He Zhiyang’s face was full of surprise, but the pain was so severe that she was already drenched in sweat after that single sentence.
“Let’s deal with the important business first. We can catch up after the child is out,” Zhou Zhan’er said coldly.
He Zhiyang rolled her eyes. “Would it kill you to say a few more words?”
…
Because she was premature and underweight, her daughter was put in an incubator as soon as she was born.
He Zhiyang could not stop blaming herself for being useless. Someone else’s few words had thrown her heart into chaos and caused her daughter to be born before full term. Fortunately, Wu Siyin and Jiang Jin’an stayed with her and comforted her. As her daughter’s condition kept improving, her mood gradually settled too.
Liu-yi asked several times whether they should tell President Shen.
Each time, He Zhiyang shook her head and said to pretend he was dead.
Seeing how determined she was, Liu-yi could not say anything more.
Who would have expected that, on this day, when He Zhiyang went to the neonatal unit to see her daughter, she would unexpectedly run into the one person she never wanted to see again in this lifetime?
She acted as if she had not seen him and kept walking.
He grabbed her arm, then imprisoned her against his chest, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Yangyang, you gave birth? Where’s the child?”
He Zhiyang smiled mockingly. “President Shen, the cord blood is probably lying in some pile of medical waste by now. Why don’t you go look for it? Or you could go to the neonatal unit, haul your premature, underweight daughter out of her incubator, and draw some bone marrow to save your son?”
Shen Weiqi’s face suddenly changed color. “The child… is the child in danger?”
He Zhiyang snorted, brushed away his hands, and turned to leave.
…
Outside the neonatal unit, Shen Weiqi stared blankly through the glass.
Nearby, Wu Siyin saw this scene. The corner of her mouth twitched, and she was about to go over.
Zhou Zhan’er caught her and shook his head.
Wu Siyin looked back at him impatiently. “Why are you pulling me?”
“Stay out of other people’s marital affairs.”
“I’m standing up for my sister. What’s it to you?” Wu Siyin stamped on Zhou Zhan’er’s foot, making him grimace and hop in place from the pain.
As if nothing had happened, she turned and walked toward Shen Weiqi.
“Can you tell which one is your daughter?” Wu Siyin pointed at the baby nearest the glass. “There. That one.”
Shen Weiqi smiled, his eyes full of tenderness. “She looks like Yangyang.”
Wu Siyin snorted and gave a cold laugh. “Shen Weiqi, I don’t feel like saying any more nasty things. Before, she wanted a divorce, and you refused. Now she won’t let you go, and she’s even less willing to let herself go… I know you may not be able to let her go either. But think carefully about what would be best for her and the child. Stubbornly keeping them beside you doesn’t necessarily mean you can all be happy.”
“I know. Thank you, Yinyin.”
“Don’t thank me.” Wu Siyin frowned at the man limping toward them, jabbed the elevator button twice, and, when nothing happened, cursed under her breath and hurried toward the stairwell in her high heels.
Seeing this, Zhou Zhan’er quickened his pace too. He gave Shen Weiqi a small nod, then turned and chased her into the stairwell.
…
An hour later, Shen Weiqi still went into He Zhiyang’s hospital room.
“Our daughter is beautiful. She looks like you.” He smiled unnaturally. “Don’t worry. However much of a bastard I am, I wouldn’t gamble with our daughter’s life. I was possessed by a demon before, but Yangyang, whether you believe it or not…”
Meeting her icy gaze, he abruptly stopped. He knew there was no meaning in saying anything more.
She would not believe him.
He put the things he had brought on the bedside table and withdrew.
He Zhiyang stared blankly at those things for a long time. After a long hesitation, she dialed a number.
“Assistant Ma, thank you for everything during this time. I think we should just forget it.”
…
It was not until Xianxian was a month old that Shen Weiqi’s parents came to the villa to see their granddaughter. His father also brought the share transfer documents.
Looking at her swaddled granddaughter, his mother wept as she spoke. “Her father, a while ago… they still haven’t released him on bail.”
He Zhiyang’s heart jolted. She immediately suppressed the thoughts rising from its depths.
His father waved a hand at his mother. “Don’t bring these things up in front of Yangyang. Yangyang, the share transfer documents are ready. They only need your signature now. These are troubled times. It’s good to transfer the shares into your name.”
After saying this, he sighed.
…
After Shen Weiqi came out, he first returned to Shen Group to make some arrangements. It was only on the third evening that he came back to the villa.
When he returned, He Zhiyang was burping Xianxian after feeding her. She raised her head and glanced at him, then immediately lowered it again to soothe her daughter.
He leaned against the table just inside the room and watched mother and daughter from a moderate distance. Only after a long time did he come over to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Yangyang, can I hold her?” He gazed eagerly at the daughter in He Zhiyang’s arms, his voice full of caution.
He Zhiyang shook her head.
Shen Weiqi smiled bitterly. “Yangyang, thank you. Thank you for being willing to give birth to Xianxian for me… And thank you for not being ruthless enough to hand those things over in the end…”
He paused and raised his head to look at Yangyang again. Seeing that she did not want to speak to him, he finally choked up, reached out to stroke Xianxian’s little face, and said, “My good daughter, grow up well.”
…
He returned to the guest room, took a shower, and changed into a white shirt.
Before, when they were dating, she had said she liked seeing him in white shirts. So he had bought a whole wardrobe of them and worn them day after day. Later, after taking charge of Shen Group, he had grown used to wearing dark colors to look mature, so he could hold down the two rows of old foxes on either side of him. Few light-colored clothes remained in his wardrobe.
This one was something she had bought him not long after they married.
He sat beside the desk, swallowing them one by one with water. Then he turned off the lamp and lay down on the bed.
His fingers trembled slightly. Having taken this step, it would be impossible to say he was not afraid. But at least, in this moment, his heart was calm. He had already hurt Yangyang so deeply. He could not let her and their daughter end up with nothing because of him as well.
Scene after scene involving her appeared before his eyes…
The first time they met, fifteen-year-old Yangyang had been sitting obediently beside Jiang Jin’an, her smile charming, her eyes lovely.
He had been drawn to her at first sight. From then on, she was the only one in his eyes and heart.
Their first kiss: beneath the blazing sun, his hand slipped through her beautiful hair to rest against the back of her neck. She rose on tiptoe and hooked her arms around his neck. Their eyes met, tenderness winding around them…
Four years into their relationship, when she was nineteen, they had their first time that night. She complained that he hurt her, put her clothes on, and stormed out, slamming the door. Wearing the hotel’s slippers, he chased her through the snow for two whole streets. Only after buying her favorite candied hawthorn skewers and roasted sweet potatoes did he coax her into a good mood…
The year she went abroad to study, she hugged him at the airport and cried uncontrollably, smearing tears and snot all over his couture suit. He stroked her hair and told her, “Yangyang, however long it takes, I’ll wait for you to come back.”
…
In the end, he had broken his word.
In the end, he had still lost his Yangyang, the Yangyang he loved most.
…
Yangyang, forgive me. In the end, I still selfishly chose to keep you by my side, to have you send me off as Mrs. Shen.
…
The investigation into Shen Group ended for lack of crucial evidence after Shen Weiqi’s death. The internal struggle within the group ended with He Zhiyang’s rise to power.
…
On the day Shen Weiqi was buried, a light rain drifted through the mountains.
The family, all in black, stood before his grave. His mother and Shen Weizhen were close to fainting from crying.
He Zhiyang, however, stood beneath an umbrella holding Xianxian, without a single tear. She only stared blankly at the photograph on the gravestone.
The man in the photograph still had clear, handsome features and a graceful bearing.
The mourners gradually dispersed. Only He Zhiyang remained motionless before the grave, letting the fine rain brush across her face and her daughter’s.
Ding Cheng, who had been standing behind her all along, sighed at the sight. He took a couple of steps forward and called, “Saozi.”
Hearing him, He Zhiyang turned slightly and nodded.
“There are some things I think I should tell you… Weiqi always knew you were having Assistant Ma secretly collect evidence of his illegal activities. I advised him to confront you, but he refused. He said that if it could let you vent your anger, he would accept it even if it cost him himself and Shen Group…”
Ding Cheng drew a breath, tears rising in his eyes. “Saozi, thank you all the same for remembering your marriage in the end and not acting against him, so he could leave without regret.”
He held himself back again and again. In the end, he did not reveal Shen Weiqi’s final intention.
“This is what Weiqi asked me to give you at the end.”
Ding Cheng opened his hand. A diamond ring lay quietly in his palm.
It was the wedding ring she had thrown outside the door.
When he put it on her, he had said: This ring is one of a kind in the world, and you are one of a kind to me too…
One of a kind… He had lied to her. She was not.
“He said it’s for Xianxian.”
He Zhiyang nodded. She did not take it herself, only instructed Liu-yi behind her to put it away.
As they descended the mountain, the rain still lingered. Even the two umbrellas held behind her could not keep the moisture off her face.
She could no longer tell whether what slid across her face was rain or her own tears… Perhaps, in the end, she could never do what she had once said and shed not a single tear.
With everything settled, she could not describe what she felt. There was sorrow, emptiness, bewilderment, unease—but not the slightest relief.
She looked toward the indistinct figure in the haze at the foot of the mountain, then down at the peaceful sleeping face of the daughter in her arms.
Fortunately, she could still start again.
(End of main story)
———
Extra: Yangyang’s New Life
In the pantry on the twenty-second floor of the Shen Group building, a group of women whispered gossip.
“Hey, have you heard? Our Shen Group is going to change its name to Huajing.”
“Really? President He is ruthless. Whatever else, it was her late husband’s life’s work, and she just changes it like that.”
“Haven’t you heard? President Shen had an illegitimate son outside when he was alive. Who knows, maybe his downfall even had something to do with President He, the person sharing his pillow. Never mind Shen Group—even the daughter she had with President Shen now has the surname He.”
“My God, that’s explosive.”
Standing at the door, Assistant Ma listened as their gossip grew increasingly outrageous and could not help clearing his throat. The women immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
He shook his head, poured a cup of coffee, and turned to enter the president’s office.
He Zhiyang had just finished listening to the finance director’s budget for the coming year. She was leaning back in her executive chair, pressing her temples with her eyes closed to rest.
Opening her eyes and seeing him, she asked, “Something wrong?”
Assistant Ma respectfully handed over his resignation.
He Zhiyang’s brow creased slightly, though she still smiled. “What? Resenting me for not promoting you?”
Assistant Ma smiled too and shook his head. “I’ll never forget President He’s kindness to my family. Without your help back then, my mother would never have had the chance to undergo surgery, and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to join Shen Group and eventually become President Shen’s assistant… But even though those things were never used in the end, I still betrayed President Shen and failed the man who recognized and valued me. How could President He employ someone like me? It wouldn’t settle the troops’ hearts.”
He Zhiyang knew he had stayed at Shen Group despite the rumors to help her, and that he was leaving now to keep her from being placed in a difficult position there. Still, she wanted to persuade him to stay.
But he had already made up his mind.
Helpless, He Zhiyang could only nod.
“One more thing. Old Madam Shen came to make trouble again today. President He should really make things clear with her. Surely President Shen couldn’t have left the Shen family nothing. They shouldn’t be strapped for money. Mrs. Shen’s repeated scenes are probably more about embarrassing you.” Assistant Ma looked a little helpless.
Holding her pen, she thought for a moment, then replied, “As long as what she wants isn’t excessive, give it to her. President Shen has only been dead a little over two years. Don’t let people say we’re bullying widows and orphans.”
Having received his instructions, Assistant Ma withdrew.
The telephone on her desk suddenly rang. She picked it up, and a familiar voice came through.
“What instructions does Director Jiang have for me?” He Zhiyang asked as she twirled her pen.
“Does President He have time tonight? Bring Xianxian over for dinner. The old lady has been missing you both these past couple of days,” Jiang Jin’an said with a smile.
For more than two years, he had stayed by her side and hinted several times, but had never gotten her to nod.
“Tonight, there’s still some business at the company.” She pinched her voice as she spoke.
Jiang Jin’an’s mother had always liked her and doted on Xianxian beyond measure. Lately, she had been subtly probing whether He Zhiyang had those sorts of feelings for her son.
It was not that He Zhiyang did not understand the affection in Jiang Jin’an’s eyes. It was just… there was always a hurdle in her heart she had to cross.
The other end fell silent for a while.
“Yangyang, I’m going to Wuhan.”
He Zhiyang felt her heart skip several beats.
Wuhan… Lately, she had often seen medical workers from around the country going to support Wuhan. Every time, she could not help getting tears in her eyes. She had not expected that he would be going too.
There seemed to be so much she wanted to say. Yet in the end, inexplicably, she said only:
Have.
A.
Safe.
Journey.
Jiang Jin’an smiled and said that hers was the most practical blessing of all.
He Zhiyang suddenly wanted to find a crack in the ground and crawl inside.
…
When Jiang Jin’an saw the adult and child wearing masks in the crowd outside the hospital, he thought he had mistaken them for someone else.
Xianxian, almost three, jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Daddy, Mommy said you’re going to be a great hero. Are you going to save the world?”
He fondly stroked Xianxian’s head and answered, “Yes. Daddy is going to save the world.”
By coincidence, the first time Xianxian said Daddy, it was to him. Yangyang had even rubbed her hands together and said it felt rather satisfying, like putting a green hat on the man underground. Later, no matter how they corrected her, Xianxian refused to call him Shushu and only called him Daddy.
Translator’s note: Shushu (叔叔) means uncle. “Putting a green hat” on a man means making him a cuckold.
He, too, treated Xianxian as his own daughter.
Looking through the crowd toward the person behind her, watching her graceful figure approach, he suddenly felt deeply content in that moment. Like his colleagues around him, he had family who had come to see him off.
He Zhiyang looked at him and smiled. “Take good care of yourself. We’ll wait for you to come back.”
He had no time to think about the deeper meaning in her words. He only nodded, hugged her, and turned to board the bus.
As the bus drove out of the hospital, he watched their figures gradually shrink to a dot.
The phone in his hand suddenly vibrated. Her sweet, delicate voice sounded in his ear.
“Jiang Jin’an, are you an idiot? Can’t you understand human speech? Must you wait for me, a woman, to spell it out?”
He was stunned.
“What I mean is, once you come back safely, let’s get married, all right?”
His eyes suddenly grew wet. In a hoarse voice, he said, “All right.”
He had waited so long for those words.
…
On the third anniversary of Shen Weiqi’s death, she did not go. She only had Jiang Jin’an take Xianxian.
The child, a little over three, knelt on the damp stone steps and looked uncomprehendingly at the photograph on the gravestone. Then, following the adults’ instructions, she clumsily kowtowed three times.
It made Jiang Jin’an’s heart ache. As soon as she finished, he hurriedly picked her up, afraid she would catch a chill.
“Don’t worry. Your daughter is doing very well. So is she.” He lowered his eyes and spoke to the photograph.
Lying against his shoulder, Xianxian turned to look at the gravestone before her, then lay down again and rubbed her eyelids.
By the time they reached the car at the foot of the mountain, the drowsy little girl woke again. Hugging his neck tightly, she looked puzzled. “Daddy, was the man in that photograph my real daddy?”
Jiang Jin’an’s movements paused. Then he smiled gently. “Yes.”
Xianxian’s mouth drooped. Her large eyes blinked, filling with tears. “Grandma said I’m different from the little sister in Mommy’s tummy. She said you’re not my real daddy, and after my little sister is born, you won’t like me anymore.”
Hearing Xianxian’s words, Jiang Jin’an felt an unpleasant ache in his heart.
In truth, he had always worried about this: that one day, when Xianxian understood these distinctions of blood ties, she would be sad. He worried even more that once they had a biological child of their own, Xianxian would feel neglected.
This child had always been sensitive. She deserved all the more careful love and protection.
“Xianxian is so adorable. How could Daddy and Mommy not like you? Once your little sister comes, she’ll like Xianxian too. Xianxian will only have more love.”
“Really?” The little girl looked at him with wide eyes.
“Of course.” Jiang Jin’an smiled and nodded.
“Daddy.” Xianxian’s chubby little hands nervously squeezed his large hand. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Was my real daddy a good person?” Nervousness covered the little girl’s face.
“Yes.”
“Then did he love me?”
“Of course he loved you. He’ll always watch over Xianxian from heaven.”
“Then I have two daddies! Does that make me a lucky child?”
“Yes. Our Xianxian is the luckiest little girl under heaven.”
The little girl finally smiled through her tears.
He bent down and kissed his daughter’s little face.
His dearest daughter…
…
When father and daughter got home, He Zhiyang had just finished another bout of vomiting and was curled up weakly on the sofa.
Xianxian greeted her when she came in, then ran upstairs. For the past couple of days, the little girl had been obsessed with playing house by herself. She would not leave her dolls even for a moment.
“Did everything go smoothly today?” She leaned into Jiang Jin’an’s arms and rested against his chest, a little short of breath.
“Mm.” He stroked her back to help ease her breathing. “Why is this one tormenting you so much?”
“My reaction when I was carrying Xianxian was much worse.” She thought nothing of it.
“How about we don’t have this one for now?” he asked tentatively. “You’re busy with work, and Xianxian is still little.”
“You’ll think your own child is little even when she’s sixty. What, are you planning to wait until you’re ninety to have a second child?” She sat up and stared directly at him, her eyes occasionally sending out cold gleams. “You’re a doctor, and you still like treating human life like weeds?”
Her stare made him uncomfortable. He could only raise his hands in surrender.
“Yangyang, Xianxian asked me about her father today. I told her everything.” Afraid of upsetting her, he deliberately left out what Shen Weiqi’s mother had said.
“Oh,” He Zhiyang replied absently. “She had to know sooner or later. It’s good to know sooner.”
“I’m worried that Xianxian…”
“Why do you have so many worries all day long? Fussing like an old woman. You’re really nothing like a man.” He Zhiyang gave him a sidelong glance, a little mockery in her tone.
Jiang Jin’an was provoked into a bit of heat. Lightly taking her still-slender waist, he pressed her down against the sofa and leaned close to whisper in her ear. “You know better than anyone whether I’m a man, don’t you? Mm?”
“Hooligan.” He Zhiyang laughed as she scolded him. One hand pounded his chest, while the other soft hand wrapped around his neck, and she kissed him.
The two spent a long while being lovey-dovey on the sofa. Yangyang broke into a sweat and lay in his arms.
“Husband, Xianxian’s grandfather called again just now. He wants to bury that child in the Shen family cemetery.”
“Mm.”
“I agreed.”
“Mm.”
“Aren’t you even a little curious why?” She indignantly poked his chest.
The child called Xingxing had received a bone marrow transplant shortly after Shen Weiqi’s death. Although the surgery succeeded, his health remained frail. Shen Weiqi’s parents treasured him like a precious jewel and carefully raised him in the palms of their hands. Who could have known that an ordinary bout of pneumonia the previous winter would still take the child’s life?
Shen Weiqi’s parents had wanted to bury him beside Shen Weiqi, but He Zhiyang had refused all along. It left a knot in her heart.
“Why?” He put an arm around her shoulders and looked at her with a smile.
“Because of you, I’m willing to let go of the past.” She smiled, tears in her eyes. “Anyway, when I die, I’ll be buried in your Jiang family’s ancestral cemetery. I won’t see it, so why make things difficult for myself?”
His brows drew together slightly. “What’s all this talk about dying? Don’t say inauspicious things.”
“People in your line of work are superstitious too?”
“As long as it concerns you, I’m superstitious.”
He lowered his head and buried it in her neck, breathing in the delicate fragrance of her hair.
“Jiang Jin’an, when did you fall in love with me?”
When had he fallen in love with her? Even he could no longer remember.
He only knew that with his wife, his daughter, and his unborn child, he already had no regrets in this life.
(End)