For The Rest Of Our Life – Chapter 114

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In a place too bright and pure, it’s too easy to see each other’s emotions and just too hard to relax without pretense. The spot where Wen Tong arranged to meet Xiao Wanqing was their go-to haunt during times of frustration, a secluded bar amidst the hustle, a peaceful sanctuary.

With a fuzzy glow and music flowing softly, Xiao Wanqing found Wen Tong already seated in their usual cozy corner, head down, drowning her sorrows in drink.

Xiao Wanqing paused across from her, her tall frame casting scattered shadows, enveloping Wen Tong beneath them. Wen Tong looked up, her eyes deep and complex, locking onto Xiao Wanqing without blinking.

Almost imperceptibly, Xiao Wanqing clenched her fists, letting Wen Tong size her up, then sat down with composure, expressing concern, “Have you eaten? Or did you just start with drinks?”

Wen Tong just chuckled softly without a word, murmuring back, “Ate already.” Then, silence fell between them, lengthy and heavy.

“Is your stomach feeling better?” Wen Tong eventually broke the silence.

“Much better, it’s fine now,” Xiao Wanqing replied softly.

There was a pot of hot tea on the table, likely something Wen Tong had thoughtfully ordered for her. Xiao Wanqing picked up the glass pot, poured herself half a cup, and then held the cup with both hands, feeling the warmth seeping into her palms. Inside, she felt a mix of warmth and a tinge of astringence.

Awkward and heavy moments like this were rare between her and Wen Tong. Xiao Wanqing could hardly bear the silence.

She opened her mouth to break the icy stillness, getting straight to the point: “Wen Tong, I’m sorry you had to hear about me and Lin Xian being together from someone else. I didn’t mean to hide it from you; I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, but the right moment just never came up.”

Under the dim light, Wen Tong gazed at the woman she had secretly loved for years. She saw in Xiao Wanqing’s delicate features an earnestness and treasured care. Since hearing the news, Wen Tong’s thoughts, which had been scattered, began to reconvene. The harsh reality that her dream was shattered and her hopes were unmet hit her, the pain washing over her in waves.

Wen Tong’s nose tingled, and her eyes reddened in an instant. She bowed her head, blinked back the tears threatening to fall, and with great effort, she managed to squeeze out a steady voice, asking Xiao Wanqing, “For quite a while, then? So, you two have been together for some time now?”

“Yes, since April,” Xiao Wanqing answered her honestly.

Wen Tong’s heart skipped a beat. Retroactively, she remembered Xiao Wanqing’s odd behavior during that period, recalled that phone call asking her how she felt about leaving Anjiang City, and felt regret and pain engulf her heart. She realized how foolishly leaving did not shorten the distance between them; instead, it made her miss out on even more.

With one hand under the sofa, she clenched her fist, nails digging sharply into her palm. Forcing herself to set aside the heartbreak of an unrequited love, she repositioned herself mentally, looked Xiao Wanqing in the eyes, and questioned, with gravity in each word, “Do you even know how old Lin Xian is this year? And how old you are?”

Wen Tong didn’t even bother to ask Xiao Wanqing who initiated it or how it started. Those details were irrelevant.

Besides, Wen Tong knew that unless Lin Xian had made the first move, Xiao Wanqing would never have embarked on such an affair.

“I’m aware.”

“Then you should know she’s still young and naive. Xiao Wanqing, don’t you understand that, too?” Her volume was restrained, but her tone was as sharp as a dagger, piercing Xiao Wanqing’s heart mercilessly.

“Yan Jia’s every word made me want to curse, yet, she hit the nail on the head with one thing. Xiao Wanqing, Lin Xian is young. Youngsters are romantic and fond of daydreaming, impulsive and passionate. This so-called love, as quickly as it arrives, it can vanish just as fast. But, that’s fine, youth is on their side, and they can easily come together or part ways as they please, with plenty of time and the glow of youth as their assets. But what about you? Do you have the luxury to play such games with her?”

Not long ago, Xiao Wanqing regarded Lin Xian’s feelings for her in the same way, even bracing herself for Lin Xian’s eventual boredom with their relationship. But the human heart is tender; Lin Xian’s efforts, her sincerity, slowly but surely shifted her perspective. She couldn’t dismiss Lin Xian’s youthfully immature yet equally genuine love through the supposedly mature lens of an adult.

She thought, this was unfair to Lin Xian.

“Wen Tong, Lin Xian is serious. She’s not playing games, and neither am I,” Xiao Wanqing retorted, biting her lip.

Wen Tong couldn’t fathom what sort of love potion Lin Xian had brewed that dissolved the walls Xiao Wanqing always had up against trust and attachment in others. It took years for Wen Tong to gain a place in Xiao Wanqing’s heart, yet Lin Xian managed this feat within just a year.

She took a deep breath, quelling the waves of jealousy and bitterness rising in her heart, reminding herself that Xiao Wanqing’s romantic life wasn’t what mattered most. What mattered was ensuring Xiao Wanqing wasn’t hurt again.

Wen Tong lifted her glass and took a big gulp of alcohol, choked, and tears sprang to her eyes. She coughed a few times and with a hoarse voice, she said to Xiao Wanqing, “Xiao Wanqing, when you were 18, did you want the same things as you do now? Before you entered society and after, has your view of people remained the same?”

Xiao Wanqing felt a lump in her throat and didn’t speak.

“Maybe Lin Xian truly likes you now, but she’s still so young. Have you considered all the possibilities for her future? She’s going to grow up day by day, experience a wider world, meet a vast array of people. Xiao Wanqing, Lin Xian is meant to soar. Do you really believe that this kite, in the face of fierce winds, will always stay in your hands without snapping its string?”

“If you were someone who could easily let things go and see things through, I wouldn’t need to say much. But you, Xiao Wanqing, you are not that person. What will you do when Lin Xian leaves one day?!” She knew Xiao Wanqing too well – one who loves deeply does not live a long life, for Xiao Wanqing has already ‘died’ once before. How could she bear to watch her gamble everything on such risky stakes again?

Wen Tong’s words were arrows hitting the bullseye, and Xiao Wanqing felt the pain bleeding steadily and densely within her heart.

Xiao Wanqing cast her eyes down, her voice bitter as she confessed, “Wen Tong, to be honest, I never dared to dream of forever with her. I know I’m not that fortunate. I… I’ve prepared myself mentally.” But when she voiced this out loud, her voice still choked up. She found that, unlike before, she wasn’t as composed thinking about it. Just imagining Lin Xian leaving one day made her feel as though her heart was tearing apart in excruciating pain.

But Wen Tong couldn’t help laughing bitterly in frustration. Why not? Why not her? Why should she, the one whom she cherishes dearly, belittle and demean herself over Lin Xian? Was she besotted?

Her voice turned cold, “Are you really ready?!” She didn’t mean to accuse Xiao Wanqing, but some things, if she didn’t say them now, others would eventually speak up.

Xiao Wanqing glared back stubbornly.

“Fine, I’ll ask you. Have you thought about Lin Xian having regrets later on?!” Wen Tong pressed on. “Have you thought about Sister Zhou Qin?! About our teachers and her grandparents?! Have you considered what will happen when the Lin family finds out about this? Xiao Wanqing, they pin all their hopes on Lin Xian, their only seedling. Have you thought about what this family will become, about what Lin Xian will have to endure because of this?!”

Wen Tong’s barrage of questions, sharp as arrows, pierced Xiao Wanqing’s heart relentlessly, one after another. Suddenly, a suffocating pressure weighed on Xiao Wanqing’s chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

“I know you, I trust you, that’s why I only care about whether you can be happy in this relationship. But Xiao Wanqing, love is messy. Will Sister Zhou Qin think the same? What about everyone else? Sister Zhou Qin entrusted her 17-year-old daughter to your care, trusting that you, a 31-year-old adult, would look after her. And now she’s ended up in your bed. How do you expect her mother to feel?”

“Are you truly ready to have your reputation ruined, to be ostracized by everyone you know, and in the end, to be left utterly alone for this relationship?”

Xiao Wanqing’s mind was buzzing, Wen Tong’s words, each one landing like a harsh slap to her face.

All this time, because of too much happiness, or maybe because she craved that happiness so much that she deliberately forgot the reality, that reality now engulfed her fiercely once again. It was as if she had been indulging in a dream too real, one that she had almost believed.

The Xiao Wanqing she loved, no matter how many years had passed, no matter what kind of pain she had endured, deep down, was still the one who would give everything for love. How lucky to be loved by her. She had thought this way many years ago.

Many years later, the lucky one, it’s still not her. She was the one who stayed with her through tears, but it was never herself who shared in her laughter. Is it that she didn’t give enough? Or that her love wasn’t enough?

Fearing Xiao Wanqing would see her disarray, she turned her face away in a messy retreat, choosing not to look at her, and with a rough, gravelly voice, implored, “You should go back first, let me, just be alone for a bit.”

Tears also brimmed from the corners of Xiao Wanqing’s eyes. She thought in despair, she was probably going to lose Wen Tong.

Yes, this version of herself.

Not worthy.

Approaching 11 PM, Shi Jinglan wrapped up her night from the raucous dinner party and leaned back casually in the rear seat of her car. She let down her tied-up hair, cracked the car window half-way, and turned her head to catch the breeze, hoping to shake off the fatigue and the warmth from the alcohol.

The car smoothly and swiftly passed a plaza when Shi Jinglan suddenly furrowed her brows and commanded in a firm tone, “Go back.”

“Huh?” The driver tapped on the brakes, a bit confused.

“The plaza back there,” Shi Jinglan said, cutting to the chase.

After Xiao Wanqing left, Wen Tong just sat there, unknowing of how long she continued to drink, nor how much she took in. It wasn’t until she stood up to leave that she realized the world was spinning—she was probably drunk. She’s not really one for liquor; even less so to drink alone to this extent while out. Today, she was caught off guard.

She dashed towards the restroom, violently throwing up for quite some time before managing to rinse her mouth with difficulty and stagger out. Reaching for her phone to call a designated driver, she realized only then that at some unknown time, her phone had died and shut down.

Night had deepened outside, with hardly any pedestrians left in the square, only the whooshing of vehicles on the road remaining. She leaned against a lamppost, using it to steady herself upright, and in a daze, tried to flag down a taxi.

Before catching a cab, a private car pulled up steadily in front of her. The window rolled down, and a greasy middle-aged man with a cigarette called out, “Hey, beauty, need a ride?”

The smell of smoke carried by the wind hit Wen Tong right in the face, and without warning, a wave of nausea surged in her chest, her hand flying to her mouth in a bid to suppress the urge to retch.

The man seemed to notice something, his gaze growing deviously bright. He casually got out of the car, dropped his cigarette butt, stamped it out, and reached out to grab Wen Tong’s wrist, saying, “Looks like the lovely lady’s had too much to drink, huh? Let me give you a ride home, it’s dangerous for you to be alone this late at night.”

Wen Tong’s brow furrowed tightly, and she tried to pull her hand back with all her might, but her drunken state sapped her strength. Her mind was clouded, but the scare snapped her back to a momentary lucidity. She leaned in close to the man, and in the next instant, using the last of her strength, she delivered a fierce knee to the man’s most vulnerable spot. As he doubled over in pain, clutching his groin, she took the chance to bolt—running off as fast as she could with an unsteady, zigzagging escape.

Racing along, she kept glancing back, wary of the man possibly giving chase in his car, while also desperately scanning for any taxis on the road.

She had only run a short distance when she heard the sound of a car behind her, its headlights casting light upon her.

Wen Tong’s heart skipped a beat, thinking it was that creep catching up with her in his car.

Instinctively, she looked back and saw, under the glaring shine of the headlights, a car pulling up slowly alongside her. Through the window, a beautiful woman with jet-black, luscious curly hair and wearing a white V-neck blouse with ruffled silk trim, spoke to her in a calm voice, “Get in.”

“It’s you.” Wen Tong let out a sigh of relief. She cast a glance at the sleazy man who seemed to still be standing there, creepily staring in her direction, and without hesitation, with her steps soft on the ground, she went around to the other side of the car and got into Shi Jinglan’s luxury vehicle.

“Address,” Shi Jinglan noted the scent of alcohol on Wen Tong without a change in her expression, subtly moving a bit towards the window.

Exhausted, Wen Tong leaned back comfortably in the seat, gave her address, sincerely thanked Shi Jinglan, and then didn’t have the energy to exchange pleasantries with her boss. Her headache started again, and as the car was driving too smoothly and comfortably, she felt herself getting sleepy.

“Manager Wen, are you going to work tomorrow?” Shi Jinglan suddenly asked out of the blue. Drinking so much in the middle of a work night, she had every reason to wonder if Wen Tong would be able to perform her duties the next day.

But Wen Tong didn’t react at all. After a long silence with no reply, Shi Jinglan looked at her with displeasure, only to find that Wen Tong had somehow fallen asleep without her noticing.

The woman, normally with sharp and intense eyes, seemed oddly gentle in her sleep. Her nose was very perky, and her features were pronounced, giving off a somewhat mixed-race vibe.

After sizing Wen Tong up for a while, Shi Jinglan looked away and closed her eyes to rest. Moments later, she opened her eyes, stretched her hand out, and tossed the blanket from her legs onto Wen Tong.

The car smoothly arrived at the entrance of the neighborhood Wen Tong reported, and she was still deep in sleep. Without a hint of gentleness, Shi Jinglan reached out and shook Wen Tong awake, saying evenly, “Manager Wen, we’re here.”

Wen Tong, groggy, touched her forehead and mumbled her thanks while opening the car door, “Okay, thank you, Director Shi.” Her tone was softer than usual.

But the next second, as she felt around the seat, she suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Where are my card and keys?!”

Shi Jinglan’s brow furrowed.

“In my car…” Wen Tong, holding her forehead, remembered. She habitually threw her keys and resident card in the car upon getting in, finding it handy to hand them to the doorman when entering the building.

Shi Jinglan was tired too, and what’s the point in arguing with someone who’s drunk? She let out a light sigh and patiently asked, “Can’t you get back in?”

Wen Tong rubbed her forehead, her eyes foggy and a tinge of embarrassment speckling her gaze: “Director Shi, would it be possible to drop me off at a nearby hotel?”

Shi Jinglan furrowed her brow and studied Wen Tong for a moment before asking, “Would you mind staying at my place?” She was somewhat overwhelmed by the smell of smoke and alcohol on her, and not familiar with this area, she didn’t feel like driving around anymore.

Wen Tong’s drunken eyes locked onto hers, and after a long pause, she responded, “Okay.”

Upon returning to Shi Jinglan’s spacious duplex suite—her own slice of solitude—she pointed out the guest room and bathroom to Wen Tong, letting her know the wardrobe in the guest room was stocked and she could help herself to anything she needed. Without further ado, Shi Jinglan went straight to her room to freshen up.

Under the influence of the alcohol, tired and with a splitting headache, Wen Tong felt overwhelmed. As she showered, thoughts of Xiao Wanqing surged unexpectedly and, unable to hold back, she broke down in uncontrollable tears.

After Shi Jinglan had tidied herself up, feeling less weary, she thought to bring a cup of honey water to Wen Tong.

In the guest room, only a dim lamp by the bed was lit. Wen Tong, wrapped in a white robe, covered her eyes and lay still on the bed, motionless.

Shi Jinglan knocked lightly on the door and placed the honey water on the bedside table, casually remarking, “Drink this, it’ll help sober you up.” With that, she turned to leave.

Caught off guard, Wen Tong suddenly reached out and grabbed Shi Jinglan’s wrist. Shi Jinglan turned her head in surprise to look at her.

Propping herself up on one arm, Wen Tong half rose to a sit and caught hold of the tie of Shi Jinglan’s robe. With a tug, Shi Jinglan, following inertia, fell into her embrace.

Wen Tong’s eyes were as red as a rabbit’s, and she flung open one side of Shi Jinglan’s robe, exposing a smooth, round shoulder. Looking at her with a hoarse, low voice, she asked, “Want to?” Rumor had it in Anjiang City’s circles that Shi Jinglan didn’t discriminate between men and women and had countless partners.

She wanted to end it all, to let herself give up for good.

Shi Jinglan met her gaze with serene eyes and furrowed her brows, asking, “Do you know who I am?”

Wen Tong’s eyebrows raised as if she heard a joke, she leaned close to Shi Jinglan’s ear and gave it a light lick, whispering, “Didn’t you say that I caught your fancy?” After their multiple encounters in Changze City, whenever Shi Jinglan had tried to poach her, Wen Tong had mocked her for her patience. Shi Jinglan had once remarked that perhaps it was because Manager Wen was particularly to her taste.

She trailed kisses from the delicate, round earlobe down to Shi Jinglan’s soft, red lips. Shi Jinglan breathed lightly, not responding to her advances but not pushing her away either.

Wen Tong took it as tacit consent. With a nimble flip, she had Shi Jinglan pinned underneath her.

The sleeping robe fell to the ground; outside, the moonlight was hazy, and the wind shook the trees.

Time passed.

“Ugh… get out!” Shi Jinglan trembled all over, furrowing her brows and pushing on Wen Tong’s shoulders, she groaned in pain.

In her thirties and still a rookie? Shi Jinglan winced in pain, beginning to regret being dazzled by lust and boarding this ‘pirate ship’.

But Wen Tong seemed utterly clueless, like she’d stumbled upon a new world, unwilling to let go, her movements bold and unrestrained.

Shi Jinglan, in extreme pain, grabbed Wen Tong’s misbehaving hand, lifted her somewhat shaky long legs, and with a surge of irritation, kicked Wen Tong right off the bed.

The author has something to say: 

Feeling a secret pang of sympathy for President Shi.

Auntie Xiao took a look at Lin Xian, mhm, no mistake in choosing her.