Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three: Venting
From afar, Xi Cheng could see the window was dark, and his heart suddenly felt empty. He opened the door and stood there for a while before turning on the lights.
If she were here, she would fly over like a bird, chattering non-stop, “Why are you so late? Are you hungry? Did you have a drink? Do you feel uncomfortable? I’ll make you some hangover soup!”
No matter how late he was, she would wait up for him.
The hangover soup she made was deliciously sweet and sour. It always soothed his uncomfortable stomach after drinking.
She would prepare water at a suitable temperature for him to soak his tired feet. She even went out of her way to learn how to give foot massages. He would drowsily lean on the sofa while soaking his feet, and she would massage his feet. Then, she would fill the bathtub and urge him to take a bath.
She served him with the utmost care and attention.
The term here was ‘
serve,
‘ not ‘
take care.
‘
When she looked at him, her eyes always shone like stars.
Xi Cheng walked through every room.
Everything was neat and tidy, but there was no trace of her. She didn’t even leave a toothbrush behind and wiped away all her traces.
‘
Was she crying as she cleaned?
‘
His gaze fell on the coffee table. Two bank cards lay on top of it, and there was a note beside them: “One of the cards is from your mother, and the other card has all the money you gave me for our daily expenses. I haven’t touched it.”
The note was in her handwriting, but there was no indication of who it was for, nor did she sign her name.
It had been seven years, and she had never spent a single cent of his money and actually gave it back to him.
He had once insisted on giving her money for staying with him; he wanted to feel at ease and make it seem like he had bought their relationship with money. However, she refused to take it. She said, “I have money. Just give me love.”
He had never given her love because he didn’t know what love was. What he did give her was a person who couldn’t even take care of himself. He didn’t even have a heart.
For the sake of his conscience, he forcefully gave her the money, citing it was to be their household budget.
In the end, she accepted it, and he was content.
However, she never used his money, and in the end, she returned it to him.
‘
Is she deliberately making me feel uneasy?
‘
He bent down and slowly picked up the bank card, anger rising in his heart. ‘
She really has ulterior motives! She wants me to feel guilty about her for the rest of my life! She is such a scheming woman!
‘
He took out his phone and wanted to send her a WeChat message, but after thinking about it, he put it down again.
He scrubbed his face, feeling an indescribable bitterness in his heart.
When they first got together, she was 22 years old. When she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, and there were small dimples at the corners of her mouth. She was youthful and attractive.
She was always so happy.
No matter how good or bad his mood was, she would always tolerate him, accompany him, and empathize with him.
When he was in a bad mood, he would throw tantrums at her, and she silently endured it and tried her best to cheer him up.
Seven years had passed in a flash. Ever since he had her, there had been no other woman by his side. Unknowingly, his wandering heart had been tied to her for seven years.
He picked up his phone again and found her WeChat. “I’m sorry,” he sent her.
There were only two words.
She replied with three: “It’s okay. Goodbye.”
His eyes suddenly felt sore.
He leaned back on the sofa for a while and finally mustered the courage to pick up his phone again. This time, he sent a voice message. “I can’t give you a marriage. I’ve told you from the beginning that I hope you can meet someone who can marry you, and truly love you in the future!”
He lifted his finger from the recording button, and the sending icon spun on the screen. Then, a red circle appeared with an exclamation mark in the middle.
She had blocked him after receiving his ‘sorry.’
Xi Cheng flung his phone against the wall and it broke into pieces on the floor.
His heart was beating wildly.
He slammed his fist on the coffee table, and the pain from his hand made him furious.
He grabbed the cushion and the vase and threw them. He tossed and smashed everything he could get his hands on, venting his anger crazedly.
He wanted to pull out the woman who had rooted in his heart, along with his flesh and blood!
Looking out of the bay window, the city was bustling and lively under the night sky.
Xi Cheng leaned against the glass and sat quietly. ‘
I’m sorry.
‘
He said, “I’m sorry.”
In the past seven years, he had never uttered those words. No matter how much he tormented or hurt her, he had never apologized to her.
Seven years, and it ended in three words.
Fang Xi curled up and hugged himself tightly.
‘
It’s just love. It’s over—everything is over.
‘
For seven years, the one she had fallen in love with was love itself, and it had nothing to do with anyone else.