Chapter 42.2
“My mother has been married only once in her life but has been with six men, or rather, now it should be seven.”
“She was born in a remote area with no education. From top to bottom, inside and out, she was just a simple face, soaked in the narrow-minded thoughts of a backward place. Her character, like her taste in men, was terrible. Out of the 365 days a year, she spent a hundred days trying to please men and the remaining sixty-five days crying and self-pitying.”
“While her peers were still being tutored in simple math by their parents, she was already wearing clothes and jewelry given by men and teaching me that a woman’s greatest success is having a reliable man.”
“She couldn’t be independent; she only knew how to trade her body for what she wanted. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. Either she was discarded by someone or the rightful wife came to confront her, dragging me into public humiliation.”
“To put it mildly, the scolding was just the beginning. I’ve endured plenty of slaps and derogatory remarks. As a child, I couldn’t hold my head up at school; neither classmates nor teachers regarded me well.”
“When she was single, she tried to start something of her own, but she had no skills, and in the end, she relied on me to learn and got bruised and battered. She just followed behind, searching for the next target with a face full of worry.”
“In my year of college entrance exams, she found a man seventeen years older than her and moved into his house. But I didn’t want to live with that disgusting old man, so on a whim, I chose Xuan Cheng for my university.”
At this point, she suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. “So, do you think I escaped and that everything will be fine now that I can still study?”
Yu Le was at a loss for words. “Isn’t that the case?”
“Of course not.”
Wang Wenyan narrowed her eyes. “Some ideas are rooted deeply through subtle influences. I hate that she’s like a wavering parasite, but I’m inevitably affected by her mindset.”
“I used to think I’d never become like her. Later, I realized that while I disdain depending on men, I still uncontrollably crave the sense of security that a man can give.”
“Of course, not just any man can provide that. Most men have the common faults of timidity, weakness, and irresponsibility.”
“Disappointment is not an option. I never had hopes for men. Soon, I found a shortcut with Chen Fa—just ‘do’ and ‘love’.”
“A man, no matter how reserved and gentle he seems, always has an endless burst of energy in bed.”
“I’m not interested in pursuing deep connections and don’t like being controlled or confined. This superficial physical security is both shallow and easy to obtain, with immediate effects. Since he says he likes me, it fits our needs. I think it’s great. What about you?”
Yu Le was speechless.
Yu Le asked, “Do you need help? I mean, I have friends who are experienced psychologists.”
“Let’s talk about that if it gets to that point.”
She slowly lowered her head to drink her porridge, the spoon clinking against the ceramic bowl. “You can ignore my ‘advice’ if you want; just consider it a joke.”
“By the way, here’s a piece of advice: you and Mr. Lu must never break up.”
Yu Le asked, “Why?”
Wang Wenyan said, “You’re starting off well. If you break up, you probably won’t find someone else.”
“Of course, it’s the same for your husband.”
Wang Wenyan said she was leaving, but Yu Le didn’t expect it to be so soon. She had mentioned it in the morning, and by noon, both of them had left together.
Although Wang Wenyan said she didn’t need it, Yu Le still gave her the contact information for the psychologist friend, just in case. If she needed it, it would save her from searching elsewhere.
People came and went, creating a bustling scene for a while. In the end, the place was empty, and only the original person remained.
The inn seemed suddenly empty. At first glance, it felt like a significant change, but upon closer inspection, it seemed like nothing had changed.
The locust flowers were still slowly withering, the Da Huang still liked sticking to the water, and Little pink was still standing in the most prominent spot in the yard.
Yu Le felt a bit emotional, but when he saw Lu Yao coming down from the stairs with a basin of fruit, his feelings were pushed aside, and he moved his focus from the kitchen to under the tree.
It was a cantaloupe that Wen Yuan had just delivered, said to be from Xinjiang and sweet enough to make him question life.
The basin that Lu Yao carried was almost filled with miscellaneous items—glass vases, small porcelain jars, wooden boxes, stone ornaments… and that green-faced mountain god mask.
Yu Le asked, “What are you going to do with these?”
Lu Yao poured a bucket of well water into the basin. “They’re not used often and gather dust easily. It’s better to clean them and store them properly.”
Yu Le nodded, sitting on a bluestone slab and leisurely swinging his legs while eating and watching.
Lu Yao placed a piece of folded coarse white cloth on the stone next to him, and after washing the items, placed them on the cloth to drain and dry.
Zhao Xiaosong, along with Miao Miao and Ye Bao, came running into the yard, chattering away. Each of them wore a child-sized straw hat and carried either small plastic shovels or colorful toy excavators.
They were drawn to a pile of fine sand in the corner of the yard, which was leftover from when Lu Yao had been repairing the wall. It was perfect for them to play with.
Yu Le wasn’t very interested in playing house but enjoyed watching children play.
After observing from a distance for a while, he was about to say something when he saw a butterfly flutter past Lu Yao’s straight nose, circling and drifting away over the wall.
He blinked, his thoughts stirred.
Without thinking, he couldn’t help but lower his head and move closer to Lu Yao. When Lu Yao looked up, he gently nudged his nose with his own.
The reaction was unexpected; Lu Yao seemed unaffected, but Yu Le’s face turned red from the contact.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Yao asked softly.
Yu Le retracted his hand. “Just wanted to tell you that this Xinjiang cantaloupe is really sweet…”
He said, trying to retreat inconspicuously.
However, before he could move away, Lu Yao’s damp hand gripped his chin.
Their faces were inches apart, with their breaths mingling against Yu Le’s lips, warm and quickly dispersed by the breeze.
Lu Yao was sniffing him.
The realization made Yu Le’s heart race again. He held the melon tightly, his neatly trimmed nails almost digging into the rind.
His throat bobbed as he felt the soft tail of the big yellow cat brushing against his wrist, but his ears were filled with his own heartbeat.
“What’s wrong…”
After a while, he managed to find his voice, but the moment he spoke, his heart fluttered violently.
It seemed he had accidentally touched Lu Yao’s nose.
Lu Yao lowered his gaze to hide the darkness in his eyes, slightly distancing himself but letting go of his hand. “It really is very sweet.”
His voice was a bit husky but unexpectedly pleasant, cutting through Yu Le’s thoughts and bringing his logic back on track. “What…?”
Yu Le gently rubbed his lips with his fingertips, pressing slightly at the corners,
“Can’t I smell it even if I can’t eat it?”
