Yu Qing stood to the side, glancing at the messages. Wen Yang turned to look at her, and their eyes met. Yu Qing raised an eyebrow. “It’s definitely about you. This isn’t my style at all. If he wants to investigate, let him.”
Since it was her first time, Wen Yang was nervous. Technically, this house designed for Fu Xingzhou was her first-ever project. Nervously, Wen Yang tapped on the keypad and typed out a reply.
Wen Yang: Me.
Wen Yang: Mr. Fu, if you’re not satisfied, I’m happy to make changes anytime.
Wen Yang: Alternatively, I can send you the design style of another designer from our studio, and we can draft a new initial proposal for you.
Fu Xingzhou didn’t respond to anything else she said. He only replied:
Fu Xingzhou: Contact Jiang Yue to sign the contract.
Wen Yang froze in surprise.
Yu Qing leaned over Wen Yang’s shoulder to look and exclaimed, patting her shoulder. “You did it! This is your first deal!”
Wen Yang, still in disbelief, clutched her phone, turning to look at Yu Qing, then back at her phone. “So, he’s agreeing to let us design the house, right?”
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Zw Ckdt dseele. “Zlp, ulp! Cwknjzu, sdnl kv’p 9 y.x., nsdvynv Flnalvyau Kkydt.”
Eld Zydt qkdyzzu alzymle, zlydkdt cynj kd bla nbyka. Tla lulcasop nwahle kdvs y pxkzl. Rv oyp y pvaydtl ulv qwzqkzzkdt qllzkdt. Gqvla pkvvkdt qsa y obkzl, pbl pvayktbvldle wr yde pvyavle plyanbkdt sd bla nsxrwvla qsa vbl nsdvaynv vlxrzyvl. Eyvnbkdt bla qwxczkdt, Zw Ckdt nbwnjzle, srldle vbl qkzl, yde rwzzle wr vbl nsdvaynv vlxrzyvl qsa Zwdnbk Plpktd Fvweks.
“Mbkp kp vbl pvydeyae qsaxyv. Rq Kkydt Zwl’p pkel dllep nbydtlp zyvla, ol’zz yefwpv ynnsaekdtzu.”
Eld Zydt dseele obkzl alhklokdt vbl nsdvaynv.
Ju 10:30 y.x., Kkydt Zwl yde Eld Zydt qkdyzkgle vbl elvykzp, yde vbl elpktd nsdvaynv oyp pktdle sdzkdl. Ekvbkd xkdwvlp, vbl nsdvaynv nyxl cynj okvb Ww Dkdtgbsw’p pktdyvwal. Zw Ckdt rakdvle kv swv, qzkrrle vbaswtb kv, yde alxyajle, “Eso, bkp pktdyvwal kp pbyar yde nzlyd.”
Eld Zydt tzydnle yv kv. Rv eke zssj dknl.
Kkydt Zwl pldv y xlppytl:
Kkydt Zwl: Ykpp Eld, zssjkdt qsaoyae vs osajkdt okvb usw.
Eld Zydt kxxlekyvlzu alrzkle:
Eld Zydt: Flnalvyau Kkydt, vbydj usw!
Jiang Yue: Don’t mention it.
After sending the message, Wen Yang yawned. The aftermath of pulling an all-nighter was catching up with her. Yu Qing packed up the contract, put an arm around her shoulder, and said, “Let’s go celebrate. Then you can get a good rest.”
Wen Yang’s eyes were misty from exhaustion. She asked, “Where are we celebrating?”
“Let’s go have a nice meal.”
Yu Qing prepared to shut down her computer, and Wen Yang followed suit. “The studio will be unstaffed.”
“I’ll come back after lunch.”
“Oh.” Considering that she might rest at home afterward, Wen Yang decided to take her laptop along. After locking up the studio, Yu Qing mentioned a new Thai restaurant nearby that was supposedly really good. They stepped into the elevator just as it arrived.
The faint fragrance of gardenias lingered in the elevator.
There were already two women inside, both strikingly beautiful. One wore a flowing long dress, and the other had a shoulder-baring blouse paired with long pants. One of them wore sunglasses.
When Wen Yang and Yu Qing entered, the atmosphere became quiet. The elevator was spacious, and Wen Yang stood in the same line as Li Man, separated only by Yu Qing. Wen Yang’s hair was slightly messy today, her plain face delicate and attractive. She pressed her lips together but could still see Li Man’s glamorous face reflected in the elevator’s mirror.
Wen Yang kept her expression neutral, while Yu Qing was more direct, sneaking a glance at the women and even curling her lip in disdain.
Qin Mu curiously looked at Wen Yang, as if trying to confirm something. The elevator soon arrived at the ground floor. Li Man stepped out first, followed by Qin Mu.
Wen Yang and Yu Qing also exited the elevator. Yu Qing linked arms with Wen Yang and deliberately muttered, “What bad luck.”
Coincidentally, the lobby was nearly empty, and Yu Qing’s words were quite audible. Li Man and Qin Mu showed no reaction, heading toward the entrance. Qin Mu glanced at her watch as if waiting for a car.
Wen Yang and Yu Qing walked past them and down the stairs. The restaurant they were headed to was within walking distance.
Wen Yang wore a light-colored knee-length dress that complemented her fair skin, making her look soft and elegant.
When they reached the restaurant entrance, Wen Yang pushed open the door and inadvertently locked eyes with Li Man, who was standing at the building’s entrance, still wearing her sunglasses. Qin Mu looked at Wen Yang and Yu Qing, then leaned toward Li Man’s ear and said, “That’s Cheng Yanyu’s ex-wife, isn’t it?”
Li Man replied nonchalantly, “I guess.”
Wen Yang averted her gaze and entered the restaurant with Yu Qing. Qin Mu chuckled as she watched the pair walk away. “You’ve won in the end, haven’t you? Cheng Yanyu is so in love with you.1She lost the golden egg, Fu Xingzhou.”
“A solid investment.”
Li Man blinked, removed her sunglasses, and glanced at Qin Mu. “The car’s here.”
Qin Mu smiled, following her down the stairs and into the car.
“What a shameless pair. My God, I’m so mad I could explode,” Yu Qing ranted all the way to their table. After sitting down, she continued to vent. Wen Yang, however, quietly opened the menu and began browsing.
It would be a lie to say she didn’t feel anything.
Occasionally, such thoughts would arise: how could Li Man be so shameless? How could she so brazenly destroy someone else’s family, acting as if the whole world revolved around her?
But over time, the hatred became numb.
When seeing Li Man again, there was always a faint hope—would she show some shame, maybe try to avoid eye contact? Yet, the face behind those sunglasses remained as exquisite and glamorous as ever, untouched by guilt or change.
“This is so unlucky. We were supposed to be celebrating,” Yu Qing grumbled, her frustration evident. Wen Yang handed her the menu and said, “Come on, stop thinking about it. Let’s focus on eating.”
Yu Qing took the menu and glanced at Wen Yang. She wanted to comfort her but paused for a moment before saying, “You’re way prettier than her. Honestly, her face must have layers of makeup on it. Look at you—your skin is naturally radiant and smooth, like baby skin. And did you know? She’s two years older than you, but she looks much more mature. What’s the point of maturity? It just makes her look old.”
Wen Yang smiled wryly, amused by Yu Qing’s harsh critique of Li Man’s appearance and age. She gently pushed Yu Qing’s hand. “Alright, I’ve been comforted, thanks.”
Yu Qing grabbed her arm. “Stop overthinking it, okay? Think about how you landed the first deal of your career today. You should be happy and enjoy this meal!”
Wen Yang nodded. “You’re right. My first deal—it’s definitely worth celebrating.”
With that thought, a sense of direction for the future seemed to emerge.
“Let’s eat,” Yu Qing said as she flipped through the menu.
Yu Qing deliberately ordered many of Wen Yang’s favorite dishes, especially the curry crab, which was rumored to be the best signature dish at this restaurant. Wen Yang put on gloves and tasted each dish one by one. She could cook this dish herself, but admittedly, it wasn’t as authentic as the restaurant’s version.
“It’s the Thai spices,” Yu Qing said. “There must be some special ones in here that we don’t have.”
Wen Yang nodded in agreement.
After a satisfying celebratory lunch, Yu Qing nudged Wen Yang to go home and get some rest. Wen Yang agreed, and the two parted ways—Yu Qing returned to the studio, while Wen Yang headed back to her apartment.
As Wen Yang sat in the car with her laptop bag, she began to feel drowsy.
After getting out of the car and walking into her residential complex, her phone rang. Wen Yang pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
The caller was Zheng Guili.
Cheng Yanyu’s mother—her former mother-in-law.
Wen Yang paused for a moment, her steps slowing. After a few seconds, she answered the call and brought the phone to her ear.
“Yangyang.”
Zheng Guili’s voice was as gentle as ever. Wen Yang pressed her lips together, and the word “Mom” almost slipped out instinctively, but she quickly corrected herself, saying instead, “Auntie.”
The word Auntie was barely out of her mouth when Zheng Guili broke down, crying on the other end of the line.
Hearing her sobs, Wen Yang’s eyes grew red. Zheng Guili’s cries were heart-wrenching. She had always treated Wen Yang like a daughter. In some ways, their personalities were similar, and Zheng Guili cherished having a daughter-in-law like Wen Yang.
When Wen Yang’s birthday had come around not long ago, Zheng Guili and her husband had planned to visit Nancheng. She had called Wen Yang, but Wen Yang, sounding a bit rushed, told her not to come because she was busy taking care of Yu Qing, who was unwell at the time.
Back then, Zheng Guili hadn’t thought much of it.
Little did she know that by then, Cheng Yanyu and Wen Yang had already divorced.
Everything was too late.
The bond of being mother- and daughter-in-law had been painfully severed.
Listening to Zheng Guili’s sobs, Wen Yang felt a deep ache in her heart, and she began to cry as well. Both women wept silently across the phone. After a long while, Zheng Guili wiped her tears and said to Wen Yang, “Yangyang, it’s Cheng Yanyu who let you down.”
“Mom can’t bear to let you go, but he cheated. It’s not just a simple mistake. I have no right to ask you to accept him again. I called you today because, honestly, I missed you,” Zheng Guili said.
“I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. If you ever come back to Nanan, after some time has passed, I hope I can still visit your home.”
Wen Yang’s voice choked with emotion. “Of course, you’re welcome anytime.”
“Alright.”
After that, there was silence. Neither of them wanted to end the call. Eventually, the dial tone sounded, though Wen Yang wasn’t sure who hung up first.
As the call ended, Wen Yang felt a deep ache in her heart. She knew that her mother-daughter-like relationship with Zheng Guili had officially come to an end. From the moment she met Cheng Yanyu and stepped into his family, she had been welcomed by Zheng Guili’s smiles and gentle care.
Zheng Guili had been a wonderful mother-in-law. Skilled in cooking, she loved gardening and a simple, pastoral life. Most of the delicious food Wen Yang enjoyed at home was made by her. Whenever Wen Yang was home, Zheng Guili let her sleep in until late morning, prepared afternoon tea for her, and sometimes even accompanied her on evening strolls. Unlike Wen Yang’s own mother, Zhu Yun, who pressured her about having children after the marriage, Zheng Guili never did.
Having such a kind mother-in-law made the pain of this divorce even sharper.
Wen Yang sat by the flowerbed in her apartment complex, feeling lost. Two years of sweet marriage, days filled with the love of a caring mother-in-law—now all gone. Sometimes, she still called Cheng Yanyu’s name in her dreams.
He had become a stranger, distant and unfamiliar.
Wen Yang sighed, wiped her tears, and left the flowerbed. She went upstairs to her apartment, placed her laptop on the desk, washed her face, and went to the master bedroom to change and rest.
Around 6 p.m., Yu Qing returned. She brought takeout, collapsed onto the bed, and reached over to nudge Wen Yang awake. Wen Yang groggily opened her eyes. Yu Qing glanced at her face and noticed the slight puffiness under her eyes.
“You cried?” Yu Qing asked, surprised.
Wen Yang lay on the pillow and rubbed her eyes. “Is it that obvious?”
“Why are you crying again?”
Wen Yang sighed. “Cheng Yanyu’s mom called.”
Yu Qing immediately understood. She stroked Wen Yang’s head and asked, “Why did she call?”
“Something like a farewell.”
Yu Qing knew how close Wen Yang and her former mother-in-law had been, almost like mother and daughter. She had never seen a mother-in-law as good as Zheng Guili. Sometimes, marrying into a family wasn’t just about the person but also the family dynamics. Yu Qing had seen how much Zheng Guili cared for Wen Yang, so she understood her friend’s sadness. She ran her fingers through Wen Yang’s hair and said, “It’s okay. Maybe there will be opportunities to stay in touch occasionally.”
Her words were more comforting than realistic.
Wen Yang nodded, fully aware that they likely wouldn’t stay in touch.
Seeing her like this, Yu Qing pinched her cheek and changed the subject. “I need you to go on a business trip for me.”
Wen Yang looked up. “Where to?”
Yu Qing explained, “I have a client in Hong Kong working on renovating an old house. They’re at the handover stage now. I need you to go and oversee it for me. The client is lovely, and after I leave, she’ll be working with Liu Yu’s studio. Liu Yu will definitely send someone for the handover, but this is my first project in Hong Kong, and I want to see the results. However, I really don’t want to run into Liu Yu—she always assumes I’m trying to steal her clients. She’s all about profits and has no sense of sentimentality. I honestly don’t want to deal with her again.”
Wen Yang understood. “Alright, I’ll go.”
“You’re not just going for work; take the chance to relax. Oh, and buy me some stuff while you’re there,” Yu Qing added, sitting up and handing Wen Yang a list. “See if you can get these. Customs might not let some of them through, so just do what you can.”
Wen Yang glanced at the list. “Oh my, that’s so much!”
Yu Qing laughed. “Shopping isn’t the main thing. The main thing is for you to unwind.”
She pinched Wen Yang’s cheek again playfully.
Sansukini: She’s still lucky after divorce.
Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快乐 (Xīnnián kuàilè)! 🎉
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