Chapter 116

“Mom?” Lin Yuewei waited about ten seconds, but Ran Qingqing seemed to have gone blank, just sitting there in a daze.

“What is it?”

Lin Yuewei let out a breath and asked, “Why did you suddenly go quiet just now?”

Ran Qingqing said casually, “I was getting disgusted by that scumbag in the show. I just gave myself a little more time to feel sick over it.”

Lin Yuewei: “...”

She narrowed her eyes at Ran Qingqing, a dangerous glint flashing in them. Her mother was definitely hiding something from her.

Ran Qingqing met her gaze for two seconds and knew she couldn’t keep it from her, so she lifted a hand and pressed Lin Yuewei’s little head down. “I’ll tell you once I’ve figured it out. Okay?”

“...Okay.”

Ran Qingqing asked her a few more things about the set, whether she’d made any new friends, and how she was getting along with everyone. Lin Yuewei answered each question in turn. Mother and daughter talked all the way until eleven o’clock. Ran Qingqing still had a lot more she wanted to say, but thinking of the fact that Lin Yuewei still had to go do publicity tomorrow, she took the initiative and suggested they sleep.

Lin Yuewei slid down at once and burrowed under the covers.

Ran Qingqing was about to turn off the light when Lin Yuewei stopped her: “Mom, Mom, wait, don’t turn it off yet.” She sounded almost afraid it would be too late if she didn’t say it in time.

Ran Qingqing paused with her hand in midair, then drew it back. “What?”

Lin Yuewei lay on her stomach, arched her back, and wriggled. “Scratch my itch.”

Ran Qingqing: “...”

Lin Yuewei cooed, “How long has it been since you scratched my back? Am I still your favorite daughter?”

Ran Qingqing slapped her on the butt. Lin Yuewei let out an exaggerated “Ow!”

“Still putting on an act?” Ran Qingqing lectured her while reaching into her pajamas to scratch her back. “You only know how to make me scratch you. Why don’t you scratch me?”

Ran Qingqing sometimes got manicures. She’d just taken them off not long ago, and her nails were neatly trimmed, so when she scratched Lin Yuewei’s back, it didn’t prick at all. Lin Yuewei shut her eyes and hummed with comfort. “Ten minutes each. I’ll scratch yours after that.”

After saying that, she lay there and enjoyed it with complete peace of mind.

It was exactly the same routine they had repeated countless times before. On the seventh minute, Lin Yuewei fell asleep on the spot, her breathing steady. Ran Qingqing lowered her head and looked at her tenderly for a while, then shook her head with a helpless smile. She scratched her a little longer, pulled down Lin Yuewei’s pajamas, and tucked her in.

Then she sat by the bed, took out her phone, dragged Lin Bai out of the blacklist, and sent a message.

[Where are you?]

She timed it with a stopwatch and planned to withdraw it at the one-minute-fifty-second mark. Instead, the other side replied instantly.

Lin Bai: [[kneeling.gif]]

For Lin Bai, seeing this message in the middle of the night was like seeing dawn break through the dark. His hands were shaking as he immediately sent an emoji back, only to get a system prompt saying Ran Qingqing had withdrawn a message. Lin Bai’s fingers trembled as he typed in the input box; after backspacing and retyping several times, he finally sent one line.

[I want to meet and talk.]

The moment that sentence went out, a bright red exclamation mark appeared beside the chat window.

He had been blocked by Ran Qingqing again.

This was not the first time. Before this, there had already been two occasions. The first time was when they had laid everything bare; Ran Qingqing couldn’t take it anymore, threw the matter in his face, and told him to speak to her attorney about the divorce. The second time was when he asked to talk; Ran Qingqing temporarily unblocked him, then blocked him again after they finished talking. And this was the third time.

Women were creatures who softened easily, especially after so many years of marriage. Lin Bai took Ran Qingqing’s initiative this time, as well as the fact that she had withdrawn the message, as a sign that she was softening. He quickly tried to add her again through a secondary account, and Ran Qingqing rejected each request one by one.

Lin Bai was determined to keep trying until she agreed. In the end, Ran Qingqing finally consented and replied with two lines:

[Don’t come looking for me again. We’re already over.]

[Although]

Then she blocked him once more.

Lin Bai was not discouraged; on the contrary, he was delighted. The rest of the sentence after that “although” was absolutely his chance. As long as Ran Qingqing wavered even a little, he was certain he could seize it. He was the person in this world who understood Ran Qingqing best.

Ran Qingqing was a sweet, spoiled young lady. She needed everyone around her to pamper and praise her; he was the best, and the only, choice.

If he could start over, he would never make such a mistake again. He truly loved Ran Qingqing.

The main problem now was that Ran Qingqing didn’t believe him. What he needed to do was make her trust him again.

Lin Bai thought of Lin Yuewei.

Children were the bond that held a family together. Although Lin Yuewei had reacted fiercely that night, she might not be an impossible opening. If he worked harder and took a gentler approach, it should be possible; as long as Lin Yuewei said a word, even just one sentence, Ran Qingqing would definitely think it over more carefully.

Time would prove his sincerity.

The property division was almost at the end. During this period, Lin Bai had been so worried he could hardly sleep, needing medication at night to help him doze off. Tonight was the first time he had seen hope, but after falling asleep, he was jolted awake by a nightmare, his back slick with cold sweat.

He propped himself up on his elbow and looked at the glowing clock on the bedside table. It was 6:30 in the morning. He simply gave up on sleep, put on his bathrobe, and got up to wash his face. Stubble had already sprouted on his chin. He lathered up on his own and shaved with a razor.

“Hubby, your beard’s grown back again. Let me shave it for you.” A soft arm suddenly wound around the broad shoulders of the man, and the wife he had been longing for appeared before him. Ran Qingqing naturally took the razor from his hand; her peach blossom eyes were focused, and with practiced ease she shaved his chin clean, revealing a sharp, handsome line.

Lin Bai didn’t dare move. His eyes reddened; he was afraid the woman beside him would disappear.

“All right.” Although Ran Qingqing had spent more than twenty years as his wife, her heart was still childlike. When she spoke, she sounded like a bright, cheerful lark. “Wow, you’re so handsome. Come on, give me a kiss.”

Lin Bai curved his eyes and leaned toward the woman beside him.

But the embrace came up empty; there was no Ran Qingqing beside him at all.

“Qingqing?” Lin Bai looked around in confusion, reaching toward the mirror only to touch cold glass. His throat bobbed once; he tipped his head back and stared at the bathroom ceiling.

When he came out, his eyes were slightly red. He opened his phone to check messages and found none from Ran Qingqing, but he did receive one from a friend in their circle: [How was that girl I introduced you to last time? She’s a PhD who came back after studying abroad. Your charm really is something else; she doesn’t even look at us old men.] It ended with a standard lewd middle-aged-man emoji.

Lin Bai clenched a fist and made a call.

His friend teased him, “How was the soft life last night?”

Lin Bai said coldly, “Don’t introduce me to people like that again.”

His friend was surprised. “You don’t like her?”

“Lao Liu, you know what my situation is now. My wife is about to divorce me; can you stop making things worse? I’m not messing around.” Lin Bai shouted, “Did you hear me? I’m not messing around! Try it a second time if you dare.”

“A man shouldn’t worry about not having a wife,” Lao Liu muttered. In the end, he hung up awkwardly.

The time he had been unexpectedly seen by Lin Yuewei last time really hadn’t been what Ran Qingqing imagined. That woman had just returned from overseas with a PhD; she was the daughter of a big-name figure in the circle and had a very open personality. She had taken a liking to Lin Bai. He left early, but she insisted on seeing him out, and Lin Bai couldn’t refuse. By the time they reached downstairs, the two of them separated.

Ever since he realized Ran Qingqing knew about it, he had never made that mistake again. The days that followed were filled with suspicion, fear, and frantic exhaustion. He was against the divorce, even though Ran Qingqing’s attorney was making a huge fuss about it.

Lin Bai smoked a cigarette, changed into a suit, and went to work. From the floor-to-ceiling windows in his office, he called Lin Yuewei.

“Dad.” Lin Yuewei was still at home that morning. Ran Qingqing was upstairs packing for her. When she saw the caller ID, she went out to the balcony to answer, glancing at Ran Qingqing, who was crouched in front of the suitcase.

“Weiwei.”

“Why are you suddenly calling me?” Lin Yuewei felt complicated. Her mother had her back to her and wasn’t looking this way.

“Do you have time? Let’s talk.”

“I’ve got publicity work today. I have to head to the airport in a bit.”

“Then forget it.” Lin Bai backed off instead, and mindful of Lin Yuewei’s reaction last time, he didn’t go straight to the point. “How’s your mother?”

“She’s... pretty sad.” Lin Yuewei answered.

Lin Bai let out an “ah.” After two seconds of silence, he said, “Are you staying home with her now?”

Lin Yuewei said, “Yeah. I’ve been home for two days. Last night I slept with her, and I heard her crying in the middle of the night.”

Lin Bai sighed.

Lin Yuewei said, “If only you hadn’t done that. Too bad everything can’t go back.”

“Yes. It’s all Dad’s fault. Dad wants to make it up to her now. You don’t want to see your mother like this either, do you?”

The sound of a lighter clicking came through the receiver. Lin Yuewei said, “You’re smoking again?”

“Not smoking. Just lit it.”

“Smoke less.”

“Mm, I know.”

“Weiwei...” Lin Bai seemed to want to say something else, but Lin Yuewei gently cut him off. “Dad, I’m not in a position to do anything. This is between you and Mom. I won’t interfere.”

Lin Bai was silent again before saying, “Then take good care of your mother. Call her a couple more times when you have time. She still kicks off the covers at night, you... never mind, you can’t help with that either. Let’s leave it there.”

Lin Bai hung up.

Ran Qingqing, who had been standing with her back to Lin Yuewei the whole time, had already turned around and was looking at her through the balcony door. Lin Yuewei came out and said, “I said everything you told me to say.”

Ran Qingqing gave a faint hum.

“Mom.” Lin Yuewei hesitated, then said, “Isn’t this a little too much?”

That morning when she got up, Ran Qingqing had told Lin Yuewei that she wanted to take back all the shares from Lin Bai and transfer them into Lin Yuewei’s name. To be honest, Lin Yuewei didn’t quite agree. Her dad had indeed cheated, but the company had been founded by him alone, and this family had also been held together by him. Since they were divorcing by agreement, they should separate everything cleanly; bridge to bridge, road to road. Why take the company over completely too?

Ran Qingqing said, “He still cares about you now, but who knows what will happen in the future? What if he gets a new love and has another child with her? You’re siding with me so much now; if he turns his favor to someone else, where would you go to argue your case?”

Lin Yuewei was silent for a moment. “That won’t happen.” She believed in her father, even if he was no longer a good husband.

Ran Qingqing said, “I used to believe him too. And now? I’m doing this so you’ll have another way out. You don’t have to go along with my act, but at the very least, don’t tell your father what I’m planning.”

Lin Yuewei: “I...”

Ran Qingqing: “Consider it Mom asking you.”

Lin Yuewei choked up a little and nodded.

Ran Qingqing seemed to comfort her. “Your dad is such a smart man; what if he sees through my scheme? Then I’ll admit defeat. I definitely won’t make things uglier. He can divide up as much as he should, and that’ll be that, okay?”

She knew Lin Yuewei, caught in the middle, would never have it easy. What she wanted, after all, was probably just for her parents to leave this family with some dignity.

After lunch at home, Lin Yuewei took her suitcase and headed to the airport. The white wings of the plane cut across the sky; with her forehead pressed against the window, she watched Yaning City grow smaller and smaller in her field of view.

***

Three days later, Ran Qingqing accepted Lin Bai’s friend request.

[Let’s meet.]

[Can we go to your alma mater?]

[Okay]

Lin Bai and Ran Qingqing had graduated from two different universities, and the schools were nowhere near each other. They had met by chance. There had been an exam back then, with the test site set at Lin Bai’s university; it was a weekend, and Ran Qingqing had gone there with a roommate to take the exam. The two of them were careless and got on the wrong bus, overshot their stop, then rushed inside with their heads down, turning two young girls into something like madwomen.

One of the madwomen crashed into Lin Bai’s arms while he was carrying books to the library. Books scattered all over the ground, but Lin Bai was staring blankly at the other girl, who had stopped in place.

That day, Lin Bai sent Ran Qingqing back to her school and even stayed for a meal in the cafeteria.

The second cafeteria at Ran Qingqing’s university was widely regarded as number one among all the universities in Yaning. Lin Bai used to specially run over after class to mooch a meal there, but by then it was too late, and he could only get leftovers.

In order to make sure he got a proper meal, Ran Qingqing specially bought a thermal lunchbox. She would queue up for one serving and pack another to go, which naturally led to a great deal of teasing from her roommates. Only when Lin Bai came did she hand it over to him.

The two of them dated across the same city but different universities for three years. Most of the time, it was Lin Bai who went to Ran Qingqing’s school; his footsteps covered every corner of the campus.

More than twenty years later, Lin Bai and Ran Qingqing had both, without discussing it, worn camel-colored coats. Ran Qingqing had wrapped a mustard-yellow scarf around her neck, looking very warm. Lin Bai had bought it for her last year. Whenever winter came, her hands and feet got ice-cold, and unless she had something to do, she never went out.

When she had to go out normally, Lin Bai would keep her hands in his pockets. Right now, the two of them stood a person’s distance apart, walking silently through the deep winter campus as bleak wind curled past their ears.

The students had long since gone on break, leaving only a few behind. Lin Bai looked up at the buildings in the distance and gave a self-mocking smile. “The cafeteria’s closed. I was thinking of coming over for a meal. It’s been years since I ate there; I miss it a little.”

Ran Qingqing didn’t answer. Following her gaze, Lin Bai realized she was looking at a couple.

The young couple was probably from out of town, or maybe one of them was, which was why they still hadn’t gone home after the holiday. They were hoping to stay on campus a few more days, to spend a few more days together.

“Back when you were on winter break, and your parents kept urging you home, you always said there was something going on at school, that you had to study. But really, you were just secretly spending time with me,” Lin Bai said with a nostalgic smile.

“Aren’t you the same?” Ran Qingqing finally spoke. “You never told your parents what you were doing at school either.”

Lin Bai lifted his chin. “I wanted to tell them. You wouldn’t let me.”

When they had just confirmed their relationship, Lin Bai had been eager to take her to meet his parents. Ran Qingqing disagreed; she was dating him, not getting herself tied down the moment she started dating.

- What if we break up? Wouldn’t that be awkward?

Young Ran Qingqing was as straightforward as she was now, completely unaware of how much that sentence had hit Lin Bai.

- W-what kind of thing is that to say? Who thinks about breaking up as soon as they start dating? We’re not going to break up, unless I die.

- You keep talking about dying; aren’t you childish?

- You’re the mature one, the mature one who keeps talking about breaking up.

- I didn’t say breakup. I said what if. There are so many what-ifs in this world.

Before becoming a public speaker, Lin Bai had been on the school debate team. That afternoon, he argued the point thoroughly with Ran Qingqing and won the debate, but Ran Qingqing didn’t speak to him for the next three days, almost making that “what if” come true.

After that, Lin Bai learned his lesson and never argued with Ran Qingqing again.

The two of them circled the track once. It was a new track; the old one had been renovated and moved, and now a teaching building stood there, making it impossible to circle.

Things had changed, and so had people.

After they left the track and passed between two teaching buildings, a fierce gust of wind from the corridor made Ran Qingqing sway. Lin Bai put both hands on her shoulders; from muscle memory, his hands naturally followed to help straighten her scarf. Then he walked on the windward side, using his broad chest to block out the cold wind.

Ran Qingqing looked up and saw the handsome features of the man in front of her; they overlapped perfectly with the man from many years ago.

That day, Lin Bai and Ran Qingqing stayed at school until dark, ate a quiet dinner together, and then went home separately.

Ran Qingqing took Lin Bai out of the blacklist.

The next day, Lin Bai asked her to go to an amusement park. Ran Qingqing refused. On the third day, he invited her to a street she had once loved to shop on. Ran Qingqing agreed, bought a lot of things, and, in retaliation, bought Lin Bai the cheapest tie in the store. Lin Bai put it on at once; it looked utterly mismatched with his expensive handmade suit.

The sales assistant looked at the strangely tense atmosphere between this couple and, despite being eloquent, didn’t dare let a single flattering word slip out.

The two of them met several times intermittently. Ran Qingqing’s attitude clearly softened, and she began to think of the old feelings between them. After one meal, she asked Lin Bai solemnly, “Do you love me?”

Lin Bai nodded seriously. “Yes, I love you.”

Ran Qingqing said, “I still love you too.”

Lin Bai smiled.

Ran Qingqing asked him again, “What if you make that kind of mistake again? I can forgive you once; can I forgive you a second time?”

Lin Bai promised, “There won’t be a second time.”

Ran Qingqing insisted on an answer. “How can you promise that? I don’t dare believe you anymore.”

Lin Bai asked, “Then what do you want me to do?”

Ran Qingqing lifted her eyes and looked straight at him. “Transfer all the company shares to Yuewei, and I’ll give you one more chance.”

Lin Bai looked at her for a long time and said he would think about it when he got back.

***

Lin Yuewei was out doing publicity work. When she was resting in Yaning, she stayed at the Lin residence. She watched Ran Qingqing go out every few days and knew what she was doing. At night, she would occasionally ask about the progress.

“Pretty good.”

“Very smoothly.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”

But Lin Yuewei felt that her mother didn’t seem very happy.

On the twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month, it snowed heavily at night, and Ran Qingqing was still outside. Lin Yuewei called her mother and asked whether she wanted her to go pick her up. Ran Qingqing said no.

It wasn’t until after midnight that Lin Yuewei received a photo from Ran Qingqing showing the snowy scenery. So after she and Lin Bai finished dinner, they had gone out to look at the snow.

Lin Yuewei got up early. Coming down the stairs, she saw Ran Qingqing in the living room teasing the dog. The Corgi barked and bounced up and down on the sofa. Ran Qingqing turned to look at her daughter on the stairs and let out a bright “oh.” “The princess is up?”

“I get up at this time every day, Your Majesty.”

“Rise and be exempted.”

Lin Yuewei stared at her mother’s face and pressed, “What did you do last night?”

The Corgi leaped up from the floor. Ran Qingqing grabbed its paws with both hands, shaking them back and forth while scrunching up her nose to tease it, laughing, “Nothing much. We just watched the snow, and then he sent me home.”

“Did he come inside?”

“No.”

“Mom.” Lin Yuewei’s voice turned solemn.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Lin Yuewei swallowed the rest of her words. Although Ran Qingqing kept saying it disgusted her, she didn’t believe she could be playing the part so deeply in front of someone she truly found disgusting. She was almost unable to make sense of where all this was going. Could it be that her mother was really going to rekindle things with her dad?

Lin Yuewei herself actually didn’t care that much about this matter. In fact, in the back of her mind, she didn’t want the two of them to separate all that badly. If they really got back together, she would probably just take it in stride.

Lin Yuewei dreamed about this matter, turning it over and over, often sleeping uneasily. Gu Yanqiu reached over and switched on the bedside lamp.

Lin Yuewei felt the irritation of the light, opened her eyes, and said apologetically, “Sorry for waking you.”

“It’s fine.” Gu Yanqiu asked, “Still thinking about your parents?”

Lin Yuewei couldn’t sleep, so she simply sat up and told her all her doubts. Her mother was clearly only putting on the appearance of making up in order to get her father to transfer the company shares to her, yet every day she would zone out without warning, and occasionally she would even show a sweetness that looked like it belonged to someone in love. It was impossible to make head or tail of it.

Gu Yanqiu’s own experience with romance was almost entirely on par with hers, so for a moment she couldn’t come up with an explanation either.

In the end, she thought for a moment and guessed, “Could it be that your mom still hasn’t completely let go of your dad?”

Lin Yuewei sighed. “To be honest, that’s what I was thinking too.”

Gu Yanqiu shook her head again. “Auntie doesn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Lin Yuewei hugged the quilt and nodded in agreement. “Right. I think so too.”

Amused, Gu Yanqiu rubbed her head, pulled her down, and tucked her into her arms. “Close your eyes. Sleep. You still have work tomorrow.”

Lin Yuewei refused to sleep. She kept moving her head around and, from time to time, asked Gu Yanqiu several questions as if talking to herself.

Gu Yanqiu, driven nearly to distraction, had no choice but to drain away all her energy, until Lin Yuewei was so tired she fell asleep.

In the few days before the Lunar New Year, on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month, Ran Qingqing took a call and her expression changed. It was as if she were delighted, and yet as if she were suffering. In the end, she shut herself in her room.

The moment Lin Yuewei got off the plane, she received a call from her mother telling her to come sign the share transfer document.

Lin Yuewei: “What?”

Ran Qingqing said, “Your dad agreed. He’s transferring all the shares to you. The car picking you up is waiting at the airport exit. The license plate is XXXX. I’ve sent the number to your phone; call the driver once you’re out.”

Lin Yuewei got in the car, her hands twisted together, her mind a mess. She couldn’t make sense of anything. After a few minutes, she finally remembered to call Gu Yanqiu. Gu Yanqiu rushed straight to the destination.

She was close by and somehow arrived even earlier than Lin Yuewei. When she saw Lin Yuewei, she came over in three quick strides, took her hand, and felt a palm full of sweat.

Gu Yanqiu put an arm around her shoulders and walked her inside. “Your parents are in there.”

The door was pushed open from the outside with a creak. Ran Qingqing and Lin Bai in the room both looked up at her. Lin Yuewei sat beside her mother and looked at the transfer agreement spread out in front of her, three copies in all.

Party A (Transferor): Lin Bai

Party B (Transferee): Lin Yuewei

Gu Yanqiu placed both hands on Lin Yuewei’s shoulders, silently lending her strength. Lin Yuewei picked up the pen, signed her name one by one, and then pushed it toward her father. From start to finish, she didn’t dare look him in the eye.

She felt like the accomplice helping her mother trick her father. Maybe in his heart he was still thinking he could trade the shares for a sliver of hope; but after signing, he would discover that all of this had merely been a trap set by Ran Qingqing, using the relationship he still wanted to salvage.

“Weiwei.” Lin Bai suddenly called her.

Lin Yuewei lifted her head with difficulty and found that his gaze was filled with warmth.

“Don’t blame yourself. I did this willingly.”

“Dad.” Lin Yuewei’s eyes turned red.

Lin Bai smiled. “Your mother’s acting is so bad; I figured it out long ago. I was still wondering how long she could keep it up. I didn’t expect it to last less than half a month.”

Ran Qingqing kept her head down the whole time.

After Lin Bai finished signing the agreement in his hand, he pulled out another document from his briefcase, along with a thick list of assets. Lin Bai forcefully wiped his face, revealing a smile uglier than tears. His fingers, holding the pen, loosened and tightened again and again before he finally signed his name on the last page.

Lin Bai closed it quickly and pushed the transfer agreement and the divorce agreement over together.

His hands groped blindly over the table as if he wanted to grab something, but he couldn’t feel anything. In the end, he braced himself on the edge of the table and slowly stood up. “Miss Ran, when you get back, please have your lawyer confirm everything again. If there’s no problem, once we’ve signed, we can find a time to go... register the divorce.”

“Excuse me.” He barely kept his expression together, drew in a breath, turned, and walked out quickly.

At the sound of the door closing, Ran Qingqing raised a hand and buried her face in her palm.

Author’s Note:

No intention of whitewashing anyone here. Anyway, Lin Bai is wrapping up his role like this. Goodbye.

I originally wanted to hit ten thousand words in one go and bring the Gu family in too, which would have done it, but I didn’t want to cram it all together. I’ll put it in tomorrow instead.

When I say we’ll resolve it by the New Year, I mean in the story’s New Year. This book probably won’t make it to real-life New Year.