Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My husband, Shen Xiubai, and I were both teachers at the same university.

He taught history. I taught philosophy.

Shen Xiubai was refined and steady, serious and meticulous in everything he did. His lifestyle was clean and orderly, and he was very good at housework.

I had a gentle, delicate appearance and an even temper. In daily life, I favored a simple, plain style, and I liked raising cats and tending flowers.

Our family backgrounds, educational paths, hobbies, and values were all remarkably similar and compatible. In the four years since we got married, we had never once argued. Our life was simple and regular.

In the morning, we had plain congee and side dishes. At night, I prepped the ingredients and he cooked. After dinner, we took our three-year-old daughter downstairs for a walk, then each retreated to our own corner.

Sometimes we read or wrote. Sometimes we exchanged thoughts and debated ideas.

The neighbors in our building all respected us and politely called us “Teacher Shen” and “Teacher An.”

Shen Xiubai was kind to others and tolerant in all things. There was only one person he treated with obvious disdain in both words and manner-

Our female neighbor across the hall, Xia Dai.

Objectively speaking, Xia Dai was an extraordinarily beautiful woman.

Her features were bright and striking, her figure curvy in all the right places. She usually wore her hair in waves, red lipstick on her lips, and nothing but tight, hip-hugging clothes. Every movement she made carried an alluring charm.

In the hallway or the elevator, if she had just passed by, there would always be a strong scent of perfume lingering in the air. At times like that, our daughter Dian Dian would say in her sweet, childish voice,

“It smells so nice. I smell Auntie Xia!”

Shen Xiubai, on the other hand, would frown slightly and give a faint snort, utterly disgusted by air that had been invaded by chemicals.

There were quite a few single men in our building, and Xia Dai was an outgoing person. When we were home, we often heard her chatting with other male neighbors, followed by the sound of her giggling as she stepped out of the elevator.

Once, when we came back from a walk and reached the elevator lobby, Xia Dai was chatting and laughing with Brother Duan from the sixth floor.

After we greeted one another, everyone waited for the elevator together.

Shen Xiubai looked faintly impatient and stood alone far off to the side.

Xia Dai brushed back her hair and murmured softly to Brother Duan, “Ugh, this new shampoo I switched to isn’t good. It’s making my hair fall out.”

Brother Duan laughed. “Looks fine to me.”

“How is it fine?”

“It smells nice.”

Xia Dai clicked her tongue at him, then casually glanced in the direction where Shen Xiubai stood.

Shen Xiubai was standing straight against the corner of the wall, his face expressionless.

When we got out of the elevator, Xia Dai’s high heel twisted. She pitched headfirst in Shen Xiubai’s direction, her whole face pressing firmly against his chest. Two bright red lipstick marks appeared on his white shirt.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Teacher Shen. I had a little to drink outside earlier, and I got dizzy and lost my balance.”

Shen Xiubai pressed his lips together and said nothing, his expression deeply displeased.

Xia Dai immediately looked somewhat embarrassed. Clearly, she had never been given such a cold reception by a man before.

Seeing this, I smiled and asked, “Will you be all right at home by yourself?”

Xia Dai brushed her hair back and gave a bitter smile.

“There’s nothing I can do. My husband is away on business trips all day long. I can’t count on him. I really envy you two, always together as a couple every day, with such a good relationship. If only mine were like Teacher Shen.”

After we got home, Shen Xiubai, for once, did not sit down to read. Instead, he went to take a shower first.

I was absorbed in my book for quite a while before he finally came out of the bathroom, his hair still dripping wet.

I snapped back to myself, a little astonished.

“You showered for that long?”

He wiped his hair with a bath towel and gave a faint “Mm.”

“I don’t like having a scent on me.”