chapter 11
Chen Wei was a woman of action.
When work ended that day, Zhou Mu came home late.
He was still carrying that peachy scent I’d smelled on Chen Wei before.
I was curled up on the sofa watching anime when Zhou Mu changed his shoes and came over to hug me.
I slipped out of his arms.
On screen, it just so happened to be the scene where the heroine confessed, the hero backed down, and the heroine demanded to know whether he actually loved her or not.
I looked at Zhou Mu. His eyes were lowered, and I was the only one reflected there.
Just like when we were kids-after school, he’d sit next to me while I did homework and watched anime.
“Zhou Mu.”
I said it very seriously. “I always thought that if I ever got married, it had to be to someone I loved.”
Zhou Mu laughed, bent down, and scooped me up from the sofa.
He tilted his head back slightly to look at me, his gaze devout.
“Xiao Jin.”
“I’ve already married the person I love.”
I lowered my eyes.
Lies.
Chen Wei hadn’t disappeared from my world.
No matter how hard Zhou Mu tried to keep up a calm façade.
She was getting more and more out of line.
In the middle of the night, Zhou Mu’s phone rang.
Half-asleep, the noise dragged me awake.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Zhou Mu hurriedly getting dressed.
He noticed I was awake and looked apologetic. “Sorry, Xiao Jin, I woke you. Something urgent came up, I need to go out for a bit.”
“Go back to sleep first.”
I nodded and lay in bed, eyes open, watching him disappear out the bedroom door.
The front door downstairs slammed shut with a bang.
Any trace of sleep was gone.
I had heard it, after all.
Chen Wei’s voice.
Soft, syrupy, weak, crying on the other end of the line about someone knocking on her door and windows.
“I’m so scared.”
“Ah Mu, can you come keep me company?”
“I’m all alone, I’m really scared someone’s going to…”
Even children know.
When you’re in trouble, you go to the police.
She chose to go to someone else’s husband.
The day the weather report said the first snow of the year would arrive, I’d originally made dinner plans with Zhou Mu.
But when I went to his company at noon to find him, he seemed oddly hesitant.
“Zhou Mu.”
“I’ve got a friend coming back from overseas today. We haven’t seen each other in years.”
“I might not be able to have dinner with you tonight…”
“It’s fine.”
Zhou Mu smiled, but I still caught a flicker of what looked suspiciously like relief on his face.
“Then I’ll pick you up tonight. Where are you two going?”
I gave him an address.
Zhou Mu nodded.
The place was a restaurant by the floor-to-ceiling windows of Downtown Square.
Someone was playing the piano in the main hall; the music flowed like running water.
Even though we hadn’t seen each other in years, there was nothing awkward between me and Cheng Zi.
We chatted nonstop over dinner.
By dusk, snow had started falling outside.
Flakes drifted down one after another.
Cheng Zi gave a delighted little cry. “First day back and I run into the first snow of the year-my luck is insane.”
I smiled and looked out toward the square.
The streets of downtown were fairly crowded; several couples were walking hand in hand.
In the swirling snow, a girl suddenly leaned in and boldly kissed her boyfriend.
I watched, then suddenly froze.
The restaurant’s heating was turned up high.
Yet it felt like I’d been dropped into an ice cellar, my whole body going rigid.
“What’s wrong?”
Following my gaze, Cheng Zi looked out as well.
The moment she saw the kissing couple, her expression turned knowing and she laughed.
“They say couples who kiss on the first snow will be happy for a lifetime.”
“Xiao Jin, are you missing your husband?”
“I feel bad making you spend such a romantic night with me instead.”
I stared blankly for a while.
Watched as that intimate couple finally broke apart and walked away, arms linked, through the falling snow.
Only after a long time did I say:
“That’s my husband.”