Chapter One Hundred and Two: For Oneself or for Others

“Retribution? How amusing.” She laughed scornfully. “There are plenty of people far more wicked than I am, and they’re all living perfectly well. Why shouldn’t I? Besides, I’ve never asked Zeng Ziyu for any promise, and I’ve never demanded that he divorce. If you want my help, fine—I can end this relationship any time. But ask Zeng Ziyu whether he can.” In other words, Nina had complete control over the affair between her and Zeng Ziyu; the one who was unwilling to let go, astonishingly, was Zeng Ziyu himself, the man who had remained devoted to Huamei year after year.

Xiaoxiao stood frozen. Nina swayed away with her slender waist, then stopped after a few steps and, whether out of sincerity or mockery, warned her, “Don’t blame me for not reminding you. It’s not wise to stick your neck out. Other people’s business is better left alone. Even if you handle it well, it doesn’t mean they’ll remember your kindness forever. If you handle it badly, just see whether the blame won’t come down on you instead.”

Nina’s words were not without reason, only too realistic, chillingly so. In this world, unless you live entirely cut off from others, how could you ever escape being tangled in disputes?

Cruelly, she still relayed the conversation to Huamei. Huamei refused to believe that Zeng Ziyu couldn’t bear to leave the world of temptation outside and, in a fury, threw away her diamond ring. But only a few minutes later she regretted it and begged Xiaoxiao to help her search the whole house for it. Xiaoxiao finally fished it out from beneath the sofa with great difficulty. Huamei snatched it away at once, clutching it in her hand as she wept like a tearful child.

No woman can accept that the man she loves does not belong entirely to her, especially not in her heart. Even in the old days of one husband and several wives, it was the same. Though a woman had to share her husband with others, who would not wish to keep him all to herself? Otherwise there would not be so many stories of household intrigue.

And yet, even so, all women would only vent their anger on the other woman. They loved the man and were unwilling, no matter what, to believe the fault lay with him. It is said that when husband and wife are of one mind, they can cut through iron; once two become one, it is the outsider who is severed, because no blade can strike its own hilt. But if the other side is too hard, or if something is wrong with the hilt itself, then even the sharpest blade is bound to break.

“Go on then. I’ve put you in a difficult position. Please don’t say any of this in front of Ziyu, all right?”

“All right.” Xiaoxiao nodded. Huamei was calm to an unnatural degree. No matter how worried she was, it was useless; this was still something they had to solve themselves.

When summer arrived, people always grew lazy. Sometimes she could even spend more than an hour eating a meal at a leisurely pace, and only when the sun outside the window had fully sunk did she realize it was dark, and get up to turn on the light.

The light fell on Xi Mintang by the window. She paused slightly. “When did you get here?”

“Been here for a while. I saw you thinking about something, so I didn’t disturb you.” Xi Mintang came into the room and sat down wherever he pleased. Xiaoxiao cleared the table and did not treat him like a guest at all; she simply went into the kitchen to wash the dishes.

“Bad mood?”

She did not turn around. “Who doesn’t have worries? That’s normal. The real question is whether you’re doing it for yourself or for someone else.”

“And you?”

“Both, I suppose. What about you—how come you have time to come by?”

Xi Mintang also took himself for no outsider. He got a cup from the cupboard, poured himself water, and leaned against the storage shelf. The two of them were very close. “Head office wants me to go back.”

“Why? Because of that piece of land?” She stopped what she was doing, suspicion all over her face. “Didn’t they say you couldn’t come back if you didn’t handle it well?”

Xi Mintang smiled. “You think I botched it too?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.” She hurried to explain.

“Staying here is practically a demotion, exile. Calling me back is simply a way to keep tighter control. After all, I went against their wishes and put the company in a difficult position.”

“There’s even that kind of interpretation?”

Xi Mintang nodded. Facing her, he said with quiet melancholy, “But I don’t want to leave.”