TIL - 40

When Wen Huo was backing into a parking spot, someone cut her off, and she ended up colliding. She was unharmed, but her car’s rear and the other car’s bumper were quite damaged.

The other driver was very polite, apologized as soon as he got out of the car, and handed her his business card. “Hello, I have an urgent matter. Can I deal with it first? Here’s my business card; you can call me, or you can give me your number, and I’ll call you after I’m done, then we can see how to resolve this.”

This minor accident was entirely the man’s fault, but since he was willing to resolve it, Wen Huo didn’t press the issue and took his card.

She thought the matter ended there. Who knew that when Wen Huo came out of Guotong Industrial, she saw her car’s rear had been hit again, completely totaled—much worse than the afternoon collision—and the previous offending vehicle was no longer in the parking spot.

She dialed the number on his business card, but it was out of service. She searched online for his company, but found nothing. She had been conned.

Luckily, she had been careful that afternoon and taken a picture of his license plate, which allowed her to check the entry/exit vehicles and surveillance footage with Guotong Industrial’s security department.

The supervisor who received Wen Huo rushed over upon hearing the news and helped her investigate. “I’m so sorry this happened here.”

The car had insurance, so it wasn’t a major incident. Wen Huo said, “It’s fine, this can happen anywhere.”

The supervisor had followed the news about Wen Huo, Chen Cheng, and Han Bailu. Initially, she had no objection to Yan Zhiguo assigning a theoretical physics graduate student to the R&D department; she trusted Yan Zhiguo wouldn’t harm the company’s interests. But upon hearing that this person was a “mistress,” she became somewhat displeased.

Fortunately, the situation reversed when Chen Cheng held a press conference to clarify the matter. She then shed her prejudice against Wen Huo and was quite welcoming of her joining.

She didn’t expect Wen Huo to be unwilling now; they wouldn’t force anyone.

Speaking of the reversal, the supervisor couldn’t quite grasp the process of her emotional shift. She felt like one moment she was genuinely empathizing with Han Bailu and feeling indignant on her behalf, and the next, she thought Han Bailu was cunning and pitied Wen Huo, a young girl, for being used.

She didn’t even consider that this was the current state of the internet.

Nor did she consider that she, who usually could distinguish right from wrong, had unconsciously participated in this cyberbullying. It was truly outrageous.

The security department found the offending vehicle. The owner’s name matched the one on the business card given to Wen Huo, meaning it had always been fake.

This was an oversight by Guotong Industrial. To maintain the company’s rigorous image, the supervisor reported the matter to her superiors. When the superiors heard it concerned Wen Huo, they reported it to the vice president. The vice president could handle it, but Wen Huo was Chen Cheng’s student, and Yan Zhiguo had personally handled the collaboration talks with Chen Cheng, so he didn’t dare overstep his authority and informed Yan Zhiguo. Upon hearing “Wen Huo,” Yan Zhiguo immediately called Chen Cheng.

The supervisor asked Wen Huo to wait, saying they would contact someone to check on the car owner. Wen Huo found it troublesome and didn’t want to bother. “Never mind, don’t bother.”

While they were talking, Chen Cheng had already arrived but was led to Yan Zhiguo’s office by the receptionist.

Yan Zhiguo happened to be there today. He invited Chen Cheng in and first praised his firm’s future direction as very promising, perhaps even becoming a trendsetter and a cash cow, then subtly implied a desire for collaboration.

Chen Cheng wasn’t there to discuss cooperation; he was in a hurry. Out of politeness, he let Yan Zhiguo talk for half a minute. Now, his time was up. “Where’s my student?”

Yan Zhiguo didn’t immediately react, pausing before remembering, “Oh, right, my memory. That young lady is in security...”

Before he could finish, Chen Cheng nodded apologetically. “My apologies.” With that, he left.

Yan Zhiguo’s water hadn’t even boiled yet.

________________________________________

Wen Huo decided not to pursue the matter. She called Ruan Lihong, explained the situation, and asked her to notify the insurance company.

Ruan Lihong immediately became anxious. She was busy and couldn’t leave, so she sent Su He. Su He arrived with the insurance company’s agent.

The insurance company checked the claim and recorded it, with Wen Huo watching nearby.

Su He said, “This car costs over a million yuan to buy in China. It hasn’t even been a month since delivery, and you’ve already turned it into a used car.”

Wen Huo didn’t look at him. “Are you already feeling bad about my mom’s money?”

Ruan Lihong had called Su He, telling him to come over, so he knew Wen Huo already knew about him and Ruan Lihong. “Are you not mad at me for what happened with her?”

“If I were mad at you, would you stop provoking her?”

“Provoking? What does that mean?”

“It means seducing.”

“We were mutually attracted; it happened very naturally.”

Wen Huo didn’t want to hear the details; she didn’t want to know about the process of the brother who used to call her “little sister” and coax her into playing, sleeping with her mother. “Don’t tell me, I have no opinion. I respect your choices.”

Su He felt she was different from when he last saw her. The last time they met at Cheng Cuo’s dinner party, she wasn’t this aloof. If it wasn’t about him and her mother, then it was something about her and Chen Cheng that affected her. He said, “You’ve lost a lot of weight since I last saw you.”

Wen Huo couldn’t even sleep, so of course she’d lose weight.

Su He suggested, “If China can’t cure your insomnia, you can try other countries.”

Wen Huo had considered this before and had inquired about authoritative psychology hospitals abroad, concluding that a hospital in Berlin, Germany, was quite reputable. Now, she had no such thoughts; she didn’t care if she slept or not.

When she no longer cared anxiously about living or dying, the path ahead of her suddenly became much clearer.

Su He was about to say something else when he inadvertently saw a dark bruise on her arm. He instinctively grabbed her arm. “What happened here?”

Wen Huo looked. It was from Chen Cheng’s grip. Chen Cheng’s fingers were so slender, yet his grip was quite painful.

She started feeling physically uncomfortable again, followed by emotional instability. She wanted to go back. “Let’s go back.”

As soon as she spoke, Chen Cheng walked towards them.

Just then, a light, non-sticky autumn breeze blew, gently rustling Wen Huo’s hair. The unstable emotions she had been trying to suppress instantly intensified, surging forward oppressively. Anger, grievance, resentment, bypassing reason, filled her mind.

Chen Cheng was still meticulously dressed from head to toe, while Wen Huo was disheveled from head to toe.

She had to leave. If she didn’t, things between them would surely get ugly. She didn’t want to repeat every past scene with him. She absolutely had to refuse any further contact with him.

Su He also saw Chen Cheng, and he was still holding Wen Huo’s arm. He turned to look at Wen Huo, who seemed unwilling to see him, and agreed, “Okay, my car’s outside.”

Wen Huo had already communicated with the insurance company, so she just told the supervisor and was about to leave.

Chen Cheng went to the security department, where he was told Wen Huo was in the parking lot. As soon as he arrived, he saw her with that mixed-race man, his face beyond description. As expected, she had found a replacement. How quick.

Su He, Wen Huo, and Chen Cheng brushed past each other. Wen Huo caught a whiff of his scent, and her brows unconsciously furrowed. Something inside her began to ache faintly.

Chen Cheng grabbed her arm.

Wen Huo stopped.

Su He turned around and saw. He wanted to remove Chen Cheng’s impolite hand but couldn’t due to Chen Cheng’s stronger grip, so he resorted to a verbal warning: “Sir, please have some self-respect.”

Chen Cheng ignored him, looking straight ahead, speaking for Wen Huo’s benefit: “You don’t even greet your teacher anymore?”

“Who’s my teacher?” Wen Huo’s tone was faint and shallow.

Chen Cheng felt his body grow heavy again. He pulled her arm, heading towards the parking spaces in Section B.

Su He didn’t let go either. “Teacher, don’t go too far. You can’t take her against her will; that’s illegal.”

If it were before, Chen Cheng would have asked Wen Huo, ‘Did I go against your will?’ Wen Huo would always say no, back when she was still eager to make him the center of her life, even if it was an act. Now that their facades were shattered, he dared not ask that. “I did go against it.”

Su He suddenly wanted to use a Chinese adjective to describe Chen Cheng’s behavior. He thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with one. While he hesitated, Wen Huo was forcibly taken away by Chen Cheng.

“Let go! Don’t touch me! I’m calling the police!” Wen Huo struggled, but it was useless. The supervisor and the others had already left; no one could save her.

Su He reacted, chasing after them. Chen Cheng had already gotten Wen Huo into the car and locked the doors.

What a familiar scene. She used to sit in this very spot, kissing, caressing, performing oral sex, and having sex with Chen Cheng...

Su He came to knock on the car window. “Let her go!”

Chen Cheng looked up at him, then, under his gaze, cupped the back of Wen Huo’s head and kissed her forcefully. He wanted to kiss her for him to see. He even put his tongue into her mouth to entwine with hers. He wanted him to see clearly.

Su He watched from outside the car, bewildered. The man had gone mad. How was he going to explain this to Ruan Lihong? He swore in English, frantically banging on the car window.

Wen Huo in the car was also resisting, pushing him, hitting him. She slapped him across the face, leaving a handprint, which finally made him release her. She panted, looking at him coldly. “Are you serious?!”

Chen Cheng said nothing, just looked at her. Even after doing such a shameless thing, he was still refined, still “Teacher Chen.”

Wen Huo’s emotions were now overflowing. She couldn’t suppress them anymore. After such a long silence, they burst out again: “Didn’t you think I lied to you? I’m getting my karma now. I returned the money, I’m out of your marital disputes, I’m notorious, a pariah now. What else do you want? You knew my intentions weren’t pure when I approached you, and you accepted it. You slept with me for over a year. I don’t care now, I’ll let you sleep with me, I accept it, I’ll be this toy. What else do you want? Is it only when I die that you’ll let me go? That’ll be soon anyway. Can’t you just quietly wait for news of my death in your world? Do you have to make sure I don’t have peace even before I die?”

Chen Cheng seemed not to have heard her. He took her hand, without looking, precisely found the spot where he had previously pinched her, gently held it, and then leaned down to kiss it, just like he had tied her shoelaces in the elevator during their first meeting after he returned from Canada. He said, “Did you sleep with him?”

Wen Huo was baffled, her emotions at their peak, and she pulled her arm away. “You’re sick! Chen Cheng, you’re sick! You’re just sick!”

She twisted her head, desperately trying to open the car door. Chen Cheng was really sick, she had to leave! She absolutely had to leave!

Chen Cheng’s expression suddenly turned sorrowful, radiating a despair that only someone who had experienced the same could recognize. He said, “You noticed.”

Wen Huo couldn’t open the car door and lunged towards the center console to unlock it, an action that inevitably led her to fall onto Chen Cheng. Chen Cheng instinctively embraced her. Such a soft person; he hadn’t held her in so long. He buried his face in her hair, slowly kissing her.

Wen Huo leaned back, unable to break free, and gave up. Furious, tears fell onto his shoulder. “Can you... can you...” Can you let me go, let me leave...

Chen Cheng wanted to hear Wen Huo call him “Teacher Chen.” “Can you call me Teacher Chen again?”

He was desperate, and Wen Huo was also desperate. She cried, soaking his shoulder. “Please... just let me go... my mom is still waiting for me...”

Chen Cheng gently stroked her back, touching the places he had previously touched too forcefully, the places where Wen Huo had bruises. “Call me Teacher Chen again, Wen Huo.”

Su He outside the car window cursed himself hoarse. Chen Cheng, that old man, doing such things to Wen Huo in broad daylight. As he cursed, he suddenly remembered the adjective that described him: shameless. This old Chinese man, truly shameless!

Wen Huo asked him, “If I call you... will you let me go...”

Chen Cheng didn’t want to let go, but he couldn’t keep her. His unstable emotions were also about to become uncontrollable; he didn’t know what he would do to her. “Yes.”

“Teacher Chen...”

Chen Cheng slowly released her.

Wen Huo immediately unlocked the car door, grabbed her phone, and got out of the car.

Su He didn’t want to let Chen Cheng off, but Wen Huo looked so distressed. He couldn’t bear to watch and put aside settling scores with Chen Cheng, taking her away first.

________________________________________

Chen Cheng leaned back against the car seat, his face and expression utterly lifeless.

She didn’t even coquette when she called him “Teacher Chen” anymore. The little puppy had grown into a little wolf cub, baring its teeth at him and spitting harsh words... And she left with someone else. How could she leave with another man? She even let him touch her arm... Was she already using the positions he taught her on that man? Those were exclusive to him! How dare she do those things with another man!

Suddenly, it felt as if there was no oxygen in the car. He stopped breathing, his face and eyes bloodshot, veins clearly visible on his temples and forehead...

The parking attendant came to knock on his car window. After a long time, he finally woke up and took a few breaths.

The attendant’s mouth was moving, seemingly saying something, but he couldn’t hear. His mind was filled with Wen Huo.

His body, sickly and full of calculations, had been prepared for a life of solitude. He never thought he would one day hold a soft body, or that the sudden inability to hold her would make him feel as if the sky was pressing down on his shoulders.

He didn’t know if it was love, but she was important. She was very important to him.

So important that he suddenly had the urge to write Wen Huo’s name into his household register.

It had been empty for too long, but it felt as if it was empty just for her. He suddenly wanted to see her name printed there, wanting others to say when they spoke of her: “Oh, that woman, she’s Chen Cheng’s wife.”