TIL - 49

It had been a few days since she got her phone back. For the first two days, Wen Huo seemed a bit off, distracted, and lost in thought, but after that, she was fine. The main reason she felt better was that her advisor had called her a few times, and talking about physics always made her feel a little better.

Even so, Ruan Lihong was still worried about her. She thought that if things didn’t work out, going back to Canada for a change of scenery might be just what she needed. So, she privately contacted TRIUMF and pulled some strings to get Wen Huo a job interview. This was where Wen Huo’s interests lay. If she was going to pursue a career in science, she would eventually be rooted in a lab, and Ruan Lihong supported her unconditionally. Ruan Lihong wasn’t secretive about these things, and Wen Huo knew all about it. She didn’t object, just saying that she wasn’t against the idea of returning to Canada.

Wen Xinyuan didn’t react much when he heard that Ruan Lihong was taking Wen Huo away again. Wen Bing, however, disagreed. Wen Bing’s facial paralysis hadn’t been cured yet, and he couldn’t smile at Wen Huo anymore. But that was fine, because Wen Huo wouldn’t have to see his sad expressions, and her heart wouldn’t ache.

After Ruan Lihong had been back in the country for several months, the family of four finally arranged to have dinner, but it wasn’t a pleasant one. Wen Xinyuan and Ruan Lihong were verbally sparring at the dinner table, saying all sorts of sarcastic and harsh things without any regard for Wen Huo’s or Wen Bing’s feelings. But they didn’t really have any feelings about it; they were used to it.

Wen Bing didn’t want Wen Huo to leave. He couldn’t bear to part with her. Wen Huo told him, “I’ll come back later. I’ll be back when you get married, brother.”

Wen Bing shook his head and pointed to the back of his head. “They’ll hit me.”

Wen Huo’s heart was pierced. She moved closer to him, took his hand, and placed it on the scar on the back of her head. “No, they won’t. They already hit me on the head, they won’t touch you again.”

Wen Bing gripped her tightly. “They will!”

When Wen Bing was a child, his friends would make him be a human palanquin and carry them around the alleyways. Once, one of the kids got scared and kept kicking his legs. Wen Bing was in pain and let go, and the kid fell and got a bump on his forehead. They insisted on punishing Wen Bing by making him go to the hidden station on Line 1 to explore. The last stop on Line 1 was Pingguoyuan, but it wasn’t the actual last stop. All Beijing subway stations have numbers. The Pingguoyuan station is #103, which means there are stations #101 and #102 before it. The reason is unknown and there are many rumors, but there have always been ghost stories.

They told Wen Bing to go on a late-night adventure. Wen Bing thought he had done something wrong and was willing to accept the punishment, but he didn’t expect them to scare him. At that time, Wen Xinyuan was on a business trip, Ruan Lihong was still in a mental hospital, and their grandmother was the only one at home. She was old and couldn’t move well, so when Wen Huo heard the news, she didn’t tell her and rushed over by herself. It was past one in the morning when she got to the abandoned station. Wen Bing’s face was pale with fear, and he was trembling all over. He had also peed his pants, and there were small, unknown cuts on his face, which were bleeding profusely.

She was furious and was about to go to the police, but the kids held Wen Bing down and were threatening him with a broken beer bottle. Wen Bing was scared and was crying and yelling. Wen Huo didn’t dare to move. She followed their commands, slapping herself in the face, and letting them spit on her and pee on her. After they were done bullying her, they told Wen Bing, “Your sister is a bitch.”

Wen Bing got angry and fought back, but how could his damaged brain react quickly? Just as a brick was about to hit him, Wen Huo rushed over and blocked it for him. There was a dull thud that echoed in the abandoned station. Wen Huo’s head was split open. Blood immediately soaked her clothes and dripped onto the ground. The group of kids saw that things had gotten out of hand and ran away, leaving their flashlights and sharpened wooden sticks scattered all over the ground.

The scar on Wen Huo’s head was from that time. From then on, Wen Bing was traumatized. He always felt that someone was going to hit him on the head. He wasn’t afraid for himself. He was afraid that Wen Huo would block it for him again. Wen Huo’s head was so small. If she got hit again, wouldn’t she be damaged? He brought up this memory now because he didn’t want Wen Huo to leave. He had waited so long for his sister to come back, and he didn’t want to be separated from her.

Wen Huo told him, “Then I promise you, if they ever bully you again, I’ll come back. Okay?”

Wen Bing didn’t want that. “Sister, everyone else has a brother. You can’t not have a brother. They’ll all bully you. Brother needs to protect you.”

Wen Huo took his hand and placed it on the top of her head. “Huohuo is all grown up now and can protect herself.”

Before Wen Bing could say anything else, Wen Xinyuan stopped him. “If she wants to go, let her go! She’s living a comfortable life with her mother, much better than us two. Why are you worrying about her?”

Ruan Lihong sneered. “How shameless! You’re the one who didn’t want your daughter, and now you’re saying she’s living comfortably with me? When she and I couldn’t even get a full meal, you weren’t sending child support. My daughter and I had to live under other people’s roofs. I had to let someone take advantage of me just so Huohuo could sleep on a couch. Later, we met some fellow countrymen and finally had a place to live. Now that you see us living comfortably, do you really have the nerve to say that?”

Wen Xinyuan wasn’t afraid of bringing up old grudges. “If you hadn’t practiced Falun Gong and hurt our son, would I have lost my job at the government? When you were sent to Anding Hospital, I paid monthly for your medication. When you were discharged, my mother had a stroke, and all the money went to her acupuncture. You’re not unaware of that, so what could I give you? Should I have sold my blood and kidney for you? If you hadn’t insisted on a divorce, we could have gotten by. You were the one who had to go abroad and live under other people’s roofs. Who’s to blame for that?”

Ruan Lihong couldn’t reason with him. He had never cared whether she lived or died. The pressure had gotten to her, which made it easy for her to be brainwashed. If he had just paid a little more attention to her and their family, things wouldn’t have turned out that way.

Both of them were holding on to their own version of the truth, and neither would forgive the other. Wen Huo remembered something she had said to Chen Cheng: every door holds a different world. Not all Beijing natives from good families had the same status as the Chen family. Even in the capital, the saying “poor couples face a million hardships” still held true.

Wen Huo forgot how the dinner ended, but Ruan Lihong and Wen Xinyuan decided they would never see each other again. Ruan Lihong gave Wen Bing some money and told him that she would always be there if he needed her. Wen Xinyuan didn’t say anything to Wen Huo, but as she got in the car, he still raised his hand. Wen Huo saw it in the rearview mirror, but she didn’t turn back. Wen Bing had been crying since Wen Huo got in the car. His sister was the most important person in his life. With her gone, he felt he would never be okay again.

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The Chen family’s stone-betting auction was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Since Ruan Lihong was planning to take Wen Huo back to Canada, she wasn’t planning to attend. But a partner she had been working with for a while didn’t agree and forced her to go, citing a breach of contract. What kind of person was Ruan Lihong? Could she be threatened? If it was a breach of contract, then so be it. She wasn’t afraid of paying the penalty.

The partner saw that threats didn’t work and panicked. He started using a softer approach, and more importantly, he knew how to appeal to her. She happened to be in need of a reliable psychologist, so he found a bunch for her. She couldn’t refuse, so she decided to make an appearance. She didn’t tell Wen Huo, planning to just show her face and leave. But Wen Huo already knew.

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Wen Huo went to school to talk to her advisor. Of course, he wanted her to stay, to follow the plan of getting her Ph.D. at the Institute of High Energy Physics, then getting experience at a foreign lab, and finally coming back to be a professor at Tsinghua or Peking University. It wasn’t easy for an advisor at his level to train a student. He didn’t want to let her go, but if she insisted, there was nothing he could do.

Wen Huo was a Canadian citizen. At the time, only Tsinghua was accepting foreign graduate students. She hadn’t thought about how long she would stay in Beijing; her mind was completely focused on physics. Later, her insomnia got worse, so she started seeking treatment. Then she partnered with Han Bailu to seduce Chen Cheng, had sex with Chen Cheng... Then she found out that she couldn’t be cured, so she decided to return to Canada, to Su Di’s old lab, and continue her life in physics.

After all this, she was still going back to Canada. The outcome was no different, but the process had changed a bit. In addition to insomnia, she had a broken heart. But she could endure it. If she couldn’t, it would hurt, and pain wasn’t scary.

Wen Huo left school and went to see Cheng Cuo. A lot had happened recently, and they hadn’t talked in a while. Cheng Cuo saw that Wen Huo’s condition was getting worse and didn’t know what to say.

Wen Huo told him, “I’m going back to Canada soon. Let’s just stay in touch on WeChat.”

Cheng Cuo frowned. “So suddenly?”

“I’ve been planning it for a while.”

“What about your insomnia? Are you not going to treat it anymore?”

“No.”

Cheng Cuo got serious. “Wen Huo, is my cousin really no good?”

Wen Huo’s fake smile hid her discomfort at hearing Chen Cheng’s name. “No, he’s not. I can’t fall for him, and I don’t want to sleep with people I don’t like anymore.”

“Why are you lying to yourself?”

“I’m not.”

“I’m a psychologist.”

“You’re a quack. You didn’t cure my illness.”

Cheng Cuo was speechless. He couldn’t argue.

Wen Huo said, “I really don’t like him. Stop trying to set us up.”

Cheng Cuo saw that she was set on her decision. His rational side told him not to persuade her anymore, but after he learned the truth, he felt that things shouldn’t end this way for them. One had intentionally seduced, and the other had played along. Both were indeed low, but Chen Cheng wasn’t married, and he was the only one who could cure Wen Huo’s insomnia. They were also both passionate about physics... This wasn’t just fate. They were a match made in heaven. If they missed this opportunity, the word “love” would be a joke.

He told her, “The Chen family’s stone-betting auction is in a couple of days. Aren’t you going to check it out?”

“In what capacity? As Chen Cheng’s ex-mistress?”

“My cousin is on a business trip and won’t be back in time for the auction. I’m inviting you so we can say a proper goodbye. That’s the only time I’m free,” Cheng Cuo said.

Wen Huo asked him, “Are you sure?”

Cheng Cuo raised his hand. “I’m sure. He’s really on a business trip.”

Wen Huo remembered that Ruan Lihong was also going, so they could go together. Cheng Cuo saw that she was silent and thought she was worried about an awkward meeting with Jin Ge. “My aunt is very fair. She has no problem with you, so don’t feel pressured. She’s a good person.”

Wen Huo wasn’t pressured. “I know.”

Cheng Cuo got a phone call. He glanced at the caller ID and answered. “Are you coming back?” These three words made Wen Huo look up.

He smiled after hearing what the other person said. “You got what you wanted. When you get back, you have to treat me to a meal. I’m the man who witnessed your secret crush, so it has to be a grand banquet.” Then Cheng Cuo glanced at Wen Huo and walked to the side. “You’re so good, Chuchu. You managed to capture a man like my cousin on a business trip.”

Cousin, Chuchu. Cheng Cuo’s voice was very soft, but Wen Huo still heard him. Chen Cheng and Chu Tian? So they went on a business trip together. She suddenly remembered his confession a while ago. Maybe it wasn’t a confession at all. How could a confession not even include the words “I like you”? She had misread the situation. She couldn’t stay any longer. Without a word to Cheng Cuo, she stood up and walked away.

Cheng Cuo heard the door and turned around. Wen Huo was already gone. He quickly hung up the phone, chased after her, and called out, “Wait!”

Wen Huo didn’t stop.

Cheng Cuo caught up to her and blocked her. “What are you doing?”

Wen Huo didn’t answer. “I have to go.”

Cheng Cuo wasn’t an idiot. “What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly angry? Did I say something wrong?”

Wen Huo wasn’t angry. What was there to be angry about? Angry at Chen Cheng? He wasn’t worthy. He had been saying all sorts of sweet nothings to her, and even tricked her into coming to his house to sleep, only to turn around and go on a business trip with someone else. That was so messed up.

Cheng Cuo looked at Wen Huo as if she was about to eat him alive, and he was a bit scared. “No, what’s wrong with you?”

Wen Huo didn’t give him a good attitude. “Do you have anything else? If not, I’m leaving! I’m busy, I don’t have time to waste with you.”

Cheng Cuo was bewildered.

Wen Huo walked six or seven meters, then turned back and said to Cheng Cuo, “Your cousin is amazing! He’s a real character! He’s a great actor! I almost fell for it, but I won’t anymore! I’m going to keep my eyes wide open!”

Cheng Cuo watched Wen Huo leave and slowly realized, “Did Chen Cheng offend her again?”

Wen Huo was still angry in the car. She knew she had no right to interfere with whom Chen Cheng was with since she hadn’t agreed to be with him. That would be too hypocritical. She didn’t want to be with him, but she also wouldn’t let anyone else be with him? But she couldn’t control her emotions. What Cheng Cuo said on the phone was too much for her.

She had a hundred reasons not to be with Chen Cheng, and every single one was valid. Just looking at what he did to Han Bailu, could she really be sure that she wouldn’t become Han Bailu 2.0? Was she going to fall into the common female trap of thinking she was different? Was she going to use her sense of superiority to gamble on a heartless man? Of course she would refuse. Any normal woman would. She had insomnia, not a masochistic disorder. She knew it was dangerous, that it only looked good on the outside but was full of traps on the inside. Was she still going to step in?

She didn’t know what Chen Cheng had done in private, but based on what was public, she couldn’t accept it. She refused, and she didn’t think she was wrong. But her rational refusal didn’t conflict with her emotional anger. She was just angry, unhappy, and frustrated to hear that Chen Cheng and Chu Tian were on a business trip. She was a normal person. She could handle everything she couldn’t handle, but she couldn’t handle them without any emotions.

It had only been a few days. Wow, that was great. Men’s words are a lie, a trick. No, it was Chen Cheng’s words. He never spoke the truth. He only knew how to lie to her and act. She almost forgot, he was a master actor! She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t angry at all. Was it worth it? Absolutely not! She wasn’t angry!

Who doesn’t have a backup? Since she didn’t want to live anyway, she might as well have some fun with a few men. The Chen family’s auction, was it? It was probably full of second-generation rich kids. She was going to find a man on Chen Cheng’s territory. She would find a whole bunch of them! She couldn’t let him win! She was going to wear something super sexy, and she was going to have her arms linked with theirs, and they were going to be a couple!