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墨書 Inktalez
He managed to light another cigarette, but I couldn't stand it anymore. I snatched the cigarette from his mouth and took a few puffs myself.
I felt anxious inside; from Liu Ren's expression, he seemed to be putting on a facade.
I tucked a strand of hair that had fallen over my forehead behind my ear and squatted in front of Liu Ren, shoving the cigarette into his mouth. He weakly called out, "Wife."
His words didn't bring me any joy; instead, they weighed heavier on my heart. "Liu Ren, tell me, do you really have someone else outside?"
He looked at me in surprise and took a few hard drags from the cigarette. "What if I say I don't? Would you believe me?"
I almost cursed out loud. The client with the thirty thousand commission wasn't here just for fun; they weren't giving me money for nothing.
Liu Ren's act was flimsy; his disguise was already falling apart.
But he kept staring into my eyes, his gaze fixed on me as if it meant something.
I smiled and took the cigarette back from his mouth, saying, "I don't believe you. You're quite popular; you're the type that young girls like."
Liu Ren didn't expect me to actually say it.
On the first day back home,
At least this day, the first day's peace should be preserved. We've weathered storms together for eleven years.
What kind of tempests haven't we seen?
Now, it has come to the moment of our separation.
I suddenly felt a wave of sadness.
In my emotional world, there is only black and white, with no room for even a grain of sand.
Although I enjoy watching palace intrigue and like "Zhen Huan," I do not want to be one of the women in the palace.
Competing for a man's affection, losing myself, and ultimately ruining my own path in life is not something I will allow.
I will not become that kind of woman,
And I will not let my man hurt me like this.
Liu Ren pondered deeply, finally asking painfully, "Wife, what am I really like? Why do I attract other girls? If you don't trust me, how can I be away on business for over three hundred days?"
Ha!
I trusted him too much. After I left for my business trip, this home had turned into an empty room.
At that moment, I received an investigation report from a team member.
I opened it and read it carefully from start to finish without missing a word.
My heart sank,
And the anger inside me had nowhere to go. Words of insult slipped out as I laughed angrily, "Who is Wang Lulu? Who is Chen Lili? Liu Ren, am I still your wife?"
Liu Ren's gaze darkened, but his expression did not change much. He looked at me as if relieved and said, "We have come this far as a couple because we have both been too busy. We see each other rarely; a peaceful separation might be a good ending. In this marriage, you will receive what you deserve, and we can part on good terms."
I lifted Liu Ren's collar, and his watery eyes were red, tears still swirling in his eyes, but he held back from letting them fall. I sniffed and shouted at Liu Ren, "Get out! I never want to see you again; the farther you go, the better! Just the sight of you makes me sick."
Being entrusted with a task was one thing; him admitting it was another. Although he didn't mention Mistress even once, he wanted a divorce!
Liu Ren grabbed my hand and spoke gently, "You once told me that the time at home is all mine, that we wouldn't get entangled in cases anymore. Since you're so eager to know, I'll make it clear for you.
Lu Yifan, your ambition is the key to destroying this family. We've been married for eleven years, and you've never thought about having a child with me. You deal with other people's marriages every day, harboring extreme distrust towards marriage. For you, money is the most important thing, not the feelings with your partner. You're away for over three hundred days a year, leaving me feeling like a lonely person. Have you ever considered how I feel? I'm already 36 this year and have yet to have my first child."
My heart felt like it had been stabbed hard; I was breathless and collapsed onto the balcony. He reached out to support me, but I pushed him away.
He wasn't wrong at all. I had been focused on my career, earning a six-figure salary. I wanted to help more families and earn more Commission, but in the end, I didn't even realize my own family was on shaky ground.
"So you went to find Wang Lulu to have a child? Married Chen Lili to give her money? I must have failed; I couldn't control you from seeking someone else," I murmured. Liu Ren's face looked grim; his pale lips moved slightly, but he didn't want to say much about those two women. Finally, he took a firm step away from the balcony, hurriedly packed a few changes of clothes in the bedroom, and left in haste.
At the moment the door closed, I listened to his fading footsteps, and my heart ached uncontrollably.
I married Liu Ren out of love. At that time, neither of us had much money; we didn't even have a place to settle down in Haicheng. My family opposed my marrying him due to the hardships, but I steadfastly held onto my feelings for him, wearing the pull tab from his proposal can as a symbol of our love and willingly marrying him under a 9.9 yuan blessing.
When we first got married, we moved several times; I still remember that feeling of being unsettled.
Liu Ren endured hardships for me, eating only three steamed buns a day. Those struggles accumulated into a down payment for an old and small apartment.
That was how we finally had our first little nest.
Life was tight, but every day was filled with happiness and joy.
I don't know when it started that we became busy with our own careers, earning lots of money and acquiring a second new house, but we could no longer find that initial happiness that came from enduring hardships together.
Early the next morning, Liu Ren sent a lawyer over.
He must have consulted beforehand.
Without even glancing at the divorce agreement, I signed it.
The lawyer looked at me meaningfully and said, "Mr. Liu has transferred all his properties and most of his funds to your name, except for one apartment he will continue to live in. His company will also be yours. I will come back in three days to handle the paperwork, so please arrange your schedule accordingly."
I was taken aback.
Liu Ren had given me all his assets, including the company.
He only left us with our first old and rundown apartment?
The lawyer glanced at me coldly before leaving. I called out to him, "Where is Liu Ren?"
The lawyer pursed his lips and replied after a moment, "If you have any questions about Mr. Liu's arrangements, you can find him at the company."
I went to look for him, but no one at the company knew where he was.
The Board of Directors knew I would be taking charge of the company and were in a meeting discussing it.
I am unwilling to listen to their nonsense.
I need to find Liu Ren.
I called him, but the line was busy,
and I fell into a panic of losing him again.
But I am steady.
I called Liu Ren's friends, one by one.
I made 1,234 calls throughout the day,
but no one knows where Liu Ren is!
In Haicheng, Liu Ren seems to have vanished without a trace.
But I must find him.
My team told me that the client's case has not been canceled,
but they have been unable to reach the client;
her number has been deactivated.
The only place I can find Liu Ren now is at Wang Lulu's.
I felt uneasy in my heart, but I still dialed her number.
On the other end of the line, she recognized my voice and understood, "Brother Liu is not with me, and I don't know where he went. Who are you to him?"
"Ex-wife!" I managed to spit out those two words. Liu Ren had been with Wang Lulu; how could she not know?
"Oh, so you're Sister Yifan," Wang Lulu chuckled. "Brother Liu told me not to say anything, so I can't tell you. But I assure you, Brother Liu and I are innocent. He just wanted you to know that we have a bit of a relationship; in reality, we are like siblings. Brother Liu is a good person."
I couldn't fully trust Wang Lulu's words; this involved my team.
After circling around most of Haicheng, I finally found my team's base. Just as I pushed the door open, I heard them say, "If Yifan finds out that Liu Ren bribed us to make her think he has a mistress or is remarrying, will she blame us?"
"Look at her desperate appearance; if Liu Ren hadn't pulled this trick, she would probably still be out on business!"
"Liu Ren really is ruthless; he gave up everything for Yifan. If Yifan knew the truth, how could she bear it?"
When they saw me standing at the door, my team members were all dumbfounded, covering their mouths and refusing to explain. " Yifan, Yifan, we are truly a kind team. We didn't mean to bully you after your divorce; we didn't know Liu Ren was so heartless. If we had known, we definitely wouldn't have deceived you with him."
I held back my anger and demanded that they explain properly; otherwise, I would never forgive them.
Piece by piece, my team members finally clarified the situation for me.
It turned out that the 300,000 commission fee was paid by Liu Ren, and the client was either his other wife or himself.
Liu Ren had health issues, and Wang Lulu was his clinical nurse. He went to Wang Lulu for help with his care; after learning how to take care of himself from her, he left.
The whole thing was a setup by Liu Ren to get me to come home and have a meal he cooked himself. The commission was given to me by Liu Ren.
"Where is he now?"
The people in my team have no idea at all.
Three days later, all of Liu Ren's assets were transferred to my name.
Except for our first house.
I stood in the living room of the house, filled with too many memories of Liu Ren. We had lived here for eight years,
but he never moved in.
"Liu Ren, why are you so lazy? When are you going to wash your socks?" I, at twenty-eight, pretended to be angry as I picked up Liu Ren's socks.
He looked distressed and said, "Wife, good wife, please don't be angry. Can't I go wash them right now?"
In the end, there were smelly socks all under the bed. I looked at him in frustration and said, "You have to wash them every day; otherwise, I won't let you sleep in bed!"
Liu Ren shamelessly hugged me and said sweetly, "Of course, of course! It's just that I've been too busy, but I promise I'll clean up."
That day, the entire balcony was filled with Liu Ren's socks from a week.
Now the balcony is empty, and it's been a long time since anyone has been here. I picked up a mop and cleaned the house thoroughly.
Even though he wasn't home, I wanted to tidy up so that when he returned, he would have a comfortable place to stay.
Days passed by one after another. I reduced my business trips and tried to find out about Liu Ren's whereabouts.
Three months have passed, and there is still no news from him.
Whenever I return to Haicheng on a business trip, I always go back to our first home.
I sit here for a while, then clean it up.
This home is desolate, and it has been a long time since it smelled of life.
I started a fire and cooked myself a bowl of noodles.
It was really bad!
I haven't had the braised pork that Liu Ren made for me in a long time; I really miss him!
That day, I received an urgent case and was preparing to go on a business trip.
I got a call from an unfamiliar number; it was Wang Lulu.
" Sister Yifan, Brother Liu is not doing well."
I hung up the phone and rushed toward the airport. I sped down the highway, eager to see Liu Ren. Wang Lulu said that Liu Ren had moved to the countryside, looking gaunt and lifeless, no longer resembling his former self.
I had only one thought in my mind: I must see him.
The moment I saw him, tears streamed down my face. "Liu Ren, why did you divorce me when you needed me the most? You bastard."
"It's cancer, in the middle stage. It will cost a lot of money, and there's no guarantee it can be treated well. I've given up." His gaze was cold, lacking the brilliance it once had. "You can go back now, Yifan."
I stood still, and in just three short months, he had withered away to the point where he was unrecognizable. I held him tightly and cried, "Liu Ren, we have money, please don't give up, okay? Let's get you treated."
Liu Ren broke free from my grasp and said, "I'm fine now. I can take care of myself. Lulu is a good sister; she comes to check on me after work. You're so busy with work, how would you have time? I've been living alone for a very long time. Long enough that I feel I can manage without you."
As I wiped my tears, I reminded myself to be strong. I was here to take care of Liu Ren; how could I let myself cry?
"Liu Ren, please don't say that. Let's go see a doctor about your condition, alright?"
He shook his head. "The cancer cells are spreading too quickly." He coughed a few times and turned his face away from me. "Just thinking about those things inside my body fills me with fear and keeps me from sleeping. But as long as I'm alive, I want to live each day happily. I don’t want to see you anymore; you can go."
I clung to Liu Ren's arm; I didn't want to let go. I knew that if I stepped away, Liu Ren would disappear from my life once again. I couldn't let him treat me this way, nor could I allow him to be so cruel to himself.
I had to choose between my career and Liu Ren.
But Liu Ren wouldn't give me the chance.
"You are only my ex-wife now; you have no obligation to do this for me, and I don't want to see you anymore. Yifan, I don't like you anymore." But I once loved you. Liu Ren suppressed the sadness in his heart and ordered me to leave.
I had learned how to cling on stubbornly.
I tidied up the small courtyard where Liu Ren lived, drew him some water, and prepared a feast.
Every day, I imagined what it would be like to meet Liu Ren again after hearing that he had a terminal illness; there was no way I would give up on him.
"Come on, it's time to eat. Try my cooking."
You can't refuse someone who smiles at you; the more difficult the situation, the calmer I became. Liu Ren sat down and took a bite of the food, frowning slightly. Nervously, I asked, "Is it not to your taste?"
He didn't pay attention to me again until he finished all the food.
After I finished cleaning the dishes, I tidied up his room and found a pile of dirty clothes, which I patiently washed all of them.
Liu Ren's eyes were red as he asked me why I bothered. He was on the verge of death.
I said, "I don't believe it. A man as bad as you won't be taken by heaven. I must take good care of you!"
For the next few days, I handed over my tasks to the team because I didn't want to miss him again after finding Liu Ren.
Every day, I tried different ways to cook various delicious meals for him and bought him all kinds of nice clothes, dressing him neatly and cleanly.
I asked, "Liu Ren, don't you think you're a bit handsome?"
He quietly didn't answer me.
I asked again, "With so many nice clothes, aren't you tempted to try them all on?"
He still calmly ignored me.
I once more asked patiently, "The food I've made is so delicious. Aren't you planning to eat more? Even for a lifetime?"
He paused and said, "Aren't you going to take care of your work? Are you crazy?"
Yes, at the moment I couldn't find him, I had already gone crazy. The pain of losing him had left me defenseless. As long as he was alive and standing in front of me, I could do anything for him.
I pouted and said, "I've been laid off. How about we go to Beijing City and properly manage your condition?"
Liu Ren's eyes turned red again, struggling as if making a final effort, and said, "Okay."
I took Liu Ren to the best hospital in Beijing for an examination. The cancer cells in his body were already at the critical stage of mid to late development. If we waited a few more days, we would only be able to use medication to prolong his life, but it wouldn't be more than three years at most.
Now that he was brought in, the doctors were still holding consultations, and my heart was extremely anxious.
Fighting cancer is a huge undertaking,
but I absolutely will not give up.
After Liu Ren was pushed out, I tightly held his hand,
urging him to relax.
Liu Ren asked again, "Are you really not going to work?"
Had my previous workaholic image hurt him so deeply?
I deliberately said, "I've been laid off; I have to live off my savings! You need to get better; you can't fall down again, or I'll have to be laid off several times."
Liu Ren laughed at my joke but still awkwardly ignored me.
I rented an apartment near the hospital where Liu Ren was staying, cooking, doing laundry, and resting there.
Every day I went to wipe Liu Ren down, reminded him to take his medicine, and brought him food.
He remained very calm.
I wanted him to stay clean every day and maintain a happy mood.
I read the newspaper to him, read the news, and learned about cancer treatment for him.
He was losing weight day by day.
I wasn't doing much better.
Liu Ren's company had not been attended to for a long time.
Recently, several partners wanted to withdraw, and an owner from a manufacturing company approached me, wanting to acquire it.
After Liu Ren fell asleep at nine o'clock in the evening, I asked the nurse station to deliver breakfast to him the next morning.
I hurried back to Haicheng under the night sky.
In order to support Liu Ren in fighting cancer, my career had stagnated, and his company also halted its development. No one was working in the company, and it was in chaos.
The next morning, I attended a company meeting. I did not agree with the acquisition by a large company; this place was Liu Ren's hard work, and I wanted to protect it until he returned.
I kept the core team of the company and disbanded some small groups that were causing trouble.
I controlled the company's costs within a certain range.
I emphasized to the old employees that this company belonged to Liu Ren, now and in the future, hoping they could unite.
I took an afternoon flight back to Beijing City that day.
When I arrived at the hospital, I found Liu Ren sulking, having not eaten properly all day.
I walked up to him, wanting to criticize him, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything harsh.
Seeing me, he tightly hugged me, as if he thought I was leaving.
I told him, "I won't leave. We haven't won yet; we need to defeat cancer."
Liu Ren nodded and began to cooperate with me, gradually becoming more cheerful.
" Yifan, I want to eat fish, I want to eat braised pork, I want to eat Sweet and Sour Ribs."
He was now able to express his desires. I looked at him with a hint of annoyance and said, "Then you need to behave and go for treatment. I'll go to the market and buy them for you."
Liu Ren was taken aback but agreed. When I returned to the hospital with his meal, the doctor told me, "The treatment process is very painful; he didn't make a sound at all. He's really tough."
My eyes suddenly blurred with tears. Wiping them away, when I appeared in front of Liu Ren again, I still maintained my strong demeanor.
" Yifan, the sun is nice today. I want to go downstairs for a walk. I don't want to wear the hospital gown." Seeing his playful demeanor, one might think he was already cured and ready for discharge.
Considering how he endured the pain and quietly underwent treatment, I helped him change into new clothes.
" Yifan, I didn't have enough ribs today. Can we have some more tonight?" Seeing his good appetite made it seem like he was already healthy.
Given that he regularly had check-ups, took his medication, and went through chemotherapy without complaining of pain, I decided to make him a few extra pieces for dinner.
" Yifan, where's my favorite pair of socks?"
" Yifan, is today the day for my favorite Sweet and Sour Ribs?"
" Yifan, can we go downstairs for a walk today?"
" Yifan, can we watch a movie today?"
" Yifan, you've worked hard, really hard. It's because of me that you had to take a break."
He held my hand, his expression excited. We had completed the entire chemotherapy course, and the doctor was going to do the final check-up. Liu Ren had lost a lot of weight, but at this moment, there was light, warmth, and love in his eyes.
Another patient in the next bed had passed away, but both Liu Ren and I remained very calm. I must ensure he gets better and stands healthily in front of me every day. The winter chill had passed; spring had arrived. Sunlight streamed in through the window as Liu Ren, with my support, went in for his examination. During this time, with Liu Ren's changing condition, I hadn't been able to sleep well, but at this moment, I felt unusually calm.
I fixed my determined gaze on the doctor as his hand trembled while holding the examination report.
Liu Ren's hospital bed was now empty. I held onto the clothes he had changed out of during his cancer treatment and carried the food box as I walked towards the apartment building. I didn't take a taxi; instead, I walked to the entrance of the apartment building. The spring chill made my face ache slightly.
"Liu Ren, you're so lazy! Hurry up and wash your stinky socks! You've let them pile up for days; there are so many smelly socks!" I shouted at Liu Ren. He scratched his ear and once again gave me a promise. " Yifan, don't be angry! I'll wash them right away, really! Yifan, let's discuss something—I want us to remarry. What do you think?"
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