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墨書 Inktalez
“In television dramas, there is always a scene like this: a man deeply loves a woman but cannot be with her, then encounters a substitute who looks very much like his beloved and marries the naive substitute. The substitute believes she has fallen into a happy situation, but then the man's beloved returns, and the substitute learns the truth and quietly exits…” Ling Xin said mockingly.
“Television also portrays how the man realizes that his past love has long become a thing of the past after being with his first love, and that the substitute has become his true love, leading him to pursue the substitute again. However, judging by Ling Xin's reaction, there is no joy in rekindling old flames; the complexity is certainly not as naive and simple as in television dramas.” Bai Tang pursed her lips, listening to Ling Xin continue her recollection.
“The first time I heard the name Nakamura Yoko was from Fumika Fujii, the sister of Fumika Fujii. Fumika is a straightforward girl and the only person besides Fumika who does not look down on me. It was because of her candidness that I learned Nakamura Yoko was Fumika's first love and that I bore at least a seventy percent resemblance to Nakamura Yoko…”
“Fumika had mixed feelings about marrying me—”
Ling Xin imitated the man's tone: “You two look very similar. When I first saw you, I really thought you were her. At that time, Yoko was marrying someone else, and I was in great pain. But then you appeared, and I thought it was fate compensating me for my love for Yoko. Back then, I truly regarded you as Yoko's substitute. However, after getting to know you, I realized you only resembled each other; your personalities and temperaments are completely different. I was attracted to your brightness and sincerity. Please believe me; I truly love you.”
“It was precisely because of this statement that I forgave him. How foolish I was! When I thought I could trust him, reality dealt me a harsh blow. During the year-end cleaning, I threw away an old wooden box thinking it was trash. As a result, Fumika got angry with me for the first time—she was furious!”
Ling Xin laughed self-deprecatingly: “Later I found out that the box contained all of Fumika's memories with Nakamura Yoko: high school textbooks, three years' worth of subway passes, and photos of the two of them. Ha ha. That time, my heart broke.”
“…Then I got accepted into Kyoto University. I called Fumika to celebrate, but he brushed me off with an excuse about being busy with work. At that time, I really thought he was busy and didn’t blame him. Instead, I went out to celebrate with several classmates from Huaxia.”
“I remember that noon I had some drinks, so I wanted to take a walk to sober up. Spring in Kyoto is beautiful. The early spring air filled this ancient capital; 350 cherry blossom trees at Heian Shrine were adorned with bright red buds waiting to bloom on the best days, while Someiyoshino Cherry Blossoms in Kyoto Imperial Palace were also waiting for their moment to shine. The graceful geishas in kimonos decorated the city’s scenery like flowers. Then I saw them embracing each other…”
“What did I feel at that moment? Disappointment? Heartbreak? Seeing my husband busy with work hugging another woman. Ha ha, what a complete fool I was!”
“I asked him if he still loved that woman; he only replied with three words: ‘すみません’.”
Bai Tang liked watching anime from Neon Country when she was young. Therefore, she knew a bit of simple Neon Country language: すみません means ‘I’m sorry.’
“Ha ha. How foolish of me! The truth was right in front of me, yet I still had to ask for punishment. I proposed divorce, but he surprisingly refused. I really don’t know what he was thinking.”
“So how did you end up getting divorced?” Bai Tang asked.
"All thanks to his relatives who look down on me, they would rather see Fujita Daisuke with Nakamura Yoko, a noble lady from our own country, than with me, an outsider without a family background. The Nakamura family's wealth is comparable to the Fujiwara Family in Neon Country, and both families would be pleased to see their children together. So, it would be best for me, the ugly duckling who stumbled into their world, to disappear."
"Did you lose your memory because..." Bai Tang was surprised; people from Neon Country really were something else.
"That's right, due to a car accident. Although I was rescued, I lost my memory and also the child I was carrying," Ling Xin said while stroking her belly, a hint of hatred rising in her eyes. "Fortunately, I had already signed the divorce agreement and sent it to Fujita Daisuke before the accident; otherwise, I don't know if I could have left Neon Country alive."
"Scum!" Bai Tang couldn't help but curse, then comforted Ling Xin. "Since you have nothing to do with Fujita Daisuke anymore, don't dwell on it. It's not worth torturing yourself over a scumbag."
Bai Tang thought Ling Xin was just struggling to accept her sudden recovery of memory.
Ling Xin forced a bitter smile. "I have to think about it because Fujita Daisuke has come looking for me now."
"He still has the face to find you?" How thick-skinned could he be!
Ling Xin sighed. "He doesn't know about the accident back then. Actually, he was quite a decent person back then; it's just that after years of fighting in the business world, he has changed a lot—becoming domineering and ruthless. He wants me to return to his side."
"And Nakamura Yoko? Does he want to enjoy the blessings of both?"
"Nakamura Yoko is dead; otherwise, why would he come looking for me as a substitute?" Ling Xin said self-deprecatingly.
"Damn!" Bai Tang raised her middle finger at Fujita Daisuke's shamelessness.
"I didn't agree to him, but he actually threatened me using my boyfriend!"
Ling Xin's boyfriend, Ma Congyun, is the owner of an online game company that developed a game quite popular among players. The business was thriving and originally planned for an IPO, but due to Fujita Daisuke's suppression, the game company couldn't go public and is now struggling to survive. Ma Congyun gritted his teeth and held on to the company, refusing to compromise with Fujita Daisuke and not giving up on Ling Xin as his girlfriend. Instead, it was Ling Xin who didn't want to drag him down and gave up everything in Magic City to return alone to the Provincial Capital.
"Fujiwara is forcing me to leave Cloud. Now that I’m gone, Cloud should be able to hold on."
"Aren't you supposed to stand by your boyfriend and face the pressure from the scumbag together, working hand in hand to finally defeat him and escape the predicament?"
"You've watched too many Television dramas." Ling Xin rolled her eyes at Bai Tang. "Bunri Group was founded during the Meiji Period. It started as a workshop for making lamps, and after several generations of management, it has now become a multinational corporation spanning multiple fields. In addition to expanding its original lamp business, its operations now include electronics, real estate, and shipping. The Fujiwara Family is large, with many members involved in politics or marrying for interests, which allows the Fujiwara Family to thrive in both political and business circles, playing a crucial role in the economy of Neon Country. The gap between Cloud's online gaming company and Bunri Group is like that between an ant and an elephant. I can't let Cloud go bankrupt; that company was created by him during college, like his child."
Her voice grew quieter as Ling Xin thought of her boyfriend who cares for her deeply, a flash of reluctance and sadness crossing her eyes.
Wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes, Ling Xin forced a smile at Bai Tang: "Thank you for listening to me. I've kept these thoughts bottled up for so long until now. Thank you!"
Bai Tang smiled: "It's nothing. I'm honored to be your sounding board. Don't worry; what you tell me stays between us."
"I believe you." After four years with Bai Tang, Ling Xin knew she wasn't someone who gossips, which is why she felt comfortable sharing her feelings.
After venting her thoughts, Ling Xin felt a bit lighter. Thinking about how worried her parents had been lately, she decided to buy some groceries to cook a nice meal for them and let them know not to worry about her; she had come to terms with things.
The two exchanged phone numbers, and as Ling Xin left, her steps were no longer as heavy as before.
"Xiao Xi, we're going back!" Bai Tang called out to the excited Child, who ran back happily with a flushed face covered in sweat.
Bai Tang handed a Sugar Figurine to Child, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat: "You little rascal, playing until you're all sweaty without worrying about catching a cold."
Child smiled shyly with pursed lips while Bai Tang took off his outer jacket and draped it over him: "Let's go home!"
The banquet had long ended, and the Bai Family had split into several groups—some playing Mahjong, some sunbathing, others taking naps… The tea garden was filled with harmony and tranquility. Xiao Xi rushed into the garden holding two Sugar Figurines, breaking the peace of the courtyard but bringing vitality to the garden.
"Grandma, look, Aunt bought me a Pleasant Goat!" The Child raised the Sugar Figurine high for Bai Ma to see.
Bai Ergu was quite surprised to see the Sugar Figurine: "They sell Sugar Figurine in the Park too?"
Aunt Bai: "Yes, they also sell Sugar Painting. Isn't there a push to protect and revive folk culture now? In these Parks in the Provincial Capital, not only are there Sugar Figurine and Sugar Painting, but also Paper Cutting, singing Drama, Juggling, and painting Traditional Chinese Painting... It's very interesting. After dinner, Bai Da and I went to the nearby Park to listen to people sing."
Aunt Bai laughed: "You two love singing opera, why didn't you go up and sing a few lines?"
Aunt Bai: "We did, but unfortunately we sang poorly and were chased off by others."
Everyone laughed.
Aunt Bai said: "Eldest Sister, Second Sister, do you remember our time? Back then, those who made Sugar Figurine would walk around with their wares on poles. You could exchange two Toothpaste Tubes for one Sun Wukong. We even went to the garbage dump to collect Toothpaste Tubes just to eat Sugar Figurine."
A nostalgic expression appeared on both Aunt Bai and Bai Ergu's faces.
"How could we forget! There were many children at home and conditions were tough. We sisters relied on collecting waste to pay for school fees, while Eldest Brother worked for others, and Second Brother took Third Brother to the river to catch fish and shrimp to improve our lives. Old Five was left in the care of Fourth Brother. Back then, we siblings were the most united in our hometown!" (To be continued)
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