Marriage Can Wait - Novelbike

The door slammed shut behind Xiao Chen with a resounding “bang,” echoing in Xiang Meilan’s chest, suffocating her with its weight.

He Songshi had anticipated that today wouldn’t pass peacefully, but he hadn’t expected the sisters to expose each other’s wounds so mercilessly.

Xiang Meilan retreated to the sofa, her gaze vacant as she stared at the door. Her sister had left, and the words that had cut so deeply now lay between them, unresolved and brewing more misunderstanding and resentment. Even when she realized in the car that her future was uncertain, she hadn’t felt this hopeless.

“I did use her,” Xiang Meilan thought to herself, “but don’t all adults have to consider their odds? She’s living off me, staying in my home, and I’m taking care of her child. Isn’t that enough?”

She was still caught up in the game of winning and losing, unable to break free from its chains. He Songshi walked over to the liquor cabinet, selecting a bottle of whiskey, and poured her a generous glass.

Xiang Meilan accepted the glass but couldn’t take a sip. She continued speaking to herself, “At least she has a fallback-me. I can support her for life. But what about me?”

Staring at the glass, she suddenly understood the allure of drinking away one’s troubles. The strong liquor burned her throat, its malt aroma rich yet overwhelming, and as she downed the glass, it stung her eyes and seared her chest.

He Songshi pushed a box of tissues toward her. With her competitive nature, she needed to overcome this hurdle herself to truly move past it.

“He Songshi, do you remember the night you went on a date with Zhou Yanyin and asked me to buy jewelry? I was in the store, surrounded by all those dazzling pieces, and I thought of my sister. I thought, men can’t be relied on, but I can support her for life, keep her elegant and beautiful forever…”

He wrapped an arm around her, letting her lean on his shoulder, and she finally let go, sobbing uncontrollably, releasing all her pent-up emotions.

He gently patted her back, soothing her, and then carried her to the bedroom, staying with her until she calmed down and fell asleep.

Before leaving, He Songshi left a note on Xiang Meilan’s desk.

The note read: “When you’ve figured it out, come find me.”

The next morning, when Xiang Meilan awoke, the house was as empty as her heart felt. She couldn’t decipher the note He Songshi had left on the desk.

She clutched the note in her hand, wandering into the kitchen. The table held only some bread bought days ago. Seeing the layer of dust on the toaster, she realized it had been a long time since she’d cleaned or eaten breakfast at home.

She slipped the note into her pajama pocket, spread some strawberry jam from the fridge on the cold bread, and called it breakfast.

At 8 a.m., she received a message from Chen Ke: “Meilan-Jie, someone gave me two tickets to the New Year market at the underground city on Peace Street. Want to go tonight?” Along with the message came the QR codes for the tickets.

Xiang Meilan immediately knew that Chen Ke must have heard about her suspension and wanted to cheer her up. Her heart warmed, and the cold strawberry jam tasted especially sweet.

“Sure, I’ll wait for you outside your company after work.”

“Okay, it’s a date!”

Chatting happily with Chen Ke, Xiang Meilan carried her coffee to the living room.

By 9 a.m., the company group chat was buzzing.

“Here’s a heads-up: Mr. Shan is coming at noon for an all-hands meeting about work discipline. Don’t go out for lunch; make sure you’re there, or you might be the example.”

This was a small group of about a dozen colleagues who were close to Xiang Meilan, the kind who would share a room on business trips and company gatherings, chatting about everything under the sun.

The group quickly started speculating: “I passed by the Administration office and heard someone messed up yesterday, which is why there’s a sudden meeting on discipline today. Anyone know who it was?”

“No idea.”

“Haven’t heard.”

“Unexpected overtime, so annoying.”

Xiang Meilan dared not speak up. But it wouldn’t be long before they all knew she was the one who messed up.

She curled up on the sofa, a thin blanket over her legs, incense burning, a book in hand, the room so quiet she could hear the neighbor’s bird chirping.

Life seemed leisurely, but inside, she was anything but calm.

Xiang Meilan could imagine Shan Yu’s all-hands meeting, where she would be singled out for criticism. The anticipation of being reprimanded was excruciating, more so than the direct confrontation with Shan Yu the previous day.

She imagined that after the meeting, someone in the small group might offer her a few words of comfort, saying things like, “It’s not a big deal; the money’s been docked, and you’ve been suspended.”

Or perhaps, “Think of it as an early vacation; everything will start fresh after the New Year.”

But for someone as proud and competitive as Xiang Meilan, it was hard to accept being pitied in her downfall.

Her mind in turmoil, Xiang Meilan set all her group chats to mute. Out of sight, out of mind, she chose to escape.

With her thoughts scattered, she flipped through the book, forgetting what she had read, and eventually closed it, deciding to go downstairs to buy groceries.

With the weekend approaching and He Xiaobo coming over, she figured she might as well use the time to practice cooking his favorite braised pork.

After shopping, she returned home, washing the pot and meat, slicing it into small pieces, boiling it to remove impurities, and browning it on both sides. She followed the recipe meticulously, crushing ginger and garlic, caramelizing sugar, measuring every gram of salt and spoonful of sugar. Xiang Meilan worked diligently for three hours, simmering the dish until the aroma filled the kitchen.

When the dish was done, she felt a sense of accomplishment and took a photo with her phone.

First, she shared it in the family group chat, and since she was in a cold war with her sister, she specifically tagged her mom: “I made this! Impressive, right?”

She waited a long time with no response. As the steam from the pot dissipated, Xiang Meilan served herself a bowl of rice and ate it with the braised pork.

The taste was just right-savory and sweet, the meat tender and melting in her mouth.

Pleased, she sent another message to her mom: “I ate a big bowl! Next time you come, I’ll make it for you!”

Still no reply. Scrolling through previous messages in the group, she realized her mom was traveling, likely in some remote mountain or desert with no signal, and wouldn’t be responding.

Her phone was unusually quiet today, with only a few work groups showing unread notifications. Unable to resist, she opened them.

Hundreds of messages across three groups, and only one mentioned her.

In the company’s main group, a new researcher asked, “Does anyone know when Miss Xiang will be in today? I have a document that needs her signature.”

The human resources manager replied, “Miss Xiang is on early leave and won’t be back before the New Year. Have your deputy director sign it.” It was a tactful way to cover for Xiang Meilan’s suspension, but it also clearly indicated that her authority had been transferred to the deputy director.

Beyond that, no one else mentioned her. The Human Resources Department’s simple statement satisfied everyone’s curiosity about Xiang Meilan. To them, she was no more than that. Any concern or sympathy was purely in her imagination.

Disappointment and dejection, like the encroaching night, slowly consumed the optimistic facade she had built for herself.

She turned on all the lights in the living room, the brightness offering a brief comfort, and it was then that Chen Ke’s call came through.

Remembering their evening plans, Xiang Meilan, feeling a bit more cheerful, suggested, “Chen Ke, why don’t you come over for dinner? I made braised pork. We can eat and then head out together.”

But Chen Ke’s apologetic voice came through, “Meilan-Jie, I’m swamped with work and can’t leave on time.”

“Oh, I’ll wait for you then.” Xiang Meilan’s spirits dipped slightly.

Chen Ke continued, “I probably won’t make it today. You should find someone else to go with. Is your sister home?”

“Yeah. I’ll ask her. Thanks.”

Not wanting Chen Ke to know how down she felt, Xiang Meilan quickly ended the call. As for going with her sister, they hadn’t spoken all day, and her sister hadn’t even replied to family group messages.

Family, friends, colleagues-everyone was busy with their own lives. All day, it felt like she had been forgotten.

As night fell, Xiang Meilan donned her coat and headed to Peace Street alone.

The underground city market was bustling, festive music filling the air. Everywhere, people in bright colors laughed and celebrated. It was a time of harvest, rest, and family reunion, capturing much of life’s happiness.

Xiang Meilan found herself uplifted by the atmosphere, her mood gradually improving.

Yet, she was alone, without even someone to take a photo with her.

After grabbing a bite, she returned home early.

Back at home, the braised pork in the pot was completely cold. It was then she realized that even though she lived in a luxurious house, she was alone, with no one to share her joy.

She recalled the spider she had seen in the corner that morning, feeling a kinship with it. Perched on its intricately woven web, full of pride and accomplishment, yet utterly alone.

Once more, she curled up on the sofa, this time turning off all the lights, letting the darkness envelop her. The silence was broken only by the occasional hum of the refrigerator.

Her hand slipped into her pajama pocket, finding the note He Songshi had left. It felt warm in her hand, as if it still held his warmth.

Suddenly, Xiang Meilan longed to see him, to hold his warm, strong hand.

She grabbed a coat from the rack, threw it over her shoulders, and headed straight to Building 1. Standing outside, she pressed the doorbell to He Songshi’s apartment.

He had said that as long as she turned around, he would always be there.

The cold wind bit at her cheeks.

Xiang Meilan waited outside the door for several minutes, but there was no response.

She called him, and after two rings, she remembered that He Songshi’s doorbell was connected to his phone. Even if he wasn’t home, he would receive a notification.

She quickly hung up.

Fear crept in, the fear that when she turned around, he might no longer be there.