seven-year itch - Chapter 6

At the banquet, I could feel many envious gazes cast in my direction.

In fact, in these settings, many of the men have mistresses standing beside them-women they keep outside their marriages.

I’ve even seen a president, well into his fifties, nearly sixty, bald with a beer belly.

Despite such unattractive looks, every time he showed up, his female companion was always different.

Each one younger and more beautiful than the last.

Perhaps ordinary people would think of him as a scumbag, someone who lost his way after gaining wealth and became depraved.

But in our eyes, it’s not like that.

What we see is his successful career, his accomplished life.

While he enjoys the company of countless women outside, the wealthy wives of other families don’t ridicule his wife for his infidelity.

On the contrary, they try to curry favor with her, attracted by his power and status.

So I believe that infidelity isn’t entirely a harm to the wife.

With a broader perspective, am I not also providing her with a better life?

One cannot have it all.

Yet, I didn’t want Jiang Wan to know about Zhou Qing and me.

After all, we once loved each other.

We even have a daughter together.

So when she asked me to come home early, I agreed without hesitation.

I just didn’t expect Zhou Qing would make me so impulsive tonight.

It was as if I had returned to my youth, full of vigor.

That feeling-no man could possibly resist it.

Her perfect figure, wrapped in a form-fitting evening dress, was wildly igniting my desire.

At the banquet, Zhou Qing thoughtfully helped me fend off many drinks.

She said, “President Gu, drink less. You still have to go home and be with your wife and child later.”

But every time she said that, her eyes would turn even redder.

Her aggrieved, forbearing, and overly sensible demeanor was truly pitiful.

She downed glass after glass of red wine, so drunk she needed my support just to walk.

In the end, she melted into a puddle of spring water, coquettishly leaning against me.

Murmuring my name.

“Gu Ming, I love you. I really, really love you-no less than your wife does. I know my status isn’t honorable, but love doesn’t care who came first!”

After all, Zhou Qing was still just a young girl.

She wrapped her arms around my shoulders with childish affection, her tear-filled eyes gazing at me.

She was truly very drunk, so much so that she didn’t care about the crowds in the parking lot, and tried to sit on my lap.

I did not push her away.

Instead, I looked at her indulgently, wanting to see what she would do, what she would say.

Silently, I rolled up the car window and steadied Zhou Qing, who was still chattering and complaining.

“Gu Ming, do you know? Every time, I really don’t want to part from you. I want to stick with you forever, but I’m afraid you’ll be unhappy, afraid I’m taking up too much of your time.”

“But I’m also unwilling-why should it be this way? Is it just because I appeared later than Jiang Wan? But my love isn’t less than hers at all…”

In the end, she leaned against my ear, her voice soft and seductive.

“I’m wearing that lingerie you like best. Don’t go home tonight, okay?”