Waterbound Love - Chapter 29
Du Bai thought that Wei Qingqian was a real troublemaker, specially sent to torment her-and she had evidence to prove it.
Scene One:
Location: Du Bai’s living room.
“Don’t tell me you’re here to give me a gift; that packaging is far from exquisite,” Du Bai said, her head aching as she eyed the clutter of packages Wei Qingqian had placed in the living room. She hoped he wasn’t planning to move in.
“This house isn’t bad. I, the young master, will just have to make do with it,” Wei Qingqian remarked as he picked up a cup of coffee from the table and savored it.
Du Bai stared at the coffee cup. “Too honest for your own good,” she muttered. “People like him should be blacklisted-no more free meals or drinks in the future. Just serve him plain water.” She guessed that Wei Qingqian’s forlorn ripples were due to some romantic trouble, probably involving Rumor, which had driven him to seek refuge in her place.
Understanding that Du Bai was letting him stay, Wei Qingqian didn’t argue. After all, there would be plenty of time to wear her down. “Get me a room with sunlight. I’m dead tired.”
Du Bai raised an eyebrow, “Sleep in the living room. It has a balcony setup and the most space.”
“Hey, no way. I’m not sleeping in the living room.”
“That’s the only room with sunlight, and Yaoyao and I are using it. Unless you want to share?” she teased, succeeding in making Wei Qingqian blush. “What’s there to be shy about? We’ve slept together before, haven’t we, Little Shui?”
“Fine, the living room then,” Wei Qingqian swallowed hard. “Your living room is quite nice, heh.”
Scene Two:
Time: Four days later.
Location: Still in Du Bai’s living room.
Du Bai tried to carve out a corner on the sofa, but it was futile; Wei Qingqian’s belongings seemed to multiply by the day. She remembered him arriving with just one suitcase-where did all these things come from? He had neatly arranged his clean clothes on the left side of the sofa, his bedding in the middle, and dirty clothes on the right. Wait, dirty clothes? Damn it, her fabric sofa! She sighed, regretting not listening to advice to buy a tacky leather sofa.
Du Bai kicked Wei Qingqian, who was deep in sleep, “What’s with these clothes?” She pointed at the clothes lying on the sofa, her heart bleeding. She shouldn’t have been so soft-hearted. Her beloved sofa!
Wei Qingqian opened his groggy eyes, “Oh, those are worn. You were supposed to wash them.”
Cheeky brat, acting like I’m his full-time nanny, “And this? You want me to wash this too?” Du Bai held the hem of Wei Qingqian’s clothes, nearly at her breaking point. She held back, but the sound of her teeth grinding was unmistakably clear.
Wei Qingqian glanced over, shifted his position, and snuggled back under the covers, “You’re so silly. If you don’t want to wash them, just throw them away.” With that, he grabbed the clothes and tossed them over his head.
“Get up.” She continued kicking him, kicking hard to see how he could possibly continue sleeping.
“What now?” The woman was serious this time, kicking so hard it truly hurt.
“That room will be yours from now on. Within an hour, move all the trash, including yourself, in there and stay out of my sight.” She pointed to the room on the right.
Wei Qingqian squinted, “Didn’t you say there were no rooms left?”
Du Bai was oblivious to his dark expression, “No, I only said there were no rooms facing the sun.”
“So you mean the suffering I’ve endured in the living room these past few days is my own fault?”
As Wei Qingqian’s forehead vein throbbed, Du Bai’s eyes remained innocent, “It was you who said my living room was nice. I thought Young Master Wei had a natural preference for sleeping in the living room.” Her heart lightened at the sight of his anger.
Scene Three:
Finally, the setting wasn’t the living room anymore; it was the dining room.
“I want some Pork Jelly1,” Wei Qingqian said with a pitiful look, instantly igniting a flare of jealousy in her.
“Children can’t be picky eaters. You eat what’s made. Tonight, we’re having egg custard. It’s nutritious.” Seeing Wei Qingqian’s dismayed face, Du Bai felt immensely satisfied. She had long realized he was tired of that dish.
“No, no. Let’s have Pork Jelly. It’s good for the skin. You, with all your wrinkles, should definitely eat it.”
Upon hearing “all your wrinkles,” Du Bai laughed, her face wrinkling even more. “This is called maturity. I’m not giving you any, it’s too much trouble.”
“It’s not trouble at all. You can cut it into rectangles, squares, or even triangles. I won’t mind how you cut or arrange it.”
“That’s your hassle, not mine. Unfortunately, I don’t like rectangles, squares, or triangles. If you keep this up, we’ll switch to KFC.”
That evening, a round-shaped dish of Pork Jelly was prominently displayed on the table.
Wei Qingqian, holding a knife, smiled brilliantly, “How about that? My cooking isn’t too bad, is it? Does it have aesthetic appeal?”
Du Bai, face lined with frustration, “Don’t tell me you used a letter opener to cut this.”
“So, this is a letter opener? I thought it was sharp, handy, and easy to use.”
“Yaoyao, call for KFC delivery.”
“Sure, honey. Can I ask the delivery guy to take this fool away?”
“That would be too much for him. Remember to tip well.”
Wei Qingqian: “Wow, how can you guys be like this!”
Today, Tinna was dressed in a simple and comfortable dress, her soft beauty enhanced by the white. “Why are you still hanging around here?” she said as she tossed her phone on the bar counter. Two identical phones lay next to each other much like they used to, but were the owners of these phones still the same as before, or had the infusion of emotions inevitably changed them?
Holding a glass of wine, Du Bai watched as Tinna approached. “Don’t get me started; it’s just so annoying. I needed to get away for some peace.”
“Really? What’s going on?” Tinna asked casually, greeting her and then looking down, seemingly avoiding Du Bai’s gaze, pondering something.
Du Bai gave a bitter smile. “What exactly is it that makes you dodge me? Is it about that incident with Shadow?” Seeing Tinna turn pale, she added, “It seems I’ve overestimated myself. You still don’t trust me, do you?”
“No, it’s just-I just…” Tinna hadn’t expected Du Bai to be so direct.
“Is it that you don’t trust Ji Feiling?” Du Bai watched Tinna’s silence, struggling to calm herself. “In the end, it’s all for a man that you’d abandon me? If you want me to believe you, convince yourself first. After all these years, you’ve seen me through thick and thin, and yet that doesn’t compare to a brief romance with him? Well, it figures. After all, in half a month, you two will be each other’s support. I’m just an outsider.”
“No, Du Bai, it’s not like that,” Tinna began, but Du Bai raised her hand to stop her. The damage was done, and any further explanation would only serve as a prettified excuse.
“I’ll be leaving for half a month to give you the space you need,” Du Bai said as she closed her eyes. “I’m sorry I can’t attend your wedding. If you need, I can stay away from this city forever.” With that, Du Bai picked up the phone from the bar and turned to leave.
“No,” Tinna said, embracing Du Bai from behind. “I’m sorry, Du Bai, it’s not like that. I’m just too panicked. I shouldn’t have doubted you. I know, I know you care about Lian Yinyun. I’m sorry.”
Du Bai sighed resignedly, her heart softening. Turning around, she gently wrapped her arms around Tinna and wiped away her tears. “It’s okay. Me leaving is good for your wedding. There are too many unresolved issues in between. Don’t ask what they are, just trust that I won’t hurt you, okay?”
“But-”
Du Bai pressed a finger to Tinna’s lips. “No buts. I’m tired. Let me go back and rest.” With that, she turned and left.
Tinna, I may be disappointed but not disheartened, for everything I’ve done for you has been out of my own free will. Such an outcome seems both unexpected and inevitable, yet I carried on, prepared to be hurt. But I didn’t realize that being prepared for the impending pain would still hurt so much.
As Tinna watched Du Bai walk away, it felt like a final farewell, a step out of her own world. Her hand gently rested on her abdomen, her face illuminated with a kind glow. “I’m sorry, Du Bai, but I must protect my happiness. Baby, am I being too selfish?” Tears slowly streamed down, unstoppable and unintentional. Let it be the final rite of a tribute, even if it means bidding farewell to a profound love.
The sound of a phone snapped Tinna back to reality. Du Bai must have been furious to leave with the wrong phone-a person usually so meticulous, a bitter smile crossed her lips. Seeing the unfamiliar number on the screen, she was reluctant to engage but the persistent phone left her no choice. As she was about to speak, a familiar voice left her speechless.
“Du Bai, tonight at 10:00 PM at 43 Guoyun Road, let’s clarify things and make it our final closure.” After hanging up, a chill ran down Tinna’s spine; the voice that once warmed her heart now chilled her to the bone. Why did it come to this? No, she had to believe in Du Bai. Maybe it was best to see for herself. Resolved, Tinna stepped out of Somn, her figure swallowed by the darkness, perhaps foreshadowing her future.
On the other end of the call, Ji Feiling was also contemplating. He didn’t know if Du Bai would come, but he had to try-after all, it was his child who had just been born and had not yet opened his eyes to the world. “Du Bai, tonight is a resolution, whether I succeed or not, all the hatred will dissipate by tomorrow. This is the only thing I can do for Tinna. As for you, let fate decide.”
“Baby, to ensure our true happiness, I need to do something. I’m sorry, I will make it up to you later.” After composing the message, Ji Feiling hesitated for a moment before deleting it completely.
“Baby, I’m waiting at home for you. Come back soon.”
Send-
This message’s sound was drowned out by the noisy crowd, robbing Tinna of a glimmer of hope.
The sky still carried everything silently, bearing the secrets of different regions. The twinkling of the stars seemed to be crying for help, but who could understand?
Footnote:
- Pork Jelly(猪皮冻): Pork Jelly, also known as “aspic,” is a savory dish made from pork meat and broth that is cooked and then cooled until it sets into a jelly-like consistency.
