Waterbound Love - Chapter 37

“Old Wei, this is for you, I hope you accept it with a smile,” said Du Bai as she symbolically pushed the box across the table.

Master Wei did not look at the gift on the table, but stared intently at Du Bai. “You’ve come all this way, girl, there was no need to bring anything.”

Du Bai just smiled. It didn’t really matter if it seemed excessive; the cost had certainly been significant. Her card was maxed out; she should have stolen a few famous paintings from her grandfather’s study, then it wouldn’t be her suffering the heartache.

“Grandpa Wei, Du Ruo is here to repay a favor. She knows you wouldn’t stoop to demanding favors from the younger generation, and there’s nothing you can’t handle. She just wants to see if you have any orders for her,” Du Bai said with a respectfully ingratiating expression. She wasn’t holding out for a victory in this duel with the old fox; she just wanted to get straight to the point and make it quick.

Master Wei looked at Du Bai and understood everything. This clever fox, although it was all just courteous talk, managed not to give anything away. She was indeed the perfect choice. “What if I really did mind?” he said with a laugh as he looked at Du Bai.

Du Bai still smiled gracefully. “You must be joking, Grandpa Wei. Just give your orders.”

“Good, you’re clever enough, girl. No wonder Old Du is reluctant to marry you off to our family. I really like that about you, and I do hope you’ll marry into our family soon.”

“Grandpa, you’re teasing Du Ruo again. How could she possibly decide such a thing? It’s not right to joke about matchmaking like this.” She gave Master Wei a coquettish look, full of bashful girlish charm, thinking to herself how cunning the old fox was, yet her own grandfather was endearingly sly and adorable.

“Dad, might I have a word with Du Ruo in private?” Wei Wen saw Du Bai’s discomfort and spoke up to relieve her. Master Wei, who was always indulgent with his late-in-life son, agreed without hesitation. “Alright, let the young people talk. I suppose I’m just in the way here.”

With permission granted, Wei Wen led Du Bai out of the living room to the pavilion in the back garden. For a moment, both were silent.

“You wouldn’t have gone through all this trouble just for me to enjoy the view of the Wei Family’s garden, would you?” Du Bai asked coldly.

Wei Wen’s lips curled slightly. “What if I said that was exactly why?”

“Then I really would be fortunate to have the makings of a femme fatale,” she replied.

Du Bai turned her gaze towards Wei Wen, “Wei Wen, I never like to drag things out, and you should know that I’m ready to take on Ji Feiling. Name your terms for not helping him.”

Wei Wen chuckled lightly, caressing the scar on his forehead, his voice casual, “You’re quite direct, aren’t you? What would you say if I proposed an engagement?” His tone was joking, but his eyes were dead serious. His hands, tightly clasped under the table, betrayed his tension.

Du Bai simply looked at him intently, her eyes deep and inscrutable.

“What if I say marry me, and I won’t just refrain from helping him-I could also help you achieve the outcome you desire to the greatest extent possible. How would you consider that?”

Du Bai just smiled broadly, “It’s a deal.”

Hearing such a straightforward response, Wei Wen didn’t feel the joy he expected, instead furrowing his brow, “Don’t you need to think about it?”

Du Bai raised an eyebrow, “It seems that’s not for you to say, is it? Isn’t my answer exactly what you should hope for?” She brushed a fallen leaf off her shoulder and continued, “If it means achieving our initial goals in the shortest time and doing the most efficient thing, why wouldn’t I be for it?”

“And what about you? What are you sacrificing for?”

Du Bai looked at Wei Wen seriously, almost as if staring at a monster she had never seen before. “In your view, you think marrying you is a sacrifice? Haha, that’s really quite funny. It seems that’s not a question you should be asking either.”

I’ve lost enough, and there isn’t much left for me to sacrifice, so why not throw this marriage into the mix?

Wei Wen, you really don’t understand me. From the moment you blackmailed me, in my heart, you became just like those who persecuted me-resented. Your guilt-ridden words are so feeble compared to your actions, mere crocodile tears to me.

After the news of her engagement to Wei Wen spread, Du Bai knew Shen Yan would come looking for her, but she hadn’t expected it to be at the engagement party.

Getting engaged and then waiting at least a year to get married was a waste of time in Du Bai’s eyes, but it was an unwritten rule in their circle that she begrudgingly respected. Thankfully, this rule gave Du Bai a moment to breathe.

Du Bai rolled her eyes at Shen Yan’s rage in front of her, the room trashed as if a quake had hit it, acting as if he didn’t consider himself an outsider, especially in front of her, soon to be half the master of the Wei Family home.

“If you called me here just to watch you smash things, you probably don’t have much left to break, and I’ve seen enough. If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.” She started to walk away, but before she could open the door, she was grabbed and pulled into an embrace. Du Bai didn’t struggle.

“Don’t leave, I can help you. Why do you need to go to him?” Shen Yan clung tightly to Du Bai, her cheek constantly rubbing against the top of Du Bai’s head, making her feel uneasy.

“You helping me only gives me a fifty percent chance of success. I like the feeling of having everything under control. Wei Wen can offer that kind of support, and I intend to take it from him,” Du Bai said coldly. “Besides, if it fails, it will cost you everything. Let me go, the event is still going on.”

“No, no, I won’t let go. You know, I love you,” Shen Yan pulled Du Bai from her embrace, gripping her as if mustering all her strength to convey her feelings.

“You love me? Haha,” Du Bai laughed softly, her laughter filled with sarcasm. “I know that. It’s exactly because I know, that I brazenly take advantage of your love, and you know this too, don’t you? What’s your point in saying it now? You should know, to me, people who are of no use are nothing, and so are you.” Seeing Shen Yan’s pale face, a thorn seemed to pierce Du Bai’s heart, bringing a cold, lingering pain. Gritting her teeth, she added, “You should also know, by declaring this love, you’ve also lost the right to stand by my side.” Perhaps, just as Wei Jia once said, pushing them away is a kindness. I only bring pain to those around me. Du Bai scoffed at herself, realizing she had never truly stepped out of Wei Jia’s shadow.

Initially angry, Shen Yan now sat quietly in a secluded spot, her back to Du Bai. Looking at her fragile, lonely silhouette was heart-wrenching, and Du Bai suddenly felt a sourness in her eyes.

“Du Bai, I’ve been thinking a lot lately, how you could fall for Lian Yinyun’s simple and contented charm; is it because my love isn’t strong or deep enough?” Shen Yan shook her head, her tongue briefly licking her somewhat moist, cracked lips. Her mouth stubbornly twisted into a smile despite the bitterness. She looked up, struggling to hold back the unfamiliar tears from falling. Not yet, they can’t fall yet, let me be a bit more carefree. Please, don’t come out. “No, maybe you don’t love anyone. You just seek your value through them, needing to be needed by them. You love yourself the most, quickly withdrawing the moment you’re about to feel something, so you won’t get hurt by others; yet you don’t love yourself, refusing to quietly enjoy the pampering of happiness. It’s always been you who hurt yourself. Your sadness, your pain, your hatred, everything about you is just to find a reason to feel alive and to cope. You’re just a pitiful child.”

“Shut up, stop talking,” Du Bai said, standing quietly with her back straightened, a hint of menace flashing in her eyes.

Shen Yan chuckled, “You don’t even feel the rage, just as I said. Your heart is like that of a dead person, incapable of being stirred. You’re trying to act normal, afraid of your own calm. Over time, you’ve even confused yourself-whether it’s a façade or your true self.”

“Shut up. Don’t think that just because you’ve been in my bed you understand me,” Du Bai retorted sharply. “I can clearly tell you that it wasn’t the soul connection you think it was. It was merely a way to alleviate my guilt, meaningless to me. If you think it’s not enough, I acknowledge your needs, but make it quick. Once I’m labeled as Wei Wen’s, I couldn’t care less. The trouble is yours. If you want revenge, I don’t mind, but remember to make it harsh.” Even though Shen Yan couldn’t see, Du Bai shrugged her shoulders as if for her own sake and walked towards the door.

“Don’t talk about yourself like that. I won’t hurt you again. As you wish, I won’t get involved. But I won’t thank you for keeping me out of it,” Shen Yan said, her voice smooth but slightly choked.

Upon hearing this, Du Bai paused, took a deep breath, vigorously wiped away her tears, and left without hesitation, with no trace of reluctance.

When the door closed, Shen Yan couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and they burst forth. Just this once, she indulged in a womanly cry, letting herself sob audibly. She had been strong for so long; just this once, she begged for a little time to be weak.

It had been so long since she had cried. She thought she could not cry-not when her brother died, not when her mother took her “life,” not through any hardships that could have brought tears. Shen Ai, just this once, cry as Shen Ai, then continue being the poised Shen Yan, returning death to you.

That gloomy day, even as the setting sun weakly shone through the clouds onto Shen Yan, she did not stop crying. Those who do not normally cry do not know how to stop-perhaps she meant to cry herself dry.