Xu Miyu parked her car at the intersection, smoothly following the flow of traffic. All the cars in front of her passed through the intersection smoothly, but just at that moment, the red light suddenly illuminated.
As if carrying some metaphor.
Xu Miyu gripped the steering wheel, lifting her eyes to watch the seconds on the red light.
Back in the coffee shop, she had said Lu Zhenzhen was just making a fuss, but she herself seemed to be no different.
Speaking as if she really knew exactly what Nie Yucheng was like.
Suddenly, a horn behind her startled her, like a siren waking her up.
When she looked back, the red light had long counted down to the end, and the green light was flashing, the road ahead clear and unobstructed. Yet, it seemed unrelated to her.
As she pressed the accelerator, Xu Miyu’s gaze swept, and it seemed like she saw a chocolate shop on the side of the road. It had been a long time since she had eaten chocolate. In the past, when she felt sad and helpless while being single, she would secretly buy a small piece to eat. It was like an energy block, giving her the strength to quickly face life’s challenges.
Thinking that dopamine could make people happy, she turned around at the next intersection, parked the car on the side of the road, and went into the shop to buy a dozen or twenty pieces of dark chocolate to take home.
Sitting on the living room carpet, nibbling on the chocolate one by one, she told herself that all the troubles and pain would soon be washed away by this dark and bitter fellow, the unhappy eraser.
Thinking like this, she really didn’t feel so miserable.
In the afternoon, Xu Miyu received another call from Jiao Xiumei.
Jiao Xiumei, as usual, urged her to quickly control Nie Yucheng, “Buy a house for your younger brother! You’ve been married for six years, and your younger brother still doesn’t know the taste of a woman, isn’t he pitiful?”
Unable to bear it, Xu Miyu directly told Jiao Xiumei, “Mrs. Jiao, listen carefully. I don’t have time for your precious son right now. Your son-in-law is cheating!”
She thought her mother would stand on the same side as her upon hearing this explosive news. Even if she couldn’t personally defend her, she would at least scold the absurd son-in-law.
But Jiao Xiumei said, “Cheating? That’s great! Nie Yucheng now has a handle in your hands. Seize this opportunity and quickly squeeze him to buy a house for your younger brother!”
Xu Miyu was thoroughly shocked. She asked Jiao Xiumei loudly, “Do you only care about your precious granddaughter? Have you ever thought about me?”
Unfortunately, Jiao Xiumei didn’t buy her act. She shouted even louder, “Little excess, I worked hard to raise you up. How much money did our family lose because of your punishments when you were a child? I still haven’t thrown you away, sold you, or let you starve to death. Have you ever asked if I’ve thought about you? Back then, I really should have strangled you, this heartless one, to save some money for the family! Oh, speaking of rice, your brother is still hungry, waiting for me to cook. I won’t talk to you anymore. I told you what I just said. Think about it carefully, don’t be foolish. I’ll wait for your message…”
Before she could finish the last sentence, Xu Miyu had already hung up.
She thought she shouldn’t have answered Jiao Xiumei’s call. Her mother’s words only made her mood worse.
She tore open the chocolate wrapper, eating it fiercely, one bite at a time.
In the evening, Nie Yucheng returned home.
When he came back, Xu Miyu was curled up on the carpet asleep. There were chocolate wrappers all around her.
She had torn the foil into small pieces, vaguely forming a heart shape. It looked like her broken heart.
A wave of infinite heartache and pity surged in Nie Yucheng’s heart.
He walked quietly to the sofa, crouched down, and bent over.
Gently, and carefully, he lifted Xu Miyu.
He carried her to the bedroom.
As they passed the corridor, Xu Miyu woke up. Nie Yucheng lowered his head, meeting her eyes.
Her eyes were black and bright, staring at him directly. Very calm, yet full of hidden pain.
His heart tightened. At this moment, he realized clearly that, regardless of how tempting the outside world was, no matter how comforting the solace given to him, he still loved the woman in his arms.
She looked at him with her bright black eyes, and when she spoke, her voice was faintly hoarse.
She said, “Put me down.”
Then she said, “Let’s talk, Yucheng.”
The two sat side by side on the living room sofa.
It was too quiet. Xu Miyu turned on the TV, any channel would do, as long as there was some sound to break the awkward atmosphere.
The channel she randomly chose was a shopping channel. After the host enthusiastically sold a pot, a phone, and a set of jewelry originally priced at 88,888, now only 998, Xu Miyu and Nie Yucheng still didn’t say anything.
They were both watching the TV shopping seriously.
The next item was chocolate.
Xu Miyu finally found an opportunity to break the silence. She handed Nie Yucheng a piece of dark chocolate she had bought during the day.
Nie Yucheng took the chocolate, turned to look at her, hesitating.
He never ate snacks or anything like that.
“Eat it. Dark chocolate, it contains dopamine, it can make people happy.”
Nie Yucheng tore off the gold foil, took a bite, and immediately frowned.
“Bitter.”
Xu Miyu looked at him and finally smiled, “You’re such an adult, still afraid of bitterness. Only after bitterness comes sweetness.”
She finished speaking, and both of them were stunned.
Some shared, sweet memories emerged in the gaze of the two.
It was shortly after they got married. Nie Yucheng had caught a cold when he came back from a business trip, with a sore throat, but he refused to take medicine.
When Xu Miyu asked him why he wouldn’t take it, he frowned and said, “Bitter.”
Xu Miyu made him laugh in an instant. With a smile in her eyes, she comforted him, “You’re such an adult, still afraid of bitterness. Only after bitterness comes sweetness.”
Looking at her smiling eyes, he already felt a sweet sensation in his heart. After obediently taking the medicine, he suddenly pulled her into his arms, lowered his head, and kissed her.
There was still a bit of the bitter taste of medicine in his mouth, but it was immediately covered and overwhelmed by the sweetness of that kiss.
After a moment of hesitation, Nie Yucheng’s heart surged. He involuntarily leaned towards Xu Miyu, intending to kiss her.
Just before the sweet kiss after the bitterness was about to unfold through time and space, Xu Miyu slightly turned her head. Nie Yucheng’s lips landed on her cheek.
A teardrop was sliding down her cheek, falling into Nie Yucheng’s mouth, both bitter and astringent.
Nie Yucheng stood up straight, filled with regret and frustration.
Xu Miyu wiped away the tears with her hand, also erasing the traces of Nie Yucheng’s kiss. When she looked at Nie Yucheng again, she forced a smile towards him.
Then she asked him, “There’s a question I’ve always wanted to ask you. Back then, what did you actually like about me?”
Nie Yucheng looked into her moist, pure eyes, as pure and clean as when they first met.
It was at a city-wide university social event. He was a top student from a prestigious university, outstanding in both academics and looks, drawing much attention at the social event.
In contrast, she was a mediocre student from a third-tier university, dragged along by her college friend Li Qiaoqi.
At the social event, he was constantly surrounded by people talking to him, feeling a bit annoyed. So, he intentionally found a corner in the shade to take a break.
Unexpectedly, there was someone in the shaded corner. With a glance, he saw a girl.
However, the girl seemed even more awkward than him. Despite him being the later arrival, she acted as if she had intruded into someone else’s territory, full of self-blame and guilt.
She apologized while smiling at him in a coquettish manner. Her smile was charming, with beautifully arched eyebrows and a delightful angle at the corner of her mouth, revealing neat and white teeth. It was an indescribable sweetness that could grip one’s heart, making you inexplicably want to cherish her.
She immediately got up to leave, planning to leave the quiet space for him to enjoy alone. However, contrary to the usual practice of keeping a distance from girls, he unexpectedly asked her to stay.
“You don’t have to leave. It’s fine for us to stay here together.”
So she stayed, but felt even more awkward than before.
To ease her own discomfort, she took the initiative to start a conversation with him.
He found that every word she spoke hit the right notes, very accommodating and gentle, quite amusing. She was a girl who cared about others’ feelings.
Initially, he only intended to sit quietly for a while, but unexpectedly, they stayed together for a long time.
When they were about to part, the girl took out a chocolate candy from her pocket and handed it to him, saying, “Did you come here to escape because you’re upset? Here, eat this, and you’ll feel better. This was originally for my own courage, but I’ll give it to you now!”
Later, lying on the dormitory bed, he ate that chocolate candy and found it very sweet. Just like her smiling eyes, sweet.
He regretted not persisting in asking for her name before they parted, not getting her contact information.
When he asked for her name at the social event, she always avoided the question and changed the topic.
Fortunately, with determination, everything can be traced.
Through various intermediaries, he finally found the classmate named Li Qiaoqi who brought her to the social event that day.
Then, through Li Qiaoqi, he finally found her.
Initially, he invited her to dinner, but she always had reasons and various matters to postpone. At first, he thought the girl might not be interested in him. In that case, there was no need to be persistent, so he gave up.
However, the more he thought about it, the more unwilling he became. Even if she didn’t like him, she should give him an explanation in person.
So, he went to her school again, forcibly inviting her out.
Throughout the meeting, she kept her head down, her face red.
That shy appearance made it hard for him to believe that she didn’t like him.
So why did she avoid him?
Later, he gradually understood.
The girl felt that her family conditions were not good, making her feel inferior in front of him.
He encouraged her to talk about her family background, urging her to share what kind of family she came from.
She hesitated and told him that she came from a countryside family where males were preferred over females.
She had two elder sisters, and her parents were determined to have another boy, even resorting to having extra children. Fortunately, in the third pregnancy, they finally had a boy, but it was twins—a boy and a girl. Her parents considered the girl to be redundant and called her “Little Excess.” She had no presence in the family since childhood. She wanted attention, and causing trouble wouldn’t achieve that; it would only lead to scolding. She could only rely on being sensible, smiling, and working hard to please people. Even so, she remained ignored at home. She longed for attention and affirmation from her family.
She also mentioned that her family named children based on a family genealogy, and the children of her generation had names related to honey. Since she was often called “Little Excess” at home, her registered name became Xu Mi Yu (?) directly.
So, when people asked her name, she always unwillingly answered. Her name served as a constant reminder that she was excess.
After hearing all these, his pity for her surged like a torrent.
No wonder she hesitated to tell him her name. Because, for her, it was a reminder of being disliked.
No wonder she always considered others’ feelings when speaking, always saying things others liked to hear. Because if she didn’t, her presence at home would be even lower, and no one would notice her.
Knowing about her family background, he wanted to be with her even more.
He helped her change her name to Xu Mi Yu (?), meaning a sweet spoken language. From then on, she was no longer a redundant person; she was his sweet spoken language.
So looking back, how did he fall for her back then?
Perhaps his initial liking and love for her stemmed from that pity for her family background.
“I liked you back then because you were clean, had a good temper, always smiled and made people happy wherever you went. No one could argue with you. After learning about your family situation, I felt even more sorry for you. I wanted to give you a sense of belonging, help you change and improve your family’s attitude towards you, and give you a good and happy life.” Nie Yucheng looked into Xu Miyu’s eyes, answering her question, “I wanted to make you feel recognized and loved, to change your fate and bring you happiness.”
!
As the narrative unfolded, a heavy silence enveloped Nie Yu Cheng. He choked on his words, overwhelmed by the weight of his choices. Initially, it was his decision to face her family together, yet he reneged, tired and seeking solace outside. The irony of his existence struck him, as his initial tenderness towards her was rooted in empathy for her family, but now he was straying due to disdain for the same.
His voice faltered, but Xu Mi Yu smiled, gratitude coloring her reddened eyes. “Yes, because of you, I’ve had a few years of happiness. My family now values me, praises me, and acknowledges me. All thanks to you, Yu Cheng. Thank you and sorry for the trouble.”
Nie Yu Cheng, hearing these almost farewell-like words, felt a sharp pain in his heart. He couldn’t contain himself and pulled Xu Mi Yu into an embrace, shielding his tears from her view. His voice, thick with emotion, confessed, “Mi Yu, I made a mistake. Forgive me this time. Let’s live happily together. I can’t bear to miss your cooking, return to an empty house after a tiring day, without your massages. I was wrong; I can’t live without you.”
Nie Yu Cheng sniffled, trying to control his emotions. “It was my fault. Without your daily chores, care, and attention, my life becomes chaotic and dull. Mi Yu, give me another chance. I won’t be weak this time. I won’t use infidelity as an escape. I want to face your family together with you. Please, let’s try again.”
Xu Mi Yu rested her chin on his shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks. This was the first time she truly understood her contribution and value to this home. The awareness, comforting in ordinary times, felt unjustly poignant now.
“Let me think about it,” she said with a composed voice, determined to make her decision.
In the following days of attempting to restore their original connection, Xu Mi Yu couldn’t ignore the growing thorns between them. Questions unasked lingered as barriers, preventing them from getting close. The attempt to recreate their initial bond seemed futile, as the stains of infidelity proved indelible.
One evening, Nie Yu Cheng mentioned working late, and Xu Mi Yu received a photo from Lu Zhen Zhen, capturing a moment of intimacy between her and Nie Yu Cheng. The pain was too much to bear.
The next day, she orchestrated a scenario, claiming a power outage, leading them to a hotel. In the room, facing the bed, she felt a pang in her heart. Turning to Nie Yu Cheng, she almost reconsidered but hardened her resolve. She showed him the photo, and he explained it was him ending things with Lu Zhen Zhen.
Xu Mi Yu, unwilling to hear more, said, “Let it remain complicated. I chose this room because I fear my resolve might waver. Imagining you and Lu Zhen Zhen on this bed, touching, kissing, engaging in animalistic acts, will keep me steadfast.”
She smiled at him, reminiscent of the brightness from their first meeting. “Nie Yu Cheng, let’s get a divorce.”
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