"What’s the matter?"
When Wang Jian didn’t respond, Wang Xiang asked again.
"Nothing... I just zoned out for a moment." Wang Jian wasn’t just zoning out; he was clearly thinking about what to do with Xu Qian now that Wang Xiang was returning.
Wang Xiang was Wang Jian’s older brother, the family’s eldest son, and five years his senior.
Wang Jian and Wang Xiang hadn’t seen each other in eight years. In Wang Jian’s memory, his older brother was a person who loved to laugh; at least, that was how he remembered him. This was perhaps his deepest impression of Wang Xiang, and it might explain why they didn’t have much to talk about.
"What’s the train number?" Wang Jian asked, trying to sound cheerful. "I’ll arrange my schedule."
"K323... It should arrive at four-thirty in the afternoon. It’ll take some time to get out of the station, so just be there around then," Wang Xiang’s voice came through the phone. "Don’t tell your sister-in-law I’m coming back."
"Okay," Wang Jian agreed, then asked casually, "Why not?"
"Um..." Wang Xiang paused. He was still in the train car, and Wang Jian could hear the commotion in the background. After a moment of silence, Wang Xiang finally said, "You’re not married. You wouldn’t understand."
"Alright then. See you this afternoon."
Wang Jian hung up. Mulling over Wang Xiang’s reaction, a possibility dawned on him, and he sat dumbfounded on the stool. Has my sister-in-law already told my brother about the divorce?
The thought seemed highly likely.
With no patients at the clinic today, Wang Jian went straight home for lunch. His brother’s call had left him out of sorts, but he was completely blindsided to find that Li Liping and Xu Qian were still in bed when he arrived.
They’ve been sleeping since last night?
Wang Jian’s eyebrows shot up. He vaguely suspected that he had just stumbled upon a certain truth. He had sensed something was off about the two women after dinner last night. As he approached the door, about to knock, he suddenly heard movement from inside.
Xu Qian and Li Liping are clearly awake, so why haven’t they gotten up?
Wang Jian’s hand froze. His fist was already raised to knock, but he didn’t dare disturb them. He awkwardly turned and walked away.
However, the two women inside saw the shifting shadow at the door and realized someone had been there.
"Wait a second," Xu Qian said. "I think Xiao Jian was just at the door..."
"What time is it?" Hearing that, Li Liping fumbled for her phone. "Jeez, it’s almost one! I bet he’s starving. We slept until noon, so no one would have made him lunch."
Xu Qian tensed up at the thought of Wang Jian being hungry but forced herself to sound dismissive. "It can’t be that bad. He’s a grown man. How could he starve?"
"You’re obviously nervous, so why are you still acting angry?" Li Liping teased. "We talked for so long last night. Why are you still dwelling on it now?"
"Last night was last night," Xu Qian shot back, rolling her eyes. "I haven’t forgiven you, and I haven’t forgiven him for what you two did. Now get out, get out, get out! Scram from my bed!"
Despite the harsh words, Li Liping didn’t sense any real bite in them. But since it was getting late, she obliged and got out of bed.
As she began to put on her dress, she suddenly asked, "If Wang Xiang comes back, are you really going to go through with the divorce?"
Xu Qian stiffened for a moment but quickly composed herself. "Of course. If you were in my shoes, wouldn’t you? Besides, I’ve already told him. He’ll probably be back very soon."
"You didn’t mention that yesterday." Li Liping was genuinely surprised. "You move fast."
Xu Qian retorted, "Indecision only leads to more trouble. Weren’t you the one who said that yesterday?"
"That’s true," Li Liping said with a bitter smile, "but it’ll only be fine if Wang Xiang agrees. If he doesn’t, you’re in for a real headache."
"This..." Xu Qian paused what she was doing and turned to Li Liping. "This is nothing compared to how things were before."
"Are you going to tell Wang Xiang about you and Wang Jian?" Li Liping suddenly asked. "If this gets out, it could really hurt Wang Jian."
Xu Qian nodded. "I know. That’s why I’m not going to say a word. After what I told you last night, no fourth person will ever know."
"Have you thought it through?" Li Liping wasn’t surprised by Xu Qian’s words, knowing she had already made up her mind. "I support you."
Xu Qian gave her a sidelong glance. "Lucky you. Xiao Jian is a good man."
"No, no, no," Li Liping said, waving her hands dismissively. "How is it lucky for me? I’m not single."
"Pfft," Xu Qian scoffed. "And not being single makes it okay?"
Li Liping’s face flushed red. She said nothing, her silence speaking volumes.
When the two women finally got dressed and came out, they found a note on the dining table. It was from Wang Jian, informing them that Wang Xiang was coming back. Wang Xiang had explicitly told him not to tell Xu Qian, but Wang Jian had done it anyway.
Seeing the note, Xu Qian showed no reaction, save for a self-mocking sneer. "So he’s coming back after all. The divorce must be important to him, too, otherwise he wouldn’t be rushing back today."
"Just wait and see," Li Liping said, patting Xu Qian’s shoulder. They had said everything there was to say last night. Now, they simply looked at each other in silent understanding.
Wang Jian had already left and found a car.
Not many people in the village owned a car; the village chief’s family was one of the exceptions.
Li Dayu was one of the first to buy one, and it wasn’t cheap—a Cadillac SUV, a rare sight in the village. Sitting inside, Wang Jian couldn’t help but marvel at the perks of wealth. The interior of a luxury car was on a whole other level. Ordinarily, he would have chatted with the driver about the vehicle, but today, the driver was Li Shuang.
Li Dayu was out on business, and Wang Jian was in a hurry to pick someone up, so despite the awkwardness, he had no choice but to ask Li Shuang for a ride.
He’d thought Li Shuang would refuse, given their recent falling-out over the clinic, but she had agreed without a second thought. This led to the current, utterly silent ride.
How awkward was the atmosphere? Imagine your friend has a crush on a woman but fails to win her over. You not only succeed where he failed but end up in bed with her—and your friend walks in on you. Now, imagine the two of you are sitting in the same car.
The details were different, but the effect was identical.