"Xue'er, what are you doing...?"
"I just have one question for you," Jiang Xue said coldly, cutting off Xiao Ming, "where is the property deed?"
Xiao Ming was bewildered, "What property deed?"
Jiang Xue grabbed her suitcase and started to leave, but when Xiao Ming caught hold of her, she violently shook him off.
"Don't touch me!"
"What on earth happened?" Xiao Ming panicked, "Even if it's death, you should let me die knowing why!"
"Are you still pretending? Only you and I have the keys to the house, and now the property deed is gone. Could it have flown away on its own?"
Fresh tears fell from Jiang Xue's eyes, a mixture of agony and disappointment.
The property deed is gone?
Xiao Ming didn't expect this, and he defended himself, "I didn't take it! Really, Xue'er, believe me, I have money now, there's absolutely no need for me to take it."
He took out his mobile phone, wanting to show Jiang Xue his bank account, but Jiang Xue just shook her head and continued walking towards the door.
"That's right, it's not just the two of us that have keys to the house, your mother has a set too.
I even saw her at home this afternoon," Xiao Ming recalled urgently.
Jiang Xue paused in her steps, slowly turning around, her face not showing the relief he expected but thick disbelief, as if she were truly seeing him for the first time.
"Xiao Ming, do you know why I've put up with you for two years?
Because although you've been a drunkard and gambler, you've never laid a hand on me.
Just like you said, no matter what, you've never been worse than a beast, so I've always had hope in my heart, hoping that one day you would have a sudden realization.
Even just now, I was thrilled that you finally seemed to be turning a corner.
But unfortunately..."
She let out a bitter smile, her tears falling like beads off a string—each one causing Xiao Ming both frustration and heartache.
"To clear your own name, you actually throw your dirty water on my mother. Our names are the only ones on the property deed, what could she do with it?
This excuse is so pitiful it wouldn't even fool a child, and yet you came up with it.
Xiao Ming, you've let me down too much."
"But I really didn't take it!"
Having lost even the most basic trust, Xiao Ming wished he could carve out his heart to prove his innocence, but all he could do now was to stand in front of Jiang Xue.
Jiang Xue forcefully wiped away her tears, looking at him as if he were a stranger.
"Xiao Ming, don't force me to make a decision while I'm angry."
Xiao Ming, helpless, suppressed the despondency in his heart and said tenderly, "Alright, I won't force you, but it's very late now, and it's not safe for you to go out alone."
"I don't want to spend another minute under the same roof as you."
"Then I'll leave!"
Xiao Ming grabbed his keys and jacket, opened the door, and tried to muster a smile, "Be a good girl, go back to your mother's house tomorrow, don't make me worry.
Besides, whether you believe it now or not, I'm truly not the man I was yesterday, not even the man I used to be.
Because now I love you more than ever, more than I did two years ago!"
The door closed, and Jiang Xue couldn't hold back any longer, she crouched down and wept bitterly.
After smoking three cigarettes in a row downstairs, Xiao Ming's anguish eased slightly. He looked up at the still-lit home and sighed deeply.
His actions from the past two years had built a strong wall in Jiang Xue's heart that was not going to be easily breached with just a bit of tenderness and sweet nothings.
Only genuine actions, a change so great it could be seen at a glance, was their only chance of reconciliation.
Wallowing in pain wasn't Xiao Ming's style. Since this wish still needed time, he might as well fulfill another wish in the meantime.
Leaving the neighborhood, Xiao Ming took a taxi to the old city and entered a three-story concrete building with the sign "Friendship Inn."
At the top of the stairs on the second floor, a brawny man in a vest was eating watermelon. Upon seeing Xiao Ming, a sly smile crossed his face, "Yo! Ming's here! Just yesterday you borrowed a hundred thousand, and today you've got money to play again?"
"I've come to repay the money." Xiao Ming sat down across the table, "Please trouble Qiang to bring the IOU."
Liu Jianqiang was taken aback; his expression grew dark, "Looks like you struck it rich today.
You want to repay the money? Fine, but you've got a one-month term, and not a cent less of the thirty days' interest can be spared.
Plus, for early repayment, you'll need to pay a fee, according to the rules."
Xiao Ming narrowed his eyes, "How much?"
"Ten percent."
"Are you joking? With that logic, wouldn't it be better to repay after the due date?"
Liu Jianqiang lit a cigarette, "Usually, yes, but you said you wanted to repay today, so things have changed."
"What's changed?"
"We've just decided to raise the interest rate today. You owe a hundred thousand, and in a month, you must repay one hundred and eighty thousand with the principal and interest included.
Unless... heh heh heh, you keep playing, we're still friends, and naturally, friends can negotiate anything."
Xiao Ming understood. They didn't mind him repaying the money early; they just didn't want to do a one-off deal.
Earning some interest on a hundred thousand bucks is nothing compared to sucking every last drop of oil from someone trapped in a gambling den.
This was beyond unscrupulous; it was utterly inhuman.
Shaking his head, Xiao Ming suddenly grabbed Liu Jianqiang's hand and pressed it firmly on the table, then he picked up the watermelon knife and thrust it into the table between his index and middle finger with a thud.
"I've promised my wife I'll never gamble again, so sorry, but let's play a more thrilling game instead."