"Wow! This place is really nice!" Ren Qiuli stepped into Du Yuheng's territory for the first time. "No wonder you're a big boss; you really spare no expense." He bought a high-end residence of fifty pings in the prime Xinyi District.
Today was a day off for the flower shop, and coincidentally, it was also during Ren's strike. So, with the two little ones at kindergarten and Du Yuheng at work, she and Jiang Yizhou decided to rebel and have their Women's Talk.
A week ago, Ouyang Xiaoqing was hospitalized due to illness, giving Du Yuheng a chance for self-reflection. They reached an agreement to establish a harmonious family environment.
Now, Du Yuheng still returned home every evening for dinner, played with the kids, and tried to engage her in conversation. She, too, would sometimes join in their games—everything felt completely like a family.
However, they still slept in separate rooms.
"Xiaoqing, are you happy?" Jiang Yizhou asked, feeling that her friend carried a clear sorrow in her brow. "Although I'm a bit slow, I can tell you're not happy."
"Wow! The little dimwit is finally waking up!" Ren Qiuli teased as she patted her head. "It's rare for you to notice; married women really are different."
"Qiuli!" Why did she always have to bring this up?
"Who told you to get married without notifying anyone?" Ouyang Xiaoqing also smiled. "You had it coming."
It was indeed funny. Ren Qiuli believed she would never forget this incident.
Turns out Jiang Yizhou had obediently let Jiang Yunxiao take her back to Puli for the New Year, and when she came back to Taipei, she didn't even realize she had been slipped a wedding ring. She excitedly talked about how cute the ring was—
"Hahaha…" Just thinking about it made Ren Qiuli burst out laughing. "Who gets married and still looks so innocent?"
"I really was innocent!" Jiang Yizhou retorted sulkily.
"Forget about that—" Ouyang Xiaoqing was almost doubled over with laughter. "You can't just say you don't live with Yunxiao; you two are a couple."
"Don't worry—" Ren Qiuli waved her hand dismissively. "That guy Jiang Yunxiao comes back every night anyway. You probably don't know, but he bought the whole building." Thanks to him, she no longer had to worry about rent.
"Qiuli!" Jiang Yizhou exclaimed.
"I'm not saying he does anything in your room every night; why are you so nervous?"
"Ren, Qiuli!" She was genuinely upset now!
"Alright, alright, I won't say it again, okay?"
"That's more like it."
Ouyang Xiaoqing laughed. "At least you guys have something to argue about." She turned to Ren Qiuli. "But you, Qiuli, when are you going to agree to marry Ziping?"
Ren Qiuli rested her hands behind her head. "Let's talk about it later!"
"Talk about it later?" Jiang Yizhou chimed in. "You're the only one of the three of us who isn't married! Didn't you say you'd wait until everyone had a home before you got married?"
"Get your facts straight!" Ren Qiuli glared at Jiang Yizhou.
"What?"
"Out of the three of us, you're the only one who's married; Xiaoqing is only engaged." Whether they could actually get married was still uncertain—she kept this thought to herself, fearing complications.
"Is that so?" Jiang Yizhou scratched her head and thought for a moment. "It does seem like it!"
"Of course it is!" It wasn't just a seeming; it was the truth!
Ouyang Xiaoqing looked down at the ring on her finger—this style, Du Yuheng had one exactly like it, just larger, a men's ring.
Matching couple rings selected and worn by them insulted the rings' significance of connecting lovers and binding them for life; he and she should not use rings to trap each other's happiness.
"...Xiaoqing! Xiaoqing!"
Huh? Who called her?
"What are you daydreaming about?" Ren Qiuli lightly pushed her when she didn't respond. "Did you understand what I just said?" She was really worried.
"I… I understood!" In truth, she hadn't heard anything at all.
"Then, good. Kainan and Kaifeng are coming back with me and Yizhou today."
"Why?" Ouyang Xiaoqing was taken aback.
"Didn't we just agree?" Great! She could play with them all night and even sleep together—so wonderful.
"Did we?"
"Xiaoqing—" Ren Qiuli looked at her helplessly. She really hadn't been paying attention. "We decided to take the kids back so you can try to communicate with Du Yuheng alone tonight."
"Communicate? Communicate about what? There's nothing I need to talk to him about."
"It'd be strange if there was nothing." She wasn't going to let her off the hook. "If there's nothing, why do you look so down? Xiaoqing, this isn't like you."
"Right, this isn't like you," Jiang Yizhou agreed.
She didn't want to feel this way, but this lifestyle made it impossible for her to be optimistic. She had thought about adjusting her mindset, but all that lingered in her mind was one question—if he didn't love her, why force herself to live under the same roof with him?
This question spiraled endlessly in her heart, unable to be shaken off or forgotten. How could she be happy?
"Sometimes things aren't as bad as you think," Ren Qiuli said, looking at Ouyang Xiaoqing with a hint of nostalgia. Over the years, Xiaoqing's optimistic nature had been worn down by reality.
"Talk to Du Yuheng; he's not an unreasonable person." In fact, anyone could see he had special feelings for Xiaoqing.
Jiang Yizhou nodded. "Exactly! When you were hospitalized last time, he stayed by your side the whole time!" Just thinking about it made her feel so touched.
Ouyang Xiaoqing knew that, but she had her own explanations for his care. "That's because he thought he was the reason I got sick."
"Stubborn as a mule," Ren Qiuli scoffed at her explanation.
"Just give it a try!" Jiang Yizhou moved to sit beside Ouyang Xiaoqing and leaned on her. "Isn't it better to lay everything out on the table? You can express what you're thinking, and he can share his thoughts too; being honest with each other helps avoid unnecessary misunderstandings! Right, Qiuli?"
"Exactly." Wow! This girl suddenly got smart and started making sense. "It's rare for Yizhou to say something so reasonable; at least you should try it her way."
"What?!" Jiang Yizhou protested, feeling dissatisfied.
Ouyang Xiaoqing still hesitated. "But…" She was genuinely afraid of talking to him alone. "When the kids are around, I can still chat with him, but if you take them away, then I—"
"That's why I said to talk to him alone! Having the kids around might actually be a hindrance; some topics are not suitable for children."
"Right!" Jiang Yizhou nodded vigorously, but—"What topics aren't suitable for children?"
Ren Qiuli rarely showed enthusiasm, but now she playfully hooked her arm around Jiang Yizhou's shoulder and smiled ambiguously. "If it's not suitable for children, then of course you're not supposed to know. Got it?"
"Oh, I get it." The naive "child" responded.
"Qiuli! I can't believe you think that about me and him!" Ouyang Xiaoqing snapped.
"I didn't 'think' anything," Ren Qiuli shrugged. "I just told you to 'do' it. Go ahead and take action."
"Qiuli!" Ouyang Xiaoqing's face turned red immediately. "That's impossible!" What kind of ridiculous idea was in Qiuli's head?
Ren Qiuli winked at her. "Have you really not—after being with him for so long?"
"Qiuli!"
"Is it possible? Is Du Yuheng really that 'useless'?" Ren Qiuli muttered, her voice just loud enough for Ouyang Xiaoqing to hear.
"Of course not!" Ouyang Xiaoqing quickly defended herself. "It's because we sleep in separate rooms!"
"He doesn't sleep with you?" Then why did he want her to live with him?
"Mr. Du sleeps separately from you?" Jiang Yizhou asked. Wasn't that the same as her situation with Yunxiao? "Yunxiao and I are in the same situation."
"It's not the same, okay?" Silly girl! "Jiang Yunxiao would never leave you, his little sheep, grazing alone on the mountain. That big bad wolf always wants to eat you!"
"Of course not! I'm still alive!"
Ren Qiuli rolled her eyes in exasperation. Oh—could someone come and take a knife to end her and Yizhou's suffering? She couldn't take it anymore. The topic seemed to have drifted again, all thanks to Jiang Yizhou.
"Anyway—" Ren Qiuli delivered her final ultimatum. "You have to listen to me today. Whether you end up reaching an agreement or not, if you don't want to maintain a frosty relationship with Du Yuheng for the rest of your life, then you need to talk to him. It's best to straightforwardly ask him if he loves you or not—simple and clear: love or not love. Do you understand?" She was tired of seeing Xiaoqing worry and frown every day. Of course, she believed Du Yuheng had feelings for Xiaoqing; as for the depth of those feelings, she wasn't skilled enough to figure that out.
Ouyang Xiaoqing chewed on Qiuli's words in her mind. Change the situation… she thought, she definitely wanted to!
"Just give it a try!" Jiang Yizhou joined in on the encouragement. "It's not like you'll lose a piece of meat."
"This—I'm a bit scared…"
"Drinking a bit might give you courage!"
"But…"
"There's nothing to be afraid of!" Ren Qiuli pulled Ouyang Xiaoqing close and started her pep talk. "You just need to…"
Can I really do this? The more Ouyang Xiaoqing listened, the more she doubted the feasibility of the whole thing.
Can it really work? She was truly, truly skeptical.
As she stepped through the door, without the two little ones rushing to greet her, Du Ning felt a nagging suspicion and didn't hear the sounds of the children playing; he was sure they weren't home.
"Where are the kids?" After changing from his leather shoes to comfortable indoor slippers, he asked Ouyang Xiaoqing, who was making noise in the kitchen.
"You… you're back." Ouyang Xiaoqing was so startled she nearly dropped the knife she was holding.
"Where are the kids?"
"They—they're staying with Qiuli for a day. Tomorrow is a holiday, so they plan to play there all day."
"Is that so?" Du Yuheng put his briefcase down on the living room sofa and walked into his bedroom. "It's just the two of us tonight."
He was simply stating a fact, but for Ouyang Xiaoqing, who was aware of a hidden agenda, it sent a chill down her spine. "Uh… Du, Du Yuheng—"
She had always called him that.
"What?" Du Yuheng was busy untying his tie and hanging up his suit jacket.
"I—"
Hearing her timid voice from outside the door, he couldn't help but lean out. "What is it?"
"Um… this… I…?" She couldn't get the words out.
"Xiaoqing—" The smell of something burning filled the air. "What are you doing in the kitchen?"
"Ah—my fish!" She turned and dashed toward the kitchen. "Oh no!"
Du Yuheng leaned against the door frame and couldn't help but chuckle.
Dinner ended in silence, with the two of them sitting at opposite ends of the table.
After dinner, Ouyang Xiaoqing retreated to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Du Yuheng went to his study to attend to his own matters.
What a terrible start, she thought. The fish ended up burnt, and she hadn't told him what she wanted to say. It was just a simple sentence: "I want to talk to you!"
She picked up a plate with a large charred spot on it, the remains of her burnt fish…
Yet he still finished it all, just like many other failed dishes in the past. She loved cooking, but failures were inevitable, and there were times when the kids outright refused to eat, but he accepted everything and cleaned his plate…
She cautiously licked the burnt bits with her tongue—ugh! So bitter! Yet he ate it all without a word.
Actually, it seemed like he always finished whatever she made, whether it was good or bad, without ever criticizing her. Although he never praised her either, for a housewife, having her hard-cooked meals eaten cleanly was the best form of appreciation, wasn't it? So, she shouldn't be afraid of him.
Taking a few deep breaths, Ouyang Xiaoqing decided to speak up.
She gently placed her hand on the study door, and after a moment, the door opened.
"Did you need something?" He could tell she was acting differently tonight.
"Uh-huh." She nodded and took another deep breath. "I—" Her voice caught in her throat.
"Hmm? Why are you blushing again?"
"Um, I— I wanted to…" Just say it! Tell him you want to talk! Talk about the future, talk about your relationship, talk… about so much!
"Did you hear that noise?" He suddenly heard a splashing sound.
"What?" Ouyang Xiaoqing perked up her ears.
"It's the water—"
"Oh no! The sink! The dishes in the kitchen!" She hadn't finished washing them!
Ouyang Xiaoqing rushed back into the kitchen to save her poor, waterlogged kitchen.
Du Yuheng couldn't help but double over with laughter as he leaned against the door frame. What was going on with her tonight?
With a smile, he walked toward the kitchen.
As Ouyang Xiaoqing cleaned up the messy kitchen, she felt a wave of self-loathing. Her performance tonight was a total disaster! She thought such clumsiness was something only Jiang Yizhou would do; she never expected to have such moments herself.
"I came here wanting to have a serious talk with him…" But now—never mind!
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Du Yuheng's voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Ah!" Ouyang Xiaoqing was so startled that she fell to the floor, her jeans soaking up a large puddle of water. "Oh no!"
Du Yuheng reached out to help her up.
"Thank you."
"Go take a shower."
"Okay."
After her shower, Ouyang Xiaoqing emerged wearing a matching Garfield onesie, just like her kids. Jiang Yizhou had gifted them matching outfits.
As she crossed the living room, intending to finish cleaning the kitchen, Du Yuheng called out to her.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" He looked at her from the leather sofa, one arm draped over the back.
"Um—" She had so much to say, she didn't know where to begin.
Drink a little to muster up courage… She suddenly remembered Ren Qiuli's advice—
Then, the woman in the Garfield outfit took a deep breath, headed to the small bar next to the dining room, grabbed a bottle of wine, opened it, and took another deep breath before slowly pouring the wine into her mouth.
Before her body could hit the ground, Du Ning Street caught her in his arms and effortlessly took the bottle from her—whisky with an alcohol content of thirteen percent.
Back then, just the scent of the cocktail in his mouth had been enough to intoxicate her, leading to a "one-night stand" that resulted in an entangled future. Now with such high alcohol content, how drunk would she get this time?
"What are you doing?" He didn't understand her strange behavior all night and how she knowingly grabbed a bottle of alcohol even though she was allergic to it.
"I… I wanted to talk…" Yes! She wanted to talk to him.
Talk? "In your current state?" Du Yuheng put the bottle away. "You're drunk."
"I'm… I'm drunk?" Ouyang Xiaoqing shook her head. "No, I'm not! I'm just… building up courage, yes, courage… Ren Qiuli taught me this…"
Ren Qiuli? Du Yuheng frowned. Why did she always lead her to mischief?
He scooped her up in his arms. "I'll take you to bed."
"No!" The tipsy girl in his arms struggled. "I… I have something to say—"
"Can you even say anything?" Du Yuheng stared at her, noticing her entire face had turned red.
"I can!" Ouyang Xiaoqing nodded heavily.
Du Yuheng set her down and let her lean against him. "What do you want to say?"
"I want to say—um…" Let her think… That's right! "I love you… I've loved you for a long time. Did you know that…"
Du Ning Street was stunned; he hadn't expected her to say this.
"Yes! I love you so much… so much…" What else hadn't she said—ah! "But you… you don't love me…" Yes! He didn't love her.
"Why?" Tears welled up in her reddened eyes. "Why don't you love me?"
Du Yuheng's surprise was quickly replaced by tenderness as he gently kissed away her impending tears. "I don't not love you."
"Do you know… my heart hurts so much, you don't love me… my heart… it hurts so much…" Yes! It hurt! It felt like it was bleeding!
The alcohol took effect again, causing her to stumble and press against Du Yuheng's chest, feeling his warm temperature, rhythmic heartbeat, and strong arms—
"I love you… Did you know that?" More tears streamed down her face. "I want to be with you and the kids… to be together forever… do you know—"
"I know." Of course he did.
"No, you don't know…" The drunkenness left her with a sliver of clarity. "I don't want to be alone… I want someone to love me… I want you to love me… but can you love me? No, you can't… because you don't love me…" No one had ever loved her…
"I can!" Du Yuheng was taken aback by her confession. Her vulnerability was heart-wrenching, making him instinctively pull her into his embrace, something he couldn't ignore. He had been unable to refuse her—this fate had been sealed six years ago.
"…Really? Do you really love me?"
"I swear—" He lowered his head, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I, Du Yuheng, love you, Ouyang Xiaoqing." This was his sincerest confession.
In response, Ouyang Xiaoqing smiled softly, her emotions gradually calming down as if she had fallen asleep.
Du Yuheng looked at Ouyang Xiaoqing's sleeping face, feeling a surge of affection. Ren Qiuli was right; she really feared being alone and needed love more than anyone else.
He loved her but hadn't made it clear, thinking she understood. In reality, she didn't understand at all. He was wrong to assume that love could be felt even if unspoken.
Her pain stemmed from his silence, while his silence was born from her reluctance to speak up.
"It seems we were both wrong…" Du Yuheng murmured softly, gently stroking her sleeping eyelids, feeling the soft touch of her long lashes.
They had both erred in not being honest, and this misunderstanding had caused them both much suffering.
It turned out that love needed to be openly expressed—he had learned that now.
He picked her up; this time he would truly take her back to bed.
Du Yuheng walked into the guest room and laid her down on the bed. In the next moment, an old memory from six years ago replayed—
"No! Don't leave me… don't…" Ouyang Xiaoqing cried helplessly, her hands gripping Du Yuheng's neck like a lifeline.
"Please… I don't want to be alone…"
"I'll stay with you." Without hesitation, Du Yuheng lay down beside her, wrapping her in his world. This time, he wouldn't repeat the mistakes of six years ago. He would be there for her when she needed someone.
In his arms, Ouyang Xiaoqing's helpless sobs slowly subsided, her trembling body gradually calming. All that could be heard was the warm, soothing murmur—
"With me, you won't be alone anymore…"
People who fear loneliness are particularly sensitive to the warmth of another person, just as fish crave water and cats yearn for a warm ray of sunshine in the cold winter. And she longed for a warm, reliable chest.
As she slowly opened her eyes from the haze, Ouyang Xiaoqing found herself in shock and confusion, with the man sleeping beside her being the cause.
Du Yuheng!? How did he end up in her bed!? What happened last night… She needed to think it through.
She had been drunk; she must have told him a lot… what was it… um—she couldn't remember anything at all, only that it was something very important, something she never wanted to forget. What was it? She stared at the ceiling in thought, completely unaware that the man beside her had already woken up. After waking, Du Yuheng remained still, watching her dazed expression.
Feeling the fingers around her waist move, Ouyang Xiaoqing turned to see Du Yuheng's eyes fixed on her.
"Uh, good morning." She lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.
"Good morning." He tightened his grip, pulling her closer.
"Ah!"
"Yesterday—" His deep voice reached her ears. "You told me a lot…"
"W-what did I say?… Your hand!" Ouyang Xiaoqing hurriedly grasped his large hand that had touched her cheek.
Du Yuheng grasped her delicate hand in return and continued, "You kept telling me… you love me."
"Eh!" She actually said that to him…
The impact of that sentence was far greater than the shock of finding him in her bed.
"We were both wrong," Du Yuheng said, while her stunned reaction gave him the opportunity to touch her cheek. "We should have been honest with each other."
"Honest about what?"
"I love you." He unabashedly leaned in and gently kissed her lips, repeating, "I love you, not because you gave birth to my child, but simply because you are you. I, Du Yuheng, love you, Ouyang Xiaoqing." He reiterated his vow from last night.
She was left dumbfounded, unable to respond to the shock.
"And you?" Noticing her silence, an unease blossomed within him. "Do you love me?"
She loved… yes, she loved! Her response was to embrace him tightly, tears spilling onto his warm chest.
"I love you! So much…"
Du Yuheng silently wrapped her in his arms, feeling as if his heart was filled with the entire world.
This, was what love was.