Chapter 5

Tong Yehui did not know how long Hansheng would remain like this, nor did he know when Hansheng would finally speak to him. He was uncertain about when they would be able to clarify their thoughts. He was willing to give Hansheng anything she wanted, as long as she could express it. He understood that Hansheng would eventually find the time to speak; it was merely a matter of time. However, he had his own life to lead, and he could not endure this prolonged silence for much longer

Du Cheng shifted his gaze back, looking at Tong Yehui for a moment. When he spoke again, his tone inevitably carried a sense of earnestness: "Yehui, let it go. She has never been one of us. Give her some money, arrange for her future life, and don't get involved with her anymore. We all have our own lives to lead. Some debts cannot be repaid."

Shall we go out for dinner this weekend evening

Regarding Han Sheng, they all seemed uneasy. After a brief silence, Du Cheng looked elsewhere for a moment and asked: "Ye Hui, what exactly are your plans regarding Han Sheng's matter"

Regretfully, let us all make ourselves feel better, shall we

The dining place was chosen at a Western restaurant, where Ren Jing has always preferred an environment of the highest quality. The interplay of light and shadow within creates an ambiance filled with subtle fragrances, which, in fact, is more enjoyable to behold than to taste.

The eyes of regret contained a kind of anger that was about to burst forth; she wanted to scream and shout her sorrow and anger, but for many years she had become accustomed to not shouting, not calling out, and even not speaking. The cries that choked in her throat were suppressed, and the little bit of sound that eventually leaked out was more desperate than a scream or a shout

Tong Yehui rarely felt a sense of powerlessness filling his body, and the regret made him feel exhausted. He pinched the center of his brow and said to Du Cheng in a somewhat weak voice: "I know."

Tong Yehui maintained that posture, looking down at his feet, and said slowly: "Let’s see what she wants; whatever she desires, I will give it to her"

Alright, I have also finished work, let's meet downstairs

After a meal, Ren Jing felt very happy as she walked out of the restaurant holding Tong Yehui's hand, continuously smiling at everyone. At that moment, she truly felt as if happiness was really beckoning to her.

Han Sheng hugged his legs, staring ahead without even blinking his eyes

Upon entering, Han Sheng was either curled up in the rocking chair watching television. When Tong Yehui came in, she didn't even turn her head, placing the takeout she had bought on the coffee table. Tong Yehui then routinely greeted Han Sheng: "Han Sheng, have you eaten yet? If not, come and have something to eat."

Ren Jing sat steadily, turned her head, and jokingly said to Tong Yehui: "Hi! Long time no see." Tong Yehui smiled in response to her teasing, did not reply, and focused on lighting the torch as he drove out.

Ren Jing is a woman with social experience. She knows that the man she has chosen does not have a formal higher education or a prestigious family background, and that his current achievements are all hard-earned through his own struggles. She understands that such a person must have a past that is not known to outsiders before achieving success, and that this kind of history is unlikely to be glamorous. Men are usually reluctant to speak about it, and if she were to press further, it would only put both of them in an awkward position

Tong Yehui sat steadily in the large armchair: "I have been at Han Sheng's place these past few days." He lowered his eyelids and replied to Du Cheng in a nonchalant manner.

After driving the car out of the garage, Tong Yehui waited downstairs at the company. Ren Jing possesses many admirable qualities: she is punctual, maintains a clear distinction between public and private matters, interacts with others appropriately, and approaches tasks decisively without the indecisiveness often associated with femininity. She is a well-rounded urban woman and serves as the ideal woman in Tong Yehui's eyes. He is not heavily driven by desires in matters of relationships, which can be interpreted as his mind not being preoccupied with such concerns, resulting in a clean personal life. Since becoming Ren Jing's boyfriend, they have maintained a straightforward and harmonious relationship.

As the end of the workday approached, Tong Yehui hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to call Ren Jing. The phone rang twice before it was answered: "Hello." The woman's voice on the line was deep and slow, imbued with a magnetic quality that brought a sense of calm and reassurance.

The weather is as hot as fire, especially in this old house where Han Sheng lives. During the day, it is baked thoroughly, and by night, it feels like a steamer. Tong Yehui, who lives here every day, always wakes up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. The food that Han Sheng brings every day is never touched. Her daily meal consists of tomato and egg noodles, which she eats at every meal. Since she returned, she has not even stepped out of this community.

Over the years, Du Cheng has become increasingly composed. His tall and robust figure is fitted into a suit, giving him the appearance of a capable and reserved individual. He leaned against the chair in front of Tong Yehui's desk, having gone through all the trivial matters, and finally addressed the main topic: "Ren Jing asked me today what you have been busy with lately."

The two individuals sat across a small glass table, sipping their drinks. Ren Jing's thoughts turned over in her mind several times before she leaned down and slid her chair closer to Tong Yehui. Before speaking, her smile carried a hint of bashfulness: "Yehui, we have been together for two and a half years."

Regretfully, she remained silent in that position, the only change being that the joints of her fingers, which were clasping her knees, tightened increasingly, her nails turning completely white. Finally, she spoke: "This, here, is my home"

You hate me, I owe you, I acknowledge that, but you need to tell me, only then will I know what to do to make you comfortable

Regretfully, I will provide you with a sum of money sufficient for you to live the rest of your life, arrange for you to go abroad, where people's perspectives are more progressive than here. If you change your environment, perhaps your state of mind will also change. People must always move forward. Will you agree to this, so that we can settle everything between us?

Ren Jing suddenly raised her head, and in an instant, her smile bloomed like a flower. She knew that he had agreed. Looking at the bright and smiling woman in front of him, Tong Yehui told himself that this was not a mistake. The woman across from him was rare in her well-rounded qualities; such a person should be part of his future life. This was also a choice for him, and he simply chose what was right as he always did.

Regret and hatred towards others require effort to sustain, and one does not necessarily feel any better for it, just as I do not feel good for owing someone.

Tong Yehui looked up, steeling his heart as he said once more: "Han Sheng, if you do not speak, I will take it as your agreement." As he uttered these words, he was aware of his own shamelessness, yet in this life, he could only be shameless in front of Han Sheng. Once he stepped out of this door, he would still be a person of distinction. Han Sheng was his sin, and he would bury her in a place within his heart that others would never know, including Han Sheng herself.

Tong Yehui maintained a smile and shook his head: "You need not worry about this; I will handle it myself"

Han Sheng would certainly not respond to him, as Tong Yehui sat on the sofa watching her. Every time he came to Han Sheng, she was always watching television, but he felt that Han Sheng was not actually watching the TV; she was merely lost in thought. The television was always stuck on one channel, whatever was being broadcast, she would watch, never changing the channel.

Two people broke up in front of the restaurant. Tong Yehui checked the time; it was just past 7 o'clock. He ran to a nearby restaurant to take out some food and headed to Hansheng's place. He knew that the things he bought would ultimately end up in the trash, but he still had to buy them. It seemed that if he interrupted even once, the meaning of certain things would change.

Ren Jing slightly lowered her head, her sorrowful expression also pouting, with little emotional sadness between her brows. Tong Yehui recalled Han Sheng, who always presented him with a silhouette. She was a truly sorrowful person, and the atmospheric pressure around her was always low, with a thick, inescapable gloom between her brows. Living with such a person for half a lifetime, he admitted that he could not settle this debt. Du Cheng was right; Han Sheng was not one of their kind. Some debts cannot be repaid. He half-lowered his eyelids, his voice very indifferent: "Alright." As he spoke, a decision in his heart also came crashing down, settling like dust.

Dai Dai sat for a while, and Tong Yehui walked over and squatted down at Han Sheng's feet, slowly speaking: "Han Sheng, why aren't you talking? Please say something to me."

Over the years, Du Cheng's thoughts have also become quite circuitous; the questions he wants to ask Tong Yehui are now phrased in a roundabout way through the words of others. Ren Jing is Tong Yehui's official girlfriend and a lawyer. She originally worked at a law firm but was later assigned to serve as the legal advisor for Tong Yehui's company, and now the two of them work in the same building.

The voice of Han Sheng sounded stiff, as if every pronunciation posed a challenge for her. This was the first time in five years that Tong Yehui had heard Han Sheng's voice, which was disjointed and awkwardly articulated. For some reason, he suddenly recalled many years ago when they still lived together, and Han Sheng would shout for him from the kitchen: "Tong Yehui, it's time to eat." The weather back then was just as hot as it is now, and Han Sheng's voice evoked a sense of sticky annoyance that permeated him from the inside out. The scene seemed to unfold before his eyes: Han Sheng, drenched in sweat, with her apron digging into the rolls of flesh around her abdomen. She would emerge from the kitchen holding a bowl of soup, calling out to him again with a loud voice: "Hurry up, it's time to eat."

In the following days, Tong Yehui did not return home at all, going straight to Han Sheng after work. However, their relationship did not progress; Han Sheng remained silent, neither stopping Tong Yehui nor giving him a glance as he came and went in her home. She lived in her own space, neither going out nor engaging in external communication.

Tong Yehui leaned down to open one side of the car door for her. The woman nimbly jumped into the car, grinning widely. She wasn't exceptionally beautiful; her forehead was quite large, and her mouth was also quite big. However, when combined, it wasn't unappealing. She exuded a confident aura that overshadowed everything else.

Tears streamed down the cheeks of the regretful woman, as she finally could not hold back her tears. She had been gradually pushed to the brink by someone, could this man be any more cruel?

Ren Jing is very attentive to her figure, usually eating very little for dinner. She finished her meal early, smiling with one hand propping up her chin, looking at Tong Yehui. Tong Yehui knew that she was adopting this posture because she had something to say to him. He hastened to finish the food on his plate, picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of his mouth, and appropriately gave her a chance to speak: "Go ahead, what do you want to tell me?"

On the weekend, Tong Yehui was working at the company during the day. In the afternoon, Du Cheng pushed the door open and came in. The two sat down to discuss some trivial matters, but eventually, the conversation dwindled. Du Cheng did not seem to have any intention of leaving, and Tong Yehui knew he had something to say. He did not urge him to speak, but instead sat there waiting for him to begin.

"Have you ever thought about getting married?" When Ren Jing said this, her earlier shyness had vanished, and her words carried a somewhat rigid tone: "People say that the longest duration of a romantic relationship is two and a half years. After this period, the excitement of marriage fades. I have a friend who has been with her boyfriend for ten years. In the first few years, she was a charming beauty, but once she turned thirty, she became increasingly insecure in front of her man. He never brought up marriage, and she didn't dare to mention it either, fearing that it would lead to a breakup. She lived in constant anxiety, and it scared me to watch. I'm already 28; I don't want to end up like her." Ren Jing spoke from the heart. Interestingly, she was a year older than Tong Yehui. Although she came from a good family and had a solid foundation, a princess becoming an old maid still represented a decline in status. Tong Yehui was young and a man; he could afford to wait, but she could not.

Ren Jing looked at him with a smile and said, "Go ahead, what have you been up to lately? Why is it that your phone is unreachable at night?"

Since the result of the inquiry posed no threat to her feelings, Ren Jing decided not to ask further, and this topic was considered closed.

Tong Yehui appreciates the little gestures of Ren Jing; when she does them, they exude femininity without being contrived. In public, she is actually a strong-willed woman, but she understands the importance of not being dominant in front of her man. Those with demands know to soften their approach. He is aware that Ren Jing has something to request, and with a good-natured smile, he responds with a nonchalant "mm" and patiently waits for her to express her request.

The genuine sorrow reflected on Ren Jing's face made Tong Yehui suddenly realize that she was either proposing to him or pressuring him into marriage. Tong Yehui was momentarily stunned; he had once thought that if Han Sheng desired a relationship, he would be willing to marry her. His two years of interaction with Ren Jing had been rather ordinary, lacking in passion, and their feelings were not particularly deep. It could also be said that he was inherently indifferent, having no profound ties with anyone in this world.

After waiting for no more than five minutes, Tong Yehui turned his head and saw Ren Jing coming out of the office building. She was a woman who handled everything very well; during a date, she might make you wait for her, but not for long. She possessed both the modesty of a woman and the admirable quality of punctuality. As she walked, she took large strides, and her gauzy skirt fluttered around her.

With a round face, the gaze of Han Sheng always exudes a foolishness that overlaps with the melancholy in his eyes. Tong Yehui felt a sharp pang of heartache; it could not continue like this. He made up his mind that if this went on, Han Sheng would completely pull him out of the life trajectory he had managed for many years. He placed his hand on Han Sheng's and said in a low voice once more: "Han Sheng, I am getting married. Let’s go, once we leave, we will all find peace."

Hmm. After hanging up the phone, Tong Yehui let out a long sigh

Tong Yehui did not escort Ren Jing back; he told her that he still needed to take care of a friend, and Ren Jing, of course, understood and let him go

With his current status, Tong Yehui has long understood how to use the art of language with candor. He smiled gently at Ren Jing, carrying a hint of reassurance: "A friend of mine was just released from prison a couple of days ago, and I have been busy helping her settle in."

The two fell into silence again, feeling awkward and powerless about their regrets. Later, Du Cheng left, and Tong Yehui remained in the office, sitting in silence until the end of the workday

In the Chinese language, the third person pronoun "她" does not distinguish between male and female. Tong Yehui's honesty is based on certain foundations, and Ren Jing instinctively reacts that the person being released from prison is a man. She asks with a worried expression: "Are you in trouble?"