That day happened to be Zuo Yuxi’s birthday!
In a sense, Zuo Yuxi is fundamentally different from ordinary girls. She doesn't like shopping, is not keen on shopping, doesn't gossip with her girlfriends, and is too lazy to talk about the pros and cons behind her. She is neither sentimental nor self-pitying. She is sharp and decisive, well versed in worldly affairs, and understands people's hearts. She is more than ten times smarter than those girls of the same age who are looking forward to future happiness, and even many old-fashioned people are slightly inferior to her. She doesn't pursue romance under the moonlight, has little interest in taking care of her husband and children, and is not like a literary young woman who likes to hold hands with her husband and grow old together. For a long time, not to mention Ye Yuting, even Zuo Jing and his wife found it difficult to tell what this extremely cold daughter likes, and even worried whether she would fall in love with someone in the future.
Little did he know that at the end of Zuo Yuxi's sight was the tremendous power that could control his own fate and the fate of others in a bloody career!
Wen Liang realized this a long time ago, but he didn't care. There is no right or wrong in dreams. Everyone has their own pursuits, which is understandable. So whether intentionally or unintentionally, he has been very careful not to touch this hidden red line. From strangers to familiarity, from familiarity to love, the two of them finally walked to this day fortunately.
Tao Ran is different. He has countless experiences in picking up girls, but he doesn't have the wisdom to see through people's hearts. After learning about Zuo Yuxi's birthday through a certain channel, he made careful preparations overnight. When the morning cocktail party was over, Zuo Yuxi happened to go out for some reason. Tao Ran seized the opportunity and bribed the waiter to sneak into the room that belonged to Director Zuo.
Ten minutes later, footsteps sounded from outside the door. Tao Ran held her breath and waited for that moment to come. The door opened, and Zuo Yuxi could not help but stand at the door. She had never thought that after rejecting countless suitors, someone would still play such a trick.
The whole living room became a sea of roses. The floor, sofa, desk, windowsill, and even the ceiling chandelier were all woven into a heart-shaped shape with roses, leaving only a narrow passage extending from the door to the middle of the living room. A multi-layered birthday cake more than half a person tall stood there, with Cupid's arrow piercing through two hearts on the top. A person turned his back to the door, bent over, and lit the candles layer by layer. In an instant, it seemed as if a crown shining with light was born out of thin air, warming the whole room.
Tao Ran turned around, stood tall, smiled, clapped her hands and sang softly: "Happy birthday to you, I wish you..."
The voice stopped abruptly, and his smile froze on his face. He looked incredulous, as if he had just seen a ghost, as if his father had died and come back to life. His body seemed to have lost control, and began to tremble inch by inch from his ankles upwards.
Ye Yuting stared at the man blankly. She had never thought that a man who seemed so affectionate and who had pledged to be together till death would actually do such a thing for another woman behind her back. Especially, especially, this woman was her sister.
Zuo Yuxi had been pursued by various men in various ways. Tao Ran could only say that he tried his best, but it did not bring her any excitement. She frowned, did not even look at Tao Ran, pulled Ye Yuting beside her, and turned to leave.
Ye Yuting was motionless, staring at Tao Ran with a complicated look. Zuo Yuxi then noticed something was wrong. She was so smart that she immediately thought of something and turned back suddenly. Tao Ran was startled by her sharp and resolute look.
As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person, not to mention facing a pursuer, as long as you don't hate this person from the bottom of your heart, you will generally refuse the matter, but you won't get angry. The reason why Tao Ran had the courage to act recklessly was that he made such a worst-case plan, but what he didn't expect was that why Ye Yuting appeared here, and why she was so familiar with Zuo Yuxi
This was actually not Tao Ran's fault. After coming to Qingzhou, in order to avoid suspicion, and because Zuo Jing and Zuo Yuxi were busy with work, Ye Yuting usually lived in the school dormitory except on holidays or weekends. She had not made up her mind to really accept Tao Ran, so she had never told him about her life experience, nor had she told her family about Tao Ran.
"Yuting, I..." Tao Ran was furious. The most important thing at this moment was to make a decision. He had to sacrifice the pawn to save the king. Even if he couldn't save the king, at least he could protect himself. "I've always wanted to tell you that we are not suitable for each other. It's just that I've been busy with work recently and haven't had time..."
Ye Yuting found that she was not very sad, but felt a sense of relief as if she had gotten rid of a burden. She sneered and said, "When did you realize that we were not suitable for each other? Was it after you met her?"
Following the slender fingers, Tao Ran only glanced at Zuo Yuxi's face and immediately turned his head away. Zuo Yuxi had a blank expression, as cold as ever, but somehow, he suddenly felt his heart beating very fast, and he was so nervous that he could hardly breathe.
"Yes!" Tao Ran gritted his teeth and took the gamble, saying, "After meeting Yuxi, I finally knew what kind of woman I really like. I didn't understand it before, but now that I understand it, I can't continue with you. That would not only let me down, but also let you down!"
This was his helpless move to survive. When picking up girls, he had a car accident. The most important thing was not to offend both parties. Especially when one of them was from a wealthy family and was not easy to mess with, he could only pick the weak ones and try not to leave the impression of being a playboy. As for how to turn playboyism into the pursuit of true love, it was very demanding on one's own skills. Tao Ran believed that even if he could not turn defeat into victory by handling it this way, he could at least get out of it safely.
"Okay, okay, okay!" Ye Yuting said three "okay" words in a row, holding back tears, and turned around and walked away quickly. Zuo Yuxi didn't hold her back, looked at Tao Ran, and said lightly: "Stay here and don't move, or I'll break your dog legs!"
Catching up with Ye Yuting on the path outside the hotel, Zuo Yuxi stood in front of her and said with a wry smile: "Yuting, listen to my explanation..."
"I don't want to listen, I don't want to listen!"
The humiliation and torture she had suffered since she was a child, the sadness and anger she had suppressed in her heart for all these years, all burst out at this moment. The past that she thought she had forgotten was actually hidden in the fragments of her memory, her mother's lonely back at night, the gossip in the village, the ridicule of her tribe members, the scolding of her elders, and the song that always floated in her ears when she woke up in the middle of the night...
In the blue sky,
White clouds are flying,
The beautiful Yangtze River,
It is the lovely ancient city of Nanjing.
My hometown
…
Farewell, Mom.
Goodbye, hometown.
The golden student days,
Already accompanied by the history of youth,
Gone forever
…
Farewell to you,
Dear girl,
Wipe away your tears,
Wash away the sorrow in your heart,
Wash away the sadness.
Ah, the person in my heart said goodbye and went far away,
Left my hometown,
The stars of love shine forever.
Lonely past,
There is no place without a soulmate,
Friendship of the past,
Now we each go our separate ways.
Each on their own side.
Ah, the scene of parting is still vivid in my mind,
How can I not be sad
We meet and run towards the road of freedom. "Song of the Educated Youth in Nanjing, author Ren Yi:). I usually quote songs. In order to avoid making up the word count, I rarely quote so many paragraphs. However, this song is of great significance to that era, so I used a few more sentences. Please don't blame me."
This song was the only mark that her mother left on her father in the ten years before her death. Ye Yuting's eyes were blurred with tears, and she shouted: "Zuo Yuxi, go away, go away, I don't want to see you again! Twenty years ago, you took away my father, my childhood, my happiness, my laughter, and twenty years later you took away my love and my future... I hate you, you know, don't be nice to me anymore, I don't want your pity, I don't want..."
Zuo Yuxi is perhaps the person in the world who understands Ye Yuting's inner pain best. Her father thought that a long time and incomparable doting could make up for the scars he had left on his eldest daughter. Her mother thought that a kind heart and meticulous care could replace a daughter's longing for her biological mother. Only Zuo Yuxi, who lives with her day and night, knows that the scars have never healed and the longing has never disappeared.
She stretched out her arms, wanting to hold Ye Yuting in her arms, and said softly: "Yuting, we are sisters, born inseparable, we must love and care for each other. You don't need my pity, and I have never pitied you. I like having a sister like you, and I also like having someone to accompany me to grow up..."
"But I don't like it," Ye Yuting took a step back, her clothes wet with tears. She couldn't even see the face of Zuo Yuxi, who was so close to her. She calmed down instantly, without hysteria, without shouting, and even without making a big fuss. She said softly as if talking to herself: "You know, when I was fighting with others in the mud because I was called a fatherless child, what were you doing? When I fell in the rain while carrying a bucket that was twice as heavy as my body, where were you? We have never really integrated into each other's lives, Yuxi, let me go, I want to be alone..."
Zuo Yuxi felt heartbroken, but still obediently turned sideways. Ye Yuting walked a short distance away, then suddenly stopped and said quietly: "Let Tao Ran go. I know you have the ability to make him suffer, but after all, he has been the only one who has been with me for more than a year..."
Zuo Yuxi nodded silently, watching Ye Yuting's back disappear into the distance. This was the first time in ten years that she saw Ye Yuting lose her composure. The good girl in the eyes of her parents and the female teacher in the eyes of outsiders had indeed been suppressed for too long!
Wen Liang held Zuo Yuxi's hand and said softly, "Didn't you explain it to her again?"
"Since then, I have looked for her countless times, but she never listened to me finish my words. This time, I had to be ruthless and use some tricks to force her to come over..."
Wen Liang did not comment on the words of using means, turned his head to look at Ye Yuting on the balcony, and said: "Don't worry, I will go talk to her."
Zuo Yuxi clenched her fingers tightly, her eyes full of gratitude and affection, and said, "Yes!"
Walking to the balcony, the mountain scenery of the entire Bishui Bay came into view. The white mist emitted by countless hot springs made the distance look like clouds and mist. The pavilions on the top of several mountains were looming, which gave it a sense of ethereal artistic conception and Zen interest. Ye Yuting's eyebrows were as black as black, and she was beautiful and detached from the world. From the side, she looked very similar to Zuo Yuxi. The mountain breeze was gentle and icy. Wen Liang took off his shirt and put it on her shoulders. Ye Yuting trembled slightly and whispered, "Thank you!"
Wen Liang smiled and shook his head, put his hands on the railing, took a deep breath, and said: "Teacher Ye, Sister Zuo actually cares about you very much. I have never seen her care about someone like this..."
"I understand," Ye Yuting paused, then smiled and said, "I never really blamed her!"
"and you… "
"It's funny to say that I was fighting with her just to fulfill a wish I had in the past... You know, when I was very young, my mother told me that in a faraway place, beside my father, there was a very lovely sister, and asked me to be good to her when I grow up, to take care of her like a sister, a real sister, and not let her be bullied or hurt..." Ye Yuting laughed at herself and said, "I didn't listen to my mother. From then on, I swore to be the worst sister in the world, and used the most vicious methods I could think of to bully this little girl who took away something that belonged to me, such as taking her doll, messing up her hair, and drawing a pig on her face..."
Wen Liang smiled and said, "Perhaps every elder sister has bullied her younger sister in this way..."
"Maybe..." Ye Yuting looked up, the clouds in the sky looked very much like her mother's smile: "My mother passed away when I was fifteen. Before she left, she held my hand and told me to return to my roots and live with my father, not to bear grudges or complain... I had no way to refuse, and I couldn't refuse, right?"
"My father loves me very much. I can see it from his eyes. My aunt is also a very good person. Yuxi was hostile to me at first, but as we grew up, she became the best girl and the most competent sister I have ever met. I am actually very content..."
"But the more this happened, the more I couldn't help but miss my mother. I missed her voice, her face, the calluses on her hands, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyebrows. I missed everything about her, everything..."
"But she is gone. I may be the only one in the world who still misses her. I can't tell my father, my aunt, or my sister... The longer I miss her, the more I want to hurt those who love me..."
"Finally, on that day, Yuxi and I had a big fight. No, it wasn't a fight. She didn't say anything the whole time, but I was the only one yelling at her like a madman... I did it on purpose, and it actually had nothing to do with Taoran..."
A pair of hands hugged her waist from behind and gently turned her around. Zuo Yuxi wiped the tears from her cheeks and said, "Sister!"
Ye Yuting also hugged her and smiled at Wen Liang, "This is the first time she called me sister. She was always disrespectful before, but this time she finally behaved well."
Two people stood hugging each other, as sweet as flowers, as fragrant as jade, with graceful looks and swaying movements, turning the small balcony into a paradise.
A gentle gaze passed over Ye Yuting's shoulder and fell on Zuo Yuxi's face. His pair of inky black eyes still contained lingering hatred.