Chapter 72: A Draw
Chapter 72: A Draw
This time, he vented years of pent-up resentment. Li Zian felt like he had cleaned out all the garbage from his heart. It was a sense of relief he had never experienced before.
Would Yu Meilin divorce him?
Maybe, but he didn’t care anymore.
If Yu Meilin really did divorce him, he would try his best to get custody of Li Xiaomei. If he couldn’t, he would face the reality.
He had tried his best, but Yu Meilin was an iceberg that wouldn’t melt.
In all things, what mattered was having a clear conscience.
After returning to his room, Li Zian practiced Branch-Breaking Boxing for a while. After working up a sweat, he took a shower and prepared to light incense before going to sleep.
Beep beep.
His mobile phone made a WeChat notification sound.
Could it be Mu Chuntao?
Li Zian picked up his mobile phone to check.
It wasn’t a message from King Kong Lolita. It was a message from Caramel Macchiato.
Caramel Macchiato: Uncle, sorry, I just saw your message after evening self-study ended.
Li Zian replied: It’s fine, I was just asking.
Caramel Macchiato: I compared the pronunciation, and I’m sure it’s Kharosthi. But Kharosthi is a phonetic script, so translating that audio file is a bit difficult. I need some time to finish it.
Li Zian replied: No rush. As long as it can be translated, that’s good. Thank you for your hard work.
Caramel Macchiato: Yeah, it is really hard work. How are you going to thank me?
Li Zian sent a smiley emoji: On your day off, I’ll treat you to a big meal. Is that okay?
Caramel Macchiato: Then I want to eat lobster. Can I?
Li Zian: No problem. I’ll make sure you eat as much lobster as you want.
Caramel Macchiato sent a picture of someone hugging a leg: Rich uncle, please take care of me.
Li Zian: It’s getting late. I’m going to sleep now. Let’s talk another time.
Caramel Macchiato: A man your age really should sleep earlier. Remember to drink more goji berry and jujube tea. Good night, uncle.
Li Zian couldn’t help but shake his head and smile bitterly. Uncle, uncle—was he really that old?
He took a sandalwood incense stick and went to the windowsill to get the radish piece to stick the incense in, but found that the radish piece had almost turned into dried radish. He had to give up. He got an unused cup from the bathroom, then stuck the sandalwood incense in the cup and lit it.
The sandalwood incense emitted a wisp of smoke.
Li Zian lay in bed, closed his eyes, and strands of smoke drifted into his nostrils.
Boom!
The Great Sluggish Cauldron awakened. It too emitted wisps of smoke, as if the sandalwood incense wasn’t burning in the cup but inside its belly.
Without warning, countless tiny sounds rushed into Li Zian’s ears.
The sound of wind, the whistle of a ferry, the noise of vehicles moving, the sound of a TV program, and the voices of neighbors talking.
His ears caught a familiar sound. As soon as he focused his mind, the other faint sounds faded away, and the sound he locked onto became much clearer.
It was the sound of Mu Chuntao and Mu Long talking. He could even tell from the sound that the father and daughter were speaking in their Living Room.
“Chuntao, I think I just heard Little Li arguing with Yu Meilin.”
“So what? After how she treated Brother Zian, arguing is getting off light. If it were me, I’d have divorced Yu Meilin already,” said Mu Chuntao’s voice.
“Keep your voice down. You and Yu Meilin are friends. It’s not proper for you to say things like that. You’re taking sides.”
“I’m on Brother Zian’s side. So what if we’re friends? Friends still have to be reasonable. Do I have to support her even when she’s wrong?”
“Chuntao, tell your dad the truth. Have you fallen for Little Li?” said Mu Long’s voice.
“What nonsense are you talking? No way.”
“I gave birth to you. Do you think I can’t tell what’s on your mind? When you look at Little Li, your eyes are more affectionate than when you look at your own dad.” Mu Long’s voice carried a tone of dissatisfaction.
“Yawn… I’m sleepy. I’m going back to my room to sleep.”
“Stop right there. He’s a married man, and his child is already three years old. Have you lost your mind? Will he really divorce Yu Meilin? He’s just playing around. You’re the one who’ll get hurt!”
“I know what kind of person he is. You don’t need to worry about it.”
“Ah, why are you as stubborn as your mother?”
“If you mention my mom again, I won’t talk to you for three days!”
“You…”
“Brother Zian said he’ll perform a Divination for you tomorrow. Instead of worrying about my business, you should think about what problem you want him to solve for you. He’s a real Master. Others pay a divination fee of over a million to ask him for Divination and solutions.”
“Wow, that’s so awesome?”
“Vulgar.”
“I’m your biological father, you brat. Do you believe I’ll scold you?”
The father and daughter’s conversation ended just like that. What remained were only Mu Chuntao’s footsteps going upstairs and the sound of Mu Long flicking his lighter to light a cigarette.
Li Zian sighed softly in his heart. On one side was Yu Meilin, on the other was Mu Chuntao. Stuck in the middle, he felt miserable.
The neighbors upstairs started their clapping game again.
Clap clap clap, clap clap clap.
The sound was rhythmic and passionate.
Li Zian really wasn’t in the mood to listen to this. Right at that moment, a crying sound entered his ears.
It was the sound of Yu Meilin crying.
The crying was suppressed and muffled, as if she was crying into her blanket.
Li Zian was stunned. He never thought that a woman as strong-willed as Yu Meilin would also have times when she hid under the covers and cried.
His heart became somewhat unsettled. “Was I too harsh? But I only spoke the truth. If I meant nothing to her, she should be happy to write the divorce Agreement for me. Why cry? I’m the one who was hurt, okay? Married for four years, living a single life every day…”
Even an honest official finds it hard to settle family disputes.
Every family has its own hard-to-read scripture.
The next morning, Li Zian got up early and made breakfast.
He worried this might be the last day he made breakfast in this home, so he made it especially lavish: millet porridge, steamed eggs, fried egg pancakes, fried peanuts, minced meat with pickled cowpeas, vegetable and chicken patties, and freshly squeezed juice.
The distinctive sound of high heels clicking on the floor came from upstairs.
Li Zian felt inexplicably nervous.
Yu Meilin came down the stairs in her high heels. She wore a black blazer, a black bodycon skirt, and a white fitted T-shirt. She looked sexy, cold, and glamorous, with the full aura of a female President.
Most men could only dream of marrying a wife like this.
But Li Zian got a headache just seeing this woman.
Yu Meilin walked towards Li Zian, who was standing by the dining table.
Li Zian watched her quietly, guessing what her next move would be.
Yu Meilin glanced at the food on the table, then looked at Li Zian and suddenly gave a smile. “Is today a special day? You made such a lavish breakfast.”
What was going on?
But since she was being friendly, he couldn’t just act rudely for no reason, could he?
Li Zian was a little slow to react. “Xiaomei is growing, she needs more nutrition. I woke up early, so I made more.”
Yu Meilin said with a smile, “Don’t tell me you thought I was going to divorce you, and you wouldn’t be able to make breakfast here anymore, so you made extra?”
Li Zian froze.
This woman was never easy to handle.
Yu Meilin picked up a ladle and served the porridge. The first bowl she placed in front of Li Zian.
Li Zian carefully observed her every reaction, but she was calm, showing no emotional fluctuations. Yet last night, he clearly heard her crying under the covers.
Did crying help her figure things out?
Or, did sleeping with her butt covered heal all her troubles?
Then the image of Yu Meilin sleeping with her butt covered appeared in his mind again, this time in 1080p Blu-ray quality.
He felt like his brain had a problem, like a computer infected with a Virus.
“Then… what do you think?” Li Zian probed.
“I didn’t think about anything,” Yu Meilin said.
“I don’t believe you,” Li Zian said.
Yu Meilin started serving the second bowl of porridge and said casually, “I didn’t divorce you when you were just a mountain farmer. Now that you’re a Master, why would I divorce you and push you to another woman? Do you think I’m stupid?”
Li Zian didn’t know how to respond.
It made sense, really. Four years ago, someone bought a muddy little teapot. Nobody thought much of it. Four years later, the mud on the teapot was gone, and it turned into a shiny golden treasure. Would that person just give it away?
Besides, this treasure pot had already brewed a cup of white tea in her cup.
“You’re not a bad person, and you’re kind. I know this wasn’t your idea. Someone, intentionally or not, lit a fire under you?” Yu Meilin placed the bowl of porridge at the seat where Lin Shengnan usually sat, then picked up another bowl to serve more. But the corner of her eye was on Li Zian’s face.
Li Zian knew who she meant by “someone.”
He didn’t agree with her, but he couldn’t say anything.
“And what do you think?” Yu Meilin placed the third bowl of porridge on the table facing the high chair specially made for Li Xiaomei.
Li Zian forced a bitter smile. “What could I think? I just want to live a normal life.”
Just then, Lin Shengnan came downstairs holding Li Xiaomei’s hand.
“Daddy!” Li Xiaomei dashed toward Li Zian.
That one word “Daddy” melted all the unhappiness and confusion in Li Zian’s heart. He crouched down early, spreading his arms wide, waiting for Li Xiaomei to run into his embrace.
Yu Meilin said, “I’ve figured it out. From now on, I won’t control what you do. I just hope that when someone says something to you and you get impulsive again, you’ll think of Xiaomei.”
Li Zian was slightly stunned, then nodded.
She had already softened her stance. Shouldn’t he soften a bit too?
A man, no matter how tough, should yield to a woman. Sometimes, he had to be soft too.
Li Xiaomei threw herself into Li Zian’s arms and pinched his nose. “Daddy, did you miss me?”
Li Zian smiled. “Of course I missed my Little Cotton-padded Jacket.”
Li Xiaomei leaned close to Li Zian’s ear and whispered, “Then after Mommy leaves, can you do the magic trick with two Chocolate, please?”
Li Zian was speechless on the spot.
Yu Meilin served herself a bowl of porridge and said with a smile, “Xiaomei, stop bothering Daddy. It’s time to eat.”
“Okay,” Li Xiaomei replied.
Li Zian placed Li Xiaomei in the high chair and moved the chair closer to the table so she could rest her arms on it.
Lin Shengnan paused beside Li Zian and asked in a low voice, “Zian, did you two have a fight last night?”
Li Zian shook his head. “No, you must have misheard.”
Lin Shengnan shook her head and muttered, “Oh dear, I’m old, and my ears aren’t working well.”
Li Zian sat down to eat, glancing at Yu Meilin from the corner of his eye.
Yu Meilin was also glancing at Li Zian from the corner of her eye.
Their gazes met.
It was a tie.