Thirty-two

“We… there’s nothing between us!” When Mo-mo Zhang said this, she didn’t dare meet Nianqing’s eyes; she didn’t know where to look, and when her gaze accidentally landed on the enormous bouquet of lilies that Hao Tang had given her, her heart grew even more uneasy.

There truly was nothing between them! Aside from the half a month during which Hao Tang picked her up from work every day, took her home, cooked for her, watched TV and played computer games in her bedroom, and refused to leave until she went to shower and sleep—other than that, there was absolutely nothing!

“Heh,” Nianqing let out a cold laugh. Nothing? Only a fool would believe that. The man who used to rush over at a single phone call now either brushed her off with “having dinner with Mo-mo” or “at Mo-mo’s place,” or dodged her questions altogether. There was even a time when, over the phone, she clearly heard the sound of running water in the bathroom, and Hao Tang hurriedly hung up, saying he was “in a rush to buy Mo-mo some shampoo.”

What was truly unbearable was Mo-mo Zhang’s innocent expression—so pitiful, so detached, so irritating!

“Mo-mo Zhang!” Nianqing’s tone was harsh, her usually gentle eyes stormy with rage. “You attract men with that naïve, clueless face of yours, don’t you? With Xiang Zuo, you claimed you felt nothing, even as that man gave up his pride for you, you kept pretending to be an angel. Now, with Hao Tang, it’s the same—over and over, always the other person chasing you relentlessly, while you’re so innocent, so pure. Are you waiting for him to fall in love before you play the saint again? Is that your specialty?!”

She shouted with total disregard for any ladylike composure; but strangely, a thread of delight arose in Mo-mo Zhang’s heart. Her sister, Nianqing Zhang, had been meek and gentle for over twenty years—if she had to change, Mo-mo would rather see her become sharp and even overbearing than remain as she was months ago: dejected and lifeless.

At that thought, Mo-mo’s eyes grew brighter; her previous guilt and evasiveness gave way to a forceful, unyielding gaze, and her lips curled into a confident smile.

“What business is it of yours? It takes two to tango. You don’t even like Hao Tang—so what if he’s with me? Or…” Mo-mo suddenly paused, a flash of realization crossing her face as she shot a disdainful glance, “or is it that you actually like Brother Hao Tang? Nianqing Zhang, are you jealous?”

When two women face off, the thicker-skinned one prevails; under Mo-mo’s increasingly brazen barrage, the elder sister who had entered with such a commanding presence was quickly reduced to her former meek and vulnerable state. Tormented by Mo-mo’s treatment of Hao Tang, she was left speechless by those last two accusations. The tables had turned, and now she was the one who didn’t dare meet Mo-mo’s eyes, scanning the room for anything to shelter her wandering gaze.

“I… I’m not jealous, I just… you can’t toy with Hao Tang’s feelings like this. He’s not like Xiang Zuo—he’s very…”

“Toy with him?” The word stung Mo-mo, though her face grew cold. “If anyone’s been toying with Brother Hao Tang, who is it? You know how he feels, yet you keep wounding him with another man again and again. He’s waited for you so long—you won’t accept him, but you run to him to weep and pour out your troubles. Who really owes whom here? Compared to that, I’m far more merciful. Yes, I want to toy with him! What’s it to you? Conquering such a devoted man is a tremendous achievement! Besides, Brother Hao Tang can cook—his skills are truly incredible; and he’s handsome, too, a real prize to show off on the street.”

The more Mo-mo spoke, the more animated she became, completely ignoring the anguish twisting Nianqing’s expression, her words tumbling out in a torrent. “That’s it! Tomorrow I’ll have Brother Hao Tang move in with me—no more late-night trips home for him. And tonight, I’m going to the movies with him—yes, the movies, a romance film!”

No sooner said than done—her excitement mounting, Mo-mo snatched up the phone from the table and hurriedly dialed. “Brother Hao Tang, don’t go yet; wait for me downstairs, we’re going to the movies. Book a private box—make sure it’s a couple’s box, the narrower the better, so I can sit on your lap… And don’t get two drinks; we’ll share one with a Y-shaped straw, you know, the kind for two people… And don’t drive, we’ll take just one car home, and tonight you’ll stay over at my place…”

Her spirits soared as she spoke, and from the corner of her eye she saw Nianqing’s lips trembling, pale as ashes, which only lifted her higher, light and carefree as if she might float away. But just then, a cold male voice from the other end of the line brought her crashing back to earth.

On the other end, Jiakai Song’s usually dashing features were twisted in irritation. “Mo-mo Zhang, you called the wrong number!”

With that, Jiakai hung up. The already tense atmosphere in the conference room grew heavier. The general manager of administration, who had been interrupted mid-presentation by that unexpected phone call, glanced at Jiakai and resumed analyzing how government regulations on the real estate industry were constraining Hanyang: rising land prices, falling sales, tightened bank loans, higher interest rates… It was a severe blow to Hanyang, whose core business was real estate.

Jiakai Song’s face was uncommonly somber, thoughtful, though beneath his serious brow, impatience flickered more and more visibly.

As the diligent speaker nervously wondered whether his report had gone awry, a sudden “Let’s stop here” came from the head of the table. Jiakai stood, snapped his notebook shut, and strode from the room, barely pausing at the table. “We’ll continue at eight tomorrow morning,” he announced as he left.

Only when he’d sped onto the highway did Jiakai’s nerves begin to settle. He really did want to hear the rest of the general manager’s proposal, but his hearing was playing tricks on him—no matter what was said, all he heard was “couple’s box,” “sit on your lap,” “stay at my place.” Over and over, enough to drive him mad!

Suddenly, Jiakai realized a serious issue—he’d spent all this time promising Mo-mo that he’d never look at another woman, that his eyes were only for her, but he’d forgotten to demand the same in return! The mere thought of her sitting on someone else’s lap, letting another man stay at her home, made him see red. The road ahead was only a dozen kilometers, but it felt endless; his patience wore thin.

Mo-mo watched as Nianqing stormed out, slamming the door behind her, then locked up the office herself. Right now, she just wanted to settle scores with Hao Tang—no matter how close you are, you can’t use someone as a pawn without a warning. After being left in the dark for half a month, all just for a scene like that? Hardly considerate.

She’d just started her car in the parking lot when a figure darted out in front of her, making her stomp the brakes and break out in a cold sweat. Looking closely—wasn’t that Jiakai Song?

“Are you alright?” Mo-mo hurried out, bent over to check if his legs were really hit. “If something’s wrong, you could just call. Did you come to get even for that time you hit me with your car?”

She grumbled, full of complaints, but before she could react, he grabbed her, pulling her up. Jiakai was breathless, his expression dark as frost. His fair face was even whiter now, as if covered in ice. “Whose lap do you want to sit on? Who are you letting sleep at your house?!”

Mo-mo froze, suddenly recalling the misdialed call. Seeing Jiakai’s furious face, she couldn’t help but laugh. The more she laughed, the angrier he got; his handsome face went stark white, almost like a Beijing opera mask of Guan Yu. Only when Mo-mo, clutching her stomach, managed to explain about Hao Tang did Jiakai’s rare seriousness fade, shifting between embarrassment and awkwardness, leaving him momentarily lost for words.

“Alright,” Mo-mo suppressed her smile. “You could have just said you misunderstood—it’s not like you explained before hanging up. Don’t do that again, what if you’d really gotten hurt?” With that, she turned back to her car.

Hearing her gentle words, Jiakai’s anger melted into sweetness, but watching her walk away, he grew even more reluctant to let her go. Without thinking, he strode after her and wrapped her up in his arms from behind.

Mo-mo hadn’t expected this. He held her so tightly her heart thudded madly against her chest.

“Mo-mo,” his voice sounded suddenly in her ear, a husky whisper, “I really like you.”

Her heart beat faster. His chest was pressed against her back—she couldn’t tell whose heart was pounding so fiercely. Mo-mo stood stunned for a long while, unable to speak; his soft words drew even closer.

Jiakai sighed, weary, though his arms only tightened. “After hearing you say those things on the phone, I couldn’t even finish the meeting. I didn’t know… I never knew I could feel this way, for the first time, like this…”

His voice, usually light and playful, now held a trace of helplessness. Yet that helplessness struck deep into her heart. In a flash, every memory from before surged up—how she’d woken from the car accident and mistaken this man, a virtual stranger, for her boyfriend; how he’d entered her life with a teasing grin, facing off with Xiang Zuo over her as a near-stranger; how, even after she confessed she’d mistaken him for someone else, he still came to see her, cared for her; how he’d apologized, embarrassed and guilty, for not visiting because a business deal had dragged on…

The winter chill around her was transformed into a warm current by these soft memories, melting her tears before they could fall.

“Don’t…” she lowered her head, numb, but her voice trembled. “I’m really not a good choice; too much has happened in my past… Even I don’t know if I deserve happiness anymore…”

But he wouldn’t let her go. He turned her to face him, meeting her gaze directly. In that moment, there was no trace left of his usual carefree air—just pure, steady focus, as if his clear eyes wanted to pierce her heart.

“Mo-mo, have I ever asked about your past?”

She shook her head.

“When you’re with me, do you ever dwell on those unhappy memories?”

She shook her head.

“Then what does any of that have to do with us being together?”