He Mei rarely spoke with Qi Lian. Neither of them was much of a talker; while He Mei was naturally introverted, she always felt that Qi Lian simply didn't care to acknowledge others. In her mind, she had categorized him as the type of person who was difficult to get along with.
But that day, Qi Lian seemed relaxed. It was as if he had previously been a garment left out in the snow, frozen stiff and hard, but today he was a white shirt under the spring sun—not only soft but fluttering gently in the breeze. In this state, he didn't seem difficult at all.
After greeting her, Qi Lian turned to speak with Jiang Yuan, standing in a casual posture. One of his hands remained on the back of Yu Mo’s neck, his thumb idly stroking the skin there.
To He Mei, this image was like a whip dipped in brine, lashing across her face. Her heart twinged with pain, and she hurriedly looked away. She had once been willing to give up everything in pursuit of the most sincere love, yet she had never found it, nor even seen it.
There, in the evening light amidst the bustling stalls, that single image gave a concrete form to what a man’s love looked like. She felt a profound sadness for herself. How much better would it have been if she had never seen it at all? Now, she could only admit that her luck simply wasn't good enough.
Because of this, she had spent half the night tossing and turning, eventually delivering several sharp kicks to the snoring Jiang Yuan beside her.
The tables at Fatty’s BBQ were set out right along the roadside. When He Mei arrived on her electric scooter, Jiang Yuan and the others spotted her immediately. As soon as she braked with her feet on the ground, Qiqi couldn't wait to jump off and run toward Qi Lian.
Jiang Yuan strode over from the table in a few large steps, gesturing for her to park the scooter to the side. He seemed to freeze for a moment, glancing at He Mei once, then stealing another look.
He Mei’s face flushed hot. Lowering her head, she chided him in a small voice, "What are you looking at?" She kept her voice low, terrified that others might hear.
Jiang Yuan, a tall and sturdy man, suddenly looked a bit bashful. He didn't dare look He Mei in the eye, but instead reached out with his large hands to lift the front wheel of the scooter, helping her park it properly on the sidewalk. He found the words difficult to say, so he simply turned back to the table and sat down.
Qiqi ran up to Qi Lian, who stood up with a smile, intending to catch him and toss him into the air as usual. But when the boy reached him, Qi Lian paused. He could only pat Qiqi on the head and say, "You’re growing too fast. You’re much taller than last time; I won't be able to pick you up anymore. How tall are you now?"
"Almost 1.5 meters, I think," Qiqi said proudly.
Jiang Yuan walked over just then and chimed in, "You think you're still young? If you don't have a kid soon, you won't be able to."
"I'll be—"
Qi Lian started to retort, but seeing Qiqi’s bright eyes looking up at him, he swallowed the rest of his sentence. Qiqi sat down between Qi Lian and Jiang Yuan, pulling on Qi Lian’s arm to talk about Ultraman cards.
Seeing this, He Mei quickly said, "Qi Lian, don't buy him whatever he asks for. Children don't know any better. Qiqi, mind your manners."
Qiqi made a face at his mother. Jiang Yuan gave him a light, warning swat on the back of the head.
Seeing He Mei arrive, Yu Mo reached out and pulled over a blue plastic stool from behind her. Seeing this, Xiaoxiao shifted her own stool to the side, creating a space for He Mei between the two of them. The three women greeted each other warmly.
Jiang Yuan called out in his booming voice for the waiter to bring two more sets of utensils.
Yu Mo chatted idly with He Mei for a moment, then leaned in closer and whispered with a smile, "Sister-in-law, Jiang Yuan has been stealing glances at you this whole time."
Beside them, Xiaoxiao giggled and leaned in as well. "Exactly. You look especially beautiful today, Sister-in-law."
He Mei’s face burned instantly, filled with the embarrassment of being seen through. She pursed her lips awkwardly and lowered her head, deep dimples rippling on her cheeks.
Xiaoxiao immediately added, "There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Look at the person next to you—she’s got a hickey on her chest!"
The smile froze on Yu Mo’s face. She awkwardly tugged the collar of her shirt back. It was so low down that she had no idea how Xiaoxiao had spotted it. In a fit of pique, she gave Qi Lian a hard kick under the table.
Xiaoxiao laughed even louder. "Are you two for real? So thin-skinned. Fine, fine, I won't tease you anymore."
Yu Mo then remembered something else. "Did that man from last time come looking for you again?"
"He did. What’s with that expression? Don't worry, he just wanted me to give him another chance. I told him I have my own ways of dealing with him. Men... I've seen plenty of them." Xiaoxiao’s voice was crisp, her words tumbling out like beans from a jar, giving off an air of refreshing frankness.
Qi Lian played with Qiqi for a while, but hearing the women laughing, he turned his head. Seeing only the side of Yu Mo’s body and the back of her head, he was suddenly struck by a wave of longing for her. He picked up a plastic-laminated menu from the table behind him and reached under the table to fan away mosquitoes for Yu Mo.
Yu Mo, for reasons unknown, kicked him twice, but his large hand took the opportunity to press down on her leg, refusing to let go.
He Mei leaned her head over and asked Yu Mo in a low voice, "Do you know a Liu Zhiyan? The one who wears glasses?"
Yu Mo blinked, realizing she did indeed know someone by that name. She nodded.
He Mei had already guessed as much. "He seems to like you. Maybe..."
Before she could finish, Xiaoxiao broadcasted this explosive news to the entire table. She shouted, "Brother Lian, someone’s trying to steal your woman!"
As her clear voice rang out, the expressions of everyone at the table shifted, and all eyes turned toward Qi Lian.
The hand Qi Lian had on Yu Mo’s thigh tightened slightly. He looked at the three women and asked in a level tone, "What’s going on?"
He Mei felt a bit miserable. She had only intended to share a bit of quiet gossip with Yu Mo, but now she felt like an informant, unsure whether to speak further or stay silent. She could only say vaguely, "I just happened to meet someone, and he mentioned he quite liked Yu Mo."
Qi Lian’s hand stroked Yu Mo’s leg up and down as he squinted at He Mei. "What kind of person? What did he say?"
He Mei stammered, "Just... that he’s willing to listen to Yu Mo talk, and that he has endless things to say to her. Maybe he was just speaking casually."
Yu Mo couldn't bear to watch He Mei struggle and stepped in to defuse the situation. "The 'like' he’s talking about probably isn't what we mean. Don't take it seriously; he’s a very simple person. He just means I’m a good person."
Qi Lian gave her an unreadable glance, nodded, and said nothing more, turning back to drink with Jiang Yuan.
Qi Shuai pointed to his phone, signaling Qi Lian to check his messages. He had sent a text to their three-person group chat: *Old Qi, aren't you disgusted with yourself? Can't you control your hand? Does it have to be on her leg?*
Jiang Yuan let out a crude chuckle.
Qi Lian put his phone down expressionlessly, but he did finally move his hand back onto the table.
Just then, a young waiter called out, "Watch out, watch out!" as he brought over a large basin of garlic crawfish. Qi Lian began peeling the crawfish in silence.
Yu Mo noticed the conflicted look on He Mei’s face because of what had just happened and felt a bit bad. This was only her second time meeting He Mei, and they weren't very well-acquainted. He Mei looked very small and thin, always keeping her head down. When she did look up, she had a submissive, gentle quality, and when she wasn't speaking, she looked as though she were carrying a heavy burden. Yu Mo felt a pang of sympathy for her.
She comforted He Mei, "It’s a small matter, don't take it to heart. Thank you for telling me I have a secret admirer. Liu Zhiyan is an upright person; it’s fine. Let’s have a drink together. I haven't had a drink in a long time." She turned to Qi Lian. "I want a beer."
Qi Lian glanced at her, then at his own large beer mug. He tilted his head back and took a long, deep gulp, draining half the mug before pushing it over to Yu Mo. "Drink."
They then busied themselves pouring a beer for He Mei. Qi Lian placed several peeled crawfish into a small bowl and pushed it toward Yu Mo, saying in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Eat something to line your stomach before you drink."
He Mei had grown up being cautious and timid her whole life and rarely drank. At first, she winced at the taste, but by the second half of the glass, she was taking large gulps without needing any encouragement. She felt her head grow light, as if she didn't have to think about anything and could say whatever she wanted. For the first time, she felt that socializing with people was actually quite pleasant.
By the time they were ready to leave, He Mei was grinning at everyone.
Jiang Yuan drove the car over and tossed He Mei’s electric scooter into the trunk. He pointed at the front fender, which was shattered like a row of broken teeth. "How did this get smashed?"
He Mei glanced at it and said, "Someone hit me this morning. He clearly hit me, but he was being unreasonable and wouldn't let me leave." She spoke with the breezy nonchalance of someone who was slightly tipsy.
Her skin was naturally fair, and the alcohol had given her face a rosy glow. Her lipstick was long gone, but her eyes held a spark they usually lacked. She possessed an unusual allure, like an ancient tree suddenly bursting into bloom.
Jiang Yuan’s gaze wavered, and he felt a sudden heat. It had been a long time since he had remembered the feeling of his heart racing for her.
For some reason, he lowered his booming voice. "Then why didn't you call me? In the future, if something like this happens, remember that you have a man."
He Mei stared at him blankly, feeling as though she didn't quite recognize this person.
Jiang Yuan took her by the arm. "Get in the car. Let’s go home."
They were home in less than ten minutes. Qiqi tried to pull He Mei into a game of Gomoku.
Jiang Yuan scolded him, "Game? What game? Look at the time. Get your butt in the shower and go to bed. You’re sleeping in your own room tonight."
Qiqi craned his neck in protest. "Why? Mom plays a game with me every day. We haven't played yet!"
Jiang Yuan grabbed the back of the boy's shirt and tossed him toward the bathroom. "Because I’m your father. I have business with your mother tonight."
Qiqi turned and yelled, "Mom! Mom, save me!"
Strangely, He Mei, who usually protected him, didn't say a word. She simply went into the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water.
When He Mei finished her shower in the master bathroom and stepped out, she saw Jiang Yuan sitting on the edge of the bed, shirtless. He was a large man, and sitting there, he looked like a mountain. Her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a touch of trepidation; the alcohol had mostly worn off.
Jiang Yuan stared straight at her. That look reminded her of the first time they met, and she suddenly felt her limbs go weak.
Jiang Yuan stood up and pulled her toward him. "We've been together for how many years, and you're still afraid of me? Am I not good to you? I haven't touched another woman besides you."
He Mei kept her head down, her heart thumping.
"You look really good today. I took one look at you back then and knew you were the one. Don't pick fights with me; I'll take good care of you."
He laid He Mei down on the bed and leaned over her. He Mei didn't resist; her limbs were as soft as noodles. For the first time, her heart truly wanted to embrace this man, and her body had a mind of its own.
This couple, married for eight years, finally understood the joy of true physical and emotional harmony.
***
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Echoes of Lotus District | Chapter 50 | A Night of Connection | Novela.app | Novela.app
