As soon as she spoke, Chu Yuan’s footsteps came to an immediate halt.
Actually, it is very simple to call out to someone who doesn’t want to leave in the first place, it all depends on whether that person truly wants to stay or not.
Chu Yuan didn’t turn around. She simply stood with her back to Yan Dai, waiting to hear what the other woman would say next.
But Yan Dai fell silent again.
Chu Yuan was able to guess that Yan Dai wouldn’t take the initiative to say much.
After being married for so many years, Chu Yuan naturally understood Yan Dai’s personality. The way they interacted was one that doomed them to Yan Dai’s silence.
Everyone knew that Chu Yuan, both in public and in private, was very clingy toward Yan Dai. Anyone who knew them understood that Chu Yuan loved her wife, Yan Dai, to pieces.
In comparison, Yan Dai appeared exceptionally cold, as if she weren’t affectionate, didn’t care, or wasn’t interested in Chu Yuan.
If Chu Yuan was always the one taking the initiative just to barely maintain their relationship, she would eventually get tired too. Did she really have to be the one to initiate everything every single time?
Chu Yuan already felt a bit weary, but she still chose to open the conversation: “If you don’t have anything else to do, I’ll be going now.”
Since she had already said that much, surely Yan Dai could take the initiative to say something to her!
“Chu Yuan,” Yan Dai called her name again.
Chu Yuan finally turned around to look at Yan Dai, staring straight into her eyes, hoping the other woman would say something more.
They were in a legal marriage. Even if their feelings weren’t as harmonious as most couples, they should still be closer than average people, right? They had been living apart for so long. Chu Yuan couldn’t believe Yan Dai had nothing to say to her.
If Yan Dai really wanted to talk, there were plenty of things she could say. She could talk about work stress, trivial daily matters, gossip, share little anecdotes from her time abroad, or ask about how Chu Yuan had been lately, all of these were options.
Even if Yan Dai had just said something as simple as, “Do you want to go home with me?”, Chu Yuan might have just followed her home right then and there.
Although she had been spoiled since she was a child and occasionally acted like a princess, she was still very easy to coax when it came to Yan Dai. Even though she was still angry with her, as long as Yan Dai could be a little proactive, it would be enough.
Even if she felt that she had given so much in this relationship, feeling insecure and wronged, she had never expected Yan Dai to give her an equal amount of love. As long as she showed a little more care, even just one percent, it would be enough. As long as she knew Yan Dai didn’t have zero feelings for her, she could coax herself into feeling better.
They stood in a stalemate, staring at each other for a full half-minute before Yan Dai finally spoke: “Where are you going?”
Chu Yuan couldn’t quite tell the tone in Yan Dai’s voice, she couldn’t distinguish if she was showing concern or just asking a casual question. So, she replied in an equally flat tone. “Going out to have fun with friends.”
“Where?”
“Wink Bar.”
“About what time will you be home? Do you need Qin Man to come pick you up?”
Chu Yuan’s lips drooped instantly.
Qin Man, Qin Man… why is it always Qin Man!
I don’t want her to come pick me up! I’m an adult now, can’t I go home by myself? If worst comes to worst, I have enough money to hire a designated driver to take me home, alright? If you actually cared about me, couldn’t you come pick me up yourself?
It’s been three years of marriage and you haven’t picked me up even once. Am I still your wife, boohoo!
Chu Yuan rarely acted like a child toward Yan Dai, it hadn’t happened more than a few times in their three years of marriage. Today counted as one of those rare instances. Her anger from the past few days hadn’t faded, and now she was inexplicably triggered by the name “Qin Man” again, leading her to throw a rare tantrum. “I don’t know!”
If you don’t want to pick me up yourself, why ask when I’m coming home? No comment!
Yan Dai had finally summoned the courage to ask a question, only to be hit with that response, and was clearly choked up by it.
Chu Yuan was actually a coward. She had acted tough just a second ago, and now she was already second guessing if she had been too harsh on her wife. She cleared her throat and decided to break the ice herself. “Why did you suddenly come back to the country?”
In truth, Chu Yuan was quite happy to see Yan Dai return. She hoped for an answer related to her, even if it were a lie.
But Yan Dai’s eyes flickered, and she finally answered with two words. “Work.”
Some people are just destined to be single, she thought. The perfect answer was right on the tip of her tongue, yet she insisted on being contrary and saying something else instead.
The little flame in Chu Yuan’s heart flared up again. Work, work, it’s always work! Why don’t you just spend the rest of your life with your work then!
Chu Yuan felt a tightness in her chest, a profound sense of discomfort. She bit her lower lip. “I’m going out now.”
“Are you coming home tonight?”
Chu Yuan was acting stubborn again and replied with a petty comment. “That’s none of your business.”
Yan Dai stood half a meter away, watching Chu Yuan. The words “Shall we go home together?” remained stuck in her throat. After struggling for a long time, she only managed to spit out one word: “Okay.”
What is that “Okay” supposed to mean?
Chu Yuan was stunned, not knowing whether to leave or stay. She immediately regretted acting so petty. But she was just so sad. She rarely acted out, she had finally let her temper flare just once, yet Yan Dai hadn’t made any attempt to coax her.
A light, breezy “Okay” had dismissed her completely.
Please, your own wife only comes back once every six months. A normal person would surely want to stick to their wife and catch up, right? But Yan Dai didn’t even make an attempt to ask her to stay!
Ahhhhhh! Chu Yuan, how long are you going to keep lying to yourself!
Chu Yuan turned and walked away.
This time, Yan Dai didn’t call her name a third time, and she didn’t look back.
But after taking only a few steps, tears began to fall, uncontrollable and filled with grievance.
For the first time, she truly and deeply began to doubt their marriage.
Perhaps… perhaps we shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place.