“I know,” Huo Xuan said casually.
His reply caught Xie Mingzhu off guard. “You know?”
Huo Xuan did not elaborate further, only smiled and said, “Let’s eat first.”
He set the bowls and chopsticks he was holding down on the table. “I found some noodles in the kitchen, so have a bite.”
Seeing that he had only made one bowl, Xie Mingzhu looked up at him again. “You and Second Brother haven’t eaten either. What will you have later?”
“There’s still some wheat flour left in the kitchen. I’ll roll out more noodles once Second Brother gets back,” Huo Xuan replied.
Before he could finish speaking, footsteps sounded from outside.
In no time, Xie Shaoqian appeared in the doorway.
Seeing that she was about to eat, he waved his hand. “Save those noodles for me to have tomorrow. Tonight, I’ll take you all out to eat at a restaurant!”
It was such a good day—how could they only eat plain noodles? They ought to drink a good measure of wine and celebrate properly!
Xie Mingzhu pressed her lips into a smile. “Second Brother, do you think this is the city? The restaurants here close early in the evening.”
There was only one restaurant in the entire commune. Though it was not yet late, by the time they walked there, it would surely have shut its doors.
At her words, Xie Shaoqian’s expression froze. After a moment, he said, “Then I’ll go buy some food and wine and bring them back!”
Seeing that he was actually about to head out, Xie Mingzhu called him back again. “No need to go to so much trouble. Aren’t there plenty of ready-made dishes over at the Qin family’s place?”
Xie Shaoqian immediately realized how right she was.
The Qins had been preparing a wedding feast—so all the food and drink was already there, ready to be eaten!
He turned and waved at Huo Xuan. “A-Xuan, come with me.”
Since the banquet would no longer take place, they might as well take the food and eat it themselves instead of letting it go to waste. Even if they hadn’t paid for it, they could eat it with a clear conscience.
Before long, Xie Shaoqian and Huo Xuan returned carrying several plates of food.
“These are still hot—perfect to eat right now,” Xie Shaoqian said with a grin.
Xie Mingzhu’s spirits were low, and she only lifted the corners of her mouth slightly when she saw them.
Noticing this, Xie Shaoqian exchanged a glance with Huo Xuan.
“Mingzhu, it’s been ages since I last saw you. We rarely get a chance to be together like this. How about having a few drinks with me tonight?” Xie Shaoqian said gently.
As he spoke, he glanced toward Huo Xuan.
Huo Xuan understood immediately. He turned and went back to the kitchen, bringing out more bowls and chopsticks.
Xie Shaoqian poured wine for all three of them, giving Xie Mingzhu only a small amount—less than half a bowl. In his mind, she had never drunk before, so he assumed she could not hold her liquor.
“Second Brother, pour me some more,” Xie Mingzhu said.
Xie Shaoqian looked back at her in surprise. “Are you sure you can handle it?”
Xie Mingzhu smiled faintly. “Yes, I can.”
Xie Shaoqian raised an eyebrow. “In such a short time apart, your tolerance has grown?”
He turned to Huo Xuan and added with a laugh, “Don’t go drinking yourself under the table, now.”
Xie Mingzhu lifted her chin, smiling. “Don’t underestimate me, Second Brother.”
Xie Shaoqian said no more and filled her bowl to the brim.
He had thought she was just putting on an act, but she truly could hold her drink. When he took a sip himself, he felt it burn hot all the way down his throat, yet Xie Mingzhu didn’t even flinch.
He turned to Huo Xuan and laughed. “Look at this girl—after two years away, she’s really grown up.”
Her behavior today had indeed made him see her in a new light. In those two years, she had clearly stopped being that naive, simple-minded girl; she now had a mind of her own. In the past, if she had found herself betrayed, she would surely have broken down in tears.
“It’s actually a good thing,” he said with feeling. “I used to worry you’d be taken advantage of, but now it seems you’ll be able to stand up for yourself from now on.”
Xie Mingzhu gave a bitter smile.
She had paid for this lesson with her life—if she still hadn’t learned from it, then her death would truly have been for nothing.
“Second Brother, I won’t let you worry about me anymore,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Seeing her like this, Xie Shaoqian felt a pang of sadness in his own heart. He reached out and patted her hand gently. “Let’s not dwell on the past. All that matters is that things go well for you from now on.”
Xie Mingzhu nodded softly.
When she turned her gaze, she noticed Huo Xuan sitting silently, head bowed, drinking wine without saying a word.
“Huo Xuan, why are you so quiet?”
She had been thinking that he seemed very different from how he used to be. Yet when she looked at him directly, he still looked exactly the same—no outward change at all.
Hearing her call his name, Huo Xuan lifted his head and shook it.
Seeing this, Xie Shaoqian refilled his bowl and teased, “A-Xuan, you’re at the age where you should be thinking of settling down and starting a family, aren’t you?”
At the jest, Huo Xuan smiled and shook his head. “If you haven’t thought about settling down yet, then I’m certainly in no hurry.”
As he spoke, he raised his eyes and glanced quickly at Xie Mingzhu.
Xie Mingzhu had her eyes lowered, sipping her wine, and did not catch his look.
But Xie Shaoqian was sharp-eyed. He noticed the glance and let his gaze shift between the two of them, a knowing smile slowly spreading across his face.
After another cup, Xie Mingzhu began to feel lightheaded. Seeing her cheeks flush red, Xie Shaoqian knew she had had enough. He turned to Huo Xuan. “A-Xuan, let’s go drink outside and let Mingzhu get some rest.”
Xie Mingzhu did not stand on ceremony and simply nodded.
Xie Shaoqian and Huo Xuan quickly picked up their bowls and chopsticks and stepped out, leaving her alone in the room.
She skipped washing up, took off her outer clothes, and lay down on her bed.
She had expected that after everything she had gone through that day, she would find it impossible to fall asleep. But to her surprise, no sooner had she lain down than she closed her eyes and drifted off.
Her sleep, however, was far from peaceful. In her dreams, the events of her previous life played over and over again.
She was lying in a hospital bed, listening as Qin Haoyu and the others laid out their schemes against her. She relived the years Qin Qing and Qin Haoyu had carried on their affair right under her nose. She even realized that she herself had raised their illegitimate child. And from their own mouths, she learned that the deaths of her eldest brother and her father had also been caused by them.
When she confronted them, the three showed no trace of panic. Zhang Zenglan, who had pretended to be a kind mother figure for decades, even kicked her hard in the stomach. Overcome with rage, Xie Mingzhu grabbed a knife and stabbed all three of them.
When the sound of police sirens echoed from the street below, she left a final note and jumped from the window.
In the split second before she fell, she vaguely caught sight of a familiar figure roaring in grief, throwing himself toward her with every ounce of strength. His eyes were filled with such unbearable sorrow and regret.
But at the very end of her life, nothing mattered anymore. She no longer had the will to wonder what that look in his eyes had truly meant.