That morning, Li Ke woke up late and was a bit anxious, not paying attention when hailing a taxi, as there was a young woman beside him who had already extended her hand first.
The taxi stopped by the two of them, and he stepped forward to open the door. The driver stuck his head out to stop him, saying: "It was this young lady who hailed the taxi first."
Li Ke felt a little embarrassed and said: "Sorry." The woman smiled and replied: "I see you're in a hurry, go ahead." Li Ke hurriedly declined, and during their back-and-forth, the driver said: "If it's on the way, why don't you both go together?"
Both of them were surprised for a moment, then they told the driver where they were going. Coincidentally, their companies were in adjacent office buildings.
They met again at a fast-food restaurant between the two office buildings, each going with colleagues for lunch. Such encounters were not unexpected; upon seeing each other, they nodded and shared an understanding smile.
Sitting at opposite tables, Li Ke’s hand accidentally touched the broken edge of the chair, causing a cut. Before he could react, Mei Zi from across the table handed him a clean tissue. He reached out to take it, and their fingers touched.
After that, every morning, he began waiting intentionally or unintentionally at the intersection. In this smiling woman, Li Ke sensed a gentleness lacking in his own life, gradually falling for her.
Her home, a small space, was clean and comfortable. Her cooking skills captivated Li Ke's stomach, and her gentle small gestures completely won his heart.
This was the simple happiness he had imagined, but obtained after being married for so long, from another woman.
Thoughts of divorce kept flashing through his mind on his way home.
His life started oscillating between Mei Zi and his marriage. Although his wife, Jiang Jing, seemed less important, adding their son made things balanced.
He and Mei Zi planned a trip to Lijiang. It was said that it was a good place for lovers to finally be together.
When Jiang Jing heard her husband was going on a business trip, she immediately became upset. Without waiting for him to leave, she took their child and went back to her parents' house, not even packing his luggage. But this time, he no longer cared.
Lijiang was beautiful. However, their honeymoon-like days didn’t last as planned because Jiang Jing fell ill, suffering from a severe cold and already hospitalized. She still had the energy to call and yell at him, blaming him for leaving her alone in the hospital. She also complained about the nurses being clumsy and having bad attitudes, taking advantage of her illness.
After hanging up, his heart couldn't return to its previous ease. Facing Mei Zi’s calm smile, he obviously felt more awkward. Dinner continued at a small shop by the bridge over the stream. Li Ke spoke much less and often lost focus. He tried hard not to think, but couldn't. Jiang Jing rarely got sick, despite her bad temper, and he wondered how she would get along with others in the hospital.
Mei Zi called him twice before Li Ke realized his awkwardness. He smiled, reaching over to pat Mei Zi’s hand, trying to cover up his embarrassment. Mei Zi pulled his hand gently and whispered: "Let's go back."
The journey back was silent. Mei Zi asked nothing, holding Li Ke’s hand quietly, watching the plane pierce through the clouds, the sky outside the window blue and almost transparent.
After a long while, Mei Zi held Li Ke’s face in her hands and earnestly said: "I want you to finish this life well. In the next life, I will find you early and won't wait so long."
Li Ke's tears streamed down as he listened.
They parted silently. Li Ke watched the bus carrying Mei Zi drive away before turning on his phone and calling Jiang Jing's number, saying: "I'm back."
As Li Ke expected, upon entering the room, Jiang Jing was yelling at the nurse. Seeing someone come in, the nurse sighed in relief and left like escaping. Jiang Jing was indeed sick, looking somewhat haggard, yet still complaining nonstop. Li Ke just listened, neither defending nor contradicting her, letting her talk until exhausted, then pulling his hand and falling asleep. Even in her sleep, she muttered: "Li Ke, with you gone, they all bully me."
It was already dusk. In the faint light outside the window, Li Ke looked at the woman who had been his wife for 8 years. He chose her, and he himself had become accustomed to her dependence. She wasn't like Mei Zi. No matter which man Mei Zi met, she would be loved and cherished. But his wife was different. If he left her, and she encountered a bad-tempered man in the future, she would suffer for the rest of her life. He couldn't bear to abandon her, couldn't bear to see her suffer, couldn't... So, he chose to come back, to accompany her until old age.