Chapter 20

Update Time: March 22, 2013

Xiao Fei sat in a spacious and bright office, listening to Niu Jinda's report.

"Boss Xiao, Wang Yue is gone. This woman is indeed no good. Our people saw her go to the bank and withdraw all the money from Zhang Yang's card," Niu Jinda said with lingering fear.

Xiao Fei said smugly, "I knew it all along. This woman was taught by me, and no one understands her better than I do. Do you know where she went?"

Niu Jinda said shamefully, "She booked several flight tickets, to the capital, the south, and the north. Our people followed her to the airport, but when she went into the restroom and changed her clothes, we lost her. We don't know where she went specifically!"

Xiao Fei nodded and said, "Yes, that's the Wang Yue I remember. Forget about her. It seems she really has no ill intentions. After all, she has been with me for a few years. Let her go."

"What about that foolish boy? How should we deal with him?" Niu Jinda asked.

Xiao Fei threw the voice recorder to Niu Jinda and said, "Give it to him, then make him leave Jin City. If it weren't for my brother-in-law telling me not to cause trouble, I would have crippled him. Even the women I'm done with are not for him."

Niu Jinda laughed as he looked at the voice recorder. That foolish boy is probably still looking for Wang Yue. I wonder what he will think when he hears this.

At this moment, Zhang Yang was sitting in the living room, reading Wang Yue's letter.

"Dear husband, I'm leaving. Don't look for me. I don't even know where I'm going. Maybe I'll return to my hometown, maybe I'll find a city where no one knows me, or maybe I'll travel all over the country.

I'm not a good woman. Before I met you, I was a mistress to a man, what people usually call a 'second wife.' But I was a very unsuccessful second wife, and I was kicked out. On the day you met me, I was penniless and had nowhere to go.

Fortunately, I met you. You, this little fool, have never doubted me. Actually, it was me who drugged you, that's why you lost control! At that time, I just wanted to grab the last straw! I didn't want to end up on the streets!

In the end, I succeeded and stayed, and even became your girlfriend.

But the longer I was with you, the more I felt your goodness and my wickedness! I hate myself, why didn't I meet you earlier, why did I fall so low, why can't I give you my best side!

But there's no 'if' in this world. What has happened has happened. No matter how I try to avoid it, I can't forget what has happened!

I know you would say you don't care! But I do care!

When I was with you, every time I saw your innocent eyes, I felt my own filth! Sometimes I washed my body in the bathroom over and over again, but no matter how much I washed, I couldn't clean myself!

Besides that, there's another problem I can't face: I can't have children! It's like a fish bone stuck in my throat. Every day I want to tell you, but I can't bring myself to say it. A woman who can't have children has no right to talk about love or marriage.

I wanted a surprise, and you gave it to me. Do you know? Last night was the happiest time of my life. When you took out the ring, I really wanted to stay with you no matter what.

But I can't, I can't hold you back!

We will face this problem sooner or later. It's better to part ways when our feelings are at their best, so we can leave each other with the deepest memories.

I'm taking the ring with me. From today on, I am your wife, Zhang Yang. No matter where I am or what I do, I will remember that I am your wife!

I'm also taking the bank card. Who made you my husband? If my wife has no money, you can't let me starve, right?

Husband, I love you!"

Zhang Yang was in tears, some things he knew, some things he suspected, but he never asked. As Wang Yue taught him, as his social circle expanded and his experience grew, he knew everyone has their secrets. He didn't care about Wang Yue's past, he cared about the future! But he never expected Wang Yue to leave.

Wiping away his tears, Zhang Yang continued reading.

"Husband, I know you have secrets! You always win big in the lottery, but don't buy it anymore! If you do, don't buy it in Jin City. You've won several times, and the lottery center has registered your identity. Over time, it will raise suspicion."

Zhang Yang was startled. He thought he had hidden it well, but Wang Yue had known all along.

"Husband, you mentioned to me about being detained. I think you must have offended someone at the restaurant. If you have the chance, go to that restaurant and ask around, or contact your former colleagues. They will know something. If the other party is too powerful, don't rush to take revenge. A gentleman's revenge is ten years in the making, and we will get back at them eventually!"

"Husband, don't live in this house anymore. Niu Jinda is not a good person, stay away from him!"

"Also, leave Jin City as soon as possible. It's my fault for involving you. I've done what I can, and I believe those people won't make things difficult for you. With your abilities, you can make a name for yourself anywhere. Don't stay trapped here."

"Don't look for me, and don't ask about my affairs. Don't believe what others say. Believe that I truly love you!"

"Your loving wife, Wang Yue!"

"Finally, my foolish husband, don't easily trust women in the future. Remember, women are naturally good at acting! Don't reveal your secrets, and keep your money safe. Don't give it to anyone else. In this world, trust no one but yourself. To live better, you must mature and follow my advice!"

"Women are just commodities. As long as you have money and status, there's nothing you can't get! Don't you like the big stars on TV? They are just playthings for the rich. Husband, as long as you work hard, you can achieve it too! Money, power, and status decide everything. The rest is just an illusion. Don't have any illusions about this world, husband!"

"Just as I told you, release your desires and be a real man. I hope one day to hear of your success."

The letter ended, and the paper was stained with tears, as if written while crying.

A heart-wrenching pain surged into Zhang Yang's heart!

This was his first love, and he had never felt such pain before, a pain that made him want to die.

For the next few days, Zhang Yang was in a daze, holding Wang Yue's letter and reading it over and over, hoping every day that the door would open and Wang Yue would walk in with a smile, saying, "Husband, I'm back!"

But it was all in his imagination. Day after day, he waited, but he heard nothing from Wang Yue. A week later, Wang Yue's phone was disconnected, and he lost the last way to contact her.

It wasn't until he received a call from his father that he snapped out of his daze.

"Dayang, are you okay? Why haven't you called home? Didn't you say you were going to bring your girlfriend back?" Zhang Li asked.

Zhang Yang held back his tears and said, "Dad, I'm fine. Wang Yue, she, she broke up with me."

Zhang Li was surprised. He had heard a lot about his son's girlfriend over the past two months. According to Zhang Yang, she was a good girl who had helped him a lot, and they had even planned to open a store. How could they break up?

"Dayang, why did you break up? Is it because of our family's financial difficulties? Didn't you tell her that we have money and can buy you a house?" Zhang Li asked.

For the elderly, the most important thing is their children's marriage. Although Zhang Yang was young to marry, in a small town, it was normal to have a girlfriend and talk about marriage at his age. Zhang Li thought Wang Yue might have left because of the family's financial situation, as most girls these days want a house and a car when they talk about marriage.

Zhang Yang shook his head and said, "Dad, it's not because of that."

Although Wang Yue had taken Zhang Yang's bank card, Zhang Yang didn't believe she had left him for money. They had been together for more than three months, and the bank card had been in his wallet all along. Wang Yue had known the password for a long time. If she wanted to take the money and run, she would have done it long ago.

"Then what's the reason? Did you make her angry? I'm not saying this to criticize you, Dayang, but as a man, you should be more understanding of your girlfriend. Men should be more tolerant. Haven't you heard the saying, 'The bigger the heart, the greater the wealth'? You must be generous and not be petty like a woman," Zhang Li said.

Zhang Yang said helplessly, "Dad, we didn't argue! Wang Yue can't have children. She didn't want to hold me back, so she left."

Zhang Li suddenly fell silent. If it were any other reason, he might have encouraged Zhang Yang to win her back. But if she couldn't have children, that was a deal-breaker for the elderly. They longed for descendants, and a wife who couldn't bear children, no matter how beautiful or capable, would not be accepted.

"That's the reason! Dayang, if that's the case, your girlfriend is a good girl! We Zhangs only have you as the heir. You mustn't be foolish!" Zhang Li said.

Zhang Yang smiled bitterly and said, "Dad, not being able to have children, is it really that serious?"

Zhang Yang didn't take Wang Yue's reason seriously. He was young and hadn't thought about it much. He had only said it to avoid his father's questioning, but he didn't expect such a strong reaction.

Zhang Li's tone became serious. "Nonsense! What is marriage for if not to have children? This is not something to be taken lightly. I can forgive you for not knowing before, but now that you know, you must not bring her back. It's good that you broke up. Don't contact her anymore."

Zhang Yang put down the phone, feeling drained. Only now did he begin to understand some of Wang Yue's words. She wasn't deceiving him; she really couldn't be with him.

Seeing Zhang Li's reaction, Zhang Yang knew that if they returned to their hometown and wanted to get married, and it was discovered that Wang Yue couldn't have children, his parents would never agree to the marriage. It would cause a huge conflict, and their relationship would be affected. Wang Yue didn't want that to happen, so she chose to leave when their relationship was at its sweetest.

She truly wanted to preserve their love in its sweetest moment.

Understanding this, Zhang Yang felt much better. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face.

Looking at his unkempt reflection in the mirror, Zhang Yang smiled bitterly. They say love is the most painful thing, and he had always thought it was a joke, but now he knew it was true. He took a shower, shaved, and went downstairs to a familiar barbershop to get a new haircut.

Zhang Yang seemed to have grown up overnight.

But just as he returned to his room, someone knocked on the door. Niu Jinda, the bad person Wang Yue had mentioned, stood at the door with a strange smile on his face.

Zhang Yang's heart sank. Trouble was coming!