Living room, old gentleman asked old lady, “You just said she was upset, but listening to Xia’s voice, isn’t she quite lively?”
“When this child first came back she had a long face which gave me a fright, but now she seems strangely cheerful, she really does think of one thing then another.” Old lady was afraid Pei Jing might be thinking something, so added: “But she’s not the same now, at this time she really is prone to mood swings, that’s the price of being a woman, we can’t share her physical discomfort, all we can do is indulge her and let her take things easy.”
Everyone knew, this difference referred to the fact that Xia was pregnant.
Pei Jing had also heard from army comrades that when wives are pregnant they think of one thing then another, sometimes craving a certain food and dwelling on it if they can’t get it, and also tending to become more delicate, hearing old lady say this now, he understood instantly.
Xia went all the way to An’s house, at this time of day the family were all out, only Zhou Nan was at home with Wen Qing.
Seeing Xia come back, Zhou Nan was quite happy, “Xia, you’re back?”
Xia nodded, “Granny told me to bring Wen Qing a couple of packets of snacks, I just happened to come back for a few things.”
“Fine, no one has touched anything in your room, go ahead.” Zhou Nan thought for a moment, then asked, “Xia, you have to leave the house for the wedding after tomorrow, right?”
She had wanted to say this for a while, but lacked the nerve.
Now seeing Xia come back herself, she felt it was alright to talk to the child a little.
Xia’s footsteps faltered as she was walking inside, she tugged the corner of her mouth, “Does it matter where I leave from? You don’t care anyway, do you?”
“What’s this you’re saying child?” Zhou Nan frowned in rebuttal, but Xia had already gone inside.
Zhou Nan wanted to follow her, just at that moment, Wen Qing happened to fall over, so she could only go over first to help Wen Qing up and comfort him.
Taking advantage of this window, Xia went straight into Gao Meiyun’s room.
This was the first time Xia had entered her room since coming back, yet it was still very familiar.
The wardrobe still had two unwanted old clothes left in it, she didn’t know if Gao Meiyun had worn them recently.
Just in case, she took out a box the Queen of Bugs had given her from her space, opened it and released the bugs inside into the wardrobe.
The bugs flew around inside for a while, then flew back into the box, only then did Xia retrieve them back into her space, this was to collect Gao Meiyun’s scent so the bugs could lock onto her.
When she left, Zhou Nan wasn’t there fortunately.
She returned to her own room, thought for a moment, then took out the 500 yuan and left it on the table.
She was willing to accept their dowry money, at least she had originally still wanted to keep a distance from them, but now, she didn’t want to.
Once Gao Meiyun’s matter was over, she would also leave here, and draw a line under this affair.
She would live her own life in future, she wouldn’t allow herself to be mired in hatred and lose herself like Gao Meiyun, nor want to trap herself in these family ties and be unable to break free, only by leaving them could she start her own life afresh.
Xia opened the door and went out, Zhou Nan was washing clothes in the yard, Wen Qing ran over and hugged her leg, calling softly “Auntie”.
Xia picked him up and played with him for a while, then put him down to leave.
Zhou Nan had already dried her hands and came over, sighing, “Xia, mum knows what you’re thinking, it’s hard as flesh is flesh, you’re flesh torn from mum’s body, how could mum and dad not hurt for you? What’s more Meiyun won’t come back again anyway, can’t you let go of this issue now okay? Mum and dad promise to cherish you properly in future, even if everything in the past was mine and dad’s fault, for the sake of us giving birth to you, give us another chance alright?”
Zhou Nan lowered herself greatly, though in her heart she was also conflicted.
Just as she’d said herself, flesh was flesh, no matter where it was hurt it pained them.
But for Xia it was always different.
Even if it was the difference between palm and back of hand, often when there was danger, people would instinctively expose the back of their hand to block it, while the palm was clenched tightly inside.
Between her and Gao Meiyun, she was always the back of the hand.
“I heard dad went to help Gao Meiyun process her divorce, thinking carefully about it, in the past I was too obsessed with family ties, so kept putting myself in awkward situations, but not any more, you can help An Meiyun if you want, I won’t be angry or stop you any more, let it be like this from now on, I’m getting married, I believe I will have a very good life in future, you should too.”
This way, it wouldn’t be in vain that she had done so much, though it still looked so hateful in their eyes.
As for An Meiyun, she had to die.
Perhaps at the moment of rebirth, destiny had already been set, it was a fight to the death between them, if she spared her, An Meiyun might not spare her once she came to her senses.
Who then could mediate for her?
“What are you talking about? Child, what do you mean...let it be?“ Zhou Nan’s expression was flustered, she hurried to explain, “Are you angry your dad is helping Meiyun process her divorce? Mum can explain this to you, Meiyun was implicated by Lin Hao too, she didn’t know Lin Hao had ties with secret agents either, if we don’t help her divorce now, she’ll be implicated and lose her life, and your dad is only helping her divorce, not doing anything else, nor saying she can come back, the best outcome for her in future is to go to a farm for reformation, she won’t come back to this family again or get in your way.
Looking at Zhou Nan’s agitated expression, Xia suddenly smiled.
She didn’t know if she was smiling at the other’s naivety, or her own foolishness.
She didn’t say any more, saying too much made her seem so pathetic.
Leaving An’s house, Xia went close to where An Meiyun was being held.
She took out the box again and opened it, the fingernail sized bugs flew out once more, wings buzzing as they drifted into the distance.
The bugs flew over the distant wall she could no longer see, only then did Xia retract her gaze.
She didn’t pause, but kept walking forward releasing bugs, as if she really was just passing by.
Xia looked down at the box in her hand, inside were a few drops of green liquid, secretions from the Queen of Bugs.
Only this liquid could summon the released bugs back.
When the bugs flew back, Xia closed the box again, seemingly putting it in her pocket when actually it went into her space.
Without a moment’s delay Xia contacted the Queen of Bugs, then returned the box to her.
This was agreed beforehand in their deal, as it already violated the rules of the interplanar traders, no one knew what consequences it might cause if the bugs stayed in this world.
It was all over, in this world, Gao Meiyun would no longer exist.
