The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 10 - 11
Chapter 10 - 11
Closing the door behind him, Bai Yuankai walked toward Yu Jia. He looked exceptionally dashing today, second only to Huang Qi.
Yu Jia stood up, intending to leave.
No, she couldn't stay here alone with him. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she wondered if there was another small exit nearby.
"Wait a moment," he pursued her, closing the distance. "Just a few words."
There was no escaping it now.
Yu Jia had no choice but to turn back, resting one hand on the velvet armchair as though she lacked the strength to stand and desperately needed something to steady herself.
"Yu Jia," he called her by her full name, his tone exceptionally solemn. "What I am about to say is the result of careful consideration over this past period. It is completely serious, earnest, responsible, and sincere."
Instinctively, Yu Jia wanted to flee. She already had a strong inkling of what he wanted to say, and once these words were spoken, they could never be taken back. It would be far better to keep them buried.
Smiling, she remarked that there were still matters to attend to downstairs.
Yuankai blocked her path. "Just give me a few minutes."
Left with no alternative, Yu Jia sat back down, resting one arm over the back of the chair.
With deep emotion in his voice, Bai Yuankai began, "When we first met, you were the big sister to everyone, and I was Yu Shuang's friend. We got along very well, but there was never any possibility of a story between us. My impression of you back then was that you were a classical woman who understood proper etiquette—always restrained, reserved, and gentle. You understood Kunqu opera, knew how to cook, and took meticulous care of everyone around you." He swallowed hard. "Later, as our interactions increased, I grew to deeply admire you. You possess a quality that young girls simply don't have. We are both kind-hearted, and deep down, we both hold a pure world of our own... Yu Jia, those things I said at the restaurant the other day weren't a joke, nor were they a convenient shield thrown up to fend off enemies. I know you understand what I mean. I can sense it, but you've constantly been running away. Perhaps you aren't very confident, restricted by the conventional gazes and rigid frameworks imposed by society. Must a divorced woman settle for an old man? Must a woman with children be barred from marrying a man without children? Life is far too short to let these rules control you. Feel it with your heart."
Yu Jia wanted to tell him it was impossible.
Bai Yuankai continued, "I feel this is an arrangement of fate. If Brother Di were still here, I could never harbor any unrealistic thoughts, but now he is gone. You are single, and I am single as well. What problem is there? Why can't we give it a try? Walking a path together depends on a deep alignment of souls. I hope you can give me a chance, and give yourself a chance." He gently waved a hand. "Don't misunderstand, I'm not demanding that we instantly become anything or lock ourselves into a specific label. I simply hope for a beginning. A man needs at least four women in his lifetime." He began reciting that same theory. "First love, confidante, mistress, and wife." He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing. "We can forget about the first love." He chuckled softly, "I just hope we can start from confidantes and slowly move forward."
Sitting there, Yu Jia felt as though her heart was about to leap out of her chest. Of course she had guessed the general gist of what Yuankai wanted to express, but what she hadn't anticipated was his sheer sincerity, his unadulterated earnestness, his innocent purity! She felt as though her very internal organs had been thoroughly washed clean, leaving her simultaneously aching and deeply moved. Yet how could she possibly agree to anything he asked? First love, confidante, mistress, wife... progressing step by step. If she agreed to be his confidante, what then? Would the wheels keep turning, pushing her next to become his mistress and his wife? She regarded herself as a woman as utterly ordinary as they could possibly be. Yes, some people possessed that kind of courage. But it would never be her. Yet, in this exact moment, she couldn't simply brush aside her own feelings. She felt as though she were bathing in sunlight and floral fragrance, experiencing a gradual, fluttering heartbeat. Was this love? For a fleeting second, she felt as though she had grown ten years younger. It felt so completely unreal. Still, it was enough to have felt it; it was enough to have had her heart stirred once...
Yu Jia took a deep breath—once, twice, thrice. She had to respond. Only by bringing everything out into the open and laying it bare at this juncture could they possibly hope to continue as ordinary friends. After a moment, she finally regained her composure.
He gazed at her.
With a faint smile, she said, "Thank you." Pausing briefly, she continued, "Thank you for giving me confidence, comfort, and courage. I think when I am very, very old one day, perhaps I can tell my grandchildren, 'You know what? When your grandmother was young, she was once pursued by someone truly exceptional.'"
Yuankai smiled as well. It didn't sound promising.
Yu Jia stood up, steadying herself with one hand on the table. "Xiaobai, a person's perspective changes with every phase of life. For instance, in the past, I thought it was enough just to be a good housewife, raise the children well, and support my husband. But I no longer think that way. As a woman, life isn't just about romance, a family, or children. I consider myself fortunate that, however clumsily, I've already walked that path. I have no desire to walk it all over again—not even with a man who is infinitely tolerant, exceptionally capable, kind, and whom I genuinely admire. Our paces aren't aligned, you see? You deserve a better girl." As she said this, Yu Jia let out a long sigh. "Many things are wonderful simply to think about; they don't all have to actually happen. Let's let beauty remain as beauty, right here in this moment, all right?" Her voice was soft, yet her attitude was resolute.
"But..." Bai Yuankai still wanted to fight for it.
Yu Jia raised a finger and shushed him gently. "There are no 'buts.' A single instant can be eternity."
Yuankai pressed on, "Then I need an instant."
"What?" She didn't understand.
"An instant. An instant that belongs to just the two of us." He stepped closer, lowering his head.
A blush crept up Yu Jia's cheeks. He likely wanted a kiss.
His noble head lowered a fraction more as his lips drew near. Yu Jia stood frozen, every muscle in her body tensing up. Oh, good lord. When was the last time something like this happened? She couldn't even remember.
A fierce war raged within her heart. Although she was single, although she no longer had a husband, Yu Jia had spent her entire life holding herself to the strict standards of a married woman. How could she possibly kiss a younger man... She was a mother... an elder sister... a middle-aged woman...
Mwah.
Softly, their lips pressed together.
A sudden commotion sounded outside the door. Startled out of her wits, Yu Jia instantly shoved Yuankai away. The crowd of kids who had gathered to watch the show tumbled into the room. There was Xiqian, Sisi, Haosiyu, Zhengyu, and Chuner, each of their faces plastered with an expression of utter astonishment, resembling children who had just sat through their very first sex-ed class.
Mortified, Yu Jia bolted downstairs. Sisi, Chuner, Haosiyu, and Zhengyu all hurried after her. Rushing back to the lawn, Sisi was the first to catch up to her mother. Her very first words were, "Mom, is Teacher Bai going to be my stepdad?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Yu Jia scolded.
Sisi pressed persistently, "Mom, I saw everything." A slightly cynical expression crossed her face. "Don't worry, I totally support you. Love is the greatest thing of all."
Yu Jia once again told her to hold her tongue. The rejection was real, and the kiss was equally real; she had no earthly idea how to explain it to her daughter.
Back in the second-floor room, Yuankai tried to go after Yu Jia, only to be blocked by Han Xiqian. "Senior, you've got to be kidding me," she said bluntly. "You could actually bring yourself to kiss her."
Brushing her aside, Bai Yuankai said with a straight face, "It's none of your business." He turned to leave.
"I like you, Senior!" Xiqian called out to his retreating back. "I want to date you and marry you." She wasn't afraid of anything.
Bai Yuankai paused, cast a fleeting backward glance at her, and strode out briskly. He simply regarded her as a rebellious teenager.
Han Xiqian stood stranded in the room, consumed by frustration and resentment. Why?! On what grounds?! What kind of taste was that?! Could she honestly have lost to a middle-aged woman?! Turning around, she spotted Haosiyu standing right in front of her.
"Who are you planning to marry?" Haosiyu asked, pushed to his absolute limit.
"Anyone but you." Xiqian shoved past him and stormed out.
"What is the age gap between him and you?" Haosiyu caught up with her.
"Didn't Yu Rui marry my dad!" Xiqian retorted. "Age is just a damn number! Our family has this tradition—we love chasing older men! What about it, got a problem?"
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Go hang out somewhere else!" Like a gust of wind, Han Xiqian stormed downstairs, the corners of her eyes reddening.
Running straight into Yu Rui, Xiqian dashed right up to her. Rui asked, "What's wrong? Who bullied you?" noticing the redness in Xiqian's eyes. From this moment onward, she was the mistress of this household, and she had an obligation to take good care of every member of the family.
"Him," Xiqian sniffled. "He rejected me."
"Who has the guts to do that?" Rui asked.
"Bai Yuankai!"
Yu Rui was taken aback. Of all people for the little girl to set her sights on, she had to pick him.
"All right, stop making a fuss," she said with a smile.
"How come even you're saying I'm making a fuss?" Xiqian protested loudly. "I thought you were the most reasonable person here."
"The two of you have too big of an age gap. Your ages simply don't match up."
"What's wrong with the gap? Didn't you and my dad have a huge age gap?"
Keeping her gentle smile, Yu Rui took Xiqian's hand. "Time is relative. At twenty and forty, the gap is enormous. But at thirty and fifty, the gap shrinks a little. At fifty and seventy, it shrinks even more. By seventy and ninety, there's practically no gap at all."
"Then I'll just wait until I'm thirty to find him! Stop nagging me to find someone!" With that, Han Xiqian bolted outside. She couldn't care less about her dad's wedding right now.
On the lawn, guests stood talking in small groups.
Having fled the scene with nowhere else to go, Yu Jia retreated to Yu Shuang's side. Kang Long and Yu Shuang were already holding hands, greeting Sister Jia with bright smiles.
Yu Jia gulped down a large mouthful of sparkling wine to calm her nerves. Bai Yuankai also wandered over, his face showing not a single trace of the incident that had just transpired. Seeing that Shuang and Long were already holding hands, he promptly offered his congratulations. Yu Jia stood off to the side in silence. Once the congratulations were finished, Yuankai nodded slightly in her direction.
A moment later, the newlywed couple, Yu Rui and Han Guang, came over to mingle. Several friends gathered together in a circle, and Yu Rui laughed, saying, "It would have been even better if Sister Meng were here too." Han Guang asked, "Is she still down in Myanmar?" Yu Rui replied, "Of course, that's just Meng's personality—once she sinks her teeth into something, she fights it to the very end."