The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 3 - 4

Chapter 3 - 4

Because the data annotation campaign was executed brilliantly, Di Liren was personally selected by the leadership to accompany them on an inspection tour.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; countless people scrambled to get close to the leadership with no success, yet it happened to fall into Liren's lap. Even so, Yu Jia still worried for Liren—she feared he would stick his neck out as the tallest bird.

Packing his suitcase, Liren instructed her to bring along Das Kapital. This book was now his pillow companion. He carried it wherever he went. The top leadership could quote Das Kapital off the cuff, and he needed to strive to reach that level of mastery.

Sisi was still studying English, perpetually preparing to break free from her parents' control. Having lived with her mother for so many years, she hadn't picked up Yu Jia's forbearance; instead, she grew exceptionally resentful of it. She was dead set on going out to see the world and breathe some fresh air. Since her daughter was determined to leave, Yu Jia had no choice but to consult Yu Meng, whose two sons had gone abroad at a very early age. Yu Meng immediately assured her there was no problem: dormitories, mutual support between the kids, and guarantors and friends over in America. "If you can send her out, you should," Yu Meng advised. "Today's kids need a global perspective." Listening to this, Yu Jia chuckled softly; she didn't mention that Liren wanted to send Sisi to England.

From the bottom of her heart, Yu Jia disagreed with the views of Liren and Yu Meng—the employment rate for overseas returnees was actually lower than that of domestic institutions. If one truly had a global perspective, children should be kept in China to adapt to a complex environment. This place was the primeval jungle, which could train one's survival skills.

Taking advantage of Liren's business trip, Yu Jia seized the time to handle things she "ought to get done."

For instance, she thoroughly organized her private savings, putting money into financial products where appropriate and opening fixed deposits for the rest. She could usually do this anytime, but with Liren around, she always felt like she was committing a crime—sneaky and unpleasant—Di Liren had private savings too, and she forever pretended not to know.

Another example: she invited her younger brother Yu Yi over for dinner. When Liren was home, unless it was a major holiday or a pressing matter, she rarely let Yu Yi set foot in the house. Over the years, the Yu family had given Liren no small amount of trouble. Just for Yu Yi's education—from high school to university, and then to graduate school—Liren had pulled numerous strings and cashed in plenty of favors. Although Liren never brought it up, they were husband and wife, and helping out was only natural; yet she knew that all members of the Di family looked down upon her Yu family. Therefore, the fewer appearances, the better. This applied to her parents and her brother as well. But now that Yu Yi was in graduate school, if he could land a good job in the future, perhaps he could be of help to Liren.

Such was Yu Jia's strategic layout.

"I want to pursue a Ph.D." Sisi was taking classes in Wall Street. At home, it was just the sister and brother.

"Do it." Yu Jia's hands were busy folding trash boxes. The material was supermarket promotional flyers.

"Can brother-in-law..."

Yu Jia cut him off. "You've been kicking around for a few years now, and you still haven't gotten on good terms with your advisor?"

Yu Yi said with grievance, "It's not that I haven't... It's just that my voice carries no weight... I don't have the clout of brother-in-law... They only take one Ph.D. student... and how many people are lined up... Without solid connections... you might as well take the exam through an eight-year war of resistance."

Although Yu Jia was frustrated with her brother, the phrase "has clout" struck right at her heart.

Liren having clout meant she had clout. They shared in the glory.

"Why don't you go abroad for your studies?" Yu Jia suggested. Yu Yi could perhaps be "bundled" together with Sisi when going abroad. That way, she would have an informant. Being her own brother, she would feel somewhat more at ease. Yu Yi scratched his head, saying he hadn't thought of that, but he would keep an eye out and pursue both paths simultaneously. Chatting away, the sister and brother inadvertently drifted into talking about Yu Shuang and Yu Rui.

Yu Yi mentioned that Rui had already moved out. Yu Jia hadn't even known about this. Since coming to the metropolis, her living state had been different from the others. Her news was always lagging behind. Yu Jia guessed that Yu Rui had some developments, but not wanting to hurt her brother's feelings, she simply advised, "You just focus on your studies right now and don't think about other things. The most important thing for a man is his career; once you have a career, you won't lack for anything."

Yu Jia also instructed her brother to return home a bit early for the Spring Festival. Judging by the situation, she might not necessarily go back to her maiden home. Liren's parents lived in their provincial capital apartment, which meant they were close to Liren's sister, and nowadays they rarely returned to their hometown for the New Year, leaving her no choice but to follow them to the provincial capital to wait on them.

Ever since she stopped working, aside from the moments when her man went out to handle business or see people, leaving her with a bit of free space, Yu Rui spent almost the entire day clinging to Shi Tongguang.

A staple phrase in Shi Tongguang's romantic repertoire was, "Baby, you're mine."

Hearing it the first time felt a bit like an overbearing CEO vibe, but hearing it too often started to taste a bit off. To be honest, they were meshing quite well, and Shi treated her decently enough. They quickly settled into the rhythm of daily domestic life, bearing a strong resemblance to an old married couple. It was fundamentally the married life Yu Rui had envisioned.

Yet she always felt that Shi "used" her too heavily. He was like someone who had been thirsty in the desert for far too long, desperate to gulp down a whole barrel of water in one breath. Yet she, Yu Rui, was wine—she had to be savored! How could anyone just swig it down mindlessly? It was a terrible waste of heaven's gifts!

As for money, Old Shi provided it generously. He gave enough for three months at a time, and he paid for everything when they went out. But Yu Rui didn't feel right about it. She constantly felt that Shi Tongguang was "buying" and she was "selling." This feeling was even worse than when she was with Old Zu back then. At that time, she was doing it strictly for the money. Her target was clear, and she only wanted to finish the job and clock out early. Now it was different; she and Old Shi had entered this relationship aiming straight for marriage from the very start.

It wasn't right. She refused to be "kept in a golden house."

One day, Old Shi was about to head out. Yu Rui had already changed her clothes and was waiting by the door.

"What are you doing?"

"Accompanying you."

"No need."

"It's fine."

"It's just a bunch of rough old men."

Yu Rui smiled. "Can they eat people? It's not like I haven't seen them before."

"Just stay home, you haven't fed the cats yet." Old Shi scrambled for an excuse.

Yu Rui found it hard to press the issue further. Burning bridges was not her style. It seemed her intuition was right: Shi Tongguang didn't want her showing up in front of his friends. He had no intention of letting her step into the "spotlight." At least Old Zu had been willing to introduce her to some connections. Old Shi hadn't thrown her a single lifeline; all his connections were tightly clutched in his own hands, guarded without release.

When Old Shi came home that evening, Yu Rui was still angry, though her anger wasn't explosive; it was untraceable, like a sheep hanging its horns by leaving no tracks. Still, Old Shi caught a whiff of the abnormal atmosphere. He had no choice but to sit down, wrap his arm around Yu Rui, and return to that morning's topic: "It's not that I don't want to let you go; it's just that those people are messy and chaotic." Yu Rui sneered inwardly. What kind of people hadn't she seen? Men, women, old, and young.

She put on a cold face—

This reason was completely unacceptable.

"My fault." Shi Tongguang suddenly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm the one with selfish motives. I'm afraid those young punks will look at you with..."

"What."

"Evil intentions sparked by beauty."

Yu Rui remained silent, feeling a bit better inside.

"It's my lack of confidence." Shi Tongguang followed this line of reasoning further down. "I've never dated such a beautiful girlfriend before, and I'm scared someone will snatch her away."

Once things were laid out in the open, her irritation smoothed out a bit.

This was the truth. They had never brought the issue onto the table to discuss it, but now that Old Shi was baring his own scars and dissecting his own heart, Yu Rui's lingering resentment dissipated, allowing them to converse calmly once more.

"I still need to be of some use."

"You are useful!" Shi Tongguang started his glib talk again. "You're my ballast stone; without you, I'd instantly collapse into chaos and lose my mind!"

Yu Rui decisively planted a kick on him.

Tongguang rolled over and tumbled off the bed.

During the New Year holiday, Yu Shuang called Rui and invited her to "come home" and stay for a couple of days. Yu Rui advised her to settle down and make it work, asking if they hadn't just started living together. Yu Shuang insisted, "Come back, just stay for a couple of days."

"What about Kang Long?"

Yu Shuang hesitated. Yu Rui realized there was a serious problem. "Did you guys fight?"

"No."

"Forget it, I'm hanging up then."

"Rui-rui—" Yu Shuang's voice didn't sound quite right. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Yu Rui "asked for leave" from Tongguang and went back to stay with Shuang for a few days.

The timing was just right. In the metropolis, Shuang's place counted as her maiden home. Although she and Old Shi hadn't reached the point of a genuine falling out yet, there was still lingering unpleasantness over the matter of meeting his friends. Going to Shuang's place gave her a legitimate reason and also served as making a gesture.

Recently, she had been finding it a bit hard to bear Old Shi. He "tilled the fields" too aggressively, making Yu Rui even suspect whether he had a sex addiction. And he was still so young. She didn't reject intimacy, but the way Shi Tongguang went about it was wrong. Thinking a step further, she felt this man had no intention of being with her for the long haul.

Use while it's current, void once expired?! Damn it!

Taking a break was for the best.

The house looked as though it had been ransacked by bandits. Yu Rui called out for Shuang. Yu Shuang answered, her voice coming from the bedroom.

"This is too outrageous." Yu Rui walked over to the bed, reaching for her phone as if ready to call Kang Long to task.

"Don't call!" Yu Shuang stopped her.

"What on earth is going on?"

"We broke up," Yu Shuang said crisply.

She was struck dumb.

Decisive and sweeping, just like something Yu Shuang would do.

"No..."

"His worldview is skewed."

Yu Rui pulled Yu Shuang into an embrace. This was a problem she couldn't solve.

Yu Shuang continued, "Good thing we tried living together first, otherwise I wouldn't have known he was this kind of person."

"What happened exactly? Did he smash things?"

"I smashed them."

"You're crazy."

"He's a chauvinist," Yu Shuang said excitedly. "He thinks men are inherently superior to women, that men should take the lead, be the head of the household, and during that act, they must always be on top."

Yu Rui couldn't help coughing softly. That last sentence was the crux of the matter.

"Just because of that act?"

"It's not just one aspect; it's every aspect, everywhere, anything, everywhere! He also told me not to work so hard after we get married—men handle the outside, women handle the inside. What, can he do what I can't? Can he earn money and I can't?" Yu Shuang was furious; what she hated most in her life was being looked down upon by men.

"Did he really say that?" Yu Rui doubted the veracity of it.

"That was basically the gist of it." Yu Shuang embellished and exaggerated.

"How did it turn into a fight?"

"Playing a video game."

"Huh?"

"He wouldn't go easy on me, killed me ten rounds in a row, and claimed it was due to a natural intellectual advantage. Even if I died ten times, I deserved it."

Yu Rui sighed. It was completely like children playing house. Shuang was always so naive in these matters.

"Did you really break up?"

"Decisively cutting losses."

"Could it be that he cares about you and was thinking of your well-being?"

"Have you heard of 'To the Oak'?"

"A song?"

"A poem."

Recalling it, Yu Rui asked, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He and I are the relationship between two trees, not vines clinging to a tree."

Helpless, Yu Rui shifted her posture and intercepted Yu Shuang's hands. "Darling, do you know why men want to get married?"

"To continue the family line and throw their weight around."

Yu Rui shook her head. "Things aren't like the old days anymore. Women get educated, can work, and can support themselves. Men throwing their weight around at home—it's not that it doesn't happen, but it's a lot rarer."

"Then what the hell is the point of getting married! For free prostitutes?" Yu Shuang dropped all filters.

Yu Shuang shook her index finger. "For a desperately boring title."

"A title?"

"Head of the household, at least nominally." Yu Rui guided her step by step. "Men and women are naturally different; you have to admit that much."

Yu Shuang reluctantly conceded.

"Men are physically strong and willing to do heavy tasks, so you let him do them. Why fight him over it?" Yu Shuang pointed toward the living room. "The water bottles on your water dispenser at home—don't you take turns carrying them, and share the chores?" Yu Shuang nodded, saying it was the principle of equality. Yu Rui laughed, asking what was there to be equal about? If he can do it, you let him do it. Just claim you can't lift it, can't reach it, can't manage it—act a little smart, why make things hard for yourself? Yu Rui smiled again. "Of all the things men can do under heaven, how many are women incapable of doing? What's the big deal?"

"I just don't want to let him get the upper hand!" Yu Shuang said. "I can't stand that smug look of his!"

Yu Rui said, "Darling, do you understand the art of retreating to advance? There are things women do that men can never do."

"What... what kind of things?"

"Giving birth."

Yu Shuang fundamentally disagreed.

"You've been brainwashed," Yu Shuang said.

"Women are so great," Yu Rui sighed.

"It's annoying as hell, bleeding every single month!"

Yu Rui smiled. "Darling, this is life itself! Why don't you try a day when the bleeding stops? If a woman stops bleeding and sacrificing, it means she is no longer favored by nature, and she's not even a complete woman anymore. If we don't bleed, how are we any different from walking corpses? This is a woman's right and pride."

Yu Shuang was a bit dazed. The perspective was novel; it was her first time hearing it.

Yu Rui said, "Be smart and understand each other. There are four people a woman can rely on: her father, her husband, her son, and herself. As for men, besides themselves, they only have their fathers to lean on. Someone like Kang Long doesn't even have a father to rely on; he has it very hard." Pausing briefly, she continued, "He works that hard and is still willing to let you lean on him, so why not graciously accept it?"

Yu Shuang looked lost in thought. "So we shouldn't have broken up?"

"It didn't have to go that far," Yu Rui said. "You have to make good use of them." Pausing again, she added a criticism, "And as for that matter, what's there to fuss about? If he wants to be on top, just let him be on top, and enjoy yourself. Why exhaust yourself over it?"

"No... I..."

"Giving birth is very tiring," Yu Rui said with a smile. "What's wrong with letting their men do the hard labor in the early stages? If the ox doesn't plow the field, how can it bear fruit?" She said this as though she had ever given birth herself.

"No... that..." Yu Shuang was incoherent.

"Just an analogy, I'm not arguing with you," Yu Rui said.

Yu Shuang leaned in close to Yu Rui's clothes, twitching her nose. "Were you on a date?"

"No." Yu Rui wanted to keep it secret.

"Yes, you were."

"You're overly sensitive."

"There's a man's... stinky scent."

Yu Rui pulled up her collar to sniff. "Where? Is there?"

"One hundred percent." Yu Shuang was certain.

"You're hallucinating." Still refusing to admit it.

Yu Shuang tickled her ribs. Yu Rui had no choice but to surrender. She was most afraid of being tickled, and she didn't want to hide it anymore.

"What kind of man is he?" Yu Shuang was curious.

"Just an ordinary person, nothing compared to your great professor," Yu Rui said.

"I yield him to you, I yield him to you," Yu Shuang said. "A whole lesson only lasts three minutes." Dragging the conversation right back to that matter.

Yu Rui burst into laughter, so amused she rocked back and forth.