The Vanishing Beauty - Chapter 3 - 8

Chapter 3 - 8

The small garden outside the concert hall. It was cold. The wind howled and the moon was shrouded in darkness.

"Let's break up," Yu Shuang said bluntly.

"There's no need to go that far."

"I've thought it through."

"We can slowly adjust and adapt to each other."

"That's not the problem."

"Do you hate me?" Kang Long didn't use the word "like."

"No."

"Then why do we have to break up?"

"It's my fault," Yu Shuang shrank her neck against the cold. "My fault for not making things clear from the beginning."

"It's not too late to say it now."

Yu Shuang sniffled. "No, it wouldn't be fair to you."

"It's fine. I'm a guy, taking a little loss is no big deal. I was reckless, and I apologize. I should have respected you and not been... ahem... chauvinistic." Kang Long paused for half a second before adding, "And you shouldn't be chauvinistic either."

"That was a hyper-reaction."

Kang Long continued, "We're the same."

"What?"

"We're both orphans."

"You have a dad."

"And you have a younger brother," Kang Long said. "Age, career, pursuits—we're a good match. We have the foundation to unite."

Yu Shuang quickly cut him off. "I don't want to get married right now."

Kang Long looked at her in silence. The logical reasoning methods he applied in scientific research seemed completely inapplicable in front of Yu Shuang. "I don't want to get married," she repeated, emphasizing every word. "The starting point was wrong from the get-go. My mom left, I was hurting, and I was afraid of living alone in the future, which is why I found you. But now I realize I'm not ready for marriage at all. The mere thought of having to get married and spend day and night with someone..." Yu Shuang waved her hands up and down excitedly like a pair of chicken claws, "...spending day and night together, I just... I can't take it..."

"I understand." White vapor puffed from Kang Long's mouth. At this point, he had no choice but to understand. He also believed that married life was a kind of attrition for a person. Getting bogged down every day in mundane routines—cooking, raising kids, endless chores, and petty arguments.

It was a hassle.

"So," Yu Shuang grabbed her right hand with her left, pressing downward, looking a bit like a young girl, "let's break up."

"I don't agree."

"I can't do things that are unfair."

"If we don't get married, then we won't get married." Kang Long said, "Actually, I'm not ready for marriage either." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Just like you, when my mom passed away, I panicked a bit. Everyone told me I should get married and have a family."

"But..."

"Fairness. It's still fair."

"However..."

"If we don't mention marriage, then let's be lovers."

"Lovers?" Yu Shuang looked at Kang Long. She never could have imagined that word would come out of the old-school Kang Long's mouth.

"Lovers?" Yu Shuang repeated. "A mistress? Mis—" The more she thought about it, the more absurd it sounded.

Kang Long reached out and lightly tapped her on the head. "What kind of brain do you have? Lovers, as in people with affection for one another."

In the lobby, Yu Rui and Bai Yuankai's enthusiasm for conversation had not waned. This time around, they both felt much more relaxed. Furthermore, having just undergone a baptism of classical music, they were in high spirits. Yu Rui couldn't help praising Yuankai. Yuankai accepted it directly, without a shred of "feeling unworthy."

Excellence is a habit. Yu Rui liked Yuankai's straightforward attitude. Now that she had a boyfriend, she was able to appreciate this man with a sense of emotional liberation.

It was pure appreciation, without any desire for possession. With the psychological burden lifted, their conversation flowed much more naturally. Yuankai also felt that Yu Rui possessed a unique charm tonight—calm and serene like a chrysanthemum, gentle as an orchid, speaking of classical music with absolute fluency and possessing professional judgments on stage performances. He almost forgot that she was an actress who had received professional training; in this regard, she could well be his teacher.

Yu Rui checked her watch. Shi Tongguang hadn't arrived yet, and she was waiting for him. Seeing Yu Rui check the time, Yuankai assumed he was holding her up too much, so he hurriedly wrapped up the conversation and asked if she needed a ride. Yu Rui politely declined. "It's not convenient to hail a cab, let me give you a ride. It's on my way." Yuankai maintained his gentlemanly demeanor.

"Really, no need." Yu Rui was in a somewhat awkward position. "I'm waiting for a friend. You go ahead." She didn't mention he was her boyfriend. Instinctively, she didn't want Bai Yuankai to run into Shi Tongguang—at least not in this kind of setting.

A few children came bounding out of the exit, skipping and accidentally bumping into Yu Rui. Wearing high heels, she staggered from the impact. Yuankai hurriedly reached out and grabbed her arm.

Her arm was so thin! That was Bai Yuankai's first impression.

The incident happened so suddenly, and the force was so great, that Yu Rui was yanked back and nearly fell right into Bai Yuankai's arms. He had no choice but to steady her, restoring balance to the situation. Yu Rui's face was flushed red, whether because it was too stuffy coming straight out of the concert hall or for some other reason entirely.

Someone called out "Xiao Rui" from behind.

Yu Rui turned her head in a hurry. Shi Tongguang had arrived, jogging over.

Did he see what just happened? Yu Rui muttered to herself, finding it hard to explain. There was nothing to begin with, so there was no need to protest innocence prematurely. Old Shi reached them. Standing face to face, the two men left Yu Rui with no choice but to make official introductions. She told Shi Tongguang this was President Bai, and told Bai Yuankai this was her boyfriend.

Now it was Yuankai's turn to be surprised. She chose a boyfriend like this? Yet this trace of skepticism lingered in Bai Yuankai's mind for barely a second before vanishing into thin air. Men are not judged by their looks—take so-and-so Yun, or so-and-so Lin, for example. Bai Yuankai wasn't one to judge people too much by their appearance, especially when it came to men.

A man should be judged by his capability.

Since such an exceptional and beautiful woman as Yu Rui had chosen him, he must possess some extraordinary qualities.

They shook hands. Shi Tongguang asked Yuankai for a business card.

Bai Yuankai patted his pockets. "I don't seem to have brought any." Serving as a guest today, he was wearing a brand-new suit. "I have some in the car," he said. Shi Tongguang actually offered to go to the car with him to grab one. Yu Rui stopped him. "Tongguang! Forget it." Who still obsessed over business cards these days? She understood that Shi was simply curious about Bai as a person.

A group of women swarmed out of the passage, decked out in all their finery. They were members of the Women Entrepreneurs Association. Spotting Bai Yuankai like wolves sighting meat, they immediately surrounded him tightly.

After escorting Yu Rui a distance away, Shi Tongguang muttered a parting shot, "Total ladies' killer!"

Yu Rui didn't take up his bait.

She could already smell the vinegar in the air.

Once inside the car, Shi Tongguang predictably initiated his ten thousand whys mode.

"What does that guy do?"

"Sister Shuang's friend."

"What industry is he in?"

"Not too sure."

Shi Tongguang sneered. "Not too sure and you were chatting away so happily."

"What are you trying to say?" Yu Rui was getting a bit annoyed. Exchanging a few words—what's the big deal? The place was packed with people, what else could she possibly have done? Besides, they were discussing art.

Art. Understand that!

She gave him a sideways glance.

"It's not..." Tongguang softened his tone. "That's not what I meant. I just thought he was a bit..."

"Enough."

"He wouldn't happen to be your ex-boyfriend, would he?" he asked teasingly.

"Is your mind really that narrow?"

Tongguang let out an "ah" sound and said, "Whether he is or isn't, who doesn't have a past? It's fine."

"He is!" Yu Rui simply decided to play along with this false accusation. "So what of it?"

"Don't get excited, don't get excited..."

Yu Rui decided to push the point home. "You want to say that since I passed up a guy like that and chose you, I must be after your money instead of your person, right?" Pausing for a beat, she continued her critique, "Shi Tongguang, can you have a little self-confidence?"

Tongguang scrambled to make up for it. "How can I not be confident... aren't I confident... I've lacked everything since I was a kid except this... confidence, I've got plenty of it... I was just asking casually and you had to blow it up into all this..."

"Pull over." Yu Rui brought out her ultimate weapon.

"Don't—" Shi Tongguang pleaded for mercy.

"Stop."

With an exasperated sound, Shi Tongguang had no choice but to confess. "Fine, I was wrong, okay? I admit it, I'm narrow-minded. Actually, I'm usually pretty open-minded, I don't know why, but the moment it comes to you, it shrinks down instantly like it's trapped in the Great King of Dingsheng's Purple-Gold Gourds... Actually, it's all your fault." He shifted the blame right back onto her with a touch of humor.

Yu Rui had only been putting on an act, but hearing Old Shi say that, her anger subsided a bit.

"That's a pretty crooked way to pin the blame."

"Who told you to be so gorgeous?"

"Is being pretty a crime too?"

"My fault."

"What if I looked like Pigsy, would you still want me?" Yu Rui pressed sharply.

"My fault, my fault." He simply conceded everything to keep the peace.

Yu Rui closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. She felt exhausted.