Love and Desire [Complete] - 15

Love and Desire (104) Chapter 102

After dinner, Ouyang Yiming rested in Fan Xurui's dormitory for a while before the two went out. Ouyang Yiming deposited the money left by Liu Yan in the bank in Liu Yan's name. He thought to himself that he would definitely return the money to Liu Yan when he had the chance. He felt sad for losing Liu Yan. He silently wished Liu Yan happiness, thinking that Liu Yan loved him, but she had to live with another man. Could she be happy? His heart was bleeding. He couldn't help but lower his head and secretly shed tears.

Fan Xurui felt very sad when he saw Ouyang Yiming like this. He thought that it would take Ouyang Yiming some time to get through this. But the fact was that it had already happened. He felt sorry and sad for the two people who loved each other so much.

After leaving the bank, the two went to the nearby park for a stroll.

Fan Xurui's biggest worry was that Ouyang Yiming wouldn't be able to let go of his past and would contact Liu Yan again. So he repeatedly warned him, "Now that Liu Yan has obtained a marriage certificate with someone else, you absolutely cannot have any contact with her anymore. Even considering her current husband's family is a high-ranking official's family, we can't afford to offend them. After all these years of university, your future is still bright, but you absolutely cannot ruin your life because of a hopeless relationship. What wouldn't these people do with their power?"

He further instructed Ouyang Yiming not to mention Liu Yan to Xu Hui. Even if a woman forgives you for something like this, she'll always have a grudge. Besides, Xu Hui still believes you love her, but you're dating someone else. If she knew you were dating Liu Yan, even though you're no longer together, she would be heartbroken. You need to think that this ending is satisfactory; otherwise, how would you deal with your relationship with Xu Hui? Most importantly, you and Liu Yan have no marriage prospects.

Ouyang Yiming found Fan Xurui's words very reasonable. But how could the shadow in his heart be so easily erased when the person he loved suddenly left to live with another man? Of course, it was painful to think about, but he had no choice but to accept this reality.

That evening, the two drank half a jin of liquor at a small restaurant. Fan Xurui repeatedly reminded him to maintain a positive attitude, not to dwell on the matter, and to transfer all his love to Xu Hui.

After dinner, Fan Xurui and Ouyang Yiming walked a few steps outside the restaurant. Fan Xurui said, "How about this, I'll go to your school with you." Ouyang Yiming thought Fan Xurui was worried about him, so he said, "There's no need. I've come to terms with it now." Fan Xurui said, "It's been a long time since I've been to your school. Just think of it as a trip." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment but didn't say anything, but in his heart, he thought Fan Xurui was probably still worried about him going back alone.

When they arrived at the dormitory, Jiang Yuqi greeted Fan Xurui warmly. After exchanging a few words in the dormitory, Fan Xurui said to Jiang Yuqi, "Let's not disturb others from studying, let's go for a walk." So the three of them left the dormitory. On the way, Fan Xurui quietly said to Jiang Yuqi, "My classmate is very ill, there's no cure. He went back to his hometown today. Yiming is in a very bad mood, I was wondering if you could go and call Xu Hui, I want to see her?" Jiang Yuqi asked, "Have you told Ouyang?" Fan Xurui said, "I haven't told him, I'm afraid he might not be willing. To tell you, I've never met Xu Hui before, I've only heard Yiming mention her and want to meet her." Jiang Yuqi said, "Won't Ouyang be upset?" Fan Xurui smiled and said, "It's okay, I'm here." Jiang Yuqi looked at Ouyang Yiming, then turned back to Fan Xurui and said, "Okay then." He then said to Ouyang Yiming, "I have something to do over there, you guys wait for me where we usually sit."

Ouyang Yiming and Fan Xurui walked for a while and sat down on the lawn. Fan Xurui looked at Ouyang Yiming and said, "Do you know what Jiang Yuqi went there for?" Ouyang Yiming shook his head. Fan Xurui said, "I sent him to call Xu Hui." Ouyang Yiming was startled and stared at him, asking, "Why call Xu Hui?" Fan Xurui smiled and said, "Why are you staring so wide? I just want to see Xu Hui. I've heard she's very beautiful, but I've never seen her before. I'm your brother, shouldn't I meet her too?"

Ouyang Yiming said irritably, "You didn't even tell me. I don't want to see her right now." Fan Xurui looked at him for a moment, then straightened his face and said, "Now you have to see her whether you want to or not. How can I trust you like this! The reason I want to see Xu Hui is to hand you over to her in person. Didn't you say you've never confessed your feelings or clarified your relationship before?

Today, I'm going to clarify your relationship in front of you both, so you won't have any more wild thoughts later."

Ouyang Yiming was a little angry and said: “Xurui, this isn’t right,” Fan Xurui said, glaring at him. “I think it’s necessary. Just because Grandma gave the family heirloom gold bracelet to Xu Hui before she passed away, Xu Hui already has a place in our family. You can’t keep thinking like this. I’m afraid you won’t be able to think straight, afraid you’ll contact Liu Yan again. To put it bluntly, the reason I came to your school with you today to see Xu Hui is to make you completely forget Liu Yan. Yiming, I’m scared. I’m afraid you’ll ruin your future because of Liu Yan. What kind of relationship do we have? Although we weren’t born of the same mother, I don’t have any brothers or sisters, and I treat you like a brother. I can’t watch you like this. I’m afraid something will happen to you!”

Although Ouyang Yiming didn’t want to see Xu Hui right now, he was somewhat moved by Fan Xurui’s words and knew that Fan Xurui was worried about him, so he remained silent.

Fan Xurui said, "Jiang Yuqi has already gone to call them, it's too late for you to say anything now. I'll just say a few words to Xu Hui and then leave." Ouyang Yiming thought for a moment and thought to himself, "They've already gone to call them, what's the point of saying anything now?" Turning to Fan Xurui, he said, "Don't tell Jiang Yuqi that Xu Hui went to our house, and definitely don't say that Grandma gave her that thing." Fan Xurui glanced at him and said, "I know. I won't say anything in front of Xu Hui either." After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Jiang Yuqi must know about your relationship with Xu Hui." Ouyang Yiming said, "Actually, many people think that Xu Hui and I are dating, but I've never admitted it to anyone. Since Xu Hui came to our house twice, she doesn't hide it from us close friends anymore, and there's nothing I can do about it. But she won't say anything when she goes to our house, and nobody knows."

Fan Xurui nodded and said, "Think about it. If you continue your relationship with Liu Yan, given Xu Hui's feelings for you, how will you treat Xu Hui in the future? Last time you told me about your relationship with Liu Yan, I sometimes wondered how you would face Xu Hui in the future. Now it seems like God is helping you, and everything has been resolved naturally. You have to consider that you and Liu Yan are not suitable in any way, and now is the right time to break it off." Although Ouyang Yiming felt sad, he also thought that this matter seemed to be destined by God.

Jiang Yuqi and Xu Hui came over. Fan Xurui quickly stood up. Ouyang Yiming introduced, "This is Fan Xurui, we're like brothers." Xu Hui blushed and looked at Fan Xurui, saying, "I've heard Ouyang mention you before, but I've never met you." Fan Xurui laughed twice and said, "Ouyang always talks about you, doesn't he? Although we've never met, we're already familiar." He paused, then smiled and said, "I'm older than Yiming, you should call me brother." Xu Hui blushed and didn't speak.

Jiang Yuqi thought to himself that the three of them might have something to say, and it wasn't convenient for him to be in the middle, so he said to Fan Xurui, "You guys talk, I have something to do and I'll be leaving first." Fan Xurui said, "Just sit and talk for a while." Jiang Yuqi said, "You guys talk," and smiled as he took his leave. The three of them sat down.

Xu Hui looked closely at Ouyang Yiming and noticed that his complexion wasn't quite right. She cautiously asked, "How's your sick classmate doing?" Ouyang Yiming didn't answer, so Fan Xurui chimed in, "I brought Yiming back and had Jiang Yuqi call you here because I wanted to talk to you about this." Both Xu Hui and Ouyang Yiming looked at him. Ouyang Yiming was nervous, unsure what Fan Xurui was going to say.

Fan Xurui glanced at Ouyang Yiming, then turned to Xu Hui and said, "My classmate and I are quite close. He came here this time just for a follow-up appointment at the cancer hospital. Spinal cord cancer is incurable, so he went back to his hometown this morning. Yiming, you know he's a kind-hearted person. My classmate's situation has been a huge blow to him, and he's feeling very down right now. That's why I brought him back and had Jiang Yuqi call you here. I wanted to entrust Yiming to you so you can comfort him. Even if I'm your brother, you two still consider me your own brother, right? Aren't you two closer?"

Xu Hui blushed instantly. Ouyang Yiming glanced at Fan Xurui, his face flushed and his heart pounding, but he couldn't say anything. Fan Xurui looked at Ouyang Yiming and said, "Yiming, everything has a beginning and an end, and everyone has to part ways eventually. If you listen to my advice, forget all those unpleasant things. Now that Xu Hui is by your side, you're lucky enough. Although this is the first time I've met Xu Hui today, I'm not unfamiliar with her. Of course, I know more from you, but when I went home, I heard people from our school, my grandparents, my parents, and everyone spoke highly of her. You're fortunate to have Xu Hui's love, and you must live up to her expectations. As your brother, although we're not blood relatives, I treat you like my own brother, and I hope you two will love each other for the rest of your lives.

I won't say much more. I just hope you won't let this or that bother you all the time. We're still so young, and we should treat everything properly. Do you understand?"

Ouyang Yiming knew perfectly well that half of Fan Xurui's words were telling him in front of Xu Hui that he had to forget Liu Yan, and the other half were clarifying his relationship with Xu Hui in front of her. She was grateful for Fan Xurui's good intentions, but she really didn't want him to continue.

Xu Hui blushed as she listened to Fan Xurui's words, and said, "Brother Xurui, it's good that you keep talking to him like this. I'm really worried about him. He hasn't had a good time this semester.

It's all been a series of coincidences. First, his grandmother passed away, then Professor Cheng passed away, and the experiment he was so eager to do fell through. Now, this has happened to your classmate. It's really tough on Yiming. I don't know how to comfort him. Brother Xurui, I often hear Yiming talk about you. Yiming considers you his closest family member. I won't hide anything from you. Seeing him like this really hurts me." Fan Xurui was moved by the girl's affection for Ouyang Yiming, and then said to Ouyang Yiming, "You heard everything?" "Given Xu Hui's feelings for you, you can't keep overthinking things. The past is the past; it's all in the past. Keeping it in your heart is useless."

Ouyang Yiming, of course, knew Fan Xurui was implying Liu Yan's affair. Not wanting Fan Xurui to continue, he said, "Okay, I understand." Fan Xurui smiled and said, "It's good that you know. You should also know that Xu Hui isn't feeling good about you being like this. Your relationship is beyond words." Turning to Xu Hui, he said, "Every time Yiming comes to see me, he praises you, saying you're good to him. He says you're kind and beautiful, and he says he'll treat you well for the rest of his life, cherish your relationship, love you wholeheartedly, and..."

Ouyang Yiming's heart pounded. He couldn't help but admire Fan Xurui's eloquence and quick thinking. So he stopped him. Fan Xurui stopped speaking and burst into laughter, looking at Xu Hui and saying, "Look at him, he's shy." Turning to Ouyang Yiming, he said, "Didn't you say all of this to me yourself? Haha."

Xu Hui's heart skipped a beat. Although these words were spoken by Fan Xurui, she was still moved by Ouyang Yiming saying them to Fan Xurui. She believed that these words were meant for Fan Xurui. She also thought that Ouyang Yiming would never say these words to her face, but even saying them to someone else made Xu Hui very excited. She thought to herself, it's not easy for this bookworm to say these words of affection to Fan Xurui. Stealing glances at Ouyang Yiming's blushing face, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart.

Seeing that both of them were lowering their heads and not speaking, Fan Xurui thought that he had achieved his purpose for coming here. So he said, "I'm going back now." Xu Hui looked up and asked, "Going back now?" Fan Xurui said, "It's getting late. I'm relieved to have Yiming here. Why don't you and Yiming come to our school together some Sunday? It's on me." Xu Hui thanked him. Ouyang Yiming said to Xu Hui, "You go back to your dorm, I'll see Xurui off." Xu Hui said, "I'll see Xurui off too." Fan Xurui quickly said, "No need, you go back, Yiming can just see me to the door."

Xu Hui agreed, smiling as she said goodbye to Fan Xurui.

The two walked for a while. Ouyang Yiming turned to look at Xu Hui's back, then turned back to Fan Xurui and said, "Why did you say so much today?" Fan Xurui smiled and said, "I didn't say much, but I hit the nail on the head. Do you know why I said this? It's to completely sever your relationship with Liu Yan. Didn't you say you'd never talked about feelings in front of Xu Hui? I've said it all today. Now, in front of Xu Hui, you won't say you haven't opened your heart to her, will you?" Ouyang Yiming said, "You made it all up."

Fan Xurui said, "Even though I made it up, Xu Hui believes you said it to me. Yiming, I hope you understand my good intentions. Our family and Liu..." "Yan is impossible, especially since she's already married. I'm really afraid something else might happen to you. With a girl as beautiful and loving as Xu Hui, what are you still thinking about? I've met Liu Yan, and to be honest, she's quite pretty, but she's still a bit inferior to Xu Hui. You should be content. Xu Hui is beautiful and well-educated. Besides, Xu Hui is so sincere towards you. Our elders aren't here, so the two of us are the closest people here. I'm worried about your personality. I'm here today representing our family to handle this matter, and I believe I've done the right thing. I think this will also appease Grandma's expectations for you two."

Ouyang Yiming understood Fan Xurui's good intentions, but it was impossible for him to forget Liu Yan in such a short time.

Fan Xurui knew this too; such a long-standing relationship couldn't be forgotten so easily, but at least it could serve a good purpose.

Fan Xurui said, "I know you won't forget Liu Yan so easily for a while, but you have to accept reality. When you think of Liu Yan, think of Xu Hui more often, and you'll gradually accept it. You must deal with this properly. Xu Hui is a perfect match for you in every way. You are destined to be apart from Liu Yan in this life; Xu Hui is your true partner."

While waiting for the bus, Fan Xurui gave Ouyang Yiming some more instructions. Just before boarding, he told him, "You absolutely mustn't do anything foolish. Never tell Xu Hui about you and Liu Yan, no matter what."

That night, Ouyang Yiming tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Liu Yan's image kept flashing before his eyes—joyful moments, sweet memories, and the sorrow of their parting… When Ouyang Yiming thought about leaving Liu Yan, the image of her pitiful expression flashing before his eyes, and the words she begged for his forgiveness, he couldn't help but feel a tremor and a pang of heartache. He felt he had wronged Liu Yan, and boundless guilt welled up in his heart. Tears streamed down his face.

After midnight, she couldn't help but take out her wallet from her pocket, take out the photo of herself and Liu Yan hidden inside, and look at it under the covers with a flashlight. She couldn't help but shed silent tears of sorrow. A few nights before

the

winter vacation, Xu Hui and Li Xuan took a walk together and talked about Li Xuan and Gao Peng.

Xu Hui asked, "Gao Peng has remarried now. Has he talked to you about your job again?" Li Xuan would never tell anyone about her relationship with Yao Jianshe. She deliberately sighed and said, "He hasn't talked to me about it. I haven't talked to him about it for a long time." Xu Hui said, "You'll graduate next semester. No matter if Gao Peng helps you get a job again, you should still ask him."

Li Xuan knew what was going on. Yao Jianshe was already working on her job. There were several companies she could apply to. Yao Jianshe told her that two large petrochemical companies and some large state-owned enterprises were options. But Li Xuan wanted to work for a government agency. She told Yao Jianshe about this idea. Yao Jianshe was surprised and asked her, "If you go into the government, won't your major be useless?" Li Xuan said, "To be honest, I'm not very interested in my major. I won't lie to you, I just went to university to get a degree. My ideal is to develop in the political arena."

Yao Jianshe secretly sighed, realizing this woman was ambitious and driven. Through their year-long interaction, he had gained a basic understanding of Li Xuan's inner world. She was a woman unwilling to accept the status quo, unwilling to be an ordinary woman. He thought that with Li Xuan's ambition and shrewdness, she could make a name for herself in politics. After more than a year together, Yao Jianshe had developed strong feelings for Li Xuan and began to work towards this goal for her. He was fairly certain she would get a job at the local office or district government. He told Li Xuan this. Li Xuan was naturally very excited and said, "Then let's go to the district." However,

Li Xuan told Xu Hui, "Let's ask next semester; it's not urgent now." Xu Hui nodded, then thought about Li Xuan's homecoming and said, "You can't not go home this year. You're a girl living far away, not even going home for the New Year. Will your family be at ease?"

Li Xuan didn't go home that summer; she stayed at the electronics factory's guesthouse for a while. Yao Jianshe took her to Beijing for a trip there. Li Xuan told Xu Hui that she was still working at the same restaurant, and Xu Hui believed her. However, she had decided to go home for the winter break; Yao Jianshe had given her some money.

Li Xuan smiled and said to Xu Hui, "Actually, I really don't want to go back. It's so far from home, and it costs a lot of money." Xu Hui said, "You haven't been home for over a year. You must go back this year. Here's some money; take it." She reached into her pocket as she spoke. Li Xuan quickly grabbed Xu Hui's hand and said, "No need. I've earned some money working these past two holidays. Gao Peng gave me some more; it's enough."

Although Li Xuan was lying to Xu Hui, she was moved by Xu Hui's sincerity. She knew in her heart that Xu Hui's affection was pure and innocent, and her eyes involuntarily reddened.

She sincerely said, "Thank you." She thought to herself that if she ever became successful, she would definitely repay Xu Hui for her kindness.

Xu Hui said, "What are you thanking me for? We've known each other for almost four years, like sisters. I just feel it's not right for you to go home alone for the New Year. You're a girl, and I'm really worried about you being here alone. I don't know how your parents can be so at ease."

Li Xuan thought to herself: How can rural kids like us compare to city kids like you? Your parents treat you like a precious gem, while we're destined to be tempered by hardship from a young age. She said aloud, "They love me too, but our circumstances are different from yours." After a pause, she said firmly, "I'll definitely go back this holiday." Xu Hui said, "That's right, you must miss home if you don't go back."

Li Xuan felt a pang of sadness. How could she not miss home? Even though her home was poor, her closest relatives were there, and how could she not miss them? She just wanted to use the money she saved on the journey to give to her family so their lives could be a little better. That's all she could do now. Who could know the bitterness in her heart?

Li Xuan didn't want to talk about this topic with Xu Hui anymore. Every time she talked about her family, she felt a pang of inferiority, and her heart ached. So she changed the subject, asking, "Have you and Ouyang made any progress on your job situation?" Xu Hui replied, "It's still undecided. My uncle is trying to help us, but there's still no result. It'll probably be next semester. It's a bit early to say anything now, since there are still a few months until graduation, and things could change at any time." Li Xuan said, "I truly envy you. No matter where you're assigned, being with the one you love is the happiest thing. It's not just me who envies you and Ouyang; many people envy you."

Xu Hui felt a sweet warmth in her heart. Then she thought of the issue of Ouyang Yiming staying at the university, and a sense of unease crept into her heart. It seemed Ouyang Yiming cared a lot about staying at the university; would they really be living apart? She had secured one job in Shanghai, but the other was still uncertain. If things really go smoothly in Shanghai and they can both get jobs at that chemical research institute, then she should try to persuade Ouyang Yiming to give up staying at the university and be with her. Otherwise, what would it be like to live apart after marriage? But thinking about how much Ouyang Yiming cares about staying at the university, she felt a little reluctant, and this matter remained a knot in her heart. She had considered it many times and was sure that once things were settled in Shanghai, she would talk to Ouyang Yiming about this issue. She figured Ouyang Yiming would also have to consider these things.

Li Xuan listened to Xu Hui's words and pondered them. Xu Hui made a good point; there was still some time before graduation, and things could always change. It seemed she should talk to Yao Jianshe more and ask him to connect her with more jobs, so that she would have more options and flexibility later.

Li Xuan said, "I see you two are still a bit secretive about each other. It seems like you haven't gone out on dates at all." Xu Hui said, "Ouyang cares a lot about what others say, but I don't really care. Sigh, what's the point of going out? We're together all the time, why bother going on dates?" Li Xuan laughed and said, "It's so convenient to hug or kiss at night." Xu Hui blushed, raised her hand and slapped her, saying, "Your mind is always wandering. To be honest, Ouyang doesn't have those kinds of thoughts. You can see for yourself how he is; he always acts so proper."

Li Xuan blushed thinking about her relationship with Yao Jianshe. But she didn't believe Ouyang Yiming wouldn't have those thoughts. "That's because you didn't give him a chance," Xu Hui said, blushing. "I think if you had given him a chance, he wouldn't have been so proper." Xu Hui blushed and said, "You're just talking nonsense. Honestly, we won't be like some people who are promiscuous until we're married. I'm very careful myself."

Hearing this, Li Xuan felt as if she'd been slapped, her face flushed and her heart pounding with shame, as if Xu Hui were saying it to her face. But she knew Xu Hui was just saying it casually. She said, "Actually, you two are really enviable. Your self-control is truly admirable." Xu Hui said, "This might be related to family education; I care a lot about it. My grandmother often told me since I was little that a woman's most precious thing is her body, and that's ingrained in my mind. My mother also often said these things to me; you could say this concept is deeply rooted in my mind."

Li Xuan felt guilty, but she also defended herself in her heart, "I had no choice." Li Xuan asked, "Then do you care if men are as self-respecting as you say?" Xu Hui said:

"Of course I care. But men are different from women. Women are the ones who need the most self-respect." Li Xuan asked, "If Ouyang does something to wrong you in the future, can you forgive him?" Xu Hui was startled and looked at her, asking, "Have you heard anything about Ouyang?" Li Xuan laughed and pointed at her, saying, "You? I was just saying it offhand, look how nervous you are. If Ouyang really does something, wouldn't you eat him alive? With Ouyang's personality, even if you gave him the guts, he probably wouldn't dare to do anything reckless. He's so concerned about his reputation, what outrageous thing would he dare to do?"

Xu Hui relaxed, blushing slightly, and argued... “When was I nervous? I was just asking you casually. I was worried about people gossiping about him, which would damage his reputation.” Li Xuan said, “No one will gossip about him, they can’t see it. He’s surrounded by such a beautiful woman and he hasn’t done anything, how could he have designs on others?” Xu Hui blushed and said, “Ouyang is a very self-respecting person. His parents are both teachers, and they’ve given him a lot of education in this area.” Li Xuan sighed, “I really admire you two. People say that birds of a feather flock together, and you and Ouyang are a match made in heaven. You should be a member of the Ouyang family.”

Xu Hui smiled but didn’t say anything. In her heart, she had long considered herself a member of the Ouyang family. Ever since the old lady gave her the pair of family heirloom gold bracelets, she had even considered in her heart that she was Ouyang Yiming’s soon-to-be wife.

Li Xuan then thought of Yao Jianshe, thinking that men might be different from men. Every time she had sex with Yao Jianshe, seeing his subservient appearance made her feel sorry for him. This makes me wonder, what would Ouyang Yiming be like if he had sex with women in the future? Yao Jianshe, before taking off his clothes, also had that gentlemanly demeanor. Wouldn't Ouyang Yiming be the same? But then I think about how Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui have been in contact for so long without doing anything, so I think Ouyang Yiming would never be like Yao Jianshe, at least not as despicable. But then I think, maybe Ouyang Yiming just hasn't done it before, and after doing it once, he'll be very bold. Aren't all men like that? Even women, after their first time, often think about it! It's animal instinct, and Ouyang Yiming isn't a saint.

Then, jokingly, she said, "Xu Hui, you haven't answered my question yet!" Xu Hui looked at her questioningly. Li Xuan laughed and said, "I was asking what you would do if Ouyang did something to betray you?" Xu Hui knew she was joking, but she was still a little annoyed, so she said, "That's a really silly question. I can tell you this: neither of us will ever betray the other in our lives. I guarantee it." Li Xuan felt a deep respect for Xu Hui upon hearing this and nodded, saying, "I believe you." But she only believed Xu Hui. Although she also admired Ouyang Yiming, she doubted that a man would go through life without ever betraying his woman.

As they talked, they arrived near the library. Xu Hui glanced up and saw Ouyang Yiming coming out of the library, so she asked Li Xuan to call him. Li Xuan smiled at Xu Hui and said, "You two are really destined to meet, you can meet anywhere." After saying that, she hurried over to call Ouyang Yiming.

After seeing Li Xuan speak to Ouyang Yiming, Xu Hui turned and walked into a grove of ginkgo trees. The fallen leaves in the woods were thick, rustling underfoot. Xu Hui walked slowly with her head down, thinking to herself, "Will he say anything more this time?"

After experiencing Liu Yan's situation, Ouyang Yiming had slowly accepted the truth over the past two months, and his mood was gradually calming down. Of course, this was largely due to Xu Hui. If Xu Hui hadn't loved Ouyang Yiming, it would have been impossible for him to regain his senses so quickly.

Ouyang Yiming had also considered countless times that it was destined that he wouldn't become Liu Yan's husband, that Liu Yan was meant to marry into that high-ranking cadre's family. He often felt a pang of heartache and secretly wished Liu Yan well. He also thought that he should be with Xu Hui for life; otherwise, why would Xu Hui have so resolutely gone to his home, and why would she have been accepted by his family so quickly? It was all fate.

He couldn't help but think of the words the monk at Maoshan Temple had told him: "Honor, disgrace, life, and death are all predetermined. Even if you want to have fantasies, there's nothing to fantasize about." He often pondered these words in his heart. Some believe that a person's life is predetermined.

However, Ouyang Yiming still harbored deep feelings for Liu Yan. Whenever he was alone, he would secretly take out the photo of him and Liu Yan hidden in his wallet and feel sad for a while. It was impossible for Xu Hui to completely take over Liu Yan's place in his heart. He could only helplessly accept this cruel fact.

After talking to Ouyang Yiming, Li Xuan was about to leave when Ouyang Yiming grabbed her and asked, "Where are you going?" Li Xuan laughed and said, "You two are whispering to each other, and you always make me stand guard for you. I won't do it, what will you pay me?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "What are you whispering to each other? She probably told me something. It's not appropriate for the two of us to be alone on campus, so I'm helping you out." Li Xuan laughed and said, "You two are like thieves, why don't you just go out on a date?" Ouyang Yiming blushed and said, "Let's go, I'll treat you to dinner sometime." Li Xuan laughed and said, "I'll be on holiday sometime, then I won't be able to eat your food. I'll wait until your wedding." As she spoke, she walked forward with Ouyang Yiming.

When they were still a dozen steps away from Xu Hui, Li Xuan smiled and nudged Ouyang Yiming, saying, "Hurry up, or you'll be punished by kneeling. I'll protect you." Ouyang Yiming smiled sheepishly and didn't say anything, quickly walking towards Xu Hui. As he approached, he asked, "What's up?" Xu Hui glanced at him and said, "Can't I talk to you alone if there's nothing wrong?" Ouyang Yiming smiled sheepishly.

Xu Hui said, "It's like this, I exchanged letters with Meizi a while ago, mentioning that she wanted to come to my house during the holidays. Ouyang Meizi replied, saying she'd come directly from Shanghai to my house during the holidays. I was thinking you come back with me. Meizi might arrive a little later than us, so we can pick her up at the station. If she arrives before us, I'll have her call her dad to pick her up." Ouyang Yiming was startled by this question. He was genuinely reluctant to go to Xu Hui's house. Frowning, she asked, "You two have already decided? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Xu Hui glared at him and said, "Was it necessary to tell you sooner? Shouldn't you come to my house? You'll graduate next semester, and my family can't possibly refuse to see you even once, can they? I, a young woman, have already been to your house twice, and you, a man, are so afraid to see my family. What do you think my family will think of you? And what will they think of me? Let me tell you, the reason I didn't discuss it with you beforehand was because I was afraid you'd gossip. I've already spoken to my mother on the phone and said you'll come back with me. You have to go this time, whether you want to or not..." She paused and continued, "I'm not making it so absolute. If you really don't want to go, I can't force you to go." After a moment of thought, Xu Hui realized she had to speak to Ouyang Yiming this way, otherwise he might say something else.

Ouyang Yiming lowered his head, and Xu Hui followed up, saying, "Just say it straight, are you going or not?" Ouyang Yiming blushed and looked up at her, saying, "I didn't say I wasn't going. You and Meizi have already agreed, and Meizi has already said it, so what can I say?" Xu Hui glanced at him, wanting to laugh, but said seriously, "It's like you're begging me to come to my house. I'm not begging you anymore." Ouyang Yiming said, "What do I need you to beg me for? I just casually mentioned why you didn't tell me, and look at you, you're acting like you're going to eat me alive." Xu Hui chuckled and said, "I can't not talk to you like that! I know you too well. It's like someone's going to eat you if you go to my house. What are you afraid of? You've met my mother, my father is quite kind, and my grandmother is almost eighty. What can she do to you? Besides, Meizi is going this time too. You, even a woman..." "It's no use being a child,"

Ouyang Yiming said. "Weren't you scared the first time you went to my house? I thought you'd be very reserved, but what am I afraid of? I'll just go." Xu Hui gave a soft "humph," glanced at him, and said, "If you really dare not go, I'll go to your house and tell Grandpa and your parents. There's no way you're being so unreasonable." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'm really impressed. I admire you for discussing this with Meizi without telling me." Xu Hui said, "Although I know your words are sarcastic, I'm still quite pleased. Okay, I'll go buy the tickets the day after tomorrow."

Ouyang Yiming said, "I'll go." Xu Hui said, "I wouldn't dare trouble you. I'm begging you to come to my house, and I wouldn't dare make you queue up to buy tickets." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "Then you go. I can't make that decision." Xu Hui smiled at him.

Ouyang Yiming asked, "When should I go buy some things?" Xu Hui said, "Buy them when you leave. You'll get on the bus and need to take them back to the dorm. I'll buy them, and you can come with me and carry them. Just say you bought them." Ouyang Yiming said, "How can I do that? It's my first time visiting your house, I can't just not bring anything." Xu Hui said, "Why all that formality? If I buy them, it's the same as you buying them.

Actually, it's not about what you bring. You know my grandma is almost eighty. I've been to your house twice, but you've never been to mine. Grandma..." "I really want to see you. My dad wants to see you too. There aren't many people in our family, how can we be shown off like you are? You should learn to be more confident. A real man should act like a real man. Look at Fan Xurui, he does everything so casually, as if he's only a few years older than you. You need to practice this, otherwise how will you stand on your own two feet in society?" Ouyang Yiming blushed at her words and said, "How can I compare to Fan Xurui? He was a student leader in middle school, while I've never been a leader. He's capable." Xu Hui said,

"I don't think you're any worse than him. The key is your mindset. When you come to my house and meet my dad, be confident and natural. I think you were just as confident when you met my mom last time. Okay, that's all, it's settled then." Ouyang Yiming nodded. Xu Hui said, "By the way, call your family tomorrow when you have some free time." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "I know."

Love and Desire (106) Chapter 104

Five days later After lunch, Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui met in a corner of the square at the train station. Afterwards, the two went to a shopping mall near the station to buy things to take to Xu Hui's home. Although they had been together for more than three years, this was the first time they had walked side by side like lovers to buy things.

Wherever these two went together, they would be a highlight. Facing the envious glances that kept turning their heads to look at them, Ouyang Yiming still felt a little reserved. Xu Hui, however, felt a sweet sense of pride in her heart. She deliberately stayed close to Ouyang Yiming and deliberately whispered to him from time to time. Although her eyes seemed to look down on everything, she still glanced at the excited look on people's faces when they saw them.

At that moment, Liu Yan flashed through Ouyang Yiming's mind. He thought to himself, if he were shopping with Liu Yan now, happily going to her house to meet her parents, how would he feel? But now Liu Yan was married, with another man by her side. He could no longer shop with her like this, no longer go to her house to meet her parents, perhaps never again in this lifetime. Thinking of Liu Yan brought another wave of sadness to his heart. Xu

Hui noticed the change in his expression and assumed he was nervous and timid about going to her house. She thought back to her own first visit to his house, feeling the same way. She secretly found Ouyang Yiming amusing and also proud of his upcoming visit. Smiling, she asked, "What are you thinking about?" Ouyang Yiming snapped out of his reverie, saw her blush and smiled, and said, "Nothing."

He was surprised that he kept thinking about Liu Yan. He thought to himself, "Oh well, nothing can be changed, everything is settled, why think about it anymore?" This life was destined to be with this woman beside him. Didn't he care about her deeply too?

Xu Hui glanced at him and smiled, saying, "Are you a little scared now?" Ouyang Yiming knew Xu Hui was asking if he was scared to go to her house, and smiled, saying, "No." Xu Hui said, "I know. There always has to be a first time." Ouyang Yiming said, "I know. Did you really think I was scared? I'm a man, after all." Xu Hui glanced at him and smiled, secretly amused. Thinking, "Don't I know you?!"

The three-hour journey made Ouyang Yiming a little uneasy. After all, this was his first time going to Xu Hui's house, or rather, his fiancée's house, where he would be presented to Xu Hui's family and friends. Ouyang Yiming suddenly felt like he was being pushed onto an unfamiliar stage, like an object to be appraised, standing there alone to be scrutinized by many eyes. He blushed at the thought, but also felt that his thoughts were somewhat excessive. After all, he had met Xu Hui's mother before. Just as Xu Hui had said, she was just Xu Hui's father and grandmother; what could they possibly do to him? But he was still a little nervous. He shook his head and smiled to himself.

Xu Hui looked at him intently, tilting her head to look at him with a smile. Ouyang Yiming glanced at Xu Hui and saw her staring at him so intently, and his face flushed again. He leaned closer and whispered, "Why are you looking at me like that?" Xu Hui smiled and said, "I'm trying to see what you're thinking." Ouyang Yiming said, "You can see what I'm thinking just by looking?" Xu Hui said, "Pretty much. I think you're probably scared, or rather, feeling guilty for coming to my house." Ouyang Yiming smiled sheepishly. Xu Hui said, "I understand. I felt the same way the first time I went to your house. It wasn't like you are now. At least I'm with you now, and you've met my mom. I was all alone that time, and the closer I got, the scarier I became. I was even scarier after getting off the bus, but I thought, 'I'm already here, what are you going to do to me?'

Hehe, anyway, I felt really guilty and helpless." Ouyang Yiming said, "I'm feeling a little panicked now. Luckily, you're with me, otherwise I really wouldn't dare to go alone." Xu Hui said, "Sometimes women are braver than men. I seem to remember reading some information that said, to some extent, women's resilience might be stronger than men's."

Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "There's some truth to that."

"What time did Meizi say she'd arrive?" Ouyang Yiming asked. Xu Hui said, "I don't know the exact time. I gave her my mom's and dad's phone numbers. I told her in the letter to call when she arrives. She'll be there quickly, in a little over an hour. Trains and buses are both convenient." Ouyang Yiming nodded, thinking that he still had his sister with him. She seemed to have regained some confidence.

They arrived at Suzhou Station around 4 PM. Before their tickets were checked, Xu Hui saw her mother and Ouyang Mei. Turning around, she excitedly told Ouyang Yiming behind her, "Meizi has arrived!" Ouyang Yiming quickly looked towards the ticket gate, searched for a moment, and sure enough, saw Ouyang Mei and Xu Hui's mother, Yang Ping, peering at the exiting crowd outside the ticket gate. Ouyang Yiming was also excited, saying, "How did Meizi get here so fast?" Xu Hui said, "She's much closer than us."

As soon as their tickets were checked, Xu Hui ran towards Ouyang Mei and her mother. Ouyang Mei and Yang Ping had also seen them while Xu Hui and Ouyang Yiming were having their tickets checked. Xu Hui ran up to them and hugged Ouyang Mei tightly, excitedly asking when they had arrived. Ouyang Mei said they had arrived more than two hours ago.

Xu Hui let go of Ouyang Mei and hugged her mother again, saying, "Mom, I missed you so much!" Yang Ping whispered in her ear, "No way, with that person with you, how could you miss me?" Then she laughed.

Xu Hui laughed and said, "I'm ignoring you." She let go of Yang Ping and turned to look, only to see Ouyang Yiming standing in front of her.

Ouyang Yiming blushed and looked at Yang Ping, calling out, "Auntie." Yang Ping responded and smiled at him, saying, "You seem to have lost some weight." Ouyang Yiming smiled shyly. Turning to Ouyang Mei, she said, "Your sister Hui and I thought you hadn't arrived yet." Ouyang Mei said, "I came by car, it only took a little over an hour. Uncle Xu sent a car to pick me up." She took a bag from Xu Hui's hand, and the four of them walked out of the square.

Yang Ping said to Ouyang Yiming, "Your uncle originally said he would come to pick you up, but he had a meeting this afternoon, so I didn't let him come." Ouyang Yiming said, "You're all busy. Actually, Xu Hui and I could have just gone home together. Why did you have to come all this way?" Xu Hui said, "I was afraid you'd be unhappy if I didn't come to pick you up. After all, it's the first time a distinguished guest has come to our door, isn't it?" As she spoke, she winked at her mother.

Yang Ping smiled and said, "That's only right."

She walked to a taxi parked in a corner of the square, put her things in the trunk, and the four of them got in. Xu Hui asked Yang Ping, "Is Grandma at our house or hers?" Yang Ping said, "She came early this morning and has been waiting for you." Xu Hui asked, "Is Grandma feeling alright these days?" Yang Ping said, "She's fine. She came by herself this morning after breakfast, using her cane."

Ouyang Yiming asked, "How far is it?" Yang Ping said, "Not far, about two bus stops." Ouyang Yiming said, "Xu Hui said Grandma is almost eighty, it's amazing she can walk that far." Ouyang Mei chimed in, "Grandma is quite healthy." Xu Hui said, "Grandma is indeed in good health; she always walks to my house when she comes." Yang Ping said, "When she gets home, she always talks about you and Yiming, always saying why you two are so slow. She misses you, and she wants to see Yiming." Ouyang Yiming blushed.

The taxi drove all the way to the building where Xu Hui lived in the silk factory dormitory area. This made Ouyang Yiming feel a little more relaxed; otherwise, walking through the gate might have meant facing many people, just like when Xu Hui entered her own home. Upon reaching the second floor, Yang Ping opened her apartment door. As soon as the door opened, Ouyang Yiming saw a clean-cut old woman with a kind face, slightly hunched back, and leaning on a shiny purple cane standing in the center of the room. Xu Hui put down her things and ran over to help the old woman, affectionately calling out, "Grandma!" Although Ouyang Yiming couldn't understand what Xu Hui and the old woman were saying, he knew the old woman was Xu Hui's grandmother. He put down his things, walked over to the old woman, smiled, and called out, "Grandma."

The old woman smiled at Ouyang Yiming, reached out and grasped his two outstretched hands, looked him up and down, nodded, and said something. Ouyang Yiming turned to look at Xu Hui, who said, "Grandma called you over. She said you're beautiful and very tall." Ouyang Yiming blushed shyly, smiled at the old lady, and said, "Grandma, you're in good health too." Xu Hui then translated Ouyang Yiming's words to her grandmother. The old lady smiled broadly and nodded at Ouyang Yiming. Xu Hui and Ouyang Yiming helped the old lady sit down on the sofa. The two sat on either side of the old lady.

Ouyang Yiming blushed shyly again. Most of these things were bought by Xu Hui herself, but it wasn't convenient to say so at the moment. Yang Ping carried the groceries to the old lady and said a few words. The old lady smiled at Ouyang Yiming and said a few words. Xu Hui said to Ouyang Yiming, "Mom told Grandma that you bought all of this for her. Grandma said you still think of her, this old woman, and that you're filial." Yang Ping and Ouyang Mei laughed.

Ouyang Mei helped Yang Ping tidy up and sat down on another sofa. Ouyang Mei and Ouyang Yiming sat on either side of the old lady, chatting idly. Yang Ping washed her hands, poured tea, and placed it on the coffee table in front of Ouyang Yiming and Ouyang Mei. The old lady then said something to Ouyang Yiming, meaning she wanted him to drink tea, which he understood. The old lady then turned to Xu Hui and said something, and Xu Hui giggled. Xu Hui said, "Grandma says you're good in every way, but it's hard to talk to you." Ouyang Yiming couldn't help but laugh. Xu Hui then spoke a few more words to the old lady. After laughing, Xu Hui leaned over the old lady's chest and whispered to Ouyang Yiming, "I asked Grandma if she was satisfied with you. Grandma said she was very satisfied. Hehe." Ouyang Yiming blushed again.

After chatting for a while, Xu Hui looked at her mother, who was sitting on a single sofa chatting with Ouyang Mei, and asked, "What are you having for dinner? Have you bought groceries?" Yang Ping said, "We're not eating at home tonight. Your father said we're going to a restaurant, and I can't cook well at home." Ouyang Yiming chimed in, "Just eat something simple at home." Xu Hui said, "My mom doesn't want to cook. Eating out is fine." Turning to Ouyang Yiming, she said, "You like fish, we have boiled fish, crispy fish, fish dumplings with raw fish, tofu fish..." Ouyang Yiming blushed and quickly said, "I'm fine with anything. It's up to you." Yang Ping and Ouyang Mei laughed.

As they talked, night fell, and the old lady and Ouyang Yiming found it difficult to talk. Ouyang Yiming felt a little anxious thinking that Xu Hui's father would be home soon. Xu Hui went over and took out the pastries she had brought for her grandmother to try, telling her that Ouyang Yiming had bought them especially for her. The old lady ate and said a few words to Ouyang Yiming. Xu Hui translated, "Grandma said the sesame oil pastries I brought from your house last time were delicious, but they're hard to digest if you eat too much." Ouyang Yiming laughed and said, "That stuff fills you up."

Just then, Xu Zhenming knocked and came in. Ouyang Yiming hurriedly stood up, and the two looked at each other. Xu Hui quickly introduced Ouyang Yiming to Xu Zhenming. Ouyang Yiming greeted, "Hello, Uncle." Xu Zhenming looked Ouyang Yiming up and down a few times, then smiled broadly and invited Ouyang Yiming and Ouyang Mei to sit down. Ouyang Yiming noticed that Xu Zhenming was of medium height, rather thin, with a long, thin face and deep-set eyes; overall, he appeared very capable. Xu Zhenming sat down in a chair at the table and asked, "What time did you arrive?" Ouyang Yiming, a little flustered, replied, "Around four o'clock." Xu Zhenming said, "I was going to pick you up by car, but I had a meeting and couldn't get away. Your Aunt Yang said she would go instead." Ouyang Yiming said, "You're busy too." Xu Zhenming said, "Yes, I've been quite busy lately." After chatting for a while, Xu Zhenming kept glancing at Ouyang Yiming.

Ouyang Yiming didn't dare to meet his gaze, feeling uneasy. Xu Hui observed carefully and said to her father, "Mom said we're going out to eat tonight?" Xu Zhenming replied, "Out; it's not good to cook at home." As he spoke, he stood up and looked at Ouyang Yiming, saying, "The wine your grandfather brought me last time was really good. A while ago, I took a bottle with some friends to dinner, and they all said it was much better than Moutai. I couldn't bear to drink it. Let's drink this wine again tonight." Ouyang Yiming said, "Uncle, you should keep it; I don't drink." Xu Hui said,

"Dad, he can't drink. Don't take it. Once it's gone, it'll be gone." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "I'll ask Grandpa to bring a few more bottles later. Last time, I was just worried you wouldn't be able to carry them." Yang Zhenming said, "Don't let your grandfather bring them; I don't drink much either. Keep it for the old man."

Ouyang Yiming thought of the jars of wine in the basement, and since there were still many left, he said, "I'll bring you some more when I have the chance." He exchanged a few more polite words. Xu Zhenming asked Ouyang Yiming, "Really can't drink?" Ouyang Mei chimed in, "My brother really can't drink." Xu Zhenming said, "If he really can't drink, then forget it. Let's go out and grab something to eat."

So everyone got up, and Ouyang Mei and Xu Hui helped the old lady downstairs. After Xu Hui got downstairs, she let go of the old lady, walked up to Xu Zhenming, and pulled him aside, whispering, "Dad, what's your impression?" Xu Zhenming smiled and said, "My first impression was pretty good, overall it was a good feeling." Xu Hui asked, "How many points would you give it?" Xu Zhenming said, "Eighty points, I guess." Xu Hui pouted deliberately and said, "Only eighty points? I thought you'd give it at least a hundred." Xu Zhenming laughed a few times, and everyone looked at the father and daughter. Xu Zhenming whispered to his daughter, "Not bad, I'm very satisfied." Xu Hui smiled sweetly, took Xu Zhenming's arm, and walked forward.

There wasn't much to say during the meal; Xu Zhenming bought a bottle of yellow wine, and everyone drank some. After the meal, Xu Zhenming took a taxi to send the old lady home. The rest of the group walked home. After returning home, they had some tea and chatted for a while before Xu Zhenming came back. They talked for a bit more, and then Xu Zhenming said, "You two siblings can stay at our factory's guesthouse. I've already arranged it this afternoon." Ouyang Yiming and his sister agreed. Xu Hui looked at Ouyang Mei and said, "How about this, Yiming stays at the guesthouse, and Meizi and I stay together so we can chat." Yang Ping said, "That's fine too."

After having some more tea, Ouyang Yiming felt a little awkward talking to Xu Hui's parents, so he said he was going to rest. Xu Hui said, "Meizi and I will go see him off." Xu Zhenming said,

"That's fine too. You know Aunt Li at the guesthouse; just say I arranged it." Xu Hui said, "I know several of her." So Ouyang Yiming said goodbye to Xu Zhenming and Yang Ping, and the three of them went downstairs.

After the three children left, Yang Ping asked Xu Zhenming, "What do you think of Ouyang?" Xu Zhenming replied, "Overall, I'm satisfied. He's a scholar, but I don't know if his social skills will be up to par."

Yang Ping said, "This child hasn't entered society yet; he might be good after some work experience." Xu Zhenming nodded and said, "Maybe. But he's quite good, a good match for Xu Hui."

Yang Ping smiled and said, "Even if we have different opinions, it doesn't matter much; Xu Hui is determined to have him. I'm quite satisfied too." Xu Zhenming laughed and said, "Since you two both agree, I have no choice but to raise my hand as well. Not bad, Xu Hui has good taste." The two laughed.

After Xu Hui went downstairs, she asked Ouyang Yiming, "How was it? Are you still nervous?" Ouyang Yiming chuckled. Xu Hui turned to Ouyang Mei and said, "If I say your brother is useless, he'll get upset. I told him he'd come to our house, but he's still reluctant." Ouyang Yiming said, "Who's reluctant? You two have already decided, what can I say?" Ouyang Mei said, "Even if you're not willing to come, you wouldn't dare, would you, Sister Hui?" Xu Hui said, "If he really doesn't want to come, there's nothing I can do." Ouyang Mei laughed and said, "Then you should use family discipline. Make him kneel on the washboard!" Xu Hui and Ouyang Mei laughed happily. Ouyang Yiming chuckled twice and said to Ouyang Mei, "You talk too much."

Xu Hui and Ouyang Mei took Ouyang Yiming to the guesthouse and chatted for a while before returning home. Ouyang Yiming watched TV for a while, then took off his clothes to go to sleep. When he took off his coat, he touched the wallet in the inner pocket of his coat, and Liu Yanlai came to mind. His heart sank. He took out the wallet, opened it, and saw a photo of the two of them together. A wave of sorrow washed over him.

After reading for a while, he took out the letter Liu Yan had left for him. Tears streamed down his face as he looked at it, and he felt a deep sadness. He thought to himself, "Liu Yan, now we're both with other people. I'm at Xu Hui's house now. We've both been to each other's homes and met each other's parents. Xu Hui and I are officially engaged. If we're destined to be together, it will only be in the next life. I just wish you all the best..."

(Chapter 105 of "Love and Desire" - Part 2)

The next day, Ouyang Yiming, Xu Hui, and Ouyang Mei visited Hanshan Temple and Tiger Hill. They returned before dinner.

Yang Ping, while packing, said to Ouyang Mei, "Your grandmother has been looking forward to your brother's visit. She keeps saying that if he doesn't come soon, she won't see him again. Look how close he is now."

Ouyang Mei smiled. She helped Yang Ping pack. Yang Ping said, "Xiao Mei, hurry up and sit down." Ouyang Mei said, "I'll help you unpack." Yang Ping glanced at Xu Hui and said, "Why do you have so much stuff?" Xu Hui told her mother, "Yiming bought all of this. I told him not to buy it, but he insisted."

After five days, they had basically visited all the major attractions. Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui said they planned to go back. That evening, when they returned for dinner, Yang Ping told Xu Hui and Ouyang Yiming that Xu Hui's uncle would be driving back the next day. Ouyang Yiming knew that Xu Hui's uncle was definitely coming to see him, but he could only endure their scrutiny; they were just concerned about Xu Hui.

After dinner, Xu Hui and Ouyang Mei went to the guesthouse with Ouyang Yiming. On the way, Xu Hui said, "I really didn't want you two to leave. Now that your uncle is here, you won't be able to leave tomorrow even if you want to."

Ouyang Mei laughed and said, "My brother came here for a blind date, so of course he'll be scrutinized by everyone in your family." Xu Hui said, "My uncle loves me too. Last time when I went with Mom, he also said he wanted to meet your brother." Ouyang Mei laughed and said, "Then you must have praised my brother a lot in front of them." Xu Hui smiled and said, "I haven't really said much to my uncle. It's just that Mom introduced your brother to him more often."

Ouyang Yiming interjected, "Do you know what I suddenly thought of right now?" Ouyang Mei pursed her lips and said, "Besides being a little nervous, I'm also feeling quite smug." Xu Hui laughed.

Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "I suddenly remembered a novel called 'Roots' by the American author Harry." Xu Hui stared at him and asked, "What do you mean?" Ouyang Yiming didn't answer. Ouyang Mei said,

"I haven't read it either. What in it makes you think of..." Ouyang Yiming said, "I remembered a chapter in it, and right now I'm pretty much like the slaves being auctioned off in that book." He finished speaking with a silly laugh.

Although Xu Hui hadn't read the novel, she was still angry at Ouyang Yiming's words and wanted to say something to him. Turning to look at Ouyang Mei, who was covering her mouth and laughing, she changed her tone, saying, "Look at your brother, is that how you talk?" Still angry, she turned back to Ouyang Yiming and asked, "What do you mean by that?" Sensing Xu Hui's off-key tone, Ouyang Yiming smiled and said:

"It was just a casual remark, nothing serious," Xu Hui said. "Who's going to auction you off? He just came to see you, right? My uncle comes back often too. Grandma's all alone here, so of course he'd come to visit before the holidays. Seeing you is just a side trip."

Seeing that Xu Hui was genuinely angry, Ouyang Mei took Xu Hui's arm and shook it, saying, "Don't mind him. He's just afraid to see your family. When I'm not around, make him kneel down before you." Xu Hui chuckled, saying, "I just felt what he said was inappropriate. Look at your brother." Ouyang Mei said, "I felt it was inappropriate too." She pushed Ouyang Yiming, saying, "How can you talk like that? Let me tell you, I'm on Hui-jie's side now. If you bully Hui-jie, I won't listen to you." Ouyang Yiming laughed, saying, "I just said it offhand. Look at you two." Xu Hui knew Ouyang Yiming didn't mean it, so she and Ouyang Mei laughed.

Ouyang Yiming, however, thought to himself that he really was somewhat similar to the characters in those novels. First, Liu Yan's family scrutinized him and, dissatisfied, dismissed him without a second thought.

Now, it was Xu Hui's family who were scrutinizing him. What difference was there between him and a commodity waiting to be sold? The thought filled him with a deep bitterness. Liu Yan's image flashed vividly before his eyes again.

Xu Hui said, "I wonder how Uncle is doing with the job arrangements." Ouyang Yiming's thoughts returned, but Liu Yan's image seemed lingering. "Forget her, forget her,"

Ouyang Yiming thought helplessly. Ouyang Mei asked, "What if things don't go well?" She then entered the guesthouse. Xu Hui didn't answer Ouyang Mei's question, but instead called for a waiter to open the door in the duty room.

After the waiter left, the three sat down. Xu Hui said, "This is what I'm thinking. It would be best if both your brother and I could get in. If only one of us can get into the research institute, I think your brother should go.

He's more capable than me, and I think he'll succeed. I'll go to another department first, and we can consider it later if there's an opportunity. But your brother might stay at the university, and I don't know what he's thinking." She looked up and asked Ouyang Yiming, "Do you want to stay at the university or go to Shanghai?" Ouyang Yiming frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "It's uncertain about either option right now. It's a bit early to think about it." Xu Hui said, "Early? Many classmates are already considering this, and graduation is only a few months away." Ouyang Yiming said, "But some things don't go according to our wishes." Xu Hui said quipped, "You still need to consider it! Let's assume things go well in Shanghai too. Honestly, would you rather stay at the university or go to Shanghai with me?" Ouyang Mei said... “Of course we’ll go to Shanghai. You two are together, after all. If you two aren’t in Shanghai, then I…” Xu Hui said, “Don’t worry, even if your brother doesn’t go, I’ll stay there with you.” Ouyang Yiming said, “But if we can only get one approved, I wouldn’t be too happy if you went to a company. I’d be very happy if I could stay at the university, and it’s your ideal to get into a research institution. I think, if we can only get one approved, you go first, and I’ll stay at the university. We can try to transfer together later. That way, we’ll both be satisfied with our work environment.” Ouyang Mei said, “That works too.”

Xu Hui lowered her head and thought for a moment, then said, “Your idea is good, but I don’t know how easy it will be to transfer later.” She then added, “Forget it, it’s pointless to worry about this now.

Tomorrow, after Uncle comes, I’ll have Mom and Dad talk to him about it.” Ouyang Mei said, “It would be best if you two could get into the same unit.” Xu Hui nodded.

The next morning, Ouyang Yiming and his sister spent the morning shopping with Xu Hui, buying some things. In the afternoon, Xu Hui's uncle arrived from Shanghai with his car. They first went to the old lady's house and only arrived at Xu Hui's home near dusk. There were five people in their family: Xu Hui's uncle, aunt, cousin, cousin's wife, and her cousin's three-year-old daughter.

Xu Hui's uncle was older than her mother, forty-eight years old, and worked as a section chief in the Shanghai Municipal Planning Bureau. Her cousin was twenty-eight years old and worked as a salesman at a pharmaceutical factory in Shanghai. With the driver, the six of them arrived at Xu Hui's home, making her two-bedroom living room feel quite crowded. Ouyang Mei smiled at everyone and quickly went into Xu Hui's room. Ouyang Yiming felt flustered upon seeing so many people, and his face flushed and his heart pounded under the gaze of so many eyes. After greetings and pleasantries, everyone sat down on the sofa and benches. Xu Hui's cousin offered Ouyang Yiming a cigarette, which he quickly waved away, saying he didn't need it. Xu Hui's cousin then offered cigarettes to Xu Zhenming and his own father.

At this moment, Ouyang Yiming regretted not having thought to buy a pack of cigarettes. The group kept looking at Ouyang Yiming's face as they spoke, and those stares made him sweat.

He answered Xu Hui's uncle's occasional questions while frequently glancing at Xu Hui. Xu Hui noticed Ouyang Yiming's awkwardness and was also somewhat uneasy about his situation.

After a while, Xu Hui's uncle looked at Xu Zhenming and said, "We have to go back after dinner, why don't we eat earlier?" Xu Zhenming said, "That's fine." Xu Hui asked, "Why are you in such a hurry to go back?" The uncle said, "Today is Sunday, that's when we're free. Our company is very busy before the New Year, and everyone has to work tomorrow." He stood up as he spoke. After asking Xu Zhenming which restaurant it was, he said to Yang Ping, "Let's go there first. There's not enough room in the car. I'll go pick up Mom first, then come back to pick you up." Yang Ping said, "No need for you to pick us up, we'll take a taxi."

Xu Zhenming said, "How about I ask the transport company for a car?" Yang Ping said, "Forget it, why bother them?" They all went downstairs.

After Xu Hui's uncle's family left, Yang Zhenming still got a car from the gatehouse. While waiting for the car, Xu Hui quietly asked Ouyang Yiming, "Are you nervous? I didn't expect so many people to come to Uncle's house." Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "It's okay." Xu Hui laughed and whispered, "Judging from how you looked just now, I can tell you were nervous." Ouyang Yiming said, "It's nothing, it's just a look." Xu Hui pouted at him and said, "Just be yourself, they're not going to eat you." Ouyang Yiming thought to himself, how can I be confident in front of so many eyes at this moment?

A van pulled up, and everyone got in. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at a private room in the restaurant. Xu Hui's uncle and aunt hadn't returned from picking up the old lady yet. Xu Zhenming ordered food at the bar after entering the restaurant. Xu Hui's cousin offered cigarettes to Ouyang Yiming again, but Xu Hui quickly said, "Brother, Yiming doesn't smoke and didn't buy any." Her cousin laughed and said, "I didn't say I'd smoke your wedding cigarettes right now." Xu Hui and Ouyang Yiming blushed instantly. Everyone laughed. Her cousin then said to Ouyang Yiming, "Have a smoke. What man doesn't smoke?" Xu Hui blushed and said, "Who's as addicted to all vices as you?" Everyone laughed. Her cousin said to Xu Hui, "You silly girl, what do you mean by 'addicted to all vices'? It's normal for men to smoke and drink. If you don't smoke or drink, you're not a man." Ouyang Yiming blushed again. Yang Ping said to her nephew, "What are you saying, kid? Yiming is still a student. How can he be compared to you people?"

My cousin realized his words were inappropriate, blushed slightly, and stuck out his tongue at Xu Hui, who rolled her eyes at him. He lit a cigarette himself, took a puff, and looked at Ouyang Yiming, saying, "I just visited Pancheng two months ago. It's nice. It's an ancient city, a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "It's alright, the city isn't developing very fast."

My cousin said, "Judging from the current trend, it'll probably see significant development in the next few years." He paused, widened his eyes, and looked at Ouyang Yiming, saying, "Hey, I heard there's a national plan to establish a province there. Is that true?" Ouyang Yiming was surprised and shook his head, saying, "Really? I didn't know..." "I've heard of it," my cousin said. "It's true. I heard that a province was established before liberation, and now I hear they're going to rebuild it." Ouyang Yiming said, "A provincial capital was indeed established during the Japanese occupation in 1944." My cousin said, "Your city is in the northernmost part of Jiangsu, and it's a relatively large city. It makes sense for the country to have this plan. If a provincial capital is really built, your city will be amazing. The changes will be very rapid." Ouyang Yiming was also very excited and said, "That's right, if a provincial capital is really built, there will definitely be large-scale construction."

Just then, Xu Hui's uncle brought in the old lady, and everyone quickly stood up. After the old lady sat down, everyone else sat down as well. Xu Zhenming also came in. After chatting for a while, the waiter brought out the cold dishes, and Xu Zhenming invited everyone to sit down. Ouyang Yiming was seated with Xu Zhenming, Xu Hui's uncle, and cousin. Xu Hui went to her father and whispered in his ear, "Yiming doesn't drink alcohol, so don't let my cousin hire him." Xu Zhenming smiled and nodded.

Over drinks and casual conversation, Xu Hui's uncle's family occasionally asked Ouyang Yiming questions, mainly about his family and school. Ouyang Yiming answered each question.

He didn't initiate any conversation in this setting. Xu Hui's uncle and cousin were both heavy drinkers. Xu Hui's cousin would frequently offer Ouyang Yiming a drink, which Ouyang Yiming couldn't refuse. At the table, besides his sister and Xu Hui and her cousin's children, Ouyang Yiming was the youngest and naturally knew he had to toast the elders.

After drinking for a while, Ouyang Yiming began toasting the old lady, uncle, aunt, Xu Zhenming, and Yang Ping in turn. The driver, who didn't drink, didn't participate. After this round, Ouyang Yiming felt dizzy. He had drunk a few more glasses before dinner, and his face was flushed; he already felt weak. He managed to eat a little, and while everyone talked for a while, Ouyang Yiming couldn't understand what they were saying.

Xu Hui poured a cup of strong tea for Ouyang Yiming. Yang Ping and Xu Hui's uncle left the private room and chatted for a while in the corridor.

Xu Hui's uncle's family politely said goodbye to Ouyang Yiming and Ouyang Mei and went straight back to Shanghai. Xu Zhenming called from the hotel and arranged for a van to pick them up. In the van, Xu Hui sat next to Ouyang Yiming and asked, "Did you drink too much?" Ouyang Yiming whispered, "A little too much. I think I drank more than half a jin today." Xu Hui then said to her mother, "I hate it when my brother always tries to get others to drink. How can anyone compare to his drinking capacity?" Yang Ping smiled and said, "It's the first time we've met, everyone is very happy." Xu Zhenming said, "I drank too much today too." Xu Hui said, "My dad and Yiming can't drink. Look at them now." Ouyang Yiming felt embarrassed and quietly pulled Xu Hui aside.

Xu Hui looked at her mother and didn't say anything more. Yang Ping said to the driver, "Drive directly to the guesthouse, and we'll take my mother home later." The driver agreed.

The car stopped at the guesthouse, and Xu Hui and Ouyang Mei helped Ouyang Yiming out. Xu Hui said to her mother, "Meizi and I will go back in a bit. After you take Grandma home, hurry home so Dad can rest."

Yang Ping agreed. Xu Hui and Ouyang Mei each helped Ouyang Yiming into the guesthouse. Xu Hui poured Ouyang Yiming a glass of water and handed it to him, saying, "There's no tea, a strong tea will help." Ouyang Yiming took a sip, said a few words, and then urged them to go back, saying he was fine. Xu Hui asked, "Are you really alright?" Ouyang Yiming said,

"I'm fine." His mind was clear, but he felt extremely dizzy.

Ouyang Mei said to Xu Hui, "Why don't we go back?" Xu Hui thought to herself that with the two of them there, Ouyang Yiming wouldn't feel comfortable taking off his clothes to sleep, so she and Ouyang Mei sat up from the sofa.

Xu Hui was still worried, so she asked, "Would you like some more tea?" Ouyang Yiming waved his hand and said, "No need." Xu Hui said, "Wash your face and feet before you sleep." Ouyang Yiming agreed.

Ouyang Mei couldn't help but laugh. Xu Hui blushed, feeling a little embarrassed, and nudged Ouyang Mei, saying, "What are you laughing at?" Ouyang Mei smiled without answering, and the two went out.

A little while after returning home, Xu Zhenming and Yang Ping also returned from the old lady's house. Yang Zhenming sat down on the sofa and said, "I drank too much today too." Xu Hui said, "Whenever I drink with my cousin, I'm sure to drink too much. Yiming drank too much too." Yang Ping made a strong cup of tea and handed it to Xu Zhenming. Ouyang Mei washed her face, smiled at them, and went into Xu Hui's room. Yang Ping sat down and said, "After dinner, I talked to your uncle for a while. The situation is similar to before. Your uncle said it's indeed difficult to get two people into that research institute at once, but he said he's still trying to pull some strings with some leaders.

If it really doesn't work out for both of you, I think it's fine for one of you to get into a company first, and then we can try to transfer later."

Xu Hui thought for a moment and said, "If it really doesn't work out, there's nothing we can do. Let's see how it goes. Yiming still has a chance to stay at the university as a teacher, but that's not certain yet. We'll just have to wait and see. Just keep urging your uncle." Yang Ping said, "If Yiming stays at the university, it's not good for you two to be separated." Xu Hui said, "Anyway, let's work on things with my uncle first. I'll discuss it with Yiming later. He really wants to get into a research department. If he gets one, we'll get him in. It would be best if we could both get into the same unit." Yang Ping said, "I told your uncle to spend the money if necessary." Xu Zhenming chimed in, "I've already talked to our brother about this, but some things can't be solved just by spending money." He then looked at Xu Hui and said, "Your uncle will do his best." Xu Hui nodded. For some reason, she felt a heavy weight in her heart.

Xu Zhenming said to Yang Ping, "I'm going to sleep now." He stood up and turned back to Xu Hui, saying, "Yiming's train ticket is for 9:30 tomorrow morning. It's already booked. I'll have someone pick it up as soon as I get to work tomorrow." Xu Hui nodded. Yang Ping asked her husband, "Would you like some strong tea?" Xu Zhenming said no.

Xu Hui seemed to remember something, went into her room, tore off a piece of paper, and said to Ouyang Mei, "I'm worried about your brother, I'll go make him a strong cup of tea." Ouyang Mei smiled and said, "He'll be fine." Xu Hui didn't say anything, turned to leave, and Ouyang Mei said, "I'll go with you." Xu Hui said, "No need, I want to talk to your brother about something."

Xu Hui went out to the table, poured some tea leaves, wrapped them in a piece of paper, turned to her mother who was tidying up the room, and said, "I need to go to Yiming's place for something." Yang Ping said, "Why are you going alone so late?" Xu Hui said, "I need to talk to him about something." Yang Ping said, "Why don't I go with you? You going alone..." Xu Hui felt inexplicably annoyed and said, "I'll be right back, what could it be?" With that, she left.

As soon as Xu Hui entered the courtyard of the guesthouse, she saw that the light in Ouyang Yiming's room was on. She went straight to the second floor and saw that the door was ajar, and thought to herself that he wasn't asleep yet. Walking to the door and pushing it open, she saw Ouyang Yiming lying on the bed, fully clothed and asleep, his clothes and shoes still on. She thought to herself, "It's a good thing I came again, otherwise I wouldn't have caught a cold sleeping like this all night." She inwardly blamed her cousin for letting him drink so much.

Reaching him, she bent down and nudged Ouyang Yiming, calling to him, but he didn't respond. Thinking for a moment, she blushed and pulled at him, saying, "Yiming, get up and take off your clothes before you sleep." Ouyang Yiming mumbled "Mmm" but didn't move. Xu Hui forcefully pulled him up, and Ouyang Yiming, still half asleep, struggled to open his eyes to look at her, then tilted his head and closed his eyes again. Xu Hui scolded, "Look at you, lying here without even taking off your clothes, how can you not catch a cold tomorrow!" Ouyang Yiming opened his eyes slightly, muttering, "N-nothing, nothing..." With his eyes still closed, he reached up to unbutton his clothes. Xu Hui blushed slightly and helped him take off his shirt. Seeing that he was about to lie down again, she said, "Take off your pants too." Ouyang Yiming didn't say anything, but reached out and pulled the blanket over himself. He didn't even take off his shoes.

Xu Hui blushed again and thought it wouldn't be right to help him take off his pants, so she squatted down, took off his shoes, and gently tucked his long legs under the blanket, thinking, "This is fine. It's better than sleeping there naked like that."

Seeing Ouyang Yiming already snoring, she shook her head, took the shirt he had taken off, and sat on the sofa two steps behind him. She draped the shirt over her lap, preparing to fold it and put it aside, when her hand touched a hard object in the inner pocket. Pulling it out, she wondered what it was. She pulled it out and found it was a wallet.

Just as she was about to put it back, she thought, "My wallet contains his photos; could his wallet contain mine?" She opened it and sure enough, there was a photo in one of the wallets, but only a corner was visible, so she couldn't tell which one it was. She pulled it out and stared in disbelief. A photo of Ouyang Yiming and Liu Yan was right in front of her. Her mind went blank, completely dazed. She stared at the photo, her thoughts blank.

After a moment, she came to her senses, her hands trembling as she tightly gripped the photo, examining it closely. She felt a chill run through her body, her mind racing. Who was this woman? Why had she never heard him mention her before? Looking at the woman in military uniform, she seemed familiar. Suddenly, she remembered that this woman was the very elegant nurse she had seen when Ouyang Yiming was hospitalized. At this moment, she felt a chill run down her spine, her scalp tingling and goosebumps rising all over her body. A moment later, an extremely strong fear arose.

"Ouyang Yiming has a relationship with this woman." This question flashed through her mind. "Ouyang Yiming is in love with her!" a voice said in her ear. "This, how is this possible?" she muttered to herself, her lips trembling. Her eyes were fixed on the man and woman in the photo. "It's true, it's true!" At this moment, a strong anger rose in her heart. She stood up abruptly, walked to the bedside, pushed Ouyang Yiming twice, and called out twice. Ouyang Yiming hummed twice but did not wake up.

Love and Desire (108) Chapter 106

Xu Hui stood blankly by the bed, staring at Ouyang Yiming for a while, forcing herself to calm down. She took a few steps back and slumped heavily onto the sofa. She thought to herself, "No way, how could this be? Am I dreaming?" She shook her head, thinking again. Ouyang Yiming had always loved her. Although they had never dated, they both knew they deeply loved each other.

How could he be dating this nurse? She had been to his house twice, and now he was at hers. How could he possibly have a relationship with another woman?

She picked up the photo again and examined it closely. This picture was clearly taken in a photo studio; it looked exactly like a wedding photo. How could she not believe this undeniable fact? Was Ouyang Yiming two-timing her? Did he love this woman instead of her? Then why did Ouyang Yiming come to her house? Why did he invite her to his house? Why did he pass on those gold bracelets to her after her grandmother's death?

If Ouyang Yiming loved her, why would he keep a photo of himself with another woman in his wallet? Only someone you truly care about would carry such a photo in their pocket every day. Didn't she also keep his photo in her wallet? Why was she doing all this?

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she took Ouyang Yiming's wallet, her hands trembling as she flipped through each layer, finally finding the letter Liu Yan had written. Unfolding it, the intense words of love in the letter struck Xu Hui like a thunderbolt, leaving her utterly powerless. Although she understood from the letter's contents that this woman and Ouyang Yiming were no longer together, the woman's words revealed her deep, unwavering love for him. Ouyang Yiming had loved this woman deeply, and he still loved her deeply.

After a moment's thought, her anger flared again. She stood up, went to the bedside, pulled the blanket off Ouyang Yiming, and began hitting his body, calling his name. Ouyang Yiming only hummed in response, without opening his eyes. She shifted her body, turned to one side, and curled up, breathing evenly through her nose.

Xu Hui stood there blankly, staring at Ouyang Yiming. In an instant, the anger in her heart transformed into immense sorrow, and tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. For a moment, her mind went blank again. She stood there blankly for a long time, without any thoughts, only sorrowfully shedding tears.

After a long while, Xu Hui stood there blankly, and slowly her mind cleared again. She thought, Ouyang Yiming is drunk and fast asleep now, and he can't get anything out of her. She took two steps back, intending to sit down, then took two more steps back, bent down, and covered Ouyang Yiming with the blanket. Turning back to sit on the sofa, she picked up the letter again and read it carefully twice. Although the words in the letter were mournful, every sentence was like a steel needle piercing Xu Hui's heart.

"They were once passionately in love. Ouyang Yiming fell in love with her while he was in the hospital," Xu Hui said to herself with certainty.

“They’re over now, they’ve broken off all ties. That woman is married now,” Xu Hui told herself, finding a slight comfort.

“I loved him so much, and he loved another woman! He was thinking about another woman!” Xu Hui muttered angrily to herself. A surge of anger rose within her again.

Suddenly, she recalled Ouyang Yiming’s dejected and listless state a while back, and instantly understood. He hadn’t just been like that because of her grandmother and Professor Cheng’s deaths; he was probably also tormented by his relationship with that woman. Perhaps she had said she wanted to break up with him during that time, which explained his mental state. She thought bitterly, “Serves you right! You brought it on yourself! You deserve it!” She felt a pang of regret for worrying about his condition all that time.

Xu Hui hadn’t considered that Ouyang Yiming’s distress stemmed from his grandmother and Professor Cheng’s deaths, and also from his inability to resolve his relationship with Xu Hui. This was something Xu Hui couldn’t comprehend at that moment.

"Calm down," she told herself. She steadied herself and thought, "Why didn't I sense anything? I felt he loved me very much! How could this be? Does he love both women? Yes, he's two-timing me!" Thinking this, she felt the man lying in bed was utterly despicable. "If I had known this would happen, I would never have gone to his house.

And I would never have let him come to my house. Now both our parents and families have met him."

She picked up the photo again, a surge of intense jealousy churning her heart. She wanted to tear the photo to shreds and smash it against Ouyang Yiming's face, but as she did so, she told herself, "No, I have to get to the bottom of this."

She put the photo down, feeling a surge of anger followed by a wave of irritation, then a wave of overwhelming sorrow washing over her. Tears streamed down her face as she looked through her blurred vision at Ouyang Yiming lying on the bed, her heart aching as she cried out, "Why did you do this to me? I gave you my heart, and you hid it from me and fell in love with another woman! You did this to me! And now you're still thinking about another woman! Why did you do this to me! Why!"

After a moment of heartbroken tears and deep thought, a fleeting thought crossed her mind: "Isn't he no longer involved with this woman? He should be devoted to me now." But in that instant, a surge of resentment washed over her: "He loved me from the beginning, so why did he transfer his love to another woman?"

Resentment lingered in her mind as she pondered, and after a while, she stopped crying. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind: "Is this man still worthy of my love? If he can treat me like this, is it still worth being so sincere with him? If he can deceive me like this, is he still worthy of my trust?"

As she thought this, she remembered that he was now in her home. Her family had all met him, spoke highly of him, and considered him their fiancé. For

a long time, she had praised him highly in front of her family, saying he was incredibly wonderful and loved her very much. Even her uncle's family had come to meet him today, essentially sealing their relationship.

But how could she tell her family all this?

After a moment, she calmed herself and thought, "No matter what, I can't tell my family about this. Telling them would be like contradicting myself."

"What if I get laughed at by my family or everyone who knows? Besides, Ouyang Mei is here now, and she doesn't know anything either. If I tell my parents what I've seen Ouyang Yiming doing, how will they treat these two siblings?" Her heart raced with anxiety. She instantly told herself, "No, this absolutely cannot be allowed to happen while Ouyang Yiming and Ouyang Mei are in my home. So I can't start a fight with Ouyang Yiming now. I must be careful and stay calm. This is my own home; if Ouyang Yiming and his sister can't save face, it will be very embarrassing for me too." After thinking for a moment, she put the photo and the piece of paper back into Ouyang Yiming's wallet. She placed Ouyang Yiming's shirt on another sofa, then leaned against the armrest, lost in thought.

Her mind went blank again after a period of painful contemplation. Just

then, Yang Ping and Ouyang Mei pushed open the door. Xu Hui stared blankly at them, her face expressionless. Yang Ping glanced at Ouyang Yiming lying on the bed, then gently walked to Xu Hui, bent down, and whispered, "Why aren't you home yet? It's past midnight." Xu Hui

looked up at her, a sudden surge of hurt and resentment welling up inside her, like someone who had been wronged and was now seeing family. Tears welled in her eyes, and she looked at her mother, her lips trembling, unable to speak. Ouyang Mei looked at Xu Hui with surprise. Yang Ping felt a pang of anxiety and asked hastily, "What's wrong?" At this moment, Yang Ping's mind was filled with thoughts of whether Ouyang Yiming had taken advantage of Xu Hui while drunk. She glanced at Ouyang Yiming lying on the bed, then turned back to stare intently at Xu Hui's face.

Xu Hui looked at Ouyang Mei, thinking to herself, "I absolutely mustn't tell anyone that I saw photos of Ouyang Yiming with other women. If I did, even if I wasn't anything special, my mother would still drag Ouyang Yiming down and demand an explanation. How could the two siblings possibly stay together then?" But she couldn't control her grievances, and her lips trembled as she said, "He...he...he's drunk."

Yang Ping asked, "So what if he's drunk? Why are you crying?"

Xu Hui resented Ouyang Yiming in her heart, saying, "I'm sorry I came all this way. Just now, just now he was lying there without any covers. I...I...I'm so angry with my cousin!"

Xu Hui complained about her cousin, but in her heart, she hated Ouyang Yiming.

Hearing this, Yang Ping was completely relieved and smiled, saying, "Look at you, what's there to be afraid of if you've had a little too much to drink?" "Your dad gets drunk all the time." Turning to Ouyang Mei beside her, she said, "Look at Xu Hui, is this...is it worth it?" Ouyang Mei smiled, but inwardly she was moved by Xu Hui's feelings for her brother. She leaned closer and said, "Sister, don't worry about him. It's okay if he's had a little too much to drink." Yang Ping said, "That's right, he didn't even drink any alcohol. Look at you." Xu Hui lowered her head, tears welling up. Ouyang Mei said, "Sister, let's go home, he'll be fine." Yang Ping said, "A girl like you sitting in a boy's room so late, people will talk." She pulled Xu Hui and said, "Come on, let's go home."

Xu Hui didn't move, but in her mind, she thought, in the few days Ouyang Yiming has been here, who doesn't know he's her fiancé? If she can't be with Ouyang Yiming because of this, how can she not be talked about? In her heart, she cried out, "Ouyang Yiming, what is it all for? Why did you fall in love with that woman? Why don't you care about me?" "

Feeling sorrow and anger, she looked up at her mother and said, 'Leave me alone, let them say what they want!' Yang Ping became anxious and said, 'Why are you so disobedient? This is our home, what if people gossip about us…'

Xu Hui, feeling irritated, stood up abruptly and said, 'I said I'm not going back, and I'm not going back. You two leave.' Xu Hui's action surprised and astonished Ouyang Mei and Yang Ping, who looked at her with bewilderment. Xu Hui's emotions became even more volatile. She raised her arm and forcefully pushed the two of them towards the door. Yang Ping said, 'You child, you… what's wrong with you?' But she didn't stop walking despite Xu Hui's shoving. After the two of them left, Xu Hui slammed the door shut. Yang Ping shook her head at the closed door, angry but not daring to call out to Xu Hui again, afraid of disturbing others and causing gossip. She stood there for a moment, sighed, and pulled Ouyang Mei, saying, 'Let's go back.'" Ouyang Mei glanced at the door, feeling there was nothing more to say, and followed Yang Ping inside.

Xu Hui closed the door, returned to the sofa, and sat down, glaring angrily at Ouyang Yiming on the bed. She thought, "When you wake up, I'll still make you ask me what's going on. I won't argue or fight; I just want you to explain!"

As her emotions gradually calmed, she thought again, "I always thought Ouyang Yiming only had eyes for me. How stupid of me!" She began to wonder when Ouyang Yiming was meeting that woman. Considering his claim that every time he went to Fan Xurui's place, it was highly likely he was there to see her. Did he see her every week? How could she have never had a single doubt about him?

Suddenly, she remembered the woman's words on the paper, about letting them meet one more time. Had this woman already left? And then she remembered the note about leaving Ouyang Yiming some money, telling him not to send it back. She was certain the woman was no longer at the hospital, but elsewhere. If she loved Ouyang Yiming as much as she claimed in her letter, why did she get a marriage certificate with someone else? What was there to hide? All of this was a question that deeply confused Xu Hui.

But there was no need to dwell on these details now. The key was that Ouyang Yiming had indeed been in a relationship with this woman and had deceived her. This pain was like a wound bleeding through Xu Hui's heart.

"Ouyang Yiming has told this woman about himself, clearly more than once. Otherwise, she wouldn't have written my name on this piece of paper, nor would she have asked Ouyang Yiming to love me. So, Ouyang Yiming has also told this woman about my feelings for him. But why didn't Ouyang Yiming tell me about him and that woman? Is he guilty? Or does he feel sorry for me? Does he love me too, or is he afraid I might do something?" She didn't want to think about it anymore .

She figured everything would be clear once Ouyang Yiming woke up and told her.

But then she suddenly wondered, was it even worth asking Ouyang Yiming about these things now? Regardless of the details of what happened between them, their relationship was a fact, and now he and that woman had broken up, and that woman had already married someone else. The key was that she knew Ouyang Yiming had deceived her.

Now that she knew about him and that woman, could she still forgive him? Could she accept him even when he transferred his love to her? This was a very serious question. She loved him more than her parents. Could she abandon all the love she had for him after knowing he had wronged her?

How could she possibly give up the love she had given him over the years?

Should she silently accept the deception Ouyang Yiming had committed? Should she just forgive him like that? Did he truly love her before?

After thinking for a while, she realized he did love her; in every way, he had feelings for her. But relatively... He loved that woman more. That's an undeniable fact. Now that woman has married another man, it seems Ouyang Yiming truly loves me; otherwise, he would never have come to my house. Can't I forgive him?

But now that I know about him and that woman, I can never erase it from my heart. Ouyang Yiming cares about that woman, even though she's married to someone else. Otherwise, he wouldn't keep her photo in his pocket.

If I hadn't seen it today, and Ouyang Yiming still loves me, could I give up my love for him? Why did I have to see this secret hidden in Ouyang Yiming's heart? If I hadn't seen it, wouldn't I be free of this trouble?

I'm completely innocent towards him; I've never had a single fantasy about any other man. My heart is pure in love. But Ouyang Yiming has deceived my pure heart.

Thinking of this, she felt another wave of sadness, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Was I staying in this room waiting for Ouyang Yiming to wake up and ask him this question? Was it even appropriate to ask now? He came to my house; if I asked him this, he'd likely be unable to face me. Now that I knew about Ouyang Yiming and that woman, I should think carefully. If I confronted him about it now, Ouyang Yiming would definitely feel awkward. If I lost my temper and argued with him, or if my voice was loud enough for others to hear, how would I explain it to my parents?

This was my own home! If things escalated now, I wouldn't just have to face my parents, but also my elderly grandmother, my uncle's family who had come all the way from Shanghai, and my father's colleagues, relatives, and neighbors. How would I explain then?

If I kept this to myself for now, everything would remain calm. Of course, this issue needed to be clarified, so why not be patient for now?

Thinking this, I considered going home, glancing at my watch—it was nearly two in the morning. Then I remembered my outburst towards my mother; what would I say if I went back now? Turning to look at the sleeping Ouyang Yiming, a surge of resentment welled up inside her. "I brought you tea because I was worried you'd drink too much and feel unwell," she thought, "but I've only made myself miserable by coming here."

Turning back to the sofa armrest, she stared blankly into thought. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about it.

Around three o'clock, Ouyang Yiming woke up needing to urinate. He was now fully conscious. Sitting up, he saw Xu Hui slumped on the sofa armrest, seemingly asleep. He couldn't remember Xu Hui helping him take off his shirt. A thought struck him: "Why is she here? Is she worried about me and came to keep me company?" A surge of emotion welled up inside him, and he quickly got out of bed, walking to Xu Hui and asking, "What are you doing here?"

Xu Hui wasn't asleep; she was just feeling unwell and didn't answer with her eyes closed. Ouyang Yiming, unable to hold it any longer, quickly went to the bathroom. When he returned, he went to Xu Hui and nudged her, calling out, "Xu Hui, wake up, wake up! I'll take you home."

Xu Hui looked up and opened her eyes to look at him, a surge of anger rising within her. She glared at him for a moment, thinking, "I must stay calm, otherwise we might have a heated argument in the middle of the night." She lowered her head and said, "Where can I go now? It's almost dawn."

Ouyang Yiming didn't understand why Xu Hui was looking at him like that, but he couldn't ask now. The key was to get her home; otherwise, if people found out that two people, a man and a woman, were alone in this room, wouldn't they gossip? So he said, "Didn't you go home? Why are you back here? Come on, I'll take you home."

Xu Hui tried to calm herself down and said, "I wanted to bring you some tea so you could have a strong cup, but I was worried because you were sleeping without any covers, so I sat on this sofa. Now I can't go back, how can I call for your family in the middle of the night?" Ouyang Yiming said, "But what if people find out you're here? What if they say something?" Hearing this, Xu Hui felt a surge of anger again, glaring at him and saying, "A clear conscience fears no accusation. I haven't done anything wrong, what am I afraid of?" Her real meaning was to sarcastically suggest that Ouyang Yiming had done something wrong.

Ouyang Yiming didn't expect Xu Hui to be interested in his photo with Liu Yan, and without thinking much of it, he said, "It's not good to do this." Xu Hui glared at him and said, "Don't say anything more, I'm not going back.

You go to sleep, I'll just sit here." Ouyang Yiming looked at her awkwardly and said, "Look at you..." Xu Hui ignored him.

Ouyang Yiming said, "Listen to me, okay?" Xu Hui felt disgusted and said impatiently, "Leave me alone. Aren't you annoyed?" Ouyang Yiming noticed that her expression and tone were off today. He paused, surprised, and asked, "What's wrong with you?" Xu Hui said, "What's wrong? I'm fine." Ouyang Yiming said, "Then why are you like this..." Xu Hui said, "I feel annoyed. Can you stop talking? Go to sleep." Ouyang Yiming looked at her suspiciously. The two remained silent for a while.

Ouyang Yiming looked at her for a moment and said, "How about this, you go sleep in bed, and I'll sit on the sofa." Xu Hui coldly said, "Wouldn't that be unfair to you?" Ouyang Yiming looked at her and shook his head, saying, "I really don't know what's wrong with you today."

For a moment, Xu Hui almost couldn't control herself and wanted to question him, but she swallowed the words back and said, "Go to sleep, I'm fine." Ouyang Yiming said, "I've slept for so long too, you go to sleep." Xu Hui didn't move, and Ouyang Yiming reached out and pulled her up, saying, "Go, how can I feel at ease if you sit like this? What if you catch a cold?"

As he spoke, he pushed her towards the bed. Xu Hui couldn't help but blush. After lying on the bed, she didn't move. Ouyang Yiming reached out and pulled the blanket over Xu Hui, saying, "Sleep." He turned around and sat on the sofa. Xu Hui reached out and pulled the blanket over her face, crying silently.

Love and Desire (109) Chapter 107

Xu Hui lay on her side on the bed with her head covered, feeling sad and lost. After thinking for a while, she suddenly thought of Ouyang Yiming sitting alone on the sofa. A feeling of care welled up in her heart. She wondered if he was cold or had caught a cold since he had just come out of bed and was sitting there. But she didn't know what to do. She couldn't just ask him to come to bed and cover himself with the blanket. If she got up and asked him to sleep on the bed, he would definitely not want to.

She couldn't help but turn her head to look at Ouyang Yiming, who was curled up on the sofa. He seemed to be fast asleep, and the clothes covering him were hanging down. Without realizing it, she lifted the blanket, got off the bed, tiptoed to Ouyang Yiming, gently covered him with the blanket, and then turned around and lay down on the bed. She thought to herself, "He can treat me like that? Why do I still care about him like this in my heart? What do I owe him?" But this care for him was completely from the bottom of her heart and happened unconsciously.

Suddenly, she remembered what her mother had said earlier. Her mother's worries were right. A man and a woman spending the whole night together in a room, even with the lights on, couldn't help but be suspected of doing something. Especially her mother, who loved her so deeply.

Of course, Xu Hui didn't think about what Ouyang Yiming might do to her. In her mind, she had never imagined that Ouyang Yiming would do anything with her before marriage. Even though she now knew that Ouyang Yiming was having an affair with Liu Yan, she still didn't think that he had done *that* with Liu Yan. She firmly believed that Ouyang Yiming wouldn't do anything so unserious with anyone before marriage.

But Ouyang Yiming had thought about it. He thought about what he had done with Liu Yan in bed, and naturally, he thought about Xu Hui sleeping in bed now. Although he had those thoughts and those impulses, he would never do it with Xu Hui. For some reason, Ouyang Yiming always didn't want to associate sex with Xu Hui. So, just now, Ouyang Yiming lay on the sofa armrest and soon fell asleep.

Xu Hui still couldn't sleep, her mind still preoccupied with Ouyang Yiming and Liu Yan's affair. Despite her sadness and anger, she decided to pretend she knew nothing for now. Confronting Ouyang Yiming at home would embarrass him and his siblings, as well as her own family, and things might get out of control. She needed to think things through carefully; she should resolve her own problems and not burden her parents. There was no need to make a scene. After all, Ouyang Yiming was no longer involved with that woman. Even though he still thought about her, she was married and posed no threat to her. However, the fact that the person she loved had someone else in his heart still pained her.

She'd deal with it after the New Year and the start of the new semester. If she confronted him now, and her family and Ouyang Mei found out, the entire New Year would be ruined for both them. She'd deal with it after school started; she would definitely get to the bottom of this with Ouyang Yiming.

Before six o'clock, Yang Ping arrived at the guesthouse again. She stood at the door, listened for a moment, and then gently knocked. Xu Hui got out of bed and opened the door. Yang Ping glanced at the bed, then saw Ouyang Yiming, fully dressed, fast asleep on the sofa, and only then did she feel relieved. Since returning home, Yang Ping hadn't slept soundly, constantly worrying about what Ouyang Yiming and Xu Hui might be doing alone in that room. She couldn't bear to go back after seeing Xu Hui's behavior earlier, and she was even more afraid of gossip. As dawn approached, seeing her husband beside her, she couldn't resist getting out of bed, afraid he would blame her and Xu Hui when he woke up.

Yang Ping looked at Xu Hui, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, with a reproachful gaze and whispered, "You're such a disobedient child. How can Ouyang get any rest with you here?" Xu Hui didn't say anything.

Yang Ping turned to look at Ouyang Yiming and whispered to Xu Hui, "How did you get onto the bed?" Xu Hui blushed. She didn't want to explain, but she still said, "He woke up in the middle of the night and was afraid I'd be cold, so he let me sleep on the bed." Yang Ping asked, "He's been sleeping on this sofa the whole time?" Xu Hui nodded. Yang Ping scolded, "You child, aren't you making Ouyang suffer?" Xu Hui said, "He won't die." Yang Ping raised her hand and slapped her, saying, "You're the one who loves him, and you're the one saying that. Alright, hurry home and let Ouyang get some sleep in bed. Your father will be up soon too. He'll be angry if he finds out you spent the night in Ouyang's room." Xu Hui thought for a moment and nodded.

Yang Ping said, "Wake Ouyang up." Xu Hui said, "I won't." She got up and walked towards the door. Yang Ping looked at her but didn't say anything. Yang Ping walked up to Ouyang Yiming and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Ouyang, get up and go to bed." Ouyang Yiming opened his eyes and saw it was Yang Ping. He hurriedly got up and called out, "Auntie," his face flushed. Yang Ping said, "Xu Hui and I are going home. You go to bed." Ouyang Yiming agreed and saw Yang Ping and Xu Hui out the door.

On the way, Yang Ping said, "You're such a stubborn child. You spent the whole night with a boy. What if he finds out and you don't say anything? Your father will blame you if he finds out." Xu Hui understood what her mother meant and didn't say anything. After walking a few steps, Yang Ping asked softly, "Did you two...?" Xu Hui suddenly blushed and scolded Yang Ping, "Mom, don't think of me as so casual. Let me tell you, I will never let him touch me until we're married. Ouyang isn't that kind of person." Although Xu Hui's words were harsh, Yang Ping was still pleased to hear them. She thought that both of her children would be very rational. She also thought to herself, what mother wouldn't worry about this kind of thing with her daughter!

When Xu Zhenming got home, he was still in bed. Xu Hui, though she hadn't slept all night, wasn't sleepy either. After washing up in the bathroom, she made herself a cup of milk powder and sat on the sofa to drink it, her mind filled with thoughts of Ouyang Yiming and Liu Yan. Her heart was heavy. But she'd thought about everything she needed to think about all night; now she was just brooding inside.

A while later, Yang Ping finished washing up and said to Xu Hui, "Let's go to the market together to buy breakfast." Xu Hui coldly replied, "I'm not going." Yang Ping looked at her, thought for a moment, and asked, "You haven't been acting quite right since last night. Is something wrong?" Xu Hui said, "No." Yang Ping said, "Are you still angry with your cousin?" Xu Hui said, "No." Yang Ping shook her head and then asked, "Are you upset because I told you last night that your uncle hasn't settled things between you two yet?"

Xu Hui didn't answer. Yang Ping realized Xu Hui was upset about this, so she sat down and said, "Why are you so insensible? Do you think your uncle would have any other ideas about you? If he could, he would definitely do his best. He's still trying, isn't he? We all want you and Yiming to work in the same unit, but some things aren't easy to achieve. I know you're anxious, and I'm anxious too.

There are still a few months left, let's wait and see." Xu Hui said impatiently, "Alright, alright, stop talking."

Yang Ping looked at her angrily and said, "I told your uncle last night that we should spend money if necessary. Your father is right, some things can't be solved with money." Xu Hui said,

"If it can't be done, then don't do it." Xu Hui was actually angry with Ouyang Yiming when she said this.

Yang Ping, unaware of the situation, thought Xu Hui was blaming her uncle and herself, and became somewhat angry. She stood up and said, "I'm even more anxious than you are. Can we control this? You can't even keep your temper in check. I'll call your uncle again in a couple of days to urge him. Don't you know how much your uncle loves you?" She pointed at Xu Hui's head and scolded, "Sometimes you're just so stubborn."

Xu Hui didn't say anything. Yang Ping went into the kitchen, grabbed a thermos, and went out.

Ouyang Yiming got up around 7 a.m., washed up, and went to Xu Hui's house. Xu Zhenming had already gone to work. When Xu Hui saw Ouyang Yiming enter with a beaming smile, a surge of anger rose within her, but she looked at him, thought for a moment, and then held back. Yang Ping went to the kitchen and brought out the breakfast she had left for Ouyang Yiming. Ouyang Yiming sat at the table and ate, his mind filled with thoughts of Xu Hui spending the night with him. He blushed with embarrassment, as if he had done something inappropriate, and avoided eye contact with Yang Ping. He wondered what Yang Ping would think of what Xu Hui and he had done last night.

Yang Ping said, "Your uncle asked me to tell you this morning that he's very busy and won't be able to see you off. He'll send a car later, and I'll be going to the theater troupe too. I'm also quite busy at work these days, preparing for the Spring Festival performance, so I won't be going to the station. Xu Hui will see you off." Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "You go ahead with your aunt, no need to see her off. I'll go to my uncle's office later to tell him." Yang Ping said, "No need, he has a meeting this morning." Ouyang Yiming then thought of Xu Hui's grandmother and said, "Then we should go see her later."

Yang Ping said, "Your grandmother said she'd come to see you off yesterday, she should be here soon."

Around 8 o'clock, Xu Hui's grandmother indeed arrived at the house. Ouyang Yiming and Ouyang Mei quickly helped her up. Xu Hui sat on the sofa without moving. Seeing her grandmother and thinking about Ouyang Yiming, she suddenly felt a pang of sadness, her eyes reddened, and she turned away. The old lady sat down on the sofa and looked at Ouyang Yiming, asking, "Your grandma is asking why you can't stay a few more days?" Ouyang Yiming replied, "The New Year is coming soon, and we have to go back. Grandma, please take care of yourself. I'll come to see you when I have the chance." Yang Ping then relayed Ouyang Yiming's words to the old lady in their local dialect.

Suddenly, Ouyang Mei noticed Xu Hui turn her head and lower her head, seemingly shedding tears. She tugged at Yang Ping and gestured towards Xu Hui with her lips. Yang Ping looked at her, smiled, and whispered to Ouyang Mei, "Your sister is reluctant to see you leave." Ouyang Mei went over, sat down next to Xu Hui, put her arm around her shoulder, and whispered in her ear, "Sister, look at you, you cried when you came back from my house, and you're crying when we go back.

Are you that reluctant to leave my brother?" Xu Hui wiped away her tears and said, "I am reluctant to leave you." Ouyang Mei smiled and said, "Don't I know?" Xu Hui looked at Ouyang Mei solemnly and said, "I'm telling the truth, I really am reluctant to leave you." As she spoke, her eyes reddened. Ouyang Mei also felt Xu Hui's sincerity and was moved, her eyes also reddening.

After a while, the driver came up and said the car had stopped downstairs. He handed the tickets to Yang Ping and went downstairs to wait. Yang Ping and Xu Hui packed up some local specialties they had brought to Ouyang Yiming's family the day before, carrying several large bags. Ouyang Mei said, "I didn't know Auntie bought so many things. We didn't buy anything when we came." Yang Ping replied, "These are all local specialties. Your uncle and I bought some a couple of days ago. Please convey our greetings to your grandfather and parents when you get back." Ouyang Yiming and Ouyang Mei agreed.

On the way, Yang Ping remembered Xu Hui's unhappiness about their work, so she asked Ouyang Mei to move to another seat and sat next to Ouyang Yiming, whispering, "Yiming, you drank a bit too much yesterday and didn't tell you about your uncle's talk about your and Xu Hui's work arrangements. Xu Hui is still a little unhappy. Let me tell you about it. The current situation is that your uncle has already pulled some strings and it's basically secured you a position at the Chemical Engineering Research Institute. As for some very good state-owned enterprises, that's no problem. Xu Hui's idea is that you can both get into the institute, but it's a bit difficult to get things done. It's not hopeless yet; your uncle is asking some leaders in the municipal party committee, so it depends on the outcome. But it's really hard to say right now, since this institute belongs to the Ministry of Chemical Industry, and some things aren't easy to get done. What I mean is, when you go home you should..." Talk to your parents. The school is planning to let you stay on as a faculty member, right? You need to seriously consider this and get their opinions. Both the research institute and staying on as a faculty member are ideal jobs, but there's one problem: if you stay on as a faculty member, you and Xu Hui will be separated, which isn't ideal. But if you really like it, we can't force you. You need to think this through carefully. Of course, Xu Hui said she'd let you go to the research institute if she could get one; she said she'd go to a company. I think giving up staying on as a faculty member wouldn't be a good idea. Xu Hui hasn't been happy since last night because of this. I'll urge your uncle again; it would be best if both of you could get into the research institute. But this isn't something we can control. Go back and tell your parents about this too.”

Ouyang Yiming nodded and said, "I'll talk to them when we get back. Don't put your uncle in too much of a bind. If things really don't work out, I think I'll let Xu Hui go to the research institute first. I'm not sure about staying at the university right now. If I can stay, we can find a way to transfer later. Fortunately, it's not that far." Yang Ping said, "That's what I think too. Anyway, that's the situation now. You and your family should also seriously consider this." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

Yang Ping got off the bus halfway and reminded Ouyang Yiming and Ouyang Mei to send their regards to his family when they got home.

When they arrived at the station, it was almost time to board. Ouyang Yiming said to Xu Hui, "Don't go inside the station later. The driver is waiting for you there. Don't keep him waiting." Xu Hui glanced at him but ignored him. Turning to Ouyang Mei, Xu Hui said, "Say hello to Grandpa and your parents when you get home. Dongdong couldn't come here to play this time, he might be upset. Talk to him when you get home, there'll be plenty of time later." Ouyang Mei nodded and said, "It's okay, my brother and I are going the same way, I'll talk to him when we get back." Xu Hui said, "Dongdong is still a child. Just tell him not to blame his sister Hui, or you can come with him next summer vacation." Ouyang Mei said, "You and my brother will be working next summer vacation." Xu Hui said, "What's there to be afraid of? You can come and have fun, you've already been once, why are you still unfamiliar?"

Ouyang Yiming said, "Let's talk about it later. His anger will only last for a while. It'll pass." Xu Hui glanced at him and said, "Do you think everyone will be like you? Some things can make people sad for a lifetime." Ouyang Mei chuckled and said, "Sister, look at you, it's not that serious."

Xu Hui's eyes reddened slightly. Looking down, Xu Hui reached into her pocket and pulled out fifty yuan, holding it out to Ouyang Mei. "I need to buy some paper money for Grandma," she said. "I can't go and burn it for her myself, so just tell her I'll come back to see her when I have the chance." Ouyang Mei felt a pang of sadness. Ouyang Yiming said, "We'll just buy some for Grandma, why do you need to pay?" Xu Hui looked at him irritably and said, "It's none of your business." Turning to Ouyang Mei, she said, "Take it." Ouyang Mei glanced at the embarrassed Ouyang Yiming and didn't reach out to take it. Xu Hui said to Ouyang Mei,

"Why are you looking at him? I'm your sister, even without him. Take it, I should pay for burning paper money for Grandma." Ouyang Mei took it. Xu Hui couldn't control her emotions and hugged Ouyang Mei tightly, tears streaming down her face.

Xu Hui thought to herself, "I've already considered everyone in the Ouyang family as my own. My bond with Ouyang Mei seems even stronger. Whether I can forgive Ouyang Yiming or not, Ouyang Mei and I will always be good sisters. I'll always treat her like my own sister."

Ouyang Mei, unaware that Xu Hui was heartbroken over Ouyang Yiming's situation, assumed it was due to separation from her and her brother or missing her grandmother. Ouyang Mei felt a pang of sadness and tears welled up in her eyes.

After a moment, she said, "Sister, look at you, we'll see each other again soon. I don't want to leave you either." Xu Hui remained silent. Ouyang Yiming leaned closer and whispered, "Look at you two, there are so many people here, don't let them laugh at you." Xu Hui released Ouyang Mei and wiped away her tears.

Ouyang Yiming said to Xu Hui, "Your mother just told me, the job thing is being processed, isn't it? It's not as easy as we imagine. After all, the research institute isn't under local management, it's directly under the Ministry of Chemical Industry, there will definitely be difficulties. There are still a few months left, we'll talk about it then." Xu Hui looked up at him and said, "Alright, alright, we'll talk about it after we get to school."

At that moment, ticket checking began. Xu Hui said to Ouyang Mei, "I'm not going into the station. I'll go home and say hello to the elders and Dongdong." Ouyang Mei agreed.

Xu Hui glanced at Ouyang Yiming, then turned back to Ouyang Mei, her eyes red, and said, "Then I'm leaving." Ouyang Mei said, "Go back quickly. Don't worry about work."

Xu Hui said, "I know." She grabbed Ouyang Mei's hand and pulled her away. After they parted, Xu Hui left with tears in her eyes, without turning back to look at Ouyang Yiming.

After the train started moving, the carriage gradually quieted down. Ouyang Yiming was thinking about Xu Hui. He looked up at Ouyang Mei and frowned, saying, "I always feel like Xu Hui is acting strange." Ouyang Mei smiled and said, "It's because she can't bear to part with you." Ouyang Yiming's face was expressionless. He shook his head and lowered his head, thinking. Ouyang Mei asked, "What did Hui's mother say to you about your jobs?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Right now, only one of us can get into the research institute. Xu Hui's idea is that if we can't get both in a while, I'll go to another unit, but I think Xu Hui's mother still wants Xu Hui to go.

I know that. Even if Xu Hui is willing to do it that way, I can't do it that way. I think if we can only get one in, Xu Hui will go. If I can stay at the university, I will. But then we can't be together."

Ouyang Mei said, "Hui must be worried about this. Staying at the university and getting into the research institute are both good, it's just that they're far apart. It would be great if we could both get into the research institute and both stay at the university." Ouyang Yiming said, "It's not like that at all. To be honest, I don't want to go into a company, I want to do research. If I go into a company, I'll just be in a lab or something, I don't want to do that."

His mind was still on the research project Professor Cheng had given him, and he wanted to be able to do this experiment after graduation. Going into a company was impossible, maybe never. Ouyang Mei said, "I think if things don't go well and you two get into the research institute, you should stay at the university and transfer later." Ouyang Yiming said, "That's what I think too. Xu Hui also wants to get into the research institute; we're both thinking the same thing. Do you think I'd let her give up her hopes to get into another unit for me? Besides, it was her family who arranged this." Ouyang Mei said, "Exactly. Go home and talk to your parents again.

Anyway, it doesn't matter which of you is in Shanghai; I have relatives there." Ouyang Yiming nodded.

After thinking for a while, he said, "But I always feel that Xu Hui isn't just worried about this; it seems like she has something on her mind." Ouyang Mei said, "Isn't that how Sister Hui is? Weren't you sad when you came back from our house the last two times? This time, she's even more upset because of her job and our departure." Ouyang Yiming thought there was some truth to this, so he nodded. Ouyang Mei thought for a moment, then suddenly blushed and leaned closer to Ouyang Yiming, asking, "Brother, you didn't bully Sister Hui, did you?" Ouyang Yiming's face also turned red, and he rolled his eyes at her, saying, "Just kidding, how could I bully her?" Ouyang Mei had just remembered that Xu Hui had spent the entire night in Ouyang Yiming's room last night, and Xu Hui's mood had indeed been a bit unusual today. She had assumed her brother had bullied Xu Hui, and for a moment she was too embarrassed to ask, but then she remembered he was her own brother, so she asked anyway. Now she thought, her brother would never do that.

Ouyang Mei pondered for a while, her heart pounding and her face flushing from the question she had just asked her brother. Suddenly, she remembered what her cousin Xu Hui had mentioned yesterday about their hometown becoming a province, so she asked Ouyang Yiming, "Brother, is it true that our hometown is becoming a province?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I've heard about this before. The Japanese puppet regime established a provincial capital there a few years ago, but we haven't heard anything about it since. I thought about it yesterday when Xu Hui's cousin mentioned it. Our area is at the junction of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan, and Anhui provinces, and it has been the central city of the region since ancient times, with a rich historical background. It has held a very important geographical position since the Han Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, a scholar from Nantong named Zhang Jian was the first to propose establishing a province there. Now there's talk of it, but I don't know if it's just a rumor or if the country really intends to do so. This is a matter that the country needs to consider from a national perspective. It's not a simple matter. But it's hard to say." Ouyang Mei said, "If it really is becoming a province there, then our area will change a lot." Ouyang Yiming said, "Yes, I really hope it's true.

" Chapter 108.

On the night Ouyang Yiming returned home, he talked to his parents about Xu Hui's uncle's job application and also about Professor Cheng's dying words to him regarding staying at the university. He mentioned that Xu Hui was very upset about this, and he himself was conflicted. Mao Yuqin also said that since the family had arranged the job, of course Xu Hui should be the first to get it. Even if Xu Hui gave it to you, we wouldn't feel comfortable doing so. Although you and Xu Hui will get married in the future, and Xu Hui is sincere, the family will definitely still hope that Xu Hui goes to that university before you two get married.

Ouyang Yiming said, "Xu Hui's mother said that Xu Hui's uncle is also trying his best to help, so there's still hope. My staying at the university is only something Professor Cheng and the school leaders suggested; it's uncertain whether I'll actually be able to stay. If I can't get into the research institute in Shanghai by graduation, or if things change, I'll have to go to Shanghai with Xu Hui and just take any job. But I'm really unwilling to do that. The experiment Professor Cheng assigned me might never be completed in my lifetime."

Mao Yuqin looked at Ouyang Anping, then turned to Ouyang Yiming and said, "There's something we were just thinking of telling you. Have you heard the rumors that we're going to build a provincial capital?" Ouyang Yiming perked up and said, "I heard Xu Hui's cousin mention it at her house. Is it true?" Mao Yuqin said, "Many people are saying that now, but we don't know if it's true or not. I met one of my former students a few days ago; he's now in the Municipal Economic Commission." "Deputy Director of the Office. I asked him about it, but he didn't say anything, probably because it's not a good idea. But everyone's talking about it, and where there's smoke, there's fire, so I figured there would definitely be some talk about it." Ouyang Yiming said, "If it really could become a province, that would be a really good thing."

Mao Yuqin said, "Definitely, at least the city's development would be very fast. I wanted to tell you something else, something your father and I have discussed. My student, Hailin, was taught by both your father and me when we were in our twenties, and now he's almost forty. I met him at the Education Commission a while ago and we talked. We talked about your graduation this year. He told me that last year our city established a high-tech research institute, under the Municipal Science and Technology Commission. The current Vice Mayor Tang, who is in charge of science and technology, is also the director of the institute. The city attaches great importance to this unit, and now is the time to recruit talent. They especially value university students like you."

"After joining this unit, your personnel and organizational affiliation will still belong to the Municipal Science and Technology Commission, and you will be considered an administrative cadre. The benefits in all aspects are also very good. The key is that this unit values talent very much. As long as you have a project, and they believe it has great potential after evaluation, they will support it at all costs, fully meeting all experimental expenses, including funding. The unit's purpose is to transform these research results into productivity, which means transferring and selling these research results, that is, transferring technology and collecting transfer fees. This is not a new thing; there must be a return for every effort."

"The most important point is the very generous treatment of scientific and technological personnel. The policy researched and formulated by the municipal party committee is that as long as you have development capabilities, you can serve as a project leader; as long as you make outstanding contributions, you can receive substantial rewards and the highest level of treatment. Your father and I are thinking that in this unit, you can work on projects freely. This is something that even recent graduates in some national-level research institutes cannot obtain. It would take several years before you could conduct independent research. But in this unit, it is possible; as long as you have the ability, you will be given important responsibilities. I thought about what you said about doing that experiment, and I briefly told Hailin about it without specifying what the project was. Meilin was very interested and said he would take you to meet Vice Mayor Tang when you come back. Your father and I feel good about it." "I wonder if you're interested?"

Ouyang Yiming asked excitedly, "Of course I'm interested! Even if I stayed at the university, I couldn't possibly do this experiment so soon." Mao Yuqin said, "You still need to consider this carefully. My main concern is that you'll have a place to use your skills immediately after you graduate. Besides, all your connections are with the Municipal Science and Technology Commission, so I think you have plenty of options. Your father and I think we should have Hailin take you to meet Vice Mayor Tang, who is also the director of the research institute, to see what he says and whether Hailin's side is wrong. Of course, no matter who we meet now, we can't agree to anything, and you shouldn't mention your project with the professor. You still have a semester before graduation, and several months to consider this matter carefully."

“Furthermore, if we're both satisfied, it wouldn't be a problem for you and Xu Hui to come over. Of course, that depends on Xu Hui's consent,” Ouyang Yiming said. “This unit is indeed very attractive.”

Mao Yuqin said, “My idea is to learn more about it. If you're interested, you can go and make contact. Anyway, it's not like you're sure you want to go to this unit. How about I call Hailin tomorrow

and have him take you to meet with Vice Mayor Tang to get a detailed understanding of the situation?” Ouyang Yiming said, “Okay, let's go and take a look first.” Ouyang Anping, who hadn't spoken until now, said, “Your mother and I also mean to get a detailed understanding of the situation. This is a question that needs to be asked very carefully.” "As for Xu Hui's uncle, if it's possible to get him into the research institute, that unit is obviously more prestigious, since it's directly under the Ministry of Chemical Industry. But I don't think it'll be easy. It's already quite difficult for Xu Hui's uncle to get one in, let alone another. If he can get one, I still think Xu Hui should go, but of course, it depends on what you two want." Mao Yuqin added, "Living apart in the future isn't ideal either; that's a very practical issue. You still need to communicate more with Xu Hui."

At this moment, Ouyang Yiming inexplicably thought of Bai Xue, and his heart sank. If he and Xu Hui married and lived apart, could they both tolerate their physical needs? He believed Xu Hui wouldn't be like Bai Xue. But living apart was always a source of anxiety.

Ouyang Anping said, "Right now, we can't decide on a job anywhere; it's just talk. It's never a bad thing to have more options. Let's look into it first, so we have more choices later."

Mao Yuqin said, "That's what your father and I think too. Having more options means we'll have more choices later. If this area becomes a province in the future, this company will have a very promising future." Ouyang Yiming was still very excited and said, "Then you should contact Hailin tomorrow, and I'll go take a look." Mao Yuqin said, "I'll go with you; I'll help you decide." Ouyang Yiming agreed.

The next morning, Mao Yuqin spoke with Hailin on the phone. Hailin said he would call Mayor Tang immediately and asked her to call back in ten minutes. When Mao Yuqin called back, Hailin excitedly told her that Vice Mayor Tang would meet with Ouyang Yiming in his office at 3 PM that afternoon, and that he had spoken with Mao Yuqin a few days ago about Ouyang Yiming.

Ouyang Yiming and Mao Yuqin arrived at the municipal government compound that afternoon and first went to Hailin's office. Hailin warmly invited Mao Yuqin and Ouyang Yiming to sit down, then looked Ouyang Yiming up and down, nodding and smiling broadly, saying, "You look like an intellectual." Ouyang Yiming smiled shyly.

Hailin looked at Ouyang Yiming and asked, "Did Professor Mao tell you about the research institute?" Ouyang Yiming said, "Yes." Hailin said, "The research institute is still in its initial stage, with a small number of people, only thirty or forty right now, and less than ten researchers." Ouyang Yiming exclaimed in surprise, "Only thirty or forty people? Then this research institute..." Hailin said, "That's why it's in its initial stage. But the municipal government attaches great importance to it."

Ouyang Yiming couldn't believe that a research institute with only thirty or forty people and less than ten researchers, despite the municipal government's attention, lacked talent. What kind of research work could such a research institute do? He felt disheartened. Hailin said, "I didn't tell Professor Mao about this a few days ago. Actually, I haven't had much contact with this research institute. But it's frequently mentioned in municipal government meetings. Are you a little disappointed?" Ouyang Yiming smiled and said, "No."

Ouyang Yiming thought to himself, "If I had known there were only a few people here, I wouldn't have even bothered to come." Hailin laughed and said, "You might not think much of it. But the municipal leaders are determined to make this research institute successful. How about this, you talk to Mayor Tang first. Whether you come here or not isn't certain yet. I met Professor Mao a few days ago and, after hearing about your situation, I spoke to Mayor Tang. He's very interested in you, haha, to put it bluntly, he's very interested in the experimental project you have. Let's meet Mayor Tang first." Ouyang Yiming and Mao Yuqin nodded.

Hailin checked his watch, picked up the phone, dialed Vice Mayor Tang's office, said a few words, hung up, and turned to Mao Yuqin and Ouyang Yiming, saying, "Let's go now. Mayor Tang is waiting for you in his office." Mao Yuqin and Ouyang Yiming stood up. As Hailin walked, he said, "Don't be nervous when you meet Mayor Tang. He's a very easy-going leader." Ouyang Yiming thought to himself, "I'm not nervous at all. I've never even considered this research institute. Why should I be nervous when I meet the mayor?"

After going downstairs, Hailin went up to the third floor of another building. He gently knocked twice on the door, and a voice came from inside: "Come in." Hailin pushed open the door, bowed respectfully, and said, "Mayor Tang," before stepping inside. Mao Yuqin and Ouyang Yiming followed.

Vice Mayor Tang was in his forties. He was about 1.75 meters tall, with a long, clean-cut face, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his high-bridged nose. He was of medium build and looked very energetic. Upon seeing Ouyang Yiming and his mother enter, Mayor Tang hurriedly put down his pen, greeted them with a broad smile, and first shook hands with Mao Yuqin, saying, "You must be Hailin's teacher." Hailin quickly stepped forward and said,

"This is my teacher, Teacher Mao." Mao Yuqin, somewhat timidly, said to Mayor Tang, "I was a Chinese language teacher at No. 1 Middle School, and I taught Hailin a long time ago." Mayor Tang smiled and said, "A teacher for a day is a teacher for life."

Mayor Tang released Mao Yuqin's hand, turned to look at Ouyang Yiming, and said, "This must be that high-achieving student from that prestigious university." As he spoke, he extended both hands to shake Ouyang Yiming's hands. Ouyang Yiming, neither humble nor arrogant, smiled and said, "My name is Ouyang Yiming." Mayor Tang smiled and looked at him intently for a moment, saying, "A scholarly air about you. Not bad!" Ouyang Yiming smiled but did not speak.

Vice Mayor Tang released Ouyang Yiming's hand, gestured to the sofa, and said, "Please sit down. I'll make tea for you two distinguished guests." Hailin quickly replied, "Mayor Tang, please sit down, I'll make it."

Vice Mayor Tang turned and sat down at the table. Looking at Ouyang Yiming, he said, "Talented! Our Panzhou City urgently needs talents like you for its development. Hailin has introduced our research institute to you, hasn't he?" Ouyang Yiming said, "I know a little about it."

At this moment, Hailin placed the teacups in front of Vice Mayor Tang, then turned around and placed two more cups of tea on the coffee table in front of Mao Yuqin and Ouyang Yiming. Turning back to Vice Mayor Tang, he said, "Mayor Tang, please chat. I have something to attend to." Vice Mayor Tang nodded. Hailin then said to Mao Yuqin and Ouyang Yiming, "Professor Mao, please sit down. I have some other matters to attend to." Mao Yuqin and Ouyang Yiming stood up, but Hailin quickly waved for them to sit down.

After Hailin left, Vice Mayor Tang said, "Our research institute is a newly established key scientific research department of the municipal government. It was just set up last year, and I concurrently serve as the director of the institute. The current vice director in charge of the specific work is a college graduate from Tsinghua University in the 1950s with a major in mechanical engineering. He was the former deputy director of the Municipal Science and Technology Commission. He suggested and established this unit. He is a very decisive and capable cadre. Our country's current policy is to revitalize the country through science and technology. This policy is very correct. Only with the development of science and technology can the country prosper."

"Our current strategy is to develop this research institute into a comprehensive entity integrating science, industry, and trade. Our municipal party committee and government attach great importance to it and have considerable confidence in its development. Of course, as the current director of this research institute, I am even more confident in it. The municipal government has given this research institute the green light from the very beginning. It has provided full support in terms of funding, facilities, and other aspects. Of course, it is still in its initial stage, and what it urgently needs now is a talented university student like you. I heard that you already have a research project at university, which I am very interested in.

I hope—no, I look forward to—that you will come to our research institute after you graduate. Hailin said that you are already a student party member, which suggests that you are an excellent student in both character and academics. The day before yesterday, I heard..." After Hailin introduced your situation, he spoke with Vice President Wang. "We'd like to invite you to visit our research institute first,"

Mao Yuqin said. "With the support of the municipal party committee and government, I think it will definitely have a bright future." Vice Mayor Tang said, "It will certainly be a great success. Our plan is to make our research institute a nationally renowned institution in the scientific community within ten years." Mao Yuqin smiled and said, "With you, the mayor, leading the way, it's certain." Vice Mayor Tang said, "I'm just a leader; the specific operations still rely on these talented people."

Mao Yuqin looked at Vice Mayor Tang, appearing somewhat embarrassed, and said, "Mayor Tang, I'd like to ask a specific question. Of course, I'm just asking casually." Vice Mayor Tang smiled and said:

“Please go ahead,” Mao Yuqin said. “I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to say this.” Vice Mayor Tang smiled and said, “It’s alright, please speak freely.” Mao Yuqin said, “I wanted to ask about the treatment of these college graduates after they were assigned here.”

Vice Mayor Tang laughed twice and said, “What’s inappropriate about that? It’s common sense. I understand your question. This is also a question that should be considered. Our municipal party committee and government have also considered this issue. You mean, the unit has just been established, and you’re unsure what will happen in the future, right? Are you worried that if the unit doesn’t work out, where will you go? Is that right?”

Mao Yuqin smiled and said, “Exactly, we parents are always very worried about our children.”

Vice Mayor Tang said, “I completely understand, I’m a parent too. Let’s not talk about the development of the research institute for now.” "Speaking specifically of talent, our current policy is that all university graduates entering the institute and some researchers transferred from other units will be affiliated with the Municipal Science and Technology Commission, making them government employees with the same cadre benefits as other government staff.

This completely eliminates these talents' concerns about future prospects and allows them to come to this unit with peace of mind. Specifically, we also offer relatively generous benefits to researchers."

He continued, counting on one hand, "First, anyone entering the research institute who has a research project that we confirm has great potential will be immediately appointed as the project leader to conduct development and testing. Second, as long as you make outstanding contributions, you will receive substantial rewards and enjoy the highest level of benefits. These two points are formally documented."

"We have also formulated a series of new policies for the reform of the science and technology system. First, we do not have 'iron chairs' or 'lifetime appointments.' As long as you have the ability, we will give you important positions.

Now that we are in the initial stage, in order to dispel the concerns of some talents, we have a special policy: if you feel that the research institute has no development or prospects after you are transferred here, we can transfer you to other departments at any time. This has also been approved by the Standing Committee. Haha, I'm just afraid that by then no one will be willing to transfer out. Of course, you will consider these things now, after all, it is a newly established unit, and it is understandable that you have concerns. We want to dispel these concerns for these talents, so that they have no worries and can do scientific research without any worries. If there is really no development, we will not be able to retain them." "We, the municipal government, cannot afford to waste the talent that the country has painstakingly cultivated. Don't you agree?"

Mao Yuqin said, "Your leaders are truly thoughtful." Vice Mayor Tang said, "These decisions were made after several meetings. Furthermore, there's a policy regarding these talents: we guarantee that the research institute's scientific and technological personnel will receive the same treatment as municipal government staff. What I mean is, they will enjoy cadre-level benefits, with equal salaries and welfare. Regarding salaries, I want to emphasize that all staff at the research institute will not receive salaries from the treasury, but we must guarantee their basic salary. After generating revenue, it will be significantly higher than their salaries from the treasury. If no revenue is generated, the municipal government will subsidize their salaries. This is also a special policy of ours." "

We also have a series of bold plans. For example, after the research institute develops, we will reward meritorious scientific and technological personnel with a certain percentage of bonuses, even houses, or later villas, cars, etc. Of course, these haven't been officially documented yet; they can only be implemented after the research institute has achieved a certain level of development and economic foundation. This will also serve as an incentive for researchers. The municipal government will only support and will never interfere with the research institute's personnel management rights, nor will it interfere with the distribution of benefits within certain limits. Everything is for the purpose of transforming scientific and technological achievements into economic benefits and revitalizing Panzhou City."

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