The “Little Shramanera” had been on a business trip for two weeks, yet he had only called home three times. This month, his company was promoting a campaign to popularize children’s sutra recitation; since it coincided with the summer vacation, they were running a pilot program in City B.
Usually, when he went on business trips, he would call almost every day, especially at night. But this time, he seemed exceptionally busy. Each phone call consisted of only a few rushed words, and there were often the voices of women speaking in the background. Wu Aizhen felt somewhat bewildered. Yet, the more this happened, the less she allowed herself to assume the worst. Instead, deep down, she began fabricating all sorts of excuses for him, rationalizing why he was simply too busy to call.
I heard that Zheng Meiqin is personally leading the charge this time, staying in City B. During the day, they hold sutra recitation and training for children, and in the evening, they conduct lectures for adults on sutra recitation and the promotion of traditional culture. Thinking about it, they must be overwhelmed with work. Besides, when the top leader takes the field herself, how could the subordinates dare to be slack? They must all be exerting every ounce of their strength. Before he left, I heard from the ‘Little Shramanera’ that Mi Lang seemed to have had a falling out with President Zheng; the exact reason remains unclear, but Mi Lang spoke of resigning. Consequently, Zheng Meiqin had no choice but to step in personally, and it seems she has shifted the entire burden originally carried by Mi Lang onto Ren Qingfei’s shoulders. If Mi Lang truly resigns, it’s possible that the Vice President position will go to Ren Qingfei, and he seems to place great importance on this. He once mentioned that Mi Lang’s annual salary is more than double his own. For that alone, Ren Qingfei is likely to put on a stellar performance this time and work himself to the bone for the company. Given that, it is only logical that he would be too busy to call.
A month passed, but Ren Qingfei did not return. He only said over the phone that he was staying in City B and needed more time. Occasionally, when Wu Aizhen called him at night, his phone was often powered off, and she began to feel increasingly uneasy. She thought of going to City B to see him, but she dismissed the idea, fearing she might discover something—fearing that her suspicions would be confirmed.
One day after work, she found an envelope in her mailbox. The words “To Dr. Wu” were printed on it in block letters, and inside was a disc. From the look of it, this was not something left behind by the usual people who distribute flyers. Wu Aizhen was filled with doubt.
Back in her room, her heart thumping with trepidation, she inserted the disc into the player. She saw the images—she saw exactly what the disc intended to convey: a man and a woman in bed. Although the footage was somewhat blurred, she recognized the man as Ren Qingfei at a single glance. “Boom!” It was as if she had been struck by lightning. Blood surged to her head and then gradually ran cold. She stared blankly at the television screen; as the shots continued, her body and mind went numb. The woman’s face was consistently half-hidden by her long hair, and for much of the time, the camera captured only her back. Yet, Wu Aizhen clearly saw a colored butterfly on one of the woman’s toenails; even without that butterfly, she could have guessed her identity. Even if she were having an affair with Ren Qingfei, there would be no reason for her to record a disc and mail it herself. Wu Aizhen suddenly calmed down, deducing the sequence of events. Initially, she assumed Zheng Meiqin must be behind this, intending to sever her relationship with Ren Qingfei or hoping she would leave him in a fit of rage after seeing the disc. But Ren Qingfei must have been kept in the dark. If Zheng Meiqin truly understood Ren Qingfei, she wouldn’t have resorted to such a clumsy tactic. Based on her own knowledge of him, if Ren Qingfei knew that his bedroom tryst with Zheng Meiqin had been surreptitiously filmed and sent to his girlfriend, he would surely leave in a fury. Not only would Zheng fail to keep him, but she would also be handing Wu Aizhen leverage against her. Although her face wasn’t perfectly clear in the shots, those familiar with her would likely recognize her with ease. “Mi Lang.” The name suddenly flashed through Wu Aizhen’s mind. It was him; it must have been his doing. Suddenly, she began to have doubts about the authenticity of the disc. She played it repeatedly but could see no signs of editing or post-production; furthermore, the audio was clear and distinct—the voice was unmistakably Ren Qingfei’s. It couldn’t be a fake. Regardless of who had done it, Ren Qingfei had indeed betrayed their feelings. Wu Aizhen wanted to cry, but her inner self felt parched and dry; she could shed no tears. she took out her phone and dialed that all-too-familiar number, but the other party’s phone was still unreachable.
Wu Aizhen felt her heart sink into the profound depths. As she gazed at the scene looping repeatedly on the disc, the illusory vision that had haunted her mind countless times was finally confirmed. What she had not expected was that upon actually confronting all this, she would still be burdened by such profound anguish and helplessness. She removed the disc and destroyed it. Her love disintegrated along with the shattered fragments of that disc, piece by piece.
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