Love's Labyrinth

Repaying evil with kindness

Betsy drove at a speed of 100 miles per hour for 20 minutes to bring me here, which means I am now at least 30 kilometers away from my place. I feel like dying. Why is it that these absurd things have all happened to me recently?

Picking up my slippers from the ground, I straightened my clothes a bit. Looking up, fortunately, the North Star was still twinkling, and I found the brightest star, Jade Balance, confirming the directions. I walked towards the distant blurry lights as if embarking on a lonely escape.

After about half an hour, I finally saw a road with traffic. Upon closer inspection, I wanted to strangle that malicious woman. Before me was the intersection of the Huning Expressway between Suzhou and Wuxi.

...

After tossing around until almost dawn, I was finally brought to the city center by a kind passerby. I took a taxi back to my place, and since I didn't have my wallet, I didn't even pay the fare. I threw the half-finished pack of cigarettes to the taxi driver and ran.

Entering the neighborhood, my anger began to burn. I wanted to talk to Betsy, not about life, not about ideals, just about why she treated me like this.

Back in the room, I placed the guitar on the table in the living room and went to Betsy's door. I pounded on it violently, letting out my frustrations: "Is playing with my fun? Do you know I have to go to work tomorrow..." I looked out the window, realizing that the sky was already brightening. I corrected myself, "No, today. You messed with me all night. What condition do you think I'll be in to go to work? If the boss is unhappy later and fires me, are you going to support me?"

I rambled on, but there was no response from inside.

"If you want me to curse more harshly, just continue pretending not to hear," I said and knocked on the door again.

Still no response from inside.

"Could it be that she hasn't come back?" In confusion, I twisted the doorknob and found that it was locked.

Since Betsy saw me as scum, breaking into her room would not add much to my list of crimes. I found the key to her room among a bunch of keys and opened the door. Regardless of whether she was asleep or not, I had to talk to her.

I turned on the light and finally saw Betsy lying sideways on the bed, covered with a blanket, facing away from me, still silent.

"You sleep so soundly. Have you ever thought about what I've been through? The wind blew my nose all the way here... Achoo!" I sneezed, rubbed my nose, and continued angrily, "Let me tell you, in the 20-plus years of my life, I've never seen someone do things like you. Too cunning, too unkind!"

As I scolded her endlessly, she lay there like a mountain, unmoving!

Just as I was about to pull her up and confront her face-to-face, she suddenly had a severe coughing fit...

According to common sense, if my sneezing earlier was a cold, her intense coughing was a fever. She must have caught a chill last night.

...

I was dumbfounded for a moment, then scolded her, "Heaven has finally opened its eyes! You're getting your retribution!"

Betsy had another cough, but she didn't respond to my words. Either she didn't want to deal with me, or the pain from the fever made her too weak to argue.

"Get out," Betsy said coldly after a while.

"Don't need your reminder. I like to watch people die without help. Let yourself cough to death! Serves you right, retribution!" I angrily walked out of Betsy's room.

...

After taking a hot shower and without having breakfast, I caught the company's bus to start another day of work. I was so tired that one yawn followed another. Eventually, I propped up my chin with one hand in a highly technical sleeping posture. If you didn't come close, you wouldn't realize I was asleep.

Morton Cowper, busy with the approaching wedding, didn't arrive at the company until almost 10 o'clock. He woke me up with a pat on the shoulder and asked, "Did you go to a nightclub again last night?"

Thinking of the events of last night made me irritated, but there was no need to vent my anger on Morton Cowper. I yawned and replied, "Didn't sleep well, tossed and turned all night!"

Morton Cowper misunderstood me and said, "You gotta take care of your kidneys. Although you're still young, you can't resist such unrestrained messing around with women!"

"We're cultured people. Can you be a bit more subtle in your words?"

Morton Cowper smiled helplessly and then asked, "Did you finish the proposal for the GUCCI counter we discussed yesterday?"

"Finished it. I saved it in the D drive for you."

Morton Cowper nodded and handed me a note, saying, "Adrian Sterling, I'll help you get a day off with the manager later. You accompany Bella to the mall to buy the things on this list."

"Is it your wedding or mine? Why should I accompany Bella to the shop?" I asked with a bit of amusement.

Morton Cowper sighed, "There's no choice. So many things to buy, and Bella can't carry them alone. I have to go to Shanghai with the Commercial Department later to negotiate the setting up of the GUCCI counter in our mall. I can't let my private affairs affect the commercial plan that the company has been preparing for months, right?"

"Alright." I agreed and y

awned again. I had walked a long way in the middle of the night, and I hadn't slept all night. Could I not be tired?

Morton Cowper patted my shoulder and said, "Take it easy. I'll treat you to dinner when we come back tonight."

I waved to Morton Cowper, "Go take care of your business. I'll take a short nap!"

"Don't nap. Bella is waiting for you downstairs in the company!" Morton Cowper paused and then whispered in my ear, "By the way, Jenny replied to my email. There's an 80% chance she'll fly back from the United States on the day of my wedding!"

I stared at Morton Cowper, and suddenly, as if shuttling between ice and fire, after three years, is she finally coming back?