No. 57 Love Still Weeps
The grand ballroom of the hotel buzzed with activity. I sat perched on a nondescript stool in a corner, surrounded by a sea of familiar and unfamiliar faces, mostly women.
My family was quite large, and due to the deeply ingrained preference for sons, I hadn’t had much opportunity to interact with my extended family in this life. However, I could still recognize some of them from my memories as Yi Yao from the future.
My paternal grandfather had passed away when my father was young. My grandmother remarried after giving birth to him, and that’s how my uncle came into the picture. My father’s original name was Qin Baochao, but it was changed to Yi Baochao after my grandmother’s remarriage. I, naturally, became a part of the Yi family. Being a girl, I was generally excluded from important family events—except for my uncle’s extravagant gatherings.
If there was one relative we were closest to, it was my uncle, Yi Guozhi. He was my grandfather’s son from his second marriage. Both my father and uncle had excelled academically, but due to financial constraints, the family could only afford to send one of them to university. My father, aware of his position in the family, stepped aside. He went into business after high school, working alongside my grandfather to support my uncle’s education.
My uncle, to his credit, had made a success of himself. He started his own business after graduating and quickly became a prominent figure in Upper Capital City. He maintained a cordial relationship with my father and often provided us with financial assistance. If not for my memories of the future, I would never have suspected the darkness that lurked beneath his affable facade.
My uncle owned three apartments in the city. This was his fourth. The housewarming party, originally scheduled for two weeks ago, had been postponed due to the recent unrest in Upper Capital City.
For me, it was like watching a repeat of a play I had seen countless times before.
I knew exactly which relatives would leave early, who would discuss business with whom, and which waiter would inevitably bring the wrong dish.
Same setting, same characters, different me. This time, I wasn’t the naive, oblivious girl they thought I was.
“Alright, everyone, let’s eat! We can talk while we enjoy the food.”
The table was laden with dishes, a testament to my uncle’s wealth and generosity.
“Don’t be shy, everyone! Order whatever you like.”
My uncle, radiating success and confidence, approached our table, a glass of wine in hand. He raised his glass to my father. “Cheers, brother! Congratulations on your daughter’s improved grades! My good-for-nothing son refused to come tonight. He said he didn’t want to embarrass himself.”
“Ah, it’s all thanks to your help, brother! If not for Qiansheng tutoring her, she wouldn’t have achieved such good results.”
“Don’t mention it! Qiansheng might have slipped up this time, but he promised me he’d be first in his class next month, haha!”
“With his talent, it’s only a matter of time! First place at Yucai Middle School is much more impressive than third place at our school.”
“Indeed, indeed. How are you feeling, sister-in-law? Are you doing better?”
My mother, her frail body propped up by a recent blood transfusion and a cocktail of medications, managed a weak nod. “Much better, thank you.”
“Good, good. You need to recover soon. My brother has been working tirelessly all these years. You can’t let him down now.”
On the surface, it was just harmless banter between family and friends.
But beneath the pleasantries, I sensed a hidden tension, a subtle power play between my uncle and father.
I couldn’t decipher the exact meaning of their words, but the atmosphere was suffocating.
Family gatherings were supposed to be relaxed and informal, but I felt none of the warmth and affection one would expect from blood ties. They were more interested in comparing their children’s academic achievements, their salaries, their material possessions.
Those with successful children held their heads high, while those struggling to make ends meet smiled politely and nodded along.
Eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere, I focused on my food.
“Honey, look at that woman over there. Isn’t she beautiful?”
My mother’s words snapped me out of my thoughts.
She had said the same thing in my other life, back when I was still a boy. How had I responded back then?
I followed her gaze.
And my blood ran cold.
It was her.
The woman who would become my stepmother a year from now, after my mother’s death.
What was she doing at my uncle’s housewarming party?
She sat at a table with my uncle and father, laughing and chatting animatedly. Accompanying her was a young man, her son, whose face was etched in my memory.
“Her husband gambled away their entire fortune. They’re divorced now. Yi Yao, promise me you’ll never befriend a gambler when you grow up, okay?”
Oblivious to my shock, my mother continued as if reciting a script. She placed a chicken wing in my bowl. “Here, eat up.”
She… She knew all along?
My mind reeled.
She had said the same thing in my other life. And I, oblivious and preoccupied with my own teenage problems, hadn’t thought much of it. So when my father introduced her as his new girlfriend a year later, I hadn’t even recognized her.
A month after my mother’s death, my father had casually mentioned finding a potential partner online. A month after that, they were married.
So it had all been a lie? A carefully orchestrated charade? Had they been together all along, right under our noses? Was this the secret my mother had been struggling to tell me?
Had she said, “I wish you were a girl,” because she knew a son wouldn’t possess the intuition to see through my father’s deception?
“Mom…” I had to break the silence. “Do you prefer boys or girls?”
She paused, her chopsticks hovering in midair.
“I just want you to be happy, Yi Yao.”
She met my gaze, her eyes filled with a deep, unspoken sadness.
This wasn’t in my memories.
“But if I had to choose…” she continued, her voice barely a whisper. “I wish you were a boy.”
“Why?”
“Because… because it’s easier for a son to hold on to his father’s heart.”
…
The banquet dragged on, each passing moment an excruciating reminder of the impending betrayal. As soon as it was socially acceptable, I excused myself and made my way to the meeting place I had arranged with Pai Ge that morning.
The rooftop of the International Trade Building, a dizzying eighteen stories above the city.
“Sorry I’m late.”
Pai Ge and Xiaodie stood at the edge of the rooftop, silhouetted against the crimson twilight. They were alone.
“Well, well, well. Look who decided to grace us with their presence. You seem a little down, Yi Yao.”
Pai Ge turned to face me. He was wearing his usual black suit and fedora, but tonight, he had added a flamboyant touch—a black and red butterfly mask. He removed it with a flourish, a sly grin spreading across his face. “I heard about you and the little lady. Congratulations are in order, I suppose.”
“You heard about… what exactly?”
I joined them, my heart sinking as I took in Xiaodie’s appearance.
She was dressed in a black and green jumpsuit, a white towel draped around her neck, a sniper rifle slung across her back, dwarfing her small frame. Her long hair was pinned up, giving her a boyish look.
Earlier that day, her father’s verdict had been announced. It had been a televised event, broadcast nationwide.
The Intermediate People’s Court of Upper Capital City had found Huang Zhiqiang and Hu Yonglong guilty of accepting bribes exceeding 100 million yuan. They were also charged with embezzlement and insider trading. Both men were sentenced to death.
Huang Zhiqiang had chosen not to appeal. His execution date was set for March 23rd.
It was the first time a high-ranking official in Upper Capital City had been sentenced to death for corruption.
Whatever turmoil I was experiencing paled in comparison to the emotional storm raging within Xiaodie.
Everyone had their own burdens to bear, their own stories of heartbreak and loss. The beggar on the street might have endured more suffering than the wealthiest CEO.
“That incident at her apartment complex. You handled it well, Yi Yao.”
Pai Ge nodded approvingly, handing me his butterfly mask. “Anyway, the reason I called you here is because we found the people who killed Huang Qinghao and attacked those government officials. They’re part of a group called Shadow.”
My heart skipped a beat. For a moment, I thought he was talking about Xiaodie’s confession.
“What do they want?” I feigned ignorance.
“They’re businessmen of a sort. The kind whose dealings don’t exactly hold up in a court of law. Word on the street is that one of their warehouses was raided by the police recently. They’re out for blood.”
Xiaodie, who had been silent until now, let out a soft chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” Pai Ge raised an eyebrow. “You two are acting stranger than usual. Like a couple of lovebirds.”
“It’s nothing,” I mumbled, snatching his fedora and plopping it on my head. I studied Xiaodie’s outfit. “Shion Asada?”
Her face lit up. “You know Sword Art Online?”
“Who doesn’t?”
I might have been a study machine in middle school, but I had made up for lost time in college, consuming every anime that had come out since 2009.
“It’s easier to carry my rifle in this outfit. Pai Ge said I could practice my sniping skills here tonight.”
She blushed. “Hey, Yi Yao, maybe we could cosplay together at the next comic convention? You could be Sinon!”
I smiled, a flicker of warmth spreading through my chest. Maybe, just maybe, amidst the darkness and despair, there was still room for a little bit of light.
Leave a Reply