The Quagmire of Desire: From Gambling Addict and Village Flower to Movie Queen

At 6:30 a.m., the light in the ward was still dim.

Liu Meiling turned over, took out her phone from under her pillow, and saw that the screen was full of messages Lin Dong had sent her last night.

"Are you asleep?"

Goodnight, Meiling.

Liu Meiling swiped twice, didn't reply, and directly opened Zhang Ming's phone.

The phone rang for a long time, so long that Liu Meiling thought no one would answer, before it was finally picked up.

"Feed." Zhang Ming's voice was very low, as if it was squeezed out from his throat.

Liu Meiling asked, "Where are you?"

"Home," Zhang Ming said, his tone too calm, so calm that it didn't seem like he had experienced what happened the night before.

Liu Meiling was silent for two seconds, then said, "I came to see you."

Zhang Ming was silent for a moment, then said "Okay".

After hanging up the phone, Liu Meiling put on her clothes, casually ruffled her hair a couple of times in front of the mirror in the ward, and then went out.

Half an hour later, she stood at Zhang Ming's door.

The door opened, and Zhang Ming appeared, wearing a white polo shirt. His hair was a bit messy, but his beard was clean-shaven. There were still a few faint red marks on his face, like scratches.

"Come in." Zhang Ming smiled and stepped aside to let her in.

Liu Meiling entered the house and glanced around the living room.

It was unnaturally clean; the ashtray on the coffee table was sparkling clean, the sofa cushions were neatly patted, and there wasn't a single hair on the floor.

There was a piece of paper on the coffee table with the words "Divorce Agreement" written on it in large characters.

Liu Meiling didn't say anything and sat down on the sofa.

Zhang Ming also sat down, poured himself a glass of water, and poured another glass for Liu Meiling.

"I've thought it through." Zhang Ming looked at the divorce agreement on the coffee table. "I'll go and complete the formalities today."

Liu Meiling picked up the paper and looked at it. It was all standard clauses, and the property division section had the words "no agreement reached" written on it.

Zhang Ming said, "That bitch changed her mind again this morning."

Liu Meiling looked up at him.

"She knelt before me, tears streaming down her face, saying that the man had lied to her, that he married her to trick her into sleeping with him, and now he'd met a prettier woman and dumped her." Zhang Ming laughed, a bitter laugh. "What happened last night was all a lie."

Liu Meiling didn't say anything and put the divorce agreement back on the coffee table.

"Her mother is still in the hospital, and we haven't even raised enough money for her medical bills. She's begging me not to get a divorce." Zhang Ming picked up his water glass and took a sip. "Do you think I'll forgive her? Just thinking about what happened last night makes me sick."

Liu Meiling didn't reply, she just looked at him.

Zhang Ming continued, "I told her I had to get a divorce, and that bitch changed her attitude."

His expression twisted for a moment, and he said, "She said, 'You can't get a divorce if I don't agree.'"

Liu Meiling was stunned for a moment.

"Then I hit her," Zhang Ming said calmly. "She hit me too."

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing several scratches on his arms, and lifted the hem of his polo shirt, revealing bruises on his stomach.

"We fought until dawn, then she slammed the door and ran away. I don't know where she went." Zhang Ming put down his clothes. "Anyway, I'm not going to care about her mother anymore. We have to get a divorce."

Liu Meiling sat on the sofa, looking at Zhang Ming.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, her voice a little embarrassed: "I recorded it last night."

Zhang Ming was taken aback and looked up at her.

"I hid outside that unfinished building and recorded it with my phone," Liu Meiling said. "I recorded the whole thing between your wife and that man."

Zhang Ming's expression was complex, a mixture of embarrassment and relief.

"Can I take a look?" he asked.

Liu Meiling took out her phone, opened the photo album, and handed it to him.

Zhang Ming took the phone, stared at the screen for about ten seconds, his face growing paler and paler. Finally, he handed the phone back to her and said, "Thank you for recording these for me."

Liu Meiling asked, "Is it enough?"

Zhang Ming nodded: "That's enough."

He then said, "Delete it."

Liu Meiling looked at him.

Zhang Ming said, "Keeping evidence is fine, but it can't be that kind of video. It's not good for a man like me; it's too embarrassing."

Liu Meiling thought about it and deleted the video.

She took a cigarette out of her pocket and asked, "Mind?"

Zhang Ming shook his head.

She lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "If that kind of video gets out, I won't be able to hold my head up high. But if you want a divorce, you can think of other evidence."

Zhang Ming looked at her, his eyes filled with questions.

"Your wife must be out having affairs with other men all the time." Liu Meiling exhaled a puff of smoke. "Have someone follow her and take pictures of her a few more times, the kind of pictures that can be used as evidence."

Zhang Ming was silent for a while before saying, "Meiling, thank you."

Liu Meiling flicked her cigarette ash, stood up, and asked, "Are we practicing for the driving test (Part Two) this morning?"

Zhang Ming did not answer.

He looked up at Liu Meiling, his voice soft: "Meiling, am I really that worthless?"

Liu Meiling sat back on the sofa and looked at him.

"Why does she go out and sleep with other men instead of sleeping with me at home?" Zhang Ming's eyes were a little red. "I'm so good to her, I do everything she wants, I give her whatever she asks for, I even paid 200,000 yuan for her mother's hospitalization, and she won't even let me touch her."

Liu Meiling paused for a moment, then said, "Maybe it's the excitement."

Zhang Ming was stunned: "What kind of excitement?"

"She enjoys your kindness, but there's a strange thrill in sleeping with other men," Liu Meiling said. "The better you treat her, the less interesting it becomes for her. She only feels excited when she's secretly sleeping with other men."

Zhang Ming remained silent, staring blankly at the coffee table.

After a long while, he looked up at Liu Meiling and asked, "Meiling, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you like that too?"

Liu Meiling laughed and said, "I don't have a husband."

Of course she was lying. She still has a husband working away from home. She and Xiaoyan escaped at the border last time, and they haven't divorced yet.

Zhang Ming suddenly asked, "Meiling, would you be willing to help me?"

Liu Meiling looked at him: "Help you with what?"

"I think..." Zhang Ming opened his mouth, but didn't say it.

Looking at him, Liu Meiling suddenly laughed and said, "Your wife really doesn't know how to cherish a good man like you."

As she spoke, she reached out and unbuttoned her shirt.

Her white breasts were exposed, large and round, shimmering under the light.

Zhang Ming stood there, stunned, his eyes fixed on the spot.

Liu Meiling stood up, her pants slipped down, her buttocks jiggled, and her whole body was as white as jade.

"Since she wronged me, I won't care anymore." Zhang Ming's voice was hoarse as he lunged forward.

Liu Meiling was pinned down on the sofa by him. She thought to herself that although he couldn't compare to Lin Dong, Zhang Ming was young and had his own unique charm.

Zhang Ming went berserk, biting and nibbling at her body, muttering that the bitch had wronged him, and he should wrong her too.

Having seen it all, Liu Meiling wrapped her arms around his neck and moved in rhythm with him.

Only their panting and the creaking of the sofa remained in the living room.

Just as the two were letting loose, they suddenly heard the sound of a lock being opened outside the door.

Click.

The sound of the lock cylinder turning was very clear.

Liu Meiling's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't stop.

Zhang Ming heard it too, paused for a moment, but didn't stop.

Both of them knew who had returned.