A whirlwind marriage with a high-ranking official: Lights out, don't force me to take the initi

Lu Weidong asked the question that had been on his mind.

"Do you really want to go to university?"

"right."

Ye Wenxi nodded, then seemed to remember something, a hint of tension flashing in her eyes.

She suddenly realized how "outrageous" it was for a married woman to say she wanted to leave her family to go to university in this day and age.

Let alone this era.

Even in her time, she might not have received the support of all her husbands.

Will Lu Weidong agree?

"I think you might want to know more about me."

Lu Weidong looked at her, agreeing with her idea, and gestured for her to continue.

"I think differently from many women of this era."

"I pursue self-actualization. I crave success, and I hope to achieve something in my field."

"For me, marriage is not the end. I need to continue to grow, and I need social identity and self-worth."

"I may not be able to devote myself entirely to the kitchen and family like those traditional wives."

"Perhaps this seems a bit selfish."

"But losing these opportunities to learn and try would be more painful for me than anything else."

After saying this, Ye Wenxi lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the edge of the draft paper, not daring to look at Lu Weidong's expression.

Suddenly, a warm, broad hand patted her shoulder twice.

Lu Weidong's voice rang out above her head, steady and powerful.

"Don't worry, I'll support you. Go ahead and take the exam if you want to."

"Live your own life, and no one has the right to stop you."

Ye Wenxi's tense shoulders relaxed instantly, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer and turned to walk towards the door.

Get some rest.

These words and the soft sound of the door closing rang out almost simultaneously, isolating the room from the world inside and outside.

That night, Ye Wenxi slept soundly, as if an invisible stone had been lifted from her shoulders.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the night, where the darkness was so thick it seemed impossible to sleep, Lu Weidong lay on his bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

........

The night was deep, and the streetlights cast several dim yellow halos in the darkness.

Under the halo of light, several young people were either leaning or standing.

The shadow was stretched long and thin, cast crookedly on the cold cement ground.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of smoke and the stench of stale alcohol.

Several men and women were talking loudly amidst the swirling smoke, occasionally interspersed with a few indistinct curses.

Xu Miao leaned back on the curb, clutching a green beer bottle in his hand.

He was tilting his head back and chugging it down.

Wine spilled from the corner of her mouth, flowing down her neck and into her collar, but she didn't care at all.

That way of drinking wasn't like quenching thirst; it was more like trying to drown yourself.

The people around couldn't stand it anymore.

A girl with a ponytail reached out to snatch the bottle from her hand.

"Xu Miao, stop drinking! How much have you already drunk!"

"Yeah, you almost never drink, what's gotten into you today?"

Another boy wearing glasses also chimed in with words of advice, his tone filled with confusion and worry.

Xu Miao shook off the outstretched hand with astonishing strength.

She ignored everyone, grabbed a new bottle, bit off the cap with her teeth, and tilted her head back to continue drinking.

She slammed the empty bottle down on the ground with a thud when it was completely empty.

She chuckled softly, her voice hoarse like a broken bellows, carrying a heavy sense of self-mockery.

"Ha... I've been acting like a fool all these years."

There was a moment of silence around him. Xu Miao stared blankly at the flickering light and shadow on the ground.

"Even if I'm a fool, I'd be willing. As long as there's still a sliver of hope."

Her voice grew softer and softer, until it almost turned into a sob, which she then forcibly suppressed.

"But... he's getting married."

The dinner table fell silent instantly.

The boys and girls looked at each other, their eyes exchanging a mixture of shock and understanding.

They were all Xu Miao's classmates and friends, and even after graduation, they often hung out together.

Some people took over the job and got good jobs, while others really became "unemployed youths" wandering the streets.

Xu Miao was always the most eye-catching one in this group.

She comes from a good family, is outstanding in appearance, has a respectable job, and shines wherever she goes.

Everyone knows that Xu Miao has been carrying someone in her heart for many years.

"Is Lu Weidong getting married?"

A short-haired girl asked hesitantly, her voice breaking the tense atmosphere.

"That can't be right. Hasn't he always been single and rejected everyone who believes him? Are you sure you didn't mishear?"

Xu Miao sneered, her face flushed red from the alcohol, but her eyes were as cold as ice.

She raised her hand, wiped her lips hard with her thumb, and gave a self-deprecating twitch:

"I saw it with my own eyes, and he told me it himself."

She paused, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.

My fiancée

"Whoosh—"

A low commotion instantly erupted in the crowd.

Some people gasped, their eyes widening in shock;

Someone glanced at Xu Miao subconsciously, then quickly looked away.

Xu Miao ignored everyone's reactions, grabbed an unopened bottle of beer, and slammed the bottle neck against the edge of the table!

For years, Xu Miao has been like the most loyal stalker fan, keeping a close eye on every little thing Lu Weidong does.

She knew he had coldly rejected the most beautiful leading lady of the performing arts troupe.

He also knew that he hadn't even given Deputy Commander Chen's daughter a friendly look.

She knew all of these things, every single one of them.

Therefore, she didn't feel particularly sad.

Haven't so many outstanding women failed miserably?

She even secretly thought that perhaps Lu Weidong couldn't see anyone at all, and that he might never marry anyone in his life.

This bittersweet "determination" became her secret pillar that she persisted in for many years.

But when a real, living "fiancée" actually appears in front of her, the blow is devastating.

That woman. Who is she? Why? By what right?

A large hand suddenly reached out and stopped the bottle she was about to bring to her lips.

Xu Miao tried to shake it off, but the hand remained as still as an iron clamp.

"That's enough! Stop drinking!"

Zhang Lei shouted sharply, his voice drowning out the surrounding noise and drawing everyone's attention.

He grabbed the drunken Xu Miao and pulled her up, saying, "I'll take you home."

Zhang Lei was the only one in this group who didn't have a proper job and spent his days loafing around on the streets.

He had known Xu Miao for many years and had liked her since high school, but he had always kept it to himself.

He knew that Xu Miao came from a well-off family, and he also knew that she already had someone else in her heart.

So over the years, I've just stayed at a distance, helping her resolve a few minor troubles, like a silent shadow.

Xu Miao was too weak to resist at this point.

He half-dragged, half-carried her away, and she staggered away from there.

Zhang Lei didn't say much the whole way, silently escorting her to the gate of the impressive family compound where she lived.

Watching her stagger inside, her figure disappearing into the depths of the tree shadows.

The next day, Staff Officer Xu and his family were having lunch. It was the weekend, and both Staff Officer Xu and Xu Zhigang were at home.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was a bit tense at this point.

Xu's mother sighed, wanting to call out to her daughter, but not daring to.

My daughter came home late last night, reeking of alcohol, and vomited all over the floor as soon as she entered the house.

Staff Officer Xu was furious.

I haven't left my room until noon today.

After the meal, Xu's mother asked her younger brother, Xu Zhigang, to take some food to his older sister.

Xu Zhigang knocked on the door and tried the doorknob, but it wasn't locked.

"Sis, I'm coming in."

Xu Zhigang placed the food on the desk.

At this moment, Xu Miao was lying in bed with her eyes open, swollen from crying like two goldfish bubbles.

Seeing his sister like this, he didn't dare to say anything to comfort her. He just said, "Remember to eat," and was about to leave.

"Gangzi," Xu Miao called out to Xu Zhigang.

"Can you do me a favor?"