After The Honest Person Was Discovered For Simultaneously Pursuing Three People - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: My Love, Tao Ning

As dusk descended, Zhao Jingqun walked down the mountain with a large bag on his back and holding Tao Ning’s hand.

The setting sun cast a long and short shadow of the two of them. Behind them, on the branches of the ten-meter-high locust tree, two red silk ribbons swayed.

Zhao Jingqun squeezed Tao Ning’s hand. His voice was low. “Why did you only wish for my safety and health, and not for anything else?” However, the person beside him remained silent as usual.

The darkness in his eyes grew deeper. Zhao Jingqun opened his mouth but ultimately didn’t say what was on his mind. He knew he was being too hasty and couldn’t force Tao Ning. Besides, society had a low tolerance for homosexuality, so he couldn’t be too greedy and want Tao Ning’s entire life.

But just the thought of Tao Ning being unable to bear the pressure from society in the future, ultimately choosing to leave him and marry someone else, was enough to make his heart feel as if it were being torn out. He was immersed in this painful fantasy, unable to find relief, until the young man’s soft voice pulled him out of the abyss. “…What did you wish for?”

When they made their vows, Zhao Jingqun didn’t let Tao Ning see what he had written on the red cloth, hiding it very well. Only Tao Ning’s was open and honest, written with “I wish Zhao Jingqun a lifetime of peace and health, with no sickness or disaster.”

Zhao Jingqun stared at the neat handwriting, silent, his eyes filled with a turbulent sadness. Most of all, he was disappointed.

In the end, it was Zhao Jingqun who stood on his tiptoes to tie the two red cloths together. Tao Ning was not as tall as he was, and his eyesight wasn’t as good, so he couldn’t see what Zhao Jingqun had written and gave up.

Zhao Jingqun came back to his senses, his face tense. He asked faintly, “Do you want to know?”

Tao Ning nodded and gave a strong “mm.” The next second, he heard the man say in a low voice, “I won’t tell you.”

Tao Ning: “…”

The two of them returned home. A table full of dishes was already set, with five dishes and two soups, including chicken and fish. It was quite a feast. Tao Yuan, with an apron on, was busy serving the dishes, a phone tucked between her ear and shoulder. The pride in her voice was impossible to hide:

“Oh, you know my son, Ning Ning. He’s been smart since he was a child. I’ve never had to worry about him. This time, someone is sponsoring him to go to school. It’s so lucky… Oh, what are you saying? Your little Feng is also very good… Oh, right, right, there’s not much time left…”

She saw the two of them return, waved for them to go wash their hands and eat, and continued to show off to the person on the phone.

As soon as little Meng saw Tao Ning, he ran over and hugged his leg, his round eyes blinking. “Uncle, you’re back.”

“Mm. Were you a good boy at school today?”

“I was very good! Uncle, let me tell you…”

The warm, yellow light in the room softly shone on the family of three. There was hearty laughter, continuous chatter, and the young man with his head lowered, giving soft-spoken instructions to little Meng. His curled, raven-like eyelashes cast a gentle shadow, and his beautiful, delicate profile made Zhao Jingqun unable to look away.

A smile unconsciously formed on his lips. He took a small breath, and Zhao Jingqun joined this warm and cozy dinner.

At the dinner table, Tao Yuan kept putting food on their plates. Several wrinkles appeared around her eyes from smiling. “Ning Ning, do you remember Qian Feng? He’s Li Xiangdong’s second aunt’s son. Oh! I ran into his second aunt in town today! He’s going to a vocational school now. Didn’t he used to bully you? What a stinky brat. Now he’s going to that kind of a ruffian school. I was so happy today that I bought a few more dishes…”

“Mom! You didn’t even finish middle school!”

“Hey, you little brat, eat your food…”

Zhao Jingqun couldn’t help but peek at Tao Ning and found a faint smile in his eyes. As if he felt the man’s burning gaze, Tao Ning looked back at him and curved his eyes.

They secretly held hands under the table.

…

After dinner, Tao Yuan stretched a few times and told the men in the house to wash the dishes and sweep the floor. She went back to her room to look for her hidden cigarettes, but after searching for a long time, she couldn’t find them.

A flashback of the young man accurately finding her cigarettes and taking them came to her mind. Tao Yuan instantly knew that that stinky brat Tao Ning had found her hiding spot again. She felt a little embarrassed and mumbled to herself, “What a brat, what’s the use of being so smart…”

Unable to find her cigarettes, Tao Yuan had no choice but to go to her square dancing empty-handed. It wasn’t that hot in the mountains in the summer. It would cool down early at night. Around seven or eight o’clock, the women and children from the nearby mountains would gather in an open area to dance and exercise.

The square dancing spot was near Tao Yuan’s house. She had only become obsessed with square dancing a while ago. Before, she wouldn’t even look at it, but then she heard people gossiping behind her back, saying how could a tigress like her possibly dance?

Tao Yuan had been competitive for almost half of her life, so she naturally wouldn’t give in. Therefore, she went to dance every day recently. By now, she was considered a co-leader.

Today, Tao Yuan was feeling incredibly good. Her brother was so outstanding that everyone was envious of him. The relatives who used to look down on them were now trying to curry favor one by one. She also had a lovely and healthy son, and although her husband was a good-for-nothing, he hadn’t been back for years, so it was as if he didn’t exist, and she didn’t have to worry about him.

Tao Yuan specifically changed into a brand-name skirt that she had bought four years ago to go dancing. On the way, she ran into someone who was asking about Tao Ning. She showed off a few things and then walked away with her head held high.

She walked all the way to the mountainside, humming a little tune. Suddenly, a sneer came from behind her. “Tao Yuan, don’t you know that your precious brother is with a man?”

In the shadows of the mountain path, Zhang Mazi walked out with a ferocious face, his yellow, black teeth bared. Unexpectedly, he pulled his old wound on his face and grimaced. “Hiss, you’re still in the mood to dance. Your brother is selling his body to a man. Don’t you know that…”

Before he could finish, a stone the size of a fist came flying at him with great force. Zhang Mazi was so scared that he quickly backed away, cursing, “You stinky bitch, are you looking for a fight?!”

“I think you’re the one looking for a fight!”

Tao Yuan couldn’t tolerate anyone slandering Tao Ning. She rushed forward and slapped him a few times, grabbed Zhang Mazi’s hair, and then kicked him hard in his lower body. A blood-curdling scream instantly echoed through the mountains. “Ah!!!”

After a few minutes, Tao Yuan was panting, her hair was a mess, and there were a few scratches on her face. But she was standing on Zhang Mazi’s body, fiercely questioning him. “If you ever dare to talk nonsense again, I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Tao Yuan spat on the miserably beaten man on the ground a few times, felt disgusted, clapped her hands, and turned to leave. Unexpectedly, one of her legs was grabbed tightly by the man on the ground.

Tao Yuan was instantly enraged. She turned her head, ready to kick him a few times, when a slightly blurry photo appeared in front of her. In the dim mountains, the light from the screen in his hand was particularly bright and dazzling—

In the photo, a tall, well-built man was passionately kissing a young man who was a head shorter than him. The shadow enveloped the person in his arms, and the surrounding scenery was so familiar it made her feel cold.

The people in the photo were so familiar that Tao Yuan felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Her breathing stopped. She snatched the phone, but her ears were filled with Zhang Mazi’s triumphant and vengeful screams. “Look, was I wrong? That man from the city is with your brother. Tsk, tsk, tsk. If this gets out, not only will your brother not be able to study in the city, but he’ll probably be caught and locked up like a lunatic…”

Clatter. The phone fell to the ground.

It was like a fresh apple falling onto the concrete ground. It didn’t shatter but could no longer be eaten.

Tao Ning picked up the apple from the concrete floor, rubbed little Meng’s hair, and said gently, “It’s okay. I’ll go wash it in the kitchen and cut off this half.”

Little Meng pouted, tears in his eyes. He hugged his leg and whined, “Uncle, you’re so good. If Mom were here, she would definitely scold me… But why isn’t Mom back yet?”

It had been over three hours since Tao Yuan had left. Normally, she would be back around nine o’clock, but now the hour hand was pointing to ten, and there was no sign of Tao Yuan. The wind was also picking up tonight, and the branches were rustling non-stop.

Tao Ning frowned slightly. “I’ll call her in a bit. You go back to your room and sleep first. I’ll bring the apple to you later.”

Little Meng nodded obediently and went back to his room with his short legs.

As soon as he left, a burning warmth came from behind him. Zhao Jingqun wrapped his arms around Tao Ning’s waist, bit his ear, and asked, “My little dumbo, what’s wrong?”

“Sister isn’t home yet. I’m going to call her in a bit.”

“But your sister’s phone is on the TV cabinet… I’ll wash it.” Zhao Jingqun took the apple that Tao Yuan had broken and led him to the kitchen. Then he skillfully used a knife to cut off the broken part.

He cut off a small piece and fed it to the dazed and stunned Tao Ning. “Does it taste good?”

Tao Ning puffed up one side of his mouth, like a little squirrel being fed. He chewed and swallowed, then said blankly, “It tastes good… You don’t have to give it to me. This is for little Meng.”

“But I bought it.” Zhao Jingqun chuckled. “There are a lot more over there. I’ll go wash another one for him later.”

Tao Ning couldn’t argue. He could only watch as Zhao Jingqun cut off the entire broken half and then cut the good half into several small pieces, feeding them to him one by one.

When it came to the last piece, Tao Ning didn’t get an apple. Instead, it was the man’s hot, fierce kiss that came to his lips.

After a long while, Zhao Jingqun let him go. He took his hand and led him to the main hall. Before they could even cross the threshold, they saw Tao Yuan sitting silently at the dining table.

Under the dim yellow light, the thin woman’s hair was messy, and there were a few scratches on her face with dried blood. Her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with a mix of complexity and confusion…

Most of all, there was pain.

This woman, who was so unrestrained and fierce, directing all her thorns toward outsiders and only keeping her gentleness and love for her brother and son, looked like she had aged several decades in an instant. Her thin, skeletal back could no longer straighten.

Tao Ning’s eyes widened. The heart that had always been calm suddenly moved. He quickly pulled his hand away from the man’s and rushed to her side, asking cautiously, “Sister… What, what’s wrong?”

Hearing his voice, the woman, who had seemed like a puppet, suddenly came to life. Her eyes moved, and she turned her head, her red, swollen eyes staring at Tao Ning.

The woman looked at Tao Ning carefully, not missing a single detail. This was the brother she had raised since he was a child. He could be considered half her son, even though their age difference was indeed enough for them to be mother and son.

Even though there was not a drop of blood between them, this was the brother she would rather go hungry herself to buy candy for when he was a little boy.

Because her family was poor, she, as the eldest sister, stopped studying after the fifth grade. She knew the hardship of working outside, so she saved money for many years to send Tao Ning to school.

Tao Ning didn’t let her down. He had excellent grades and was obedient and sensible. All the teachers praised him, saying he was a math genius and had a bright future ahead of him.

At that time, Tao Yuan was overjoyed. The hours she spent mindlessly making clothes in the factory and the tears she shed late at night were all worth it.

Later, her parents passed away, and their family was truly broken. She and Tao Ning were genuinely dependent on each other until now. Good times were finally coming. Tao Ning could go to a big city to study without paying a single cent… But why would he be with a man? Didn’t he know that was something only lunatics did?!

He was supposed to have a bright future!

As Tao Yuan watched him, she held back the tears that were about to fall. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Nothing, you silly boy. Go to sleep.”

Tao Ning didn’t believe her and was about to ask more, but the woman had already stood up unsteadily and returned to her room.

He stared blankly at Tao Yuan’s hunched back as she left, speechless, until Zhao Jingqun hugged him and softly coaxed him, “How about you ask her tomorrow? It’s too late now. You should go to sleep.”

“…Mm.”

…

The next day, Tao Yuan sent little Meng to school, and then the three of them went to the mountain again. This was the last time they would pick lemons.

When Tao Ning asked about what happened yesterday, Tao Yuan only said she had fallen on the road and didn’t say anything else.

He frowned. He felt that something had happened, but Tao Yuan always said he was a closed book, and when she faced a difficult situation, she was even more so, wanting to handle it all by herself.

Seeing Tao Ning’s worried expression, Zhao Jingqun’s heart ached. He hooked his little finger behind Tao Ning’s back, wanting to hug the young man and coax him to make him happy.

But Tao Yuan was still ahead of them, so the man had to restrain his impatience and heartache.

The weather was bad today. Dark clouds were low in the sky, and a strong wind was blowing, making the branches beat against each other fiercely.

Tao Yuan said calmly, “I’m going down the mountain first to pick up little Meng from school and bring back two umbrellas. If you run into heavy rain, go and hide at Grandma Wang’s house nearby, okay?”

Tao Ning nodded and watched her leave.

As soon as Tao Yuan was gone, they were completely alone. Zhao Jingqun could no longer resist hugging Tao Ning and patting his back, softly coaxing him. “Be a good boy, smile for me, okay?” It pained him to see him so sad.

The person in his arms looked up, revealing a pair of glistening, clear eyes filled with confusion. He blinked his curled eyelashes, obviously feeling helpless at the man’s constant nonsensical requests.

A hint of darkness overflowed from Zhao Jingqun’s eyes. He covered Tao Ning’s eyes and could no longer restrain himself from kissing the soft lips of the person in his arms. Their breaths intertwined, as if they were destined to live and die together, forever and ever.

In the midst of the strong wind, a woman’s cold voice calmly rang out behind them, “Tao Ning.”

She only called Tao Ning’s name, just two words, and her tone was so calm, yet it was so clear in the strong wind, as if she had used all her strength just to call out that name.

The two who were kissing were stunned, as if struck by lightning. Tao Ning quickly pushed the man who was holding him away and turned around abruptly, his usually expressionless face showing a hint of shock. “Sister? You…”

Before he could finish, a gust of wind had already hit his cheek, but the palm was stopped in mid-air by Zhao Jingqun’s hand.

Zhao Jingqun’s eyes were dark. “It’s not his fault. It’s all my…”

Slap!

A heavy slap landed on his face. Tao Yuan pulled back her trembling hand, panting, her eyes bloodshot as she looked at the completely stunned Tao Ning.

She asked hysterically, questioning the brother she had protected like a treasure, “Tao Ning, are you crazy?! How can you be with a man? Have you forgotten how I protected you before?! Are you crazy?! Do you know you’re destroying yourself?! You’ve gone through so much to get to where you are today. How can you be with a man…”

As she spoke, the woman looked as if her soul had been drained. She bent down, covered her face, and cried loudly.

The wind was still fierce and urgent, messing up the trees on the mountain and the branches of the locust tree. On the unreachable branches hung two red silk ribbons, like two intertwined fish fighting to the death. The engraved words on one of the ribbons were revealed, written with a sharp brushstroke—

“My love, Tao Ning. I wish to be with him forever, to be together for life, never to part.”

“Signed: Zhao Jingqun.”

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