Silent Testimony - Chapter 31

Li Hewei had quite a few friends, and they were all generous with money towards each other, but they would either ask her what she wanted in advance or simply send a red envelope. Only Tao Ling was different; she not only sent well-timed birthday wishes but also racked her brains preparing a gift.

Tao Ling smoothed the creases of the scroll. “I wonder if you’ll like it?”

“I love it.” Li Hewei’s eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes shimmered. She turned her head, suppressing the surge of emotion and speaking in a low murmur, “Of course I love it.”

“That’s good.” Tao Ling held the scroll in both hands. “Sister Wei, where should we put it?”

Li Hewei looked back at her, her expression already unreadable. “Hang it next to the bookshelf, I suppose.” She had rarely entered her workspace recently, preferring to binge-watch TV shows at home after work or paint on the balcony. Putting the scroll next door seemed like the best option, keeping the object out of sight to avoid seeing the person.

“Okay.” Tao Ling found two non-marking, punch-free nails.

Seeing the girl’s cheerful look, Li Hewei finally couldn’t help but change her mind. “Actually, hang it in the bedroom.” With a strange need to explain, she offered, “What you wrote is quite warm, and it’s better suited for the bedroom.”

“Whatever works.” Tao Ling naturally did not notice Li Hewei’s complicated emotions. She handed her the scroll and the nails, smiling brightly, “Lunch is almost ready. I’ll go check the pot first.”

“You made breakfast, too?”

Tao Ling blinked, nodding seriously. “Yes! Longevity noodles.”

“Alright, go on.” Li Hewei turned, biting her lip in thought. How many more surprises was she going to bring?

Things are often unpredictable. Tao Ling had prepared not only longevity noodles but also crystal shrimp dumplings. She set the bowl of noodles on the dining table, her smile sweet and well-behaved. “Sister Wei, I noticed your preference for Cantonese cuisine, so I took the liberty of learning how to make Wonton Noodles and crystal shrimp dumplings.”

“Wontons are just small dumplings. I simmered the large bone broth as the soup base last night. Try it quickly.”

“Tao Ling.” Are you this thoughtful towards everyone? Li Hewei tightened her grip on the spoon, swallowing the question she wanted to ask without showing any outward emotion.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.” Li Hewei stared at the Wonton Noodles close by and replied softly, “I was just thinking the noodles must be delicious.” She slowly and methodically ate two wontons, then, seeing Tao Ling not moving her chopsticks, she asked, “What about you?”

“I’m riding your coattails; I cooked a bowl for myself too.” Tao Ling brought over a bowl of noodles, added half a spoonful of chili oil, and began to eat slowly.

Following the etiquette of not speaking while eating, Li Hewei tasted the noodles and shrimp dumplings, uncharacteristically remaining silent.

The attraction between people is complex and subtle, usually originating from instinct—it’s not something you can suppress just because you want to. Especially when two people are alone, their feelings for each other can be infinitely amplified. Li Hewei stayed quiet, trying to calm the turmoil in her heart, when she suddenly remembered the national simulated portrait artist exchange meeting that Director Liu had mentioned yesterday. If she wasn’t planning to distance herself, then she should let distance slowly smooth away this flutter of emotion.

She finished the soup, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and said flatly, “I’m going on a business trip next week.”

Tao Ling was startled for two seconds, then asked contemplatively, “How long will you be gone?”

“Fifteen provinces across the country are each sending one portrait artist, divided into three teams to work at the grassroots level. It will probably take fifty days. If a case comes up midway, I’ll rush back.” The simulated portrait artist from the Sichuan Provincial Criminal Investigation Corps is over fifty and specifically recommended her, so Li Hewei had no reason to refuse.

“Oh.” Tao Ling’s smile completely froze.

“Are you free at noon? Come to the restaurant with me.” Li Hewei knew that last year, on the original owner’s 29th birthday, three people from the Tao family were invited. However, she didn’t want to interact with Tao Luhai, so she politely declined Wu Yong’s suggestion, saying she would only bring Tao Ling.

“I’m free.”

Li Hewei slowly chewed on a shrimp dumpling, then got straight to the point. “I didn’t invite your parents. After all, you and your brother will terminate your marriage relationship in just two months, and we won’t have any further dealings afterward.”

She saw Tao Ling’s delicate brows instantly furrow, so she quickly explained, “No further dealings specifically refers to Tao Yang; you are still my colleague and tenant.” Who knew, the other party lowered her eyes, seeming hesitant to speak…

Li Hewei was a little anxious. “Tao Ling, I told you, you can speak your mind frankly with me.”

“Not even friends?”

The slight air of grievance in the question stunned Li Hewei. Gazing at her reddened eyes, she inwardly scolded herself for having made the girl cry and quickly tried to compensate: “I look at you as a younger sister, a sister as important as Yingqiu.”

Tao Ling might have been triggered by Li Hewei’s similar sudden cold-shoulder approach from last time, but she also blamed herself for having no right to complain. After all, no one is obligated to be kind to you all the time. She mumbled an apology, “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

Tao Ling picked up the two noodle bowls, released her pursed lips, and said, “I’ll go clean up.”

“Hey? Wait.” Li Hewei couldn’t figure out the reason, and her heart felt like it was being scorched over a fire, anxious and miserable. She waited for Tao Ling to put the dishes in the dishwasher, intending to talk, but she watched the girl walk past her and close the bedroom door before she could speak.

Two minutes later, standing puzzled outside the door, she received a WeChat message: [Sister Wei, this is my issue. You don’t need to worry about the reason.]

On the other side of the door, Tao Ling sat at her desk, staring blankly at the shadows cast by her hands. She also didn’t understand why her reaction had been so intense just now. Three months ago, when she confirmed that the other party wasn’t busy but was deliberately keeping her at a distance, she had merely endured it in silence, slowly adjusting, and had never wanted to question it.

Why the change today…?

[I plan to head to the restaurant at 11:30. Would you like to come with me?] Li Hewei’s reply briefly pulled her away from her tangled emotions.

Tao Ling took a deep breath and typed: [Okay.] Unable to make sense of her agitation, she simply took out her brush and ink, spread out the Yuan scroll paper, and began practicing calligraphy.

In the master bedroom diagonally across the hall, Li Hewei felt restless. Especially when she accidentally caught sight of the scroll in the corner, her unease intensified. She thought it over and over, took the scroll down, hung it in the workspace, felt that was inappropriate, took it back to the bedroom, repeating this three times. Now, staring at the delicate handwriting on the left side of the vanity table, sleepiness began to set in.

The phone rang suddenly. She answered without looking at the name.

“Hello.”

“Sis, I’m taking a taxi directly there. When are you two leaving?”

Cheng Yingqiu’s cheerful voice instantly chased away Li Hewei’s sleepiness. She glanced at the time displayed in the upper left corner—11:15 AM—and replied, “Wait for us to quickly tidy up.”

“You wouldn’t believe it. I woke up and brushed my teeth at 6:30 AM, and Tao Ling was already fussing in the kitchen, saying she was making wontons to cook longevity noodles for you,” Cheng Yingqiu’s chatter continued. “Oh, and the crystal shrimp dumplings we eat at the dim sum place! Do you think she’ll do the same for me on my birthday next year?”

Li Hewei unexpectedly snapped, “Dream on.”

“Sis, what’s wrong with you?” Cheng Yingqiu joked with her. “Hmph, if Sister Tao Ling cooks longevity noodles for me next year, I’ll chase after her immediately.”

“Where else can you find such a great sister?” Cheng Yingqiu was born in March ’91, an Aries, making her just over four months younger than Tao Ling.

Li Hewei spoke sourly, “You don’t even know if she likes girls.”

“Find a chance to clue her in, maybe? What’s so great about men?”

…

“Sorry, Sis, I forgot about your orientation.”

Li Hewei was annoyed that Cheng Yingqiu always said she liked men, and now knowing the original owner was deeply closeted, she immediately retorted, “Orientation can be fluid.”

“Don’t talk about ‘fluidity.’ I hate it when straight women date for two months and then turn around and get married, calling it ‘can’t stand the pressure.'”

Li Hewei agreed with her perspective. “It sounds like you were hurt once?”

“I wasn’t, but my good friend likes straight women, failing repeatedly. I really admire her persistence.” Cheng Yingqiu explained, her tone softening. “But, Sis, I trust your character. If you genuinely want to try, I’ll introduce you two sometime.”

“You…”

Cheng Yingqiu giggled, “She’s a really nice person. You have to trust my judgment.”

Li Hewei chided, “Why don’t you date her?”

“Some people are only suitable as sisters. Anyway, it’s decided. My ride’s here, so hurry up.”

“Okay, I’ll go call Tao Ling.”

The call ended, and Li Hewei sent the other party a message: [Get ready. We’re leaving in 10 minutes.]

No reaction. She deliberated for a moment, then went and knocked on the door. “Tao Ling?”

The room was silent. A sense of unease suddenly washed over her. Could something have happened? Li Hewei was beside herself with worry. She reached out to turn the round lock and pushed the door open. As her gaze swept the room, she saw Tao Ling sitting upright at the desk in the enclosed balcony, holding a brush in her right hand, her wrist moving up and down. Already slender, her appearance—coupled with a face that seemed like “distant green hills and nearby misty water”—made people want to shield her from the wind and rain and instinctively draw closer.

“Are you practicing Guan Daosheng’s ‘Deep Autumn Post’?” Li Hewei actually knew nothing about calligraphy and didn’t recognize Guan Daosheng. She had just found the handwriting to be beautiful, elegant, and ethereal, so she quickly did a Baidu search to find a topic to chat about.

Tao Ling was drawn out of her focus and looked up at her. “Yes, I really like the calligraphy styles of Guan Daosheng and Li Qingzhao.”

Li Hewei offered no judgment, only saying, “It’s beautiful.”

“Is it time to go to the restaurant?” After two hours of practice, Tao Ling’s distracting thoughts had been swept away.

“Yes, it’s almost 11:30.”

“Okay, give me two minutes to change clothes.” Tao Ling had bought new clothes two days prior: a gray short-sleeved top and apricot-colored wide-leg pants. She went to the restroom to quickly wash her face and then followed Li Hewei out the door.

The Imperial Garden International apartments and the restaurant on South Street were five kilometers apart, about a 15-minute drive. Just as Li Hewei parked the car and reached for her seatbelt, Li Yuqiong came over to open the door. “Why didn’t you come over earlier on the weekend?”

“Mom, something came up at the last minute.”

The woman, wearing a light-blue cheongsam, had features quite similar to Li Hewei’s and carried herself with grace. “Hurry, Xiao Tao, get out too.”

Li Hewei got out and locked the car. Tao Ling followed behind her and softly greeted, “Aunt Qiong, hello.”

“Xiao Tao is even prettier after two months.” Li Yuqiong led the way. “Come, let’s go upstairs and sit.”

Li Hewei didn’t see the person who was usually so boisterous and asked curiously, “Where’s Yingqiu?”

“She’s been hiding in the restroom for ten minutes. Call her out.”

“Aunt Qiong, I’ll go.” Tao Ling, who had walked quickly, coincidentally needed to use the restroom.

“Alright. She should be using the first-floor restroom. We’re in the Qingya Pavilion on the second floor.”

Tao Ling nodded in understanding. As the two women headed toward the stairs, she turned right and walked toward the restroom at the end of the corridor. From the last stall, she heard a familiar voice: “…Anyway, they’ll definitely rush me to find a partner or arrange a blind date later. It’s so annoying.”

“Why don’t they introduce my sister to me?”