The Venomous Wife Let Me Go - Chapter 35

Bai Jun lowered her head. Her attention was entirely captured by Lin Song’s words, and she inadvertently drifted away from that oppressive sense of self-reproach.

Lin Song wasn’t wrong; what she currently owed Lin Song was beyond counting. She was intent on atonement, but it seemed this debt would only continue to grow. Once Lin Song finally met her “White Moonlight,” Lin Song would likely want to stay as far away from her as possible to avoid suspicion.

In fact, thinking carefully about it, Lin Song’s so-called “revenge” over the past few days hadn’t actually tormented her much at all. Lin Song remained kind at heart. Perhaps remembering that meager favor of financial support from years ago, she only spoke harshly but never truly laid a hand on her.

But if she said that out loud, Lin Song would probably get angry again. Bai Jun decided to minimize conflict as much as possible, so she softly echoed Lin Song, “However you want me to pay it back, I will.”

At this moment, her eyes were slightly red and swollen. She gazed at Lin Song with a level of trust she hadn’t even realized herself. Her voice still carried a nasal tone from crying. Her soft, delicate appearance suggested Lin Song could do anything to her.

Lin Song didn’t speak, but her gaze once again became that deep, aggressive look that made Bai Jun tremble. Her grip on Bai Jun’s hand tightened instinctively. Bai Jun was very familiar with that look. Back when Lin Song couldn’t control her desire to be intimate with her, she looked exactly like this.

Uncontrollable memories of their past intimacy surfaced in her mind once more. Bai Jun swallowed hard, feeling a momentary lapse into passion. But she quickly snapped out of it, realizing she no longer had the right to such things. Every memory she found sweet was likely a source of humiliation for Lin Song.

She cleared her head quickly. Her face pale, she took a deep breath and lowered her head, calling out as a reminder, “Lin Song!”

Lin Song’s breathing visibly faltered for a second. From Bai Jun’s angle, she could see Lin Song’s chest heaving violently and the distinct swallow of her slender throat. After a while, Bai Jun heard her voice, half-smiling and seemingly weighted with hidden meaning.

“Bai Jun, you said it. I’ve noted it down! It’s alright. We have a long time ahead of us.”

For the rest of the journey, Lin Song put on some music again. It had to be said that during these years of enduring humiliation by her side, Lin Song had completely mastered her preferences. Every song playing was one Bai Jun liked.

The melodies were pleasant and soothing. Amidst the music, Bai Jun slowly organized her photos. Staring at the pictures Auntie Wang had taken of her, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of trance again. Her every move in the show The Rebel was loathsome, yet through Auntie Wang’s lens, she actually looked beautiful.

What kind of person was she, really?

She was full of thoughts, and listening to the relaxing rhythm in the car, she couldn’t help but fall asleep. When she woke up again, a blanket had been placed over her at some point.

Lin Song had parked the car in an underground garage and was looking at her phone, replying to something. In the dim light of the garage, the light from Lin Song’s screen was incredibly obvious. Lin Song was actually in contact with Bai Hong!

There was a photo of a man in the chat box. Bai Jun caught a glimpse; he looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had seen him. She felt awkward staring at Lin Song’s phone and didn’t want to pry. She looked away and cleared her throat to let Lin Song know she was awake.

Lin Song immediately turned off her phone and switched on the car lights. “You’re awake. Anything you want to eat?” Lin Song suddenly seemed exceptionally happy, her eyes sparkling.

Bai Jun shook her head. Lin Song opened the car door, and they took their luggage toward the elevator together. The building seemed a bit old; the elevator was neither new nor fully worn out.

What was Lin Song doing here? While she was lost in thought, the elevator stopped, and Lin Song pulled her out.

“It’s your fingerprint.”

Standing in front of a certain apartment, Bai Jun still hadn’t fully reacted. It wasn’t until Lin Song reminded her that she flusteredly pressed her finger against the biometric lock. The door opened with a beep.

Despite having no memory of this place, Bai Jun looked at the empty doorway and instinctively felt a sense of hesitation. She lowered her head, afraid to step inside. A blurred image flashed through her mind. It felt as if many times before, she had lingered outside the door all alone, unwilling to enter.

It wasn’t until Lin Song came over to pull her, feeling the warmth of Lin Song’s palm, that she finally moved her feet and slowly entered the room. The apartment looked very clean, as if it had been tidied recently.

“You used to stay here often when you were away on business.”

The apartment had a simple four-bedroom, one-living-room layout. The decor was very cold and detached; Bai Jun didn’t remember any of it. It wasn’t until she saw one of the bedrooms that a sense of familiarity surged. Bai Jun concluded almost instantly: this was a room she had lived in.

The lamp by the bed was a birthday gift from her mother. Looking at the photo of herself and her mother next to the lamp, Bai Jun’s eyelashes trembled, and she lowered her head.

“Let’s go out to eat first!”

Lin Song was very efficient. After putting away the luggage and changing the bedding, she grabbed her camera bag and pulled Bai Jun out the door.

It was already afternoon. Looking at the shop signs along the road, Bai Jun realized belatedly that they had arrived in Rong City. Rong City held the Bai Group’s largest production base. It was a place of beautiful scenery where her grandfather and mother would spend several months every year. Bai Jun had visited a few times when she traveled for work with her mother.

Over ten years had passed, and the landscape of Rong City had changed significantly; Bai Jun could hardly recognize it. “I’m not very familiar with this place.”

Even though Lin Song was the one who drove here, she seemed aimless. After exiting the garage, she asked Bai Jun, “Do you know any place with good food?”

Bai Jun paused, struggling to dig up some memories from the corners of her mind. “When my mom used to bring me here for work, there was a shop with delicious buns. I think it was called ‘Li’s Soup Buns.’ But so many years have passed, I don’t know if it’s still there.”

Lin Song searched for “Li’s Soup Buns” on the navigation and checked all four locations in the city. Finally, in a small alley, they found the sign from Bai Jun’s memory.

Bai Jun didn’t understand why Lin Song was so persistent about finding that specific shop. She had tried to persuade Lin Song to give up many times along the way. Even if they found it, she might not recognize it after so many years, and she wasn’t even sure if the name was actually “Li’s Soup Buns.”

But Lin Song insisted and seemed quite enthusiastic. Not wanting to ruin the mood, Bai Jun could only follow along. Strangely enough, while she originally had no impression in her head, the moment they reached the street corner, she suddenly felt the surroundings were incredibly familiar. She was certain “Li’s Soup Buns” was right in that alley.

Lin Song parked the car and led her through the entrance. It was a small shop with only about ten tables. The peak lunch hour had passed, but there was still a line of people waiting. The owners were a kind-looking elderly couple. Their son and daughter-in-law were making buns in the back kitchen while they welcomed guests in the front.

After waiting in line for a bit, it was Bai Jun’s turn. Bai Jun was no longer used to eating in public. When the owner asked if they wanted to eat in or take out, she instinctively answered “take out.”

“Sure thing!” the owner called out, but then he suddenly stopped mid-sentence. “Hey! It’s Little Bai! What do you mean ‘take out’? You didn’t come by at all this year. Come in, come in, take a seat.”

The owner’s eyes widened with joy. He scrutinized the masked Bai Jun with concerned eyes, his gaze full of heartache. He called out to his wife in the back, “Old lady, quick! Little Bai is here.”

Soon, Bai Jun and Lin Song were led by Auntie Li into a private stall on the second floor. Ever since she was recognized, Bai Jun couldn’t stop trembling. She didn’t understand how she could be recognized even while wearing a mask. Her mind kept flashing back to the scenes from her dreams: distorted faces and cursing words.

Lin Song supported her silently the whole time, which was the only reason she didn’t collapse. Once inside the stall, Bai Jun’s tense body finally relaxed. Auntie Li quickly brought out several steamers of piping hot soup buns.

“These are all your favorite flavors, plus some new items. Quick, try them.”

Only then did Bai Jun realize: before her memory loss, she seemed to be very close with this family. But having lost her memory, she didn’t know what to say. She could only lower her head and eat in silence. However, Uncle and Auntie Li didn’t seem to need her to say anything. They held her hands, their faces filled with pity.

“You poor girl!” Auntie Li wiped away tears. “You were so young back then, coming here alone for middle school. For a while, you came to our shop for all three meals every day. You’d eat and cry at the same time. If you hadn’t helped us through that crisis back then, this shop wouldn’t even exist anymore. I used to pray to the Buddha every day, hoping the Heavens would make you happy again. Life finally got a little better, but who knew that heartless TV crew would hurt you again? You hadn’t even finished a few months of high school before you had to go abroad.”

“Stop it, Little Bai is already hurting enough.” Uncle Li nudged Auntie Li’s arm, his eyes red as he chimed in. “We’ve seen the news lately. You’ve suffered this past year. We received so much help from you before, yet we can’t help you with anything now. It breaks our hearts whenever we think about it. Anyway, as long as our shop stands, we won’t let you go hungry.”

With that, Uncle Li tried to press a bank card into Bai Jun’s hand. “This is our savings from the last few years. It might not be much, but it’s a token of our heart.”

Bai Jun was startled and hurriedly declined, but Uncle and Auntie Li insisted on pushing the card into her arms. “We can manage for now. Thank you for your concern, Uncle and Auntie Li. Please keep the money for now; if we truly can’t hold on, we will come to you for help.”

It wasn’t until Lin Song spoke up to refuse that they finally stopped.

“You must be Lin Song, right? You’re even prettier than you look on TV.” Auntie Li gave Lin Song a kind smile. “People outside say you’re getting a divorce, but I never believed it. How could anyone bear to divorce a girl as good as Little Bai? Seeing you two still together now, I know those people were just talking nonsense.”

“You’re right. Junjun and I are of one heart. It’s not like the rumors say.” Lin Song, always tactful, didn’t make the elders feel awkward and replied with a smile. “Uncle and Auntie Li, I have something I need your help with. Could we speak privately for a moment?” Lin Song then respectfully asked the elders to step aside.

The three of them went to the adjacent room. Bai Jun didn’t know what Lin Song wanted from them. Her mind was a mess, her heart felt blocked and a bit bitter. She couldn’t remember the past, had no idea she attended middle school here, and didn’t know how to handle the warmth of the Li family.

But everything around her did feel incredibly familiar. And Uncle and Auntie Li believed she was a good person; they even felt sorry for her. That feeling made her feel a spark of joy. It was as if she wasn’t actually that terrible, and there were still people in the world who cared about her.

About half an hour later, Lin Song returned with the teary-eyed elderly couple. Uncle and Auntie Li were crying, and Lin Song also had a stern face, looking quite unhappy.

“Little Bai!” Likely because Lin Song had told them about her memory loss, Auntie Li was noticeably more cautious around her. “It’s fine to forget. Forget the unhappy things. Live well with Xiao Lin from now on, and everything will turn out fine.”

Auntie Li urged Bai Jun to eat a lot and then pressed a large red envelope into both Bai Jun’s and Lin Song’s hands. “Your wedding was low-key, and we couldn’t make it, but we have to give our gift money. Wishing you both a long life together and an eternal union!”

Facing their sincere eyes, Bai Jun felt the envelope was almost too hot to hold, mostly because she assumed she and Lin Song would divorce once Lin Song found her “White Moonlight.” But Lin Song had already calmly reached out to accept it, so Bai Jun could only follow suit and thank them.

After the meal, the couple packed a large amount of local specialties for them and gave Bai Jun a long list of instructions before reluctantly seeing them off.

Ever since Lin Song had gone into the other room with the elders, she had seemed somewhat depressed. On the way back, Lin Song didn’t speak. Bai Jun had originally been happy because of the couple’s kindness, but seeing Lin Song’s state, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“What’s wrong?” She tried to read Lin Song’s mood and spoke cautiously. “Uncle and Auntie Li misunderstood our relationship. I’m sorry for the trouble; I’ll find an opportunity to explain things to them later.”

“It’s not because of that,” Lin Song said in a low voice, seemingly trying to suppress her emotions. “Is there anywhere else you want to go? Like the Lakeside Park, or Linggu Temple?” Lin Song’s voice, for some reason, sounded incredibly gentle. “It’s still early. If you want to go, we can go.”

“It doesn’t matter to me.” Bai Jun looked at Lin Song and hesitated before finally asking the doubt in her heart. “Weren’t you here to find your ‘White Moonlight’? Why come here instead?”

“She used to live here for a long time, too.” Lin Song spoke softly but suddenly pulled the car over. “Sorry,” she heard Lin Song whisper. “Can I hold you for a moment?”

Lin Song’s state was very off. Perhaps she had heard bad news about her White Moonlight. Even though she knew they shouldn’t have any more emotional entanglements, Bai Jun still nodded hesitantly.

Lin Song stopped the car and climbed into the back seat. Almost the moment she sat down, she hugged Bai Jun tightly. “I never knew that she lived such a hard life.”

Lin Song held Bai Jun so tightly it felt as though she wanted to embed her into her own body. How could she not feel heartbroken? The girl she had cherished in her heart was taken away from her original city by her grandfather at the age of twelve. She had to endure immense grief and survive in a city where she knew no one.

The grandfather was traumatized and spent most of his time in a nursing home with piles of work to handle; he had little time for her. The girl lived alone in a vast, empty house, afraid to go home and face the cold silence. So, she spent her years lingering in bun shops, at the Lakeside Park, and at Linggu Temple, wandering in solitude.

Just when she had finally managed to adapt a little, the broadcast of The Rebel pushed her into the abyss. The girl lost her last piece of pure land. Everywhere she went, she was met with pointing fingers and whispers, and finally, she had no choice but to go abroad.

Bai Jun didn’t know how to comfort Lin Song, especially when she felt tears on her neck. Even though she knew she didn’t deserve it, her heart couldn’t help but ache with pity and bitterness. She could only clumsily pat Lin Song’s back to soothe her, “Don’t cry. You’re such a good person; once she’s with you, she’s bound to be happy.”

But Lin Song only held her tighter. “I’m sorry.” Lin Song spoke softly again, sounding as if she were speaking to Bai Jun, but more like she was speaking to that “White Moonlight” she was looking for. “If only I had become strong sooner. I hope it’s not too late for everything.”

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