Seeing that I was ignoring her, Lila Wei stood up, her hands clasped in front of her, holding her handbag in a submissive and docile posture. "Sis Zoe, Hugh Pei said you're not taking a penny from him in the divorce. You… you shouldn't be so foolish. Ten years of your youth should be compensated for. A woman's youth is her most precious asset."
With that, she turned and left.
I was about to die from anger. The other woman was actually advising the soon-to-be-ex-wife not to leave with nothing. Did she think she was being kind?
And she knew I had loved Hugh Pei for ten years!
She must have felt a little smug, a little pitiful. My ten years of unrequited devotion were nothing compared to her appearance for a few short months. The comparison made it clear to her how well Hugh Pei treated her.
Hugh Pei must have told her, right? I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. It wasn't the first time I'd become a joke. What did it matter if Lila Wei laughed at me a little more?
If I couldn't keep my cool, things would get ugly. I would endure it until the divorce was final, then I'd go on a trip around the world. Time would eventually heal all wounds.
"Eggplant with minced meat is here!" Ginny Deng returned in high spirits, carrying the takeout. When she noticed my expression, she frowned. "What's wrong? Your face looks like it's about to fall off."
I forced a smile. "Let me play you something."
I took out my phone and played the recording I had just made.
After listening, Ginny Deng could no longer contain her fury. Her face turned red with anger, and she cursed, "That fucking little bitch! She's so vicious, she actually wanted you dead? No, I have to go after her and give her two big slaps. I'm so pissed!"
"Ginny, don't go," I said, shaking my head. "You don't know where she went. How can you chase her?"
"Isn't she also in the music department at A-University? I'll hang banners and hire people with loudspeakers to stand there and curse her out. If I can't get her to drop out, then I, Ginny Deng, am useless!" Ginny Deng said furiously.
"Hugh Pei and I are getting divorced soon. Why go after Lila Wei?" I said faintly. "Let's wait until after the divorce. Revenge is a dish best served on an auspicious day."
Ginny Deng paused. "Zoe, since when did you get so superstitious?"
Then she asked, "What do you consider an auspicious day?"
I smiled. "Like when they're getting married. It would be a great wedding gift."
This idea made Ginny Deng's eyes light up. She gave me a thumbs-up. "Right! Just playing this for Hugh Pei alone won't work. He might be so bewitched that he defends the bitch, which would backfire. It's better to pick a time and place and let everyone hear it. Let's see if the bitch can still show her face in public then."
"Mm, Hugh Pei is willing to divorce me for her, which means there's a high chance they'll get married. No need to rush," I said, now having to be the one to calm Ginny Deng down.
After we ate, the sky grew dark, and I sent Ginny Deng home early.
The hospital room was quiet again, with only the occasional sound of nurses' hurried footsteps outside.
I lay in bed, scrolling through my social media feed. It was filled with posts from people waiting to ring in the new year, all looking very happy.
Before I knew it, I fell asleep, only to be awakened at midnight by the sound of fireworks.
Every New Year and Spring Festival, A-City's Weishui Plaza would have a unified fireworks display. It was a grand and splendid affair, a popular spot for young couples to celebrate together. I used to want Hugh Pei to go with me, but it never happened.
Awakened, I couldn't get back to sleep. A premonition urged me to open Lila Wei's social media. The latest post was indeed a picture of the fireworks at Weishui Plaza, along with a selfie. Behind her smiling face, half of a man's face was visible—it was Lucas Lu.
At this time and in this place, since Lucas Lu was there, Hugh Pei was most likely there too. Lila Wei probably couldn't take a direct picture of him, so she included Lucas Lu as a witness.
Hugh Pei wasn't divorced yet, so Lila Wei couldn't be completely open about their relationship.
Like Sherlock Holmes, I pressed my finger on the photo, zooming in and out, trying to find a glimpse of Hugh Pei in the background. Suddenly, someone appeared at the door.
"Can't sleep?" It was Evan Yu.
"I woke up," I said, putting my phone away. "Dr. Yu, on the night shift?"
"Mm, want to go to the roof to see the fireworks?" he asked.
I didn't want to go at first, but I was bored, so I got out of bed, found a coat, and said, "Let's go."
Evan Yu and I walked down the long corridor. As we passed the nurses' station, a young nurse asked in surprise, "Huh, Dr. Yu, did you switch shifts with Dr. Ge?"
I paused and looked at Evan Yu.
He replied, "Yeah, old Ge has a bad cold."
So that was it. I continued to follow him up the stairs to the rooftop of the inpatient building. The cold air instantly hit me, and I shivered. In the distance, beautiful fireworks bloomed in the night sky, dispelling a bit of the chill.
Just then, my phone rang. My mom had sent me a transfer of 52,000, with a message: Happy New Year, my dear daughter!
The gloom in my heart was instantly shattered by my mom's message. I happily accepted the money and sent back a heart emoji: Happy New Year, Mom and Dad!
"A message from Hugh Pei?" Evan Yu asked coolly, seeing my happy smile.
"Do you think that's possible?" I put my phone away and took a deep breath of the cold air. It was bone-chilling. "My mom sent me a big red envelope. I'm happy."
Evan Yu took off his mask and put it in his pocket. His handsome, cool face had a hint of a smile. "I didn't realize you were such a money-lover."
I replied, "Who doesn't love money?"
He nodded, then changed the subject again. "By the way, Victor Wei had his surgery yesterday. It went very smoothly. He should be discharged in a while."
If I was curious about Lila Wei's family before, now I just found them annoying. I thought of the photo Lila Wei had just posted. She must have known I would see it.
"That has nothing to do with me. You should go report the good news to Hugh Pei. He's the one who put in all the effort," I said flatly.
"Lila Wei will tell him. It's not my place," Evan Yu said, letting out a breath. He suddenly walked to a corner of the rooftop and came back with a bundle of sparklers. "Want to play?"
"Where did you get these?" I was surprised.
"Every New Year, the hospital puts some sparklers on the rooftop for the night shift staff to light as a celebration," Evan Yu said, taking out a lighter from his pocket. He invited me, "Join me."
I hadn't played with sparklers in a long time. I took the two he handed me. He shielded the lighter from the wind with one hand and lit them for me with the other.
With a "sizzle," a beautiful shower of light, like shattered electricity, bloomed. Evan Yu brought one of his sparklers over and lit it from mine. We waved them around like three-year-olds.
If I had known at that moment that Hugh Pei was watching us from the exit, I would never have made a wish with a sparkler and shouted, "I wish Hugh Pei would drop dead!"
Of course, that's another story.
By the time Evan Yu and I had used up all the sparklers, an hour had passed. I had a great time, thanked him happily, and went back to my room to sleep. I had a head injury, after all, and needed plenty of rest.