Iris at Dusk

When Zhou Han returned, Lin Li was sitting alone on the living room sofa. A bottle of red wine—already half-empty—sat on the low table before her; she was half-reclining, still holding a glass that was more than half full. Zhou Han changed his shoes and stepped inside, placing his keys and briefcase on the sofa. He glanced at the wine and then at the reclining Lin Li, his brows knitting slightly as he asked, "Why are you drinking?" His tone was somewhat detached—typical of his unique way of showing concern. Lin Li slowly turned her head to look at him. She stared for a long moment before suddenly smiling. "They say alcohol drowns out sorrow," she said. "I thought drinking would really let me forget those unhappy memories, but why is it that the more I drink, the more clearly I remember the things that upset me?"  As she spoke, her face twisted with distress and a sense of grievance. "I thought drinking would cheer me up, but instead, I just feel worse...

Seeing Lin Li stop, Cheng Xiang strode quickly toward her. Yesterday, his mother had returned and told him she ran into Lin Li at the airport. She said Lin Li had gone back with her parents and urged him to give up hope and stop thinking about her. She claimed the Lin Li of today was no longer the person she used to be—rude enough to even shove her. Most importantly, she said Lin Li was married; she had gotten married just four months after they had parted ways! He didn't believe it. He couldn't believe Lin Li would be rude enough to push his mother, and he certainly couldn't believe she had actually gotten married! Yet, his mother’s adamant demeanor didn't look like a lie; she said she had seen the man Lin Li married right there at the airport, and the two of them were acting as intimately as any couple in love. He didn't believe it—he truly didn't want to believe it, nor was he willing to. He desperately needed to see Lin Li and find out exactly what was going...

Feeling a bit self-conscious about the previous night's events, Lin Li rose early the next day; while Zhou Han was out for his morning exercise, she packed up, drove to the office, and got straight to work. She went through her usual routine: booting up her computer, scanning her inbox for urgent messages, and reviewing Zhou Han’s schedule for the day. She also made a dozen copies of the documents Zhou Han had given her the night before, ready to distribute them when the department heads arrived for their meeting. Once the preparations were complete, Lin Li grabbed her mug and headed to the break room to pour herself some tea. Back at her desk, she habitually opened the local city forum to check the latest news and updates from Jiangcheng. A particular thread on the forum was trending wildly, boasting tens of thousands of views and replies. Even more sensational than the engagement numbers, however, was the thread's title: "Jiangcheng Deputy Mayor Sex Scandal." Curiou...

Lin Li walked up to him, looking puzzled, and asked, "What were you doing with my phone?" Zhou Han handed the phone back to her and said frankly, "I answered a call while you were away." "Who was it?" Lin Li reached out to take it and unlocked the screen to check the call log, only to hear Zhou Han say, "Cheng Xiang." Her hand, poised over the phone, froze instantly; she stood there blankly for a long moment, unable to react. Zhou Han took in her expression and said coolly, "If you were thinking of calling back..." "I have no intention of calling back." Lin Li cut him off immediately. "Why would I? I said I was going to forget that person!" Zhou Han smiled at her and said, "I just wanted to tell you that if you *did* want to call back—well, I'm sorry, but I deleted the call record." Lin Li was stunned for a moment. "If you deleted the record, why did you even tell me he called?" Zhou Han shrug...

On the drive back, Lin Li turned to look at Zhou Han for a long moment before finally saying, "I never realized you were such a good actor." Zhou Han glanced at her, then turned his eyes back to the road ahead. With a faint, half-smile playing on his lips, he said, "I’m a businessman; I value efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Getting it right the first time is always better than having to make endless revisions later." Lin Li nodded, adding with a touch of sarcasm, "True enough—one-and-done, right?" Zhou Han didn't turn his head; he kept his focus on the road. The atmosphere inside the car shifted abruptly, becoming heavy and stifling. Lin Li felt inexplicably out of sorts—agitated and uneasy. She knew her foul mood stemmed not just from her parents' departure, but also from the encounter with Cheng Xiang’s mother at the airport. After a long silence, Zhou Han spoke first, a hint of a smile in his voice: "It seems your judgment is truly terri...

Lin Li was somewhat surprised to run into Cheng Xiang’s mother here, but out of courtesy, she stood up and gave a slight nod. Mother Cheng walked over and stopped in front of her. She glanced briefly at Lin Li’s parents—who were seated nearby—before fixing her gaze back on Lin Li’s face. Without betraying much emotion, she asked, "So, you’re getting ready to leave Jiangcheng with your parents?" Lin Li looked at her; having no desire to answer the question, she simply asked in a cold tone, "Is there something you need?" In truth, Lin Li knew that Cheng Xiang’s mother had never liked her. It was only because Cheng Xiang had insisted on being with her that his parents had reluctantly agreed to the relationship.  Consequently, even though she and Cheng Xiang had been together for ten years, he rarely took her to his family home; he usually went back alone for the holidays. Although the Cheng family eventually stopped opposing the relationship, she had never truly won th...