Chapter 668 Undercurrent
At this moment, Liang Lu, looking at the simple faces of Qi Tongwei's family and listening to the whispers of the neighbors, the last bit of fantasy in her heart was completely shattered. She realized that her obsession not only hurt Qi Tongwei, but also made her go further and further on this wrong path. She trembled and took out a letter from her bag and handed it to Qi Tongwei: "This is what I wrote, you will understand after reading it." After that, she turned around and walked away from the village she should not have entered step by step, slowly but firmly.
Qi Tongwei opened the letter, and inside was Liang Lu's beautiful handwriting: "Tongwei, I was wrong. For so many years, I trapped myself in obsession, thinking that I could be happy by holding on to the past, but I forgot that life is always moving forward. I can't go back, and you don't have to be tied down by me anymore. I hope you can forgive my selfishness, and we will be well in the future."
Qi Tongwei held the letter in his hand and stood there for a long time, watching Liang Lu's back gradually going away, with mixed feelings in his heart. The past love, hatred, and grudges were spinning rapidly in his mind like a revolving lantern. The pain, struggle, and entanglement caused by obsession, at this moment, turned into a stare at Liang Lu's departing back. It was not until that figure completely disappeared at the end of the country road that he slowly came back to his senses and let out a long sigh, as if to spit out all the depression that had accumulated in his heart for many years.
After returning to the city, Qi Tongwei devoted himself to work, trying to use busyness to fill the empty space in his heart that occasionally rippled. He took on one difficult project after another, often staying up late in the office, fighting side by side with team members to overcome difficulties one after another. Every late-night battle and every intense brainstorming session made him feel extremely fulfilled, as if only by striving for his career could he completely get rid of the shadow of the past.
Liang Lu is the same. After returning to her family, she has devoted all her energy to repairing her relationship with her husband and children. In the morning, she gets up early and carefully prepares a nutritious breakfast. Seeing her husband and children enjoying it with satisfaction, her mouth lifts unconsciously. In her spare time, she reads picture books and plays games with her children, patiently answering every little confusion in their growth; in the evening, the family sits in front of the TV, sharing the fun of the day, and warm laughter echoes in the house. The once cold home is now warmed up by her love and dedication.
However, fate always seems to like playing jokes. When everything seems calm, it quietly stirs up waves. One morning, Qi Tongwei drove to work as usual. At a busy intersection, the red light came on and the vehicles stopped one by one. He looked sideways and saw Liang Lu sitting in the car in the lane next to him. Her husband was in the passenger seat, and the child was in the back seat. The family was talking and laughing. At that moment, their eyes met, and time seemed to freeze. A hint of surprise and complex emotions flashed in the eyes of both of them. The memories of the past surged in like a tide, but were instantly shattered by the reality of the scene.
Liang Lu subconsciously tightened the strap of her bag, the smile on her face froze instantly, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes, but soon she came to her senses and nodded slightly to Qi Tongwei as a greeting. Qi Tongwei also forced a smile, then looked away and stared straight ahead, his heart beating uncontrollably in his chest. The green light came on, the car slowly moved forward, they drove in different directions, like two straight lines that intersected and were destined to separate, each heading to the next stop in life.
This unexpected meeting made Qi Tongwei absent-minded the whole day. He made frequent mistakes at work, and when his colleagues reported the progress of their work to him, he was distracted several times and answered irrelevant questions. His boss noticed his abnormality and asked him about it with concern, but he could only make a few perfunctory remarks and use the excuse of being unwell to get away with it. After get off work, he did not work overtime as usual, but drove to the river alone, looking at the surging river, his thoughts drifting away. He remembered the young and ignorant self on campus many years ago, fighting for his studies and dreams; he remembered Liang Lu's passionate pursuit, and the various troubles and hardships that followed; he also remembered the complex emotions when the two met again at the class reunion, and the final confrontation in the village of his hometown... Those scenes kept flashing back like movie clips, and he couldn't help asking himself: Is this journey a trick of fate, or a necessary path to growth?
Liang Lu was also silent on the way home. The laughter of her husband and children seemed to be blocked by an invisible glass. All she could think about was the moment when she looked into the eyes of Qi Tongwei. The past that she thought she had completely let go of was ruthlessly torn open again at that moment. All those dusty emotions and regrets that had not dissipated came out all at once. When she got home, she pretended to be calm and accompanied her children to finish their homework. After the children fell asleep, she returned to the bedroom alone, sat by the bed, and tears quietly fell.
In the days that followed, Qi Tongwei and Liang Lu would occasionally meet in some corner of the city, either in a shopping mall or a restaurant. Every time, they would greet each other politely, and when their eyes met, a subtle wave flashed across their faces, and then they would calm down and move on. The love and hatred they once had, under the tempering of years and the precipitation of life, gradually turned into a faint tacit understanding - no more entanglement, no more looking back, and respecting each other's current life.
A few years later, Qi Tongwei rose through the ranks in the workplace with his outstanding work ability and became a highly regarded elite in the industry. However, he did not lose himself in fame and fortune. Instead, he learned to cherish everything around him. He met a gentle and kind woman, and the two fell in love with each other, entered the marriage hall hand in hand, and formed a happy new family. In his spare time, he would take his wife back to his hometown to visit his parents, and the family would enjoy the joy of family life.
Liang Lu's family is becoming more harmonious, her children are growing up healthily and are doing well in their studies. After going through ups and downs, she and her husband have a deeper relationship. They often participate in parent-child activities and travel together, using their love to create a warm environment for their children to grow up in. She used to be persistent, stubborn, and lost in her relationship, but now she has transformed into a mature and wise mother and wife.
During a charity event, Qi Tongwei and Liang Lu met again as volunteers. At this time, their faces were filled with happiness and calmness. The two worked side by side, cooperating tacitly, distributing supplies and providing services to people in need. During the break, they sat aside, looked at the bustling crowd, and smiled at each other.
As Qi Tongwei and Liang Lu smiled at each other, the past years whizzed by. Those green, hot and painful fragments of memories seemed to be pieced together again at this moment. It's just that at this moment, their faces had a bit more calmness after years of precipitation, but there were still undercurrents surging in their hearts.