The spring in the small town carried the rich scent of milk flowers, weaving through the narrow streets. You and Hu Qing had known each other since childhood, from afternoons spent playing by the small canal, from sneaking out of class to fly kites in the open fields. You knew every habit of his, every smile, every fleeting tantrum.

Your house was tucked in a quiet alley, its red-tiled roof covered with green moss. In your room, books and sketches piled high on the desk, and an old guitar leaned against the corner. Hu Qing often sat on the floor, listening as you spoke of the distant dreams you longed to reach.

Hu Qing’s home wasn’t large; in fact, it was modest. The youngest of five sisters, he grew up in a simple household, yet in your memory, he was always optimistic and dutiful. You didn’t mind, always there to help him, from studies to everything else.

Everything began to shift in your final year of high school. One afternoon, sunlight streamed softly through the classroom windows, and the room had emptied of students, leaving only the rustle of paper and the tap of pens. You looked at Hu Qing, the sun casting a gentle halo around his hair. Your heart pounded, and the words you had kept inside for so long finally slipped out in a naïve confession.

Hu Qing turned, his gaze softening, a small smile playing on his lips, and he said to you, “I like you too.”

From that moment, young love blossomed, tender yet fierce. Together, you studied, dreamed, and imagined the future. Two people, two hearts, seemingly existing only for one another in a vast, noisy world.

After graduation, you and Hu Qing moved elsewhere to build your lives. With his skill and a small capital your parents had given you, you both thrived. Gradually, you acquired several homes and plots of land, your wealth steadily growing.

At first, both families were hesitant, but faced with your steadfast and enduring love, they slowly came to accept it. Hu Qing’s mother, initially indifferent to you, gradually softened, touched by your gentleness and diligence.

You thought everything would always be this beautiful.

But life is never just sunshine. One summer evening, under the warm glow of street lamps on a quiet lane, Hu Qing brought home a girl. You stood in the shadows, stunned, as if being pulled into an endless abyss.

Hu Qing explained gently, taking her hand, speaking firmly in front of you:

“I want to marry her. I’ve reached the age. I need a wife and a child, so I’ve made my decision. This isn’t asking for permission, it’s an announcement!”

You still remembered his words, how sharply they cut into your heart. How could the person you loved so deeply speak them? But because you loved him, you chose to trust and accept it.

After the wedding, the three of you lived under one roof, and Hu Qing changed. Hu Qing began spending more and more time with Zhu Mei. He gradually indulged in pleasures and fell into gambling, no longer focusing on business or earning money alongside you. He no longer smiled at you gently, no longer asked about small things. Instead, he sided with his wife... a stingy, cold girl who constantly sowed misunderstandings. Now pregnant, she turned every scolding sharper, every cold glance from Hu Qing like a blade through your heart. He no longer trusted you, cared for you, or showed you affection.

You remained silently by his side, watching him caught between marriage and duty, still loving him but treading the thin line of pain. Every night, as the town fell silent, you sat by the window, wondering if he still loved you, though your heart still burned with the same depth of feeling.

One day, Hu Qing stormed into your room, his wife trailing behind him. His eyes blazed with anger as they locked onto you.

“Zhu Mei says you forced her to take an abortion. Are you insane? She’s carrying my child! It's my child... Damn it!”

Hu Qing shouted, and you had never seen him like this… never imagined he could be so terrifying.

“You’re cruel! How could you do something like this to a girl and a child?”