In a small town in the south of the Yangtze River, Li Hongmei was praised by her friends as a strong woman, with a successful career and a harmonious family. Husband Wang Gang is an ordinary employee of a company, although ordinary but stable and reliable, the two have a daughter Xiaoyu, who is a model family in the eyes of outsiders.
However, recently there has been a faint crack in Li Hongmei's heart. The pressure of work made her gradually lose her enthusiasm for business, and the communication with her husband became less and less, and as the days went by, she began to complain about Wang Gang in her heart, thinking that he did not understand her tiredness and tiredness.
At this time, Zhang Wei, Li Hongmei's friend from college days, also known as a male girlfriend, appeared. In the communication between the two, Zhang Wei can always find just the right words to comfort Li Hongmei, making her feel that her troubles have been understood.
By chance, Zhang Wei sent Li Hongmei home. "Hongmei, you seem so tired lately, has Wang Gang taken good care of you?" Zhang Wei asked with concern.
"Alas, you also know his man, who knows what I think." Li Hongmei sighed helplessly.
Zhang Wei comforted her softly: "You work so hard, someone should understand you and love you." ”
Li Hongmei turned sideways slightly and looked at Zhang Wei embarrassedly: "You are always so eloquent." ”
The relationship between them slowly underwent subtle changes, and Li Hongmei was shaken when she was most emotionally vulnerable. She began to crave the comfort of Zhang Wei's temporary escapism, and even after a long late-night conversation, the two crossed the line of friends.
In the unscrupulous secret correspondence, Li Hongmei always thought that her husband Wang Gang knew nothing about all this. Wang Gang was indeed as busy and silent as ever, uneven aware of her extra caution and anxiety.
That day, Wang Gang came home from work as usual, and Li Hongmei was still busy in the kitchen. "What should I eat at night?" Wang Gang asked, as if everything was as usual.
"Just make it simple, stir-fry some vegetables, steam a fish, and your favorite braised pork." Li Hongmei replied absentmindedly.
"Oh, okay, then I'll go take a shower." Wang Gang took off his coat and walked to the bathroom.
This scene may just be the norm of the family from Wang Gang's point of view, but for Li Hongmei, it is an illusion that she has tried her best to maintain, in her opinion, as long as every day is so stable, then Wang Gang will never know the secret between her and Zhang Wei.
Three meals a day, year after year, this seems to have become a talisman used by Li Hongmei to comfort herself. But in her heart, whenever she saw a photo of the couple, she felt an indescribable guilt and panic. Behind that smiling photo, there is a secret that Li Hongmei can't confess to anyone.
Late at night, she would always secretly take out her mobile phone and exchange emotional messages with Zhang Wei. "He seems to be a little suspicious today." Li Hongmei said to Zhang Wei.
Zhang Wei replied: "Don't worry, if he really knew, he would have taken action a long time ago." ”
Indeed, Wang Gang didn't seem to notice anything, and Li Hongmei's heart slowly calmed down, but she didn't know that this was just the tranquility before the calm waves.
Time passes like water. Li Hongmei's dual life between family and affair is becoming more and more difficult to deal with, and every day is like walking a tightrope, cautious, for fear of revealing flaws. While she was busy preparing for her mother's 60th birthday wedding banquet, Wang Gang was actually no longer the husband who didn't know anything.
"Hongmei, why hasn't that Zhang Wei seen him lately?" Wang Gang asked casually while watching the news.
Li Hongmei was shocked, but she still covered it up well: "He's been busy with work recently, and it seems that he has to go on a business trip." ”
"Oh, really?" Wang Gang nodded, with no expression on his face.
Wang Gang knew in his heart that this was just an excuse. He had already begun to notice that something was wrong with the atmosphere at home, and he also noticed that Li Hongmei often hid in the room and texted, looking abnormal. In order to find out the facts, he began to carefully pay attention to his wife's every move, silently collecting those scattered clues.
At the same time, Li Hongmei is under the pressure of preparing for her mother's 60th birthday. Relatives at home called one by one to inquire about the banquet, and my mother also participated in the discussion with great interest.
"Daughter, we have to do a good job of this wedding banquet, after all, it's my sixty-year-old birthday." Mother Bai Chrysanthemum said excitedly on the other end of the phone.
"Don't worry, Mom, leave everything to me, I will definitely satisfy you." Li Hongmei, as usual, maintained her daughter's duty.
In the dead of night, Zhang Wei and Li Hongmei's secret call began. "Hongmei, how are you preparing over there?"
"It's okay, it's just a little tired. I'm afraid I'll be tired one day. ”
"Don't tire yourself out, pay attention to your body. I'm done here, so I'll go over and help you. ”
"Well, it's nice to have you."
Almost every time the call ended, Li Hongmei would have a trace of guilt and fear in her heart. But whenever I think of Zhang Wei's care and comfort, these emotions are temporarily suppressed.
Here, Wang Gang inadvertently touched a movie ticket stub while cleaning his clothes pockets, which was a love movie that he had never watched together. In addition, there were several times when the bank statements were out of order, and her explanations were always inconsistent. More and more doubts made the doubts in his heart solidify. He decided to search for the truth in silence.
In order to make the family banquet more grand, Li Hongmei personally went to the market to select ingredients, "I have to buy the freshest fish, my mother likes to eat steamed." She muttered to herself, carefully selecting each dish. In the eyes of outsiders, she is still the good wife and daughter who is dutiful.
However, while Li Hongmei was carefully preparing for the celebration, Wang Gang had already begun to approach the truth in his own way. Even if it was as small as phone records, bills, or unexpected overtime, he didn't let it go. He even began to use some technical means to try to recover some of the information that Li Hongmei had deleted.
One night, Li Hongmei was chatting with Zhang Wei late at night, but Wang Gang pretended to appear as if nothing happened. "Hongmei, who are you talking to?"
"Ah, no, it's just consulting with a colleague in the unit about some work." Li Hongmei's voice was obviously panicked.
"Oh, it's so late, and you're still so busy at work?" Wang Gang continued quietly.
"Well, it's been a busy lately." Li Hongmei stared at the phone screen, avoiding eye contact.
In countless sleepless nights, Wang Gang's heart seemed to be pierced by thousands of needles, and he gradually lost his former tolerance and trust. This time, he told himself that he had to make it all fall into place, even if it would be something he didn't want to face.
Li Hongmei is busy preparing for her mother's birthday, while Wang Gang is secretly preparing for another battle, the two have their own ghosts in their hearts, and the family atmosphere is becoming more and more delicate. As the big birthday banquet is approaching, the dark tide is surging in this small house, which was once known as a model family, and a fierce emotional storm is about to be ushered in.
Sunlight shines through the cracks in the curtains in the palatial ballroom. The red couplets, colorful balloons, and hanging lanterns all indicate the festive atmosphere of the white chrysanthemum's 60th birthday. The guests were bustling and laughing, but behind this bustle, Wang Gang's heart seemed to be soaked in ice water.
"Wang Gang, thank you so much today, if it weren't for your help, this banquet wouldn't have been so good." White Chrysanthemum patted him on the shoulder enthusiastically.
"Mom, that's what I'm supposed to do." Wang Gang's smile was a little reluctant, but his eyes involuntarily drifted to Li Hongmei, who was busy.
Li Hongmei held red wine in one hand and sorted out the chopsticks and cups on the table with the other, smiling on the surface, but faintly revealing anxiety and uneasiness.
The banquet reached its climax, and the white chrysanthemum was invited to the stage to cut the ribbon. In the applause, Wang Gang knew that the time had come. He slowly stepped forward and took the microphone: "Relatives and friends, please come today, in addition to celebrating my mother's birthday, I also have some things I want to say." ”
The guests looked at each other suspiciously. Li Hongmei's heart tightened, and the wine glass in her hand almost slipped off.
"Hongmei, what's wrong with you?" Her friend whispered.
"No, nothing." Li Hongmei's voice was as thin as a mosquito's groan.
Wang Gang's eyes were firm, he took out a bunch of photos and documents from his pocket, and said calmly: "Today, I need to tell you that my wife Li Hongmei and a man named Zhang Wei..."
At this moment, the entire banquet hall suddenly fell silent, and a large group of curious and shocked eyes were aimed at Wang Gang who came to the stage and Li Hongmei in the crowd.
Wang Gang continued: "There is evidence that she betrayed our marriage. His voice was calm and unquestionable, and the evidence in his hand swayed slightly, revealing a weight that could not be ignored.
"Wang Gang, what are you doing?!" Li Hongmei couldn't help but ask, her face turned pale.
But Wang Gang didn't answer, he just continued to show the WeChat conversation logs, the close call time, and the few key video screenshots.
"Are you crazy! What are you doing in front of so many people!? Li Hongmei exclaimed in disbelief.
Friends and relatives whispered and talked about it, but no one could stop what was happening. White Chrysanthemum's expression changed from stunned to disbelief, then pain and sadness.
"Wang Gang, it's a matter for the two of you to hurt you, is it appropriate for you to do this on this occasion today?" A distant relative tried to speak out.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything else, just... It's just that I can't take it anymore. Wang Gang's voice was slightly choked, but it was more powerful.
In the chaos, Li Hongmei's face was pale, her eyes flashed with anger and confusion, but more shame and remorse. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to explain something, but in this awkward and heavy atmosphere, any words seemed pale and weak.
The tears of the white chrysanthemum slipped silently, and the festive banquet became a heavy burden in everyone's hearts in an instant. This unexpected revelation turned the entire birthday party into a family trial, and all the joy and blessings were drowned out by this suffocating truth.
A few days after the birthday party, the turmoil was unsettled, and the relationship between Wang Gang and Li Hongmei fell into an unprecedented impasse. The atmosphere at home was unusually depressing, and her mother, Bai Chrysanthemum, also fell ill because of the revelation that day, and the originally warm small home seemed to have become a battlefield of panic overnight.
Li Hongmei didn't know how to face Wang Gang, her heart was full of guilt, "Wang Gang, I know it's wrong." Please give me a chance that we can sit down and have a good talk? She finally burst into tears and realized the serious consequences of her actions.
Wang Gang looked at his former lover, and the anger in his heart seemed to slowly dissipate with her tears, "We..... We need to talk about it. ”
Under the persuasion of family and relatives and friends, the two finally sat together. Tension and embarrassment filled the air, but at least they began to communicate.
"Why? Why do that? Although Wang Gang's tone was calm, the sadness in his words was difficult to hide.
Li Hongmei pursed her lips and took a deep breath, "I don't know... It could be loneliness, it could be too much stress. But I know it's not an excuse. I really regret it. ”
"Is something wrong with our marriage?" Wang Gang asked.
"Probably... Maybe we're not on the same channel for a long time. Li Hongmei's tears fell again.
"So what do we do?" Wang Gang asked.
The two eventually decided to seek professional marriage counseling and tried to rebuild their broken trust through a series of efforts. Despite the bumpy road, they both realized that if they wanted to redeem their marriage, they needed to re-cultivate their relationship, get to know each other, and communicate their needs and expectations clearly.
After the first consultation, they returned home together, looking at the traces left by the years spent together, and the two were speechless. The sofa in the living room, the candlestick on the dining table, every corner is full of memories and emotions.
"Can our love really be redeemed?" Li Hongmei looked at Wang Gang quietly, and the most difficult question in the world hung silently in this room that was once full of laughter.