On a breezy ordinary weekend, Li Ming was lying on the sofa swiping his mobile phone, exchanging a few words of homely things with his wife Xiaoli who was embroidering next to him from time to time. The two have been married for five years, and they go home except for work on weekdays, and their lives are calm and regular.
"Hey, tomorrow there is a colleague's birthday in the company, and everyone wants to go to a hot pot to celebrate." Xiaoli said casually without care, and the embroidery needle in her hand was not idle for a moment.
"Tomorrow? Isn't it the day when the two of us go to the supermarket together? Li Ming put down his phone, a little puzzled.
"I'll go back next week, it's rare for everyone to get together." Xiaoli glanced at Li Ming with a smile, and there was a hint of expectation in her eyes.
"It doesn't matter if the party is coming, who's coming?" Li Ming's tone was slightly worried.
"As far as the people from our department are concerned, and Zhang Qiang will also come." Xiao Li paused, and seemed to notice the change in Li Ming's face.
Li Ming frowned, "Zhang Qiang? Is it the tall guy who sat next to you at the last company dinner? ”
"Yes, it's him, he's a very nice person, and he often helps." Xiaoli continued to embroider, and there was a little approval in her voice.
"Oh, that's right." Li Ming's voice was a little cold, and a thought suddenly rose in his heart, but he quickly dispelled that thought, he couldn't doubt his wife for no reason.
In the next few days, Xiaoli was busy at work, and Li Ming also devoted himself to his own projects. In the blink of an eye, the day of the agreed hot pot came, and Xiaoli picked out a beautiful dress from the wardrobe early and prepared to put it on.
"Are you dressed so beautifully today?" Li Ming asked casually while tying his tie.
"Well, be respectful of your colleagues, and everyone will dress more formally." Xiaoli's face was filled with a relaxed smile.
In the evening, Xiaoli put on light makeup, picked up her bag and prepared to go out.
"Then I'll go first and come back no later." Xiaoli straightened her hair in the mirror.
"Well, stay safe." Li Ming said softly, but he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.
The sound of the door closing sounded, and Li Ming sat on the sofa in a daze. There has never been a conflict between them, and he trusts Xiaoli. But tonight, for some reason, he always felt a little uneasy, and he always felt that he should go and see. Perhaps, just for the sake of their own peace of mind. Li Ming was uneasy, and casually picked up Xiaoli's mobile phone left on the sofa to check the time. There were several unread messages on the screen, one was Zhang Qiang's WeChat, "Xiaoli, let's try it in another place next time?" That hot pot last time was really good. His heart thumped, opened the dialog box, and inadvertently began to browse.
During the conversation, Xiaoli and Zhang Qiang's chat seemed to be very ordinary, occasionally dotted with a few smiling faces and naughty expressions. But Li Ming noticed the frequent interactions between them and the exchange of food insights with each other.
"She said they were just ordinary colleagues, why did they talk so much?" Li Ming was suspicious in his heart, and secretly decided to go and see what their dinner was like.
When the weekend came, Li Ming turned down his friend's invitation and told Xiaoli that he was working overtime, but in fact he drove to the hot pot restaurant agreed by the two. He sat down by the window with a clear view of the store, and ordered the simplest meal for a single person.
Soon, Xiaoli and Zhang Qiang appeared in his sight together. Xiaoli was wearing that orange-red dress, which looked particularly lively. Zhang Qiang's tall figure followed, and the conversation and laughter between the two made Li Ming's heart sink to the bottom.
They entered the hot pot restaurant and found a corner spot to sit down. It happened to be blocked by a large pot of green plants, and Li Ming could only see a vague figure.
Faintly, Li Ming heard laughter floating over. "Zhang Qiang, the sauce you recommended last time is really suitable for me!" Xiaoli's voice.
"Haha, that's a must, I'm a hot pot expert, and I have more cheats to share with you next time!" Zhang Qiang replied confidently.
Li Ming listened to their pleasant conversation, and his heart was mixed. He could not sit still, and was eager to rush forward, to remove the pot of greenery, and to unravel the fog that was bothering him.
But reason eventually stopped him, telling himself that maybe it was really just a simple colleague relationship. As time passed, Li Ming's mood turned from doubt to anxiety, and finally to uneasiness and pain.
In the mess of cups and plates, Zhang Qiang and Xiaoli's voices gradually became scarce. Li Ming reminded himself that he had to be calm, and he had to continue to observe. So he sat there quietly until the two of them had finished their dinner and left smiling, without himself touching a bite of the pre-dinner side dish. When the night grew dark and the neon lights on the street began to flicker, Li Ming sat on a bench outside the hot pot restaurant and unconsciously lit a cigarette. He stared at the door of the hot pot restaurant, his eyes determined and confused. There was a faint sound of music and laughter coming from the shop, and he could faintly hear someone singing.
Suddenly, he noticed a sign at the door, which read, "Tonight's KTV chorus event, couples who come to sing love songs will be discounted." His heart warmed up, and almost subconsciously he stood up and walked towards the store.
The atmosphere in the store is lively, with people sitting around and a small KTV machine in the middle, with two microphones flashing in the light. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice.
"Come, Zhang Qiang, I've heard you sing this song "Regret", your voice is super suitable!" Xiaoli's voice was full of excitement.
"Okay, then let's sing it together!" Zhang Qiang's voice was equally excited.
The fire in his heart was completely ignited, and Li Ming approached quickly and followed the voice to find them. Xiaoli and Zhang Qiang were holding microphones, singing word by word, and the colleagues around them applauded. Zhang Qiang's voice is warm and magnetic, while Xiaoli is soft and emotional, and the voices of the two are intertwined, like a tacit understanding between lovers.
"Enough!" Li Ming rushed forward angrily and sadly, grabbing Xiaoli's arm. The music stopped abruptly, and the crowd around watched in shock at the sudden scene.
"Li Ming, what are you doing, it's so rude!" Xiaoli's voice was full of surprise and unease.
"I ask you, what is your relationship with him?! Is there something wrong with you! Li Ming almost shouted these words, and his lips trembled.
"What's the matter, we're just singing a song. Why are you like this, you don't understand me at all! Xiaoli was so angry and anxious that tears even appeared in the corners of her eyes.
"Li Ming, calm down. We're really just interacting with each other. Zhang Qiang also recovered from the shock and tried to explain.
But Li Ming didn't seem to listen, and the doubts and anger in his heart enveloped all reason.
"Huh, interactive?! Why don't you find other colleagues, why do you have to be with my wife? Li Ming's voice was sharp, almost accusatory.
"Because Xiaoli sings beautifully, each of us takes turns singing, what's the big deal!" Zhang Qiang tried to explain, but Li Ming apparently didn't buy it.
"It wasn't intentional, I really didn't," Xiaoli said as she cried, and the colleagues around her began to talk to each other.
This intense scene played in Li Ming's mind like slow motion, and the pleasant atmosphere of the dinner party was replaced by an awkwardness and tension. He began to realize the damage that an emotional runaway had done to each other's relationships, but it seemed too late. The atmosphere of the hot pot restaurant gradually cooled down, and Li Ming's anger was dissipated by Xiaoli's tears and Zhang Qiang's innocent eyes. The three of them found a relatively quiet corner and sat down.
"Li Ming, I really don't have what you think. Zhang Qiang: He has always respected me. Xiaoli wiped away her tears, her tone choked but firm.
Li Ming took a deep breath and tried to calm his emotions, "I... Maybe I'm thinking too much, but I really care about you. ”
"I know." Xiaoli replied softly, looking up at Li Ming, "You care about me, I'm very happy." But this mutual suspicion is not good for either of us. ”
Zhang Qiang also interjected, "Li Ming, I understand your feelings, if it were me, I might be more angry than you." But I dare to use my personality to guarantee that the relationship between me and Xiaoli is only a pure working relationship. ”
"I... I'm sorry. Li Ming finally lowered his head and apologized to Xiaoli and Zhang Qiang, "Tonight's things are too out of line." I trust you, Lily. ”
"It's fine, as long as you can understand." Xiaoli gently held Li Ming's hand, "My dear, we have to communicate more in the future, no matter what questions or unhappy we have, we have to talk about it face to face." ”
"I will." Li Ming nodded, and his mood changed significantly.
"In the future, if you mind, I won't attend." Xiaoli said softly.
"No, you should go and participate. I should learn to trust. Li Ming shook his head, "You have your social circle, I shouldn't restrict you because of my uneasiness." ”
The conversation between the three ended in understanding and respect, and Xiaoli and Zhang Qiang returned to the colleagues who had dinner together. Li Ming walked alone on the way home, his heart full of reflection. He realizes that the trust in marriage is a manor that two people maintain together, and he can't let this manor crack because of his willfulness.
Li Ming, who returned home, started a more in-depth dialogue with Xiaoli. They talked about each other's insecurity, boundaries, and expectations for marriage. Afterwards, both of them had a deeper level of knowledge and understanding.
The moonlight shone through the window in the quiet bedroom, and Li Ming stroked the forehead of the sleeping Xiaoli, and his heart felt unprecedented peace. He asked himself – how can we have a happy family if we can't trust even the closest people?