My name's Zhao Jian, I'm twenty-six, and I'm a driver. Life's pretty average, just driving the boss around in his car.
One day, I took the boss to the bank. The parking was tight, so I pulled over to the side of the road and waited for him in the car. Usually, the cops don't give you a ticket for that.
Wouldn't you know it, not long after I parked, a woman in a red coat came out of the bank, and she immediately caught my eye. It was drizzling, kind of hazy, but I still squinted. It wasn't just the red coat that got my attention, it was that the woman looked way too familiar.
"Isn't that my wife, Lu Wan? What's she doing here?"
Speaking of my wife, Lu Wan, she's an English teacher at the local elementary school, and she's a real beauty. Petite, with snow-white skin, a perfect face, and a really capable way about her – everything she does just draws me in.
I went all out when I was chasing after her, and I finally managed to win her heart. That's why I treat her so well. I do all the dirty work and chores around the house. Even though I'm not the romantic type, I rack my brain trying to do things that'll make her happy. I just want to do everything I can to protect our family.
I always thought my efforts would earn me my wife's true heart.
So seeing her come out of the bank doors right now felt really strange. As far as I knew, she should be teaching at school at this time. Why she was at the bank was beyond me.
I saw her looking around, like she was waiting for a car. I was thinking about getting out and calling to her. After I dropped off the company president, I could have given her a ride to school.
But just then, a black Audi A6 pulled up in front of her. A tall guy got out of the Audi. He had an umbrella up, so I couldn't see his face.
But what happened next really shocked me.
My wife ducked under his umbrella. It was still drizzling lightly, and I saw her go up on her tiptoes, like she was leaning in for something. The umbrella blocked what they were doing, but it was clear they were being intimate.
My heart felt like it had been stabbed. It hurt so bad.
As a man, I definitely couldn't let this slide. Especially my wife, who I love so much. The thought of her in another man's arms was something I just couldn't accept.
I didn't care about anything else. I immediately opened the car door, wanting to get out and see what was going on.
But then, the company president, Mr. Zhang, came out of the bank after getting his cash. He saw me and said, "Xiao Zhao, all done? Let's go."
I was stunned for a second. I looked back up at my wife, but she and the tall guy had already gotten into the car. The tall guy seemed really attentive, a real gentleman.
I really wanted to rush over and see if it was my wife, but I was also afraid I might be wrong.
The chance was gone in a flash. The Audi A6 started up, and I watched my wife disappear right in front of me.
"Damn it! Just wait until I find that bastard. I'll show him!"
Driving back, my mood was all over the place. It felt like I'd just eaten a pile of dog poop – absolutely disgusting.
I finally dropped Mr. Zhang off at the company and immediately called my wife.
"Honey, where are you?"
Because I was in a bad mood, my tone was really harsh.
"Honey, what's wrong? Why are you coming at me like that?" She sounded really surprised by my reaction.
Hearing that, I felt like I could kill someone. I felt completely betrayed.
I tried to calm myself down and said to her, "Where did you go this morning?"
"Nowhere! I was just teaching at school!"
I just laughed coldly to myself. You're a real actress, I thought.
To put myself in a better position, I said to her, "Honey, it's the weekend today. Come home early tonight, and I'll make you something delicious."
She was silent for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry, but there's a parent-teacher conference today. I might be home pretty late."
Hearing that, I knew for sure I'd been cheated on.
I hung up the phone, wanting to curse at the top of my lungs.
Just then, I suddenly heard someone calling my name.
"Zhao Jian, come here for a second." It was Mr. Zhang's secretary, Liu Jing.
Speaking of Liu Jing, she came to Mr. Zhang's company right after graduating college. She was doing fine in the sales department, but suddenly, Mr. Zhang promoted her to his secretary.
As Mr. Zhang's driver, I knew exactly what was going on.
I remember that day very clearly. Liu Jing was in the sales department office, working on reports by herself. Being a newbie, she had a lot to do, so everyone else had gone home, but she was still busy.
It just so happened that Mr. Zhang was working late that night too. He saw Liu Jing alone in the sales department and casually went in to chat with her. Mr. Zhang probably just meant to check on her, tell her not to work too hard.
But for some reason, Liu Jing started giving Mr. Zhang the eye. Mr. Zhang is an old hand in these matters, so he naturally knew what she was up to.
The friendly chat turned into flirting, and that changed everything.
Before long, Liu Jing and Mr. Zhang got together, and she jumped from the sales department to the general manager's office as his secretary. As for the original secretary, Mr. Zhang was pretty decent to her and moved her to the administration department as a manager.
Being Mr. Zhang's favorite, Liu Jing was definitely someone I couldn't afford to offend. Working in the corporate world, I understood that perfectly well.
I hurried over to Liu Jing, all smiles. "Ms. Liu, is there anything you need?"
Liu Jing flipped her long hair and said to me, "Zhao Jian, don't always call me Ms. Liu. It makes us sound so distant."
I frowned a little, not quite understanding.
"Then what should I call you?" I asked cautiously.
"You can call me Jing'er. That's my nickname," Liu Jing said half-jokingly.
My face immediately darkened. "Mr. Zhang might not like hearing that," I said.
Liu Jing burst out laughing. "Of course, not in front of Mr. Zhang. But behind his back, you can call me that."
Damn, she was coming on to me pretty strong.
I softly said, "Jing'er."
Liu Jing's smile widened, her flirtatiousness going right down to her bones.
I swallowed hard and asked her, "What did Mr. Zhang want to see me about?"
Liu Jing frowned. "It's probably about that little vixen again. He can't handle his mistress."
I was confused. "What can I do if he can't handle her?" I asked.
Liu Jing played coy. "You'll find out when you go in."
Every time I went to Mr. Zhang's office, I was extremely careful, afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing.
To be honest, Mr. Zhang's office was spacious and impressive. There was even a small private room attached, which I knew was for him and Liu Jing.
Mr. Zhang's full name is Zhang Zhiyuan. He's around forty, about six feet tall, a little overweight, and looks like a successful private entrepreneur.
They say his early days of starting the business were tough, and he owes a lot of his success to his wife's family's support. That's why Mr. Zhang is really afraid of his wife. I've been to his house a few times, and his wife has asked me about Mr. Zhang. I've always kept my mouth shut. Because of that, Mr. Zhang trusts me a lot and always gives me confidential things to do.
Seeing me come in, Mr. Zhang was very polite. "Xiao Zhao, have a seat."
Then, he took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his pocket and offered me one.
After lighting his cigarette and taking a puff, Mr. Zhang said, "Xiao Zhao, it's the weekend today. You know how it is, my old lady insists I go home."
I just smiled. Usually, I don't offer any opinions on things like that.
Mr. Zhang continued, "But Little Fei over there is demanding I go to her today too. She's threatening to die if I don't! What do you think I should do?"
I just smiled again. It was his own business. What could I possibly say?
Just then, Mr. Zhang took out a jewelry box from his pocket and pushed it towards me.
Seeing that jewelry box, my heart suddenly started racing. I felt like I knew what was coming.
"Mr. Zhang, what's this...?"