My Husband's Lover (6)

Liqin and I were given the special treatment. We were the only ones in our cell unlike other cells which were crowded. But it wasn't good news. We were placed inside a cell which was far from the flame, the only source of heat in the prison. The evening breeze would surely be entering this place.

"I can't believe they put us in here," I grumpily said while sitting beside Liqin. "This ground isn't even helping at all. It's too cold."

Liqin just kept on staring at the ground.

"Are you okay with this?" I asked.

He shook his head and said, "It is sad how justice only works for those with power. I did not steal anything. Why does no one believe me?"

"Wow. I got arrested because I stood up for you. Am I no one?"

He chuckled. "I thought you would be the one to put me in here. But instead, you are the only one who believes me. Even Guowei thinks I stole the herbs."

"Don't worry. Guowei will be here in no time. Or a few days I guess. But you don't have to worry because I'm here."

"Guowei..."

His voice trailed off. I gave out a sigh.

"Let's stop talking about sad things. Let's talk about how you and Guowei met."

I already knew how they met, but I thought that it was interesting to know the story according to Liqin. The author might have missed something.

"Why would you need to know that? You were there."

"I was there?" I asked confused. "You and Guowei met when you were serving in the military, right?"

"We met way before that, even before you married each other. Did you hate me so much that you erased me in your memory? We used to be close friends."

I was taken aback with the new information. In the novel, Liqin and Guowei met after we married. Liqin saved Guowei from an attack causing him to be severely injured. From then on, the two grew close and feelings started to rise.

What took me more by shock was the fact that Yanyu and Liqin were friends, close friends. It was never mentioned in the novel. Or maybe I just had not gotten to that part yet.

"I was just joking. Actually, I just want to know your story according to your perspective. Wouldn't it be nice to hear something you know from another person's eyes?"

The three characters had the same age and the novel started when they were 25. Liqin and Guowei met when they were still 13 years old. Yanyu was there. Liqin and Guowei used to bicker every time they encountered each other. They would argue over the smallest things. Yanyu would be the only one who could stop them by luring Liqin with his favorite tofu. One day, Liqin suddenly told Yanyu that he liked Guowei and that Guowei was the one who helped him in his childhood. So Liqin and Guowei actually met during their younger years. And Liqin had been looking for him.

Liqin kept on saying how excited he was about telling Guowei his identity to Yanyu. Once when they were eating by the lake, Yanyu snapped and told him to stop talking about Guowei. Yanyu stopped talking with him. Then he found out about their marriage. The two friends started growing apart and Yanyu did unthinkable things to Liqin. But the worst was when she tried to drown him.

"I've really been a bad friend," I said. "Can I even call myself a friend?"

"You are a friend."

He placed his head on my shoulder, and I placed mine on his head.

I hummed a lullaby, and we closed our eyes to momentarily escape the harsh reality we were facing. I wondered how many innocent people had been put behind bars and how many criminals roamed freely on the streets. Maybe prison was the safer place.