Bewitched women

After three years of relentless pursuit, I finally managed to win over the most beautiful girl in school to become my girlfriend. I thought I was the luckiest man on earth. However, after we started living together, I discovered that she had been keeping a secret from me...

1.

After three years of arduous pursuit, the campus belle finally agreed to be my girlfriend.

But there were three peculiar conditions.

The first condition: I was absolutely forbidden to touch her before we got married. She insisted on saving her first time for our wedding night.

The second condition: After graduation, we could live together for one year, but we had to sleep in separate rooms. During this year, I was not allowed to enter her room, not even once. If caught, we would have to break up immediately.

The third condition: If we got along well during that year, we could get married. She didn't want any dowry, but after marriage, I had to live with her in her hometown for at least ten years. After ten years, she would be willing to settle down anywhere with me.

My girlfriend was the universally recognized beauty of the Normal University. Many people pursued her. I once saw a wealthy gentleman who filled the area below her apartment with 999 roses. The amount of money he spent on those roses alone could cover my living expenses for six months. He even boasted that if she agreed to be his girlfriend, he would buy her a sports car and provide her with a generous monthly allowance.

I also witnessed a handsome and talented guy from our school chasing after her. He was unbelievably good-looking, making most girls unable to move their legs upon seeing him. Not only was he handsome, but he was also multi-talented, playing the guitar and singing. He captivated the hearts of our school's older female students, even some young female teachers fell for him at first sight. Can you imagine how infuriating that was?

Actually, that's not the most infuriating part.

What's truly infuriating is that the campus belle didn't choose a handsome guy or a wealthy second-generation. Instead, she ended up with me.

Some people might not believe it and think I'm bragging.

Either that, or I'm richer than that wealthy gentleman and handsomer than that good-looking guy.

I'm sorry, but I have neither of those qualities.

Not only am I not handsome, but I also have a somewhat ugly appearance. I'm the kind of person who would blend into the crowd and go unnoticed among the masses. I'm simply inconspicuous.

Moreover, my family background is very average. Both of my parents are ordinary farmers. I am the hope of the entire village, one of the few villagers who made it to college.

So, someone might ask, if you're both ugly and poor, why would the campus belle choose you?

In fact, I pondered over this question for a long time and eventually came up with an answer. Perhaps it was my devoted actions, like that of a loyal dog, that ultimately touched her.

Others who pursued the campus belle, at most, persevered for one or two months, and the longest they lasted was half a year before giving up. But I pursued her for a full three years.

Three years, a whole three years! Do you know how I spent those years?

Every morning, I would wake up early and buy breakfast for the campus belle. Before she woke up, I would go to the bottom of her apartment building and ask passing classmates to deliver it to her.

I don't know if she actually ate it, but I delivered it every day without fail. Rain or shine, even in heavy snowfall, I never skipped a day.

Even if the sky were falling, I would still persist every day.

In addition to that, on holidays or her birthday, I would give her gifts. These were all purchased with the money I saved by living frugally and working hard.

Sometimes, in order to save money to buy her gifts, I would go hungry for several days in a row, even a whole week surviving on instant noodles every day.

During these three years, I often experienced bouts of hunger followed by moments of fullness. I ate undercooked instant noodles and even developed severe stomach problems. Sometimes, I would lie in bed at night in excruciating pain.

And everything I did had only one purpose: to win over the campus belle who had captured everyone's attention.

However, in these three years, the campus belle never went on a date with me, nor did she even speak a few words to me. But this didn't hinder my feelings for her. Every time I saw her, I would have a heart-pounding sensation. This feeling made me unable to resist; I felt that she was the woman I wanted to marry in this lifetime.

Because of this, I faced a lot of ridicule from my classmates. They said I was a toad longing for swan's meat. They asked, "With so many handsome and wealthy guys pursuing her, who do you think you are to chase after the campus belle?"

But little did they know that even a toad could have its dreams. Otherwise, what's the difference between me and a salted fish?

I pursued her wholeheartedly for these three years. Throughout these three years, the campus belle, Pū Lìmèi, remained indifferent towards me. However, during these three years, she had also never dated any other man.

And that was my reason to continue pursuing her.

If she had started dating someone during my pursuit, I would have lost my motivation to continue.

But what I didn't expect was that just a few days before graduation, Pū Lìmèi, the campus belle, suddenly came to my dormitory and stood in front of me. At that moment, I felt like I was dreaming. I could hardly believe my eyes.

Then she called me out and told me these three conditions in a small grove on campus.

When Pū Lìmèi, the campus belle, revealed these three conditions, without any hesitation, I immediately agreed to them.

2.

But what I didn't anticipate was that each of these three conditions had significant meaning and would completely change the trajectory of my life.

After returning to the dormitory, my roommates approached me, curious about what had happened between me and Pū Lìmèi.

I told them that Pū Lìmèi was now my girlfriend, and it seemed like she had even pursued me a bit.

My roommates were somewhat dismissive, and some even conjured up conspiracy theories, claiming that Pū Lìmèi was definitely using me to achieve some sinister purpose, and I should brace myself for misfortune.

However, reality would slap them in the face.

The next morning, when I woke up intending to bring breakfast to Pū Lìmèi, I discovered that she was already standing at the entrance of the male dormitory, loudly calling my name while holding steaming breakfast in her hands.

Clearly, she had come to bring me food.

Pū Lìmèi even said that since I had brought her breakfast for three years, she would take over the responsibility of providing breakfast for the rest of our lives. She absolutely wouldn't let me lift a finger.

Hearing those words, tears welled up in my eyes. Three years of effort hadn't been in vain.

Even a loyal follower could have a day of redemption.

True to her word, Pū Lìmèi continued to show up at the entrance of the male dormitory every morning, holding breakfast. Every morning, I would receive the envy-filled gazes of countless male students as I accepted breakfast from the ethereal beauty, Pū Lìmèi, and gave her an embrace filled with love.

This scene left countless boys who had a secret crush on Pu Limei heartbroken and devastated. The handsome and talented guy who had once pursued Pu Limei even wrote a poem about it: "I entrusted my heart to the bright moon, but alas, the bright moon shines on an ugly donkey!"

Pfft, blatant envy and jealousy. I couldn't be bothered.

Unfortunately, the time for college graduation quickly arrived, which meant I wouldn't be able to receive breakfast from Pu Limei's hands under the admiring gaze of numerous boys anymore.

However, Liu Peng, that's me, was about to embrace a new dawn.

Shortly after graduation, I started cohabitating with the campus belle, Pu Limei.

If that handsome guy were to find out about it, he would probably write another poem filled with sour and bitter sentiments.

Too bad, I won't be able to hear it.

Even I didn't expect happiness to come so quickly.

According to our previous agreement, after graduation, we planned to live together for a year. This year would be a process of getting to know each other better. If things went well, after a year, we would get married and have children. However, there was one condition: I had to follow her back to her hometown and live there for at least ten years.

Although I didn't know why she had such a strange requirement, living with an incredibly beautiful girl like her made everything else unimportant. Right now, Pu Limei was the only person in my heart.

Just like any ordinary college couple, we rented a house together after graduation.

Both of us were broke after graduation, without much money to spare.

Ideally, in our situation, it would have been best to rent a single room to save as much money as possible. However, Pu Limei insisted on renting a two-bedroom apartment. Just the rent alone put immense financial pressure on us fresh graduates.

But I had promised her before, and no matter how difficult it was, I was determined to fulfill it.

So, I borrowed some money from a few buddies in the dormitory and managed to gather enough for the rent. In my heart, I thought, once I found a job, I would work hard and earn a lot of money to meet Pu Limei's expectations.

The ideals were lofty, but reality was harsh.

After Pu Limei and I moved into the rented house, we started actively searching for jobs. Pu Limei, with her outstanding looks and excellent academic performance, easily found a decent job. However, I faced rejection everywhere and searched for a suitable job for half a month, but to no avail.

As a result, I felt extremely down, coming home late every day, afraid to face Pu Limei.

However, Pu Limei wasn't bothered by this matter. Instead, she would return home early, prepare meals, and wait for me to come back and eat.

This touched me deeply, and for the first time, I began to doubt myself.

Pu Limei was so beautiful and had excellent qualities, while I, on the other hand, seemed to have nothing to offer except my sincere love for her. I knew I had to work twice as hard to ensure she had a good life.

After living together, we truly lived like a young married couple. Every morning, she would wake up early to make breakfast for me. When I tried to help, she would refuse, saying that since I had been delivering breakfast to her for three years, she would take care of the meals from now on as compensation for those three years.

Watching Pu Limei busy in the small kitchen, I felt a sense of disbelief in my eyes.

Was this the same campus belle, Pu Limei, who had captivated countless people?

This incredibly amazing woman had become my girlfriend and we were living together. There was a moment when everything felt surreal.

Pu Limei was truly a domesticated woman, taking care of household chores, cleaning, and keeping the house spotless when she returned from work.

During our leisure time, we would sit together and watch movies or listen to music.

Everything was going well.

However, there was one thing—I couldn't enter her room. Since the day we moved in, I hadn't stepped inside once. Nearly half a month had passed, and I couldn't even glance inside from her doorway.

3.

Every time she entered or exited her room, she did so cautiously. She would open her door just a crack, slipping in or out, then quickly close the door, as if she were afraid of me seeing something inside her room.

After a month, I finally found a job working in business development for a joint venture company.

To earn more money and provide a good life for Pu Limei, I worked hard and gained the appreciation of my boss. However, due to frequent business trips and irregular meals, I developed a severe stomach illness. In fact, I had often experienced stomach pain back in college, but it worsened after starting work, as I was trying to save money to buy gifts for Pu Limei.

Just after graduation, with little money and borrowed funds from classmates, a trip to the hospital would cost at least one or two thousand. I could only manage to buy some stomach medicine and tough it out.

Gradually, our lives began to improve, and my job became more stable.

In the blink of an eye, three months had passed, and Pu Limei and I got along very harmoniously. We had never had a single argument.

However, let's be honest. I was a young man in his early twenties, full of youthful vigor. Being with Pu Limei, a stunning beauty, every day, it was impossible not to have certain thoughts.

But I had promised Pu Limei that I would not touch her before marriage. However, during normal times, holding hands, hugging, and giving a kiss had no issues, and Pu Limei never refused.

Due to my hard work and transition from an intern to a full-time employee, my income has increased, and I have more free time than before.

Every day after work, I would pick up Li Mei and we would go home together.

Whenever she saw me appearing at the entrance of the company, Li Mei would be very happy. She would quickly walk over, and amidst the curious glances of passersby, she would loop her arm around mine, and we would set off on our way home.

At moments like these, I would feel a sense of pride and great satisfaction in my heart.

After all, Li Mei is incredibly beautiful, while I am quite ordinary. Wherever she goes, she becomes a stunning sight, attracting countless envious and jealous gazes from men.

The time spent with her is joyful, and I can feel that Li Mei loves me too.

Whenever I have a late-night stomachache, Li Mei would get up to cook porridge to soothe my stomach. She takes care of me attentively, even warming up her small hands and placing them on my stomach to keep me warm.

Every time her warm hands rest on my belly, I can't help but react. Looking at her exquisite face, delicate skin, and alluring figure, I can't resist touching her or making advances. Sometimes she would laugh and push away my wandering hands, while other times she wouldn't refuse. I would touch every part of her body, losing all restraint and throwing myself at her. During those moments, her face would blush, filled with shyness. But whenever it reached a critical point, Li Mei would endure and push me away, saying, "Peng, not yet... We can only give ourselves to each other after we get married."

At that moment, I felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over my head, instantly cooling me down.

I'll hold on a little longer, just a few more months until we get married. I don't want to force her into doing something she's not willing to do. That's my promise to her. After we're married, I can have my way with her. I'll make sure to cling to Li Mei every single day.

Apart from not being able to touch her or enter her room, everything is fine.

4.

I've always been curious about why Li Mei doesn't let me enter her room, not even a glimpse from the doorway. What secrets does her room hold?

As I spend more time with Li Mei, my curiosity grows heavier in my heart.

Moreover, I've noticed that Li Mei has been bringing out a large black plastic bag from her room almost every day recently.

I asked her what it was, and she just smiled and said it was garbage to throw away.

But even for garbage, does she really need to throw away such a big bag every day?

Still, I haven't entered her room because I'm afraid of losing her. She said that if I enter her room, we will break up.

I love her too much. I can't even imagine how I would live without her.

And so, we peacefully lived together for over half a year, supporting each other every day. Life was plain but blissful.

Sometimes, I even thought that as long as I could see her every day, I would willingly accept this routine forever.

Soon, our peaceful life was disrupted by an unexpected incident, which sparked a hint of doubt in me about Li Mei.

Due to my hard work over the past six months, I was promoted to department manager. On the day I went to negotiate a partnership with a web company, someone called out to me just as I was about to leave.

"Liu Peng?!" A slightly surprised voice came from behind me.

I turned around and was surprised to see an old classmate, who happened to be Li Mei's dormmate. Her name was Wang Juan. In the past, I often asked her to deliver breakfast to Li Mei on my behalf.

I didn't expect her to work at this company. I approached her enthusiastically and greeted her, saying, "Wang Juan! You work here?"

"Yes, I've been working here for three months," Wang Juan replied with a smile.

"Well, I'm here to discuss a collaboration with your boss. Quite a coincidence, old classmate," I said somewhat proudly, considering my recent promotion to manager.

After exchanging pleasantries, Wang Juan suddenly asked, "Liu Peng, are you still with Li Mei?"

I nodded and replied, "Yes, we're living together. Let's get together sometime when we're free."

Wang Juan glanced around and then lowered her voice, saying, "Old classmate, let me give you a word of advice. Li Mei is not an ordinary person. You better be cautious around her."

Just when everything was going well, Wang Juan dropped that bombshell, and my expression immediately turned sour. In my eyes, Li Mei was flawless and couldn't tolerate anyone speaking ill of her. "What do you mean by that, old classmate?"

I might have been a bit impolite with that remark.

Seeing my reaction, Wang Juan smiled awkwardly and said, "Never mind... Just forget what I said. I was just trying to give you a friendly reminder."

My mood, which had been fine, was now in ruins.

Feeling frustrated, I left the company and headed straight back to my rented apartment.

Since becoming a manager, I had a bit more free time. I arrived home early, still three hours before Li Mei finished work.

Being alone at home, I couldn't help but think about Wang Juan's words, warning me to be cautious of Li Mei.

Now that I had some peace and quiet, I started reflecting on what little I knew about Li Mei.

Suddenly, I realized how little I actually knew about her. I didn't even know where her hometown was, whether she had siblings, or what her parents did for a living... I was completely clueless about it all.

In fact, I had asked her these questions before, but Li Mei never gave me a direct answer. She would either say that I would know everything after this year passed and we got married, or she would simply avoid the topic altogether.

I loved her so much, to the point of a crazed obsession, that I was willing to overlook anything about her.

But Wang Juan's words had stirred a ripple in my heart, gradually spreading and disrupting my peace of mind.

At this moment, I was alone here, staring blankly at the door of Li Mei's room for a long time.

She still had three hours left before she finished work, and I thought I could sneak a quick look without her noticing.

It felt as if a little voice in my head kept urging me to open that door.

5.

My inner turmoil continued to escalate, filled with fear. What if Li Mei found out? Would she really break up with me?

Sitting on the couch, I stared at Li Mei's room door for half an hour.

In the end, I couldn't resist my curiosity. I stood up from the couch and approached Li Mei's room.

As my hand reached the doorknob, my heart raced wildly, and cold sweat even formed on my forehead. The door creaked with an unpleasant sound as it slowly opened a crack. I was extremely nervous, glancing back, afraid that Li Mei might suddenly appear behind me. Fortunately, there was nothing behind me.

The gap in the door grew larger, and I felt my heart in my throat. Then, I took a quick peek into Li Mei's room, only to be surprised by what I saw.

Her room was tidy and neat, with the sheets neatly folded. There didn't seem to be anything particularly unusual.

But why wouldn't she let me enter her room or even look inside?

With that thought, I walked directly into her room, intending to search for answers. As I approached her bed, I suddenly heard a strange sound, a faint whispering that lingered in my ears.

I turned around and was instantly startled, almost letting out a scream. My steps faltered, and I bumped into the cabinet behind me.

That's because I saw several colorful snakes suddenly appearing on the desk in front of me. Their heads were triangular, unmistakably venomous snakes.

In just a moment, the hissing sound of the slithering snakes became even more prominent. They were coming out from under the bed, inside the sheets, from the wardrobe... Snakes kept crawling out continuously, densely packed, numbering at least a hundred.

Seeing this scene, my scalp tingled, and my whole body trembled. I had never seen so many snakes in my entire life.

Since I was a child, I have always been afraid of these soft-bodied creatures.

Just when I was scared to the point of madness, I suddenly felt a weight on my shoulder, cold and chilling. I turned my head and saw a venomous snake, completely green in color, raising its head high and continuously flicking its tongue at me.

This green snake became the last straw that broke me. I let out a miserable scream, wildly flailing my arms, and ran out of her room, slamming the door shut.

After escaping from the house, I was so frightened that my legs gave way, and I collapsed on the ground.

From the entrance, I could hear the banging sound, as if the snakes were hitting against the door. It took a while for the noise to subside.

I was covered in cold sweat, sitting on the couch, at a loss for what to do.

Why were there so many venomous snakes in Pu Li Mei's room? Was that the reason she didn't want me to enter her room?

Why did Pu Li Mei keep so many poisonous snakes in her own house? Wasn't she afraid?

Numerous questions arose in my mind, but I couldn't find any answers.

This reminded me of what Wang Juan had told me. She warned me to be cautious of Pu Li Mei, indicating that she must know some secrets about Pu Li Mei, considering they had been roommates for several years.

6.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. It seemed that Pu Li Mei wasn't as simple as I had imagined.

Once I regained my composure, I quickly sent a text message to Wang Juan, expressing my desire to meet her. I wanted to know what exactly Pu Li Mei had been hiding from me.

Since I knew their company's boss, Wang Juan readily agreed to meet.

I took a taxi to her company's vicinity and met her at a quiet café.

"Liu Peng, didn't we just meet a few hours ago? Why are you asking me to meet again? Aren't you afraid of Pu Li Mei getting jealous?" Wang Juan sat across from me, smiling.

I awkwardly smiled back at her and said, "Wang Juan, during lunch, you warned me to be cautious of Pu Li Mei and mentioned that she's not ordinary. Do you know any secrets about her? Can you tell me?"

As soon as I spoke, the smile on Wang Juan's face vanished for an instant, but she quickly regained her composure and smiled again. "Liu Peng, I was just joking with you. Don't take it seriously..."

"No, you must know something," I said with a serious expression.

"Please, tell me."

Wang Juan's face changed several times, and she looked directly into my eyes. "I warned you, don't get angry."

"Don't worry, I won't," I replied.

"This is about Pu Li Mei. How should I put it? She's very peculiar. She doesn't get along well with the other girls in our dorm. She's not a sociable person. In the few years I've known her, I can count the number of conversations we've had. Initially, I thought Pu Li Mei's aloofness was due to her being exceptionally beautiful and having a proud demeanor, but later I realized that's just her personality. She doesn't like to interact with people."

"The reason I said those things during lunch is that back when we were in school, she often had some strange behaviors. For instance, she would frequently be absent from the dorm at night and only return in the morning..."

"Furthermore, during our school years, there were several occasions when she looked pale, weak, and had poor health for one or two consecutive months. Some of our dormmates suspected that she might have been pregnant with someone else's child and had an abortion, which explained her condition."

Wang Juan blurted it all out in one breath.

Upon hearing this, I felt a raging anger within me, as if my eyes could shoot fire.

I couldn't tolerate anyone speaking ill of Pu Li Mei behind her back. In my eyes, she was perfect. However, I managed to control myself and refrain from reacting impulsively.

Seemingly sensing the anger in my eyes, Wang Juan became flustered and hurriedly explained, "Liu Peng, these are all just our speculations. We don't have any evidence. I was just saying it casually. Please don't get angry. I only think you are too naive and too persistent. You pursued Pu Li Mei for three years, delivering her meals every morning and often sacrificing your own needs to give her various gifts. I'm just concerned that you might end up being deceived by her. I meant well."

I took a deep breath, struggling to stabilize my emotions. My heart felt like it was bleeding, unable to accept what Wang Juan had said.

After a while, I finally spoke, "How many times did Pu Li Mei experience such weakness?"

"Almost every year, for about a month each time. During the weakest moments, her face would turn pale, and even walking would be difficult. Just think about it. She's so beautiful, and many wealthy second-generation individuals and handsome guys pursued her. I refuse to believe she never had any feelings for them. She might act cold and ignore them openly, but I'm sure she had many secret contacts with them. Otherwise, why would she frequently disappear in the evenings?" Wang Juan said earnestly.

Seeing my gloomy face and silence, Wang Juan continued, "When Pu Li Mei agreed to be your girlfriend, it seemed strange to us in the dormitory. She turned down so many handsome and wealthy guys, but ended up with you. We thought Pu Li Mei must have had some ulterior motives, or perhaps she lost her fertility due to multiple abortions and wanted to find a reliable person like you to settle down. Apart from that, we really can't find any other reasons..."

"Please, stop talking!"

I was breathing heavily, my body trembling, unable to control my anger as I shouted at Wang Juan.

7.

Wang Juan was startled by my sudden outburst and stood there in shock.

I couldn't accept or tolerate what she had just said. My emotions exploded, and my eyes turned red.

The force of my anger caused several nearby customers to turn their heads and look in my direction.

But soon, I realized my reaction and quickly apologized to Wang Juan, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Trying to help you, and this is how you react," Wang Juan coldly snorted, getting up and leaving.

Feeling lost, I aimlessly made my way towards Pu Limei's company from the café.

Pu Limei was about to finish work, and I was going to pick her up.

On the way, my stomach suddenly cramped, and a sharp pain coursed through me. My old stomach problem had flared up again, but this time it was especially intense, causing me to break out in a cold sweat.

During my college days and right after graduation, I didn't have much money and couldn't bear to go to the hospital. I had been enduring this stomach ailment, but each time it grew more severe. It seemed like it was time for me to visit the hospital.

I squatted on the ground, unable to stand due to the pain. After a while, I caught my breath and hailed a taxi, arriving at the entrance of Pu Limei's company.

As I reached the entrance, just when her company had finished work, many people started coming out one after another.

At that moment, I noticed a BMW parked at the company's entrance, and there was a young man in a sharp suit standing beside the car, holding a bouquet of flowers.

Before long, I caught sight of Pu Limei's stunning figure as she walked out of the company.

The handsome man in the BMW quickly walked towards Pu Limei and handed her the flowers.

Seeing this scene, my heart instantly tensed up.

Back when we were in school, there were plenty of people pursuing her, and even now, there were still many suitors.

Pu Limei didn't accept the flowers from the BMW man. She waved her hand at him, her expression slightly uneasy.

But the BMW man quickly reached out to hold Pu Limei's hand, only to be pushed away by her.

At that moment, Pu Limei looked around anxiously and soon spotted me not far away. She bypassed the BMW man and hurriedly walked towards me.

Unexpectedly, the BMW man followed along.

"Don't bother me anymore, I have a boyfriend," Pu Limei held onto my arm and looked at the BMW man.

The BMW man glanced at me disdainfully. I was dressed in clothes that cost less than 200 yuan in total.

"Pu Limei, are you trying to fool me? If you want to reject me, you don't have to randomly pull an ugly man to pose as your boyfriend, right? This guy is neither good-looking nor wealthy. How can a beauty like you be interested in him?"

I forced a bitter smile in my heart. Yes, how could I be worthy of her? Anyone who saw us would think we were mismatched.

Upon hearing the BMW man's words, Pu Limei's face immediately changed, and she angrily retorted, "What kind of words are you using? In my heart, my boyfriend is much more handsome than you. So what if you're rich? I'm not interested. Let's go."

With that, Pu Limei pulled me away swiftly.

Today, I discovered the secret in Pu Limei's room and encountered Wang Juan again. My emotions were extremely complex, all written on my face.

However, Pu Limei thought that the BMW man's words had hurt my self-esteem, so she leaned closer to my ear and said, "Peng, are you angry? Don't mind someone like him. He has no manners at all. I love you the most." She lightly kissed my cheek as she spoke.

Normally, I would have happily jumped up at her words, but at this moment, I couldn't feel happy.

I twitched the muscles at the corners of my mouth, forced a smile, and said, "It's nothing. Just encountered some troubles at work."

"Don't be unhappy. I'll cook something delicious for you when we get back home. Can you give me a smile?" Pu Limei's beautiful face leaned closer once again, captivating and bewildering.

It made me doubt whether Wang Juan's words were all lies, that she was deceiving me.

But what about those venomous snakes in her room?

We went home together, and Pu Limei made a lot of delicious food, but I couldn't eat a bite. My stomach was in excruciating pain, so I just had a little bit of congee.

Seeing me like this, Pu Limei said, "Peng, go to the hospital as soon as possible. I'll take a day off tomorrow and accompany you. You can't delay this illness anymore. We have money now."

I nodded and said I would go on the weekend.

After watching TV for a while in the house, Pu Limei became sleepy. After wishing each other goodnight, we headed to our respective rooms.

At that moment, I deliberately turned back to look at Pu Limei. I saw her reach her room door, gently pushing it open just a crack, as if she was afraid I would see something. But this time, when Pu Limei opened the door, she seemed to hesitate for a moment and looked back at me.

I quickly turned my head and hurried into my own room.

I was afraid. I was afraid that she knew I had entered her room. I loved her, and I didn't want her to leave me, even if what Wang Juan said was true. I didn't want to be separated from her.

I suddenly realized how insignificant and lowly my love was, deep down in my bones.

On the following day, after having breakfast made by Pu Limei, we went to work as usual. I felt anxious in the morning, afraid that she would find out I had been in her room. But she didn't say anything, everything was just like before.

Finally, the suspended heart within me was put at ease.

When I returned to the office, my stomach started to ache again. I also began coughing violently and feeling nauseous. I rushed to the restroom and leaned over the sink, vomiting uncontrollably.

But what I vomited out frightened me to the core. It was all blood.

The blood was dark, almost black, with shades of red.

Seeing this, I knew I couldn't delay any longer. I quickly requested leave from the company and went straight to the hospital.

Registration, waiting in line, seeing the doctor, undergoing tests—after going through the whole process, when I handed the test results to the doctor, he frowned upon glancing at the report. He directly asked if there was any family member accompanying me.

At that moment, my heart sank, and I had a dreadful premonition. I shook my head and said, "I came alone. My family is not in this city. Doctor, please tell me directly if there's something you need to say."

"Advanced-stage stomach cancer with distant organ metastasis. The cancer cells have spread..." When I heard those words, my head immediately buzzed.

I was still so young, in my twenties, and the doctor pronounced my death sentence right there and then. I stood there dumbfounded, feeling as if the sky was about to collapse.

After a long while, I finally asked, "Doctor, how long do I have to live?"

The doctor didn't continue his sentence after shaking his head. I don't know how I left the hospital. This devastating news came so suddenly.

I haven't married Pu Limei yet. I still have many unfulfilled wishes, so many things left undone...

I didn't tell Pu Limei about this. I don't want to spend my final moments in sadness. As long as she is by my side, I want to peacefully spend this last period of time.

Actually, I don't want her to be sad because of me, even though I'm unsure if she truly loves me or has ulterior motives.

Just like before, I pretend as if nothing has happened, still eating Pu Limei's breakfast, still going to work together...

However, my stomach pain intensifies, especially at night. It becomes excruciating, drenching me in cold sweat. I bear the pain silently, consuming piles of medication.

Yet, this peaceful life doesn't last long.

Three days later, one afternoon, Pu Limei arrives home earlier than me, preparing several dishes and waiting for me.

In particular, there's a pot of stewed meat in the middle, with a tantalizing aroma.

Pu Limei beckons me to come and eat. I smile and walk over to her, taking a seat. I glance at the meat in the pot and ask, "Darling, what kind of meat is this? It smells so good."

"I bought eel. I heard it can treat stomach ailments. You must eat more," Pu Limei says with a smile.

"Darling, you're so good to me." I pick up my chopsticks, pick up a piece of meat, and take a bite. The taste is truly exquisite. I have never eaten such delicious meat before, so I can't help but savor it joyfully.

Due to my illness, I have been eating less and losing weight rapidly. But this time, I couldn't help but keep eating.

However, Puli Mei didn't take a single bite and just watched me silently.

When I had eaten almost enough, Puli Mei suddenly asked me, "Is it delicious?"

I nodded repeatedly, praising her cooking skills.

To my surprise, Puli Mei suddenly became serious and said, "Peng, this is our last meal together. Forget about me from now on."

I trembled all over, and the chopsticks fell from my hand to the ground.

Her words were even harder to accept than hearing about my terminal illness.

"Why... why?" Tears uncontrollably streamed down my face.

"Did you enter my room? I told you before that you couldn't enter my room until we got married, but you still didn't abide by that. Let's break up," she said.

"I didn't..." I tried to defend myself, tears rolling down in large drops.

"Every day when I leave, I put a strand of hair in the door crack. That day, the hair was broken..." Puli Mei said decisively, suddenly stood up, picked up her phone, and made a call. "Come pick me up."

"Who are you calling?"

"Does it matter who I'm calling? We have already broken up now," Puli Mei's gaze turned cold and unfamiliar. She took out her packed luggage from the room.

She had everything prepared.

Knowing that I would soon die, I didn't cry. But when Puli Mei said she was leaving me, I couldn't help myself. I knelt in front of her, holding onto her legs. In that moment, I felt utterly insignificant.

"Wife, please don't go. How can I live without you? I was wrong. I promise I'll never go into your room again. Please, don't leave me," I cried like a child.

"Don't call me your wife. You're not worthy. We're done," Puli Mei pushed me away and briskly walked away, pulling her suitcase.

I cried out and chased after her all the way downstairs, only to see that familiar BMW car and the handsome man.

The handsome man looked at me provocatively and helped Puli Mei put the luggage into the car.

Puli Mei didn't even look back and got into the car decisively.

It all felt unreal to me. My world had collapsed. I had lost everything, including my life. Puli Mei was my life.

The sound of the engine starting woke me up, and the car drove away.

At that moment, I realized I needed to chase after her. I ran and cried out, "Puli Mei, you can't leave me. No one in this world will love you more than I do. I can't live without you... I'll die without you..."

The car drove further and further away until it disappeared from my sight. A torrential downpour suddenly arrived, blurring my vision and shattering my heart.

I stood in the pouring rain for a long time, feeling heartbroken, sad, and desperate. Eventually, all these emotions turned into anger.

I had given everything for her. She meant more to me than my own life, yet she still left me.

If she didn't love me, why did she stay with me?

After all the years of my devotion, this was the result I received, and I couldn't accept it.

I wanted revenge. Since I didn't have much time left to live anyway, I would kill that couple and join them in the grave!

There was nothing left in this world worth clinging onto.

9.

The next day, I found a private detective who helped me find the address of the BMW man. The license plate number of the BMW that Puli Mei had been in was deeply ingrained in my mind.

At night, I bought a fruit knife and concealed it in my coat sleeve as I made my way to the BMW man's house.

The BMW man was truly wealthy, living in the most luxurious neighborhood in the area. It was quite a challenge for me to scale the wall and get inside.

Based on the address provided by the private detective, I quickly located the BMW man's residence.

The detective had been following the BMW man for most of the day and witnessed him entering this house with a beautiful woman. Only then did I follow suit.

As I reached the doorstep and was about to knock on the door, I suddenly heard a burst of passionate sounds coming from inside the house. The woman's voice was loud, accompanied by the low growl of a man. The continuous sounds were provoking me.

Upon hearing those sounds, anger surged within me, fueling my repulsion.

So, Puli Mei, you turned out to be such a despicable woman.

I spent over half a year with you, not even allowed to touch you. Yet, within two days of being with this man, you engage in such passionate activities.

You wretched woman, you filthy bitch!

I must kill them.

Despite my anger, I remained remarkably calm.

I waited until they were finished and several minutes had passed before I finally knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A man's impatient voice came from inside the house. It was the voice of the BMW man.

"The property management said there's a water leak in your apartment, and I need to come in and inspect it," I calmly said while tightening my grip on the knife in my hand.

"We don't have any water leak. Just leave," the man replied rudely.

"Sir, it would be better if you open the door. Otherwise, the neighbors might complain," I politely insisted.

I could hear grumbling from inside the house, followed by approaching footsteps.

After a short while, the door opened.

In that split second when the door opened, I burst inside, catching the BMW man off guard. He was sent flying and his head hit the coffee table behind, instantly causing a gash and blood flowing, rendering him unable to get up.

I closed the door, holding the fruit knife, and rushed into the bedroom. I wanted to see Puli Mei. She was the first person I wanted to kill.

She had given me hope and then pushed me into complete despair. I wanted to see the fear in her eyes and watch her die in agony.

But as I stormed into the bedroom, all I saw was a partially naked woman lying on the bed, and she wasn't Puli Mei.

Seeing this scene, I was confused. However, the woman let out a terrified scream.

"Don't scream, or I'll kill you!" I brandished the sharp fruit knife threateningly.

The woman trembled with fear, too frightened to utter a word.

I walked back outside and entered the living room. By then, the BMW man had just managed to get up from the floor. I rushed towards him, grabbed him tightly, and pressed the knife against his neck, saying in a menacing tone, "Where is Puli Mei?"

The man, with blood all over his head, quickly recognized me. Seeing the murderous intent in my eyes, he fearfully said, "Brother, calm down... After Puli Mei got in my car that day, she got off within ten minutes. She just asked me for a favor. There's nothing between us."

"This is really strange," I grew even more puzzled.

"I have no idea either. I thought she was interested in me. That day at noon, she contacted me and asked for a favor to pick her up from her home. She got in the car but got off shortly after, and I was really confused," the BMW man explained.

"Where did she go?" I asked.

"I don't know... After she got off the car, she just walked away. It seemed like she was holding a plane ticket and didn't even take any luggage. But her expression was very unpleasant at that time, she was crying in the car, crying with a lot of sadness. She couldn't even stand steadily after getting off the car," the BMW man continued.

"Why was she crying?"

She kept apologizing in the car while crying, as if she didn't want to leave you...," the BMW man added.

Now I was even more confused, completely bewildered.

If Puli Mei didn't want to leave me, why did she still choose to go and even got into the BMW man's car?

With a mind full of questions, I quickly left the BMW man's house, afraid that he might call the police.

After leaving, I immediately called Wang Juan and asked if she knew where Puli Mei's hometown was.

Wang Juan was still angry with me, and it took a lot of pleading before she gave me some information. She mentioned that Puli Mei seemed to live in Yunnan, but she didn't know the exact location.

However, she did suggest a solution. She said that if I wanted to find Puli Mei's hometown, I should go to our former class teacher in university. He would definitely know where Puli Mei is from since there are records from our school days.

The BMW man mentioned that Puli Mei had a plane ticket in her hand when she left, so I believed she must have returned to her hometown.

At this moment, I couldn't wait to see Puli Mei and ask her why she was leaving if she couldn't bear to part with me.

There were still many unanswered questions.

The next day, I went directly to the class teacher and inquired about Puli Mei's hometown address.

Indeed, Puli Mei was in Yunnan, and it was a very remote place.

Without hesitation, I bought a plane ticket and flew to Yunnan the next day.

After getting off the plane, I took a bus, then a motorcycle, and even walked for dozens of kilometers. Finally, two days later, I arrived at Puli Mei's hometown.

Puli Mei's hometown was truly remote, almost like a place cut off from the rest of the world.

It was a Miao village called Gewa Miao Village.

The village was full of various stilted houses.

When I arrived at the village and explained my purpose of finding Puli Mei as her boyfriend, the whole village became furious. They rushed up and started beating me. It seemed like they regarded me as their archenemy, wanting to tear me apart.

I had no idea what I did to offend them.

All I could do was cover my head and endure their relentless punches.

After a while, I was already bruised and swollen from the beating. Suddenly, the crowd dispersed, and an elderly woman wearing Miao ethnic attire walked toward me.

Her face was covered in wrinkles, but she had a kind expression. Strangely, she somewhat resembled Puli Mei.

"Are you Liu Peng?" the old lady asked in a hoarse voice.

I nodded and said, "Yes, I am Liu Peng. And who are you?"

The old lady, hunching her body, shook her head and sighed, "Come with me."

I followed the old lady, amidst the hostile gazes of the entire village, towards one of the stilted houses.

Even many children looked at me with hatred in their eyes.

After entering the stilted house, the old lady gestured for me to sit across from her. Unable to hold back, I asked, "Old lady, does Puli Mei live here? Where is she?"

"She's dead..." the old lady said.

I thought I misheard, but my head buzzed as if struck by a blow.

"Dead... Who died?" I asked again.

Puli Mei was perfectly fine when she left that day. How could she be dead?

"Limei is dead. She just left yesterday, and her grave is behind the village..." A mist formed in the old lady's eyes.

I still couldn't believe it and trembled as I asked, "How did she die... Are you sure you're not deceiving me?"

"She died saving you," the old lady shed two murky tears.

The old lady before me was Puli Mei's grandmother and the tribal chief of Gewa Miao Village.

From her words, I obtained all the answers I wanted.

10.

To understand all of this, we need to go back to Puli Mei's mother. Over twenty years ago, Puli Mei's mother was as beautiful as her, a flower in the village. One day, a guest arrived in the village, young and handsome. He claimed to be a tourist and adventurer from distant Beijing.

The young guest was talented, with a pair of attractive eyes. He could paint, sing, and play a broken guitar.

The guest praised the beauty of the village and decided to stay for a while, capturing the most beautiful scenery and observing the most beautiful people.

The villagers, warm-hearted and hospitable, welcomed the guest and lit a passionate bonfire, singing and dancing together.

The guest also sang songs, harmoniously mingling with the villagers.

The young guest fell in love with Puli Mei's mother. Every evening, he would sit beneath her stilted house, strumming the guitar and singing to her.

Time was like amber, locking away each tear.

Even immortal love letters erode like an hourglass.

An entire universe in exchange for a single red bean.

Memories, trapped beasts, loneliness softened over time.

The first song you wrote for me, our fingers entwined. I longed for an eternal bond with you...

Puli Mei's mother fell in love with this guest and allowed him into her stilted house.

However, after just a few weeks, the guest left, promising to return.

Little did they know, his departure would be indefinite.

Yet, as the days went by after the guest's departure, Puli Mei's mother's belly grew bigger and bigger.

She had been eagerly anticipating the guest's return, longing to go to distant Beijing to find him.

However, she didn't know a single word and had no idea where Beijing was or how far it was from their village, as if separated by the entire universe.

Not long after giving birth to Puli Mei, her mother fell seriously ill due to longing and eventually passed away.

Throughout her life, she never saw that distant guest again.

Puli Mei grew up gradually, becoming more and more beautiful, even surpassing her mother's beauty.

She learned about her mother's story from her grandmother and told her that she wanted to go to school, learn to read, and go to distant Beijing to find her father. She wanted to ask him why he never came back to find her mother.

As the chief of the tribe, her grandmother mobilized all the resources available and sent Puli Mei to a faraway place to study.

Puli Mei worked hard and achieved excellent academic results. Eventually, she gained admission to a normal university, the same one I attended. She was stunningly beautiful and became the campus belle.

At the same time, Puli Mei had another role. She was the tribe's gu girl. Many Miao villages had the tradition of raising gu, a creature capable of both harm and healing.

It was equivalent to being the village's barefoot doctor.

The gu Puli Mei raised was the most powerful one in the village, known as the Golden Snake Gu. It could cure many people in the village.

The reason Puli Mei often went out at night during school was to practice and refine the Golden Snake Gu. She would send it out to find nearby venomous creatures and absorb toxins from them, making the gu stronger and more powerful.

However, raising the Golden Snake Gu would result in a period of backlash every year, lasting about a month, during which Puli Mei would appear extremely weak.

Puli Mei revealed the three conditions to me during our time together, and I obtained the answers from her grandmother.

Due to her mother's bitter experience, Puli Mei would not engage in any relationships before getting married.

She didn't allow me into her room because she was raising the Golden Snake Gu. The venomous snakes in her room were all food for the Golden Snake Gu.

The final condition was for both of us to stay in the Gewa Miao Village for ten years, to ensure that all the children in the village receive an education and have the opportunity to leave this secluded and backward Miao village to see the outside world.

If her mother had been educated back then, she wouldn't have been deceived by that guest and lived a miserable life until her death.

On the day I was diagnosed with advanced-stage stomach cancer, I absentmindedly placed the diagnosis report in my pocket and forgot to take it out.

While Puli Mei was helping me tidy up the room, she found the diagnosis report.

In order to save my life, Puli Mei cooked a bowl of snake soup for me using her Golden Snake Gu.

The Golden Snake Gu has the power to revive the dead, turning flesh into bones. By consuming the Golden Snake Gu, any terminal illness can be cured.

However, without the Golden Snake Gu, Puli Mei would only have three days to live.

In order to make me completely forget about her, she was willing to make me hate her. But in order to save my life, she sacrificed her own.

That's why the people in the village hate me so much.

In the last three days, she returned to the village and died here, and I don't even know if I had the chance to see her one last time.

After listening to Grandma's words, I cried uncontrollably. I have never hated myself as much as I do now.

I kept slapping myself, cursing and berating myself, but Puli Mei will never return. I want to visit her grave, but the villagers won't allow it. They told me to leave and not defile their village.

They also said that people from outside are all bad and caused the death of Puli Mei and her mother.

I refused to leave. I wanted to see Puli Mei one more time.

The villagers said that if I wanted to see Puli Mei, I had to endure a whipping from each person in the village.

I agreed.

The whip struck me, one lash after another. Every person in the village put all their strength into beating me, as if I were their sworn enemy.

With each lash, my skin would split open, but I didn't feel any pain.

The anguish in my heart was a hundred times more painful than the lashes on my body.

I really wanted the villagers to beat me to death.

I didn't know how many lashes I endured. By the time I reached Puli Mei's grave, I could no longer stand. I crawled, bit by bit, to the front of her tomb, and at that moment, no more lashes fell.

I collapsed in front of Puli Mei's grave, crying uncontrollably. Memories of our time together flooded my mind, intensifying my grief.

Puli Mei, why were you so foolish? If I had known that you would save me this way, I should have died by crashing into a wall back then.

I regret it. The sound of my crying echoed throughout the entire village.

After an unknown amount of time, Puli Mei's grandmother approached me and handed me a letter. She said it was left for me by Puli Mei and that I should have it.

Trembling, I took the letter and began reading it, one word at a time.

"Peng, by the time you read this letter, I'm afraid I will already be in another world. Please don't blame me; I didn't want it to be this way. But only one of us could survive, and I wanted you to live. You must be wondering why I chose you to be my boyfriend. The truth is, I had a hidden agenda. I wanted you to come back to my hometown with me. It took you three whole years to pursue me, and your perseverance and determination touched my heart. I believe you can stay here with me for ten years, teaching and educating the children, letting them see the outside world."

"I'm sorry, I didn't consider your feelings. I was too selfish. But during these past six months together, I realized that I love you, not just because I wanted you to come back with me. So, I traded my life for yours. I want you to live a good life."

"Peng, my beloved husband, let me call you 'husband' one last time. I didn't get to marry you in this lifetime or give you many children. It's truly regrettable. In the next life, I promise I will come find you and be your bride. But in this life, please forget about me, okay? You have your own life. Leave this place and live the life you desire."

Yours lovingly, Puli Mei.

After reading this letter, my tears fell once again, splashing onto the dampened paper. I couldn't hold back; I just wanted to cry. The pain in my heart made me want to strangle myself.

Puli Mei, I beg you to come back to life. Let me die in your place. I can't live without you...

I collapsed on Puli Mei's grave, crying out loudly, filled with despair and helplessness. I don't know how long I cried, but eventually, I fainted.

I didn't leave. I stayed behind because I wanted to fulfill Puli Mei's final wish. I would stay here for ten years and teach the children how to read.

That way, I could be with Puli Mei forever.

-The End-