Chapter Forty-Four: Baring One's Heart

  Lu Zhengdong was about to remove Lin Donghe's equipment when he suddenly felt a scorching drop on his neck, and upon slightly raising his head, he discovered it was Lin Donghe's tears. His mind, which had been dazed from the intense heat, instantly cleared up.

  No matter what he wants to do, Lin Donghe will never refuse him, letting him have his way. There may be some good feelings or gratitude in this, but in short, Lin Donghe won't refuse him. However, only Lin Donghe herself is completely clear about what she really thinks deep down inside. Lin Donghe is currently unhappy, but she must also have her own dreams. With his help, maybe one day she will break free from the restraints of her husband's family and find a good man with her character and looks. Lin Donghe definitely also hopes to have a happy family, but he clearly isn't a suitable partner for Lin Donghe.

  Although he had previously regarded Lin Donghe as an object of infatuation when he was younger, that was just a naive and vague longing, more out of youthful impulse. He also had quite a good impression of Lin Donghe, but having a good impression is one thing, actually doing something about it is another matter altogether. There were still many things he needed to do, the arch-nemesis Zeng Huai De was still standing in his way, the fate of his maternal family's household was still waiting for him to change it, he had to strive and fight to forge a bloody path, would he and Lin Donghe have a future? Could he give Lin Donghe a promise?

  No, at least not now, because he has never considered this matter before.

  Lin Donghe and his family are not relatives but like relatives, he also wants to help Lin Donghe change this miserable life. Since he can't make any promises to Lin Donghe, what's the point of doing so? Isn't it just letting Lin Donghe out of the tiger's mouth and into the wolf's den? What's the difference between him and the person who made Lin Donghe's life miserable?!

  Cherish those who are good to you, cherish those you like. Only these people will truly cherish you. This is the truth that Lu Zhengdong has come to realize after experiencing hardships. Thinking of this, Lu Zhengdong's heart, which was on the verge of exploding from being provoked, gradually regained some rationality. He felt a little reluctant, but in the end, he mustered up the courage and let go of Lin Donghe, whose clothes were disheveled.

  Lin Donghe's shirt was disheveled, with half of her chest exposed outside. A proud and plump breast stood tall between the clothes, still bearing a red mark from his strong grasp earlier. The snow-white peak of the mountain, a bud proudly stood upright, after being stimulated by him earlier, it was especially red and firm, as if beckoning a man's gentle love...

  Lin Donghe sensitively guessed from Lu Zhengdong's actions and words that he would not continue, thinking that Lu Zhengdong must think she is a shameless woman, so he stopped at the last moment. Thinking of this, her heart sank like an ice cave. She had already quarreled with her husband's family and left the factory, it was only a matter of time. In the future, there might not even be a chance to explain. Thinking of this, she covered her face with both hands, tears falling like broken pearls, sliding down her palms, dripping onto the ground.

  Seeing Lin Donghe's disheveled hair and dress, Lu Zhengdong felt even more ashamed, hastily shifting his gaze away from her, and awkwardly said:

  "Winter lotus sister, sorry, I drank too much..."

  Drunk too much, but it's just an excuse, however, with such an excuse, it will be more convenient to resolve the misunderstanding in the future. Lu Zhengdong thought that Lin Donghua would leave immediately, but instead, she stood there motionless, initially silently shedding tears, and upon hearing his words, she burst into loud wailing.

  Lin Donghe's reaction was completely unexpected by Lu Zhengdong, and it also made Lu Zhengdong a bit dizzy.

  Lu Zhengdong stood there for a moment, then apologized again, hoping that Lin Donghe would stop crying and also expecting her to leave soon. He planned to think of a way to resolve the situation later when it was less awkward. However, Lin Donghe continued to cry, looking disheveled, without any intention of blaming him or leaving. This made Lu Zhengdong feel even more guilty and at a loss for what to do. No wonder even Nietzsche, a great thinker, said that women's most lethal weapon is their tears - he must have had deep experience with this.

  After a while, Lin Donghe, who had been crying all along, finally spoke up, sobbing softly and saying:

  "I know I'm not worthy of you, but I'm really not as bad as you think..."

  Lu Zhengdong saw Lin Donghe finally speaking up and hastily said:

  "Where did you go? If you're a bad woman, then there's no good woman under heaven."

  Lu Zhengdong wasn't just being polite to Lin Donghe, he had seen many women of all shapes and sizes before. If someone else had her looks, they would definitely not be willing to spend their whole life with a fool, using the relationship with the wife's family as a stepping stone to jump out of the rural area, and then immediately think of ways to leave the wife's family. Lin Donghe was able to persevere for so long under the harsh treatment of her husband's family, perhaps in many people's eyes it was foolish, but having this persistence also earned admiration.

  "Don't try to coax me, if you don't think I'm a bad woman... then... why... won't you... want me? Don't you look down on me too?"

  Lin Donghe almost summoned up all her courage to say these words, and even so, as she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, until it was barely audible to Lu Zhengdong.

  Lu Zhengdong listened to Lin Donghe's words, and it was more like Lin Donghe was confessing to him than explaining. No wonder Lin Donghe's behavior had been so strange. It turned out that things were not as he had thought, and his heart felt a mix of sadness and laughter. He had barely managed to pull himself back from the brink, but this sudden stop had ended up greatly hurting Lin Donghe's self-esteem.

  Lu Zhengdong saw that she was still gloomy, and knew that Lin Donghe was extremely self-abased in front of him, very sensitive to his attitude. He gently wiped away the tears from her eyes with his fingertips, an action that seemed intimate yet not overly intrusive. This way, Lin Donghe's heart would definitely feel better. As he wiped, he said:

  "How could I look down on you, actually I also like you, not just your appearance, but more so your warm and kind heart. In my heart, you will always be a kind, optimistic and beautiful older sister. It's precisely because I like you that I couldn't bear to hurt you..."

  Lin Donghe could feel that Lu Zhengdong was wiping very carefully, with a loving expression on his face that couldn't be faked. In fact, Lu Zhengdong also liked her in his heart, and it felt much more at ease. He said softly:

  "You also know what kind of life I used to live, actually I was desperate too. But thinking about the situation at home, how could I be more desperate? Later, it was also because of meeting Aunt Yun, you and Aunt Yun are the best to me, not looking down on me at all, truly helping me, truly for my good, letting me ignite the hope of life..."

  Lin Donghe mentioned this matter again, and his eyes were misty with tears. This also evoked Lu Zhengdong's memories. The greatest pain for people is not death, but being alive yet worse than dead. He had experienced such a taste before. As soon as he thought of this, Lu Zhengdong's body was still excited, but his heart completely calmed down.

  Lin Donghe continued to say in a low voice:

  "Now you've helped your brother solve his job problem, and I don't have to worry about anything at home either. I've already mentioned it to my husband's family, and I've made up my mind to leave that house. I may not even be working at the brush factory anymore..."

  Lu Zhengdong listened and thought for a moment before asking:

  "You want to take a leave of absence with pay, but the factory's efficiency isn't great either. Taking a leave of absence is also a good option, so what do you plan to do?"

  Lin Donghe wasn't thinking of quitting her job, but she was all too familiar with her mother-in-law's family and their ways. If she were to leave that household, they would definitely find a way to get rid of her job. But she had already troubled Lu Zhengdong too much, and didn't want to add to his troubles anymore. So she shook her head and said:

  "I haven't thought it through yet... But from now on, it'll be hard for us to meet again..."

  Lin Donghe said, tremblingly holding his hand, tentatively putting his hand on her face, able to entrust her daughter's body to Lu Zhengdong, she wouldn't have lived in vain, maybe if she missed this chance, she would never have another opportunity in this lifetime, so at this moment she was especially brave.

  "I'm really not a bad woman, I...my body is still clean and white...you said, to live for oneself...I want to live for myself this life, also have a thought..."

  He added another sentence with a stutter:

  "I know you have a bright future ahead of you, I won't hold you back, even if it kills me..."

  After she finished speaking, she felt a bit nervous and timid, but more than that, it was a resolute gaze at Lu Zhengdong...

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