Chapter 12 Chapter VII

A few days later, I went to Taoxiang's house. Tao Xiang has already received an apology gift from Chef Qi Gu, and she seemed very happy to receive the blueberry tart.I heard that Chef Qigu didn't make a phone call, but came to apologize in person, saying that he added an extra one without authorization, which made Tao Xiang, who had no intention of complaining, feel very embarrassed. I returned the little porcelain puppet to Taoxiang and said, "Although Chef Qigu said so, do you want to hear the results of my investigation and speculation?" "Huh? Is there another hidden story?"

"It's up to you to believe it or not. If you believe it, it's the truth, so keep it in your heart!" I expressed my doubts, but I didn't say that I had gone to Hiiragisuke, nor did I say that this matter might be related to Hiiragisuke.I tried to use a slightly stronger tone and asked Taoxiang if she noticed anything? After Tao Xiang finished listening, she just shook her head, expressing that she didn't think of anything. "If you want to give me something, just give it to me, right? Why did you hide it in the small porcelain puppet? If I hadn't become suspicious and asked Mingli to help me investigate, I would never have imagined that there was something hidden in it. What's the point?"

"This is very paradoxical! Why hide things in the small porcelain doll? If the other party wants you to receive his wishes, why use such an insoluble and easy-to-find method?" "Should we just knock it open and have a look?" "If you find out what's hidden inside, maybe you can find out who sent it." "But the value of the little porcelain puppet is gone!" "It doesn't matter! It's just a small porcelain doll in the shape of a broad bean." Tao Xiang walked into the kitchen and brought the fire rack on the gas stove. I said in amazement, "Wait... don't you have any decent tools like a hammer?"

"We don't have such things in our house!" Tao Xiang spread several layers of newspapers on the floor, and then put small porcelain dolls on them. "That should work, right?" "If it is really stuffed with platinum products, it will wear out! After all, the hardness of platinum is only four or five." "Yeah! How hard is that?" "If it is divided into ten grades, the crystal is seven, and the hardness of platinum is even worse. The benchmark of Mohs' hardness is not based on how easy it is to break, but how easy it is to wear." "Is there any other way?"

"Try using the iron used to polish stone, and cut it bit by bit..." "Going to the hardware store for this thing? Don't be kidding me!" Tao Xiang picked up the fire stand with both hands, and knocked on the little porcelain puppet in the gesture of knocking walnuts. Suddenly there was a dull sound.I saw that the small porcelain puppet was not divided into two halves, but broken into several pieces. I picked up a shard suspiciously.It suddenly dawned on me. The pieces are thinner than expected.In other words, the things inside are not directly buried in the clay, but are hidden in small hollow holes, so if anyone wants to knock it open, it can be easily smashed in one fell swoop.So from the very beginning, it was made on the premise that it can be easily knocked open, why is this?

Among the fragments was a small piece of silvery stuff. Not a ring. On the flat oval shape with some thickness, a short bracket like a pin was attached—it turned out to be a cufflink for men. Why is this thing hidden? I used my fingertips to push aside the scattered pieces of newspaper. Since they were cufflinks, they should be in pairs, but there was only one in the small porcelain doll.Why hide only one cufflink?What does it imply? Tao Xiang reached out her hand from the side, pinching the cuff buttons with her fingertips. "Why..." she murmured, "Why..." It seems that Tao Xiang knows the meaning of this cuff button metaphor.She stared at the cufflinks for a while, then raised her head as if making up her mind. "Mingli, can I ask you one more thing?"

"What's up?" "I want you to go talk to someone for me, I'm afraid we'll get into trouble if we meet directly." Tao Xiang put the cufflinks on the table and sighed. "It was a long time ago. Right after I broke up with my last boyfriend, living alone made me sad at the thought of eating alone at night, so Tetsuya was with me for a while." Not Hiiragisuke, but Tetsuya? I was surprised to hear the name by accident.Tao Xiang is actually with Zhe Ye, who already has a family and gives the most honest impression?Tao Xiang continued: "Actually, we have met often since a long time ago. Of course it is not that kind of relationship. He just quietly listened to my complaints and gave me advice..."

"Why him? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to go to Qingmei or Hitomi for this kind of thing?" "You also know Qingmei's personality, she always likes to preach in a strict manner. I know she is not malicious, but it sounds really uncomfortable. Tongzi is too optimistic and not suitable for heart-to-heart talk." "what about me?" "Mingli's personality is also a bit straight, so I'm afraid of being poked in a sore spot by you inadvertently. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry for the three of you, and it's always been difficult to say..."

Not only am I not angry with Tao Xiang's judgment, but I can understand it.Sometimes, women who are both like to be brave and save face, and don't want the other party to see their weaknesses.If I were Tao Xiang, I would probably feel the same way. "Zhe is also married and has a child. Although he has a relatively low-key personality, he is very patient. He is a person who can pour out his thoughts and will not put pressure on others." "That means he can provide the opposite sex's point of view?" "Not only that." Tao Xiang glanced at the cufflinks, and continued: "At that time... I was pessimistic, thinking that I would never like anyone again, and maybe I would die alone. Maybe Zhe also thought I was ridiculous, but he never denied me, just quietly Stay quietly by my side."

"This kind of interaction has surpassed friendship. He really can bear it." "Thinking about it now, it's unbelievable. Why would he be so willing to accompany me?" I feel that I have grasped the whole picture of the matter, and I also realize that Taoxiang may not have noticed Tetsuya's intentions at that time. Even though they are ordinary friends, it is impossible for a girl to take the initiative to confide in herself without any feelings. It can be seen that Zhe must be very restrained, so that Tao Xiang always misunderstands that her heart is "friendship".No, even now, she probably still thinks so.

Although it is presumptuous to ask, I decided to ask. "How far have you and Tetsuya progressed?" "Nothing! We haven't done anything outside the rules, and he's always been kind to me." kind?Can this kind of thing be described as "kind"? When I think of Tetsuya's desperately restrained affection, I feel a little pitiful.Perhaps the reason why Taoxiang's love life is so bumpy is related to her naive and overwrought personality. Unexpectedly, more shocking words burst out from Tao Xiang's mouth. "He has always been very kind and restrained his heart, but unknowingly... I have become more and more dependent on him spiritually." My mind is getting more and more confused: "Even if you know he has a family?" "Well, people will lose control sometimes, don't they? Even though they know they can't, they still can't control their hearts." Although Tao Xiang didn't express her feelings to Zhe Ye, I think Zhe Ye should feel it too. Later, Tao Xiang took the initiative to suggest that the two should not meet in private again. Tao Xiang probably couldn't stand my repeated questioning, so she said what she originally wanted to hide. Once a lot of things are said, they can't be taken back.After the two meet, they will break up because of how to go on. Tao Xiang understands that as long as she takes the initiative to let go of this relationship, everything can be solved.She was annoyed, in pain, and even wanted to die for relief—in the end she chose to give up everything.In addition to her unwillingness to be a third party involved in other people's families, Tetsuya also strongly stated that she could not betray her family. "Although he is such an honest man," Tao Xiang murmured, "at that moment, he looked very resolute, so resolute that it was frightening. It was not out of consideration for me, but because of fear that forced him to give up. The problem is, It was too hard to give up everything all of a sudden. So I begged him to promise one thing to make me completely give up, and that was this cufflink.” "What's the meaning?" "We decided not to meet in private anymore, but allow me to give him a gift from my heart..." This cufflink represents Tao Xiang's heart, and I hope that Zhe will also take it, and he will really let go of everything.Even if it is impossible for a lover to get married in the end, I hope that the other party can understand my heart. Although Zheye hesitated, he finally agreed.Cufflinks are indeed a good choice. Even if your wife sees them, you can still argue that you bought them yourself.In fact, Zhe has always liked this brand of cufflinks, but because of his children's education expenses, housing loans and other expenses, he has been reluctant to spend money on them. I looked at the cufflinks on the table. The platinum cufflinks were brand-name cufflinks. It was indeed a price that the wealthy Tetsu had to think twice, so Taoxiang's proposal could be said to have firmly grasped his heart. "So, you never met alone after that?" "Yeah! So I really don't understand why you still have to give it back to me now? And only one is hidden in the little porcelain doll... What does it mean?" I also couldn't figure out what Tetsuya was thinking. It seems that I can only ask the person directly. Tao Xiang heard my suggestion, and said sadly: "It's the only way to do this. But in this way, we will never meet again. I am so afraid of seeing him, afraid of hearing his answer, and afraid of this matter." It will affect my life now..." "That's why you want me to intervene, don't you?" "I'm really sorry to bother you to deal with such a difficult matter, but I really don't want to lose everything now." The happiness that is finally obtained is also Tao Xiang's greatest wish.Although I can't understand everything without knocking on the small porcelain doll, I still don't understand why Tetsuya did this, so it's time to ask. "I understand, leave everything to me! But you must not contact Tetsuya, and don't answer his phone." "Well, thank you." "Don't worry, I think there should be results today and tomorrow. Well, let's clean up!"