Marriage First, True Love Later Novel - Chapter 33: A Stranger Like Him

At this time, there were barely any people in the cafe. Most of the people who did come were only here for takeout, while Anran and Mo Fei were the only ones who actually sat down to drink.

Anran sat down by the window and turned her head to look at the pedestrians on the street. Some of them roamed the streets leisurely, while others had brisk and swift strides. Each person had a different expression on his or her face.

“May I ask if you are ready to order now?” The waitress came with the menu and brought two glasses of boiled water.

Mo Fei nodded, ordered black coffee, then ordered royal milk tea for Anran.

The waiter wrote the order down on a list and was just about to take away the menu when Anran called out to her. “Wait a minute.”

The waiter, wearing a white blouse, black wrap skirt, and a big smiley badge on her chest turned her head around with a smile on her face, then asked, “Do you need anything else?”

“Replace royal milk tea with a latte,” Anran said.

“All right.” The waitress nodded with a smile, then she repeated the list, “So, a cup of black coffee and a cup of hot latte?”

Anran nodded to confirm.

“I’ll send them right away.” The waiter left with a smile.

Anran turned her head toward the outside without looking at him.

“Royal milk tea used to be your favorite. You used to complain about how bitter coffee was and how no amount of sugar or milk could mask the bitter taste,” Mo Fei looked at her and said slowly.

……

Anran turned her head, looked at him, and simply said, “No person or thing will remain where they are forever, just like at work. Over time, they will be promoted, and in terms of taste, it evolves over time as well. Just because I liked something in the past doesn’t necessarily mean that I still cherish it in the present, and in terms of romance, love should fade over time. ”

Mo Fei felt his heart ache so painfully that he couldn’t breathe. He knew what she meant, but he didn’t want to believe it. Looking into her eyes, he said solemnly, “Some things will never change and will remain the same as they were in the past!”

Anran avoided eye contact with him and lowered her head, then raised the cup on the table to her mouth to start sipping the coffee. So what if there were still some lingering feelings? They couldn’t withstand the harsh reality, and this took her six years to finally understand. So now, she had learned to let it go, and even if it was difficult to move on right away, she could at least let the memory fade, little by little.

The waiter with the perfect smile brought the coffee to them, then left with the same smile.

Mo Fei took a sip of coffee and felt like the bitterness reflected how his heart felt at the moment. He knew that his initial decision had hurt her, but what she didn’t know was how he had endured the past six years, and how he agonized over her every night.

The silence made Anran feel somewhat uneasy. She looked at her watch, then said impatiently, “If you have something to say, spill it. I still have to get back back to work.”

He stared straight at her, then suddenly reached out to grab her hand and held it tightly.

“You, you let go of me.” She tried to withdraw her hand, but his grasp was too tight. Anran was now a little annoyed. “Mo Fei, you let go of my hand this instant!”

Mo Fei ignored her and instead tightened his grasp on her hands, leaned in slightly, then said, “Anran, give me half a year; just give me half a year’s time!”

“You let go of me.” Anran continued to struggle.

“Anran, I love you. You will be the only one I will ever love, really! As long as you give me another half year, just another half year will be enough, and then let us start over again, all right?” Mo Fei pleaded with her as he held her hand. He hadn’t planned on confessing to her this early, but the man he saw yesterday made him a little scared. He was scared that if he didn’t say it now, it would be too late for him.

Anran stared at him blankly, and asked, “What do you mean?” What did he mean by half a year, or start over again? Did he forget that he had a wife at home?

“Don’t worry, I believe that you still have feelings for me, so just wait another six months and we can be together again, just like six years ago.”

“Be together again?” Anran sneered and felt that she didn’t even truly know the man in front of her. “In what position? Did you forget that you still have a wife at home? Do you want me to be your mistress, then?”

“No.” He denied that he planned on letting her become his mistress. She was the only woman he ever loved in his life. How could he bear to debase her to such a nefarious status?

“No, well then do you plan on divorcing Tong Xiaojie? And I will be the mistress between you two?” Anran glared at him icily, and there was no warmth in her tone.

“Anran, don’t speak of yourself so pitifully. You must know that you were never a mistress for even an instant!” At that time, they only had eyes for each other, and if there was a third party, indeed, it was someone else—never her.

“Oh.” Anran sneered, “You are the one that made me seem so pitiful.”

“Anran, I have an agreement with her, and the agreement will expire in half a year, so then I will be able to divorce her,” Mo Fei said.

Anran stared at the man in front of her coldly. When they were together before, he always seemed so perfect. Yet encountering him again after not seeing him for six years merely made him seem like a stranger and there no longer seemed to be any trace of the man from before. She yanked her hand away from his grasp. “Mo Fei, you are truly selfish. What right do you have to make me wait for you?”

“Anran, you still love me, right? You haven’t forgotten our history together over the years have you?” He already checked. She hadn’t been in a relationship for the past six years, and she was a workaholic. He knew that she still had feelings for him and would never give up on him.

Even so, did that give him the right to hurt her like that back in the day? If so, then she was truly disheartened over the relationship she once regarded as love.

Seeing her remain silent, Mo Fei thought that he guessed correctly, so he reached out to clasp her hands again and said calmly yet persuasively, “Anran, wait for half a year. Just half a year. All right?”

Anran closed her eyes, and the corner of her mouth curled up in a sneer. When she opened her eyes again, there was harsh resolution in her eyes, and she thrust away his hands in fury. “I won’t wait for you. From the moment you told me that you were married to Tong Xiaojie six years ago, things ended between us. I don’t care about any agreement between you two, nor do I care about whether or not you will divorce her after half a year; it all has nothing to do with me.” She stood up, picked up her bag from the chair, then said,” Please, please, do not come looking for me anymore. I’m already married, and you are giving me trouble by doing this. I don’t want my husband to have any misunderstandings.” After that, she turned around to leave.

“You are married?” Mo Fei stood in front of her and blocked her way while staring at her in disbelief. The documents given to him by the private detective clearly stated that she was unmarried, nor was she dating anyone.

“Yes.” Anran nodded.

Mo Fei shook his head. “I don’t believe you.” He was certain she was lying to him.

“It’s up to you.” Whether he believed it or not was up to him. She had no control over his thoughts. She walked around him to bypass him, but he instantly grabbed her hand.

“Is he the man from yesterday?” a low voice sounded in her ears.

“Yes,” Anran replied curtly without hesitation.

Mo Fei made no further comment and merely tightened his grasp on her hand.

Anran was hurting now, and she took a deep breath then said coldly, “Mo Fei, don’t make me start despising you.”

Mo Fei shut his eyes in agony and finally let go of her hand.

Anran retracted her hands, then headed straight toward the door to leave without looking back.