The 99th Divorce

It was tasty and sweet. Yu Lili loved ice cream, especially vanilla and chocolate. She started putting spoonfuls of ice cream into her mouth, smacking her lips as she went along. She hooked Ou Ming’s hand around her arm and walked out.

Ou Ming staggered as he was being dragged. Soon enough, he steadied his steps and walked out with Yu Lili.

When they were out, the cold air hit them once again.

Yu Lili held on to the ice cream. Eating on one hand and shivering in the dark on the other, she was frozen stiff.

Ou Ming seemed to sense something. He tightened his grip on Yu Lili’s arm. “Where’s my ice cream?” he asked.

“It’s so cold out! Why on earth are you having ice cream? It was freezing my hand off, so I threw it away.” Yu Lili told a bald-faced lie as she continued spooning the ice cream into her mouth.

He couldn’t see anyway. And, he hadn’t paid for it. Yu Lili did not feel an ounce of guilt about lying to the blind man. What Yu Lili hadn’t noticed was that while she was speaking, a smile had flashed on Ou Ming’s face momentarily.

“Liar,” he said.

“It’s true!” Yu Lili restrained the magnitude of her actions a little and let her hand fall. “Why on earth would you want ice cream on such a cold day? It’s your own fault for not holding it on your own. Too bad that it got thrown away.”

“Liar.” Ou Ming repeated the word. He reached out and felt for Yu Lili’s palm.

Yu Lili quickly threw the spoon into the ice cream bowl and allowed him to feel her hand. She didn’t feel any guilt whatsoever. Contrarily, she said in annoyance, “I already said it isn’t with me! Are you accusing me of eating it?”

Ou Ming almost smiled as he replied, “You’re capable of that.”

“I’m not!” Yu Lili exclaimed.

“Yes, you are,” Ou Ming said.

Yu Lili glared at him and gave him a push. “You’re saying that I’m lying to a blind man? Am I that unconscionable?” As she spoke, she instinctively hid the ice cream behind her back. “Believe whatever you want. Get lost!”

Ou Ming smiled but quickly rearranged his features to his original expression. He lamented, “I’ve never experienced what it’s like to have ice cream after a meal before.”

That used to be Yu Lili’s habit, but it had changed slowly over time. When she heard Ou Ming say that, her guilty conscience suddenly reared its head.

But, then again, so what? The blind man wanted someone to serve him. Does that mean I have to feed him his ice-cream? Only in his dreams!

With a harrumph, Yu Lili pettily took another big mouthful of ice cream. When she turned around and saw the regret and sadness on Ou Ming’s face, she felt even better about herself.

He deserves it!

Yu Lili took the blind man back to the five-star hotel they had gone to previously. She passed his identity card over to the receptionist and requested, “One single room, please.”

“I already said that if you’re not staying with me, then I’m not staying here.” Ou Ming repeated the statement that he had said umpteen times before. “I can’t see anything on my own. I’m afraid.”

When Ou Ming said that, his voice carried a hint of resentment. Taken out of context and heard by outsiders, it sounded very much as if Yu Lili was abandoning him.

A dark cloud loomed in Yu Lili’s mind. She fished her identity card out as well as said, “I’ll stay too. Please give me a king room.”

“Sure,” the receptionist bit back her laughter. She smile at Ou Ming and then at Yu Lili.

After they had checked in and paid the bill, Yu Lili took the blind man to the room. Ou Ming held on tightly to her arm. It was as if he was frightened she would run off.