Ding Yahong's office was decorated simply but exuded a strong sense of life.
The most striking feature was a large bookshelf filled with all kinds of books.
I could tell that Ding Yahong was a person who loved books.
I scanned the room eagerly, trying to find any trace of Lu Feng, but there was seemingly nothing.
The likely explanation was that the relationship between Lu Feng and Ding Yahong had already broken down.
If that was truly the case, then why, if both sides were divorced, was Ding Yahong still bringing me to catch him cheating?
That made me think that Ding Yahong must still have feelings for Lu Feng.
I sat in Ding Yahong's office, and time passed without me realizing it.
Half an hour later, Ding Yahong arrived. The moment I saw her, her appearance shocked me.
Honestly, she was young—under thirty—and if she dressed well, she could be quite charming.
But today's outfit was strangely exaggerated: not only was it very revealing and sexy, but her makeup was also heavy, making her look like a woman of ill repute.
When she approached me, I could smell the heavy scent of cosmetics on her.
I stared at her in surprise but said nothing.
She smiled and said, "You must be quite surprised to see me dressed like this!"
I thought for a moment and replied, "A little bit."
Ding Yahong said, "Actually, everyone has two sides. Don't think I'm just a strong career woman always busy with work and careless about my appearance—in life, there's another side you don't know."
Suddenly, I thought of my wife, Lu Wan. Could she also have a hidden side?
Ding Yahong smiled and suddenly said, "Do you like this side of me?"
I frowned inwardly, thinking, "I still prefer how she used to be!"
Though thinking this, I did not say it aloud. Instead, I replied, "It's okay. You look pretty and quite womanly."
Ding Yahong's smile then blossomed like a flower.
Then she said, "It's still early. Will you have dinner with me?"
Though I was reluctant in my heart, given the circumstances, I could not refuse.
I nodded and said, "Sure."
She was very pleased with my answer and said, "I know a restaurant with great flavors. Why don't we go there?"
Honestly, I didn't much care what we ate—I was more concerned about other matters.
At five o'clock, we arrived at a cozy restaurant.
It specialized in Korean cuisine, reasonably priced but very romantic.
By our dining table, candles had been lit, enhancing the warm, romantic atmosphere.
In such an environment, from any perspective, Ding Yahong and I resembled a couple.
Obviously, all this was carefully arranged by her—I just didn't understand why.
So we started eating and chatting.
Ding Yahong said, "Back when Lu Feng and I were dating, we often ate here. He loved Korean food."
I frowned and thought, "I don't like that. Why is she telling me this?"
Recalling the past, her expression became extremely complicated. She continued, "Back then, my husband was so handsome, so charming. Every move of his fascinated me."
I silently thought, this was really the thinking of a lovesick woman.
Ding Yahong went on, "But after we married, I found out that Lu Feng loved someone else—your wife, Lu Wan."
Hearing this, I couldn't keep silent. I said, "Even if they loved each other before, they've parted. We should cherish what we have now and live well."
Ding Yahong smiled bitterly and shook her head. She said, "I thought the same, but reality was more complicated than I imagined."
She said, "On our wedding night, Lu Feng suddenly cried. He told me this wasn't his first time."
Clearly, she was bringing up the matter between Lu Feng and my wife.
Honestly, I still didn't fully understand what happened when Lu Feng was dating my wife.
Hearing this upset me—my great effort to win back the goddess turned out to be a secondhand.
That hurt a little.
Ding Yahong continued, "A handsome man like my husband must have many admirers. I understand he wasn't a virgin, but what I couldn't understand was that every time he wanted to be intimate with me, he insisted I wear red panties. Otherwise, he couldn't perform."
I pondered and said, "That sounds like a psychological problem—you should take him to see a doctor."
She said, "At first, when I discovered this, I did bring him to see a doctor. The doctor told us it was a psychosomatic sexual dysfunction, hard to cure."
Usually, matters of intimacy are very private; I didn't know why she was telling me this.
Seeing my thoughts, Ding Yahong added, "Actually, my husband's illness is because of your wife, Lu Wan."
Though she spoke calmly, I could feel the hatred in her heart. A woman can't tolerate her husband being incapable sexually.
I looked at her suspiciously, wondering why this had anything to do with my wife.
Ding Yahong continued, "You should know, Zhao Jian, my husband and your wife dated in college."
I nodded and said, "I know something, but your husband's matters shouldn't relate to my wife like that."
She said, "My husband's illness comes from having 'stolen fruit' with your wife back in school."
I strongly doubted this. I never heard that losing your virginity early causes psychosomatic sexual dysfunction.
Besides, college students nowadays are open-minded, many begin living together during college.
Ding Yahong pressed on, "Don't disbelieve me—this was told to me by my husband himself."
Since that was the case, I wanted to know the details. I asked, "Then tell me—what happened exactly?"
She said, "The first time my husband and your wife tried 'forbidden fruit,' it was in a shabby motel. He said your wife wore red panties."
I couldn't help but recall seeing my wife's red panties when I was taking a shower. Even now, I still didn't understand when she bought those.
She went on, "Usually, the first time is unforgettable, but during a critical moment, my husband was suddenly frightened. Since then, he developed this illness."
Upon hearing this, I felt both sad and relieved.
Sad because my wife was indeed not "brand new." The fact she 'bled' on the wedding night was a lie.
Relieved because Lu Feng's idiot of a husband had this strange sickness and would cause less harm to women in the future.
What I cared most about now was why Lu Feng and my wife broke up. I sensed my wife was very depressed during that period; it was clear she didn't abandon Lu Feng.
So I asked, "Since they got that far, why did they break up?"
Ding Yahong thought and said, "It was because of Lu Feng's parents. When they learned your wife's family situation wasn't good, they rejected her."
I thought silently—if Lu Feng were a responsible man, he would have stood up to protect Lu Wan from harm.
But unfortunately, the one who stood up was me, and I became Lu Wan's husband.
Ding Yahong said, "Actually, I know deep down, although my husband married me, his heart still belonged solely to Lu Wan. That's why he couldn't cut off the old feelings."
What Lu Wan did in the past was none of my concern anymore.
But now, she was cheating behind my back. I absolutely could not bear this humiliation.
I couldn't hold back and stood up, saying, "If Lu Feng were a real man, he should have protected Lu Wan properly. Now that she's married, he shouldn't be bothering her. That's a man's basic decency."
Ding Yahong smiled and said, "If you want to have a good life with Lu Wan, you'd better tell Lu Feng what you just said. See what he says."
By now, I was sure that Ding Yahong's main goal in catching the cheater was to save her marriage.
It seemed, in her heart, she still cared for Lu Feng.
Truly, the charm of a campus heartthrob was irresistible!
We spent more than half an hour eating.
When we left the restaurant, it was already past six in the evening.
Ding Yahong said to me, "It's about time. We should act now."
My mood instantly became complex—excited but also somewhat disappointed.
I got into the business car driven by Ding Yahong, and she took me to Jingquan Hotel.
When we arrived, I found it wasn't a large hotel but of decent quality.
This kind of hotel mainly focused on affordability.
If my wife and Lu Feng were having an affair, it would make sense to choose such a hotel.
Ding Yahong parked the car in front of the hotel but did not enter.
Clearly, she was waiting for the right moment.
At the same time, I grew tense, constantly watching the hotel's main entrance.
About half an hour later, a woman wearing a red cloak appeared.