Touching love stories: The Love Dyed Red by Rouge Fruit
Behind the house where they lived, there was an open field. As soon as the early summer rains fell, a nameless grass would grow wildly in the field. Soon, among the clusters of dark green oval leaves, clusters of white flowers would bloom.
Those delicate, pale single-petal flowers were not beautiful, but once they fell, they would bear pea-sized fruits. When the fruit ripened, a gentle squeeze would release a crimson juice, like rouge. So, she gave them a beautiful name—rouge fruit.
Whenever she had free time, she would go and pick some rouge fruit: then, mimicking the city women, she would carefully apply the rouge fruit juice to her nails and toes. She was already young and beautiful, and with the adornment of those vivid colors, she looked even more charming.
He liked her appearance with the rouge red and also enjoyed applying the bright juice to her nails and toes himself. At first, he was clumsy. But gradually, he became more skilled, applying it more evenly and attractively than she did.
That early summer, she went to the city to work with a few sisters. When the rouge fruit ripened again, she gradually forgot the wild fruits that had once brought her so much beauty.
She still liked to paint her nails and toes with those beautiful colors, but now she used high-end nail polish bought at a high price from the supermarket. She also discovered that applying lipstick made her look even more enchanting.
He continued as before, frequently going to the field behind the house to pick a handful of rouge fruits, storing them in a small wooden box in a cool corner.
These little fruits were easy to preserve and wouldn’t rot for half a month. But to ensure the rouge fruit’s color, he would pick fresh ones every few days, replacing the old ones.
He did this so that when she returned home, he could calmly take out the rouge fruit to adorn her beauty. The amount of money she sent home increased, but the days they met grew fewer. He only knew she worked at a foreign-funded clothing company.
One day, she suddenly called home, her voice cold, saying, “Let’s divorce…”
He was stunned for a while before asking, “Why?”
She didn’t answer, only saying, “I’m no longer the person I used to be…”
On a rainy evening, he went through great trouble to finally find her at a hotel.
She was drinking with several guests, wearing bright red lipstick, and the artificial nail polish on her nails looked like invisible arrows piercing his eyes and stabbing his heart.
Suddenly, he understood what she had meant earlier. He dragged her out of the private room.
She had drunk a lot, but the thick makeup couldn’t hide her panic.
After a long time, she asked, “Are you surprised?”
He shook his head bitterly, saying, “I haven’t touched any of the money you sent back. But why did you become like this?”
She didn’t explain, only telling him that those were powerful guests she couldn’t offend. Saying this, she turned and walked back into the private room, ignoring his pleas and attempts to pull her back.
She drank until she was thoroughly drunk. Late at night, with the help of one of her colleagues, he carried her back to her rented house.
She cried, lying motionless on the bed, letting her tears wash away the alcohol in her system. He, as before, held her hair with one arm, watching her fall asleep with tears.
Then, he soaked a towel in warm water, carefully wiping off the remaining lipstick from her lips, and then cleaned the nail polish from her nails and toes.
He took out a small wooden box from his pocket, opened it, revealing the rouge fruits he had picked for her. As before, he meticulously applied the natural, vivid juice to her nails and toes.
Bright sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains.
When she woke up, the first thing she saw was his hand, dyed red by the rouge fruit. At that moment, she raised her own hand, seeing the familiar rouge red staining each of her nails and toes.
She was stunned, then knelt in front of him, crying, “If I come home… will you still pick rouge fruit for me like before?”
He hugged her tightly, tears streaming down in large drops…
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
