Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I discovered that doing housework for just two people really wasn’t that much work.

I made my own weight-loss meals and prepared baby food for Nannan.

It was simple and convenient.

She slept thirteen hours a day. Aside from my own six hours of sleep, that left me with seven hours of undisturbed time to study.

I read during my lunch breaks.

I read before bed at night.

Life without internal friction was effortless.

By the first week, I had lost six jin, dropping to 126.

At first, Lu Huaixu visited often.

After I used exhaustion as an excuse to reject his advances several times, his visits became occasional. When he did come over, he rarely initiated conversation, his entire demeanor cold and distant.

I knew this was a pose he was striking for my benefit.

In the past, I would have been humble and submissive, reflecting on my mistakes, pleading for peace, and proactively seeking intimacy.

But now, this distance was exactly what I wanted.

By the first month, I had lost twelve pounds, dropping to 120.

While playing with my daughter, I munched on a cucumber and checked Lu Shuang’s social media account.

She was the type of person who loved documenting and broadcasting her life.

In a photo at a Western restaurant, she wore a low-cut dress and clinked glasses elegantly with someone. On the wrist of the man sitting opposite her, I spotted the custom cufflinks I had bought for Lu Huaixu online.

At the same time, my sister-in-law and mother-in-law had begun a bitter battle over the family assets.

A mother from the neighborhood I used to be close with gave me daily updates on the war. My sister-in-law was telling everyone that since her mother was being so heartless, she shouldn’t blame her daughter for making sure her golden years were anything but peaceful.

When Lu Huaixu visited, he occasionally mentioned things at home, his expression tight with irritation.

By the second month, I was down to 110 jin.

On the day of my daughter’s second birthday, I made a point to call Lu Huaixu. Regardless of everything else, I didn’t want my daughter’s second birthday in this world to pass without her father there.

But he never showed up, not even by the time she fell asleep.

In the gap after finishing three practice exams, I opened Qin Shuang’s account.

Brilliant fireworks, a deserted beach, a discarded pair of high heels.

And my husband, carrying her on his back.

The caption read: “Another wish fulfilled! +1”

I put down my phone and started on the fourth practice exam.

When I finally went to sleep, it was pitch black outside and the world was silent.

They say the moment a seed cracks open always happens at three in the morning.

I didn’t feel lonely.

My heart was surging with a sense of fulfillment and hope.