Chapter 19

I’d heard there was trouble with the collaboration between Suhang and Sheng Tang. Suhang was running around putting out fires. “President Cai is hesitating,” he said. “Seems like someone’s offered her a higher price.”

I guessed Bai Zifan was behind it, but I couldn’t care less about Suhang’s work. I just desperately wanted to know what kind of man was hiding under this “good husband” facade of his.

That night he came knocking on the door, wearing a bathrobe, smelling faintly of body wash.

“Wifey, I’ve been busy with work lately. Haven’t spent time with you in ages. Tonight…”

“No need. I’m tired.”

He froze for a second. “Then I’ll just stay for a bit. Keep you company.”

“Also not necessary. I know you’re busy. Go focus on your work.”

“Actually, I wanted you to keep me company,” he suddenly said in a wheedling tone, eyes innocent, voice pleading. “Just stay with me for a while, okay? I’ll leave in a bit.”

The way he acted spoiled, I had to admit, was really hard to resist. If not for that email gnawing at my heart, I’d probably be head over heels in love with this man.

He lay down, pulled me into his arms, and kissed my hair.

I could feel the fatigue in his breathing, the weight of some heavy pressure on him.

“Wife, I just want to hold you like this forever. You’re my wife. You’re my…” he murmured like a drunk man. “I’m so tired. Holding you feels so good… I’ll leave after you fall asleep, okay?”

“You’re my…” he mumbled, his fingers absentmindedly twirling the ends of my hair, his arm around mine growing heavier and heavier.

He’d fallen asleep.

Even in his sleep, his brows were furrowed, so handsome it made your heart ache.

In my head, the two little versions of me started fighting again.

One said, “Just forget that stupid email already. Stop overthinking everything. The man that night was him-he’s already proved it was him. Just love your husband properly, cherish him. What’s so bad about living a happy life?”

The other said, “No. The man in front of you isn’t the real him. Every word, every gesture is just a mask. Who knows if it’s a man or a monster underneath? You have to find out what’s going on. I can’t just cover my ears and lie to myself.”

I was so torn I felt like I was going to split in two.

That was when I saw his phone lying beside him.

Holding my breath, I used his fingerprint to unlock it. Since he’d deleted the email, I’d check the call log from that night on the hotel balcony instead.

But the calls from that night were gone-he’d probably deleted those too.

I forced myself to calm down a little. Zhang Man had taught me a few tricks. Unhurriedly, I opened his carrier’s app on his phone, found the call history function, entered the verification code, and pulled up the last six months of call records.

I found the number for that one-minute-forty-second call on his birthday night. He’d also called that same number once, about a month before his birthday.

I memorized the number and sent it to Zhang Man.

When I got back into bed, Suhang happened to turn over, his arm reaching for me unconsciously. I lay stiffly back down and let him pull me into his arms, my heart filled with nothing but rejection and disgust.