chapter 10

When I woke up, my head was splitting.

Hearing the noise, Zhou Mu appeared at the bedroom door. “Xiao Jin, I made you some hangover soup.”

I rubbed my temples and answered him.

By the time I finished washing up and sat down at the table, breakfast and the soup were already laid out.

I downed the soup in one go, only then noticing the piece of candy he had placed beside it.

“Xiao Jin.”

Zhou Mu came downstairs, smiling at me with a tie in his hand.

I froze for a moment, then took it and helped him knot it.

He took the chance to duck his head and kiss my forehead, his voice sticky-sweet against my ear. “Wait for me to come back.”

Just like when we had first gotten married.

In the moment I dazed out, Zhou Mu had already gone out the door.

Not long after he left, an unfamiliar number came through.

I tapped to answer.

The voice on the other end sounded very familiar.

It was Chen Wei.

She asked to meet.

On the way there, I ran through her possible openings countless times.

Maybe, like in those novels, she’d announce triumphantly, “He only loves me.”

Maybe she’d arrogantly demand that I back out on my own.

But she didn’t.

Chen Wei arrived before I did. When she saw me, she greeted me politely, then started telling me her story with Zhou Mu.

“I’ve been with Zhou Mu for two years. He’s always treated me very well.”

“Actually, I always knew who he was.”

“When I was young, I used to be jealous of him. He had such a happy family. His dad and mom both loved him very much.”

“My mom never cared about me, not until she met Uncle Zhou.”

“Sometimes he’d come by and bring me little gifts.”

“But I knew it was only because he loved my mom.”

“Until I got together with Zhou Mu.”

“He knows how to take care of people. He worries if I’m eating well, if I’m sleeping soundly. He tells me, ‘It’s okay, I’m here.’ He helps me solve every problem-”

“It’s like, after all those years of being neglected, Heaven finally sent me a gift.”

“I thought I would always be with him.”

“Until his mother found out.”

“She threatened to kill herself to force Zhou Mu to leave me…”

Chen Wei paused. Her voice suddenly sharpened with emotion. “He gave me up.”

Her gaze shifted to me, and her tone turned mournful again:

“Give him back to me, will you?”

“I’m begging you. I really love him.”

“I really do.”

Her tears fell, splashing onto the table.

Crying her heart out, tears and snot everywhere-

And yet there was still that faint, proud hauteur of someone beloved.

I didn’t speak.

I touched my chest, only to find it didn’t hurt as much as before.

“Why don’t you talk to Zhou Mu?”

“Tell him to divorce me, to be with you instead.”

Chen Wei stared, the teardrop hanging off her lashes, about to fall but not quite.

“He… I don’t want to make things hard for him.” I let out a short laugh and looked at her, my expression calm.

“Do you really love Zhou Mu?”

“I do.” Her answer was firm, without hesitation.

But I laughed. “Then tell me-what’s Zhou Mu’s favorite food?”

Chen Wei went blank. Her mouth opened and closed, but not a single sound came out.

If they were really so in love-

Why was one so indecisive, and the other knew nothing about him at all?

Maybe I’d smiled too broadly.

Chen Wei flushed with anger and embarrassment. The softness in her expression vanished in an instant.

“Song Jin.”

“If you insist on doing this, don’t blame me.”

“He still can’t let me go.”