Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“Wh-what…” It was clear that Bai Xue was truly panicking. In her effort to control the corners of her mouth from trembling uncontrollably, her facial muscles were somewhat distorted. To Pei Yuming, she had nothing to do with the word “beautiful” at that moment. He even thought that there was nothing uglier than the face before him.

“What are you talking about?” Bai Xue composed herself and finally managed a complete sentence.

Pei Yuming glanced at Lu Dong, then said to Bai Xue, “Weren’t you two together just now?”

At this, Lu Dong quickly interjected, “Ah, it’s a misunderstanding, Lao Pei. I really just came up to ask sister-in-law if she needed anything. I tried calling before I came but couldn’t get through, so I came over. You’ve got it all wrong!”

“Is that so?” Pei Yuming continued to question Bai Xue.

Bai Xue nodded guiltily, not daring to meet Pei Yuming’s eyes the entire time.

Pei Yuming had thought that after the previous confrontations with Bai Xue and Lu Dong, his anger had subsided considerably. But now, facing them, seemingly discussing the matter calmly, only he knew that if he weren’t deliberately suppressing it, his voice would actually be trembling.

The uncontrollable rage was fermenting madly inside him. He couldn’t understand what Bai Xue was thinking. He even had an impulse to pry open her skull to see what was going on inside.

“Shall I take you two to the property management to check the surveillance footage in the elevator?” Pei Yuming’s mocking expression was obvious.

Shock filled Bai Xue’s beautiful eyes. She looked at Lu Dong for help, only to realize afterward that this action was tantamount to admitting what Pei Yuming had said.

“Shall we go?” Pei Yuming repeated.

Bai Xue shook her head instinctively.

Lu Dong also hastily waved his hand. “No!”

“I want the truth.” Pei Yuming pressed step by step, looking at Bai Xue.

Seeing that Lu Dong was no help, Bai Xue stopped avoiding Pei Yuming’s gaze. She straightened her shoulders, abandoned her previously cowering posture, and said with a tone of reckless abandon, “Two months ago.”

When she confessed so readily, Lu Dong immediately covered his face with his hands and turned his head away, not daring to look at Pei Yuming.

Just when Bai Xue thought Pei Yuming was bound to fly into a rage, to her surprise, he didn’t get angry but laughed instead, sneering, “Xiao Xue, I always thought you were an innocent, straightforward person. I never expected you to be so skilled at lying. You’ve really opened my eyes!”

Since he didn’t believe her, Bai Xue didn’t explain, but instead, emboldened by the fact that the truth was out, she became somewhat reckless.

“Believe it or not, Pei Yuming. You don’t need to mock me. I admit I’ve done you wrong,” Bai Xue straightened her back completely. “But you’re not blameless for the situation we’re in today.”

“So now you’re blaming me for your affair, Bai Xue? Listen to yourself-does that even sound human?” Pei Yuming was somewhat agitated.

Bai Xue turned her head away resentfully. “Anyway, since you already know, if you want a divorce, just divorce.”

Pei Yuming suddenly stood up, pointing the knife at Lu Dong and roaring, “Divorce? So you can leave and be with him, right? Dream on!”

“No, no, Lao Pei, calm down!” Lu Dong was terrified. Seeing the sharp blade pointed at him, if he hadn’t been sitting on the sofa, he probably would have fallen over in fright.

Bai Xue, seeing this, stepped in front of Lu Dong and screamed, “Yes! Living with anyone is better than living with you!”

“No, no, you can’t say that…” At this moment, Lu Dong still tried to smooth things over.

“He’s better than me?” Pei Yuming felt like he was going crazy. “What’s he better at? Apart from living off women, what else can he do?”

At this, even the peacemaker fell silent.

Bai Xue sneered, “Heh, being able to live off women is a skill in itself, Pei Yuming. In your book, what counts as impressive? Excellent professional skills? Career success? Rapid advancement? But what does all that have to do with me?”
By this point in the argument, Pei Yuming finally understood what Bai Xue meant. In all their years of marriage, Bai Xue had complained more than once that he only cared about work and neglected the family. Every little thing at home had to go through her; she felt more like the family’s maid than a wife.

But whenever she complained, Pei Yuming felt wronged too. Did he have to quit his job and stay home with her every day, at her beck and call, for it to count as caring about the family?

He always thought Bai Xue’s mindset was stuck twenty years in the past. She loved being the center of attention and the focus of a crowd, but married life couldn’t be like when they were dating, spending every day thinking about how to be glued together.

Pei Yuming stepped forward. “It has nothing to do with you? Your food, your expenses, the household spending, our daughter’s tuition-which one doesn’t come from my job? If I don’t work, does the whole family live on thin air?”

“Those words again!” Bai Xue didn’t back down an inch. “Pei Yuming, can’t you come up with something new? When have I ever told you not to work? What, if you hadn’t married me, you wouldn’t have a job? Don’t use that as an excuse. You might not be tired of saying it, but I’m tired of hearing it.”

In terms of eloquence, even with a PhD, Pei Yuming couldn’t match Bai Xue. Over the years, nearly every argument ended with him speechless and in a cold war. Then a few days later, he’d find an excuse, flash a smile, or give a small gift, and they’d make up without really addressing it.

But this time was different. Pei Yuming didn’t understand: Bai Xue was clearly the one in the wrong, so why was she still the one winning the argument?

“You have grievances, you feel wronged, but that’s no excuse for cheating-especially with this person!” Pei Yuming pointed the tip of the knife at Bai Xue. “After you did something like this, don’t I have the right to know the truth?”

“What do you want to know? It’s already done.” Bai Xue was now calmer than Pei Yuming. She looked at the blade before her without a trace of fear, which left Lu Dong, standing by, stunned.

“I already said cheating was my fault. What else do you want me to say?”

Pei Yuming’s anger was blocked in his chest by Bai Xue’s words, and he had to take several deep breaths before he could speak.

“I want to know when you two got together. Why him? Have you never gotten over him? Then why did you get together with me in the first place?”

From Bai Xue’s expression, it was clear she had answers to these questions, but she couldn’t say them to his face right now.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Pei Yuming was blocking the path between the living room and the door, so neither Bai Xue nor Lu Dong dared to open it.

The phone on the coffee table rang. Bai Xue glanced at it; it was Su Jin calling, but she didn’t dare answer.

It wasn’t that she feared Pei Yuming would stab her; she just didn’t know how to face her best friend at this moment.

Lu Dong also saw the name on the screen, and a complicated expression with clear worry crossed his face.

The three inside silently agreed to stay quiet. Footsteps outside approached and then receded; it seemed Su Jin had left again.

Pei Yuming waited with the last of his patience for nearly a minute, but Bai Xue still showed no intention of speaking. He laughed in anger, pushed Bai Xue aside with his free hand, and before either could react, he grabbed Lu Dong, who was hiding behind her, by the collar and pressed the blade against his neck.

“Talk, or else!” Pei Yuming’s eyes were bloodshot, looking like he could send Lu Dong to the afterlife in the next second.