Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I remembered the last time we met. It was in Zhou Xu’s office.

I had gone there to talk to him about divorce.

We had been married for three years, but the honeymoon phase between us had only lasted one.

For the remaining two years, I had been trapped in self-doubt and mental exhaustion.

Later, I finally managed to face this marriage properly, admit my own failure, and decided to have a serious talk with Zhou Xu.

But I never expected Lin Tiantian to be hiding under his desk…

The two of them interacted right in front of me, exchanging glances.

As if nothing were wrong, they treated me like part of their little game.

Lin Tiantian even thought she was well hidden.

She leaned against Zhou Xu’s leg, smiling with sly delight.

And I, the moment Zhou Xu tipped his head back with a look of satisfaction, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he let out a muffled groan, strode right over, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her out from under the desk.

Lin Tiantian screamed as I slapped her. Her fair, tender little face swelled red at once.

Then Zhou Xu’s voice sounded behind me.

He called, “Su Yi.”

I turned back on instinct, only to be struck so hard my vision went white. It took me a long while to recover.

He looked down at me from above. “Finally learned how to fight for attention, have you? Too bad. Looking like this will only make you uglier and uglier.”

One cruel sentence after another fell on me.

My world sank into storm and chaos.

I remembered the first time Zhou Xu confessed to me. He looked at me, his eyes bright and shining, and said, “The way you hold your head high with such pride makes you look like a princess. I want to protect you forever.”

But afterward, it became:

“She knows better than you how to lower herself. She knows how to please me. What about you? You need to show me some sincerity and prove you love me more than she does.”

Lin Tiantian would be brought by him to important social events, timidly hiding behind him.

The guests looked at us, standing in clearly separate camps, and whispered among themselves.

I still kept my back straight and my head held high, the massive crystal chandelier above me like a lonely crown.

But when I took off my wedding ring and turned to leave without the slightest reluctance, he would chase after me, then hold me from behind in some empty corner.

“Why are you really angry? Looks like my dear wife does care about me after all.” His kisses fell again and again along my neck, his tone intimate and lingering. “I only wanted to make you jealous. How could she ever compare to you? You’re the rose I’ve raised with my own hands for so many years.”

He buried his head against my neck and laughed softly. “Even the way you stubbornly refuse to bow your head or back down is so adorable.”

Back then, I already felt Zhou Xu was insane.

I wanted to pull myself free, but the interests of our two families were already too deeply entangled, so I chose to endure it again and again.

In the end, he only pushed further and further.

By the time I came back to myself, I had already pinned Zhou Xu to the floor. I was holding an ashtray, smashing it down on him again and again, while roaring nonstop, “Have I been too nice to you? You two shamelessly hook up right in front of me without even trying to hide it, and you still dare lay a hand on me!”

Zhou Xu’s face was covered in blood, making him look rather frightening.

His little sweetheart had curled up in the corner by the wall, trying her best to erase her own presence. She didn’t dare make a sound.

“Su Yi, if you can’t learn to behave, then divorce me.” Even now, his eyes were still locked firmly on me, threats spilling constantly from his mouth.

It had always been him provoking me, then standing above it all as he savored my collapse.

But now, looking at his face twisted in pain, I suddenly smiled in relief.

I said, “Do you know something, Zhou Xu? Intentional assault can get you a heavy sentence, but domestic violence only gets you a lecture.”

“As long as our relationship still exists, I’ll torture you for the rest of your life.”

With that, I grinned, baring two rows of white teeth.

I said, “Divorce? Dream on.”

I must have looked truly insane when I smiled, because I saw clear fear in Zhou Xu’s eyes. The moment my hand clamped around Zhou Xu’s throat, I admit, I did think about dragging him down with me.

But was he worth it? Letting him off that easily, letting him die and be done with it-I refused.

Yes. The only thing keeping me alive was my hatred for him.

Even now, I refused to turn back, and I refused to admit that my life had already been completely twisted out of shape.

Now, I was a lunatic. A shrew.

My reputation was in ruins, and I was still entangled with a man who did not love me.

My hand began trembling uncontrollably again.

The next second, a gentle warmth pressed against my palm.

I turned back and saw Xue Ke lying across my knees.

Little by little, he pried open the hand I had dug full of nail marks. After trying to press my palm and hand me water to no effect, he pressed his own cheek against it instead, finally managing to pull me out of the storm of my emotions.

At that moment, the young man stared at me without moving, his round puppy-dog eyes wide open.

I lowered my gaze and examined that face. Youthful and tender, yet with deep-set features that carried a faint mixed-race look.

There was no doubt that Xue Ke was good-looking. It was just that his eyes were too clean. When people looked at him, it was hard to let any improper thoughts arise.

His cheeks and the tips of his ears were a little red, but the concern in his expression overwhelmed his shyness.

Seeing me look at him, he seemed to finally gather his courage. He took a deep breath and spoke as if making a plea. “Stop bullying yourself, okay?”

After saying that, he gently picked up my other hand and placed it on top of his head with solemn care.

When Xue Ke first came to my home, his hair had been stiff and bristly, like fresh stubble, and felt wonderful to touch. Back then, I had once joked that the condition for letting Xue Ke stay was that he had to be available for head pats whenever I wanted.

And now, I looked at his clumsy, somewhat foolish attempt to please me. I looked at the clarity in the young man’s eyes. In the end, I still could not stop myself from asking that question.

“Xue Ke, after lying low by my side for so long, what exactly do you want?”