14. Suffered beatings

Song Tiancheng stared at that short line of text for a good ten seconds.

A burning, restless fire ignited within him, and a sinister glint appeared in his eyes.

"I'm not coming to your place for dinner tonight." Then, Song Tiancheng sent a message to Su Yunzhu.

He abruptly slammed the phone screen down onto the table.

The word "divorce" was running rampant in his mind.

A nameless anger mixed with an inexplicable panic burned in his heart. He almost gritted his teeth as he replied, "I'll go home after work."

Wen Xueyan's decision, which she had suppressed for three months, finally came to light.

That evening, Song Tiancheng pushed open the door and came in, smelling of alcohol and cigarettes. After returning to the residential area, he went out for a few more drinks before coming back.

Song Tiancheng took off his coat and tossed it onto the back of the chair. He walked up to Wen and looked down at her.

He cut to the chase, his voice low and strained, "Why do you want a divorce? Xueyan, what are you thinking? You haven't let me touch you for the past few months, was that something you've been planning all along?"

Wen Xueyan raised her head and looked directly at him: "Let's get a divorce."

"Reason?" he asked.

"Do I need to explain your relationship with Su Yunzhu? Wouldn't it be better to give you your freedom?"

Song Tiancheng's eyes suddenly changed, a hint of panic flashing across them, but it was immediately replaced by anger. He abruptly leaned down, placing his hands on the back of the sofa on either side of Wen's body, trapping her.

He growled, "That was just a spur-of-the-moment thing! She had a fight with her boyfriend that day, and I just tried to comfort her. I still went home that night, but you didn't! No matter what thrills I seek outside, you're the only wife in my heart. How long are you going to hold onto this?"

His voice grew louder and louder, making people's eardrums hurt.

"And besides, I've already bought a new house and added your name to it! All my efforts have been for this family! Just because of this ridiculous, unfounded accusation, you want a divorce? Wen Xueyan, have you been tired of me for a long time? Is that why you've been distancing yourself from me these past few months? Hmm? You've found someone else?"

He seemed to utter the last few words with a fierce edge.

Wen Xueyan realized what it meant to "turn the tables"—it was clearly Song Tiancheng who had neglected her first.

Almost a whole year of neglect. The last bit of hesitation in Wen Xueyan's heart vanished, leaving only cold disappointment.

“Song Tiancheng, even now, can you still deny it so confidently? I see it clearly. I’m not asking for your consent; I’m informing you that I want a divorce.”

"Notify me?" Song Tiancheng seemed to be provoked, and he suddenly sat up straight.

"Slap!" A crisp slap rang out in the air.

Wen Xueyan's face was slapped to one side, and a burning pain instantly spread.

"Divorce? Don't even think about it!" Song Tiancheng's face was contorted with rage. "Let me tell you, Wen Xueyan, unless I agree, you won't get a divorce!"

Song Tiancheng was 185 cm tall and very strong. Wen Xueyan knew there was a huge difference in their physical strength and she definitely couldn't beat him. She suddenly stood up, her heart pounding. She grabbed her bag from the sofa and rushed towards the door.

Song Tiancheng reacted extremely quickly, grabbing her arm with such force that he almost crushed her bones.

"Let me go! Song Tiancheng! This is illegal detention!" Wen Xueyan struggled.

She screamed, struggling with all her might, her left fist clenched, futilely pounding Song Tiancheng's strong arm. But her fists landed on him like raindrops hitting rocks, eliciting only a disdainful snort from him.

He gripped her wrist even tighter, as if he wanted to crush her bones.

"Illegal detention? You're my wife! I can do whatever I want with you! You think you can resist?" Song Tiancheng's eyes flashed with a violent light. He sneered, as if enjoying the way her face contorted in pain. "Let me tell you, Wen Xueyan, so what if you're a top student? Don't think you're all that just because you got a permanent job! Want a divorce? No way!" Wen Xueyan's eyes welled up with tears from the pain.

Before he finished speaking, he used the force of his grip on her arm to slap her again, then shoved her forward violently. Wen Xueyan was already unsteady, and this time she completely lost her balance, staggering backward and falling.

"Bang!"

Her arm slammed heavily against the hard solid wood sofa, a dull pain suddenly exploding within her, causing her vision to go black for a moment.

Wen Xueyan fell to the floor, the world spinning around her. The pain almost made her faint. She tried to prop herself up, but found her arms numb and powerless.

Song Tiancheng looked down at her disheveled state, curled up on the ground, as if examining a broken object.

Wen Xueyan lay on the ground, breathing heavily, tears mixed with the blood seeping from her forehead as they slid down her cheeks.

Her slender arms hung limply at her sides, and the feeling of powerlessness filled her with more despair than the physical pain. All her resistance seemed so pale in the face of his overwhelming strength.

She looked up at the man she once loved, who now seemed like a strange demon.

She had only ever seen the saying "divorce reveals a person's character" online before, but now she truly understood its meaning.

"Song Tiancheng, you are utterly unreasonable!" Her voice trembled, but she still insisted, "You cheated on me, you hit me, what right do you have to refuse a divorce?"

"Cheating? So what if I'm close to Su Yunzhu?" Song Tiancheng squatted down and grabbed her wrist again. "I still love you! I absolutely refuse to agree to a divorce! Ah! Let me tell you, even if you marry another man in the future, you'll get tired of him after a while! Isn't that what marriage is all about?"

Wen Xueyan got up to leave again, but Song Tiancheng grabbed her arm and pushed her back. Wen Xueyan felt her vision go black and a metallic taste filled her mouth.

Seeing that she couldn't leave the house, she took advantage of the force of Song Tiancheng's swinging hand to get up with all her might, staggered into the second bedroom, and slammed the door shut and locked it.

"Open the door! Wen Xueyan, you come out here! I'll kick you to death tonight! Don't even think about getting away! Have you taken a fancy to some random guy?!" Song Tiancheng pounded on the door from the outside.

Wen Xueyan slid down to the ground with her back against the door, trembling all over.

Outside the door, her husband roared furiously and pounded on the door; inside, her heart grew colder and colder.

She pulled out her phone, her voice cold and clear, piercing through the door: "Song Tiancheng! If you bang on the door again, if you touch me again, I'll call the police immediately! And I'll call your mother at the same time! I mean what I say!"

She wasn't sure if Song Tiancheng was afraid of the police or his mother, but the noise outside the door suddenly stopped. Only heavy, angry breathing came through the door.

Wen gripped his phone tightly, pressed the numbers "110", and hovered his thumb over the dial button.

After a long ten seconds or so, the heavy footsteps receded into the distance.

Wen Xueyan didn't really intend to call the police immediately; she was worried that her elderly mother would get involved if she found out. She planned to preserve the evidence first.

She did not agree with the older generation's views. She had tried to get her mother's opinion, and the answer she received was that she should be patient.

The issue of mindset is deeply ingrained and difficult to change. News of older generations dying from domestic violence is not uncommon.

A dull thud came from the living room as something was kicked over.

Then, the world fell silent. Wen Xueyan leaned against the door, hugging her trembling knees. But she didn't cry; she just stared wide-eyed at the cold, dappled sunlight streaming in through the window.

Song Tiancheng had been drunk before. But this was the first time he had hit someone while drunk since they got married. In the past, when he was drunk, he would sometimes curse, but sometimes he would affectionately pat Wen Xueyan's head, but those are all in the past.

Wen Xueyan's arm was bruised and her elbow was still hurting, so she suspected that it might be broken.

Wen Xueyan took out painkillers and tried to fall asleep quickly, but she found it difficult to do so.

The next morning, Wen Xueyan quietly opened the door to the second bedroom. The living room was unexpectedly quiet, with the aroma of breakfast wafting through the air.

Song Tiancheng, wearing an apron, brought out fried eggs and milk from the kitchen. He had dark circles under his eyes and a stubble beard, but when he saw Wen Xueyan, he forced a fawning expression.

"Xueyan...you're awake? Come and have breakfast, I made it especially for you." His voice was hoarse. "Last night...I was such a jerk last night, I drank too much, I deserve to die! I promise it won't happen again! Please forgive me, okay? Don't say anything like 'divorce' in anger..."

Song Tiancheng reached out to pull her, but Wen Xueyan quickly took a step back to avoid being touched.

Wen Xueyan felt that it wasn't just a loss of control due to alcohol, but also an exposure of the ruthless side of his nature. Once he attacked, there was a possibility of a second time.

Wen Xueyan didn't even glance at the breakfast on the table, nor did she heed his apology. She walked quickly to the door, opened it, and let in the cool morning breeze.

"Xueyan! Where are you going?" Song Tiancheng's voice rang out from behind.

Wen Xueyan didn't look back and rushed out quickly.

The morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the hospital corridor, casting dappled shadows.

Wen Xueyan sat alone on a plastic chair in the waiting area, her slender fingers rubbing her arm. There, hidden beneath a thin, off-white cardigan, was a large patch of purplish-blue bruises, each movement bringing sharp pain.

She originally wanted to rent a place to stay temporarily, but the persistent pain in her arm made her worry that she might have a fracture, so she eventually came to the hospital.

"Wen Xueyan," the nurse called her name.

Wen Xueyan stood up and followed the nurse into the examination room. The doctor carefully examined her arm.

"An X-ray is needed," the doctor said. "The bruising is severe, and a fracture cannot be ruled out. How did this happen?"

Wen Xueyan lowered her eyes, her long hair falling to cover her profile: "I fell by accident."

The doctor didn't ask any further questions and ordered the tests. Wen Xueyan planned to have the doctor write a medical report later to use as evidence in her retaliation.

While waiting for the filming results, Wen Xueyan sat on a bench in the corridor, utterly exhausted. She took out her phone and continued checking rental listings, comparing them repeatedly. After all, her savings were limited.

"Wen Xueyan? What are you doing at the hospital?"

A deep, familiar male voice rang out, and Wen Xueyan abruptly looked up.

Cheng Boyan stood a few steps away, looking at her with some surprise. On the weekend, Cheng Boyan was dressed simply in a dark shirt and trousers, without a tie, making him less aloof than usual.

"President Cheng?" Wen Xueyan subconsciously stood up, the pain in her arm causing her to frown slightly.

Cheng Boyan's gaze swept quickly over her: her pale face, the faint finger marks still visible even with foundation, and her left arm that she was unconsciously protecting. His eyes darkened.

"Are you feeling unwell? What happened?" He stepped forward, maintaining a just-right distance, his voice filled with concern.

Wen Xueyan's slender figure appeared particularly frail under the cold hospital lights. She tilted her head slightly to look at Cheng Boyan. He saw that Wen Xueyan's usually bright eyes were now covered with a layer of mist, as if she had been wronged but was trying hard not to cry.

"It's nothing, my arm just hurts a little..." Wen subconsciously pulled her cardigan tighter, trying to cover it up. "Mr. Cheng, what brings you to the hospital?"

In that instant, Wen Xueyan almost fell into the embrace of that Singapore night from her memory. That solid, warm, and refreshing haven.

Her body still remembered the sense of security she felt when those arms caught her, and her heart still remembered that inexplicable flutter.

At this moment, Wen Xueyan almost gave up all her resistance. How she longed to rush into this man's arms, imagining burying her face in his shoulder and temporarily forgetting all her pain.

But she remained standing there. Just as Cheng Boyan was about to speak, a clear voice approached: "Brother-in-law, I've confirmed with Dr. Smith that when he comes to China next week, he can come here to check on Junxian's condition."

It was Xu Junhang who came over. Outside the company, he always addressed Cheng Boyan that way.

(Some readers, please don't worry~ The female lead will report the crime and file a lawsuit in the next chapter. Wishing you all a happy life~ Thank you for reading.)

Welcome all readers, teachers, and darlings to leave comments and vote! Thank you for your support.

Looking forward to the next chapter!

Write more, please.

They actually hit someone!

Divorce truly reveals a person's character. Such a despicable man should be thrown far, far away.

Looking forward to updates

The female lead's handling of the situation was too pathetic.

Absolutely not!! I think the female lead's approach was okay. Going to the hospital to get the medical report as evidence for her next move was already a form of resistance. Did she expect her to fight back on the spot? Look at the saying "don't talk to strangers"—that's not cowardice at all!!

Thank you for your comment, reader!

Thank you for your comment, reader!