Beneath the rising steam from the noodles, Song Mai's bewildered gaze was visible.

"Huh? Did I show that?"

Chu Xing didn't understand, since she was the one who said all those things.

"Didn't you just say you wanted a divorce?"

Song Mai swallowed the noodles in her mouth with difficulty.

I didn't say anything just now.

She couldn't help but think to herself, "This man is handsome, but he seems to have a problem with auditory hallucinations. No wonder he's still single."

Chu Xing's expression instantly darkened.

Is it a ghost speaking when she doesn't say anything?

The slight thought of comforting her vanished instantly, and he silently finished his bowl of noodles.

Song Mai finished all the noodle soup in the bowl, comfortably squinting her eyes, as if nothing had happened and her tears had never fallen.

"From now on, will you wash the dishes while I cook?"

He lives here after all, he doesn't have to pay rent, cook, or pay for his meals, so it's only right that he washes the dishes to help out.

Chu Xing stared at her intently for a moment, and after a long while, he squeezed out a sentence from his throat: "Okay."

He seemed to be speaking through gritted teeth.

Song Mai didn't care and casually pulled two quilts from the closet and spread them on the sofa.

When had this man, who was once so pampered and noble, ever done such work? Even after he finished washing the dishes, his brows were still furrowed.

The bedroom door was closed, but a faint light shone through the crack.

He resigned himself to his fate, threw off the blanket on the sofa, and lay down, kicking the wooden armrest of the sofa with a "bang".

A sharp pain struck, and the man's face turned so black it seemed to blend into the night.

Chu Xing, his tall frame hunched over, curled up on the sofa and finally drifted off to sleep after half the night.

When Song Mai got up early in the morning, she saw that he was already dressed.

"go out?"

"Um, something came up."

Song Mai nodded, and since he didn't say what it was about, she didn't ask.

Seeing that he was about to leave, they quickly called out to him.

Then she took an egg and a carton of milk from the kitchen and put them in his hands.

She had put the eggs in the egg cooker and set the timer last night.

"A pad for the road."

Chu Xing stared blankly at the egg in his hand for a moment, then slowly tightened his grip.

"Thanks."

After a quick breakfast, Song Mai got ready to go to work.

During her lunch break, her phone rang. It was a text message from her mother: "Come home for dinner after work."

Go home and have dinner.

She pondered these thoughts for an entire afternoon, and a glimmer of hope inexplicably rose in her heart: perhaps, perhaps her mother wasn't so indifferent to her.

She sent Chu Xing a message, telling him that her parents had asked her to come home for dinner and that she would be back late, and that he should take care of his own dinner.

After a long pause, the man replied with three words: "I understand."

She was indifferent, but she didn't care.

In the evening, she pushed open the door to her home, only to be met with that familiar yet disgusting face as soon as she looked up.

The last glimmer of hope in Song Mai's heart was instantly extinguished, leaving her feeling utterly disappointed.

What are you doing here?

Her tone was unfriendly.

However, Liu Weiqiang seemed oblivious, leering at her from head to toe while grinning as he reached for her hand. His large, yellow teeth were quite repulsive to look at.

Song Mai's sister-in-law scolded her, "You silly girl, how can you talk to a guest like that?"

Song Mai subtly avoided Liu Weiqiang.

"Guests should be categorized by their status. Those who are treated well are guests, while those who are not treated well are not."

Song's mother slammed her hand on the table and immediately stood up:

"I see you've grown too big for your britches! How dare you talk to your sister-in-law like that! You ungrateful wretch, I truly regret giving birth to you! What's wrong with Weiqiang? Why do you have to go out and find random men? How did I raise you? How can you be so shameless!"

Every word was a curse, piercing Song Mai's heart.

But her heartache had become somewhat numb.

She sneered, "Like father, like son. Like parents, like children."

"Smack—"

Song's mother was furious and slapped her squarely across the face.

Song Mai's cheeks swelled up instantly.

Liu Weiqiang reached out to touch her face, "Why did you hit me in the face? If you ruin my face, it won't be worth 500,000!"

Sister-in-law Song Mai apologized repeatedly: "Mom didn't mean to hit her. It's just that this girl is too stubborn and dares to talk back to Mom. Mom couldn't stand it, so she taught her a lesson. Besides, if Mom helps you teach her a lesson so she'll be obedient, she'll be more likely to serve you in the future, right?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Weiqiang immediately burst into laughter, revealing an expression that was best left unsaid, a look that was utterly repulsive.

He straightened his ill-fitting suit. "This matter must be resolved today, otherwise I don't want secondhand goods, and I want my 500,000 yuan returned in full!"

Seeing this, Song's mother and Song Mai's sister-in-law each grabbed Song Mai's arm, as if afraid she would run away.

Song's mother gritted her teeth and said, "I saw your marriage certificate last time. That man you found is a pretty boy. He looks decent, but how can he compare to Weiqiang? Weiqiang can come up with 500,000 yuan in one go. If you were with him, wouldn't you be living a life of luxury?"

Sister-in-law Song Mai also chimed in, "Yes, Mai Mai, you've only just married that pretty boy, there's still time. Listen to me, go get a divorce tomorrow and marry Weiqiang as soon as possible. While he still wants you, what are you still hesitating about?"

Song Mai, holding her breath, flung their hands away.

"I'll say it again: I'll marry him if he gives me the full 500,000 yuan, otherwise don't even think about it. I will not get a divorce."

Song's mother's hand trembled as she pointed at Song Mai. "You unfilial daughter! Your father and I raised you for so many years, you should be filial to us. What's wrong with accepting a dowry of 500,000 yuan? It should have been ours! You should go and get a divorce from that pretty boy right now, or I'll make sure you never have a good life!"

Song Mai didn't even lift her eyelids, a mocking smile playing on her lips:

"Isn't it just selling your daughter? Why make it sound so high and mighty? I won't get a divorce. If you think Liu Weiqiang is good, why don't you two marry him and enjoy your life?"

After saying that, Song Mai turned and left.

The door was slammed shut, making a deafening noise as it hit the door frame.

She leaned against the door, breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam.

She should have given up long ago, but she was like a lapdog; as long as they waved to her, she would run towards them full of hope again.

She dug her index finger deep into her palm, filled with hatred. She hated that they had given birth to her without caring about her, and she also hated her own weakness for being deceived time and time again.

A piercing roar came from behind the door from Song's mother:

"You ungrateful wretch! How could I have given birth to such a thing? Not only does he not know how to be filial to his parents, but he also took every last penny of the bride price!"

Sister-in-law Song Mai quickly comforted her, "Mom, getting angry is bad for your health. That brat, you're so considerate of her, and she's so heartless! But..."