You Shuyao narrowed her eyes and immediately questioned, "Us? Who are you referring to as 'us'? That woman? You can now refer to both of them as 'us' all the time, but you keep me out and call me 'you,' Huo Jingsha. You still dare to say nothing has changed? Just from the way you address me, I can see your true thoughts. Humph! You still dare to shamelessly say I'm being unreasonable? Haven't I made any concessions? I already said I was willing to let you two be together, I could leave, how much more concessions do you want me to make? It's clearly you who won't give an inch, do you really want to force me to my death, just so I can watch you two be all lovey-dovey? Don't push your luck!"
Huo Jingsha felt utterly humiliated, having been verbally abused like a grandson by a woman. He could ask around; from the highest officials to ordinary citizens, everyone treated him with utmost respect and fear, barely daring to breathe. Yet this woman had insulted him so thoroughly, and he hadn't even dared to hit her or scold her. Fine! He didn't care if she could vent her anger, but she couldn't misinterpret his meaning!
"Don't nitpick over words. I said 'we' just naturally, without any other meaning than that. Regardless of the title or who is closer or more distant, I have my own conclusion. In short, I hope time can prove everything. My feelings for you will never change. As my wife, you should be more magnanimous and show the demeanor of the matriarch of the Huo family."
Shu Yao looked at him with a firm gaze. "I'm sorry, I don't have the patience to wait like that, nor do I want to live like those women in the backyard, suffering in silence. A woman's best years are only a few, and she might die any day now. Even without your love, I have other things to support me and live on. I don't need to humble myself, compromise, or suffer in silence to prove that I am virtuous and magnanimous."
"So you're just going to leave? How can you be so selfish? Don't you think about Xiao Bao? You want him to become a motherless child when he's only a few months old?"
Damn it! He hit her sore spot; she really couldn't ignore Xiao Bao. "Then, please, sir, do me a favor and just give me a divorce decree. Since you've decided to have Luo Wenpei, and you've said I'm kind-hearted, then I'll be kind to the end, understand her, and grant your wish, so you can grow old together in love, without anyone suffering. I only want Xiao Bao, isn't that better?"
"No!" Huo Jingsha blurted out without thinking, rejecting her request without any room for negotiation.
Shu Yao lowered her head, her hands clenched into fists inside her wide sleeves, trying not to let her trembling hands betray the pain in her heart, but when she looked up again, her eyes were already calm.
“If you won’t let me go, give me a reason. If you like Luo Wenpei, why didn’t you show any affection for him in the past year? How could you form an alliance after just one trip?” She stared at him with a determined look, as if to tell him: You’d better not tell me a lie.
Huo Jingsha was really afraid that she was determined to leave, so he tightened his grip on her shoulders. With her temper, even if he could keep her by his side, he couldn't keep her heart. Even if he managed to keep her by his side, she would be cold and indifferent to him every day, not allowing him to kiss or touch her, and he couldn't stand it!
Shu Yao was pinched painfully, but she refused to frown or lower her head, maintaining a calm expression as she waited for his answer.
The two were locked in a stalemate again, but this time, Huo Jingsha lost.
After a long silence, he said, "I went through a lot of painful struggles before taking her out this time. In the end, I couldn't bear to let you take such a risk because Prince Jing is a tyrant who has become insane. However, this time when I took Wenpei out, we went through many hardships together. In the most difficult time... we... we consummated our marriage."
Shu Yao felt as if her heart was being torn apart. She abruptly pushed away his hand from her shoulder, turned around, leaving him with only a lonely silhouette. "Fine! I understand!"
It took all his strength to utter this short sentence.
The man is not guilty; he's just a womanizer who can't control his lust. Ultimately, it's the wife's fault for being unvirtuous, petty, and prone to overthinking. In short, in situations like this, it's always the woman's fault.
Too lazy to say anything more, she turned back to look at Huo Jingsha one last time. This man she had loved with her life, she only saw guilt on his face. All the tenderness, care, love and pity she used to have were gone. Shu Yao chuckled and walked into the inner room without saying a word.
Her steps were unsteady, the scenery blurred and swayed before her eyes, and the phrase "when you have a husband and wife" sealed the fate of everything. The light gradually dimmed before her eyes, as if a black cloth had been draped over them, yet she was still smiling, laughing at herself for enduring ten lifetimes of suffering, only to find herself unable to escape the endless cycle of hardship.
She was already in a terrible state, but it's often in situations like these that one tries to maintain a shred of dignity, to avoid a humiliating defeat. But the next moment, she heard Chunlu shout—"Young Madam!"
Then... she fell into an abyss.
*** ***
When she regained consciousness, it was already dark. In her bedroom, there were four maids by her bedside, and Xu Chang, who was in the outer room watching the doctor write a prescription.
Chunlu looked worried as she held Shuyao's cold hands in her warm grip. Seeing that she had woken up, she said anxiously, "Madam, you're finally awake! You scared us to death!"
Shu Yao blinked and asked weakly, "What's wrong with me?"
"You...you haven't been eating or sleeping well these past few days. The doctor said you're too weak and need to rest properly."
"Take good care of yourself? Is it physical or mental well-being?" She gave a bitter smile and asked, "Where's Xiaobao?"
"Oh, the wet nurse has finished feeding him and is now asleep. Madam, you don't need to worry. The young master is perfectly fine," Qiuyue replied.
Shu Yao nodded, then looked around again, but couldn't see the person she wanted to see. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Where is the master?"
Chunlu bit her lip, pretending to go to the table to pour water, without answering the question.
Xia Hong, being outspoken, said with a face full of anger and sarcasm, "Miss Pei also happened to be feeling unwell, so the master went over to comfort her."
Very good, very good! This is what he meant by not vying for favor, just wanting a place to settle down. But how come she was also feeling unwell when she fainted? And Huo Jingsha chose that path, leaving only Xu Chang behind... That makes sense, he made great contributions to Huo Jingsha, how can she compare to him now?
She laughed again, a particularly radiant laugh. You Shuyao was truly no ordinary person; the angrier and more upset she was, the more unrestrained her laughter became. It was all because her life was so unique; she had weathered countless storms, experiences that few in this world could endure.
But... how could she not smile? Reborn again and again, she tried her best to forge a completely different new path, thinking she would encounter a different ending. Little did she know that what was meant to happen could not be avoided, it was just that she would be killed in the tangible and intangible.
The result is always the same: she's always the one who gets hurt. All men in this world, whether brave, talented, mediocre, or weak... they're all the same; they all exist to break a woman's heart.
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