She walked through the corridor and saw a tall, slender figure standing in the center of the courtyard, staring blankly at the kalanchoe. His usually upright back now showed a rare look of dejection.
Xiao Youzhi came from a wealthy family and was always impeccably dressed, with even the folds in his cuffs exuding nobility. From a distance, he was someone people dared not approach easily. But at this moment, his back was slightly hunched, his hands hung limply at his sides, and his whole being was shrouded in an indescribable weariness.
Meng Zhao had excellent eyesight; even from a distance, she could clearly see some dark stains on his dark sleeves. She quickly stepped forward and asked, "Are you injured?"
Xiao Youzhi then turned around as if waking from a dream, raised his arm, and glanced at the dried bloodstains on his sleeve.
"It's not mine." He said, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if to reassure her.
Meng Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Thank you for today."
His voice was deep and cold. "This matter was caused by me, so naturally I should resolve it. Don't worry, he won't dare to provoke you again."
Meng Zhao nodded, her gaze falling on his cold face. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Are you angry?"
Could it be that he knows about how he shifted the blame to Dong Heqing? But logically, Dong Heqing and he are sworn enemies, so he shouldn't have brought this up with him on his own initiative.
"Why am I angry?" Xiao Youzhi raised his eyes, his emotions unreadable.
Meng Zhao hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Are you angry that I sold several shops? After all, it was you who suggested that I buy them."
"It's your own shop; whether you sell it or keep it is your decision. Why should I be angry?"
Meng Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing his still gloomy expression, she couldn't help but ask, "Then what's wrong with you?"
Xiao Youzhi remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "You heard everything Xiao Hengyu said today? Don't you have anything to say?"
Meng Zhao was taken aback, then raised an eyebrow: "He spouted a lot of nonsense today, which sentence are you referring to?"
Xiao Youzhi's eyes darkened slightly as he slowly uttered a few words, "The one about being a jinx to wives."
Upon hearing this, Meng Zhao was taken aback at first, then his face showed a hint of disdain. "Tch, I thought it was something serious. These are just absurd stories, nothing more than coincidences. What, does the dignified Young Master Xiao believe in such supernatural things?"
Xiao Youzhi suddenly stepped forward, his tone somewhat accusatory, "Do you not believe me, or do you simply not care at all?"
Meng Zhao then realized that there were emotions she had never seen before surging in his usually calm eyes. She subconsciously wanted to back away, but found that her back was already against the pillar.
"Is there a difference?" she tried to defuse the sudden seriousness with a joke. "Aren't the results the same anyway?"
“It’s different.” He interrupted decisively, then took a half-step closer, his tall figure completely enveloping her. “If you don’t believe me, it means you think those are just rumors. If you don’t care, it means you’ve never considered me.”
Meng Zhao was trapped in this confined space, and even her breathing unconsciously became softer. Seeing the determined fire in his eyes, she knew she probably couldn't fool him anymore.
“I don’t believe in these things.” She raised her hand and gently pushed his chest away, giving herself some breathing space. “Because if that’s the case, my husband died not long after we got married, so logically I should suspect that I’m a jinx.”
The gloom in Xiao Youzhi's eyes immediately dissipated a bit. "I don't believe in these things either. They're all superstitious nonsense."
Meng Zhao continued, "However, I really don't care that much."
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the fire in Xiao Youzhi's eyes. "What does this mean? Is it a rejection?"
Meng Zhao saw his hands, hanging at his sides, unconsciously clench, his knuckles turning white, but he still slowly nodded: "I guess so."
"The reason? Is it because of the Xiao family, or because of those two marriages? If it's because of that, I can explain to you, I..."
Meng Zhao shook his head. "Some, but not all. It's mostly my own fault."
What's your reason?
Meng Zhao took a deep breath, looked up and stared directly into his eyes: "You don't really know me that well. I'm a very unconventional person, and you won't accept my ideas."
Xiao Youzhi took a step forward, his gaze intense: "Whether you can accept it or not, you have to say it."
Meng Zhao took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind: "First of all, I don't want to get married." Ignoring Xiao Youzhi's wide eyes when he heard the first sentence, she continued: "In my eyes, getting married is binding two independent people together with worldly chains, requiring them to live in the same house, the same room, sleep in the same bed, and even money changes from personal to shared. I really don't like that."
Secondly, I don't want to have children because childbirth is extremely harmful to a woman's body, and I don't want to put myself in danger. Of course, perhaps the biggest reason is that I'm a rather selfish person; I don't want to be responsible for someone else's life, even my own child.
After these words were spoken, the courtyard fell silent for a moment. Xiao Youzhi stood there stunned for a long time before suddenly speaking up: "Do you know who said these words?"
"Who?" Meng Zhao raised an eyebrow.
"It's like the excuse of a libertine who frequents brothels when he tries to shirk responsibility."
Meng Zhao blinked and suddenly realized, "Huh? Thinking about it this way, aren't my words just like those of a playboy? Even worse than a playboy, since at least those spoiled brats would at least pretend to say nice things like 'I will definitely take responsibility,' but I'm just blatantly wearing the words 'I don't want to take responsibility' on my face."
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