Chapter 175 Heartache
At this moment, all the anger, grievances, and suspicions seemed to be strangely soothed by this bowl of noodles, this cup of ginger tea, and the man in front of him who finally clumsily tore off his disguise and revealed his true heart.
Yu Ling didn't say anything, just nodded gently, and then, very naturally, leaned her head on Zhao Chen's warm and solid shoulders.
In the living room, the halo of the floor lamp gently enveloped the two of them. Yu Ling leaned on Zhao Chen's shoulder, and the bowl of chicken noodle soup with a grinning Shiba Inu printed on it was still steaming.
Zhao Chen's tense body relaxed slightly because of Yu Ling's silent support. He carefully adjusted his posture to make her lean more comfortably, and gently placed his large hand on the back of her slightly cool hand, conveying silent warmth.
"Are you hungry?" He lowered his voice, a hoarse voice after surviving a disaster and a cautious attempt to please, "The noodles...may be a little lumpy. I'll re-..."
"No need." Yu Ling interrupted him, her voice muffled and nasal, but no longer cold.
She straightened up slightly, not looking at Zhao Chen, her eyes fixed on the steaming bowl of noodles in front of her. She picked up the chopsticks, her movements a little stiff, but she picked up a chopstick of noodles steadily, blew on it, and put it into her mouth.
The warm noodles, with the aroma of rich chicken broth, slid into the esophagus, dispelling the last trace of chill and strangely soothing the turbulent emotions.
She picked up the perfect soft-boiled egg again, its edges crispy and its center oozing with an alluring orange-yellow. She poked it gently with the tip of her chopsticks, watching as the golden liquid slowly ooze out, soaking into the chicken broth and forming beautiful amber lines.
Zhao Chen held his breath and watched her nervously as she ate in small bites, like a prisoner awaiting trial. It was not until he saw her swallow the first bite and then pick up the second that his tense jawline relaxed almost imperceptibly.
He breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his glass of water, and took a sip in a disguised manner.
The bowl of noodles was quickly finished, and I drank most of the soup. With the hot food in my stomach, my body warmed up, and the myriad of thoughts that had been lingering in my heart seemed to be slowly sorted out along with the food.
Yu Ling put down her chopsticks and picked up the mug with the silly grinning Shiba Inu in it. Inside was the ginger tea that Zhao Chen had just refilled for her, at just the right temperature.
She held the cup, the warmth seeping through the wall and caressing her palms. She didn't drink immediately, but simply lowered her head, looking at the dark brown liquid in the cup and the grinning Shiba Inu pattern on the rim.
The living room was very quiet, with only the slight sound of the central air conditioning blowing air.
"Zhao Chen." Yu Ling finally spoke, her voice was much calmer, but with a heavy sense of fatigue and grievance.
"Yes, I'm here." Zhao Chen responded immediately and sat up straight, like a primary school student listening attentively.
Yu Ling raised her head, and her eyes, which were washed by tears and still a little red and swollen, looked at Zhao Chen clearly.
This time, there was no flame of anger, only complex, shattered light like the crushed stars - there was the clarity after seeing the truth, the pain of being concealed and deceived, and a heartache that could not be ignored.
"I know... you're trying to protect me." Her voice was soft, but it struck Zhao Chen's heart like a hammer. "Gu Qianqian's madness... those hidden dangers... I know everything."
Zhao Chen's heart suddenly tightened, and he was about to explain, but was interrupted by Yu Ling's next words.
"But!" Yu Ling's voice suddenly rose, with suppressed sobs and grievances:
"What gives you the right?! What gives you the right to make decisions for me?! What gives you the right to think that I'll be scared away if I know the truth?! Why do you treat me like a porcelain doll that needs to be kept in the dark and protected in a safe house built with lies?!"
She became more and more excited as she spoke, her eyes reddened again, tears welling up in them:
"Do you know... when I saw that 'bankruptcy document' and thought you were truly in debt and desperate... how I felt?! I was so heartbroken that I almost died! I was even... even prepared to suffer and pay off the debt with you! What happened?!"
She pointed at her phone on the sofa, as if it contained the priceless wallet of "Bankrupt Pancake Man-Ling". "And you tell me it's fake! It's just an insignificant shell in your huge business empire?!"
"Do you know... when Gu Qianqian framed me time and time again, leaving me isolated and helpless, struggling in the abyss... how desperate I felt?! I so desperately wished you could be by my side, to give me some support and some explanations! But what happened?!"
Her voice was tinged with sharp sarcasm. "And you tell me you just watched from the shadows! Watched me get smeared! Watched me get threatened! Watched me almost get hit by a car! And then sent your 'Shiba Inu Security Team' down like gods to clean up the mess?! Zhao Chen! I'm your wife! Not a quest NPC you need to clear!"
"And!" Yu Ling's tears finally rolled down uncontrollably, filled with great grievance and heartache:
"What do you think you are?! Superman?! You have to carry your huge, cold, trap-ridden 'Wangwang Group', and constantly keep an eye on me, a 'G-level threat target,' while also pretending to be an 'ordinary husband' who only knows how to cook, cling, and play games?! Aren't you tired?! Zhao Chen! I feel tired just looking at you! I feel so bad for you!"
She spoke the last two words very softly, with a heavy nasal tone and unconcealable trembling, but it was like the softest dagger, accurately piercing through all of Zhao Chen's solid defenses!
Zhao Chen's entire body trembled violently! The color drained from his face instantly, and the pupils behind his gold-rimmed glasses suddenly constricted! He had imagined Yu Ling's anger, disappointment, and even her resolute departure after learning the truth... but he had never imagined she would cry so bitterly out of heartache for him!
A huge shock and indescribable pain instantly overwhelmed him! He opened his mouth, but his throat seemed to be blocked by scalding gravel, and he couldn't utter a single word.
He could only watch as Yu Ling's tears fell like beads from a broken string, one by one, into the Shiba Inu cup in her hand, and also hit his heart hard.
"I..." He finally found his voice, which was hoarse, with a heavy nasal tone and a kind of panic he had never felt before, "Lingling... I'm sorry... I..."
He wanted to explain, to say that he was used to handling everything in the dark, used to hiding his softest parts, used to taking risks alone...
But all the reasons seemed pale, powerless, and even ridiculous in front of Ling's words, "I feel tired just watching you! I feel sorry for you!"
The control he was proud of and the protective shell he had carefully built were shattered at this moment by Yu Ling's tears and the heavy heartache in her words.
Just then—
"Ding dong! Ding dong! Ding dong!"
Yu Ling's phone vibrated wildly again! On the screen, Su Xiao's video request avatar kept flashing, his face distorted with extreme excitement!
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