Chapter Four: Stop Pretending
He was wearing loungewear, with his sleeves casually rolled up.
She was still wearing the watch she had given her for her birthday last year.
Her light-colored eyebrows and eyes revealed a rare gentleness under the warm lighting of the living room.
Xia Zhi was sitting on the sofa.
Holding a glass of warm water, he stood up timidly when she came in:
"Miss Su..."
Su Xiao gently placed her bag on the sofa armrest, forcing a faint smile onto her face.
He softened his tone: "I hope I didn't disturb Miss Xia."
When his gaze turned to Yan Mingshen, it was as if a layer of fine light had fallen into his eyes:
"I'm sorry, my father just passed away this morning, and I couldn't accept it, so I took my anger out on you."
Yan Mingshen walked to her side, his amber eyes carrying their usual warmth:
"Don't talk nonsense."
He paused, then explained:
"Xia Zhi has just returned to China and hasn't found a suitable place to stay yet, so she'll stay here for a couple of days."
"Okay, I understand."
Su Xiao lowered her eyelashes, her long, thick lashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes, her voice as soft as a feather:
"You can arrange it, I have no objection."
She glanced at the fruit that had been replaced on the coffee table.
My heart felt like it had been gently pricked by a needle, but I still obediently added:
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Miss Xia. I didn't tidy up the house in advance, please don't mind."
Yan Mingshen did not expect her to have this attitude.
His brows relaxed slightly, and he reached out to brush away the stray hairs from her cheek.
"I've already had someone take care of Father's matter, so don't be too sad."
Su Xiao turned her head slightly to avoid his touch, but did not show the slightest displeasure.
"I know you'll handle it."
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with just the right amount of dependence.
Yan Mingshen's hand paused in mid-air, then naturally returned to his side.
Her tone softened: "Why didn't you answer my call this afternoon?"
"I didn't see it."
Su Xiao subtly revealed a hint of annoyance, and the apology in her voice sounded exceptionally genuine:
"I didn't get enough rest yesterday, so I put my phone on silent."
Yan Mingshen frowned slightly, feeling that something was off about the other person, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Su Xiao sneered inwardly, but her face became even more docile.
She reached out and gently touched his arm.
"Are you angry? I'll definitely be more careful next time."
Yan Mingshen's expression did indeed soften somewhat:
"No, I had someone retrieve the pen you had your eye on at the auction last time. Take a look tomorrow and see if you like it."
Su Xiao lowered her eyes, concealing the turbulent emotions surging within them.
"I like anything you give me."
When she looked up again, all that remained on her face was gentleness and dependence.
Yan Mingshen's expression completely relaxed, and his tone became much gentler:
"Okay, you should get some rest today. I'll keep you company later."
Xia Zhi suddenly spoke, her voice as soft as cotton:
"Miss Su and Ming Shen have such a good relationship, it's truly enviable."
Su Xiao turned and smiled at her, her eyes crinkling, looking completely harmless.
"Yeah?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Zhi suddenly lost her grip on the water glass, spilling warm water all over Su Xiao.
Yan Mingshen turned around almost reflexively to support her, his brows furrowed:
Are you alright?
Su Xiao stood there, warm water seeping down her shirt.
A damp patch crept across my chest; it felt a little cold.
"Xiaoxiao."
Yan Mingshen turned to look at her, his voice full of apology: "Xia Zhi, she..."
"fine."
Su Xiao tugged at her wet shirt, interrupting him before he could finish speaking:
"I'm going upstairs to change my clothes. You guys continue chatting."
She turned and walked towards the stairs, her steps steady, her back view looking gentle and sensible.
Xia Zhi's aggrieved voice came from behind:
"Ming Shen, would Miss Su...?"
"Xiaoxiao has a gentle nature."
Yan Mingshen's voice softened: "I won't blame you."
Su Xiao paused, her nails digging deeply into her palms.
She continued walking uphill, but the smile on her lips gradually turned cold.
Now, every breath of air she takes makes her feel incredibly nauseous.
After taking a shower and changing her clothes, Su Xiao sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window.
The faint sound of Xia Zhi's laughter could be heard downstairs, along with Yan Mingshen's low response.
Su Xiao took out her phone and called Xu An to ask about the progress of the law firm's work.
She didn't want to leave the house to Yan Mingshen.
He didn't deserve to live in her house. The thought of the two of them making love in the bedroom she had personally decorated made her feel utterly disgusted.
"Don't worry, Xiaoxiao. If all else fails, we'll go to court. Yan Mingshen won't be able to take even a single bowl from your things. Our Xu family isn't going to be trifled with either."
The voice coming from the other end of the phone brought Su Xiao a rare sense of peace.
"Also, don't let the Yan family know about the divorce yet."
"Why? Didn't you tell Yan Mingshen?"
"Yes, quite a few people from the Yan family are keeping an eye on me and the Su family."
Su Xiao looked out the window at the little sparrow perched on the telephone pole.
She's no different from this little sparrow now; if the Yan family wanted to, killing her would be no different than killing a bird.
For her, the Su family was even more of a burden.
"We'll talk about it after my father is buried."
"Okay, I'll go and tell the law firm."
Xu An paused for a moment, then hesitated and said:
"Hmm... I don't know if I should say this, but, do you want to go see your uncle... If you just ask, he'll definitely..."
"I don't want to see him." Su Xiao interrupted her, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible resistance. "An'an, stop talking."
The two chatted for a while longer before Su Xiao finally succumbed to sleepiness, hung up the phone, and fell asleep in the master bedroom.
I slept soundly until the next morning.
After a while, she got up and heard the ear-piercing sound of an electric drill coming from downstairs, mixed with the muffled sound of heavy objects being dragged, making a constant noise.
Su Xiao had a headache.
What exactly is Xia Zhi up to?
She rubbed her aching temples as she went downstairs. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, she kicked something—a wooden plank broken in two.
She recognized her.
That was leftover from when Yan Mingshen made a bookshelf for her last birthday. She insisted that Yan Mingshen use a power drill to draw a small sun on it, and it had been kept in the storage box in the guest room ever since.
Now, it lies on the cold floor, like trash carelessly discarded.
The sound of the electric drill was still ringing. Su Xiao followed the sound to the door of the guest room, which was not closed.
She looked into the doorway and saw Xia Zhi standing on a ladder, directing the workers to change the curtains.
Off-white lace curtains hung down, embroidered with beautiful white roses.
"Miss Su is awake?" Xia Zhi turned around at some point, her face showing just the right amount of surprise: "Ming Shen said the original gray curtains were too plain, so I chose these. Don't you think it's much brighter now?"
Su Xiao's gaze swept over the storage box in the corner. The lid was open, and the drawings inside were scattered all over the floor, one of which still had a shoe print on it.
"It is indeed bright."
Su Xiao's voice was very soft.
She walked to the storage box, squatted down, picked and chose, took a few completed drawings, dusted them off, and hugged them to her arms.
His gaze swept over Xia Zhi, and he felt a tightness in his chest.
It feels like there's a wad of rotten cotton stuck in my throat; I can't spit it out, and I can't swallow it down either.
Xia Zhi climbed down the ladder and walked up to her, the scent of roses emanating from her almost pungent.
"I also had the bedding changed. The previous set was too dark, and Mingshen said a lighter color would match the curtains better..."
"Whatever." Su Xiao was too lazy to listen to her nonsense anymore.
She was holding the painting and turned to leave when Xia Zhi suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Su Xiao, stop pretending."
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