Chapter 58 Her Silence, His Puzzlement
The deafening slam of the door, like the final death knell, hammered heavily into Su Wanqing's heart, completely crushing the buds of hope and excitement that had just sprouted within her. The study was deathly silent, leaving her alone, facing the open magazine that resembled a satire, and his cold anger and suspicion that still hung in the air.
Tears slid down silently. They were hot at first, carrying the pain of great grievance and distrust, and gradually became cold, just like her mood at the moment.
The explanation is pale.
The excuse is weak.
In the face of the "facts" he had already determined and his overwhelming anger, any words seemed ridiculous and futile.
He didn't believe her.
He would rather believe a magazine report full of loopholes and the trap carefully laid by Lin Weiwei than believe his wife, whom he lived with day and night and even hugged awkwardly just now.
The despair brought about by this realization is far more hurtful than any bad words.
Su Wanqing slowly raised her hand and wiped the tears from her face. Her movements were slow, yet incredibly firm. The turbulent waves in her heart gradually subsided, replaced by a cold, almost numb calm.
She walked to the desk and looked at the secretly photographed photo of herself in the magazine and the suggestive text beside it. Her eyes were no longer filled with panic or grievance, only a calm, cold expression. She reached out and, extremely slowly but without hesitation, tore the page covered in slander from the magazine. Then, one by one, she tore it into pieces and threw it into the trash can.
After doing all this, she turned off the computer and cleaned up the desk, as if to completely get rid of all the unpleasantness and filth.
Then she walked out of the study, her face expressionless, and began preparing dinner as usual.
Only this time, her silence was no longer filled with cautious temptation and expectation, but was wrapped in a hard, cold shell.
Huo Tingxiao slammed the door and drove straight out of the house. He needed to calm down, to get away from that suffocating atmosphere filled with deception and calculation! He sped along the loop, the car windows wide open, letting in the cold wind, but it couldn't blow away the irritability and anger in his heart.
He couldn't believe that after he had just let down his guard and even started trying to get closer and express his damn "discomfort" and "regret", what was waiting for him was such naked exploitation and calculation!
Style magazine? Design dreams? Industry insiders?
What a high-sounding reason! What a positive image!
But what was going on behind the scenes? His military-plated car was photographed! His identity was exploited for publicity! His most taboo, the blurring of public and private ties, was laid bare before the public!
What was she trying to do? To gain fame? To pave the way for a future separation from him? Or did she simply think the title of "Mrs. Huo" wasn't impressive enough, and she had to add the "independent designer" moniker to her?
He felt nauseous and furious at the thought that she might have been contacting and socializing with those so-called "fashionable people" behind his back, and might even have used his name to exchange for resources and opportunities!
And Lin Weiwei… Although her words couldn't be fully trusted, they at least reminded him that Su Wanqing wasn't as peaceful and simple as she appeared! Their Su family had been able to do things like marrying someone else in the past, so why would it be surprising if she did something else now?
The huge disappointment and betrayal gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake, making it impossible for him to think calmly. He could only rely on his instincts, armed with the coldest anger and doubt, and push her away completely, as if this would protect him from being hurt further.
He drove aimlessly for a long time outside until late at night, and then returned home with a cold and lingering low pressure.
When I opened the door, the expected crying, excuses, or cold war did not appear.
The house was quiet, even tidier than usual. The lights in the dining room were on, and the table was covered with food, still steaming faintly.
Su Wanqing was sitting on the sofa in the living room, quietly reading a book by the light of a floor lamp. When she heard him come in, she looked up and looked at him calmly, without any expression on her face, neither grievance nor anger, not even a trace of emotion, as if she were looking at a stranger.
Then, she lowered her head very naturally and continued reading her book, as if he was just air.
This complete, cold silence surprised and... made Huo Tingxiao feel more uncomfortable than any crying or excuses.
He stood there, all his preconceived plans for response seeming to have been dashed. He would rather she rushed over and had a big argument with him, asking why he didn't trust her, than to be like this now, as if nothing had happened, as if everything was settled and there was no room for maneuver.
This silence seemed to have drawn a deeper, colder chasm between them.
He frowned, the lingering anger in his heart seemed to have no outlet, making him even more irritable. He took off his coat and threw it heavily on the sofa, trying to make some noise.
Su Wanqing didn't even raise her eyelids.
He walked to the dining room and opened the cover of the dish. The food inside was exquisite and delicious, even to his preference. But she did not ask him if he needed it heated up as usual, nor did she serve him the food.
This silent yet meticulous "care" came with a strong sense of alienation, making him feel like he had punched cotton, and he felt extremely suffocated.
He finally served himself the meal and ate it in silence. Throughout the whole process, Su Wanqing did not leave the sofa or look at him.
After dinner, he habitually wanted to go to the study, but his steps paused as he passed the living room. He looked at her calm yet cold profile under the lamp, and the inexplicable irritation and inexplicable feeling in his heart deepened.
He moved his lips imperceptibly, as if he wanted to say something, to ask "What do you want?" or to order her "Don't look like that again."
But in the end, all the words were stuck in his throat. Looking at her completely closed and unresponsive appearance, he felt a surge of inexplicable anger, but he had no way to vent it.
He turned abruptly, strode upstairs, and slammed the study door again.
However, this time, Su Wanqing outside the door didn't even tremble. She just slowly, extremely slowly, turned a page of the book.
For the next few days, this eerie, cold silence spread throughout the house.
Su Wanqing continued to diligently take care of the household, preparing meals and even reminding him to take his medicine. Her movements were impeccable, her expression calm, but that genuine, warm concern was gone. She no longer attempted to communicate with him, no longer greeted him home, no longer made him tea, no longer did anything beyond her duties as a "nanny."
She completely shut herself off, using a hard, cold shell of silence to isolate herself from all his anger, doubts, and... the occasional confusion and uneasiness that he himself was not even aware of.
Huo Tingxiao became increasingly irritated.
He would rather she cried, made a scene, or argued hysterically than be like this. This silence was like a silent accusation, but also like a complete abandonment. It made him feel like all his emotions were hitting nothing, and instead made his previous anger and questioning seem a little... ridiculous and excessive?
He couldn't help but think back to the report. The text was indeed full of hints, but it seemed... there wasn't any substantial evidence? Were the photos just candid shots and coincidences?
Lin Weiwei...are her words really completely trustworthy?
Once this idea came into being, it spread quietly like a vine.
He looked at Su Wanqing, who was cold and silent, yet still managed everything in order, and the fatigue and dullness in her eyes that could not be concealed. For the first time, he felt an extremely strange, subtle... hesitation and confusion in his heart.
If she really wanted to use him, why did she have to stay here and endure his cold face and questioning? She could have used the magazine's influence to really meet those "insiders" instead of staying quietly at home like she was now, even cleaning up the magazine pages he tore up?
Is her silence due to guilt or... sadness?
This thought made Huo Tingxiao's heart suddenly stab.
He suddenly realized that he didn't seem to understand his legal wife at all. He was used to assuming the worst of malice towards those who approached him, used to protecting himself with coldness and distance, but he had never really tried to understand what kind of person she was.
Her silence, like a cold mirror, reflected his arbitrariness and suspicion.
And this realization made him feel unprecedented...irritated and uneasy.
Her silence became the sharpest weapon.
His confusion began to grow quietly.
The crisis of trust was not resolved. Instead, because of her silence, it became more complicated and... intriguing.
Beneath the iceberg, undercurrents are surging, but no one is willing to break the ice first.
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