Chapter 60 Leaving? She packed her bags
"The divorce agreement can be signed at any time."
Su Wanqing's light yet heart-piercing words, and her resolute back as she turned completely around and isolated herself under the quilt, were like a final judgment, nailing Huo Tingxiao to the cold spot.
The room was eerily silent, with only the sound of his heavy, disordered breathing and the stinging sensation of the sharp edges of the sketchbook in his hand.
"Substitute", "vase", "ornament"... those cruel words he roared out, now echoed in his mind again and again like a devil's sound. Every word turned into a red-hot iron, burning his heart fiercely, bringing waves of belated, sharp shame and panic.
What on earth did he just... do?
He actually used the most vicious language to attack a woman who had only drawn a few pictures and remained silent in his anger?
Because she hadn't done what he wanted? Because she hadn't tearfully defended herself when he doubted her? Because she hadn't humbly begged for forgiveness when he slammed the door and walked out?
So he could just as well trample on her dignity, deny all her value, and devalue her to nothing?
Huo Tingxiao, what kind of man are you?
A huge, unprecedented wave of self-loathing and regret washed over him like icy water, chilling him to the bone and making him barely able to hold the heavy sketchbook. He stared at the bulge on the bed, at the thin figure that seemed to have lost all life, and his heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain so severe that he could hardly breathe.
He wanted to speak, to say something, even just a pale "I'm sorry".
But my throat felt like it was blocked by cement, and I couldn't utter a single word. All words seemed so ridiculous and hypocritical in the face of the cruel injury I had just suffered.
He saw a small wisp of her black hair sticking out from under the quilt, and her slightly trembling shoulders (perhaps it was just his illusion), and a strong urge to touch her and confirm that she was still there suddenly seized him.
Almost subconsciously and extremely stiffly, he took a small step forward and stretched out his hand.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the quilt, Su Wanqing seemed to have eyes on her back, and her body shrank inward almost imperceptibly and with great resistance.
It was just a tiny movement, but it was like a basin of ice water, instantly extinguishing all his futile impulses.
His hand froze in mid-air, he was caught in a dilemma, and an unprecedented sense of embarrassment and powerlessness swept over him.
Finally, as if scalded, he abruptly withdrew his hand and clenched his fist. He took a deep look at the resolute figure, his Adam's apple rolling violently. In the end, he said nothing, turned around and almost fled, strode out of the master bedroom, and slammed the door!
"Bang!"
The huge noise was particularly harsh in the silent night, as if it had put an end to everything between them.
Huo Tingxiao rushed into the study as if fleeing, his back against the cold door, his chest heaving violently, his forehead covered in sweat. He looked down at the sketchbook he had violently snatched from him. The beautiful handwriting on the cover felt like a red-hot iron, burning his palms and making him feel ashamed.
He irritably pulled open his collar, trying to breathe, but found the air still too thin to breathe. The study seemed to still linger with the faint fragrance left by her when she studied here before, but now it was like a silent mockery, lashing at his nerves.
This night was destined to be long and sleepless for both of them.
The next day, Huo Tingxiao left home early, even skipping breakfast. He almost fled from the oppressive and suffocating environment, and from the wife he had pushed to despair.
Su Wanqing in the master bedroom slowly sat up after dawn.
Her face was expressionless, her eyes empty and calm, as if the hysterical (though only inwardly) and heartbroken person from last night wasn't her. Only her red, swollen eyes and pale, almost transparent face betrayed the torment she had endured.
She sat quietly for a while, then threw back the quilt and got out of bed.
She didn't cry, wasn't angry, and didn't even look at the room again. She just walked straight to the cloakroom, opened the door, and took out the not-so-big suitcase she brought with her when she got married.
She started packing her luggage.
The movements were slow, yet incredibly firm, with a heartbreaking determination.
She took nothing the Huo family had given her. She didn't even glance at the expensive jewelry, the gorgeous dresses, or even the precious fabrics Old Master Huo had gifted her. She only packed the few simple clothes she had brought from the Su family, a few of her most important design books and notebooks (her sketchbook had been taken away by him and presumably destroyed), and a few insignificant personal items.
She had very little stuff, and it quickly filled up half the suitcase.
Finally, her eyes fell on the small jewelry box on the dressing table. Inside was the set of pearl jewelry Huo Tingxiao had Assistant Chen send her, the one she had worn at the charity dinner, and... the military badge he had bought at a high price but then casually tossed to her.
Her fingertips lingered on the cold badge for a moment, a trace of extremely complex, indescribable pain flashing through her eyes. In the end, she did not take it away, and gently closed the lid of the jewelry box along with the pearl jewelry, leaving them where they were.
None of these belong to her.
As he said, she was just a "replacement," a "decoration." When a decoration leaves, it shouldn't take anything of its owner with it.
The zipper of the suitcase made a crisp sound, which was particularly abrupt in this overly quiet room.
She stood up and looked around the room where she had lived for a short time but which seemed to have been there for a lifetime. Here she had experienced her initial fear and uneasiness, her cautious attempts, her brief, illusory warmth and excitement, as well as the coldest suspicion and the most hurtful trampling.
Now, it's all over.
She took out her cell phone and sent a short message to Xia Xiaoran: "Xiaoran, I'm going home today. Is it convenient?"
Almost the moment the message was sent, Xia Xiaoran called, her voice extremely anxious: "Qingqing?! What's wrong with you? What happened? Did that iceberg-faced guy bully you again?! You want to go home? Which home? The Su family? No! You can't go back! Your mother and sister..."
"Xiao Ran," Su Wanqing interrupted her softly, her voice frighteningly calm, "Help me find a hotel. For now, don't tell my parents."
Xia Xiaoran on the other end of the phone fell silent instantly, as if realizing the seriousness of the situation. Her voice immediately became serious and distressed: "Okay! Don't move! Which hotel are you in? I'll come pick you up right away! No! Just wait at home! I'll be there soon!"
Su Wanqing did not refuse, said "OK" softly, and then hung up the phone.
She pulled her suitcase out of the master bedroom and down the stairs. The wheels of the suitcase made a slight rolling sound on the floor, like a funeral melody for her farewell.
She didn't have the slightest bit of nostalgia, not even turning back to look at this "home" that carried so many of her complicated emotions. She walked to the entrance and changed into the most ordinary pair of flat shoes she had brought with her.
Then she opened the door, pulled the suitcase, and walked out.
The morning sun was bright and clear, shining on her pale yet calm face. She squinted her eyes slightly, feeling the fresh, free air outside, and the suffocating feeling of oppression that had been pent up in her chest for a long time seemed to finally dissipate a little.
leave.
It's not a case of running away in anger, nor is it a game of playing hard to get.
But it is a real and complete letting go and saying goodbye.
Say goodbye to this wrong marriage, say goodbye to the man who will never belong to her, and say goodbye to all unnecessary expectations and delusions.
Huo Tingxiao, as you wish.
You, this "eyesore" ornament, are finally going to disappear.
She stood by the roadside, waiting for Xia Xiaoran. Her back was thin but straight, with a kind of cold strength that was broken and then re-condensed.
At this moment, Huo Tingxiao, who was listening to his subordinates' reports on the follow-up of the mission at the command center, was uneasy and her desperate eyes from last night kept flashing before his eyes. He knew nothing about this.
He didn't know yet that the evil consequences of his careless words were quietly maturing in a way that he could not bear.
He didn't know that this time, she didn't remain silent, but chose to leave directly.
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