"Because she is my wife."
"Wife?" Fu Shiyue seed to hear a funny joke, "It's not that I look down on her, but ask yourself, these past two years, have you ever treated Su Mu as your wife? She is just bearing the title of Mrs. Fu."
Fu Shinian slowly stood up:
"Even if she rely holds the title, if she were touched by soone else outside, it would discredit my na, Fu Shinian's."
Fu Shiyue also stood up, looking at Fu Shinian with a gaze filled with 'disappointnt from one's high expectations':
"Brother, why don't you divorce her? She's just a tool you used to save grandma. Now that grandma is healthy and Nianwan is coming back, do you really want to hurt Nianwan again?"
Fu Shinian looked up at her:
"How do you know Nianwan is coming back?"
"Why can't I know? I have never lost contact with Sister Nianwan these two years; she just didn't let tell you to avoid disturbing your life. I thought you would give Sister Nianwan an explanation, but I didn't expect you to protect that woman so much; I truly feel that Nianwan deserves better."
"So, everything you did tonight was for Qin Nianwan?"
"I did it for you!" Fu Shiyue's eyes reddened, "It has been two years since you married that woman, and I haven't seen you truly smile once. I have never stopped wanting to drive that woman out of the Fu family's house. You clearly don't love her, so why put up with her for so long?"
Fu Shinian no longer wanted to say anything more to Fu Shiyue; he headed straight for the door:
"You don't need to ddle in my affairs."
The mont he opened the door, it seed he rembered sothing and added, "Fu Shiyue, if I find out you're doing these shady activities behind my back again, just pack your bags and nicely go abroad. I'm too lazy to lay hands on you myself."
By the ti he returned to Bishui Yuntian, it was already 10 o'clock. Standing at the second-floor staircase, he paused for 2-3 seconds, then moved towards the master bedroom on the left.
In the room, a warm yellow wall lamp was on. Su Mu was quietly laying in bed, seemingly asleep, but when Fu Shinian was about to leave, the person in the bed sat up, her eyes unwaveringly fixed on the doorway's Fu Shinian:
"You're back?"
"I'm not back, what you see must be a ghost then," he retorted.
Fu Shinian walked over, standing at the foot of the bed, looking at her foot that was exposed and bandaged.
Su Mu looked at him: "Don't scare ."
"Scare you? Mrs. Fu, I hadn't thought you were so timid when you walked all the way back from the subway station."
Caught in her guilt, Su Mu said no more.
Suddenly finding the situation dull, Fu Shinian began walking towards the door, Su Mu watched his retreating figure and blurted out without thinking:
"Can you stay?"
Fu Shinian turned to look at her, but did not speak. Shaken, Su Mu softened her tone, "My, my foot is a bit inconvenient..."
"So you think I should stay and take care of you?"
"No, it's because I got a bit scared hearing what you said just now..."
Fu Shinian, as if he heard a funny joke, faintly curled his lips, but his gaze towards Su Mu had no warmth:
"You couldn't hold back after all, could you? Two years and you've been quite enduring."
Su Mu slightly frowned:
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Don't understand?" Fu Shinian chuckled lightly, "Back then when the Su Family was in crisis, you made a deal with to marry you using the excuse of saving grandma, wasn't it to get the Fu family to save the Su Family? Only, no one expected your father to give up on the Su Family and end his life by jumping off a building. Although we've been married for two years, a deal is still a deal. Have you, sitting in the position of Mrs. Fu for so long, started hoping we could be like a normal couple now?"
Understanding his words, Su Mu felt as if sothing had painfully pricked her heart. She had never voiced the reasons of that ti, thinking he understood, but in the end, it was just her own wishful thinking:
"I didn't think you would think of this way."
"What else? Did you think I would feel that you've always liked ?"
Su Mu had wanted to speak her mind, but the words got stuck in her throat. She tried several tis but found it difficult. When Fu Shinian was about to leave without patience, she couldn't help but speak, albeit in a tone so self-deprecating that even she felt it was deaning:
"Can't I like you?"
"Of course you can. Many people like , one more won't make a difference. But how can I be sure that when we first t, your proposal to use marriage as a transaction was out of genuine affection and not ulterior motive?"
Su Mu raised her eyes and stared directly into his:
"What would I sche?"
"A mother who constantly needs money for her sickness, a daughter of the Su Family who has beco a thing of the past. What do you think?"
There was silence in the room.
"Money." Su Mu forced a bitter smile and spoke seconds later, giving him his answer. "Only if I firmly secure the position of Mrs. Fu will there be plenty of money to sustain my mother's life. Only money can allow to live as I once did. Fu Shinian, you truly have a knack for seeing into people's hearts, leaving one nowhere to hide."
Fu Shinian had originally intended to mock her, but the sight of her forcing back tears, her eyes slightly reddened, carried such injustice as if he truly had misunderstood her. How could it be possible?
He stepped forward and gently lifted her chin with his finger, scrutinizing her face carefully again and again:
"This pitiable look, as if you are on the brink of tears, really arouses sympathy even in . I almost let myself be deceived by you."
Su Mu tried to free her chin from his fingers, but he gripped her firmly instead. There was no obvious sign of anger, yet his grip instilled fear, and the words that left his mouth chilled her to the bone:
"I warn you, while you are still Mrs. Fu, keep to your role. Do not covet what shouldn't be coveted, nor waste your effort on futile sches, or else I wouldn't know if I might personally destroy everything you have!"
He let go of her roughly, not caring if he had hurt her, didn't even glance back as he stord out and slamd the door behind him. At that mont, Su Mu could no longer control her emotions, and the tears she had been holding back flowed down her cheeks into the soft pillow, just like her heartfelt sincerity, unnoticed.
The next day, Su Mu naturally was unable to go to work. When she called Li Cong, he was already at the hotel, waiting for the elevator. As soon as he saw it was Su Mu's call, he casually answered:
"Manager Su, what's the matter? ... Another day off? Manager Su, you should know it's a critical ti for our hotel's star rating. This is really putting in a difficult position ... A robbery? How are you now? ... Alright, then have a good rest at ho, I'll co over after work ... Sure, since it's like that, stay ho and rest easy ..."
Li Cong hung up, barely catching his breath when soone suddenly spoke behind him, making him jump:
"What happened to Su Mu?"
When Li Cong turned around, he saw Wei Shaoqin. It took him a mont to calm down before he relayed what Su Mu had told him over the phone. He wasn't foolish and could tell that this Junior President Wei was interested in Su Mu, but how long could a wealthy man's interest last? Yet, he also knew Su Mu well enough to fear that Junior President Wei was bound to be disappointed.
Hearing that Su Mu was hurt, Wei Shaoqin barely displayed any worry on his face, instead, he smiled slightly:
"What's her phone number?"
Li Cong provided Su Mu's number, and Wei Shaoqin noted it just as the elevator arrived. He stepped inside.
Su Mu's phone rang while she was having trouble using the bathroom, thus she didn't hear it. By the ti she exited the restroom, Wei Shaoqin's calls had reached eight, his patience evident.
Usually, Su Mu would not answer calls from unknown numbers, but because this number had persisted so doggedly, she worried it might truly be a friend in urgent need and thus pressed the answer key:
"Su Mu, you truly challenge my patience. You're the first person ever who dares to have call this many tis before answering."
Recognizing it was Wei Shaoqin's voice, Su Mu countered, "So why did you keep calling? I have no interest in vying for the 'first' in your life."
"I ca to enjoy the ss. I heard you got mugged on your way ho, how about it? Aren't you regretting not letting drive you yesterday? Otherwise, such a sad thing wouldn't have happened."
"Why would Junior President Wei think I'd regret it? Maybe I'd prefer getting mugged over getting into your car?"
Standing by the slightly ajar master bedroom door, Fu Shinian heard Su Mu's voice. For a mont, he doubted whether the person inside was really Su Mu. She also had this sharp-tongued, aggressive side? But why was she always so gentle and cautious in front of him?
This made Fu Shinian further confirm his suspicion. She indeed was a great actress; only, this play had been going on for two years. Wasn't she tired?
For several days, Su Mu saw none of Fu Shinian. Auntie Lin said he hadn't gone on a business trip, but he had been returning very late each night, probably too busy with work.
Observing Auntie Lin's cautious responses, Su Mu knew in her heart and felt a chill of sadness. Work might really be busy, but even so, he could have taken a few minutes to check on her in the master bedroom, yet he hadn't appeared even once, acting as if she was invisible in the house, utterly indifferent to her presence.
Lately, Su Mu was sleeping very restlessly. The scabbing and itching on her foot was one issue, but the impending approach of the 30th day made her even more anxious. Qin Nianwan would be back soon, and she could sense her life was about to be disrupted. Perhaps Fu Shinian might even propose divorce. After all, that girl nad Qin Nianwan used to occupy both his heart and eyes.
However, thinking about the things Qin Nianwan had done behind Fu Shinian's back, Su Mu couldn't help but worry that Qin Nianwan had other intentions for returning. Perhaps she should warn Fu Shinian, but given a choice between believing the woman who was like a vermillion mole on his heart and a re mosquito bloodstain on the wall, the answer was obvious.
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