Chapter 159: Chapter 0159: Why Do You Think She Married You? (Extra chapter for recomndations)
Pei Zhao’s tone carried a hint of teasing, but for Huo Tingxiao, it felt like his throat had suddenly swallowed thousands of needles.
He pretended to be calm and took a sip of tea, trying hard to steady his emotions.
“I’ve said I can compensate you, whatever you need to do, I am willing.”
Pei Zhao’s smile remained unchanged as he looked at Huo Tingxiao, posing as if he was really considering whether or not to accept his compensation.
“So… if I say let go of Mu Lan, you can do that too?”
“Of course not!”
Huo Tingxiao almost instantly retorted without even thinking.
This intense reaction caused Pei Zhao to raise his eyebrows.
“Why? Have you fallen in love with Mu Lan? No way, right? As far as I know, you’ve always been in a cold war with her, you never really paid attention to her.
How is it possible… oh, let guess, is it because after her amnesia, she seed like a completely different person?
And you uncontrollably got attracted to her… and then fell irrevocably in love with her?
Ha ha ha ha… Axiao, how you’ve surprised ! Ha ha ha ha ha…
Turns out, Mu Lan has been like a decoration by your side these seven years? Cooking and keeping house for you, oh right, she also gave up the chance to study abroad for you.
To beco a qualified daughter-in-law of the Huo Family, she polished herself into a smooth, edgeless jade to be admired by others.
Well, but you knew all these, you probably don’t want to hear it again, so I’ll tell you sothing you don’t know.
She actually wanted to divorce you a long ti ago, it wasn’t an impulsive decision.
Won are like that, always giving themselves hope again and again, not willing to let go until they can no longer bear it, all battered and bruised.
Axiao, is the feeling of liking soone very sweet, very wonderful?
Their every move pleases you, and just a casual word of concern can make you extrely happy.
You’re feeling that now, but Mu Lan once felt the sa way. She even naively thought she could rely on these things to keep going.
But people’s hearts, they are made of flesh, how much torture can they handle?
To love soone, you are willing to force yourself to beco another person, don’t you think it takes a lot of courage?”
Huo Tingxiao was silent, quietly listening to Pei Zhao say all this.
Without saying anything harsh, his heart felt incredibly painful. It started as a slight sour ache, but gradually, it beca overwhelming, spreading through his limbs and body.
He didn’t even dare to think about what kind of feelings Mu Lan had endured when facing his indifference, selfishness, neglect…
Many images flashed through his mind quickly; in fact, there were many tis when she almost “exposed her true nature”.
Like in the early days of their marriage, she had so small mannerisms while eating, and although he didn’t like them, whenever his gaze lightly passed by her, she would imdiately beco ladylike.
Like when Mu Lan would look forward to asking him if his business trips would take long and if he missed her he should call, but he coldly told her to mind her own business and not to disturb him during his trips.
Or when Mu Lan bought clothes for him and asked if he liked them, he always casually said he didn’t need her opinion for such trivial matters, cutting off their chances to communicate.
And then later…
She beca the bland and uninteresting woman in his eyes, the nominal Mrs. Huo of Sea City who was expendable.
Actually, from the beginning… it wasn’t like this.
Mu Lan had once been vivid too; it was the Huo Family that demanded she conform to their rules, he who had wanted her to beco a quiet vase.
Suddenly recalling how Mu Lan had proposed to him, nervous yet slightly excited, shy yet so bold, she was radiantly beautiful with eyes that shone brightly when looking at him, like polished obsidian at the bottom of a clear lake.
Such a spirited and vivid deanor, he couldn’t believe he still rembered it!
—”Hello, I am Mu Lan, the youngest daughter of the Mu Group. My brother is Mu Huaifeng, um, that… Huo Tingxiao, I know you’re starting a business and you need a large sum of startup capital. If you marry , I could help you!”
During that ti, Huo Tingxiao was at the lowest point in his life. Pei Zhao had t with an accident, there had been a rift between him and his family, and he was determined to start his own business and beco independent from the Huo Family, but Old Master Huo had secretly warned everyone not to invest. He was burdened with guilt towards Pei Zhao, with the determination to break away from the Huo Family, yet reality dealt him a series of blows.
It was at this mont that Mu Lan appeared.
Suddenly, amidst the unraveled confusions, Huo Tingxiao discovered a truth, a realization that had taken him years to understand…
He might have had feelings for Mu Lan all along, but his habit of coldness, of concealing and hiding, had prevented him from seeing his own heart clearly.
Huo Tingxiao thought about how, over the past seven years, Mu Lan had offered her sincerity to him ti and again, and tis without count, he had ignored her, turning a blind eye, until after she lost her mory. Only then did he slowly realize, and now, he keenly regretted it.
The fragnts of mories in his mind made Huo Tingxiao’s heart ache; he took a deep breath, the sourness preventing him from speaking.
Although Pei Zhao didn’t know what Huo Tingxiao was thinking, he had a pretty good guess.
“What, feeling heartache now? Do you feel like you’re terrible, a real scumbag?
Axiao, to be honest, I’m not afraid to tell you straight—you don’t deserve Mu Lan.”
The words ‘don’t deserve’ were truly piercing.
Huo Tingxiao looked up to face Pei Zhao.
“I can’t possibly divorce Mu Lan. I will spend my lifeti making it up to her.”
Make it up, these words prompted Pei Zhao to scoff rcilessly:
“Make it up? Who do you think wants your compensation?
Huo Tingxiao, do you think every ‘sorry’ can be exchanged for ‘it’s okay’?
Do you believe that by saying a lofty ‘sorry’ after you hurt soone, you can make them forgive you?
Don’t be so naive! A heart that has been hurt will never heal completely; even if it stops bleeding, scars will remain—a constant reminder of the wound inflicted.
Just like , my leg serves as a perpetual reminder.”
“Your so-called compensation is rely for your own peace of mind. So, how could I possibly let you succeed?”
Pei Zhao looked fanatical, his eyes filled with obsession.
“Frankly, Mu Lan is truly a rare good woman. Lin Yize had been secretly in love with her for many years but never dared to confess until he had today’s achievents and felt bold enough to act.
And you… you’re just a usurper who reaped the benefits of soone else’s efforts.
Do you think that Mu Lan married you out of true love, unhesitatingly and unreservedly?”
Huo Tingxiao looked at Pei Zhao, suddenly overtaken by an ominous premonition.
“What do you an by that?”
The expression on Pei Zhao’s face slowly turned cold.
“Oh? Curious now, want to know?
Then beg , try it. Perhaps, if I’m in a good mood, I’ll tell you.”
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