“Qianqian, shall we go get something to eat first?” After leaving the venue, Xiao Jibo pushed Su Qianqian’s wheelchair and smiled.
Su Qianqian hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “Forget it. It’s too late. Another day.”
She remembered that Lin Mo was still waiting for her at home, so she declined Xiao Jibo’s invitation.
Seeing this, Xiao Jibo’s expression darkened slightly. “Qianqian, I finally advanced today. Won’t you really go out and celebrate with me?”
He stepped in front of her, pretending to look aggrieved.
“Well…” After thinking it over, Su Qianqian finally nodded. “Alright.”
“That’s great, Qianqian. Let’s go to that restaurant again.”
…
Inside the villa, Lin Mo had already prepared a table full of dishes, waiting for Su Qianqian to return.
But it was already late at night, and there was still no movement downstairs.
Lin Mo could not help feeling worried. He picked up his phone, intending to call her. But then he remembered that when he left earlier, Su Qianqian had been with Xiao Jibo. They were probably still celebrating together. So he decided not to disturb them.
He returned to the bedroom and began preparing for tomorrow’s competition.
“Qianqian, have some red wine. I’ve tasted it for you already. It’s really good,” Xiao Jibo said with a smile as he opened a bottle of red wine in the restaurant.
Su Qianqian paused and said softly, “No. You drink it yourself.”
“Come on, Qianqian. It’s such a happy day. It would be a shame not to celebrate with some wine. This one is especially good. Just try a little.”
As he spoke, Xiao Jibo moved to pour her a glass.
Su Qianqian frowned slightly. “My legs haven’t fully healed. I can’t drink.”
Xiao Jibo froze for a second, looking embarrassed. “Ah, sorry, Qianqian. I forgot.”
“It’s fine.” Su Qianqian turned her gaze toward the window, lost in thought.
Back then, when she had just lost the use of her legs, she had been submerged in grief. Despite the doctor’s repeated warnings not to drink alcohol, she had stubbornly ignored them.
Later, during one of the times she was at home drinking heavily again, Lin Mo could no longer tolerate it. That was the first time Su Qianqian had ever seen him lose his temper.
He had snatched the bottle from her hand and smashed it on the floor, glaring at her and forbidding her from drinking again.
Su Qianqian had grown up spoiled. She had never endured such treatment. Combined with her volatile temper at the time, she had grabbed a pair of scissors nearby and thrown them at Lin Mo.
The scissors lodged directly into his calf.
Still not satisfied, she had picked up a vase and hurled it at him. This time, Lin Mo managed to dodge.
That only made her angrier. She felt that he was mocking her, mocking her inability to walk. Already teetering on the brink of collapse, she completely lost control.
She picked up a shard of the shattered vase and aimed it at her own neck.
Lin Mo’s face changed drastically. He rushed forward and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
But she was already in a frenzy. When she realized her neck was blocked by Lin Mo’s body, she stabbed the shard viciously into his back.
She stabbed him dozens of times before her emotions finally settled.
By then, Lin Mo’s back was a bloody mess, and his shoulder bore several bloody bite marks.
For a period afterward, Su Qianqian had felt guilty. But she still could not give up drinking.
At that time, there was hardly a day when Lin Mo’s body was uninjured. If it wasn’t torn and bleeding, it was covered in bruises.
Gradually, after who knew how many times Lin Mo had tried to stop her, she finally realized she could not go on like that.
Thinking of this, Su Qianqian looked again at Xiao Jibo, her eyes carrying complicated emotions.
Both men knew about her injured legs.
Lin Mo would rather hurt himself than let her drink.
Yet Xiao Jibo had been encouraging her to drink.
“Qianqian, if you can’t drink, then at least eat something,” Xiao Jibo said, perhaps sensing her unusual mood. He placed an entire steak onto her plate.
Su Qianqian came back to herself and nodded.
Staring at the steak on her plate, she fell into thought again.
Whenever she had gone out for Western food with Lin Mo, he would carefully cut her steak into small pieces and place them neatly on her plate.
Not only that, Lin Mo remembered every one of her preferences.
When eating noodles with her, he would pick out the scallions from her bowl.
Knowing she disliked oily food, he always used less oil when cooking.
Thinking about these trivial matters made her feel inexplicably irritated.
“Qianqian, what’s wrong? Does it not suit your taste?” Xiao Jibo asked when he saw she had not touched her food.
Su Qianqian rubbed her temples and said faintly, “I don’t feel well. I don’t want to eat anymore.”
“Well… alright. Then let’s go.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Xiao Jibo grabbed his coat and pushed her out.
Once inside the car, Su Qianqian took out her phone and glanced at it, feeling even more unsettled.
It was so late. Why hadn’t Lin Mo called her yet?
Wasn’t he worried that something might happen to her?
The driver soon started the car.
Su Qianqian sat in the back with her eyes closed, her phone still in her hand. Every time it vibrated, she would quickly check it, only to lower it again in disappointment.
“Qianqian, wake up. We’ve arrived.”
Just as she was about to drift off, she heard Xiao Jibo’s voice.
Without thinking much, she prepared to get out of the car. But when she saw the driver had parked in front of a hotel, her brows knitted together.
“Why did you bring me here?” she demanded.
“CEO Su… this was Mr. Xiao’s instruction,” the driver said helplessly.
Su Qianqian turned to Xiao Jibo, confusion in her eyes. “Jibo, what is the meaning of this?”
Xiao Jibo paused, then spoke tenderly. “Qianqian, I’ve been back for so many days, and we haven’t had a proper chance to talk. So… I thought we could spend some time alone tonight.”
“You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to say to you. There were always others around before. But tonight it’s just the two of us. No one can disturb us.”
“Enough.” Su Qianqian’s voice was cold as she cut him off.
“Jibo, I already made myself clear when we were dating. Until that time comes, I will not give myself to you. What are you doing now?”
She looked at him with disappointment.
She was not foolish. She knew exactly what he intended by bringing her here.
When they were dating, she had clearly told him she would not share a room with him until marriage. At that time, he had agreed.
Yet his actions today showed clear disrespect. Especially since her legs had not fully healed. That kind of activity would certainly affect her recovery.
“Qianqian, listen to me. That’s not what I meant. I just wanted to talk. That’s all,” Xiao Jibo explained hastily.
She ordered the driver to leave.
Panicked, Xiao Jibo hurried into the passenger seat. “Qianqian, I’ll take you back. I promise, I’ll leave as soon as I see you safely home.”
Su Qianqian said nothing, closing her eyes irritably.
When Lin Mo had first helped her bathe, she had assumed he would take advantage of her. After all, although she was disabled, her beauty was unaffected.
But Lin Mo had not done anything. He had simply carried her to the bathroom, then gone downstairs to call Aunt Wang to help her bathe, while he waited outside.
To be honest, she had been surprised.
Even if Lin Mo had done something at that time, it would have been lawful and justified. They were husband and wife.
Yet he had not. Compared to Xiao Jibo’s actions today…
For some reason, she thought of Lin Mo again. This was the fourth time tonight.
Why still hadn’t he called her?
“CEO Su, we’ve arrived.”
This time she had not fallen asleep. She quietly stared at the second floor of the villa.
The living room lights were off, but the light in Lin Mo’s room was still on.
So he had been waiting for her all along.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She took out her phone and called Lin Mo.
At the same time, Lin Mo was preparing tomorrow’s performance when the ringtone interrupted his thoughts.
Seeing Su Qianqian’s name, he frowned slightly and answered, “Hello, Qianqian. What’s wrong?”
“Come downstairs and pick me up,” she ordered.
Lin Mo paused before realizing she was home. He quickly hung up, put on his clothes, and rushed downstairs.
“Qianqian, why is he here?” Xiao Jibo demanded when he saw Lin Mo.
Su Qianqian replied impatiently, “I already told you. My parents don’t know about us yet. So Lin Mo and I can’t divorce for now. We have to maintain our marriage.”
“There’s no need to live together just to maintain appearances,” Xiao Jibo said darkly.
Her voice grew colder. “Xiao Jibo, what are you implying? Do you not trust me?”
“Qianqian, that’s not what I meant. I just—”
“Enough, Jibo. Stop being unreasonable.”
For the first time that night, she truly sounded angry.
Xiao Jibo froze, speaking aggrievedly, “Qianqian, I’m not doubting you. I just—”
“Um… are you getting out of the car?” Lin Mo interrupted awkwardly.
He had not wanted to disturb them, but he still needed to go upstairs to prepare for the competition.
“Carry me down,” Su Qianqian said as she opened the car door.
Lin Mo glanced at Xiao Jibo, then awkwardly lifted her from the car.
Xiao Jibo clenched his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.
“Alright, you can go back. I’m going to rest,” Su Qianqian said coldly to Xiao Jibo.
She then had Lin Mo carry her toward the second floor.
“Lin Mo, just you wait,” Xiao Jibo muttered through gritted teeth as he watched them disappear inside.