This game was getting more and more interesting. I picked up the bowl of Traditional Chinese medicine, gently blowing on it before taking an elegant sip. The next second, I spat it all out from the bitterness.
Pei Heng had returned at some point and was changing his shoes by the entrance. When he saw me spraying the medicine everywhere, clear disgust flashed in his eyes. “If you can’t drink it, then don’t,” he said coldly.
“Why do you care so much?” I wiped the corner of my mouth, instead finding Pei Heng’s behavior these days rather strange. “Why are you back again?” I retorted.
He loosened his tie with a simple yet rough motion that was undeniably handsome.
“This is my home too. Is there a problem with me returning?” Pei Heng sat down opposite me, answering expressionlessly.
“Oh, right.” I nodded and continued drinking the Traditional Chinese medicine.
But it was truly too bitter. Even though I was accustomed to drinking black coffee without sugar, I couldn’t adapt to this kind of bitterness. Before the liquid could slide down my throat, I spat it out again. This time the trajectory went farther, splashing directly onto Pei Heng’s face and shirt.
His face instantly darkened as he stared coldly at me.
Too bitter to speak, I noticed droplets hanging from Pei Heng’s impossibly long eyelashes. I grabbed a tissue and pressed it against his face—my final act of courtesy.
Pei Heng grabbed my wrist and flung it away. I was momentarily stunned by the disgust in his eyes, and the familiar bitterness instantly spread through my heart.
“Sorry, the medicine was too bitter,” I maintained my composure while throwing the used tissue on the floor.
Pei Heng didn’t respond, simply standing up to go change his clothes upstairs.
Just then, Liu E entered. She efficiently cleaned up the messy scene, more diligent and meticulous than the others.
“Aunt Liu, please start preparing dinner,” I said wearily after she finished cleaning.
Liu E nodded and went to busy herself in the kitchen.
Holding my nose, I finished the remaining Traditional Chinese medicine. My body couldn’t improve just by eating more—I needed to properly regulate my internal organs before I could gain some weight.
After finishing the medicine, I went upstairs to the music room. Removing the dust cover, I took out the cello that hadn’t been touched for a long time. Alone, I drew the bow across the strings, filling the entire room with deep, elegant melodies.
Immersed in the music, I reminisced about everything I’d experienced, unaware of when Pei Heng had pushed open the music room door.
“It’s too loud,” he said irritably.
I hadn’t planned to continue playing, but hearing Pei Heng’s complaint ignited my anger. In my previous life, I had put away my beloved cello precisely because he complained it was too noisy.
Thinking about it now, no wonder Deng Jing’er and the others called me brainless.
Defiantly, I made two discordant sounds with the bow, the jarring noise causing Pei Heng’s handsome brows to furrow tightly.
“Then let’s get divorced. After divorcing, we can live separately. I could even play the suona without disturbing you,” I said elegantly as I set down the bow, my voice soft.
“It seems we can live separately without getting divorced,” Pei Heng retorted sarcastically.
“Then why did you come back?” I’d been confused recently—what in this house could be attracting Pei Heng back?
It couldn’t be me, could it?
Pei Heng seemed unable to adapt to my sharp-tongued self, his expression growing increasingly unpleasant. Given his temper, he should have turned and left by now, able to find comfort with just a phone call.
But he clearly suppressed his anger and instead asked me, “Xu Zhiyi, you seem to really not want me back? Have you found someone new?”
He wouldn’t be coming back so frequently because he suspected me of having an affair, intending to catch me in the act, would he??
I widened my eyes, “Is there a problem? Didn’t you say it’s fine as long as I don’t make it public?”
“You actually dare to cheat on me?!” Pei Heng questioned fiercely.
“Gender equality—why can’t I do what you do?” I retorted.
Just as we were confronting each other, Liu E’s cautious voice chimed in, “Mr. Pei, Madam, dinner is ready.”
I pushed Pei Heng aside and went downstairs to eat, no longer willing to torment my body for his sake.
Liu E’s cooking skills were excellent—three dishes and a soup, all appealing in color, aroma, and taste. I finished two bowls of rice in one go and caught a glimpse of Pei Heng coming downstairs and leaving.
“It’s delicious, Aunt Liu. Whoever becomes your husband or child is truly fortunate with your cooking skills,” I praised Liu E with a smile after finishing the last sip of soup.
Liu E seemed a bit embarrassed, “Madam, these are just simple home-cooked dishes. You’re too kind.”
I shook my head, “I’m not being too kind—it’s genuinely delicious. Hasn’t your family ever praised you?”
“My daughter also loves my cooking. She often suggests I open a small restaurant, but that child is too naive,” Liu E said, her eyes filled with affection when talking about her daughter.
The smile on my lips faded slightly, “Her idea isn’t wrong. Sometimes, when luck strikes, achieving goals becomes very easy.”
In my previous life, before I died, I wanted to see Pei Heng one last time. My mother told me he had gone to cut the ribbon at his future mother-in-law’s restaurant opening and had no time to come.
Of course, the restaurant was funded by him, ranking among the top three in City A in scale—a grand affair.
“Our family of three are just ordinary folks, without much luck, Madam,” Liu E replied respectfully and humbly.
“Luck can’t be stopped when it comes, Aunt Liu. What if your daughter marries well?” I really wanted to tell her right then—no need to be so self-deprecating, as the time for your family of three to rise to prominence is less than half a month away.
But I held back. Watching Liu E give me an awkward smile, I left the dining table.
I admit that Wei Lan’s family isn’t bad-hearted.
In my previous life, her parents initially strongly opposed her relationship with Pei Heng. Falling in love with a married man before even graduating from college was shameful if it got out.
But gradually, Liu E and Wei Chongshan were moved by Pei Heng’s persistence and chose to accept it.
Yet they never considered that while they were all celebrating, I, the original wife, was enduring the most painful suffering.
After taking a bath, I lay comfortably in bed and, as usual, browsed through my phone before sleeping. Coincidentally, I came across entertainment news about Pei Heng partying at a bar, accompanied by Lu Xicheng and two or three beautiful women.
Pei Heng was a man who naturally attracted attention and buzz—after all, his status spoke for itself. Even eating a bowl of ordinary sour and spicy noodles on the street could make headlines.
As his wife, I frequently appeared in the comments section.
“His wife can really endure—I’d call her the Ninja Goddess!”
“Emmm… If he were my husband, I’d be willing to take care of his mistress during her postpartum confinement.”
“Upstairs, why are you so subservient to men? If something this disgusting actually happened to you, you definitely couldn’t handle it. Let me bear it instead!”
“A bunch of people with no moral compass. Pei Heng’s rumored flings since getting married are as numerous as stars in the sky—no sense of male virtue.”
“That paparazzo’s skills are terrible – they never manage to capture the crucial shots every time.”
Some pitied me, some envied me, and others mocked me, but I brushed it all off with a laugh.
Just as I was about to fall peacefully asleep, Li You’s phone call scared away all my drowsiness.
Her tone was urgent, “Yiyi, come quickly! Something’s happened!”