Bai Jingya swallowed.
“I’ll go.”
She was very tactful. Wherever Xu Zhixia seemed dissatisfied, she went over it again with a mop.
By the time she had cleaned the entire house inside and out, she was so exhausted she could barely catch her breath.
Carrying the mop, she headed toward the bathroom to rinse it, still trying to persuade her as she walked:
“Sister Xia, I just feel sorry that you married a man who doesn’t know how to cherish you. Oh my, just hearing the noise last night made my heart ache for you.”
Xu Zhixia’s gaze followed her movements, her mind drifting slightly. Bai Jingya made it sound so nice.
Heartache…
More like she resented that the one lying in that bed wasn’t her.
After last night’s endless torment, Bai Jingya hadn’t been able to hold back and had immediately given her that “brilliant” suggestion saying that as long as she slit her wrist, Lu Xiuyuan would definitely agree to divorce.
She even said she would come over at the right moment after the wrist-cutting.
In truth, Xu Zhixia had been lying alone in the cold bathtub, nearly fainting. It was Lu Xiuyuan who strode toward her and bandaged her wound.
Only after being reborn did she understand back then, Bai Jingya had probably intended for her to die.
After all, in her previous life, she hadn’t died after that incident.
Instead, she had gone through a harsh experience in an apocalyptic world.
It was that experience that helped her understand many things she had never figured out before.
She glanced out the window. It was already dark, yet Lu Xiuyuan still hadn’t returned.
An inexplicable emptiness settled in her heart.
Then she said lightly to Bai Jingya:
“As for him, well… he’s just strong. He tosses me around in bed until I’m half-dead.”
Bai Jingya’s hand tightened on the mop. Xu Zhixia was speaking so shamelessly now?
Jealousy she couldn’t even describe surged inside her.
Who wouldn’t like a young, vigorous man?
Head lowered, she rinsed the mop in the bathroom, her face hidden in her hair, a dark expression lingering there.
The air still seemed to carry traces of last night’s intimacy.
She had been staying next door and naturally knew what had happened.
A man like Lu Xiuyuan didn’t succeed in life without being tough. So when she heard he would be eating at the Xu family’s house last night, she had deliberately sent Xu Zhixia out.
Originally, she had planned to drug Lu Xiuyuan. After sleeping with him, she would pretend to be magnanimous and forgive him, making him feel guilty toward her.
Since Xu Zhixia was already willing to divorce, she would replace her and become Lu Xiuyuan’s bride.
Who would have thought Lu Xiuyuan, eyes red, endured an entire kilometer and ran home to have Xu Zhixia relieve him instead?
Even when she tried to support him, he had shaken her off.
Was she, an unmarried young woman, really inferior to Xu Zhixia?
Meanwhile, standing outside with the divorce agreement in his hand, Lu Xiuyuan paused when he heard the words about not wanting a divorce.
He let out a self-mocking curl of his lips.
Her determination to leave had been so firm she had even threatened death.
And now she was speaking of it like this.
Perhaps it was just her way of expressing dissatisfaction.
Thinking this, he quickened his pace. If this marriage caused her so much pain, it would be better to let her go sooner.
Closing his eyes briefly, he pushed open the door.
Hearing the sound, Xu Zhixia turned her head and saw Lu Xiuyuan.
His hair was cut short, bristling upright like his cold, rigid temperament, making his features look especially sharp.
In the apocalypse, she had once heard that the higher and straighter a man’s nose, the more formidable he was in that regard.
Her gaze lingered briefly on his tall nose bridge.
That saying wasn’t wrong.
She had verified it countless times.
Lower still was his prominent Adam’s apple.
Sensing her prolonged stare, Lu Xiuyuan felt a flicker of discomfort. She had never looked at him like that before.
Her gaze drifted further down, to the “capital” that had tormented her so many times indeed, he was abundantly endowed.
Perhaps it was her own fault in her previous life for being too restrained. Lu Xiuyuan was like a stubborn bull, and the two of them had clashed stiffly together.
Like forcing something that simply didn’t fit.
Fortunately, during that lonely year in the apocalypse, she had read plenty of illustrated books. She probably had a way to handle things now.
Lu Xiuyuan stepped forward two more paces.
Bai Jingya’s sharp eyes caught the paper in his hand.
The bold words “Divorce Agreement” were clearly written on it. Her eyes widened instantly.
They said once a man decided to divorce, not even eight oxen could drag him back. It seemed her efforts during this period hadn’t been wasted.
She hurried forward.
“Oh, Xiuyuan, you’re back. I was just persuading Xia not to be impulsive.”
“Xia has been pampered since childhood and hasn’t endured much hardship.”
As she spoke, she lifted the mop in her hand slightly the cleaning had all been done by her alone.
Only then did Xu Zhixia remember there was still another person in the room. She said directly:
“Once you finish cleaning, you can leave.”
“Oh, and take your things with you. No need to come again in the future.”
Bai Jingya frowned. In the past, Xu Zhixia had always spoken to her politely, calling her “Sister Jingya” sweetly every day.
Now she was being treated like a maid? What did she mean, finish cleaning and leave?
Wait—was she trying to drive her away?
She widened her innocent eyes.
“Sister, why are you suddenly chasing me away? You were the one who said you couldn’t stand it here and asked me to stay with you for a few more days.”
After saying that, she acted as if she had spoken out of turn.
She quickly glanced at Lu Xiuyuan and covered her mouth.
Lu Xiuyuan’s heart ached uncontrollably.
So living with him had been that unbearable for Xu Zhixia.
He should have known.
Xu Zhixia hurriedly glanced at the man’s expression. As expected, his face darkened.
She stood up, tugged at her collar to reveal the mottled marks on her neck, and rolled her eyes.
“I know you’re not young anymore, but you’re still unmarried. I wouldn’t dare delay you too long.”
“Besides, whatever happens between husband and wife is private. It’s not good for an unmarried woman like you to overhear.”
“And weren’t you just urging me to cut ties with Xiuyuan completely?”
She still didn’t dare mention the abortion. If she did, Lu Xiuyuan would hate her to death.
Bai Jingya hadn’t expected Xu Zhixia to speak so openly about such intimate matters.
Was this something that could be said out loud?
Had today’s events shocked her too much?
Was she completely letting herself go now?
Every word seemed to mock her.
If she didn’t leave now, she’d look shameless and lacking boundaries.
In front of Lu Xiuyuan, how could she let such a reputation stick to her? Her face was barely holding together.
She took off her apron.
“I’ll go first.”
Without looking back, she walked out. As she passed by Lu Xiuyuan, she accidentally stepped on the mop and fell uncontrollably toward him.
Xu Zhixia reacted quickly, pulling Lu Xiuyuan behind her.
Bai Jingya couldn’t stop her momentum and fell flat on her face.