Su Yuebai thought that today was just another argument. She had spoken those words out of impulse and frustration. Even smashing the wedding photos had been a rash reaction, driven by spite. Since Zhang Xiaofeng had acted out of anger, why couldn’t she? But she assumed he had done all that just to vent—when in truth, Zhang Xiaofeng hadn’t been acting out of anger. He had truly left.
Su Yuebai stood still, her expression conflicted, full of disbelief.
For a moment, she didn’t know what to do.
She remembered clearly that no matter how she used to scold or hit Zhang Xiaofeng in the past, he would never leave. Whenever she threw a tantrum or acted spoiled, he would always hold her gently and say, “Yueyue, you’re three years younger than me. To me, you’re just like a mischievous little sister. I’ll protect you and cherish you. I’ll never leave you. You can throw all the tantrums you want. No matter what, I’ll stay. We’re about to get married. I’ll treat you well forever.”
But today, he left without even looking back.
Su Yuebai’s face gradually turned pale. Panic set in. If Zhang Xiaofeng had truly left and wouldn’t marry her, what would happen to the company? Her parents were getting older, and there was no one to hold the business together. He was a man of integrity, reliable and capable, a Qingbei graduate. In the six years she had known him, this was the first time he’d ever lost his temper. But now that he was gone—what now?
Su Yuebai realized—an honest man had finally been pushed too far.
“Good! Let him leave! My family doesn’t need some lowlife who dares raise his voice at me!” Wang Dajuan cursed.
“Mom, stop yelling!” Su Yuebai said anxiously, then looked at her father, her voice slightly trembling, “Dad… do you think he… he really left? What about the company? What about our marriage? I’m already pregnant with his child…”
Su Qianghai glanced at her, calmly lit another cigar, took a few leisurely puffs, and finally said, “What are you afraid of? Think about it—if he leaves our family, how many years would he need to fight his way up? He’ll never catch up to us in his lifetime. Honestly, even if we casually toss him some money, it’d save him at least ten years of effort. You really think he’d walk away from all that?”
Su Qianghai didn’t believe Zhang Xiaofeng had really left. He was convinced it was all an act. How could he possibly give up? There were so many people who’d die for the chance to marry into wealth. Even if it meant living without pride, like a dog, as long as there was endless money to spend, people would still envy you. Outside, others would treat you with respect. There’s no way Zhang Xiaofeng would leave for real! He was probably just acting out of pride, and in a few days, he’d come crawling back to beg for forgiveness. Ha!
Thinking of that future scene made Su Qianghai smile.
Su Yuebai finally let out a breath and agreed, “You’re right, Dad. He won’t leave. He’s just an ordinary person. It’d take him forever to earn even 500,000 yuan! He won’t give this up.”
“Exactly! Don’t worry. Today I taught him a lesson in front of everyone, embarrassed him so badly he’ll never lift his head again. This is how you break him. That’s how you domesticate someone. Understand? One day your mom and I might not be around or strong enough to control him. If you can’t keep him in line then, that would be a disaster.”
“I understand, Dad.”
“That’s more like it. You’re learning well!”
Wang Dajuan suddenly said, “Old Su, I think we shouldn’t let him come back. The way he exploded today… I was honestly shaken. That guy really has guts. I was shocked he still dared to sit at the table and eat. And then when Xiaoyue told him to leave—he actually left!”
“Forget it for now. Give it two days. He’ll come crawling back to beg me!”
The three of them discussed for a while longer, then turned to the guests and said, “Sorry everyone, you’ve all had a good laugh at our expense today. Come on, let’s not worry about him. Let’s go to a hotel and have a proper dinner.”
“No, no, I’ve got something at home. I’ll head off first.”
“Yeah, same here. My wife’s calling me back.”
One guest after another excused themselves and left.
Su Qianghai didn’t try to stop them. He figured they were just embarrassed. It could be handled later. Regardless, he and his family still planned to go out to eat.
He instructed the maids to clean up the messy living room, then got into his 3 million yuan luxury car and drove to the hotel for dinner.
They returned late at night, stuffed from the feast. After washing up, the family went to bed in comfort—except Su Yuebai. She couldn’t sleep. Every time she thought about Zhang Xiaofeng’s outburst today, she got furious.
She opened her bank account and stared at the amount Zhang Xiaofeng had once handed over. Only then did her anger lessen.
“As punishment, you don’t get dinner tonight. Starve to death! Let’s see if you dare do this again!”
Tonight, she and her parents had eaten until they were full and satisfied. She knew Zhang Xiaofeng had no money. Tonight, he’d be starving, probably sleeping on the street. Hah! If he ever dared act out again, she’d make sure he stayed hungry forever!
Three days passed in a flash.
Still, there was no sign of Zhang Xiaofeng returning. Su Yuebai was starting to panic. She looked out the window, puzzled. “Why hasn’t he come back? Where has he been sleeping these past few nights?”
She jumped out of bed, rushed to the window, pulled back the curtain, and looked out. Nothing in the yard. Nothing beyond the gate. Nowhere. Zhang Xiaofeng really hadn’t come back!
“He’s… really not coming back?”
Su Yuebai stomped her foot, then looked down at her pregnant belly, her brows tightly furrowed. Could the child end up fatherless?
She remembered her father’s words again and let out a breath, trying to convince herself coldly, “He wouldn’t give up such a rare chance to climb the social ladder. It’s nearly impossible for someone like him to cross classes. He wouldn’t walk away! And there’s the baby—he wouldn’t leave his own child fatherless!”
But more than a curse, it sounded like she was trying to comfort herself.
She was already four months pregnant. Her belly was clearly showing. The idea of abortion terrified her. The thought of a cold operating room and sharp surgical instruments piercing her body made her soul tremble.
She endured her anxiety and waited another three days.
Still, Zhang Xiaofeng didn’t return. Su Yuebai was completely shaken now. Her brows furrowed tightly, and she muttered to herself with a trace of regret, “Is he really not coming back? He doesn’t have any money. Where would he even go?”
She remembered how she’d demanded all his earnings be handed over. He didn’t have a cent on him. Even if he had some private savings, it wouldn’t be much—she had always kept him under tight control. How had he even survived the past few days?
Su Yuebai rubbed her belly, unable to sit still anymore. She went upstairs to talk to her parents.
Moments later, on the second floor, she looked at Su Qianghai and asked anxiously, “Dad, why hasn’t he come back yet?”
“What are you panicking for? Men don’t bow their heads that easily. I say he’s just sulking. He’ll probably be back in two more days. When he does, I’ll teach him a lesson he won’t forget. He’ll never dare raise his head in front of you again. Don’t worry—I know how to deal with him!” Su Qianghai said confidently.
Wang Dajuan scoffed coldly, “It’s better if he doesn’t come back. Worst case, you just get an abortion. No big deal! It’s just pregnancy. I’ve had a few abortions back in my day!”
Su Yuebai’s face went pale as if struck by lightning. Abortion? Ever since she was a child, she’d been terrified of sharp instruments. The thought of cold tools entering her body made her flinch, as if her soul was in pain.
She had only spoken out of anger. Why should she have to bear the consequences of an abortion? It would hurt so much. It was terrifying.
She was already four months pregnant. The fetus had already formed—nose, ears, face, heart, limbs—all of it. To suddenly terminate it now would be like crushing a life. The emotional burden felt like a mountain. It would feel like murder, and the guilt would be unbearable.
Su Yuebai said nothing and quietly left the room. Downstairs, her heart was in chaos. She sat in a chair and waited anxiously, glancing outside every so often. But there was still no sign of Zhang Xiaofeng returning.
Midday came. Then evening. She hadn’t eaten a single bite, staring out the window the whole time. She didn’t even realize when it became late at night. Still no sign of him. She couldn’t hold back anymore—she wanted to call him. But she forced herself not to. He was probably still sulking. Let him starve for two more days!
Soon, two more days passed.
Zhang Xiaofeng still didn’t return. It was as if he had disappeared forever. Su Yuebai’s face turned deathly pale. Her entire expression collapsed into panic. She could no longer hold it in. She opened her phone, found Zhang Xiaofeng’s contact, and dialed.
Beep…
It rang once before a robotic voice answered: “Sorry, the number you’ve dialed is powered off.”
Su Yuebai’s eyes widened in shock.
He had already blocked her.