Lu Xiaoqiao felt a chill run down her spine.
It was late at night, and Lu Tu had long since fallen asleep.
The spring night was still chilly. Xie Xun’s voice drifted through the silent night, eerie and lifeless, almost like a ghost.
Xie Xun stared at her for a while, then let out a quiet laugh through his nose.
“You two were planning to elope, weren’t you? That’s why I fired him, along with all those bodyguards he brought with him?”
“……”
Lu Xiaoqiao exploded.
He had cheated on her, forgotten about it himself, and now he was trying to put the blame on her and make her look immoral.
What kind of bastard was he?!
“Since that’s what you think,” Lu Xiaoqiao said, looking him straight in the eyes, “you’ve also forgotten about your eldest brother’s death. Does that mean you and I had something going on too?”
Xie Xun’s brows drew together darkly. He clearly hated hearing her say that.
Lu Xiaoqiao continued, “Or maybe I killed your eldest brother, and his death had something to do with me?”
Xie Xun did not move his eyes.
They were dark and frightening.
“If you can’t remember these things, then don’t make wild accusations,” Lu Xiaoqiao pressed on. “You’re afraid I’ll lie to you, but some things are known by everyone. You risked your life to save your sister-in-law and ended up falling into the river, almost dying. I didn’t make that up, did I?”
Everyone knew about it.
Wasn’t that enough to prove something?
Lu Xiaoqiao sneered.
“On the anniversary of your brother’s death, the twin-lotus brooch she wore was something you specifically bought for her at an auction. The car she sometimes swapped with me was personally modified by you for her. Do you need any more direct evidence?”
There could hardly be anything more direct.
What did a pair of intimate handcuffs even count for?
Nothing could be more moving than the care and thoughtfulness shown in everyday life.
Even an intimate night together could not compare to a gift brought home from a business trip.
That was genuine affection.
Lu Xiaoqiao took a deep breath and forced down all the emotions surging inside her. She managed to form a faint, peaceful smile.
“Look, you two love each other so much. Your brother has been gone for a year. He won’t blame you, and neither will I. There is nothing standing in your way anymore. I wish you both happiness, okay?”
She spoke one sentence after another.
Xie Xun’s consciousness gradually became hazy. A splitting pain tore through his temples.
It felt as if someone were pulling apart his nerves.
One by one.
Was this really how it was?
Was everything exactly as she said?
What she said was true, but another voice in Xie Xun’s mind fought against those facts, telling him that it wasn’t completely like that.
The events were real, but the reason behind them was not what she thought.
Then what was the real reason?
He could not remember.
He could not remember anything at all.
And there were also those fleeting fragments he had remembered at Oujing…
It wasn’t like this.
It definitely wasn’t.
Xie Xun’s body, which had just been washed, became drenched in sweat again. Cold sweat kept appearing on his skin.
Being unable to remember anything while someone else could freely shape the facts was an unbearable feeling. It left him confused, like walking through a dark forest.
He hated it.
“Lu Xiaoqiao.”
His voice had been worn hoarse by the pain.
His eyes were clouded with grayness.
“Help me recover my memories. I’ll agree to divorce you.”
“……”
For a moment, Lu Xiaoqiao was thrilled.
But that feeling quickly sank.
“You don’t keep your promises. You always change your mind.”
Xie Xun: “Sign an agreement.”
Lu Xiaoqiao did not know whether she could trust him.
An agreement meant nothing to someone like him.
Lu Xiaoqiao said sincerely, “Actually, you should go find your sister-in-law. Your memories with her should be stronger.”
Strong enough that even after losing his memory, he still hadn’t forgotten them.
Someone like her, whom he had forgotten completely, had no idea how she could possibly help him recover his memories.
Xie Xun sat back down on the camp bed, leaning his upper body slightly forward. He rested both arms on his thighs.
“You’re the one who wants a divorce, so you’re responsible for it.”
“……”
She had no other way.
“I don’t trust you,” Lu Xiaoqiao said after thinking it over. “An oath would be more useful to you than an agreement.”
Xie Xun lifted his damp eyelashes and gave an unconcerned, mocking laugh.
Did he really believe in that kind of thing?
Lu Xiaoqiao lifted her chin and continued, “Then swear on Lu Tu and Xie Yu.”
Xie Xun suddenly grabbed her.
She was deliberately provoking him.
Did he dare?
If he refused, it would only prove that his words could not be trusted.
Even he did not trust himself.
Xie Xun’s expression darkened. “Do you even know what it means to avoid tempting fate?”
“Can you really use a child to make an oath?”
“Then swear on me.” Lu Xiaoqiao smiled. “I’m not as important as my child. So swear on me. If you break your promise, then may I suffer the consequences…”
Before she could finish, Xie Xun suddenly snapped.
Like a furious beast, he lunged at her without warning, pushed her onto the bed, and fiercely kissed her.
Their lips collided violently.
It was nothing like a kiss. It was more like a brutal attack.
He seemed completely controlled by his emotions, with no reason left to guide him. He did not even seem aware of what he was doing. He kissed her harshly, biting her lips until they hurt, as though forcing her to take in all of his anger.
Lu Xiaoqiao could not fight back.
She was left exhausted and barely able to breathe.
When her struggling body finally went limp, Xie Xun seemed to regain control for a brief moment. His chest rose and fell heavily.
He heard himself say, “Baby, stop. You know I can’t bear to hurt you.”
Who had said that?
Was it really him?
Xie Xun froze.
He lowered his eyes like a puppet and stared at Lu Xiaoqiao, who was struggling to breathe after what had happened.
She gasped desperately for air, like a fish finally thrown back into water. Little by little, her strength returned.
As soon as she had enough strength to move, she slapped Xie Xun hard across the face.
His face turned to the side from the force of the slap, and several red marks slowly appeared on his cheek.
The next moment, Lu Xiaoqiao shoved him away, hurriedly climbed out of bed, and ran to the bathroom, where she began to vomit.
Xie Xun’s eyes grew cold.
Was she really disgusted with him to this extent?
His lower lip and the tip of his tongue were stinging from where she had bitten him. He did not seem to care. He simply wiped the blood away with his tongue and calmly lay back down on the camp bed.
Lu Xiaoqiao did not return after vomiting. Instead, she went to Lu Tu’s room.
She did not say another word to Xie Xun.
Their previous conversation was left unfinished.
The children’s room was next to Lu Xiaoqiao’s bedroom. Her parents often came in to check whether Lu Tu had kicked off his blanket, so she had never locked the door.
She did not have the energy to worry about what her parents might think if they found her sleeping there.
She was completely exhausted.
She soon fell into a deep, restless sleep. She had no idea what time it was when she suddenly sensed another person breathing in the room.
It was not Lu Tu.
Lu Xiaoqiao immediately opened her eyes.
Xie Xun was crouching beside the bed, silently staring at her with dark, unsettling eyes.
She was so frightened that she almost screamed. Xie Xun quickly covered her mouth and whispered, “Shh~”
Tears almost filled Lu Xiaoqiao’s eyes.
“Something happened to the Xie family,” Xie Xun said quietly. “I have to go back.”
Lu Xiaoqiao pulled his hand away. Afraid of waking the child, she lowered her voice and said angrily, “Then go! Why are you crouching here?”
“I just came to tell you,” Xie Xun replied.
He did not really understand it himself.
His feet had somehow brought him here, even though he had not intended to come. And his mind kept telling him that he had to explain himself to her before leaving.
“……”
“I really have to go,” Xie Xun said again. “I’ve been waiting here for two hours for you to wake up.”
Lu Xiaoqiao cursed through clenched teeth.
“Get out of here right now!”
Damn it. What a complete pervert!