Her voice was so loud that Qin Jizhi couldn’t help but become a bit more serious.
“Do you look down on me? Is that why you keep bringing up divorce again and again?” Yu Qiaoqiao glared at him indignantly. This man was clearly afraid she would leave, yet he kept saying such things out of spite.
If she didn’t give him a strong push, this mindset of his would be hard to change.
Qin Jizhi felt it was absurd. It was obviously her who had Zhao Lijie in her heart—how had it turned into him looking down on her instead?
He wanted to explain, but he was both stubborn and slow with words. Before he could speak, Yu Qiaoqiao’s eyes suddenly reddened, and she began to wipe away tears. “If you look down on me, you should’ve said so earlier. My reputation may not be good, but I’m still a clean, proper girl who married you. Anyone would find it unbearable to be talked about like this.”
She took out a handful of money from her pocket, a messy stack of bills.
“This is the money I just got back from Zhao Lijie. He owed me a lot before, and I’ve taken it all back now.” She counted out fifty yuan and placed it beside Qin Jizhi. “This is the bride price your Qin family gave. I’m returning it to you now. Since you don’t want me, I won’t force it. I’ll return every cent of the bride price. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways.”
After saying that, she began packing up her already meager belongings.
Seeing the situation turning bad, Qin Jizhi hurriedly asked, “What did you say? You went to get money from Zhao Lijie just now?”
Yu Qiaoqiao guessed he had misunderstood. It was her fault too—she’d been so eager to get the money back that she forgot to explain to him. Who knew he’d be so sensitive and imaginative? In the short time she was gone, he probably imagined a whole story of her eloping with Zhao Lijie.
“Of course. I was foolish before, lending him so much money. Why should I let him take advantage of me? Now that I’m married to you, we’re supposed to live properly, so of course I had to get it back. He refused at first—I almost made a scene at the production team. Plenty of people just got off work and saw it. If you don’t believe me, you can ask around.”
She sniffled as she spoke, wiping her tears while continuing to pack.
Qin Jizhi’s face filled with embarrassment and guilt. Yu Qiaoqiao had been thinking about building a peaceful life with him, yet he had kept doubting her. Awkwardly, he said, “Yu Qiaoqiao, that’s not what I meant.”
She ignored him. “It doesn’t matter. Even if you don’t say it today, you’ll say it someday. You’ve never truly trusted me. Without trust, we won’t last anyway. Better to part ways now before things get worse.”
She finished packing and started to walk out.
In his panic, Qin Jizhi threw off the blanket and tried to get up. With a sudden effort, his upper body lurched forward, and he nearly fell off the bed. Yu Qiaoqiao dropped the basin in her hands and rushed over to catch him.
“What are you doing?!”
Qin Jizhi’s face ended up buried against the soft rise of her chest. The warm, soft contact made his thoughts wander, and his ears instantly turned red. Unable to move, he could only mutter softly, “Yu Qiaoqiao… put me back on the bed first.”
As he spoke, his warm breath brushed against her, sending a tingling sensation through her. She quickly helped him lie back down. “If you wanted something, you could’ve just said so. Why the rush?”
As if you don’t know.
Qin Jizhi’s mind was still muddled from the sudden intimacy. He didn’t dare look her in the eyes. “I said… that’s not what I meant.”
“What do you mean then?”
He clenched his teeth. “I don’t want a divorce.”
Yu Qiaoqiao looked at him with a pitiful expression. “Qin Jizhi, how can you be like this? No one cared for me in my family. I thought after marrying you, you’d at least think of me as your wife. But I didn’t expect you to be even more heartless than they are—ready to cast me aside at any moment. It really hurts.”
As she spoke, she started crying again. Qin Jizhi was completely at a loss.
He had never comforted a girl before, let alone someone like Yu Qiaoqiao. He fumbled awkwardly. “Don’t cry. It’s my fault. I won’t say such things again. If you’re angry, you can… hit me or scold me, just don’t cry, okay?”
Seeing how anxious he was, Yu Qiaoqiao figured he probably wouldn’t casually bring up divorce again. Only then did she slowly stop crying. “Then comfort me.”
He froze. “How do I do that?”
Yu Qiaoqiao: “…”
Who asks how to comfort someone while doing it?!
She suddenly bent down and brought her face close to his. “Give me a kiss, and I won’t be mad anymore.”
“Y-you…” Qin Jizhi was stunned, as if she’d said something scandalous.
Forget it—if she waited for him to take the initiative, it would be too late. Before he could react, she pressed her cheek lightly against his lips, then jumped away with a smile. “Alright, I’m not mad anymore.”
At first, Qin Jizhi was stunned. Then, involuntarily, a slight smile curved his lips.
Yu Qiaoqiao picked up the bedsheet again and resumed sewing. As she worked, she said, “Qin Jizhi, I did make mistakes in the past, but I promise I never crossed any line with Zhao Lijie—not even held hands. So you’re not allowed to misunderstand me because of that again.”
“And from now on, when it comes to me, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says. You can only believe my version. If I say I’ll take care of you, I won’t lie.”
Still immersed in her sudden kiss, Qin Jizhi nodded absentmindedly.
“Qin Jizhi.”
“Mm?” His gaze remained fixed on her.
She wore the plainest light gray jacket and the simplest braided hairstyle, yet somehow, she drew his eyes irresistibly. It was as if she carried a light, brightening his once dim life.
“Have you ever been in love before?” Yu Qiaoqiao glanced at him sideways.
She didn’t want some unattainable “first love” to suddenly appear after she’d finally won him over.
“No.”
“What about a secret crush?”
“No. No one.”
His answer was serious and firm, making Yu Qiaoqiao laugh. “Why are you so serious? It’s like I’m interrogating you.”
“I didn’t want you to misunderstand.”
Her eyes darted playfully. “Qin Jizhi, can I call you ‘Jizhi’ from now on? We’re married—it feels distant to keep using your full name.”
“Okay.” He had originally wanted to refuse—calling him that felt too intimate—but when she looked at him with those bright, watery eyes, he couldn’t say no.
“Then don’t call me by my full name either. What do you want to call me?”