Volume One, Chapter Eleven: She Would Never Betray Her Husband or Her Marriage

Mo Xingyuan’s face darkened; he slammed the door in response to her. The resounding bang echoed through the house, and Su Li’s smile widened as she carried her bowl to the kitchen to wash it.

The house was vast, and Su Li lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. She never slept well in unfamiliar places; she always tossed and turned restlessly. She had just picked up her phone when an unknown number flashed on the screen. It was midnight—no one she knew would call her at this hour. The phone rang for quite some time, persistent and insistent. Su Li finally answered.

“Su Li... I want to see you.”

The number was unfamiliar, but the voice was not. He Shuming’s voice was soft, tinged with a plea. “Could you come visit me at the hospital?”

Su Li thought of the video she had seen of him being beaten. Still in the hospital—his injuries must be serious. Just as she was about to hang up, she changed her mind.

“Which hospital?”

—

At one in the morning, the hospital was far quieter than during the day, giving the place the illusion that illness did not exist. She found He Shuming’s room. The VIP ward felt more like a luxury hotel suite than a hospital. She entered to find He Shuming in a hospital gown, lying in bed, his face mottled with bruises, his arms and legs encased in plaster.

“Su Li.” He Shuming’s eyes lit up at the sight of her, and he tried to sit up. But his waist was strapped, and the movement brought him pain, so he had to stay lying down.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” he said, smiling at her.

Su Li stood by the bed, sizing him up. Mo Xingyuan hadn’t held back at all.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

He Shuming glanced at his own bandaged limbs, a trace of grievance in his eyes. “No.”

“Who did this to you?”

“I don’t know.” At the mention of this, He Shuming’s anger surfaced again. “But once I find out who did it, I’ll make him pay!”

Su Li’s heart skipped a beat, but she steadied herself. “There’s always someone stronger out there. You’d better rein yourself in before you end up worse off.”

He Shuming stared at her intently. Su Li wondered if he had guessed anything.

“You’re worried about me,” he said, his eyes shining. “I knew you still loved me.”

Su Li’s lips parted, but she swallowed the biting words she almost uttered. “I’m married.”

“You can’t possibly love him,” He Shuming insisted. “We were together for two years. There’s no way you’d fall for someone else so quickly. Su Li, divorce him—I’ll marry you.”

—

There was no hiding the sarcasm in Su Li’s eyes. “I don’t love you.”

“How could that be? I found out later that you even transferred your job back here for me.” He Shuming grew agitated. “Su Li, I swear, I’ll never betray you again.”

Su Li never believed in vows—least of all those made by someone who had already betrayed her.

“I have no intention of betraying my husband or my marriage.”

She knew he had no idea who had attacked him and didn’t want to stay a moment longer. She looked again at his plastered limbs. “Get some rest.”

“Su Li—”

She closed the door, shutting out his voice. She let out a long, hard sigh. Sometimes, she thought, it would serve people like him right if they were bedridden for life.

—

It had taken Su Li only an hour to leave the house, visit the hospital, and return to the doorstep. She had been extra careful leaving, not wanting to wake Mo Xingyuan. If she could just slip back in quietly, she’d be fine. Entering the code at the door, she hesitated at each button, wincing at the noise. Why couldn’t it be set to silent? Even the slight click of the lock made her grit her teeth; in the quiet of night, even breathing seemed enough to disturb someone’s sleep.

She stepped inside, gently shut the door, and locked it. The sound made her heart leap into her throat. Taking off her shoes, she had just relaxed when the light snapped on. Her body went rigid.

She had never felt so flustered, like a thief caught red-handed. She wanted to run, but her feet felt rooted to the spot. The house felt frozen, cold and unforgiving.

Su Li took a deep breath and slowly turned around. As she expected, Mo Xingyuan stood there, face cold, eyes deep and glacial, his displeasure obvious.

She forced a smile. “You’re awake.”

“Explain,” he said flatly, not bothering with pleasantries.

Su Li bit her lip. “I went out for some air.”

Mo Xingyuan didn’t even blink, his disbelief plain.

“I went to the hospital,” she admitted.

“To see your ex,” he said, instantly seeing through her, his gaze dark and unreadable.

Su Li disliked the way he said that; “ex” sounded odd, especially coming from his lips, carrying an ambiguous undertone.

“I just wanted to know if he suspects you.”

Mo Xingyuan’s eyes flickered. “And?”

“He doesn’t,” Su Li replied honestly. “But he won’t let it go.”

—

Mo Xingyuan snorted coldly. “And what can he do?”

He clearly didn’t take He Shuming seriously. Su Li thought he was being a bit too arrogant.

She offered a kind reminder. “He’s trouble—you’d better watch yourself.”

Mo Xingyuan’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water. With casual indifference, he asked, “You didn’t tell him it was me?”

“Why would I?” Su Li wasn’t stupid. If she had the chance, she’d have given He Shuming a beating herself.

Mo Xingyuan drank, his deep eyes darkening. “He’s your ex.”

“And you’re my husband,” Su Li blurted out.

Suddenly, she realized what she’d said and looked at him, her eyes shining.

Mo Xingyuan stood there, cup in hand, her words echoing in his mind.

“Mo Xingyuan.”

He glanced at her coolly.

Su Li walked over, leaning on the bar counter, a genuine smile spreading across her face. “Right now, you’re the most important person in my heart. So you don’t need to doubt how I feel about you.”

“You’re crazy,” Mo Xingyuan muttered, setting down his glass, not bothering to respond.

As he turned to leave, Su Li mustered her courage and blocked him at the bedroom door.

He frowned. “Move.”

“I really do like you,” she confessed.

It was hard not to like a man as attractive as him.

Mo Xingyuan stared at her, unblinking. There was a gentle smile in her eyes, a sincerity hard to fake.

“How much?” he asked, stepping closer and closing the distance between them.

Su Li didn’t move, her chin lifting slightly. “Enough to want to have your child.”

If he truly was going to die, giving him a child wouldn’t be a bad thing. Once he was gone, she wouldn’t remarry. She’d raise the child alone, without a man—life might be better that way.

Mo Xingyuan narrowed his eyes. She really dared to dream.

“Are you pregnant?” He glanced at her belly. “Looking for someone to take responsibility?”

“Huh?”

Su Li was baffled by his words. How did his mind even work like that?

“You break up with your ex, find out you’re pregnant, then just marry whoever’s available,” he explained with rare patience, addressing her confusion.

Su Li: “...”

Seeing her stunned, Mo Xingyuan stepped back, his expression growing even colder.