Seeing my dazed expression, Cheng Yu thought I was still in denial and continued, “Then there’s the matter of Song Ze. Song Ze will never recover his vitality in this lifetime. We just used his name to play a trick. We intentionally had Xiao Ying leak the information to you. We knew Fan Jinxuan wouldn’t live much longer and were afraid she might cause trouble again, so we preemptively tested you. Unexpectedly, you posed no challenge at all; within days, you had the statement ready without causing us any trouble…” My voice was flat and somewhat muffled as I asked, “What about Song Ying, does she know about your plan, or is she actually part of it?” “She doesn’t know. She, like Tian Tian, was fooled by your seemingly innocent exterior. Only I,” Cheng Yu squinted his eyes, slowly caressing my face with the back of his hand, then trailing down my neck to my bare chest, his fingernails lightly grazing, his gaze fixed there, “only I understand your despicable nature.”
Chapter Thirty-Four: Showdown (Part Two)
Yes, he was right. I am despicable. As Liu Yi once said, “Tang Xiaofu, if you could fall for him, what are you if not trash?” Liu Yi, and Liu Yi, she knew all this too. No wonder Cheng Yu said I was disgusting; I was still smug in front of her today. But why treat me like this? Why? What did I do wrong? I just liked someone, just liked someone. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming chill and bitterness that eclipsed the pain in my chest. I futilely wrapped my arms around myself, curling into a ball in the corner, but it was useless; I was still cold, frozen to the bone, and still bitter, with a mouth full of bitter gall.
Cheng Yu looked down at me for a moment, then squatted down, grabbing my chin casually, “Now you know, it’s not too late. You still have one way out.” Seeing me look up at him as if I was listening, he gave a slight smile, “Be a good girl, sign the divorce papers, say a few nice words to me, and I might consider taking you in! How about it?”
After a while, I slowly understood his meaning, nodded, and struggled to stand up with the support of the wall. Standing up, I remembered what Ji Shanchuan had taught me, slightly lifting my chin, my gaze drifting down my nose, and I looked at him, very clearly, giving him two words: “Get lost!”
Cheng Yu stood up slowly, his eyes revealing a fierce, hawk-like gleam, coldly snorting, “Very well, Tang Xiaofu, remember what you said today. You will eventually bow to me willingly. I’m waiting for the day you come begging me!”
Exhausted to the point of death, I really didn’t want to tangle with him any further. I walked straight to the door, unlocked it, and opened it wide. Cheng Yu casually prepared to leave. Suddenly, “Tang Tang!” I looked up in shock to see Song Ying standing at the door, disbelief on her face as she looked at me, then at Cheng Yu, “You two…” I could imagine how I looked, my robe haphazardly tied, my hair a mess, my face swollen, with red fingerprints all over my neck. Song Ying’s face showed disbelief and hurt, standing there as if struck by lightning. Song Li patted her shoulder gently, “Alright, go back to your room first!” He then gave Cheng Yu a look, and Cheng Yu shrugged nonchalantly, putting an arm around Song Ying, “Xiao Ying, I’ll take you back!”
Song Ying, with her head slightly bowed, quickly dodged Cheng Yu’s arm as if he was contagious, then gave me a resentful glare before turning and hurrying back to her room. Cheng Yu also followed quickly.
Song Li stepped forward, entered the room, closed the door behind him, and locked it. I involuntarily took a step back, looking straight into his eyes. His eyes were deep black, perhaps slightly moist from a bit of alcohol, with a faint blush on his cheeks. But his entire face was cold, a coldness I was not familiar with, as if everything before him was of no concern to him. This coldness chilled me more than Cheng Yu’s words.
He slowly reached for my neck, and I dodged. He didn’t mind, softly saying, “What did you do for Cheng Yu to be so harsh?” I swallowed, actually trying to get rid of the lump in my throat, “I, please,” I heard my own voice, humble, pleading, “please tell me, it’s not true!”
His brows slightly furrowed, “What?”
“Everything Cheng Yu said, what he said…”
His eyes flickered, and a smile that seemed both real and not appeared on his face. That smile was like a heavy hammer, high and hard, smashing into my heart. Suddenly, I stopped speaking; there was no need to ask anymore.
“Not saying anything?” he said slowly, then cupped my face with one hand, gently wiping my eyelids, “Crying again! You know I can’t stand to see you cry. When you cry, I don’t know what to do.”
I felt a headache coming on. This man, with such a handsome face, could switch between gentleness and coldness in an instant. One moment he makes you believe you’re the treasure in his hand, the next, you’re the mud under his feet, too dirty even to dirty his shoes. I tried to grab his clothes, and he didn’t evade, but my hands grasped nothing but air. I clung to him, scrutinizing his face closely, realizing suddenly that I didn’t recognize him anymore; the person before me didn’t seem like the one I had been with day and night for months.
“Song Li,” I looked up, now even saying his name caused a pang in my heart, “tell me, tell me again, did you, did you ever like me, even just a little?”
He stood still, allowing me to clutch him, the smile on his face gradually fading. He looked at me with slightly furrowed brows, as if pondering, and after what felt like an eternity, he said, “What about you? Do you like me? Do you love me?”
My vision blurred with tears, I blinked, trying to see him more clearly, and a voice, sincere, affirmative, desperate, seemed to come from my own lips, “Yes, I like you, I love you!”
His stern face softened slightly, his gaze shifting from mockery to tenderness.
He slightly pulled the corner of his mouth as a smile, then quickly broke free from my grasp, half-turning his head, “Alright,” he said, his gaze fixed on something unknown, “Since you’ve said such things, I’m willing to believe you. I’ve always been clear about grudges; I won’t mistreat those who are good to me.” He paused for a moment, then looked at me and softly said, “Just forget what Cheng Yu told you. Let’s continue as we were before yesterday.” He walked to the door, opened it, and as he was about to leave, he said, “When it’s time for you to leave, I’ll tell you straightforwardly, and I’ll make all the arrangements for you!” The door closed, heavy on my heart. Why has everything changed so drastically in just one day? In the afternoon, he was casually intimate with me, and a few hours later, he suddenly wiped the smile off his face, revealing his true, harsh nature. Actually, I don’t regret giving up those shares at all; what I wanted was never related to those things. I only wanted his genuine heart. But all those tender moments, those gentle affections, were part of a plan. Perhaps, from the moment he brought Cheng Yu to meet me, we were destined to have no future. I should have known, and deep down, I always did, but I’ve been alone for too long. Besides Aunt Min, I’ve always been by myself. I just wanted someone to be with me, someone who didn’t need to be rich or handsome, just someone we could like each other. When I’m tired, I’d have a shoulder to lean on; when I cry, he’d wipe my tears; when I’m sad or wronged, his heart would ache more than mine. This desire was so strong it clouded my vision and obscured my judgment. I truly gave my heart sincerely, but I chose the wrong person.
Chapter Thirty-Five: Sorrow
