Goodbye, Scumbag! The Powerful CEO Is My New Devoted Lover - Chapter 5

Xia Zhi’s voice dropped lower, the fragility in her eyes replaced entirely by sharp malice.

“Do you think Mingshen truly loves you? He only married you because he needed someone to appease the Yan family after I left!”

Her nails were manicured into smooth rounds, yet they dug into Su Xiao’s skin with painful force.

Su Xiao winced from the pain, and one of the drawings in her arms slipped out. The beautiful ink wash blurred as it spread across the floor. Although she had known this deep down, hearing the words come out of Xia Zhi’s mouth still felt like a sharp twist to her heart.

“Do you know what happened the day your father passed away?”

Xia Zhi stepped closer, her warm breath brushing against Su Xiao’s ear. “Right here, just like this.”

Her fingers slowly trailed across Su Xiao’s chest, suggestive and lingering. “He pinned me against the door, and we…”

The sunlight outside suddenly became blinding. Su Xiao looked at Xia Zhi’s triumphant face. She suddenly remembered their wedding day three years ago, when Yan Mingshen said in his vows, “I will cherish you for the rest of my life.” Back then, the tenderness in his eyes felt real, not faked.

But now, he had personally led another woman into their home. He watched as she replaced everything they had arranged together without offering a single word of protest.

“Is that so?”

Su Xiao slowly grabbed Xia Zhi’s reckless hand and flung it aside. “But the one married to him right now is me.”

She leaned down to pick up the drawing and rolled it back up. Her voice was steady, as if she were speaking about someone else’s business.

“So what? Now you are just a useless person with a ruined hand.” Xia Zhi’s expression shifted completely. “Without your gallery, what do you have to compete with me?”

Anger surged like a tide, exploding in Su Xiao’s chest. She raised her hand and delivered a sharp slap to Xia Zhi’s face.

Slap!

The crisp sound was exceptionally clear even over the roar of the electric drill. Xia Zhi’s head snapped to the side. She clutched her face as tears welled up instantly. “You dare hit me?”

Su Xiao shook her hand, her palm stinging with heat. Looking at the finger marks rapidly rising on Xia Zhi’s face, she finally felt a sense of relief.

The sound of the front door opening came from downstairs. Yan Mingshen was back. Su Xiao stood her ground. By the time he reached the guest room, Xia Zhi’s tears were slipping through her fingers. Before he could even ask, she began to sob.

“I am sorry. It is I who have caused trouble for the two of you.”

Her words were half truths. They gave Yan Mingshen a way out while painting herself as the victim. Yet, her tear filled eyes bypassed Yan Mingshen’s shoulder and landed straight on Su Xiao. There was little grievance in that look; instead, it was like a poisoned hook scraping across Su Xiao’s face.

Yan Mingshen looked at Xia Zhi. He did not turn around, but he could feel Su Xiao standing stubbornly behind him, like a white lotus drenched by rain that refused to bend.

“Xiaoxiao, you should not have laid a hand on her.”

His tone was complicated, somewhere between reproach and something else. Su Xiao’s heart grew cold bit by bit. He knew her. He knew she would never hit someone without reason. They had known each other for nearly five years. Did Yan Mingshen really have to protect Xia Zhi so blindly?

“Mingshen, do not blame Miss Su.” Xia Zhi tilted her face slightly, her expression one of perfectly measured distress. “I replaced the things she arranged. She is angry, and I can understand that.”

She spoke evasively, not mentioning a single word of their actual dispute. Instead, she successfully framed Su Xiao as the villain.

“I am sorry.” Su Xiao lowered her eyes submissively. She wanted to laugh, yet felt that laughter would be inappropriate. Instead, she forced out two or three teardrops. She had not realized that Yan Mingshen was now unable to see through such clumsy acting. Or perhaps, he never intended to expose Xia Zhi at all.

“Su Xiao.” Yan Mingshen paused before slowly turning around. His gaze fell on the sketches in her arms. “The gallery is gone. I know you are unhappy, and I can understand that. But Xia Zhi is a guest. You cannot.”

“But she.”

Su Xiao did not continue. She simply turned her body slightly, revealing the dark purple bruises on her waist. The tears in her eyes rolled down at just the right moment, splashing onto the back of her hand. She looked profoundly pitiful.

“Xiaoxiao, I am sorry.” Yan Mingshen’s tone softened. Seeing her trembling as she cried, his heart tightened. He had taken things out of context. Without knowing the full story, he had placed all the blame on her.

Su Xiao bit her lip, her tears falling even harder. Yet, she shook her head sensibly. “I did not mean to hit her.” She sniffled, her voice choking. “But she said you only married me to appease the Yan family. I was so heartbroken that I lost control.”

Every word Su Xiao spoke was laced with grief, yet she did not blame Yan Mingshen at all. Instead, she appeared exceptionally understanding. Xia Zhi had not expected her to say this and hurried to defend herself. “I did not.”

“Miss Xia, say no more.” Su Xiao interrupted her. She wiped her tears and gave Yan Mingshen a docile smile. “It is my fault. Mingshen, do not make things difficult. I will go upstairs first. You two should talk.”

Her steps were somewhat unsteady as she turned away, as if she were in too much pain to stand firmly. When she reached the stairs, she looked back at Yan Mingshen with a mix of reliance and hurt. Then, she lowered her head and walked up step by step, her silhouette appearing so thin it made one’s heart ache.

Yan Mingshen watched her retreating back, his brow furrowing deeper.

“Xia Xia, do not treat her like that.” Yan Mingshen sighed softly, his tone turning heavy. “You know very well that we did nothing that day.”

“But Mingshen, I am unhappy.” Xia Zhi leaned against the wall, her head bowed. She stood with her back to the light, making her expression hard to read. “To save you, I lost everything. Yet the one standing here now is her.”

“I will give you an explanation.” Yan Mingshen rubbed his temples. It was not that he had never thought of marrying Xia Zhi, but she had been gone for five years without a word. He could not wait forever. Furthermore, the Yan family needed the Su family’s connections at the time. His union with Su Xiao had been set in stone.

“Yan Mingshen, have you fallen in love with her?” Xia Zhi did not look up. Her voice was stained with a sob, making her seem incredibly pathetic.

Yan Mingshen remained silent. The two of them stood in the cramped guest room in a silent standoff.

The moment Su Xiao returned to the bedroom and locked the door, the docility and distress vanished from her face. She leaned slowly against the door. A wave of nausea hit her stomach. She could not waste any more time here.

Su Xiao walked to the bedside table and pulled a small iron box from the drawer. Inside were her and Yan Mingshen’s marriage certificates and a man’s wedding ring. It was a pair with the one on her hand. Yan Mingshen had rarely worn it, and it had stayed in the box.

Su Xiao put the marriage certificates away and took off her own ring, placing it beside the one in the box. Sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains, reflecting off the rings with a sharp light that made her eyes ache.

Su Xiao put the box back. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was a text from an unknown number.

“Your bank card ending in 0000 has been frozen due to litigation. Please consult your bank for details.”