"I thought Cheng Yuan did something to you." Shen Yue sniffled. "Glad it's not that."
"..." Jiang Xiao didn't respond.
"A Xiao, don't do that again."
"Okay, I won't."
"By the way, there's a concert tonight for A Yuan. Do you want to come?" Shen Yue asked.
Thinking about how Cheng Yuan had gone crazy over that concert last time, Jiang Xiao refused to avoid more trouble. "I just got back—I'm too tired. I'll pass."
"Are you sure?" Shen Yue persisted. "You love A Yuan's songs."
"Not this time," Jiang Xiao said gently. "Maybe next time."
Listening to music wasn't worth risking her life.
"How's Cheng Yuan treating you? Has he been bullying you?"
Leaving her unable to get out of bed—did that count as bullying?
Jiang Xiao said, "No, he's been good to me."
"You know, I've noticed he's been quiet lately," Shen Yue chattered. "Haven't seen him on the trending page in a while."
People were most vulnerable to praise. She had just said that in the morning, and by the afternoon, Cheng Yuan appeared on the trending page.
This time, he was accompanying a woman to the obstetrics and gynecology department at the hospital.
The woman was a well-known editor at a magazine, and what's more, she was married.
No sooner had they walked out of the hospital than photos were posted online.
The headline was explosive.
#BigShotKnowinglyThirdWheel#
Beneath the post, the comments exploded.
Netizens had their say.
—The big shot is impressive—keeping one bowl and eating from another.
—Wonder which tastes better—the bowl or the pan?
—Rich people sure are lucky—being a groom every day.
—I wonder if the wife's face hurts?
...
The comments were polarized—some mocking, some sympathizing with the wife.
After seeing the trending topic, Jiang Xiao didn't react as intensely as before. She logged off, got up, and went to the bathroom to soak in a bath for two hours.
She didn't come back out until dark.
It was a rose bath, and her body carried the scent of roses. Wherever she walked, the fragrance followed.
Her phone rang. She went to the bedroom to answer.
Zhang Rong was calling, telling her to come over tomorrow.
For the first time, Jiang Xiao resisted. "Mom, I have something to do tomorrow. I'll come after I'm done."
"After you're done?" Zhang Rong said. "Jiang Xiao, how dare you defy me!"
"I'm not deliberately defying you—I really have something." Jiang Xiao's voice was gentle.
"What?"
"Tomorrow is my mother's birthday. I need to go back and celebrate with her."
Zhang Rong: "Then come the day after."
"The day after, I need to accompany my father back to our hometown." Jiang Xiao said earnestly. "I'm not sure exactly when I'll be back."
"Are you doing this on purpose?" Zhang Rong said through gritted teeth. "I don't care—you must come tomorrow."
"Bring A Yuan with you."
Jiang Xiao wanted to refuse, but Zhang Rong hung up first.
Jiang Xiao bit her lip. Fine, we'll see about tomorrow tomorrow.
The post was still brewing and had already climbed to the top of the trending list.
Someone had dug up Jiang Xiao's phone number and sent her threatening calls, demanding that she divorce Cheng Yuan immediately.
They even threatened to make her life hard if she didn't comply.
Jiang Xiao was, after all, a delicate young lady. Encountering something like this for the first time, she panicked. Without thinking, she called Cheng Yuan.
It rang for a long time before it was answered.
"Hello." A woman's voice.
Before Jiang Xiao could say anything, the woman said, "A Yuan is in the shower. He'll call you back later."
Then she asked, loudly, "A Yuan, do you need my help?"
Jiang Xiao's fingers holding the phone trembled.
Her heart shattered.
*
That night, there was a heavy rain in Jingbei, with constant thunder.
Jiang Xiao was terrified of thunder. She hid under the covers, not daring to move, barely able to breathe.
She thought about a lot—from that first time she crawled into his bed, bit by bit, to today's trending topic, to the woman's words, "A Yuan, do you need my help?"—the pain made her heart cramp.
Trembling, she sent a WeChat message.
【Let's separate.】
Author's note:
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Random red envelopes for 15 people.