Jiang Xiao would never stoop to following someone. She shook her head in denial. "I... didn't."
Cheng Yuan still had her by the nape, showing no sign of letting go. He must have heard something from someone, convinced that Jiang Xiao was following him.
"Jiang Xiao, at first you said all you wanted was the title of Mrs. Cheng, nothing else. What now? Wanting more?"
She had indeed said that before they got the marriage certificate. She loved Cheng Yuan, loved him to the point of losing her dignity, thinking that as long as he agreed to get married, that was enough.
But people were like that—once they had one thing, they wanted a second, a third. What she wanted now was not just the marriage, but his love...
"A Yuan, is it really that hard to like me?" Jiang Xiao asked in despair.
"Would you like a woman full of schemes?" Cheng Yuan countered. "Would you be attracted to someone like that?"
"I admit my motives weren't pure, but I've changed," Jiang Xiao said, eager to explain. "Haven't I done enough these three years?"
For three years, she had humbled herself, becoming only the kind of woman Cheng Yuan liked. She thought she had tried very hard.
"Enough?" Cheng Yuan sneered. "You dragged me into the abyss, and now you ask if it's enough?"
He seemed to remember something, suddenly grabbing Jiang Xiao's slender neck. "Jiang Xiao, there's something I've wanted to say for a long time."
"If you don't want to be with me, you can leave. No one is asking you to stay."
Jiang Xiao: "..."
Everyone who knew Jiang Xiao said behind her back that she was cheap, torturing herself for a man who didn't love her, dragging her family into humiliation too.
She hadn't thought much of it before, but hearing Cheng Yuan's words just now, she suddenly realized how much he loathed her.
He wished he didn't have to see her for even a second.
"Do you dislike me that much?" Jiang Xiao asked, her face pale. "Not even a little?"
"Yes," Cheng Yuan said. "Not at all."
Jiang Xiao's hands, which had been clinging to Cheng Yuan's waist, dropped, as if something had been broken. Her mind was a little foggy, and she couldn't help murmuring.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"What terrible thing have I done to deserve this from you?"
"I only wanted to find love, that's all."
Her words were spoken softly, and Cheng Yuan didn't hear them. Even if he had, he probably wouldn't have responded. He was always like that—if he wanted to answer, he would; if not, no amount of begging would get a single word out of him.
"Jiang Xiao, if you want to stay by my side, you can," Cheng Yuan said, looking down at her coldly. "Just remember to be good."
Different people had different definitions of "good." Jiang Xiao thought she was already being very good. She bit her lip. "What do you want me to do?"
"I'll occasionally have some scandals. You need to handle them rationally and not be jealous," Cheng Yuan said. "For example, just now, you were wrong."
Just now...
Jiang Xiao looked up, her eyes moist and red. "You mean I should have done nothing just now and let that woman hit me?"
"Fighting in public is wrong to begin with," Cheng Yuan said, shaking off Jiang Xiao and straightening his cuffs. "If someone had photographed that, what would it look like?"
It was fine for him to mess around and get photographed, but if she fought back when bullied, that was unbecoming.
So this was the Cheng family's way.
"You mean I should just take it and do nothing?" Jiang Xiao's heart was being torn apart, aching to the point of spasms.
"I'm not saying do nothing," Cheng Yuan said. "I'm just saying you need to consider the Cheng family's reputation."
"So, the next time something like this happens, I should stand still and let the other person hit me?" Jiang Xiao clutched the clothes over her chest to ease the pain. "Cheng Yuan, are you really my husband?"
Since when did a husband see his wife being bullied and not help, but instead lecture her?
"Don't you know if I am or not?" Cheng Yuan grabbed her wrist, pulled her into his arms, and without another word, bent down and bit her lip. He only let go after tasting her tears. His lips were tinged with a faint red, his voice colder than before. "Jiang Xiao, I don't like willful women."
"You'd better behave."
Behave...
Jiang Xiao arrived at the old residence half an hour late. When Cheng's mother saw her, she twisted her arm. Jiang Xiao didn't dare move, just endured it, placating her. "Mom, there was traffic. Sorry, I didn't mean to be late. Please don't be angry."
"Traffic, traffic, that's always your excuse," Cheng's mother glared. "You really think I'll believe that?"
"There really was traffic," Jiang Xiao said, in too much pain to speak properly. "Mom, if we keep this up, we'll run out of time."
Cheng's mother let go. "I'm telling you, Jiang Xiao, letting you into the Cheng family is already a great favor from me. If you dare to be insolent, I won't let you off. And A Yuan won't make it easy for you either."
"Don't forget, you begged to marry into this family. If you don't behave, don't even think about taking any of the betrothal gifts or your dowry with you."
Back then, in order to marry Cheng Yuan, Jiang Xiao had asked Father Jiang and Mother Jiang for a lot—not just money, but also projects. The land in the west of the city alone was worth nearly a hundred million.
Many people laughed at her for throwing herself at him.
But at that time, Jiang Xiao's heart and mind were full of Cheng Yuan. Even if it were billions, she wouldn't have hesitated.
Some things couldn't be dwelled on. Every time she thought about them, her heart broke a little more.
For the first time, Jiang Xiao doubted her marriage, wondering what the point of persisting was.
Cheng's mother didn't give Jiang Xiao time to think; she sent her to the kitchen. Once inside, she worked nonstop for two hours.
She did whatever the servants did—or rather, she was even busier than the servants.