Jiang Xiao knew perfectly well what Cheng Yuan was doing, but she didn't call him out. "When will it end?"
Jiang Yu said, "This project is quite tricky. It may take a while longer. Should I hand the phone to Mr. Cheng?"
Jiang Xiao said, "No, don't. Assistant Jiang, his stomach hasn't been good lately. Please keep an eye on him and don't let him drink too much."
Jiang Yu said, "Yes."
Before the call ended, Jiang Xiao heard a woman's voice on the other end.
"Mr. Cheng, won't Mrs. Cheng get angry about this?"
"What right does she have to be angry? She's not worthy."
Jiang Xiao's fingers trembled as she held the phone, and she hurriedly ended the call.
That night, Cheng Yuan didn't come home.
Jiang Xiao slept on the sofa all night.
*
The next morning, her phone rang, waking her up.
It was Cheng Yuan. "You were looking for me last night?"
Jiang Xiao sat up. "Mm, I wanted to ask when you'd be back."
Cheng Yuan said, "In the future, don't call me unless it's something important."
Jiang Xiao bit her lip and said softly, "Okay."
"I told Jiang Yu to pick up some clothes for a change. Get them ready in advance," Cheng Yuan said coldly.
"Mm, I know." Jiang Xiao didn't mention that yesterday was her birthday. She asked gently, "When will you be home tonight?"
Cheng Yuan frowned. "Didn't I just say not to check on my whereabouts?"
As if afraid she wouldn't understand, he repeated, "Jiang Xiao, after what you did back then, you should have known this would be the result."
"Don't forget, I didn't beg you to marry me. You insisted on marrying."
"I've told you long ago, I don't love you. You went ahead stubbornly."
Jiang Xiao: "..."
Jiang Xiao admitted it was her fault, but he had been punishing her for three years. Why couldn't he forgive her?
"A Yuan, I'm sorry. I know that was my mistake, but it's been three years. Can't you try to forgive me?"
Cheng Yuan seemed to find it funny. His voice grew colder. "Do you think that's possible?"
Jiang Xiao dug her nails into her palm. "Then... what can I do to make you forgive me?"
"Don't you know?" Cheng Yuan retorted. "Miss Jiang is so smart, you should be able to guess what I want to do."
Jiang Xiao guessed, but every time she thought about it, her heart ached. She couldn't bear to leave. "A Yuan, I don't want to be apart from you."
Cheng Yuan smirked. "Then there's nothing more to discuss."
With that, Cheng Yuan hung up first.
Jiang Xiao stared at the darkened screen as tears streamed down uncontrollably. She hugged her knees and cried for a long time.
It seemed that since marriage, she was always like this—crying, crying, crying every day.
She cried so much she didn't even dare go back to her parents' house, afraid they'd worry, and even more afraid her elders would be angry.
Actually, she understood their anger. They were disappointed that she couldn't live up to expectations. She wasn't ugly, had a good figure, and many people liked her. Why did she have to be fixated on a playboy like Cheng Yuan?
In her elders' eyes, apart from his handsome face, Cheng Yuan had almost no other merits. He really didn't deserve her sincerity.
But love couldn't be reasoned with.
She just loved him, deeply, to the point of no return. Even if it meant risking her life for Cheng Yuan, she was willing.
*
Cheng Yuan didn't come home for three consecutive days.
It was Jiang's mother's birthday. Jiang Xiao had no excuse to avoid it, so she returned to the Jiang residence alone.
"Mom, this is a birthday gift from A Yuan and me." She handed over the gift.
Jiang's mother didn't care about the gift. She just wanted to know if Jiang Xiao was doing well. She took her hand and asked, "Why have you lost weight again?"
Jiang Xiao smiled. "I've been dieting lately."
Jiang's mother knew she wasn't telling the truth. Her eyes reddened. "A Xiao, if you're unhappy, come home. Remember, the Jiang family's door is always open for you."
Jiang Xiao's nose stung, and her eyes reddened too. She choked out, "Mom, thank you."
Jiang's mother hugged her. "Silly girl, what thanks are there?"
Jiang's father couldn't stand it. He brought up the old topic again. "I told you not to marry him, but you insisted. Look at how you're living now. You're trying to anger your mother and me to death!"
Jiang Xiao knew her father meant well. She bit her lip. "Dad, I'm sorry. I was wrong."
Ever since she got together with Cheng Yuan, she had become the talk of Beicheng's high society. She knew what people said behind her back.