"Nothing is more important than you," Shen Yue said, tucking the blanket around her. "I'll stay until your IV is done."
"No need," Jiang Xiao urged. "There's a nurse. She can take care of me."
"No," Shen Yue said. "I'm not at ease."
Then she added, "Besides, I need to wait for Cheng Yuan."
"Why are you waiting for him?"
"I need to ask him how he takes care of you."
Jiang Xiao tried to dissuade her. "It really has nothing to do with him."
"How can it have nothing to do with him? I think it has a lot to do with him," Shen Yue patted Jiang Xiao's hand. "Stop defending him. He doesn't deserve it."
Cheng Yuan didn't arrive until the afternoon. He carried a strong scent of perfume, which was hard not to misinterpret.
Shen Yue sniffed and asked, "Did you just come out of a pile of women?"
Jiang Xiao tugged at Shen Yue's hand, signaling her to stop.
Shen Yue sighed in frustration but couldn't do anything. "Cheng Yuan, let me just say this: Xiao Xiao's attack was very sudden. The doctor said if it happens again, it could be dangerous. Since you're her husband, you have to take responsibility for her. Don't forget, you were the one who proposed marriage, and you went to the civil affairs bureau willingly. What, you enjoy her taking care of you, but then you turn around and say she schemed against you? You want to have your cake and eat it too."
He was such a jerk.
Before Shen Yue could finish, Jiang Xiao interrupted, "Yue Yue, don't you have something to do? You should go."
Shen Yue glared at Cheng Yuan, grabbed her bag, and left.
Cheng Yuan waited until she was gone to speak. He adjusted the bridge of his glasses and said disdainfully, "Jiang Xiao, is this how you badmouth me to your friends? Did you also tell her who crawled into my bed that night? Who begged me to marry her over and over? By the way, did you mention who got me drunk that night and caused all this?"
"I'm not a good person, Jiang Xiao, and neither are you."
"I'm at fault, but you're even more at fault."
Jiang Xiao endured it, tears soaking her eyes. She wanted to defend herself but didn't dare, so she just listened.
Cheng Yuan loosened his tie. "And are you sure you're really sick and not faking it? Let me tell you, this isn't three years ago. Don't think that pretending to be sick will make me forgive you."
Jiang Xiao's heart ached beyond words. She dug her fingers into the blanket corner, tears streaming down.
"What are you crying about?" Cheng Yuan was annoyed by her crying. "Enough, stop crying!"
Jiang Xiao bit her lip to stop the tears.
Father Jiang and Mother Jiang arrived, easing the awkwardness. The elderly couple tried to mediate between them, but with little effect.
Cheng Yuan took a call and left. Before he went, he met Jiang Xiao's hopeful gaze but didn't say a single word of concern.
Father Jiang couldn't stand it. After he left, he advised, "Silly girl, he doesn't like you at all. Why are you still clinging? Listen to Dad, let him go."
Mother Jiang also urged, "You said you'd give yourself three years. If Cheng Yuan still didn't fall for you, you'd leave. Now three years are up, and he's still the same. Baby, listen to Mom. Separate."
"But the company..."
"Your happiness is more important than the company," Father Jiang said. "I just want you to be happy."
Jiang Xiao's eyes reddened. "Mom, Dad, thank you."
"So do you agree?" Mother Jiang asked.
"I'll think about it," Jiang Xiao choked out.
Previously, she had always outright refused. Now, "thinking about it" was progress. Father Jiang said, "Alright, take your time. Let us know when you've decided. The door to the Jiang family is always open for you."
Jiang Xiao fell into her mother's arms and acted spoiled. "Mom, I've made you worry."
"Don't say that. You're our child. It's only right that we worry."
*
The next day, Jiang Xiao was discharged without informing Cheng Yuan.
Two days later, he found out she was home. Naturally, he made a scene, saying that Jiang Xiao didn't care about him and didn't inform him of her discharge.
Jiang Xiao explained that she didn't want to disturb his work.
He gave a cold laugh. "With this act of yours, I suspect you're trying to trick me again. Jiang Xiao, save it. I won't fall for it."
Jiang Xiao didn't argue or explain. She said lightly, "Whatever you say."
She ended the call first. This was the first time in three years of marriage that she had hung up on Cheng Yuan.
Soon, Cheng Yuan called back.
Jiang Xiao answered. "What do you want?"
Cheng Yuan demanded, "Who allowed you to hang up on me?"
Jiang Xiao had just recovered from a serious illness and was still weak. "Do you need something? If not, I'm hanging up."
"Don't you dare," Cheng Yuan said. "If you hang up, I won't let you off."
He had many ways to punish her, the most common being leaving marks on her skin that looked like kiss marks, or making her cry.
"Do whatever you want," Jiang Xiao said, truly exhausted. "I know you won't be home for dinner, so I'll go out with Shen Yue later."
Cheng Yuan: "I forbid it."