After the message was sent, the next second she received a red exclamation mark.
Cheng Yuan had blocked Jiang Xiao.
Jiang Xiao didn't believe it and sent another one, but got the same reply. Cheng Yuan really had blocked her.
This wasn't the first time she had been blocked. Whenever Cheng Yuan was in a bad mood, he would block her, and the time until he unblocked her was unpredictable.
Jiang Xiao tried calling Cheng Yuan on a whim, but the prompt said the line was busy – her phone number had been blocked too.
It seemed this time was serious. Before, he had only blocked her on WeChat.
Jiang Xiao went to the bathroom with swollen, red eyes. After washing her face, she didn't return to the bedroom but lay down on the living room sofa.
Staring at the swaying curtains, she continued to let her thoughts run wild.
In the first year of their marriage, there was a time when it rained just as heavily. She had gone out and forgotten her keys, trapping herself outside. She called Cheng Yuan but he didn't answer; she sent a WeChat message but got no reply. That night, she waited outside the door all night.
In her hand, she held the cake he had asked her to buy.
Only later did she remember: he had told her to go out, saying he wanted to eat a dessert from Chen Ji, and told her to buy it.
She bought it, but he didn't come back the entire night.
The next day, he explained that he had been busy working at the company. But that afternoon, photos of him having a candlelit dinner with a woman were exposed online.
His life had always been colorful, with a steady stream of women.
And then there was that time when her mother felt unwell. She rushed to the hospital after finding out, but because she was in too much of a hurry, she got into a traffic accident on the way.
The other party's husband arrived quickly. She called Cheng Yuan, but he didn't answer at all. When he finally did, he scolded her, saying she wasn't allowed to drive out alone anymore in the future.
She was also to visit her parents' home less often.
Back then, her heart was full of him. Whatever he said, she did. For a while, she really did rarely go home and contacted her friends less often.
Shen Yue complained, asking why she wasn't responding to people.
She laughed and said she had been busy.
But that wasn't true – it was because Cheng Yuan didn't allow it.
She didn't know why she had stooped so low. It seemed… since she got married, her life had been like this.
She was clearly the most beloved daughter of the Jiang family, with a glamorous life ahead of her, able to do whatever she wanted. But just because she married him, her life no longer belonged to her.
Jiang Xiao slowly closed her eyes, letting the tears flow. She only allowed herself to be weak one last time.
---
Three days later, Cheng Yuan finally added Jiang Xiao back on WeChat. His first call came: "My clothes are dirty. Bring me a clean set to the company."
The man's voice on the other end was cold, businesslike, without a shred of warmth.
Jiang Xiao paused. "What did you say?"
"Bring me my clothes," Cheng Yuan said in a deep voice. "Twenty minutes. You must deliver them."
Jiang Xiao was out wandering. Going home to get the clothes and then delivering them to the company in twenty minutes was absolutely impossible. "I'm not at home. I'll need more time to get there."
"Not at home?" Cheng Yuan said. "I don't care where you are. You must deliver them in twenty minutes."
"But I really can't make it in time," Jiang Xiao said. She knew Cheng Yuan only wore that one brand; he wouldn't wear anything else. But today was an emergency, and she hoped he would compromise. "There's a mall nearby. I can buy a set there and bring it to you. Is that okay?"
"Jiang Xiao, are you doing this on purpose?" Cheng Yuan demanded. "You know I don't like wearing other brands."
"..." Jiang Xiao bit her lip. "Fine. Wait for me."
"Twenty minutes."
"Got it."
Jiang Xiao rushed back with all her might, but she was still late. She arrived at the company in thirty minutes. Instead of a warm welcome, she was met with Cheng Yuan's icy glare.
"Jiang Xiao, you're late."
"I'm sorry." Jiang Xiao explained, "I really tried my best."
Just because she was in a hurry to bring him his clothes, she had twisted her ankle, and now it was throbbing with pain.
She frowned and bent down to touch it, but Cheng Yuan grabbed her wrist and shoved her onto the sofa. He leaned in. "Did you call me a few days ago?"
Jiang Xiao wasn't sure which "few days ago" he meant. "I don't remember."
Cheng Yuan prompted, "That night."
Jiang Xiao remembered – the night he was with another woman. "Yes."
"Did you curse at Wei Wei?"
"Huh? What?"
"The woman I was with is named Wei Wei. Did you curse at her?" Cheng Yuan asked.
So, that woman's name was Wei Wei. It was a pretty name – the type Cheng Yuan liked.
Jiang Xiao snapped back to reality. "No."
"You dare say you didn't?" Cheng Yuan said. "You clearly did. Jiang Xiao, when did you learn to lie?"