“You seem really kind today,” Zhou Jingren noted. “Was it because of the french fries?” He smiled as he watched Lily remove her robes and lie down next to him.
“What do you mean?” she feigned ignorance. “I am always kind.”
“Hmmm… that is true.” Chuckling, he put the book he was reading on the bedside table and turned towards her. “Are you planning on using her?”
“My… My… Why would you even think that? Do you see me as a vile creature taking advantage of a weak woman like her?”
“Would it hurt you if I said yes?”
“Yes.” She smiled.
“Then no. You are kind and beautiful and harmless. A goddess sent by the heavens.”
Lily responded with a low chuckle. She beamed at her husband’s words. “Gannon needs to suffer. That man… is a predator.” She turned towards the ceiling. “Of course, Xun Yiyi made some poor choices too. And she will pay for that. This wasn’t Gannon’s fault entirely.”
Lily continued, “When a man does this, people seem to look away, ignore his actions and blame the woman for being a slut. But when a woman does this… she is automatically labelled as the dirtiest creature on Earth. Isn’t that unfair?”
“The world is unfair to everyone.” He pursed his lips. “So… you want to make the Liu Family suffer?”
“Not me.” Lily said. “But Xun Yiyi will. Not really the Liu Family but… Gannon.” She shrugged. “Or we don’t really know. To be honest… a broken hearted woman can do anything. Some of them… even kill… for revenge.”
Zhou Jingren stared at Lily’s side profile. Lily might be harsh and direct but her kindness inside was undeniable. She was saying all these harsh words and yet she was doing the opposite. She was helping Madam He. Not in the kindest ways but in a way that would wake the latter up from her daydreams.
He leaned forward, giving her a light kiss on the cheeks. “You did a good job.” He uttered. “We are proud of you.” He added. In response, Lily smiled, her gaze was still on the ceiling.
…
When Madam He woke up, it was already nine in the morning. She jolted up, her eyes wide. She overslept! She immediately walked out of her bed only to pause midway. This was not her place.
There was no Gannon next to her. Shaking her head, Madam He sat back on her bed. A sad sigh escaped her lips. She did not need to panic. She did not need to prepare breakfast for him, or prepare his clothing, or his lunch. They were no longer together.
Was he even ‘together’ in the first place? Her lips morphed into a sad smile. She then walked towards the bathroom and changed into another dress that was prepared for her.
Not long after, Madam He went out of the room. When she asked about Lily, the maid instantly informed her she was on the terrace, waiting for her.
A flash of embarrassment and guilt glinted in her eyes. She had caused a lot of disturbance in Lily’s life. She lowered her head and walked towards the terrace.
As expected, Lily was there. Eating some sliced fruits, a magazine was in her hands. Madam He cleared her throat. “Good— Good Morning.” She said in a low voice.
“Hmmm. Sit, they will prepare your breakfast soon.” Lily uttered without looking at her.
“About last night…” Madam He said awkwardly. She might have drank some alcohol last night, but she clearly remembered everything that happened. This included Lily’s words. “I want to thank you for letting me stay.”
“Well… thank you for not killing yourself inside my house.” Lily answered, her eyes still on the magazine. “That would have been a mess.”
“I— Yes… it is good indeed.” Madam He gave a tight lip smile. “I— “
“No need to apologize.” Lily interrupted her. Slowly, she closed the magazine and looked at the view from the terrace. “We all make mistakes.” She shifted her gaze towards Madam He. “You look better without your makeup.”
“I— ” Lily’s random compliment surprised her. She felt heat spread from her neck as she lowered her gaze. She wore a lot of makeup before because she was afraid to show Gannon that her skin had some impurities now that she was a bit older. “Thank you.”
Lily only responded with a smile. “What are you planning to do now?”
“Leave.” Madam He answered without batting an eyelid. The first thing that she would do is actually to apologize to her husband. But she chose not to say this in front of Lily. It was futile. She knew she would not earn his forgiveness. However, this would at least serve as a closure to the marriage she had destroyed.
She continued,”I want to leave this place and travel the world. I have a couple of investments that are going well. I am planning to go to Paris and… travel Europe.”
“Alone?” Lily lifted an eyebrow. In response, Madam He let out a sigh.
“Yes. Alone.” Now that Madam He thought about it, she could not even remember the time she traveled alone. “My divorce will be finalized in a few days. After that… I will leave this place.” She shifted her gaze towards the buildings of Hong Kong. “I will miss this place.”
“Will you?”
“I—” Shifting her gaze back to Lily, Madam He felt her lips tremble. She smiled. “I don’t know.”
“And Gannon?”
Madam He stared at Lily’s face for a few seconds before she smiled. “I am setting him free.”
“No revenge?” Lily asked.
“I don’t know. I made mistakes, wrong choices. It wasn’t entirely his fault that I am weak willed and insecure.” This was a fact that she had accepted last night.
“I see. So… you will let him do it again, huh.” Lily took a sip at her tea.
“I— ” Madam He turned silent. Will she really allow him to seduce other vulnerable married women again? She gulped as an idea came into her mind. “I don’t know.” She lied. She knew exactly what she was going to do.
…
Proofreader: Dragon777
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