Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Staring at the text message on her screen, An Xiaoning could not help but burst into laughter as she proceeded to send him a last text message, which read: “Of course, I’m a normal woman with needs that have to be fulfilled.”
Jin Qingyan was infuriated.
He read the text messages over and over again and could not help but feel his blood boil with exasperation. However, he had managed to curb his anger at last by taking a cold shower.
Although winter was almost over, it was still rather chilly to be taking a cold shower in such freezing weather.
He laid in bed, shivering uncontrollably after the shower. Although his frustration and anger had indeed dissipated, the cold shower had begun taking its toll on his body.
He was running a fever.
He fell asleep after taking some medicine and only woke up after daybreak, feeling completely listless and lethargic.
His complexion was awful and he looked sickly.
Sensing something amiss upon seeing him, Fan Shixin asked worriedly, “Young Sir, did you have a sleepless night?”
“I’ve caught a cold and took some medicine.” After clearing his throat, he continued, “Shixin, I think we can commence the exercise boot camp a few days in advance. Training doesn’t have to begin right away though, we’ll just use the time to allow the members to break the ice and get to know each other better. How does that sound?”
“Anything, as long as you’re happy, Young Sir,” Fan Shixin answered.
“Great. An Xiaoning would never have guessed that I’m the current boss of the boot camp. Give them a call to inform them about the latest instruction,” Jin Qingyan said with a smirk.
“Roger.”
Jin Qingyan rolled his neck to relax his muscles and reached a hand out to massage his own shoulders. The mere thought of An Xiaoning never failed to get him uncontrollably agitated and worked up. Little lass, just you wait and see,he thought to himself.
——
Mo Li had already woken up at five o’clock in the morning but continued to lay in bed until past seven.
Byron woke up to the sight of her staring blankly into space.
“Good morning.”
“Oh, good morning.” Mo Li pursed her lips and continued, “Byron, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“Um, I’d like to get a divorce. My decision is final,” said Mo Li, staring deep into his eyes.
The initial look of calmness on Byron’s face disappeared instantly as he continued to ask in bewilderment, “Why?”
“I don’t think I like living a life like this.”
“Is it because of the pregnancy matters? Don’t worry, we can get you treated slowly. We’ll have kids after you recover. Before that, I won’t give you any pressure, don’t dwell on it, alright?”
“It’s not because of that. Byron, you’re really a good man, but this is not the kind of married life I’m wishing for. I want to live my life in freedom,” Mo Li said calmly with a smile.
“But didn’t you say you could accept the complicated and tedious formalities?” said Byron, sitting upright and still.
Mo Li answered with a nod, “Yes, I can tolerate the tedious formalities, but I can’t tolerate being deceived and lied to. I used you to get away from Ye Xiaotian, but you’ve also used me, isn’t that so? Byron, this is the real reason behind my wish for a divorce. Life would be meaningless if I have to continue living like this until the day I die.”
“Did Annie tell you something?”
“No. Byron, let’s get divorced,” said Mo Li as she lifted the duvet and got out of bed.
All of a sudden, he grabbed her by her arm and pinned her down beneath him. Keeping his eyes fixed on her, he said sternly, “I want to hear the absolute truth. Mo Li, you said that I used you, how so? You said that I lied to you and deceived you. Tell me honestly, since when have I done that?”
Mo Li knew for a fact that she was not maligning him, for she had indeed seen and heard everything with her own senses.
“Byron, you married me just so I could bear you a child, as well as to stop tongues from wagging. Isn’t that so? But it turns out, you’re bisexual. You and Lance… I saw everything.”
Byron’s face stiffened in horror as he grabbed her neck forcefully. Shocked out of her senses, Mo Li clutched tightly onto the bedsheets and looked him in the eye as she continued to speak, “So, let’s get divorced, I won’t spill a single word about it.”
Byron began to tighten his grip, causing Mo Li to turn red as she found it harder and harder to breathe, almost on the verge of suffocating.
Mo Li did not struggle and closed her eyes instead.
All of a sudden, her phone began to ring and continued to do so for an extended period of time.
Byron released his grip all of a sudden, and Mo Li began to pant heavily as she inhaled fresh air. She then moved towards the side of the bed to grab her phone, after which she took a look at the caller display. To her horror, it was a call from Byron, although he was right in front of her and his phone was on the table as well.
Nonetheless, she proceeded to answer the call. “Hello,” she muttered, her hands trembling uncontrollably in fear as she placed the phone beside her ear.
“If you want your parents and brother to stay alive, then do as I say. Tell him that you don’t want a divorce anymore. I can settle everything for you. Mo Li, you know what I’m capable of. Believe me, I won’t hurt you.”
Mo Li could not help but feel an urge to say, “Haven’t you hurt me enough?”
However, she kept her thoughts to herself, for she did not have a backup plan. Even so, she did not regret saying those words to Byron. At least, doing it allowed her to see his true colors.
“Yes.”
After ending the call, Mo Li turned towards Byron and said, “It was my brother, he wants me to make a trip down to where he is. Byron, I regret my decision, I don’t want a divorce anymore, alright?”
Byron seemed to be in a better mood upon hearing her words. Mo Li retreated in shock just as he was about to reach a hand out to caress her face. However, he still continued to do so and said, “Be good and continue being my wife. I won’t mistreat you or your family. You either keep this secret to yourself for the rest of your life and continue to stay by my side or you die with it. You choose. You have to understand that you’re different from Annie. I once loved her in the past, that’s why she gets to stay alive until now. Understand?”
The gentle and well-tempered man Mo Li used to think Byron was had turned out to be no better than Ye Xiaotian. In fact, he was far more terrifying and malicious than the latter.
She was indeed very unlucky to constantly be involved with such toxic and maniacal men all her life.
“I understand,” she conceded with a nod.
“I’m going off to work,” said Byron as he got out of bed.
He did not seem worried at all that she might run away. But then again, how far could she run while being bound to the shackles of marriage?
Mo Li felt like she was almost handicapped.
At this very moment, Ye Xiaotian gave her a call again, which she answered. “Hello. Why does it say on my phone that it’s a call from Byron?”
“Because I’m your man and there’s nothing your man can’t do.”
Reminded of the text message she had received from Byron previously, Mo Li asked, “That text…”
“It was from me. I was the one who had gotten intimate with you too. Did you really think that that bisexual idiot would touch you? He doesn’t even love you.”
“You…” Mo Li was on the verge of breaking down after putting the pieces together and realizing what had actually happened that night. No wonder it had felt so familiar, no wonder…
Turns out it was him!
“What about at home?”
“That was me too. Remember the power trip?”
Mo Li remained silent, exasperated beyond words.
“Go inform your parents and allow them to prepare themselves mentally. I’ll send someone to pick you guys up at the entrance.”
Although Mo Li was infuriated, she did not let her anger get the better of her rationality and asked calmly, “Can I trust you?”
