Chapter 65: Who Stole Whose Thunder

Li Mingye was seething with fury, his eagle-like eyes icy cold, his tone devoid of warmth or emotion. Yet when he saw Zhang Xiluo, his imposing aura seemed to subside. Why did she look so terrible?

“The wife confronting the mistress, but lacking the confidence to fight—how should I make a move? Li Mingye, if you insist on protecting her, then hurry up and divorce me. Otherwise, every time I see her, I’ll hit her!”

“Don’t you dare!” Li Mingye steadied himself and spoke in a chilling tone.

He had no choice but to protect Zhou Yao, to keep her from harm.

“I already did. You tell me—do you think I’m capable of it or not?” Zhang Xiluo wasn’t backing down. Things had come to this point; she had nothing left to fear. “You’d better keep an eye on her. Don’t let her come near me again.”

Zhang Xiluo walked past Li Mingye. As she brushed by him, she stopped. “Li Mingye, you know everything Zhou Yao has done, don’t you?”

Li Mingye was silent. Zhang Xiluo let out a cold laugh and continued on.

Suddenly, Li Mingye grabbed her hand. “Come with me. We need to talk.”

“Fine.” Zhang Xiluo glanced at Zhou Yao. “But I’m tired from all the fighting and can’t walk. Another day—”

Before she could finish, Li Mingye swept her up into his arms. She was stunned, utterly incredulous.

Behind them, Zhou Yao’s face turned livid, her glare venomous.

Zhang Xiluo, unwilling to waste her strength, didn’t struggle and let Li Mingye carry her to the car.

“Li Mingye, whatever you have to say, make it quick. I have to get back to my mother.” Zhang Xiluo wrapped her coat tightly around herself, curling up on the car seat.

“Why did you hurt Zhou Yao? If you’re angry, take it out on me.” Li Mingye’s voice was low, the rage from moments before replaced by a trace of helplessness.

“My explanation means nothing, because she’s Zhou Yao. No matter what she does, you never see it. As for me—” Zhang Xiluo paused, turning to look at him, her tone calm, “I’m just a villain, guilty of every crime.”

A strained, bitter smile tugged at Zhang Xiluo’s lips. She was weighed down by the truth she now knew, more miserable than before.

Li Mingye’s expression shifted subtly as he gazed at her, drawing a deep breath.

“You know about Qin Xiaoxiao, don’t you?”

Zhang Xiluo noticed that when he mentioned that girl, his demeanor changed; even his voice was tinged with a gentle softness.

“I know.” She looked away, her heart in turmoil. “She left because she couldn’t be accepted.”

“Zhou Yao is her younger sister.”

Zhang Xiluo didn’t know how to respond. Someone like her, unworthy even of being a substitute, had no right to speak.

From her very genes, she had lost to Zhou Yao; their appearances weren’t even comparable. She was doomed to be nothing but a casualty in this love.

“It doesn’t matter anymore.” Zhang Xiluo turned her head away, no longer looking at him. “None of this matters to me now. Whether it’s you and Qin Xiaoxiao, or you and Zhou Yao, I don’t care anymore.”

“I just want to leave you quietly.” Her nose stung, her eyes brimmed with tears. “Li Mingye, let’s get divorced as soon as possible.”

“Zhang Xiluo, do you realize—you’re the one who killed her!” Li Mingye suddenly burst out, agitated, unwilling to recall the past, but not able to continue speaking.

“Yes, I shouldn’t have forced you to marry me. If I hadn’t appeared, your mother wouldn’t have objected to you being together. But I never knew she existed! Why do you take out all your anger on me?”

“From now on, we’ll sever all ties. The court has accepted my petition—you’ll receive a summons. If we can’t part peacefully, then I’ll see you in court.”

Zhang Xiluo had made up her mind—no more dragging things out.

With that, she opened the car door. The moment she stepped out, tears spilled down her face.

She had thought she would scream and shout, demand answers from Li Mingye at the top of her lungs.

But this time, it was truly over.

When she returned to the emergency room door, she saw her mother being wheeled out.

“Mom, are you feeling better?” Zhang Xiluo hurried forward, tears falling again as she looked at her frail mother.

Pregnancy made her emotional and prone to crying; lately, her tears seemed endless.

“I’m fine,” her mother reassured her.

“Let’s get you to your room,” her father said, his eyes never leaving his wife, his tone full of reproach. “You know your heart is weak—why do you let yourself get upset?”

Her mother smiled silently, reaching out to hold his hand, her face radiant with happiness.

Her condition stabilized, but the doctor recommended surgery soon to avoid further complications.

The hospital prioritized her case and suggested she remain hospitalized to wait for the operation.

“You should go home. I’ll stay here with your mother,” her father said after learning all the details. “Look at you—you’re as pale as flour. Go home and rest. Get your strength back so your mother won’t worry.”

Zhang Xiluo agreed. “I’ll stay a little longer, then go home later.”

Her mother soon fell asleep, and Zhang Xiluo and her father sat by her side, both watching over her.

“Dad, I want to leave Longcheng.” Zhang Xiluo spoke suddenly. “Do you think Mom would agree?”

“Where will you go?”

“I’m not sure yet. I just want to leave here. I’ve decided on the divorce—I don’t want any more entanglements.” She was afraid any more stress would harm her mother and didn’t want to wait here for Li Mingye to sign.

Her father was silent for a moment, adjusting her mother’s blanket and smoothing her hair. “Once you’ve decided, let us know. We’ll make sure you have a place to stay in advance.”

“All right.”

Zhang Xiluo left the ward and headed to the parking lot, where Ouyang Chen was still standing by the car.

His shoulders and hair were dusted with snow. When he saw her, he straightened up.

“Why are you here? Aren’t you cold?” Zhang Xiluo opened the door and invited him in. “You can drive.”

“I was afraid you’d run off on your own,” Ouyang Chen joked.

“I thought you’d already gone home. You could have waited inside or called me.”

“Maybe next time,” Ouyang Chen replied.

Zhang Xiluo was tired and leaned back in her seat. The car was quiet. Suddenly, she remembered something and asked in a soft voice, “Ouyang Chen, do you know Qin Xiaoxiao?”

The car jerked abruptly. Veins bulged on Ouyang Chen’s hand gripping the steering wheel. Zhang Xiluo turned to look at him; his face was dark, clearly displeased.

“I do.” After a long moment, Ouyang Chen answered. “She was my first love.”

“What?” Zhang Xiluo’s mouth fell open, speechless. What kind of absurd twist was this? Li Mingye’s first love was also Ouyang Chen’s first love—who had stolen whose heart?

Or perhaps...

“We weren’t compatible. We could be friends, but as lovers, it only lasted a day.” Ouyang Chen didn’t want to elaborate. “Did he tell you?”

“No, my mother-in-law did.” Zhang Xiluo was still in shock. No wonder, in her past life, Ouyang Chen had pursued Zhou Yao so obsessively. “She tried to persuade me not to divorce and told me about Qin Xiaoxiao.”

Ouyang Chen responded softly and drove her home.

At the door, Zhang Xiluo turned back to him. “Ouyang Chen, tell me, when you said you loved her, but she loved someone else—it wasn’t Zhou Yao, was it? It was Qin Xiaoxiao, wasn’t it?”