Chapter 77: He’s Not the Same as Before

Zhou Yao wanted to follow, but upon seeing it was Ouyang Chen, she stopped in her tracks.

Zhang Xiluo, holding the bouquet as she got into the car, saw her expression darken instantly. Ouyang Chen noticed Zhou Yao outside and couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

“She gave it to you?”

“Yes.” Zhang Xiluo nodded, taking out the card. On it, Zhou Yao had written her well-wishes.

“Congratulations on your rebirth, and I wish your child a good fate.”

Zhou Yao’s handwriting was graceful, just like her hypocritical face. The words, however, were as venomous as her heart.

“Throw it away.” Ouyang Chen pulled the car over, personally got out, took the flowers, and tossed them into the trash.

Zhang Xiluo didn’t stop him. As she watched Ouyang Chen’s angry demeanor, Li Mingye’s face surfaced in her mind. If it were Li Mingye, would he have done the same?

Certainly not!

He would never let Zhou Yao come to see her, too afraid she might hurt Zhou Yao.

That heartless man always took Zhou Yao’s side. No matter what happened, he’d choose to believe Zhou Yao without question.

Why was she thinking of him again? Zhang Xiluo shook her head, trying to drive out Li Mingye’s shadow.

Right now, she needed to think of a way to deal with Zhou Yao, to make her pay for her crimes.

“From now on, you are not to accept anything from her.” Ouyang Chen’s words were not a suggestion, but an order.

Zhang Xiluo stared at him blankly, not quite understanding. “You really don’t have any other feelings for Zhou Yao?”

“What sort of feelings?”

“Never mind, it’s nothing.”

Ouyang Chen drove Zhang Xiluo home. The front door had already been replaced—rumor had it that Li Mingye had broken it down and rushed her to the hospital.

The yard was decorated with fairy lights and red lanterns; the character for “fortune” was pasted on the door. The bloodstains in the living room had been scrubbed clean, and even the sofa had been replaced.

Li Mingye came down the stairs. Upon seeing Zhang Xiluo with Ouyang Chen, his eyes turned colder.

“What are you doing here?” Zhang Xiluo did not want to see him. He and Zhou Yao were exactly the same—haunting her like restless spirits, there to torment and drive her mad.

“I came to tidy up your house.” Li Mingye looked at Zhang Xiluo, displeased by her expression and the look in her eyes. He frowned and spoke with annoyance.

He set the keys on the table and glanced at Ouyang Chen. “Come with me. I have something to say.”

Zhang Xiluo ignored them and sat on the sofa to rest.

Not long after, sounds of a fight erupted from the yard.

Li Mingye and Ouyang Chen were throwing punches, neither willing to back down.

“What are you doing? Stop it!” Zhou Yao’s voice rang out, shrill and panicked. “Sister, come out quick! Mr. Li and Mr. Ouyang are fighting!”

Hearing Zhou Yao’s voice, Zhang Xiluo frowned impatiently. She got up, walked outside, and looked at them coldly. “Ouyang Chen, beat him to death for me!”

Zhang Xiluo wasn’t joking; she meant every word.

Both Ouyang Chen and Li Mingye froze, staring at her in disbelief.

“Don’t stop—keep going!” Zhang Xiluo looked at them with icy indifference. Seeing they no longer moved, she said coldly, “If you’re done fighting, then leave at once. This is my home.”

A domineering CEO and a top artist—both men of status—yet here they were, brawling like children.

Her house was not an arena, nor a boxing ring.

She was already exhausted; these two were only making things worse.

Li Mingye was stung by her coldness, and for a moment, panic flickered through his heart.

Zhou Yao walked up to him, gently tugging his arm. “Mr. Li, you’re bleeding. Let’s go.”

Li Mingye glanced down at her—her eyes glistening with tears, looking as frightened as a startled fawn. “Mr. Li, let’s go.”

“Alright.” Li Mingye followed Zhou Yao out, never looking back at Zhang Xiluo.

Watching the two of them acting so sweetly together, Zhang Xiluo felt a pang in her chest. How shameless, flaunting their affection right in front of her.

“Leave now, before you sully my courtyard.”

Li Mingye paused, but in the end, left with Zhou Yao.

After they left, Zhang Xiluo turned to Ouyang Chen with a frown. “Why were you fighting?”

“No reason. I just wanted to.”

Ouyang Chen’s answer was so perfect she instantly lost interest in asking further.

Ouyang Chen was temporarily staying at Hu Minxing’s guesthouse, visiting Zhang Xiluo every day.

As Zhang Xiluo’s spirits improved, she put away all her pregnancy guides and crafts, packed them up, and threw them in the trash.

Ouyang Chen’s parents often called, always ending up in heated arguments, demanding he return to Longcheng.

“You should go back. My parents will be coming in a few days.” Zhang Xiluo didn’t want Ouyang Chen to fall out with his family because of her.

“Alright. I’ll be back in a few days.” Ouyang Chen agreed. After having lunch with Zhang Xiluo, he set off for Longcheng.

It seemed Li Mingye and Zhou Yao had left as well. Zhou Yao no longer appeared outside.

Because of her miscarriage, Zhang Xiluo needed to rest and recuperate. Other than lying down, she spent her days walking in the yard or relaxing.

All her meals were delivered by Hu Minxing, who always brought them himself.

One day, as Zhang Xiluo basked in the sun in the courtyard, Su Jianhao arrived at the gate carrying roasted sweet potatoes. “Miss Zhang, your food delivery is here.”

“Freshly roasted sweet potatoes—Uncle Hu improved the recipe, they’re even tastier now.”

At the mention of sweet potatoes, Zhang Xiluo’s smile froze. “Just set them down.”

“Aren’t these your favorite? They won’t taste good cold. Let me open them for you.” Su Jianhao smiled, untying the bag. The aroma wafted over, making Zhang Xiluo take a deep breath.

A wave of emotion surged inside her. If she hadn’t wanted to eat these that day, she wouldn’t have opened the door for Zhou Yao.

She studied Su Jianhao, suddenly sensing he was different from before, though she couldn’t quite say how.

“They’re delicious.” Zhang Xiluo took one and tasted it. “Uncle Hu’s cooking keeps getting better. Would you like to try some?”

Su Jianhao shook his head, watching her eat, his gaze subtly shifting. “Miss Zhang, on the day of your accident, did someone bring you roasted sweet potatoes?”

Zhang Xiluo didn’t look up, her tone cold. “I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”

“It’s nothing. You just mentioned it at the hospital that day.”

“I don’t remember.” Zhang Xiluo’s expression changed slightly. She quickly finished eating, then asked him to tell Hu Minxing not to add sugar anymore—it was a bit too sweet.

Su Jianhao didn’t want to leave. “Would you like some tea? We could chat. With your gallant protector gone, you must be bored.”

“Chat about what?” Zhang Xiluo sounded displeased. Su Jianhao’s tone was odd today, almost mocking. “We haven’t known each other long; there’s nothing left to talk about.”

“Miss Zhang, why are you suddenly so cold to me? Did I do something wrong?”

“Sorry, I’m just in a bad mood. Please close the door on your way out.” With that, Zhang Xiluo got up and went inside.

Su Jianhao stared at the door for a while, then picked up the trash on the table and left.

When Hu Minxing brought dinner, he knocked for a long time but got no response. He pulled out his phone, calling as he knocked, but Zhang Xiluo didn’t answer at all.