Volume One, Chapter Three: That Man Is Truly Sinister
His eyes swept over her proud figure, the meaning clear as day.
Su Li’s expression stiffened; she refused to back down, not believing for a second that he would actually dare to do anything here.
She gripped the hem of her sweater and lifted it up.
Her slender, pale waist was revealed, the edge of her white underwear starkly visible beneath the black sweater.
Suddenly, the man shoved her off him, his face twisted with disgust.
Su Li nearly lost her balance. Once she steadied herself, she suppressed the joy bubbling inside, masking it with an innocent and aggrieved look.
Mo Xingyuan glanced sidelong at her feigned innocence. For money, she was certainly willing to go all out.
“Get out!” Mo Xingyuan despised such hypocrisy in women.
Relieved as if granted amnesty, Su Li rejoiced inwardly, though her face showed only reluctance.
“Honey…”
“Get out!” Mo Xingyuan snapped, annoyed.
Without hesitation, Su Li pulled down her sweater, grabbed her coat, and left.
Only after stepping out of the club did she finally breathe freely.
Not even the cold bit at her—her heart was still pounding wildly.
It had been thrilling and dangerous, but the important thing was that she’d escaped unscathed.
As if having survived a calamity, the next day Su Li invited Lu Jing out for a lavish meal.
“You really have guts.” Lu Jing couldn’t help admiring her.
Su Li hooked her arm through Lu Jing’s. “Fortune favors the bold.”
Lu Jing conceded, “Aren’t you afraid he might actually go through with it?”
“With that face, that figure, and that family background, he’s someone easy to have feelings for.”
“Hm?” Lu Jing frowned.
“Honestly, having a child with him wouldn’t be so bad,” Su Li added. “Our baby would definitely be beautiful.”
Lu Jing was speechless.
Su Li chuckled, but Lu Jing warned her not to go too far. If he brought up divorce again, she should just go along with it.
Being abused in marriage was domestic violence, which was seen as a marital dispute—there was little recourse against the perpetrator.
“I know,” Su Li accepted Lu Jing’s advice, aware it was for her own good.
After their meal, Lu Jing seemed much calmer.
The two wandered the mall, chatting and laughing, until suddenly Su Li stopped in her tracks.
Lu Jing’s brows knitted together. “Scumbag!”
Su Li didn’t want to see He Shuming—not because of any lingering feelings, but out of sheer physical revulsion.
“Let’s go.” Su Li tugged Lu Jing in the other direction.
Lu Jing frowned. “What are you afraid of? I haven’t even given him a piece of my mind yet.” With that, she shook off Su Li’s hand, rolling up her sleeves as if ready for a fight.
Su Li caught her, “It’s not fear—I just don’t want to come into contact with filth.”
Hearing that, Lu Jing spat. “Exactly, disgusting creature.”
They turned away at once.
“Su Li.” He Shuming caught up and blocked their path.
Lu Jing stepped protectively in front of Su Li, ready to confront him.
Su Li pulled Lu Jing to her side and faced He Shuming directly. “What do you want?”
“You’ve made my life miserable. What do you think I want?” Having lost all face, he couldn’t swallow his anger without teaching her a lesson.
He reached out to grab Su Li.
She dodged swiftly, and he missed.
Irritated, He Shuming reached out more roughly to seize her wrist.
Su Li struck back, slapping his face with a resounding smack that stung her hand.
He Shuming turned his head, shocked, glaring at Su Li. “Su Li, you dare hit me!”
“You should be glad I don’t have a knife,” she replied, eyes full of loathing. “If you harass me again, I’ll come to your house myself.”
Su Li had always been one to match strength with strength—push her too far, and she’d play with no regard for consequences.
He Shuming and Su Li hadn’t even met up that many times during their relationship; most of their contact was by phone or messaging.
Every time, Su Li was gentle and considerate, so He Shuming had always assumed she was just a pretty, obedient girl.
He hadn’t expected her to be so fierce.
This woman needed to be tamed.
The crowd watching grew larger. Lu Jing pulled Su Li away—at times like these, it was always the woman who got the brunt of the gossip.
He Shuming rubbed the slapped side of his face and yelled after her, “I want to see how tough you really are!”
Not far away, Mo Xingyuan had witnessed the entire scene.
He’d seen Su Li slap that man.
Chi Mu was surprised Su Li was so unafraid of confrontation.
“That man is He Shuming, a notorious playboy. A few days ago, a video about him spread through their circle. Now it seems the one who recorded and leaked the video was the young madam.”
He Shuming had managed to have the video deleted, but Chi Mu had still found it and handed his phone to Mo Xingyuan.
Mo Xingyuan watched the video in silence.
Chi Mu put his phone away. “He Shuming isn’t the forgiving type. After being humiliated like that, he’ll probably retaliate.”
“Anyone who acts should be prepared to bear the consequences,” Mo Xingyuan replied as he turned away. “If she’s retaliated against, she brought it on herself.”
Chi Mu hesitated—should he remind Mr. Mo that Su Li was his lawful wife?
He caught up to Mo Xingyuan. “Are you still getting a divorce?”
Whenever he thought of Su Li’s deceitful face, Mo Xingyuan couldn’t help but frown.
“Yes.”
Su Li stayed at Lu Jing’s place until dusk, where Lu Jing lashed out at He Shuming again and worried over potential retaliation against Su Li.
But Su Li wasn’t afraid.
“Why not ask your husband for help? You’re his wife, after all—let him take care of He Shuming.”
The thought of Mo Xingyuan still made her uneasy.
That man was dangerous.
“You think I really dare treat him as my husband?”
“So what then? Move in with me?”
“He wouldn’t dare do anything to me.”
Su Li reassured her repeatedly that she’d take care of herself, and only then did Lu Jing let her go home.
The apartment was a two-bedroom her father had bought her before marrying her stepmother—not big, but plenty for her.
She had just showered and was lounging on the sofa, scrolling through videos, when a string of digits flashed across her screen.
It was an unfamiliar number. Su Li waited a moment before answering.
“Who is this?”
“Tomorrow morning at eight, the Civil Affairs Bureau. We’re getting divorced.”
Hearing his voice, Su Li glanced at the number on her screen.
Her first thought: how did he get her number?
Then she realized, for someone like him, it would be all too easy.
He was persistent.
She sat cross-legged, tugged her lips into a smile, and replied gently, “I got married because I wanted to spend a lifetime together. Once I’m married, I don’t divorce.”
“No divorce? Then you’re just waiting to become a widow?”
That remark unsettled her.
She had thought that way at first, but hearing it from him was another matter.
“Don’t say that. Medical science is advanced now. Any illness can be cured. As long as you cooperate and stay positive, you’ll get better.”
She genuinely meant it.
No one would want to hear that kind of talk.
Mo Xingyuan stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining her indifferent expression.
“If you don’t want things to get ugly, you’d best behave,” he warned.
Su Li sensed his unwillingness to accept the marriage.
Neither of them were fools; it was clear enough whether she was genuine or not.
“I can’t agree to this unless you tell your parents. If they consent, then I will too.”
There was impulsiveness in their marriage, but perhaps the outcome would be the same no matter whom she married.
With him, at least, things were simpler.
Mo Xingyuan’s gaze darkened.
She was clever.
His parents were overjoyed at their marriage—how could they possibly agree?
Mo Xingyuan grew even more disgusted with her scheming.
“Do you think going against me is that easy?”
His low, displeased tone made Su Li’s heart quiver with fear.
“It’s late. You’re not in good health, so rest early. When you’ve thought it through, or convinced your parents, contact me.”
“Good night.”
Without giving him another chance to speak, Su Li ended the call.
She set her phone down and exhaled deeply.
Gazing at that string of numbers, she saved it under a name.
“Mo Xingyuan.”
Setting the phone aside, she pictured Mo Xingyuan’s pale yet strikingly handsome face.
He must be absolutely furious by now.
In any case, she would avoid him as much as possible—every meeting was one too many.
Yet the very next day, Madam Mo sent someone to bring Su Li back to the old family house.