When Xu Tingyu woke up, dawn was approaching.
She felt hot. When she opened her eyes, she found a hand on her waist and her back was pressed against a chest with prominent muscles.
For a moment, she felt a bit disoriented, as if she had lost track of time.
Logically speaking, her vigilance shouldn't be this low.
But she really didn't know when this man had crept into bed beside her.
It seemed that she was simply defenseless against him.
That's why she had married him without hesitation back then.
Xu Tingyu stared blankly into the darkness.
She seemed to be absent - minded quite often recently.
The rising temperature finally made her feel uncomfortable, so she tried to move to the side.
But as soon as she removed the man's hand, before she could move far, she was grabbed back and pulled tightly into his embrace again.
"Awake? Let's talk."
Qi Shifeng's voice was a bit hoarse, but there was no trace of sleepiness.
Because he hadn't slept well at all. As soon as Xu Tingyu woke up, he woke up too.
He wanted to know what she would do, but he never expected that she would resist his closeness and was eager to leave.
Hearing him say they should talk, Xu Tingyu couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.
But she knew that they really needed to have this conversation, so she sat up and turned on the bedside lamp.
"Okay, go ahead."
She was surprisingly calm. There was even a hint of tenderness in her eyes that usually sparkled like stars.
It was as if she was mentally prepared for whatever he was going to say.
Her calmness left Qi Shifeng at a loss for a moment.
But there was no sign of unease on his face. He just looked at her with his dark eyes.
From a bunch of questions he wanted to ask, he picked one that seemed the least important.
"Have you been very busy lately?"
He had checked the schedules of her two jobs. They shouldn't have kept her so busy that he couldn't see her all day.
Even during the time when he was on a business trip, she would go out to eat with Qi Ye. They would go in and out together.
Yet she didn't even have time to send a single message to her husband.
Xu Tingyu was a bit surprised by his sudden "concern", but she still nodded obediently.
"I've really been a bit busy."
She had to be this busy.
By keeping herself exhausted every day, when she had a break, she could only blank out and wouldn't think too much.
Qi Shifeng waited for a while, but didn't get a further explanation from her, so he asked again, "Are you short of money?"
Xu Tingyu looked at him in surprise.
Was he asking on purpose?
Although it hadn't been fully proven that he was behind the Xu family's downfall, he should be very clear about her current situation.
How could he ask such a ridiculous question?
Or was this another new way to mock her?
Before she could refute, Qi Shifeng suddenly reached out, took out a card from the bedside table and handed it to her.
"The password is six zeros."
This time Xu Tingyu was stunned again.
During their three - year marriage, he had never given her a card.
When the Xu family had their troubles, he hadn't given her a card either.
Now that she had started working, he brought such a card.
"Qi Shifeng, are you trying to add to my glory or are you humiliating me by implying that no matter how hard I work, I can't earn as much as your casual pocket money?"
She threw the card away as if it was burning her hand.
She was a bit emotional and used too much force. The card flew and hit Qi Shifeng's face.
It was like a slap in the face.
Qi Shifeng looked at the card that had fallen on the quilt and remembered the necklace that she had carefully put into the safe.
A spark of anger gathered in his dark eyes.
He had asked Jiang Li to check. It was indeed a new product from a luxury brand.
And a week ago, Qi Ye had ordered two of them.
Obviously, one was for Qi Ruixi and the other was for his wife.
The one for his wife was inspired by the phrase "The night is so beautiful tonight".
What a "wonderful" confession.
And his wife had put it into the safe so carefully.
"Why don't you take it?"
He held back his anger, as if he was afraid of scaring her.
But she was already a bit impatient.
"Because my current income can cover my living expenses. I don't need to use your money."
"Moreover, we should keep things clear between us. Otherwise, when we get divorced, we'll have to go through property settlement."
This man was really being unreasonable.
Was it because of what had happened on the set that made him feel ashamed, so he came back and gave her this card?
If she accepted it, would he then ask her to quit her job?
He could forget about it.
That's what she thought and that's what she said.
"Qi Shifeng, I don't want your money, and I won't give up my job."
"I've already told you my request. I just want to work."
When you ask for something from others, they can give it if they want, and they can take it back at any time.
She didn't want something so uncertain and anxiety - inducing.
"You're my wife. You don't want my money, and you're still thinking about divorce?"
Qi Shifeng's anger could no longer be hidden.
She was still thinking about divorce, so all her docility and obedience during this period were just for show, right?
"Are you sure you want to divorce me and be with my brother?"
The man's strong arm hooked around her waist and pulled her closer.
She was really born to punish him. She always made him angry so easily.
"Are you going to slander me just because I want to divorce you?"
"Why do you always drag big brother into our business?"
Xu Tingyu was pinned down under him, wriggling like a stranded fish.
Qi Shifeng's thin lips were pursed coldly as he held her firmly in place.
"Humph, if you're going to find another man, at least find a decent one."
"My brother is so sickly. Can he satisfy you?"
He laughed out of anger, his words full of sarcasm.
She stared back at him fiercely, the corners of her eyes red. It was hard to tell if it was from anger or pain.
"That's none of your business. Only an insecure man would care so much about this kind of thing!"
"Qi Shifeng, no matter how well you disguise it, you're just jealous of big brother."
Both of them were experts at hurting each other.
Qi Shifeng gritted his teeth, his voice echoing like it came from the abyss, "Xu Tingyu, you're asking for trouble."
He had endured for a whole night and even taken a cold shower.
This woman didn't know what was good for her.
He shouldn't have indulged her.
Since she wanted to court death, he would grant her wish.
Xu Tingyu's eyes were red, but she refused to submit.
When he kissed her, she bit him. When he pinned her hands down, she kicked at him.
But the foot that she kicked out was caught by him.
Her long leg was pulled apart and wrapped around his lean waist.
The two of them rolled from one end of the bed to the other. She almost fell out of the bed but was grabbed back by the waist.
Soon, she was out of breath and couldn't fight back anymore, so she simply gave up resistance.
"Fine. Anyway, you don't have anything else to do with me."
"Come on. Don't treat me like a person. Do whatever you want."
Her words were gasping, her face was flushed like a peach blossom, but her tone was cold.
Qi Shifeng's cold and deep eyes showed no trace of emotion. He just stared at her for a long time.
Finally, he asked her with a hint of compromise and defeat.
"If you like him, then why did you marry me back then?"
Only then did Xu Tingyu realize.
It seemed that her husband really misunderstood that she had an affair with her brother - in - law.