Xu Tingyu had never felt so speechless.
She was really fed up with the man in front of her.
"When did I ever like him?"
"If I liked him, why would I have married you?"
"You can trample on my true feelings, but please don't drag innocent people into this."
She almost roared these words out.
Tears welled up and trickled down the corners of her eyes uncontrollably.
There was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead and the tip of her nose due to the heat. She looked like a lotus flower swaying and withering in the wind and rain.
She looked extremely pitiful, yet there was also a kind of fierce cuteness about her.
The rage that had been clogging Qi Shifeng's chest finally dissipated.
He softened his tone and even reached out to wipe away her tears.
"Since you don't like him, then watch your words and actions. Don't give him the wrong impression."
Although he had softened his attitude, he avoided addressing her feelings.
Xu Tingyu couldn't help but feel disappointed. She turned her head away, not wanting to look at him anymore.
"You can't restrict my freedom."
She was still crying, and this statement lacked any force.
Qi Shifeng lowered his head and kissed the corner of her eye. Then he hugged her and remained silent for a long time.
Just when Xu Tingyu thought this inexplicable conversation was over for the day, he suddenly spoke again.
"Let's have a child."
The reason she was so brazenly talking about "divorce" was because there were too few ties between them.
She hadn't even paid the price for what she had done before. How could she just leave him like this?
Xu Tingyu thought she had misheard. "What did you say?"
She had once proposed having a child.
It was when they had been married for a year and a half.
Sitting in this villa that was like a gilded cage every day, she felt extremely insecure.
Qi Shifeng had always been cold towards her, and his relationship with the Qi family was not close either.
Apart from the two marriage certificates, she couldn't think of any other ties with this man.
If they had a child, it would be different.
They would always be the child's father and mother, and no one could change that.
But when she brought it up back then, what had Qi Shifeng said?
Oh, he had just given her a scornful look and replied coldly, "You don't deserve it."
These three words, which had haunted her throughout her three - year marriage, completely dispelled her idea of having a child.
A child who was not wanted would only be looked down upon like her.
So she never brought it up again.
Now that it came from Qi Shifeng's mouth, she found it strange.
"Our Qi family needs a fourth generation."
He whispered in her ear and planted a kiss.
His voice was gentle.
But he was a gentle devil.
He told Xu Tingyu this and also convinced himself of it.
He could sense his own abnormality and feel the palpitations deep in his heart.
But he couldn't let it be.
That would mean betrayal, and he hated betrayal the most.
Xu Tingyu almost immediately understood what he meant.
The Qi family needed a fourth generation, which meant that the old man was urging them to have a child.
The Qi family's bloodline was not very prosperous.
Old Master Qi only had Qi Shifeng's father as his son, and he had died unexpectedly.
Among the three siblings of the younger generation, Qi Ye had been in poor health since childhood, and Qi Shifeng had also been seriously ill for a long time.
Only Qi Ruixi was in relatively good health.
That was why Old Master Qi was so convinced of feng shui.
When the old man had signed the prenuptial agreement with Xu Tingyu alone, he had also told her.
After marriage, the matter of having children would also be arranged by the family.
At that time, Xu Tingyu hadn't taken it seriously.
There was no such thing as arrangements for this kind of thing.
But she never thought that the final decision - making power actually lay in the hands of Old Master Qi.
When he said they needed a fourth generation, Qi Shifeng immediately carried it out.
The strangeness in the past few days was probably because of this.
"I don't want to," Xu Tingyu pushed him away, her gaze determined. "I've never seen a couple who are discussing divorce still want to have a child."
She didn't even hesitate and easily refused.
Qi Shifeng's hand on her waist stiffened. "So, you still want a divorce?"
Xu Tingyu looked at him strangely. "Think whatever you want."
This was a classic line from a scumbag, but it was quite useful in critical moments.
This awkward and strange conversation finally ended with Qi Shifeng slamming the door and leaving.
Xu Tingyu knew that the relationship between the two of them would go back to what it was before.
But it didn't matter. This was the result she wanted.
She was waiting.
Not waiting for the other person to fall in love with her, but waiting for herself to stop loving him.
She slowly covered her chest in the dawn, trying to suppress her rapid heartbeat.
Stop letting her emotions be disrupted by just a few words.
She had come with sincerity, and when she left, she didn't want anything.
Qi Ruixi was the first to notice that they were in a cold war.
For three or four days in a row, Qi Shifeng hadn't come back for dinner.
Moreover, he had moved into the study.
She quietly asked Xu Tingyu, "Is it still because of what happened that day? Did the Xie sisters cause trouble again?"
Xu Tingyu shook her head. "No, it's hard to explain in a few words. But generally speaking, it's our own problem."
She was also busier than before because in the team - based competition system of Masked Dancer, she had been grouped with Sheng Man.
The two of them had to get in sync and choreograph new dances, which was very energy - consuming.
This had its advantages, though. She didn't have time to think about other things.
Qi Ruixi went to the dance studio with her once and then complained that she didn't want to go anymore.
"You're so focused on your work that you don't see anything else. It makes me look like a fool. Forget it, I'd better go to work."
She really did go to work, but after a few days, she was more resentful than a ghost.
"Hey, is Second Brother deliberately trying to mess with me? Why did he assign me to work under that demon boss?"
"If I hadn't used the 'bribery' method, I would have thought I was really that bad."
As soon as she entered the company, she was assigned to the busiest department.
Her direct supervisor was extremely strict. Even though he knew her identity, he didn't show any mercy.
She was so tortured that she had dark circles under her eyes. Afraid to talk to Qi Shifeng, she could only drag Xu Tingyu out to relax on the weekend.
Xu Tingyu's new dance was almost choreographed, and she also wanted to relax, so she readily agreed.
The two of them ordered drinks. After listening to Qi Ruixi complain for a while, before Xu Tingyu could comfort her much, they were suddenly interrupted.
"Ms. Xu, long time no see."
Xie Yu was standing in front of their booth, wearing a pure white dress.
It was in sharp contrast to the decadent and luxurious atmosphere behind her.
Xu Tingyu didn't want to talk to her, so she just nodded perfunctorily and didn't say a word.
But Xie Yu wasn't willing to leave easily. "Ms. Xu, I don't know how my sister offended you. I'd like to bring her here to apologize to you in person."
After the conflict that day, Xie Shu had been removed from the movie, and several contracts that were still under negotiation had also disappeared.
Xu Tingyu hadn't paid attention to these things, but Qi Ruixi knew.
Hearing this, she laughed.
"You should ask your sister. She filmed for three or four months, and being removed didn't affect the final presentation of the movie at all."
"Aren't you making a huge joke? If I were her, I'd just find a hole to hide in."
She had been forced into the movie just to make an appearance.
To avoid ruining the story, her role had been an unimportant side plot. It didn't matter if it was deleted.