Chapter 40: Justified

The scorching temperature enveloped Fan Xia, strong arms tightly embracing her waist. She tilted her head slightly, soft thin lips pressed against her slender neck. The floor-to-ceiling window reflected their intertwined silhouettes, pressed tightly together without a gap. Rong Xiu’s messy short hair brushed against her cheek, his hot lips and teeth letting out a brief sigh. His moist breath sprayed on her ear, sending a tingling sensation through her.

Fan Xia’s eyes changed slightly, looking at the other’s eyes, knowing it was fake, yet still filled with passion. Feeling somewhat moved, her slender hand inserted into the thick, jet-black short hair at the back of his head. Like him, she kissed his neck, her warm lips gradually moving upwards, gently kissing his soft red earlobe.

The arms tightly wrapped around her waist inexplicably trembled for a moment. His thick, curled eyelashes fluttered, then held her even tighter, even their fingers were tightly interlocked, as if afraid she would suddenly leave.

The slightly cool gold-rimmed glasses frame touched her neck. The glasses that usually sat properly on his high straight nose bridge, looking cold and ascetic, were now askew, like a dignified priest whose black robe had been torn off, his calm restraint shattered, sinking into an endless tide of passion.

Fan Xia’s eyes held a smile. He was clearly inexperienced in intimate matters, yet always pretended to be mature and experienced.

“Enough.” Fan Xia gently stroked the back of his neck, looking at Rong Xiu’s flushed face in the mirror. He had left two bright red love bites on her neck but still wasn’t satisfied, as if completely immersed in fascination.

Rong Xiu stopped his actions, raising his head reluctantly. His enchanting eyes were filled with rippling, emotional light, his pale thin lips now as red as blood, with traces of ambiguous moisture still lingering.

Fan Xia reached out her hand, straightening his gold-rimmed glasses. Her fingertip gently slid across the wine-red mole under his left eye. The corners of her mouth curved up slightly, gentle as water: “I’m leaving.”

Rong Xiu’s eyes were full of loss. Even though reluctant, he could only dejectedly let go.

As she left, Rong Xiu stood at the door holding a dog, sending her off, strangely resembling a TV drama scene of a young man bidding farewell to his wife-master – a stark contrast to the aloof flower of legend in the business world.

Fan Xia laughed silently and continued to leave.

When Fan Xia opened the door to her home, the house was brightly lit. In the living room cluttered with things and no room to step, Wen Ming Yue and Xie Cen sat on the sofa. Seeing Fan Xia, their tense expressions visibly relaxed. As for Wen Jing living on the balcony, she was engrossed in playing a game, looking as if she didn’t care about anything.

“Fan Xia, you’re finally back. Lan Sheng has been waiting for you for a long time inside,” Xie Cen said nervously. Because they had sold the last house belonging to the Wen family, their savings were almost gone, and their daughter still had no job, the whole family had to rely on Fan Xia’s support.

Xie Cen now spoke to Fan Xia gently, with a hint of trying to please her, not daring to say a harsh word.

He said kindly, “Please go comfort Lan Sheng. We know you’re busy with work, and missing the wedding was unavoidable, but the wedding is after all the most important event in a man’s life. It’s understandable if he has some resentment. Could you just tolerate his little temper and coax him?”

Fan Xia smiled slightly, her mouth revealing an inexplicable pleasure: “Don’t worry, I’ll go see Lan Sheng now.”

Xie Cen breathed a sigh of relief and sat back on the sofa to continue watching TV. He said he was watching TV, but how could he really watch in this situation? He deliberately turned the TV volume to the lowest, just to eavesdrop on the sounds from the master bedroom. If there was an argument inside, he could still help mediate.

At this critical moment, if Wen Lan Sheng had a falling out with Fan Xia, their family would truly have nowhere to go.

Fan Xia opened the bedroom door and saw that the lights were off inside. She habitually turned on the lights, and the scene inside made her eyes widen slightly.

The room was full of purple irises – on the floor, on the walls, on the bedside table, even spread on the bed. The rich fragrance filled her nostrils. Wen Lan Sheng was still wearing the white wedding suit of the groom, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed, looking at her.

“You’re back.” Wen Lan Sheng stretched out his arms to her, gesturing for a hug.

Fan Xia smiled, her toes pushing aside the irises covering the carpet. She sat down beside Wen Lan Sheng and gently hugged him. “I’m sorry, there was something at the company, I’ve been busy until now. Are you angry with me?”

Fan Xia kissed his forehead, coaxing softly, “Don’t be angry anymore, I had no choice.”

There was no smile in Wen Lan Sheng’s eyes. His hand caressed the smooth, soft fabric of Fan Xia’s clothes, his expression complex as he rubbed the rose pattern on it. He said, “This outfit…”

“I went to the company for a meeting, I couldn’t wear a wedding dress to attend, could I? This outfit was bought in a hurry,” Fan Xia said.

Wen Lan Sheng’s fingertips pinched the fabric, his nails turning white with effort, as if he wanted to tear the fabric apart. His voice was suppressed: “This bright floral pattern doesn’t seem like your style.”

Fan Xia paused for a moment, deliberately waiting a while before saying, “Time was tight, there was no time to carefully choose clothes. I just grabbed something wearable from the store.”

“Is that so?” A faint sarcastic smile appeared at the corners of Wen Lan Sheng’s mouth.

It probably wasn’t because time was tight, but rather that bastard Rong Xiu had specially picked out this outfit for her, using this extremely bright red color to flaunt in front of him that he had stolen his wife-master on his wedding day.

Rong Xiu must be very pleased with himself right now. Wen Lan Sheng gritted his teeth so hard they nearly cracked.

“Of course it is.” Fan Xia gently kissed him, her fingertips tenderly caressing his cheek. Her thick, ink-like long hair slid from her shoulders, hanging in front of her chest, revealing a snow-white slender neck. Two extremely ambiguous hickeys harshly pierced Wen Lan Sheng’s seemingly calm eyes.

“What’s that on your neck?” Wen Lan Sheng’s eyes were bulging with hatred, he grabbed Fan Xia’s collar and questioned.

Fan Xia pretended to be surprised and covered her neck: “It’s nothing?”

“You’re still lying to me!” Wen Lan Sheng pointed at her neck, suppressing the anger about to erupt: “There are clearly marks on your neck, where did you get them? Who gave them to you?”

Wen Lan Sheng was angry and furious, but more than that, he was afraid. He didn’t even dare to openly say the words ‘love bite’, because once he said it, it would confirm the fact that he knew she had a lover outside.

He was afraid that once this window paper was pierced, there would be no going back between them.

“This… was just a mosquito bite.” Fan Xia stood up guiltily, turning her back to him.

“Mosquito?” Wen Lan Sheng’s lips trembled, he laughed bitterly: “It’s October, autumn has already started, where would there be any mosquitoes?”

“If that’s what you think, I can’t help it. If you don’t believe me, then forget it.” Fan Xia said.

Wen Lan Sheng’s hands clenched into fists, his nails painfully digging into his flesh, tears faintly glistening in his eyes.

He bit his lip hard, forcing himself to swallow the discontent and grievance in his heart, compelling himself to believe this lame lie. Even though he knew she was lying to him, he could only choose to believe, as if as long as he believed, he wouldn’t be so hurt.

“I believe you, I believe you.” Wen Lan Sheng’s voice trembled bitterly as he wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. He hugged Fan Xia’s waist from behind, smelling the obvious remnants of sandalwood on her body, jealousy surging in his heart, hatred going mad.

He kissed Fan Xia frantically, from her lips to her neck, trying like a madman to cover up all the scent that bastard Rong Xiu had left on her body.

“Xia Xia, today is our wedding day. You owe me for the daytime, now you have to make it up to me.” He embraced her with all his might, humbly seeking her love.

“Alright, I’ll make it all up to you.” Fan Xia said with a smile, pressing him down onto the bed covered with irises. The soft mattress sank deeply into a soft hollow. The paper bag placed beside the bed fell over, and the white wedding dress spilled out of the bag. On the spotless satin surface, an eye-catching dog paw print was stamped, further trampling on Wen Lan Sheng’s already extremely suppressed and taut self-esteem.

Snap —

The last thread of rationality broke.

Today should have been the happiest day of his life, but on their wedding day, his wife-master was snatched away by that mistress Rong Xiu, who occupied her for an entire day. All those moments of happiness that should have belonged to him instantly vanished, and he had to endure Rong Xiu’s unscrupulous humiliation.

He had endured all of this.

But the dog print on the wedding dress, he couldn’t endure.

That was the wedding dress he had chosen for Fan Xia with all his love, but it was thrown on the ground and casually trampled by a dog.

The jealousy and hatred he had previously suppressed burst out vengefully. He held the wedding dress, his whole body trembling. His hatred for Rong Xiu had never been so intense, churning endlessly in his mind.

“Weren’t you working? Why is there a dog paw print on the wedding dress?” His chest hurt so much it felt like it would explode, his blood boiling, even breathing was painful.

“Today Rong Xiu’s housekeeper had something to do, so he brought a dog to the company. The puppy likes to run around everywhere and knocked out the wedding dress, stepping on it a couple times.” Fan Xia explained awkwardly.

Wen Lan Sheng’s lips trembled uncontrollably. The wedding day, how much he had looked forward to it before, now he was in that much pain.

He hugged the wedding dress, questioning with tears and anger: “I think it’s not that the housekeeper brought the dog to the company, but that you were actually working at his home, right? Or should I say, you were working in his bed?”

“Wen Lan Sheng! What nonsense are you spouting!” Fan Xia’s voice suddenly rose, cold color filling her eyes.

Wen Lan Sheng’s mind, clouded by jealous rage, suddenly cleared. He had never been so panicked before. In all these years, this was the first time she had directly called his name, and also the first time she had been so cold and stern with him.

“Xia Xia, I didn’t mean that—” Wen Lan Sheng suddenly became flustered and didn’t know what to do. He wanted to hug her; in the past, no matter how angry Fan Xia was, as long as he hugged her, she would calm down.

But now, she coldly pushed him away.

Wen Lan Sheng’s body stiffened as he fell backwards, sitting on the ground. His elbow hit the ground hard, bleeding on the spot, but he was too numb to feel any pain.

He looked at Fan Xia in disbelief, unable to believe that Fan Xia, who had just been willing to soften her voice, gently coaxing and kissing him, who had cared for him for so many years, would look at him with such an icy cold gaze. For a moment, he felt the Fan Xia before him was utterly unfamiliar.

Great panic spread through his body. He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his whole body cold, even his blood was cold. Disregarding the wound on his elbow, he got up from the ground and hugged Fan Xia: “Xia Xia, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have said such things. I know there’s nothing between you two, I was talking nonsense. I was wrong, it’s all my fault. Xia Xia, please don’t be angry with me…”

Wen Lan Sheng begged tearfully, humble to the bone.

But even so, it couldn’t elicit a hint of softness from Fan Xia. The tightly hugging hands were harshly pulled apart by Fan Xia, and he was thrown onto the bed.

Fan Xia’s eyes were as cold as if looking at a stranger: “Lan Sheng, you should reflect on yourself well.”

Leaving these words behind, Fan Xia walked out without the slightest regard for any sentiment.

Xie Cen stood anxiously outside the door. He had heard all the arguing from inside earlier. He was panicking inside, and also angry at Wen Lan Sheng’s stupidity. If a woman has found a lover outside, what’s the use of arguing with her? No amount of arguing and fussing can win back a woman’s heart, it will only push her heart towards the lover, and in the end, it’s the lover who benefits.

If Fan Xia really became estranged from Wen Lan Sheng, or even to the point of divorce in the future, where would their family live?

Xie Cen shuddered at the thought.

He hurriedly tried to persuade Fan Xia, but before he could speak, he was interrupted by Fan Xia: “Please don’t try to persuade me, I’m going out to clear my head.”