Volume One, Chapter 8: A Neck Full of Kiss Marks

Huo Shixu looked at her in surprise.

In the past, even if Song Nanyi was bitten by a mosquito, she would whine and act like a spoiled child. "Shixu, this mosquito is so annoying. Look at this big bump it gave me; it’s so itchy, it hurts so much."

He would always coax her gently, "Shall I tear it limb from limb then? How dare it bite my darling Yi."

She would usually be amused to the point of laughter, calling him childish.

Yesterday, when he helped her treat her wounds, he saw how deep they were, yet she didn't utter a sound of pain.

Huo Shixu looked at Song Nanyi with a complex expression. "You... have changed so much."

"Is that so?" She felt it was a struggle for him to even have the energy to observe her changes. "People always grow, don't they?"

And her growth meant learning no longer to love him. Learning no longer to be hysterical for his sake.

Ever since she was reborn, no matter how much pain or hatred she felt, she hadn't shed a single tear. Having crawled back from the gates of the underworld, her heart was already dead.

Huo Shixu stared at Song Nanyi’s calm little face for a long time before saying awkwardly, "Growth is a good thing. You were just too delicate before."

It wasn't that Song Nanyi couldn't feel pain anymore. With her fingers linked to her heart, how could she feel nothing? It was just that she knew, no matter how much pain she was in, the man who once treated her like the apple of his eye would never look at her twice again.

Why bother acting delicate?

"Brother Shixu, I need to use the restroom. Could you help me with the IV drip?" Su Yu'an poked her head out from the hospital room.

Song Nanyi turned around without lifting an eyelid. "Go keep her company. I’m heading back."

Huo Shixu hesitated, glancing back at Su Yu'an. When he reached out to grab Song Nanyi, he grasped only air.

"Brother Shixu..." Su Yu'an called out to him.

In the end, Huo Shixu turned and walked toward the hospital room.

Song Nanyi walked out of the hospital. Standing on the street corner, she watched a young mother and son walking toward her. The mother held a candied hawthorn stick, patiently and gently coaxing her toddler who was not yet three years old. The child was adorable, calling out "Mommy" over and over.

Song Nanyi’s heart felt painfully astringent. Suddenly, the scene of her previous life's childbirth flashed before her eyes.

She was born with a narrow pelvis. The doctor had suggested a C-section, but Huo Shixu refused, offering many high-sounding excuses to make her give birth naturally. She had suffered for three days and three nights, fainting several times. When she was lifted onto the delivery bed, the pain of her bones splitting left her with no strength to push; she only wished for death.

Her delivery did not go smoothly. Later, it became a river of blood in the delivery room, with the alarm of the machines failing to detect a pulse. It became the heart-wrenching cries of her parents and the vulgar curses Pei Yin hurled at Huo Shixu.

Song Nanyi’s fingertips trembled. Her eyes grew red and sore.

She took a deep breath, turned, and climbed into her car.

As soon as she fastened her seatbelt, her phone vibrated. Song Nanyi picked it up; it was a message from Su Yu'an.

"Sister Nanyi, since yesterday’s incident was a misunderstanding, let's not mind it anymore. With Brother Shixu taking care of my injuries, I’ll surely recover quickly. Don't worry, and make sure you take care of your own wounds too."

Su Yu'an posed for the camera with a peace sign and sent a selfie to Song Nanyi. The angle of the photo was perfect, capturing Huo Shixu, who was peeling an apple for her.

Song Nanyi smiled. This scene was too deliberate. Too deliberate, and somewhat familiar. It was just like in her previous life, when Su Yu'an would appear before her with hickeys on her neck and tears in her eyes, saying she was wrong and begging her not to blame Huo Shixu... so "green tea."

The trick was old, intended only to provoke her into losing her composure. In this life, many things had changed, but Su Yu'an’s inner desires had not.

Song Nanyi picked up her phone and replied, "I will."

She put the phone down and drove home. In a few days, it would be the third anniversary of her marriage to Huo Shixu. In previous years, he would take her to the world's top jewelry auctions, spending thousands to buy her a smile. In her previous life, Huo Shixu took her too, but it was a trio—Su Yu'an was there as well.

Thinking of this, Song Nanyi felt a sense of nausea. She turned the steering wheel and headed to her parents' home instead.

Her parents were busy with work, and only her mischievous younger brother was there. In her previous life, when things were at their worst between her and Huo Shixu, her sixteen-year-old brother had brandished his fists, wanting to beat him up. At that time, her mind hadn't been clear, and fearing that her brother would get hurt by a man nearly six-foot-three, she had chosen to protect him, even though Huo Shixu no longer had her in his heart.

Song Nanyi felt quite sorry for her brother. She reached out and ruffled Song Xingyan’s hair. "Why aren't you at school today? The high school entrance exams are coming up soon. If you don't get in, don't blame me for dealing with you."

Song Xingyan laughed and hugged Song Nanyi’s arm. "Sister, I’ll definitely get into high school, don't you worry. But... I’m in a financial crisis. Could you spare fifty yuan?"

"What do you need money for?" Song Nanyi sat down, and Song Xingyan immediately handed her some sliced fruit. "A classmate in my class is having a birthday; I need to chip in."

"What can you buy with fifty yuan?"

Song Xingyan quickly explained, "There are ten of us; we can pool about five hundred."

The Song family believed in raising sons with frugality and daughters with abundance. Even though their family was well-off, Song Xingyan received little pocket money, with most of his external funding coming from his sister. Song Nanyi never gave him too much, fearing he would get into trouble.

"I'll give it to you in a bit."

Song Xingyan flopped to his knees and kowtowed to Song Nanyi. "I thank your Highness for your grace."

Song Nanyi smiled. In her previous life, after marrying Huo Shixu, she rarely visited her parents. Her parents, fearing they would disturb her life with Huo Shixu, rarely asked her to come home often. Instead, it was this younger brother who would come to stay for a few days from time to time. Before Su Yu'an came along, Huo Shixu had been quite fond of Song Xingyan, but later, as his heart changed, Song Xingyan was also treated with disdain.

Song Nanyi didn't stay long. Huo Shixu called to say he would be home soon and had something to discuss. After giving her brother a few instructions, she drove back home.

Walking into the living room, Song Nanyi didn't greet Huo Shixu. He looked at her, sensing that something was "off," though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

Song Nanyi replied coldly while changing her shoes, "I went to my parents' house."

"Are... are Mom and Dad doing well?"

Song Nanyi didn't engage in his hypocritical pleasantries, asking directly, "Is there an urgent matter that you called me back for?"

"In a few days, it will be our third wedding anniversary."

Song Nanyi hadn't expected him to bring this up. She replied indifferently, "We've been married long enough; let's skip the anniversary."

Huo Shixu was momentarily stunned. Song Nanyi was the one who valued holidays the most; she never allowed a marriage to lack a sense of ritual. Why now...

"Are you truly being sensible, or are you holding a grudge, planning to cause a big scene with me?"

Song Nanyi looked at him. For a man who had another woman in his heart, no matter if she advanced or retreated, she was always in the wrong. She gave a self-deprecating laugh, sat down opposite Huo Shixu, and said dismissively, "Believe whatever you want to believe."

He didn't like her attitude at all. She had become someone he didn't recognize.

"What kind of attitude is that? Do you not want to continue this?" His brows furrowed tightly.

Hearing these words from Huo Shixu, Song Nanyi was somewhat surprised. He was even more anxious to end this relationship than she had imagined.

"Huo Shixu, I’ve said it before: if you feel there is no love left between us, feel free to divorce me. I won't cling to you."

These words choked Huo Shixu. His expression changed noticeably.

"Divorce, divorce, it’s always divorce every single day! Song Nanyi, have you counted how many times you've mentioned divorce since we got married? Do you expect me to kneel and beg you not to leave every single time?"