Chapter 4 You've Crossed the Line

• A few lightly-spoken words had struck me dumb. I was even doubtful of my own my hearing. I asked again with incredulity, "Pardon?"
• He lightly moved his thin lips in the same indifferent tone, "I said, Ning Jing, we're getting married." Even his tone remained completely unchanged.
• He said... we’re getting married.
• Not "Shall we get married?" or "Will you marry me ?"—It was neither of those.
• He was clear and certain I would say yes.Whether it was for getting back at both Song Meiqian and my father, or for saving my mother.
• Or perhaps... for that secret only I myself knew—I liked him.
• In the end, which factor was more prominent, I wasn’t able to answer myself for the time being. But I knew for sure that, if it was someone else, I would have never agreed to it.
• I held onto a faint glimmer of hope, that if he took the initiative to mention marriage, maybe he did have a bit of feelings for me.
• However, I was wrong, very wrong.
• As I was silent, he lit up a cigarette steadily and said in a cold voice, "You climbed into my bed for revenge. At the same time, your mother needs to pay for her medical bills. If we get married, I'll pay for it. The term will be that this marriage will only involve money and sex."
• Only with a few words, he had thoroughly put out the ridiculous—not to mention childish—anticipations that I was having.
• I repressed my turmoil of emotions and tried to be as nonchalant as him, "I'm in for the money, but what is there for you?"
• A trade ought to be beneficial for both parties, but I had nothing that he could be seeking for.
• He gave me a meaningful look. Instantly, I felt extremely embarrassed.
• He had made it clear that we were only talking about money and sex. Since I was going after money, he naturally was going for...
• Once in a while, I did try to picture my future marriage. I thought about a lot of possibilities, but I never imagined it would have completely nothing to do with love.
• Oh, unless one-sided love counts.
• I sneered at myself and answered, "Okay."
• In the afternoon, he brought me to get our marriage registered, we met his family, and even moved into the house that the Chengs prepared for us as newly-weds.
• That was right. He was indeed the only son of the Cheng Family in Nancheng County.
• In the four years of our marriage, he lived up to his words. This marriage was indeed only about money and sex.
• In the beginning, I did not want to give up. I thought I could warm his heart. However, I realised that it was all my wishful thinking.
• I couldn’t remember when was the turning point, but his attitude towards me had become worse than how it was before our marriage. He was not even willing to talk to me unless it was absolutely necessary. He was cold and distanced himself from me.
• Tonight, I lit a wall lamp in the living room and watched a late-night melodrama as I waited for him to return home.
• It was just like each passing night of the past four years, even when I knew clearly that what I did was completely meaningless in his eyes. I still wanted him to know that there would always be someone waiting for him at home, no matter how late it was.
• Around midnight, I couldn’t not battle my sleepiness anymore, I curled up on the sofa and fell asleep.
• In my half-asleep state, a familiar scent enveloped me. A pair of big hand deftly took off my nightgown.
• A moan escaped my lips. Just as I was about to push him away, he suddenly charged into my body. It was so painful that I woke up in an instant.
• "You... you're back..."
• Under the dim lighting, I could not see his expression clearly.
• Without saying anything, he held me up and strode upstairs, carrying me from the sofa to the bed.
• A faint sense of anger emanated from him. He clutched my waist hard and was even rougher than he usually was. He charged into me again and again until my consciousness faded.
• I bit my lips hard as I endured the pain that made me feel like my body was torn into two.
• Not because of anything. I just... hoped to have a child. I wanted to a child who belonged to him and I.
• A faint fragrance drifted into my nose. I regained my consciousness. My voice shook, "Did you meet her?"
• Last Wednesday, I saw the text from Song Meiqian. Though I only saw part of it, it was obvious that it was not their first time contacting each other.
• However, I was in no position to question him. I could only mask my sadness and disappointment. However, now, this scent that Song Meiqian always used seemed to have shattered the rational front I had been putting on, I finally asked.
• He pulled out. His voice extremely monotonous, "Ning Jing, you've crossed the line."
• Right... For him, this marriage, in a better term, was an exchange of benefits . In a not so pleasant term, I was just a woman who prostituted herself for money. I was in no position to interfere his private life.
• As I endured an indescribable burst of pain from my guts, I pretended to unintentionally wipe the moisture from my eyes. Trying to sound indifferent, "Jinghao, I just want to remind you—although my dad and Song Meiqian are going through their divorce procedure, at least for now she's still your mother-in-law."
• Yes, I heard my father and Song Meiqian were getting a divorce. As for the reason, I did not know and I wasn’t interested.
• He chuckled, seeming like he didn’t care. He said rather sarcastically, "Thank you for your kind reminder."
• Right after he said that, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it on his waist, making his way to the bathroom.
• The moment the sound of running water came through, the cell phone he had conveniently thrown on to the bedside cabinet buzzed.
• I leaned over to take a look. The moment I did so, I was instantly stunned and couldn’t help but pressed the reject button.
• It was Song Meiqian.
• She could call him at 2 o'clock in the morning—one could very well imagine how far her and Cheng Jinghao's relationship had improved.
• I once thought that since she climbed on to my father's bed for money and betrayed Cheng Jinghao, Cheng Jinghao certainly would never forgive her.
• Right now, it seemed I was wrong again.
• I gazed at the ceiling, lost in my own thoughts. My chest felt achy and stuffy.
• He did not like it when I talked about feelings with him, so I obeyed him, sealing my lips and saying nothing. I only did my best to be a good wife.
• However, no matter what I did and no matter how much I tried, I was still in no way comparable to the woman who had once betrayed him.
• I curled up on the bed, massaging my abdomen which was hurting more and more. Waves of scorching pain struck me one wave after another. In just a while, my chest started to emit cold sweats.
• I crouched over my stomach and stood up in frustration. Just as I was about to look for some pills, Cheng Jinghao walked out of the bathroom.
• He walked towards the bed in a dark gray bathrobe. His belt was tied loosely, adding a slightly more laid-back, languid charm to him.
• As he toweled his wet hair with one hand, he cast a glance at me and frowned, "Stomachache?"
• Just as I was about to answer, his cell phone once again vibrated. I lowered my eyes, feeling rather nervous. It was most likely Song Meiqian again.
• He took the call after he glimpsed at the caller ID. His voice was flat, "Meiqian, what's wrong?"
• I immediately raised my head to look at him. I was incredulous that he would be so candid to answer his former girlfriend's call in the middle of the night, in my presence. He made no attempt to hide it from me at all, and he even straight out addressed her in such a dearly manner .
• It was unclear what Song Meiqian said, but he furrowed his brows. He spoke calmly in clarity, "Don't panic. I'll be there soon. Wait for me."
• He hung up, changed into a set of casual clothes and was about to leave.
• I helplessly grabbed his wrist, saying with a low voice, "It's already so late—can you please not go?"
• My tone sounded pathetic. Rather than asking, it was more appropriate to say I was begging.
• Begging him to let me, his wife, has a little bit of dignity.
• He said faintly, "I have something to attend to."
• I really could not stand this nonchalant attitude of his. A mixture of jealousy and sadness bursted through me. "What are you going to do? Don't you know why Song Meiqian climbed on to my dad's bed back then? Not long after you were promoted to be Dongcheng's chairman, she decided to come back and wrap you around her fingers..."
• He looked disdainfully at me from the corner of his eyes. His gaze was just like a hawk's. He then asked lightly, "Then what about you? In just four years, you have forgotten why you married me in the first place?"
• The meaning of his remarks was implicitly clear—both Song Meiqian and I were money-seekers, there was no difference between us.
• My heart was ruthlessly ripped apart. Violent waves of pain swept over me. I could no longer hold back my tears and they streamed down my cheeks. I said, "If you insist on going, I want a divorce."
• He would not divorce me. That was why I dared to threaten him like this.
• I could accept his indifference and distancing. I could even be magnanimous and back down if he was in love with someone else.
• But that someone must not be that vicious woman, Song Meiqian.
• My hate towards her was not only because she wrecked my family.
• Cheng Jinghao harshly pulled away his wrist, leaning over and warned in a gloomy voice, "Ning Jing, don't threaten me."