Volume One, Chapter 55: Shattered Defenses

"No need."

Seeing that Pei Jingmo merely turned off his phone without blocking the caller, Song Qingyu's mood worsened.

Even though their marriage was merely a contract, she still regarded him as her husband, so she asked, "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No," Pei Jingmo replied, placing the vitamins Song Qingyu took on the table. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

Fine then, if he's fine, there's nothing more to say.

Song Qingyu didn't press further. Throughout the weekend, she heard Pei Jingmo's phone ring from time to time. Occasionally, he would answer, but most often, he ignored the calls.

On Sunday afternoon, Song Qingyu received a video from an unfamiliar number. In the footage, Pei Jingmo was entangled with a strange woman, and in the end, he left with her. The timestamp on the video matched the time of the celebration banquet.

So, when he said he had something to attend to, he was with another woman.

A wave of déjà vu swept over her, filling Song Qingyu's heart with overwhelming panic and rage.

She couldn't understand why she felt this way. Rationally, Pei Jingmo was just a husband she'd hired; she shouldn't be feeling these emotions.

Was it because Pei Jingmo had told her he didn't have a girlfriend, but was now evidently lying?

"Qingyu, I don't know what Pei Jingmo told you that made you trust him so much, but appearances can be deceiving. I don't want you to be fooled by him again."

"The video was shot by Meng Yucheng himself. If you don't believe it, you can investigate; there's no editing or manipulation."

"The woman is called Zhu Yanyan. Pei Jingmo has been spending a lot of time with her lately."

Song Qingyu had already blocked all of Chu Xingzhi's contacts, but he had used a new number to send her this message.

So, Chu Xingzhi had seen the video that night, but when he came to her, he said nothing. He waited until today to tell her.

Was it genuine concern, or was he just enjoying the spectacle?

Song Qingyu blocked him again and pretended nothing had happened, going about her work as usual.

But she never expected to see the woman from the video the very next day.

After work, as she was about to hail a cab home, a woman suddenly blocked her path.

Song Qingyu stepped left to make way, but the woman mirrored her movement.

She stepped right, and the woman did the same.

After a few rounds, Song Qingyu realized it was no coincidence. She finally looked at the woman's face.

She met the woman's challenging gaze.

"Miss Song, shall we find a place to sit?"

The video had been blurry, but Song Qingyu instantly recognized the woman before her—it was the girl who had been tangled up with Pei Jingmo outside the bar.

She must also be the girl Pei Jingmo had been calling previously.

"What is it?"

"It's about your husband."

Song Qingyu took a deep breath. "Fine."

They went to a café. Zhu Yanyan ordered a cappuccino without asking what Song Qingyu wanted, and Song Qingyu said nothing.

Once the coffee arrived, Zhu Yanyan took a sip and grimaced. "Tsk, no matter how many times I drink this, it tastes terrible. I wonder why you people like coffee so much. Do you have masochistic tendencies?"

Her words were laced with barbs.

Song Qingyu's expression remained serene. "What do you want to say?"

Zhu Yanyan put down her cup, staring straight at Song Qingyu. "Why did you marry Jingmo?"

Song Qingyu replied with a question, "Isn't marriage always for the same reasons?"

"Heh... Don't tell me you married him because you love him."

A tremor ran through Song Qingyu's heart. "Why not?"

"Ha..." Zhu Yanyan laughed mercilessly. "Don't be ridiculous. A rich heiress falling for a penniless worker? You just married him out of anger because your fiancé cheated on you."

Uncertain of the woman's intentions, Song Qingyu shrugged. "If that's what you think, there's nothing I can do about it."

Song Qingyu's indifference annoyed Zhu Yanyan even more.

"Hmph, do you know why Jingmo married you?"

For money, Song Qingyu thought.

"And what do you think?"

"Of course, for money. Jingmo would never care about you—he only cares about me."

Song Qingyu nodded. "Is that so? Then why didn't he marry you?"

"Because he's afraid to see me!"

Song Qingyu was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

Zhu Yanyan smiled mysteriously. "It's none of your concern. Just know that Jingmo and I are deeply bound together—no one can come between us."

Song Qingyu remained silent.

"What, you don't believe me? Let's make a bet. This Saturday, let's both ask Jingmo out and see who he chooses to be with."

Song Qingyu rose, looking down at her. "I'm not interested in your childish bet. Play your games alone."

"You're afraid you'll lose to me, aren't you?"

Her confidence made Song Qingyu seem uncertain.

Without another word, Song Qingyu left.

Yet Zhu Yanyan's words left a deep mark on her heart.

A week passed swiftly. This week, Pei Jingmo was incredibly busy.

Sometimes, they wouldn't see each other all day.

He would leave before she went to work in the morning, and return only after she was asleep at night.

On Friday night, Song Qingyu suffered from insomnia, her mind filled with Zhu Yanyan's words.

On Saturday, seeing Pei Jingmo dressed in black making breakfast in the kitchen, Song Qingyu hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "Do you have time today? I want—"

Before she could finish, his phone chimed with a message. He glanced at it, slipped it into his pocket, and walked over to her. "What were you going to say?"

Song Qingyu steeled herself. "We haven't gone out in a while. I want to visit the aquarium. Can you come with me?"

Thump-thump-thump—

Song Qingyu could hear her own frantic heartbeat. To her surprise, she felt a surge of anticipation.

Given Pei Jingmo's usual accommodating manner, she never would have doubted him before.

He would certainly accompany her—at least, that's what she used to believe.

But now—

She wasn't sure.

Pei Jingmo seemed surprised by her request, pausing for a moment.

But in the end, he said, "Can we go tomorrow?"

Song Qingyu's heart sank. "Not today?"

"Mm, something urgent came up."

"Alright, then. You go ahead."

Song Qingyu closed her bedroom door and leaned against it, hand pressed to her chest—

She didn't know why, but it hurt.

Then again, perhaps Pei Jingmo really did have urgent business today.

She knew how he'd treated her lately.

If all that care was an act, Pei Jingmo's performance was truly masterful.

Hearing the sound of the closing door, Song Qingyu knew Pei Jingmo had left.

She went to the game room and played for a while. Suddenly, her phone rang.

A photo came from Zhu Yanyan.

In the picture, Zhu Yanyan flashed a victory sign at the camera, and behind her, Pei Jingmo stood, turned to the side—