Ling Chuxia stood still in a daze for a long moment until the honking of a car brought her back to reality.
It turned out she was standing in the middle of the road, blocking the car's path. She quickly stepped back several paces to the side of the road to let the car pass.
It was around three or four in the afternoon, the time when the sun was at its fiercest. The summers in Liang City were always hot and dry, and now the sun hung high in the sky, scorching the earth with its rays.
Ling Chuxia slightly raised her head to gaze at the horizon. The sunlight pierced into her pupils, making her squint in discomfort. She raised her hand to block the sun, and unexpectedly, touched something wet. She paused, wiped the corner of her eye, and found her hand wet.
In those three years of marriage, Ling Chuxia wasn't entirely unaffected by Shi Che's harsh words, after all, she was a human, not a machine.
Moreover, before they got married and even in the first few months afterward, Shi Che had always treated her quite well.
Shi Che's sudden coldness and violent outbursts had hurt her. The first time Shi Che lost his temper with her, she locked herself in her room and sobbed uncontrollably.
During that period, she didn't know how she managed to endure it. She only knew that she wanted to be a good wife to Shi Che and hold on to her position as his wife, thinking it was her duty to endure all that Shi Che threw at her, even his violent temper.
Gradually, through Shi Che's repeated outbursts, she moved from fear to numbness.
Shi Che had said many hurtful and cutting words to her. She thought she had grown used to them, that she'd become impervious to them, but now, she still found herself feeling sad.
She worked so hard, holding on to this position with such difficulty, all so that one day, when her elder sister returned, she could give the position back to her elder sister, allowing Shi Che to be with her.
Wasn't everything she did for them?
Why... did Shi Che treat her this way?
—
The car sped along, and the temperature inside the cabin dropped to freezing point.
Old Zhu glanced at Shi Che's expression through the rearview mirror, involuntarily shivering. He didn't want to speak to Shi Che at such a moment.
However, where Ling Chuxia got off was not a bustling area but a slightly remote road. Leaving the Young Madam alone in such a place was dangerous, and moreover, he noticed that the Young Madam didn't take her bag when she got off the car.
Old Zhu stole glances at Shi Che several times, opening his mouth multiple times, but the words just wouldn't come out. Yet, thinking of the Young Madam now standing alone by the roadside, helpless and isolated, he gritted his teeth and slowly spoke, "Young Master..."