Xu Zhiyin was waiting to see what Chuxia would end up with but didn't expect her to talk about it openly in front of the elderly.
Madam Xu asked Xu Zhiyin with uncertainties, "Is what she said true?"
Xu Zhiyin couldn't deny. It was the truth. She nodded. "Yes."
"How can both of you be like this?" Madam Xu was in pain, "You were married for three years and had never spent one night together?"
Xu Zhiyin lowered her head. She couldn't do anything. She and Ji Liunian had been in this kind of relationship. Sometimes when they met, they would have lunch or dinner together but had a tacit understanding not to address their problem.
She, as a woman, could not beg Ji Liunian to be nice to her, could she?
She knew Chuxia didn't want her and Ji Liunian to get back together and she had also decided to end her relationship with Ji Liunian. Hence, everything was fine with her.
However, when she saw Chuxia telling her family members all this, Xu Zhiyin felt ashamed.
She looked like a failure!
Ji Liunian saw that Xu Zhiyin was keeping quiet and felt guilty. He stood up for her. "It's my problem and this has nothing to do with Zhiyin. It's me who can't forget Chuxia. I've been waiting for Chuxia to return these three years… I've wronged Zhiyin. So, I don't wish to hold her back anymore. Now that Zhiyin has a new target, she will live a better life than she is by my side…"
***
"Xu Zhiyin, come out!" Just as Zhiyin was about to sleep, she heard Madam Xu's voice. She was knocking on the door while calling out.
It was late at night and her mother's voice sounded loud.
After dinner, Ji Liunian brought Chuxia back. Although Mr. Ji and Madam Ji were not happy about the incident, it was impossible for them to lecture their son in the Xu family.
Moreover, what Ji Liunian said made them feel they have wronged Zhiyin and could not get themselves to continue talking about their remarriage.
When Madam Xu went out to see Mr. Ji and Madam Ji off, Xu Zhiyin hid in her room, with the intention to take a shower and sleep.
Who knew, Madam Xu had thought about the matter for a good while and came to look for her when she couldn't figure out anything.
She came down from her bed to open the door and saw her mother standing at the door.
Madam Xu looked young. Although she was in her fifties, she was fashionable and didn't look old.
"Mother." Xu Zhiyin braced herself to call her. She had a feeling she was going to be scolded.
"What's with you having someone else outside?" Madam Xu couldn't reason out what had happened tonight. Each word uttered by Ji Liunian had been put to heart by her.
"That's what it is." Although there wasn't such person, if Xu Zhiyin admitted here, her mother was sure to inform the Ji family.
"Is there a better man than Ji Liunian in this world? What are you thinking? You don't want Ji Liunian by your side, what do you want?" Since she knew Xu Zhiyin divorced, Madam Xu had never had a good night's sleep. She was just discharged today, and was driven up the wall by Chuxia at night.
"Didn't you hear? There's no love between me and Ji Liunian. He doesn't love me. We have never slept together for three years. Your daughter has been a grass widow all this while. Do you want to force me to be with him? You're right, I've found another man and he may not come from a wealthy family but he'll be nice to me. Isn't this enough?"
"Do you think you can find such a person?" Madam Xu pushed her head slightly, "Are you still a girl now? Even if you've never slept with Ji Liunian, what would others think of you? You're still a divorcee. My heart is aching! Nowadays, when I go out, everyone treats me as a laughing stock. Do you know how great an effect your divorce has on our family?"
"You don't really care about your daughter." Xu Zhiyin twitched her mouth.
Madam Xu took a look at her silently, "Of course I care about you. Bring that man to see me. I'll discuss this matter with you after that."
"…" Xu Zhiyin looked at her mother silently, "Your attitude changes too quickly. Didn't you just disagree on our divorce? Now, you're asking me to bring the man to see you?"
This was the rhythm of examining a son-in-law.
The main point was there wasn't such person. Where could she find a man to bring home?
"Unless I'm satisfied with the man you bring home, you'll have to snatch Ji Liunian back." Madam Xu said furiously. "Chuxia came to snatch him. Can you still endure that?"
"Ji Liunian is not even mine. How could she snatch?" All this while, the man's heart was never with her and had always belonged to Chuxia.
She knew her own limitations and would not fight with Chuxia over a man.
If she were to do that, she would embarrass herself.
"I don't care."
"Mother, you're unreasonable." Xu Zhiyin protested, "You've affirmed Ji Liunian. Whichever man I bring home will be unable to satisfy you!"
A man who had a good family background and was as handsome, capable, and obedient as Ji Liunian…
With Ji Liunian as comparison, whichever man she brought home would be chased out of their house.
"Since you know this, go and snatch Ji Liunian back." Madam Xu exhorted, "No matter how good Chuxia is, she had eloped with a man once and she's not clean anymore. Although Ji Liunian had been seduced, he would realize one day. How can you give up so easily?"
Xu Zhiyin gave in as she couldn't deal with her mother's nagging. She said, "Alright, I'll go and look for him tomorrow."
She knew if she didn't agree, her mother might give her a hard time sleeping tonight.
Who knew, her mother was more extreme, "Go now."
"Now? Mother, it's very late!"
"Who says it's late? It's only ten something. When you had to work overtime, didn't you come home at this hour too? Time should be no object in seeing your husband.
"I…" Xu Zhiyin couldn't believe she was chased out of the house by her mother at this hour.
Furthermore, it began to rain heavily when she was outside.
She stood by the road in the rain and felt that her mother was too heartless.
There were no more public transports at this hour and she could only try to hail a taxi. She tried several times but to no avail.
Pitter-patter, the rain was falling and Xu Zhiyin was aggrieved to the peak.
Who on earth had a crazy mother like hers?
Although her mother was doing this for her sake, they had divorced! How could she force her to look for Ji Liunian? She was too much!
In the heavy rain, the whole surrounding became hazy. Xu Zhiyin rubbed her shoulders and was anxious. She had forgotten to wear another layer of outer coat. Although it was summer, it was cold since it was raining heavily.
Her legs were sore from standing but the taxi was not here. So, she sat down on the chair beside…
It was late and raining. Even if she wished to ask someone to pick her up, she couldn't.
She planned to just wait for a bit and sneak back home quietly to sleep.
After a while, a car stopped by the road.
One car, two cars, three cars… a whole fleet of cars was here!
Under the street lamp, more than ten cars stopped in a row, filling up the whole street.