Qiao Nan's house seemed more ordinary than Su Xiaobai had imagined. There was no so-called cold gray color scheme, but the colors were indeed simple and elegant. The furniture was minimal, which made the space feel even more spacious, though every aspect of the layout was carefully designed.
Sitting on the gray sofa, the sensation of sinking into it immediately made Su Xiaobai feel much more relaxed, almost as though she were sitting on a cloud. The comfort of it completely removed any sense of awkwardness or unfamiliarity she might have felt during her first visit to someone else's home.
Qiao Nan brought over a cup of cappuccino. When she took it, she noticed it was warm. After sipping a small mouthful, the sweetness filled her mouth, and she felt a warmth spreading through her chest.
Qiao Nan sat on a side chair. The room was warm, and with the weather not yet cold enough to need the heater, Su Xiaobai had originally planned to leave after a short while. But just as she stepped inside, a sudden downpour made it impossible for her to leave right away.
It was as if the rain was against her, growing heavier and heavier. Starting as a downpour, it soon turned into a thunderstorm with lightning, making Su Xiaobai frown.
Qiao Nan seemed to sense her concern. He gave a light laugh and said, "This rain is really something. Just now, there weren't even any dark clouds, and now it's turned into such a big storm."
Su Xiaobai nodded in agreement. Taking another sip of the warm cappuccino, she said, "I was planning to sit for a bit and then leave, but now it seems like I'll be bothering you for a little while longer."
Qiao Nan asked if she was hungry, noting that it was almost noon, and they couldn't really go out to eat. He said, "If you don't mind, there are some frozen dumplings in the fridge. We can cook them and eat together."
Su Xiaobai, feeling a bit hungry herself, didn't bother pretending to be polite. She followed him into the kitchen. As she watched him take out a package of frozen dumplings from the fridge, still sealed, Su Xiaobai's sharp eyes noticed the label that said "shiitake mushroom and shrimp filling." Frowning, she snatched the package from his hands and, without caring whether it was a waste, threw it straight into the trash. She tugged at the corner of her mouth and explained, "You're allergic to seafood, right? These dumplings have shrimp in them, so you can't eat them."
Qiao Nan nodded but said, "The cleaning lady bought them for me. I didn't realize they were seafood. But you're not allergic, right? You can cook your own portion."
Su Xiaobai found a few eggs and a can of ham in the fridge, then noticed some unused dough in the storage box under the cupboard. She began to boil water and prepare the noodles.
She said, "I don't think it's fun eating dumplings alone. If we're having them, let's cook them together. Let's just make noodles, it's easier."
Su Xiaobai wasn't the type to avoid kitchen work. With some experience herself, she was quite comfortable in the kitchen. She chopped up the ham and briefly pan-fried it in a skillet, then fried two eggs. After cooking the noodles, she plated them, topping them with the fried eggs and ham, and added a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil. The two steaming bowls of noodles were ready.
After they finished eating, Su Xiaobai glanced at the rain outside. It looked like it wouldn't stop anytime soon, so she cleaned up the dishes and returned to the sofa.
Qiao Nan told her to relax, and he went back to his bedroom to handle some work documents. While eating, Su Xiaobai had noticed that although his face hadn't broken out from the allergy, the skin below his neck was still showing some red rashes, probably not fully healed. She opened the tube of chlorpheniramine ointment she had brought and headed toward his bedroom.
The bedroom window was closed to block the rain, and the curtains were drawn. A desk lamp was on, casting a soft orange glow across the room. The ambiance felt warm and intimate.
Su Xiaobai glanced at the double bed in the room, which was made with gray sheets. However, she didn't sit on it. She knew that sitting casually on someone else's bed, especially a man's bed, could send the wrong message, even if there was no ill intent.
Su Xiaobai walked closer to Qiao Nan, who was sitting down. When he noticed someone approaching, he looked up. Su Xiaobai had a feeling of looking down on him, but this feeling quickly disappeared, because although she needed to look up at him, he didn't seem in the least bit diminished by this. On the contrary, he exuded a calm and composed demeanor.
Perhaps it was this very quality that quickly extinguished the flare of confidence she had just experienced. The only thing that remained was a frown when she noticed the red rashes on his skin.
"Didn't you apply the medicine today?" she asked.
"I just took the medicine before you arrived," he replied. "The effect of the ointment isn't that great." He was mainly avoiding the trouble, and the rashes didn't itch. Compared to the past few days, they had already faded significantly, so Qiao Nan didn't pay much attention to them.
However, Su Xiaobai couldn't stand those red bumps. Just like when Qiao Nan had held her finger to stop her from biting it earlier, she now, almost in an order-like manner, told him to unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt. Her tone was casual, but there was an air of seriousness that left no room for refusal.
After a moment of hesitation, Qiao Nan lowered his gaze, yet still undid the top two buttons of his shirt. A small patch of pink rash appeared, which didn't seem particularly severe, but it was still widespread.
It seemed like she heard Su Xiaobai let out a soft "tsk," and she bit her lip as she squeezed a little chlorpheniramine ointment onto her fingertip. She carefully applied it to the red rashes.
Glancing further down, she saw that the rash extended further, so this time she didn't ask Qiao Nan to unbutton his shirt again. Instead, she took the initiative and unbuttoned two more of his buttons herself, only to discover that the rash had spread all the way down his chest, reaching near his belly button.
A wave of guilt washed over her. She hadn't known he was allergic to seafood, or else she would never have insisted that he eat that bowl of seafood porridge with so many shrimp.
This time, she squeezed out a generous amount of ointment and applied it with two fingers. She was very focused and serious as she did so, completely unashamed of her actions. Qiao Nan knew that it wasn't that she wasn't aware of the situation, but rather that she was so engrossed in the task that she had temporarily forgotten how intimate her actions might appear.
He waited, anticipating when she would realize this.
At first, Su Xiaobai didn't think too much of it, but men's bodies were different from women's. As her fingers touched the hard, firm muscles beneath his skin and the warmth of his body, the sensation was clearer than ever.
Su Xiaobai hesitated for a moment, but still forced herself to apply the ointment. This time, however, she did so much more quickly.
She didn't dare look up at him, because she knew her face must be bright red. Just from the warmth she felt on her own face, she could tell how flustered she was.
From Qiao Nan's point of view, he only saw her profile. Under the orange light, her flushed face appeared even more vivid. He also heard her muttering, "You should apply this medicine three times a day. I checked earlier, and the rash hasn't spread any further. It should clear up by the day after tomorrow. Oh, I know an old Chinese medicine doctor. He uses some unconventional remedies, but they're really effective. Maybe I should ask him to write a prescription and send it to you tonight... no, I'll send it tomorrow morning."
She then wondered whether sending it tonight might be seen as having another motive. Although she didn't deny that a small part of her wanted to see him again, the main reason she wanted to help him was because she felt responsible for his current condition. She thought of the old doctor who had written her prescriptions in that little alley.
Not hearing a response from Qiao Nan, Su Xiaobai wasn't sure what he was thinking. She glanced at him, only to find that he had been watching her the whole time. The amused smile at the corner of his mouth made her nervous.
Only then did she realize that her posture wasn't quite right. Since she had been applying the ointment, her whole arm was propped up on the table, and her body was leaning against it. With him standing right in front of her, if he wanted to, he could easily wrap an arm around her.
However, he didn't make any such move, which only made her feel like she was the one offering herself up. Su Xiaobai's face turned bright red again, and when the heat finally subsided, she nervously muttered, "It's my fault you ended up like this. I'm sorry. If I had known you were allergic to seafood, I wouldn't have forced you to eat that stuff."
When Qiao Nan saw her raise her hand again, preparing to bite her finger, he quickly grabbed her hand on that side and placed his palm over it, pressing down. The warmth of his hand against her hand was so intense that the contact felt even more nerve-wracking than a kiss.
Su Xiaobai heard him laugh, but there was an underlying hint of displeasure as he said, "Where did you pick up this bad habit of biting your fingers? I really should just chop off this hand and see if you can still nibble on it."
Su Xiaobai bit her cheek and glared at him with her big, watery eyes, somewhat annoyed. She then purposely said, "What's wrong with me biting my fingers? Is it really necessary to chop off my hand? You're being way too overbearing."
Qiao Nan grabbed her other hand and made her look at it more closely. "Look at what your finger has turned into. Take a good look at it."
It wasn't really that serious—just a bit of broken skin from her biting, and it was only on her index finger. Su Xiaobai shrugged it off and pulled her hand back.
"What's the point of having a nice-looking finger? The boss isn't going to give me a raise just because of it. Besides, in a few days when the skin grows back, the finger will look the same as before."
"This habit is not good. You need to quit it," Qiao Nan said with a somewhat serious tone, making it sound like advice. Su Xiaobai rolled her eyes at him, but deep down, she found his way of caring for her a little endearing. Honestly, she couldn't explain why, but she had the strange feeling that the more he scolded her or gave her advice, the more something inside her seemed to fill up.
She casually asked, without much emotional weight, "Do you live alone in such a big place? Don't you have a girlfriend?"
To be honest, Su Xiaobai wasn't sure whether Qiao Nan had a girlfriend. She only knew that he wasn't married, and his situation was too complicated for her to ask Fang Cheng about, so she just asked him directly.
She expected him to quickly deny it, but instead, Qiao Nan only gave a slight smile and didn't directly answer her. This made Su Xiaobai feel disappointed and a little sulky. She shifted her gaze away and didn't ask any further.
Su Xiaobai realized she had been a little too familiar with him, and the ambiguous nature of their relationship made her feel somewhat defeated. In a hurry, she pulled her hand back from under his, turned around, and moved away from him. Glancing out the window, she casually remarked, "The rain seems to have eased up a bit. I should probably head back."
Qiao Nan didn't try to stop her but said he would escort her downstairs. As they were about to leave, she reminded him that she would bring the medicine over in the morning. Then, she looked at him for a moment, seemingly conflicted, wanting to tell him that she was going to divorce him, but the words never left her lips.
She even refused when he offered to escort her downstairs, almost running out of his place.
Once outside, she immediately regretted her actions. She felt like she had lost control of herself, though she couldn't quite pinpoint the source of the unease in her heart.
This man was so elusive. She didn't have the confidence to hold on to him, but at the same time, she couldn't help but want to get closer to him. What troubled her even more was not wanting to approach him while still being married. Su Xiaobai let out a long sigh, tightened her grip on the steering wheel, and turned the car around.
It wasn't until her car disappeared from his line of sight that Qiao Nan finally left the window. He lit a cigarette and sat down on the sofa, staring at a medicine bottle across from him. His gaze darkened, and only a red spark from the lit cigarette remained in his pupils.
At 6:30 PM, Fang Cheng arrived at the law office where he had agreed to meet Su Xiaobai. She had come half an hour early. Once both of them were present, the lawyer nodded at them and motioned for them to sit at the table. He then unfolded a document for each of them—official, complete divorce papers.
Regarding their shared assets and some financial matters, Su Xiaobai had specifically sought help from this law firm to draft a document.
In fact, Su Xiaobai didn't plan to claim much property from Fang Cheng. She just wanted to keep the car she bought later and some of her personal belongings. As for the house, it was originally purchased by the Fang family, so she didn't care about it at all.
Initially, Fang Cheng had intended to leave the house to her, but unexpectedly, Su Xiaobai firmly rejected that offer. Apart from the car and a few personal items, she was essentially leaving with nothing, just as she came. She was truly leaving with nothing but what she had.
Fang Cheng didn't insist any further. He quickly signed the divorce agreement. Once she saw him finally agreeing to sign, Su Xiaobai felt a weight lift off her shoulders. At that moment, she was truly free of any ties to Fang Cheng. Once she signed, she would be completely free from him.
A surge of excitement filled her chest. She picked up the pen from the table and was about to sign when suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her temple, as though her head might split open. Su Xiaobai couldn't help but drop the pen in her hand and pressed her temples with both hands. Her upper body leaned against the table, and within moments, a layer of cold sweat covered her forehead.
Seeing her in this state, Fang Cheng was startled. He hurriedly pressed her back and frowned. "What's going on?"
Su Xiaobai didn't answer. When Lawyer Shao handed her a cup of warm water, she said, "Thank you," and drank several mouthfuls, feeling a bit better. But no one noticed that the expression on Su Xiaobai's face, hidden beneath her lowered head, was one of irritation and anger.
How could Su Bai still want to stop her at a time like this? Su Xiaobai had worked so hard to make this decision for her, but not only did she not appreciate it, she was trying to disrupt things at the critical moment. Could Su Xiaobai not be angry?
"Whether you regret it or not, I, Su Xiaobai, will never regret my decision." She gripped the pen tightly, signing her name with so much force that every stroke seemed to carry extra meaning. After signing, Su Xiaobai immediately stood up, placed the agreement in her bag, and told Fang Cheng that she would meet him at the Civil Affairs Bureau in the morning before quickly leaving the law office.
As soon as she was downstairs, Su Xiaobai started breathing heavily. Not only was her forehead sweating, but even her back was covered in cold sweat. Though the pain in her head had subsided, it still throbbed faintly. She knew it was Su Bai trying to resist her, trying to regain control. But Su Xiaobai wouldn't let her. She had waited so long for this divorce day. If Su Bai were to come out now, she would immediately rip up the divorce agreement. For this reason, Su Xiaobai would rather endure the severe mental pain than let Su Bai interfere.
She endured the discomfort and returned to her car, tightening her grip on the bag containing the agreement. A victorious smile appeared on her face. "This is the life you chose to give up. I told you, if you kept avoiding this, don't blame me for making irreversible decisions."
Everything went just as Su Xiaobai had planned. The next morning, the two of them went to the Civil Affairs Bureau with the necessary documents and completed the divorce procedures. Finally, the marriage that should never have happened was over.
Su Bai made a mistake in the past, but what Su Xiaobai was doing now was right.
Fang Cheng watched Su Bai's back as she walked farther away. For a moment, he almost wanted to run after her and grab her, but he didn't. There was a fleeting feeling of regret, though it seemed more like an unwillingness to admit he was the failure in this marriage.
At almost the same time, their phones rang. It was a call from Su Bai's uncle. Her uncle was just an ordinary university professor, but although Su Bai's mother had passed away early, her uncle had always been very close to Su Bai's family, especially to Su Bai, whom he treated like his own daughter.
Su Xiaobai hadn't seen her uncle in a long time and wasn't sure how to begin the conversation when she suddenly heard a somewhat anxious voice from an older man on the other end of the line. "Su Bai, you need to come to the hospital right now."