Chapter 6: Shouldn’t Have Argued With Her, Should’ve Changed Husbands Instead  

Curator Chen’s phone rang. She answered the call, her expression turning complicated as she glanced at Lu Zhenzhu. After hanging up, she waved over a staff member to remove *Metamorphosis* from the exhibit.  

“Miss Lu, your painting has been accused of plagiarism. To avoid affecting the exhibition, I have no choice but to take it down for now.”  

“I believe you didn’t copy anyone, but until you can prove your innocence, I’ll reserve a spot for your work in the next exhibition.”  

Lu Zhenzhu thanked Curator Chen. The moment she stepped out of the venue, Yu Tang called.  

“Zhenzhu, Jiang Sesè is live-streaming right now, accusing you of plagiarizing her work. She says if you don’t issue a public apology, the Gu Corporation will sue you.”  

Yu Tang, scrolling through Jiang Sesè’s livestream on her tablet, abruptly stood up. “Zhenzhu, the Gu Corporation’s official account just publicly tagged you, demanding an apology—or else they’ll send you a lawyer’s letter!”  

Lu Zhenzhu clenched her phone tightly.  

Jiang Sesè was twisting the truth, and Gu Huai was enabling her.  

He knew full well that *Metamorphosis* was a piece she had poured her heart and soul into.  

She had even shown him the early drafts while working on it, asking for his opinion.  

When she sought Curator Chen’s help to exhibit her painting, Gu Huai had instead funded a solo exhibition for Jiang Sesè.  

Now they wanted to sue her?  

A cold fury settled over Lu Zhenzhu’s face.  

She had evidence. Let’s see how Jiang Sesè could win.  

After hanging up with Yu Tang, Lu Zhenzhu drove straight home and rushed to her studio on the third floor.  

The door was slightly ajar—her instincts screamed warning. She pushed it open urgently, only for flames to leap into her vision. Her eyes widened in horror as she lunged forward, desperate to save her drafts.  

Jiang Sesè, spotting her approach, tossed the remaining sketches into the fire.  

“No!” Lu Zhenzhu’s voice cracked as she dropped to her knees, thrusting her hands into the flames to retrieve them. But the fire consumed the papers too quickly—she could only watch helplessly as they turned to ash.  

Ignoring the searing pain in her fingers, she glared up in rage.  

Jiang Sesè sighed dramatically, looking down at the smoldering remains. “Oh dear, Sister, you’re just a step too late. Now you’ll have to apologize to me publicly.”  

A smug grin spread across her face, dripping with provocation.  

“A plagiarist painter will never rise again.”  

Lu Zhenzhu trembled with fury. Her evidence was gone—her chance to clear her name, destroyed.  

The woman before her reveled in her victory. Unable to hold back, Lu Zhenzhu raised her hand and slapped Jiang Sesè across the face.  

Jiang Sesè’s eyes darkened with malice—until she caught sight of the man at the doorway. Instantly, she covered her cheek and burst into pitiful sobs.  

“Sister, I just wanted to admire your paintings and learn from them… I saw some scrap paper and thought I’d help burn it… Why would you hit me…?”  

Her act flipped faster than a page. Lu Zhenzhu felt an icy gaze pierce her back and understood immediately.  

Jiang Sesè, tears streaming, stumbled toward Gu Huai.  

“Ah Huai, my face hurts so much…”  

A red handprint bloomed on her cheek. Gu Huai’s expression darkened. “Apologize.”  

“Why should I?” Lu Zhenzhu turned, her voice sharp. “Did you let her into my studio?”  

“Can’t she come to see your paintings?” Gu Huai’s brows furrowed in displeasure.  

“She burned all my drafts!” Lu Zhenzhu snapped.  

Jiang Sesè sniffled weakly. “I only burned the drafts…”  

Lu Zhenzhu’s gaze fell on the box on the floor—the one that had held the sketches for *Metamorphosis*.  

Her voice turned razor-sharp. “Drafts don’t go in boxes. And even if they were drafts, they were *mine*. You had no right to touch them without my permission.”  

Jiang Sesè shrank back, feigning fear, and lowered her head in silence.

Gu Huai frowned, shielding her behind him. “Just worthless paper. Apologize.”

His tone hardened, showing signs of rising anger.

Her sketches were worthless paper.

Lu Zhenzhu’s heart ached as if being torn apart.

Seeing his protective stance, she sneered, “Now you want an apology for slapping her? What about her plagiarizing my work—should she make a public apology for that too?”

Gu Huai’s brows furrowed deeper. “You copied her. Se Se only asked you to apologize—that’s already generous.”

“Stop targeting Se Se.”

Was she supposed to be grateful Jiang Sesè was being so forgiving?

The first draft of *Metamorphosis*—he had seen it with his own eyes, yet he still sided with Jiang Sesè.

The woman shielded behind him flashed a triumphant, mocking smile at her, unbearably grating.

The pain in Lu Zhenzhu’s palm intensified as she stared at Gu Huai’s familiar face, her disappointment bottomless.

Time and again, whenever it involved Jiang Sesè, he took her side without even asking questions.

Lu Zhenzhu refused to believe he was a fool. He knew the truth—yet he still chose Jiang Sesè.

It was favoritism.

She was the legal wife, but without Gu Huai’s partiality, Jiang Sesè wouldn’t dare act so brazenly.

Her mother’s keepsakes were just “dead people’s things” in his eyes. The sketches she treasured were nothing but scrap paper to him.

Disappointment mingled with fury, leaving Lu Zhenzhu exhausted. She raised her hand and, without hesitation, slapped Gu Huai, her voice icy.

“I shouldn’t target her. I should replace *you*.”

“If you love taking care of her so much, marry her and pamper her all you want. I’ll step aside.”

A glint of victory flashed in Jiang Sesè’s eyes.

“Sister, I’m the one who did wrong. If you want to hit someone, hit me—not A Huai.”

Her voice dripped with concern. “A Huai, does it hurt? Let’s go downstairs and ice your face.”

Gu Huai brushed her hand away, his expression dark as he pulled Lu Zhenzhu back before she could leave, dragging her into their room.

Jiang Sesè stamped her foot in frustration.

“What’s this tantrum about now?” Once inside, Gu Huai pinned her against the door, gripping her chin with one hand, displeasure practically oozing from his gaze.

“You’re my wife. That will never change.”

“A Zhu, I don’t want to hear another word about divorce. Don’t make me unhappy.”

Before she could respond, he bent down and bit her lip, only releasing her when he drew blood, then wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Be good, hm?”

Lu Zhenzhu touched her bleeding lip and listened to his tone, wanting only to laugh bitterly.

She wasn’t a pet.

“Gu Huai, I’m not joking,” she said flatly, meeting his gaze. “You shield her at every turn—*she’s* the one who seems like your wife. Let’s divorce. I don’t want your money.”

“Jealous?” Gu Huai traced her lips with his thumb, his touch teasing, a low chuckle rumbling in his throat.

On his handsome face, the gesture wasn’t sleazy—yet Lu Zhenzhu felt nauseated.

Her seriousness meant nothing to him.

She pushed his hand away, her expression stern. “Not jealousy. I’m serious.”

His face instantly cooled as he forced her averted gaze back to his. “Over something this trivial?”

Lu Zhenzhu held his stare. “If you want this resolved, fine. You’ve seen my *Metamorphosis* drafts—publicly testify that I didn’t plagiarize.”

“A Zhu, apologize to Se Se openly, and I’ll compensate you.”

He refused to vouch for her.

The answer was expected, yet Lu Zhenzhu’s heart still ached with pain. She dug her nails into her palms. “You know she plagiarized me, yet you still want to protect her at all costs? If a painter admits to plagiarism, their career is ruined in an instant. Gu Huai, even if I’m pointed at and called a plagiarism dog in the future, do you still want me to swallow my pride and make way for Jiang Sesè?”