Chapter 77: Chen Xue Seeks Credit

Lu Zhixing stared at her, stunned. He instinctively took a step forward, his voice weak and trembling, almost inaudible through his choked sobs:
“Yunshu…”

I didn’t hear it, I didn’t hear it. If that bastard Lin Cuiping sees me talking to him, I’ll never live it down…

Xie Yunshu quickened her steps toward the stairwell. She was already divorced from Lu Zhixing, and he had already slept with Zhou Xinyue. To her, an ex-husband should be as good as dead—he had no business showing up to disgust her again.

“Zhou Xinyue attempted suicide by taking pills…”

Lu Zhixing blurted it out anxiously, trying to explain. As soon as he said it, Xie Yunshu’s steps came to an abrupt halt.

She frowned slightly and turned around. Her beautiful, dark eyes looked straight at Lu Zhixing. In the sudden light that flickered in his eyes, she asked coldly:
“Did she die?”

Lu Zhixing froze, apparently not expecting her to say something like that. He started to reach for her hand, but stopped mid-air. With difficulty, he tried to explain in a low voice:
“What happened that night… I was framed, I didn’t do it willingly! Yunshu, please believe me. If Zhou Xinyue hadn’t caused a scene and ended up in the hospital, I wouldn’t have registered the marriage with her!”

So they were already married. Xie Yunshu wasn’t surprised at all. She sneered sarcastically:
“You already slept together. If you didn’t get the certificate, wouldn’t that just make you a scumbag?”

Lu Zhixing frowned deeply, a mix of anticipation and anxiety in his voice:
“You still care about me, don’t you? I know I wronged you, but it wasn’t voluntary! Yunshu, just give me some time—please wait for me, okay?”

Xie Yunshu felt as though she was meeting this man for the first time. The cool, aloof doctor she remembered had shed his calm façade, revealing himself as foolish and shameless. Snowflakes laced with chill fell on her, and suddenly she felt that even Lin Cuiping’s mockery was justified…

“You still want to tell me you were innocent with Zhou Xinyue? Or are you going to pretend you never noticed how she felt about you?” Xie Yunshu stepped back, her gaze as cold as the snow outside.
“Lu Zhixing, you’re pathetic. I’d rather you just admit you’re a jerk. At least I’d have some respect for that.”

Did he really not know Zhou Xinyue’s feelings for him?

Lu Zhixing couldn’t meet Xie Yunshu’s clear gaze anymore. He looked away in embarrassment, his voice filled with regret:
“But I know I was wrong. Yunshu, I really know I was wrong! If you hadn’t been so firm about the divorce, I wouldn’t have slept with Zhou Xinyue. I wouldn’t have married her.”

Xie Yunshu actually laughed in disbelief:
“So what, you came today to scold me for being too firm? Lu Zhixing, get lost!”

“No! I came to ask for your forgiveness!” Lu Zhixing looked up in panic and quickly said:
“Yunshu, I agreed to the divorce because I thought it would help you feel better. I didn’t expect things to turn out this way. No matter what, the person in my heart is still you. I swear I’ll never touch Zhou Xinyue again! Please wait for me. I’ll divorce her and then come back to marry you…”

Slap!

Xie Yunshu slapped him with full force, his face snapping to the side. His eyes turned red, but he actually smiled:
“That made you feel better, didn’t it? As long as you’re willing to forgive me, willing to wait for me, I don’t care what you do. You can even hit me.”

Suddenly feeling weary, Xie Yunshu let out a long sigh. Love turned to hate, but she didn’t want to waste another ounce of emotion on Lu Zhixing.

“I thought I made myself clear when we got divorced. Whether you slept with Zhou Xinyue or got married means nothing to me.” Her voice was colder than the snow outside.
“Lu Zhixing, to be honest, every time you show up, I just feel nauseated. Is that clear enough?”

After saying that, Xie Yunshu glanced in disgust at the hand she had just used to slap him and completely hardened her expression:
“Get lost.”

The cold, damp night wind cut through every crack like ice. Lu Zhixing stood frozen, his face paler than the falling snow. It was a long while before he finally turned and left.

Back home, Xie Yunshu rubbed her hands and pinched her ears:
“It’s actually snowing—it’s freezing outside! Tomorrow I’m going to the department store to buy a down jacket. I heard they even have imported brands—supposed to be really warm!”

Xie Mingcheng was reading and didn’t even look up:
“I don’t want one. My clothes are still fine.”

“Your wrists are half exposed, and you call that fine?” Xie Yunshu gave him a sidelong glance.
“Your sister has money now, so stop trying to save for me! I’ve already started saving for your college tuition. You can earn your own money when it’s time to get married.”

Most of Xie Mingcheng’s clothes were inherited from their late father. Their family was truly poor—even affording school and food was a challenge. He had grown quickly, and most of his clothes no longer fit.

Xie Mingcheng’s handsome face turned slightly red. In front of his sister, he was still just a young boy.
“Jie, what are you talking about?”

At eighteen, he understood everything. But all his thoughts were focused on studying. In this budding age of youth, he hadn’t paid special attention to any girl. He just wanted to grow up quickly and take the burden off his sister.

Song Fenlan cheerfully carried the hot pot from the stove:
“Kids need new clothes for the New Year! Tomorrow you two go together—each of you get a jacket. I don’t need one. Last year’s coat is still good. What kind of adult wears new clothes every year? I’d be laughed at.”

Xie Yunshu sat on a small stool serving rice. She didn’t say anything, but she silently calculated. A down jacket would cost 70 or 80 yuan, and imported ones were even more expensive. She had made some money recently selling boxed lunches, but just enough to cover the jackets.

Still, she had 8,000 yuan in savings—a small fortune she hadn’t touched. That was her nest egg for buying a house. Although Song Fenlan loved their old building, Xie Yunshu knew her mother said that just to avoid putting pressure on her.

Who wouldn’t want to live in a big house if they had the money? Even when she and Lu Zhixing moved into the family housing at Haicheng Hospital, the Lu family acted like she had gotten an enormous benefit. Lu Zhixing never said anything, but his attitude was always one of superiority.

At Haicheng’s family housing unit, Zhou Xinyue looked around the empty house and felt an urge to smash something. But there was nothing to smash! Even though she and Lu Zhixing were married and had the certificate, his attitude toward her had soured dramatically. In the past, she only had to shed a few tears and he would do anything for her. Now, he didn’t even come home!

Outside, Chen Xue knocked and entered. She was here to take credit. Since Zhou Xinyue had married Lu Zhixing, she figured she’d better start saying some good things about her man. After all, there was a big difference in pay between an ordinary doctor and a chief physician. If Lu Zhixing got promoted, wouldn’t Zhang Qingshan rise with him?

But what she didn’t expect was for Zhou Xinyue to immediately turn cold and scold her:
“Chen Xue, what the hell happened that day? You promised to bring Lu Xueting, and instead you let Xie Yunshu’s friend come in yelling and making a scene. Did you do that on purpose? Just can’t stand to see me happy, huh?”