Su Qi’s eyes were tinged with sarcasm, yet she still managed a strained smile. “Lin Yun, you’re just as beautiful as you are on screen. It’s my honor to meet a double award-winning actress in person. Mr. Huo has excellent taste.”
Huo Tingyun had just entered and heard Su Qi’s smiling words.
“Su Qi is quite magnanimous. I thought her love for you was so crazy that she’d refuse to divorce, perhaps crying, making a scene, or even threatening self-harm. I didn’t expect her to agree to the divorce so readily, saving us a lot of trouble.”
Qin Xue followed Huo Tingyun into the room, and Su Qi’s words also reached her ears.
She glanced in Su Qi’s direction.
Su Qi smiled brilliantly, as if she hadn’t become a discarded wife of a wealthy family, but rather had escaped a sea of suffering.
Qin Xue sighed, “She must have something special to be favored by the old master. It’s a pity about her humble origins. Even if she weren’t the adopted daughter of the Su family, she wouldn’t be worthy of the Huo family’s status.”
Qin Xue was very pleased with Xu Lin Yun as her daughter-in-law.
She thought Huo Tingyun would appreciate her praise for Xu Lin Yun, but to her surprise, her son walked towards Su Qi before she could finish speaking.
Su Qi had noticed Huo Tingyun as soon as he entered.
Before Huo Tingyun could get closer, Su Qi stood up, smiling gently.
“I’ll go help in the kitchen. You two chat.”
She was tactful, not wanting to invite trouble, so she vacated the space.
Tonight, she just wanted to settle things. Tomorrow, she would get the divorce certificate. There were some things she wanted to avoid.
The closed bathroom door behind her was suddenly pushed open.
Just as Su Qi was about to say someone was there, she saw the man with a dark expression in the mirror. Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned to leave immediately.
The moment Su Qi’s hand touched the bathroom doorknob, it was seized by Huo Tingyun.
He locked the door with his other hand, the action fluid and decisive.
The bathroom was quite spacious, but with the man’s presence, Su Qi felt suffocated.
“Huo Tingyun! Are you crazy? This is the restroom…”
“You can call out a little quieter.”
His anger had not subsided.
Huo Tingyun grabbed her soft, slender waist, pushed her against the washbasin, and leaned down.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
Su Qi clamped her mouth shut tightly, not even daring to struggle forcefully.
The man exhaled heavily.
He leaned close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against Su Qi’s ear and neck.
“Su Qi, you truly are a temptress.”
These few words felt like slaps to Su Qi, and her eyes immediately welled up.
Apart from humiliation, she felt no pleasure.
“Where is Tingyun? Have you seen him? He said he was going for a smoke, but he’s nowhere to be seen…”
Xu Lin Yun’s clear voice sounded outside the bathroom door.
As if on purpose, Huo Tingyun applied a little more force.
Su Qi desperately suppressed her vocal cords, but a faint sound still escaped.
“Bang, bang, bang—”
“Is anyone in there?” Xu Lin Yun called from outside the restroom. “Tingyun, are you inside?”
“I… it’s me!”
Su Qi could barely breathe.
“Sister Su Qi, are you feeling unwell?” Xu Lin Yun’s voice held surprise.
“I… I’m fine! Let me be alone… for a moment!”
Strange, why was her voice so broken?
Xu Lin Yun thought Su Qi was crying and couldn’t help but comfort her. “Don’t be too sad. When Tingyun and I get married, we’ll send you an invitation. If you’re willing, you can also consider me a sister.”
Su Qi’s sharp fingernails dug into the man’s arm.
“Thank you… I will definitely attend your wedding…”
“That’s good. Dinner is almost ready. Sister Su Qi, cheer up and come out for dinner!”
The sound of footsteps receded from outside the door.
Su Qi snorted, completely losing her strength.
“Heh… you really are something else, so easily…”
The man, having finished, didn’t come out. He reached from behind, grabbed her delicate chin, and forced her to look at herself in the mirror.
Her face was flushed.
“Huo Tingyun, tomorrow after the divorce, if you dare touch me again, I’ll make sure you regret it!”
“Well, I’m finished. Aren’t you too?”
When Huo Tingyun emerged from the restroom, dinner was already underway.
Upon entering the dining room, Xu Lin Yun noticed the man’s improved complexion and seemingly better mood.
She was a little puzzled but didn’t ask anything, assuming he was simply feeling better after his smoke.
“Why did you smoke for so long? You should quit smoking, it’s not good for your health, and it’s taxing. You can’t smoke after we have children,” Xu Lin Yun said, placing a chopstickful of food into Huo Tingyun’s bowl.
“Yes, I should quit. I’ll try,” Huo Tingyun replied meaningfully, his voice husky and magnetic.
Xu Lin Yun was somewhat surprised.
Although Huo Tingyun had feelings for her, he was always an unpredictable man, prone to sudden changes in mood. This was the first time he had agreed so readily.
“I was busy with filming before and didn’t have time to be by your side. I’ll make it up to you from now on.”
Xu Lin Yun reached out and took Huo Tingyun’s hand.
She suddenly noticed a long scratch mark on his arm.
“What is this?!”
Xu Lin Yun’s beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.
“A stray cat in the backyard scratched me.”
Huo Tingyun elegantly picked up his chopsticks and ate, his expression calm.
“A cat? Are there stray cats in the Huo family’s backyard?” Xu Lin Yun had visited several times and had never known about stray cats.
As Su Qi walked into the dining room, she overheard Xu Lin Yun’s words and let out a cold laugh in agreement. “It seems there’s also a large dog, and it bites quite hard.”
“Is that so? I’ll have to take a good look sometime,” Xu Lin Yun said, believing her.
A dog?
As Su Qi sat down, she felt Huo Tingyun’s gaze.
She endured the soreness in her legs and glared fiercely at Huo Tingyun.
Calling you a dog would be an insult to dogs.
Su Qi sat next to Qin Xue. After all, it was their last meal together, and Qin Xue couldn’t help but show some affection, serving Su Qi a bowl of crucian carp and tofu soup.
“No ginger was added, it’s very fresh and sweet. Little Su, try it.”
The crucian carp and tofu soup had just come out of the pot and was still steaming.
Before Su Qi could refuse, Qin Xue placed a bowl of soup in front of her.
The steam carried the fishy smell of the crucian carp, and since no ginger was added,
The moment Su Qi caught a whiff, her face changed.
She covered her mouth and abruptly stood up. “I’m going to the restroom!”
What was initially an unintentional action caused everyone in the Huo family to look sharply in the direction Su Qi had disappeared.
Qin Xue was both surprised and shocked. She suppressed her excitement, and as soon as Su Qi returned and before she could sit down, Qin Xue eagerly took her hand.
“Little Qi, what’s wrong? Why do you feel like throwing up at the smell of fish? Could it be…”
Xu Lin Yun, who had been discussing wedding details with Huo Tingyun, shifted her attention upon hearing Qin Xue’s words.
She stopped eating and stared intently at Su Qi. “Sister Su Qi, are you not feeling well?”
Everyone in the dining room turned to look at Su Qi.
Su Qi, who had always been overlooked by her family since childhood, felt uncomfortable with so much attention. She forced a smile.
“How could that be? I’ve always used protection. My stomach problems have been acting up recently because I haven’t been eating on time, so I have gastrointestinal discomfort.”
Qin Xue’s face was filled with disappointment.