"Marriage?!"
She—
Christino's gaze sharpened, the gentlemanly facade instantly tearing away to reveal a terrifying, ferocious visage like a wild beast, his entire countenance a storm of shock and fury.
Du Ruoxin was all too familiar with this expression; it was his precursor to killing.
No, she had to appease him first, keep him from acting rashly!
She quickly added, "But I don't love him, so I've decided to divorce him. We..."
Christino raised his hand, gently caressing her still red and swollen face, his brows furrowed. "He dared to hit you?"
*Pfft—*
Hadn't she just explained she hit herself?
Du Ruoxin touched her face, subtly stepping back. "No, I hit myself. Because he refused to sign the divorce papers, I staged an injury and reported him for domestic violence to the police."
Christino: "..."
Du Ruoxin continued her tirade, fiercely criticizing, "That man is conceited, arrogant, full of bad habits, like an old man, just awful."
She was determined to divorce Rong Jingyang, so no amount of badmouthing felt like a betrayal.
Besides, he was so strong; even if he fought with her brother, it would at most be a mutual destruction.
Not death.
Du Ruoxin suddenly felt happy thinking that someone would finally deal with Rong Jingyang.
"But my mother-in-law and father-in-law were very good to me. They treated me like their own daughter and never wronged me in the slightest."
She knew her elder brother too well; he wouldn't have truly ignored her for the three years she was gone.
Moreover, regardless of how her marriage with Rong Jingyang fared, her brother would inevitably use his methods to force her divorce.
And he would inevitably clash with Rong Jingyang.
Since it was an unavoidable matter, and regardless of whether she spoke ill of Rong Jingyang or not, they were bound to have a confrontation. Du Ruoxin therefore felt no psychological burden in listing his faults.
Let them fight if they must.
As long as she could get a divorce, as long as she could get custody of Doudou.
However, no matter how her brother and Rong Jingyang fought, they must not involve her mother-in-law, father-in-law, or anyone else from the Rong family. This was Du Ruoxin's bottom line.
And to ensure her brother harbored no animosity towards the Rong family, she began to recount Feng Linwan's genuine kindness towards her.
Marriage, childbirth, raising a child...
Listing every感动 (touching moment) and温馨 (warmth) of the past three years, Du Ruoxin grew increasingly reluctant.
After leaving the Rong family and divorcing Rong Jingyang, she feared she would never find another mother-in-law as good.
Christino listened intently, interjecting not a single word, but his increasingly dim blue eyes revealed no discernible emotion.
"Brother, I feel like she's someone my mother sent from heaven to protect and guard me." Thinking of her deceased mother, Du Ruoxin was overcome with grief.
No one knew how many nights she had woken up crying from dreams while cautiously surviving in the Rothschild family.
Christino continued to stare at her swollen face, raising his hand to gently caress it with immense tenderness. "I will make him sign the divorce papers."
"Mm." Du Ruoxin lowered her head, avoiding his touch.
Christino paid no mind to her resistance, bending down to take her hand.
Du Ruoxin instinctively pulled away.
But Christino's gaze instantly turned cold. Du Ruoxin shivered and immediately linked her arm through his, pouting playfully, "Brother, I'm hungry."
Damn it!
Whenever she refused her brother's hand, he would lash out at those around her. Servants would be beaten until they were black and blue, or friends would be sold into brothels...
Du Ruoxin was terrified, a fear etched into her very bones.
When Christino went mad...
She so desperately wanted to cry!
Why was it that in the three years she was gone, her brother's possessiveness hadn't diminished at all, but had only grown more severe?
"Who is he?" Seeing her try to appease him, his expression softened slightly.
Christino continued to stubbornly hold Du Ruoxin's hand. They walked through the fields, and anyone who didn't know better would think they were a couple of lovers in the throes of passion.
Du Ruoxin: "..."
Unable to refuse, she could only turn her head to look elsewhere. "Chairman of Rong Group, Rong Jingyang."
Him?
It was said that Rong Group and the Rothschild family were both family businesses accumulated over hundreds of years, with comparable assets?
Then he couldn't easily destroy him.
Christino said, "After dinner, I'll accompany you to pick up Doudou."
"No! No!" Du Ruoxin, frightened, said "no" twice. Compared to her elder brother, Doudou was safer with her mother-in-law.
She absolutely did not want her brother to threaten them with Doudou at the slightest disagreement; that would be their utter ruin!
"The little girl is very troublesome, crying and making a fuss all the time. I don't like it."
Doudou, Mommy is sorry, maybe Mommy can't keep you...
Du Ruoxin wept silently in her heart.
"Is that so?" Christino didn't expose her, merely tilted his head to look at her, a smile playing on his lips.
Du Ruoxin inexplicably felt a sense of dread, as if she were being targeted by a sniper. Whether she ran in a straight line, an S-curve, or zig-zagged, she couldn't escape being shot.
And he was enjoying her dying struggle.
Du Ruoxin dared not meet those all-seeing eyes, so she changed the subject. "Brother, I don't want Daddy and Mommy to know about my existence."
No legitimate wife would tolerate her husband's illegitimate daughter.
After getting married, Du Ruoxin actually understood her stepmother.
So she wouldn't appear, wouldn't twist the knife in her stepmother's heart.
"Alright," he agreed.
After finishing dinner, Christino discussed business matters with the farm owner. Du Ruoxin was seated beside him.
She didn't listen to their business secrets, her bored hands propping up her chin, her mind wandering.
【Will Doudou cry if she wakes up and can't find me?】
【My daughter can cry for two consecutive hours when she throws a tantrum, to the point of convulsions...】
Du Ruoxin was very worried.
But she didn't dare call her mother-in-law.
"Xin'er, what are you thinking about?" Christino stroked her head and asked.
Du Ruoxin hurriedly stood up. "Ah? Have you finished your discussion?"
"Mm." Christino's predatory gaze followed her movements.
Du Ruoxin felt a little uneasy. "Then I'll go back to my room to sleep. I stayed up all night yesterday, I'm so tired."
With that, she turned to flee.
"Du Ruoxin!" The man's calm, yet firm, voice instantly made the woman freeze in her tracks, daring not to take another step.
Alas!
She wasn't this timid with Rong Jingyang, but with her elder brother...
Du Ruoxin turned back with a smile. "Brother, do you have any other instructions?"
Christino stood up, loosened his tie, and began unbuttoning his shirt as he said, "Come with me."
Du Ruoxin: "..."
No!
She didn't want to go with him!
And she definitely didn't want to be forced to watch him bathe!