Chapter 654: Chapter 654: Revenge
"What do you know? You know nothing. The jobs I’m looking for can’t possibly compare to my previous one. And how am I supposed to work with people who aren’t as capable as me? They’ll laugh at me. No, they’re already laughing at me. I know they’re definitely mocking me behind my back." The man started to growl softly as he spoke, followed by low sobbing.
"You’re overthinking it. The world keeps turning without anyone. Life is too exhausting, and dealing with work already drains people’s energy. Who has the time and energy to come mock you? You’re just troubling yourself for nothing. Apart from ruining yourself and worrying your family, what else do you gain from this? A body hollowed out by alcohol? Wake up and see what your life has become. Are you satisfied with this? Is this the life you want?" The woman’s voice grew louder with each word, as if raising her voice could awaken the man.
"What do you mean? What do you mean by that? Do you also look down on me? Do you think I’m useless? Are you planning to leave me for a rich guy? Have you forgotten how I treated you? Is this how you repay me?" The man stood up from the ground, looking at the woman with a terrifying expression, his hand unknowingly climbing onto her shoulder, barely an inch from her neck.
"Let go. Do you know you’re hurting me?" The woman frowned and struggled, trying to pry the man’s hand off her shoulder, but he only gripped tighter.
"Xiong Yun, have you lost your mind? I’ve been with you for so many years. When have I ever despised you? And now you think I’m just a woman who cares about money? Don’t forget, when I got with you, you had nothing." As she spoke, the woman continued to struggle, and finally, as she finished her sentence, she managed to break free from his vice-like grip, delivering a slap to his face.
"Looks like the alcohol has scrambled your brain. Are you sober now?" The woman yelled at the man, her voice loud enough to fill the room, matched only by the sound of her heavy breathing.
The only sound left in the room was the woman’s ragged breath.
This time, the man seemed to finally come to his senses. He looked at the woman’s face, his eyes slightly red, and a tear abruptly fell, disappearing as it hit the ground. "I’m just so afraid of losing you. You know I really like you. I like you so much that I want to give you my heart. I want to give you the best of everything, but now I have nothing, not even a decent job. I’m really scared, truly terrified that you’ll leave me." The man pulled the woman into his arms, and the scalding tears fell on her shoulders, like they pierced through layers of skin to land on her heart, causing her a sharp pain.
Even though Xiong Yun’s recent behavior had disappointed her, they had loved each other for so many years. It’s impossible for there to be no feelings between them. The woman rested her hand on Xiong Yun’s back, gently patting to soothe Xiong Yun’s agitated emotions.
"I won’t leave you. I was by your side during your hardest times, and that means I won’t easily leave you. As long as you don’t give up on yourself, I’ll always be by your side. Why don’t you clean yourself up? I’ll go with you to send out resumes. Let’s look for a job, alright? Even if the job we find doesn’t pay as much or isn’t as dignified as before, at least it’s not idling at home, right?" The woman spoke softly, patting Xiong Yun’s back.
But to her surprise, just as she finished speaking, the man abruptly pushed her away. If it weren’t for her good balance, she might have fallen. But even so, she still twisted her ankle, and moving caused a sharp, piercing pain.
"No, I can’t accept a job that’s worse than my previous one. I can’t let people think I’m useless and only capable of doing low-paid, undignified work. If word got out, I would be a laughingstock. Do you understand?" The man said with red eyes and a slightly crazed expression.
"I know you don’t want that kind of work. I never intended for you to stay in that kind of job. I just want you to find a job as a stepping stone. Do you want to remain at home, hiding in your shell, living off your parents?" The woman asked angrily.
It was unclear which word triggered the man, but suddenly, his eyes lit up with an astonishing light. "I’ve got it. I thought of a good plan, one that won’t be worse than before, only better." Xiong Yun’s face lit up with a fervent smile.
But the smile didn’t reassure the woman. Instead, it sent a chill from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
"What plan?" The woman swallowed and asked.
Xiong Yun didn’t answer. Instead, he reached out a hand, his gaze mesmerized as he traced the contours of her face with fingers tinged with alcohol, from the smooth forehead, down the high nose, and finally resting on her full red lips.
"Whatever the plan, you’ll be willing to help me, won’t you?" Xiong Yun asked in a slightly drifting voice.
The woman looked into Xiong Yun’s eyes, sensing something off, but before she could react, Xiong Yun had already seized her jaw with such force that her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"Yes, I’ll help you." The woman couldn’t help but tremble as she spoke.
Xiong Yun released his grip and pulled the woman back into his arms, his voice low and steady as he said, "I knew you’d help me. I knew you would."
"So what do you want me to do?" Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest.
"It’s simple. You can definitely do it. It’s just a very simple thing." Xiong Yun looked at her with unprecedented eagerness, as if he wasn’t looking at a lover but at his own bright and glorious future.
"With a face like yours, no man can refuse you. You just need to seduce that bastard who fired me; I’ll handle the rest," he said.
The woman let out a short, sharp laugh in disbelief, her eyes filled with incredulity. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. "Are you crazy? Do you know what you’re saying? I’m your girlfriend, and you’re asking me to seduce another man? What do you take me for? A whore?" The woman furiously pushed Xiong Yun away.
"No, you’ve misunderstood. You’re my girlfriend; of course, I wouldn’t give you to another man. But I need you for this plan, a honey trap, you know? I just need you to play along with me. Once I have dirt on him, I can get my job back, or even get promoted. You have to understand, I’m doing this for our future," he said, tightly gripping the woman’s hand.