Chapter 362: Let him in

Xia Xi pressed the doorbell, and the one who came to answer the door was Xia Yue.

Before entering, Xia Xi asked her about Xia Xuan's condition: "How is she?"

Xia Yue shook her head, looking worried: "She hasn't spoken much all day."

Xia Xi changed into slippers and walked in: "Have you eaten anything?"

"I ate a little." Xia Yue closed the door and followed her.

Xia Xi didn't see anyone in the living room; Xia Yue pointed to the room, so she turned and went there.

Xia Xuan lay on her side on the bed, her face resting on her arm, only her back visible. The curtains were drawn, the room dim, lifeless.

Xia Xi walked straight to the window, pulled the curtains fully open; outside light poured in, Xia Xuan couldn't adjust, her eyes ached, she squinted, and in her blurred vision a figure approached and sat beside the bed.

"Xuanxuan." Xia Xi patted her.

Xia Xuan's eyes widened, she saw the visitor's face clearly, opened her mouth, her voice hoarse to the extreme: "... Sister."

Although Xia Xi doted on this younger sister, she was firm in some respects; just then she grabbed Xia Xuan's wrist, pulled her up, and with her other hand picked up a pillow to prop at the head of the bed so she could lean against it.

"Tell me, what happened between you and Chen Songbai?" Xia Xi stared at her, eyes unwavering, not allowing her to evade: "Is it related to his cousin?"

The two words "cousin" struck a nerve in Xia Xuan; her eyes flickered, a familiar, intense nausea rose from her stomach to her throat, she leaned sideways and retched dryly at the bedside. Since she hadn't eaten anything, nothing came out. To avoid worrying the family, she had been suppressing her emotions, trying to eat a bit more, but she really couldn't.

Xia Xi was startled by her, she patted her back, and called for Xia Yue to bring a cup of hot water.

Xia Yue was quick, soon bringing a cup of slightly hot water. Xia Xi took it, one hand supporting Xia Xuan, aligning the cup's rim with her mouth: "Take two sips."

Xia Yue anxiously asked: "Did you vomit? Is your stomach upset from hunger? At noon you only ate three or four bites."

Xia Xuan's face turned pale, she sipped the hot water in small mouthfuls, sweat beading on her forehead. After a few sips, she turned her head away, not wanting to drink more.

Xia Yue took the water cup from Xia Xi's hand and held it.

Xia Xuan leaned her head against Xia Xi's embrace, after a long pause she finally spoke the words she couldn't bring herself to say: "Chen Songbai got drunk and had relations with Miao Yijia."

Such a short sentence, just a dozen characters, Xia Xuan spoke it with extreme difficulty.

Xia Yue gasped in shock, the glass cup in her hand slipped, fell to the ground and shattered instantly, hot water splashed out, some landing on the top of her foot, she seemed not to feel it.

Xia Xi was equally startled, her hand gripping Xia Xuan's arm tightened, she lowered her head to look at her—her eyes were lifeless, empty, utterly dim.

After a moment, Xia Xi spoke: "Isn't Miao Yijia Chen Songbai's cousin?"

"We've been deceived." Xia Xuan gave a bitter smile, her chest felt as if a huge stone weighed on it, suffocating: "Miao Yijia was adopted by her mother, she has no blood relation to Chen Songbai."

Xia Xi stared, then suddenly recalled that night at the restaurant after dinner, when Xu Yanfeng seemingly offhandedly asked: "Is your brother-in-law's cousin a blood relative?"

I hadn't expected it to truly not be a blood relation.

Xia Yue trembled with anger: "That Chen Songbai is utterly disgusting!"

She was emotionally agitated, her voice loud, startling Su Jinru in the living room; she came to the bedroom door and asked, "What's wrong?" Then noticing the shards on the floor, she said, "How did the cup get broken? Don't move around."

Without pausing to ask about anything else, Su Jinru brought cleaning supplies over to deal with it; seeing the three sisters' solemn expressions, her heart jumped: "What happened?"

Xia Xi didn't hide it from her: "Chen Songbai cheated, and with his own cousin."

Su Jinru was stunned for a moment, her lips trembling: "Cousin, cousin?!"

Xia Xi: "I heard she was adopted."

Xia Yue added: "Xuanxuan said he did it because he was drunk."

Xia Xi's mouth twitched, she snorted coldly: "If he were really drunk to the point of unconsciousness, how could he have done this? If he really did it, then he wasn't drunk."

Xia Yue was dazed by her words, after calming down and thinking carefully, she seemed to understand what she meant.

Xia Xi tilted her head: "Big sister, come over and help hold Xuanxuan."

Xia Yue took her place, sitting at the bedside and embracing the little sister.

Xia Xi wanted to get her phone from her bag, but then realized she had left the bag in the car and forgotten to take it; she felt her suit pocket—luckily the phone was inside.

She took out her phone, paused before calling Chen Songbai, and clarified Xia Xuan's intention: "What do you want to do?"

By now, Xia Xuan was completely dazed, unable to think. Hearing her question, she lowered her eyes, forced herself to decide, but it was so hard; she shook her head, then shook it again.

She also didn't know what to do.

Xia Xi didn't pressure her either, she dialed Chen Songbai's number and said in a calm voice: "Come over now, I have something to say to you."

In the underground parking lot, Xu Yanfeng idly checked emails on his phone, absentmindedly glanced up, and saw a car parked nearby; Chen Songbai stepped out, his suit wrinkled, head bowed, spirit listless.

He forgot to lock the car, walked a few steps, then as if remembering, he turned, raised his arm, and pressed the key fob to lock the car.

Xu Yanfeng thought for a moment, got out of the car, and followed the person ahead.

The two met in the elevator; Chen Songbai saw him, pressed his dry lips together, and said in a low, muffled voice: "Mr. Xu."

Xu Yanfeng nodded.

Chen Songbai entered the house, first encountering Su Jinru, he nodded in greeting: "Mom."

"Don't call me Mom." Su Jinru's eyes reddened with anger, she glared at him fiercely: "When you begged me to hand Xiao Xuan over to you, what promises did you make? You said you'd love and protect her for life, yet not long after you did this outrageous thing—are you even human?"

Chen Songbai's throat moved, his face full of anguish, ashamed to lift his head.

Xia Xi heard the voice coming from the room, didn't notice Xu Yanfeng behind her, and slapped Chen Songbai across the face. This was the second time she'd hit him; the first was in the hospital, when his mother Miao Cuixia caused Xiao Xuan's heart disease to relapse, sending her to the hospital for surgery.

"Chen Songbai, when I returned to the country last year I was late; if I had come back sooner, seen what kind of person you are, I would never have agreed to let Xiao Xuan marry you, no matter what." Xia Xi took a deep breath; since Xia Xuan couldn't decide, she would decide for her: "I don't want to say anything else, it's pointless—get a divorce."

She wasn't an authoritarian person; she always believed one should decide their own affairs, others could only offer suggestions, not enforce them. She just feared that if they delayed any longer, Xia Xuan's life would be broken in the hands of the Chen family.

Upon hearing this, Chen Songbai shook his head in panic: "Xiao Xuan, I want to see her."

Chen Songbai tried to push inside, but Xia Xi blocked him: "Now it's me and you talking; you don't need to see her."

Chen Songbai pulled Xia Xi aside; he was determined to see Xia Xuan and speak to her face to face. As a big man, he was naturally stronger than a woman, so Xia Xi was easily pulled to the side. Xu Yanfeng stepped forward and grabbed Chen Songbai's arm; Chen Songbai turned his head, saw it was him, and dared not struggle.

Xu Yanfeng said: "If you don't understand the words, then since I won't let you see her, don't force your way in."

Chen Songbai's eyes reddened: "I just want to say a few words to her."

Xia Xi remained unmoved: "What are you putting on this act for, who are you showing it to? What were you doing earlier? Chen Songbai, do you really need Xiao Xuan's life before you'll quit?"

Chen Songbai's body swayed slightly, as if struck by lightning, all his strength drained, he stared blankly at the bedroom door a few steps away.

When the stalemate continued, Xia Xuan's weak voice came from the room: "Sister, let him in."

Always hiding like this isn't a solution; she also wanted to hear what Chen Songbai had to say.

Xu Yanfeng looked at Xia Xi; after hesitating a few seconds, she nodded, and only then did Xu Yanfeng loosen his grip on Chen Songbai's arm, letting him enter Xia Xuan's room.