Chapter 30: Chu Li, are you Qin Yunshu's dog?

"Stop eating."

Chu Li took away Qin Xingwan's chopsticks, his expression full of forbearance.

Qin Xingwan's coughing gradually subsided, though tears still hung at the corners of her eyes.

She stood up, intending to return to her room.

Chu Li grabbed her wrist and pulled with force.

Caught off guard, Qin Xingwan fell onto him.

She immediately tried to get up, but was pressed back down by Chu Li.

He leaned down and kissed the corner of her lips.

"Xingwan, let's stop fighting, okay?" He was seeking a truce.

Qin Xingwan's expression was mocking, "Are we fighting?"

A fight implies a back-and-forth.

But she was merely being bullied by him unilaterally.

Chu Li tightened his arms, "I'll have Qiuqiu come over to keep you company in a few days."

Qiuqiu was Chu Li's niece, five years old; because her parents were unreliable, she had to come over to stay for a few days from time to time.

Qin Xingwan liked her very much.

"In the future, let's have a daughter as cute as Qiuqiu, too." Chu Li's voice was hoarse.

The intent behind his words was obvious.

A man in his prime had strong desires, and besides, he also wanted to ease their marital relationship.

He just didn't know that a child was the deepest pain in Qin Xingwan's heart.

Qin Xingwan used all her strength to break free from Chu Li's embrace, her gaze sorrowful.

"Chu Li, from now on..."

Chu Li's phone suddenly rang, cutting off Qin Xingwan's words.

From her angle, she could clearly see the name on Chu Li's phone screen.

Qin Yunshu.

She suddenly lost all interest in continuing. She turned and went upstairs.

Half a month passed in a flash.

Qin Xingwan went downstairs on time every day to have dinner with Chu Li.

Although their marital relationship remained unchanged, there was finally some color in Qin Xingwan's pale cheeks.

With makeup on, she looked in good spirits.

She looked forward to it all day, and it wasn't until four in the afternoon that the driver picked her up to go to the Qin Family.

Qin Nainai was old and didn't like to be fussed over, so the birthday was just the family gathering for a meal.

When Qin Xingwan and Chu Li arrived, it was just in time for the meal.

Qin Jianguo invited Chu Li to sit beside him, but Chu Li politely declined; only after Qin Xingwan sat beside Qin Nainai did he take the seat next to her.

The meal was eaten in relative harmony.

After the meal, Qin Xingwan offered to take her grandmother back to her room, but was refused by her grandmother.

She hoped Qin Xingwan would stay by Chu Li's side.

That way, when Qin Jianguo and his wife saw them being affectionate, they might treat Qin Xingwan a little better for Chu Li's sake.

However, contrary to her grandmother's expectations, Qin Xingwan was unwilling to share a room with Chu Li.

Thinking he must be in the living room, she wandered toward the small Garden.

Faint sounds of conversation drifted over.

Qin Xingwan immediately turned to leave; she had no hobby of eavesdropping on others' privacy.

However, the volume of someone not far away suddenly rose.

Moreover, it was Qin Yunshu's voice, carrying a faint sob.

"A Li, thank you."

Qin Xingwan lightened her footsteps.

"Thank you for letting me hold such an important position at Chu Group, and thank you for not divorcing my sister for my sake."

Qin Xingwan stood where she was, her face deathly pale, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

So Chu Li was unwilling to divorce because of... Qin Yunshu.

The conversation continued.

"A Li, when I came back, I kept thinking that you must already hate me. I didn't expect... I... I am the one who let you down."

"A Li, can I hug you?"

Qin Xingwan had been unconsciously moving closer until the pair of embracing figures came into view.

A "buzz" sounded in her brain, and blood rushed to her head.

All her anger reached its peak at this very moment.

Qin Xingwan lunged forward, grabbed Qin Yunshu's hair, and slapped her face hard.

Before she could react, two more fierce slaps were delivered.

Three slaps.

The first was for her running away from the wedding back then, ruining her life.

The second was for her knowing that Chu Li was already married, yet still seeking him out and having an ambiguous relationship with him after returning to the country.

The third was for her spreading ambiguous remarks online for the sake of her own reputation, ruining her once again.

"Qin Xingwan, have you gone mad?" Chu Li grabbed Qin Xingwan's wrist and yanked her away violently.

Half of Qin Yunshu's face was red and swollen, and she shrieked in disbelief: "Sister, why did you hit me?"

Qin Xingwan shook off Chu Li's hand fiercely, stepped back twice, her mocking gaze nearly solidifying into something tangible.

"Chu Li, are you Qin Yunshu's dog? You do whatever she tells you to do."

She had always been guessing the reason why Chu Li refused to divorce.

She thought it was love, thought it was habit...

But it turned out to have nothing to do with feelings at all.

The veins on Chu Li's forehead bulged as he suppressed his rage.

Qin Yunshu's eyes welled with tears, looking deeply aggrieved.

"Sister, you've misunderstood me and A Li. I urged A Li not to divorce, not for my own sake, but for yours."

Qin Xingwan raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Oh?"

Qin Yunshu bit her lip; Qin Xingwan's gaze, which seemed to see through everything, made her feel embarrassed.

"After all, Sister, you are already married to A Li, and I hope you two will always be happy."

Tears rolled down from her reddened eyes.

She looked truly sincere.

Qin Xingwan whispered: "Happy?"

She let out a slow, cold laugh: "If you didn't exist in this world, that would be happiness."

"Sister." Qin Yunshu's face turned pale, and she swayed as if about to collapse.

"Enough, Qin Xingwan, Yun Shu is your sister." Chu Li scolded, looking very dissatisfied.

How was speaking like that any different from cursing Qin Yunshu to die?

Qin Xingwan's emotions, already on the verge of collapse, completely shattered because of this defense.

With tears in her eyes, she looked up at her husband: "Chu Li, let me say this one more time, you truly disgust me."

"You won't divorce because your affair is all over the internet; if you divorce, she will be branded as a mistress for sure, right?"

"So you are dragging this out and refusing to divorce for her sake, because you want to protect her."

"You really are despicable."

She vented all the grievances she had been holding in during this time, cursing without mercy.

"Qin Xingwan, enough." Chu Li's deep voice was already filled with fury.

"Not enough! Not enough! Not enough!"

Qin Xingwan raised her voice, her heart consumed by rage.

"You sacrifice everything I have for the sake of your reputation and your interests, how dare you?" she shrieked hysterically.

"Enough." Qin Shen's voice came from nearby.

Everything happening in the Garden had alerted everyone.

Qin Shen was the first to arrive.

His first sight was Qin Yunshu clutching her cheek; he pulled her hand away and saw the bright red fingerprint, his eyes splitting with rage.

"You hit her?" He looked at Qin Xingwan with a cold, sinister expression.

Tears fell from Qin Yunshu's eyes one after another.

Qin Shen was filled with fury, and he cursed Qin Xingwan with the most venomous language: "You vicious woman, no wonder no one likes you."

"Those people on the internet are right; you are a vicious seed by nature, which is why your child miscarried."

"Even he didn't want a vicious, mean woman like you as his mother."

At this moment, Qin Xingwan's heart was riddled with holes.

She raised her palm, intending to smash Qin Shen's mouth.

Her wrist had just been raised when it was grabbed by Chu Li.

The next second.

Qin Shen's palm landed on Qin Xingwan's face.

A crisp "Slap!" rang out.

Qin Xingwan tilted her head, a roar echoing in her ears, and her mouth tasted of rust.

Chu Li suddenly let go, his voice dry and hoarse: "Xingwan."