Chapter 13: Betrayed?

Xing Jue smiled. “That’s not how you should put it.”

Si Yao was momentarily taken aback.

Xing Jue bent down, lifted her chin, and leaned in with gentle words: “Even if I were willing to marry you for the sake of the child's upbringing, would you agree?”

Si Yao’s pupils contracted, her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

Xing Jue gave a languid smile. “What a coincidence—you’re unwilling, and I am even more so. When it comes to raising children, the word ‘mother’ is the most useless. You, of all people, should know that best.”

Of course she knew. After all, Xing Jue had been brought up by her, a mere maid, step by step.

“And another thing…” Xing Jue leaned even closer to Si Yao, his lips cool and warm as he lightly nipped her earlobe. “It’s not that the child can’t compare to her, but rather that you can’t compare to them. After all, not everyone is as virtuous as you.”

Si Yao remained silent.

Xing Jue chuckled again. “Especially as resilient.”

Si Yao’s eyes reddened, and after being pinned down, she felt powerless.

What was the use of resilience, after all? It was still futile, not even worth as much as Wen Sui, who had been eliminated early on.

The next day, the alarm didn’t go off, and Si Yao didn’t get up. She was awakened instead by the sound of dragging high heels.

The footsteps drew nearer.

Si Yao quickly scrambled out of bed, gathering the clothes strewn on the floor and stuffing them under the covers.

The door opened a crack.

Xing A’ni, just like when she was a child, entered without knocking or greeting, but Si Yao no longer dared to scold her as she once had.

Times had changed. This was no longer just Xing Jue’s shabby little courtyard, where she was the master.

Now it was Xing Jue’s grand mansion, and Xing A’ni was the mistress.

Si Yao pulled the covers higher to hide the marks on her collarbone, her voice hoarse. “What is it?”

The door swung wide open.

“Didn’t I tell you I’d be coming today?” Xing A’ni stepped inside, then wrinkled her nose. “What’s that smell in here?”

Si Yao’s hand tightened on the covers.

When your cards aren’t strong, you have to endure, even if it makes you ill. Otherwise, you’re just inviting humiliation.

Si Yao managed a smile. “Dampness.”

A’ni sniffed, about to cover her mouth and nose, but then frowned.

That was unmistakably…the scent of a man and a woman.

A sudden chill flashed in her eyes, freezing momentarily on Si Yao’s calm face. She slammed the door and headed straight for Xing Jue’s room.

She opened the door—Xing Jue was buttoning his shirt.

He spoke coolly. “Get out.”

Xing A’ni’s hand balled into a fist. She strode over, about to tug at his shirt to check for marks.

Her wrist was caught.

Xing Jue’s eyes narrowed; all gentleness vanished, replaced by icy coldness. “I told you to get out.”

Xing A’ni’s eyes grew red with anger. “Xing Jue, I told you, stop sulking with me.”

“Out.”

“Why are you kicking me out?”

“Haven’t you learned how to knock yet?”

Xing A’ni paused, instinctively about to burst out, but caught sight of the bed behind Xing Jue.

A mandarin-duck patterned bedspread.

The very one Si Yao’s grandmother had handed her personally on the day she and Xing Jue got engaged.

Now…it was spread on this bed.

Xing A’ni’s heart skipped. Two faint blushes bloomed on her cheeks. “Was this prepared for us?”

Xing Jue followed her gaze, then turned and tapped her nose. “Be good. Go out and knock before you come in.”

He had always been stubborn about such things.

A’ni turned half-heartedly, knocked twice on the door, then hurried back in. “Is this for us to use?”

Xing Jue answered absentmindedly, buttoning his shirt to the top. “Si Yao made the bed.”

Finally, Xing A’ni’s mind was at ease.

The smell in Si Yao’s room was overwhelming. Any woman with sense would know just how wild last night had been.

If it had been Xing Jue, with such aggression, there was no way Si Yao would still be here—she’d have been driven away.

But obviously, that wasn’t the case.

After all, put yourself in her shoes—no woman, after being touched by Xing Jue like that, would still be dutifully making up the bed for him and another woman, not breaking up, not making a scene, swallowing every insult without a word.

That wasn’t the self-sacrificing, naive saint—it was a scheming serpent, hiding ill intent.

Xing A’ni’s eyes curved in a smile as she hooked her arms around Xing Jue’s neck. “A’Jue, I’ve discovered a secret.”

Xing Jue raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yao Yao…” Xing A’ni drew out the words, leaning in and speaking loudly, “She’s got someone outside. Not picky at all—any hungry man will do. The whole room was thick with it.”

Xing Jue paused for a few seconds, then said with layered meaning, “So I’ve been made a fool of.”