Title: The Villain’s Mother
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 251-263
Chapter 251 - But you, you can't even be considered a man (1)
Song Tingshen felt as if a bomb had gone off when he heard Qin Yu's last words. However, it was impossible for a person of his age and experience to reveal anger just from hearing those words. On the contrary, he looked at him even more calmly. His tone was light, but the warning in them was very strong. "CEO Qin, please watch your words."
They were both men, and Qin Yu knew all too well how to enrage Song Tingshen. He knew that he wasn't being magnanimous enough and that his tactic was dishonorable. But, was there any man that could stand it when the woman he loves likes someone else? At the very least, he didn't want to care about the overall situation. He just wanted to use the sharpest method possible to sow discord between Song Tingshen and Ruan Xia.
He hoped that Song Tingshen would think Ruan Xia was a woman of loose morals and that other people would point at her in judgement. That way, he could approach her to protect her. Just like in their past life, he would be her habor for a lifetime.
He badly wanted Ruan Xia to know that he was the only one in the world that truly loves her. He was the only one that still loves her even after seeing her true face. Other men, such as Song Tingshen, the man who had a child with her, only like her disguised self. A relationship like that was only skin deep and superficial.
Qin Yu chuckled. There were strong emotions in his eyes. "CEO Song, you don't know her at all. You only see what's on the surface, only I know what she is really like. I know about the mole on the left side of her waist. I also know she has a shallow scar behind her ear, so she never cuts her hair short. That scar was from when she was fighting over a toy with someone when she was a kid…"
He looked on in satisfaction as Song Tingshen's expression grew uglier.
"I also know you have a contractual marriage and you don't interfere in each other's lives. There aren't any feelings between the two of you. The two of you haven't been intimate since that night over four years ago. Even now, you sleep in separate rooms. You probably don't even know about the mole on the left side of her waist and that scar behind her ear, right?"
Qin Yu smiled. "The relationship between me and her is much more intimate than you think. I know her better than anyone else, including herself."
He just wanted to tell Song Tingshen that he was the person that Ruan Xia was closest to. The person that knew her best was also him.
Song Tingshen looked at Qin Yu. He was still very calm. "Are you done? With all due respect, you're trash."
Song Tingshen tugged on his tie and lowered his head to unbutton his cuff. He didn't even look at Qin Yu. "I misjudged. I thought you were a man. If you want to pursue my wife, you could have done it in an open and honorable manner. My wife is a very excellent woman. There are many men attracted to her. I knew that before I got married. You chose the most vile method instead. What's your intention in telling me this? Do you want me to think she's a woman of loose morals?"
"You care so much about our relationship, so you ought to know about Duan Chi, right? To be honest, even he is better than you. When he came to talk to me, he said a bunch of nonsense, but his words were all meant to protect my wife's reputation. As for you, you did the opposite."
"Discrediting a woman's reputation to anger another man. I really can't respect you. In addition, she's my wife, a member of my family." Song Tingshen rotated his wrist and then abruptly punched Qin Yu. Qin Yu staggered a few steps and almost fell.
Song Tingshen sneered, "Who allowed you damage my wife's reputation? That's a warning for you. If you want to be my rival in love, you should wait until you're a man. Duan Chi, at the very least, is a man. But you, you can't even be considered a man."
Song Tingshen left without even looking at Qin Yu.
Chapter 252 - But you, you can't even be considered a man (2)
Just as Ruan Xia was about to leave the private room to go look for Song Tingshen, he returned. His expression was the same as usual, so she assumed nothing had happened.
When he saw her, he just said, "It's getting late. We should go home."
"Oh, okay." Ruan Xia looked behind him and saw that Qin Yu hadn't come back with him. She immediately had an ominous premonition, but she didn't ask any questions. She picked up her bag, said her goodbyes to her former coworkers, and left the karaoke place with Song Tingshen.
It was already mid-November. The temperature in late fall was okay during the daytime, but you had to wear a coat at night.
Song Tingshen draped his suit jacket over her and adjusted it. "Don't catch a cold."
His scent flooded her nose. He didn't like to wear cologne, but his body always had a captivatingly good smell.
He held her hand all the way to the parking lot. There wasn't anyone around at the moment, so Ruan Xia finally asked, "Where did you go earlier? Why didn't you say anything? I didn't see you after I finished singing."
Song Tingshen opened the car door for her and very calmly answered, "I went to the bathroom."
"Then why didn't you answer my call?"
"I wasn't free then."
"Oh, okay." Ruan Xia filled in the blank. Maybe, he really didn't have time to answer the phone when he was in the bathroom?
She waited until Song Tingshen sat down in the driver's seat before probingly asking, "My coworker said that CEO Qin left with you. How come he didn't come back with you?"
"That I don't know."Song Tingshen looked at her. "And we didn't leave the room together. Maybe he left early. What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Ruan Xia sighed in relief. She thought that it was unlikely that Qin Yu would talk privately with Song Tingshen. The receptionist had probably misunderstood when she saw them leaving the room around the same time.
"It's nothing." Ruan Xia stretched. "Ah, I won't have to go to work next Monday. Being a rice weevil is so comfortable! It would be even better if the company pays out my salary on time."
Based on the company's leader's meaning, it seemed that the company would pay out her salary on time. It would be her loss if she didn't take it. After all, she had gone to work for a month.
She glanced at Song Tingshen and noticed that he was staring at her lower abdomen. She immediately instinctively put her hand over it. "What are you looking at?"
Song Tingshen looked away. In an exceptionally calm tone, he answered, "You have a small paunch. Come exercise with me tomorrow."
Ruan Xia hastily inhaled and sucked in her belly. She regretted it so much. She shouldn't have indulged just because the company was paying for that dinner. Still, she retorted, "Are you looking down on me? You think I'm fat."
Song Tingshen started the engine while saying, "I'm not. A small paunch is quite cute too."
Ruan Xia didn't believe his nonsense. When the temperature dropped, people's appetite would grow without them noticing it. The body would tell the brain that it was time to store fat...
She pushed up her cheeks. Ai, it was so tiring to be a first-rate beauty. She had to pay attention to her weight every day. Even if she only gained .1 kg, she had to limit her food the next day.
Chapter 253 - But you, you can't even be considered a man (3)
Song Tingshen usually set aside his weekends to spend time with her and Little Wang, but this Sunday, he said that he had made plans with a friend and would be home for dinner. Ruan Xia had been planning on buying movie tickets and going to the movies as a family on Sunday.
Ruan Xia had gotten used to him not having a life outside of work. Now that he suddenly said that he was going out to eat with a friend, she wasn't used to his absence at the dinner table.
She didn't ask Song Tingshen who he was having dinner with, but she was really tempted to call him and ask when he would come home.
Ruan Xia now understood why some people would urge their partners to come home soon after dating or being married for a while. They weren't doing it to check up on their partners. It was just that they unaccustomed to their absences.
Sitting next to Ruan Xia, Little Wang deeply sighed after he finished eating, Propping up his double chin with his chubby little hand, he lamented, "Mom is so stupid."
He had to pay attention to things that his mom failed to notice. Although the burden was heavy, there was no way around it. As his mom's precious son, he had to be smarter in the future for his mom's sake.
Ruan Xia gently knocked his head. "What are you saying? How is Mom stupid?"
"Mom, did you really not notice that Dad is unhappy?" Little Wang looked at Ruan Xia and asked.
Ruan Xia was stunned. "Your dad is unhappy? Doesn't seem like it."
From yesterday to today, hadn't Song Tingshen been fine? He didn't seem any different from usual.
Like a little adult, Little Wang helplessly looked at his mom. "Dad is unhappy. Mom, you're his wife. You should pay attention to him."
"Tell me. Why do you think he's unhappy?"
"Dad was quiet when he gave me a bath."
"Are you sure that's not because you were being too noisy?"
Little Wang glared at her. "Mom, I'm trying to have a serious talk with you!"
Ruan Xia admitted that she was wrong. "Okay, I'm listening. Continue."
"He used to say a lot of things to me, but he didn't say anything last night. When I talked to him, he seemed out of it."
Ruan Xia doubtfully asked, "Really?"
Little Wang nodded. "I feel that Dad is unhappy. Mom, I don't know why he's unhappy, but you should care about him."
Ruan Xia thought Little Wang was just wildly guessing, but when it was around time for Little Wang to go to bed, she received a call from Li Yuanhang. He said that Song Tingshen had gotten drunk. Could she come get him?
Seriously? Ruan Xia glanced at the chubby kid who was flipping through a picture book. Was she too oblivious? Even a four year old noticed that Song Tingshen was unhappy, but she had failed to notice.
Song Tingshen rarely drank. He had great self-control. The last time he had gotten drunk was Li Yuanhang's wedding. So why did he drink too much this time?
Could it be that he was really upset? But why?
Chapter 254 - My time has come (1)
After ending the call, Li Yuanhang looked at Song Tingshen, who was still pouring wine into the glass. He sighed. "You haven't said anything all night. Did you and Ruan Xia have a fight?"
Song Tingshen rarely went to see Li Yuanhang. He spent all of his time outside of work with Ruan Xia and Little Wang, and his friend was married and busy with his own family too. He came to Li Yuanhang today because he didn't know who else to turn to. And yet, he couldn't tell Li Yuanhang about the recent issue between him and Ruan Xia. He didn't even know where to start.
How could he tell his friend that a man was after Ruan Xia and that based on that man's words, it seemed that there was something unusual between his wife and that man? He couldn't just tell his friend that he didn't know what to do and that he was full of jealousy and anger.
Jealousy and anger, only a man weak in character would have those emotions. He shouldn't have those feelings, and that's why he couldn't say anything.
Song Tingshen remained silent, but Li Yuanhang had already concluded that his guess was correct. "So it really is something related to Ruan Xia. Old Song, it's easy for small things to become big things between a married couple. You and your wife are the closest people to each other. There's nothing you can't say to her. Don't hold back from having a conversation, otherwise it'll inevitably become a bigger problem, and it'll affect how you guys get along in the future. I can understand that you don't want to talk to me about it, but if there's something making you unhappy, I advise that you don't keep it yourself. Talk it out with Ruan Xia. When you open your heart to talk, you'll sometimes discover that what was bothering you wasn't a big issue after all."
"I don't know how to say it." Song Tingshen had his own position.
He deeply knew that Ruan Xia had done very well during this period in avoiding Qin Yu. She had even resigned from her job. This clearly showed that there was nothing going on between Ruan Xia and Qin Yu in the past few months. But what about in the past? Song Tingshen had checked over the results of the investigation. Before he and Ruan Xia married, Qin Yu's business had been abroad and his wife was still alive. The investigation showed that these two people didn't have any intersections at all in that period. The only possibility was that they had met after he and Ruan Xia had gotten married.
Although he and Ruan Xia had agreed to not interfere in each other's lives after getting married, he couldn't hold back his anger after hearing Qin Yu say those words. Although he had kept up a calm demeanor in the moment and behaved as if nothing was wrong in the past two days, he couldn't move past it.
And yet, since they had that agreement, he didn't have the right to get angry with Ruan Xia. After all, even if there had been something between her and Qin Yu, it was all in the past. After they had a heart-to-heart talk, she hadn't done anything with Qin Yu.
Li Yuanhang patted Song Tingshen on the shoulder. "Just say what has to be said. She's your wife, not an outsider. The two of you are going to spend the rest of your lives together. You can't live the rest of your life being overly cautious and holding back on what you want to say. It's inevitable that there'll be clashes between you guys. Don't let an unease fester when a simple conversation can resolve it. Otherwise, you'll grow apart as time goes on."
"I know. I'll carefully think about it."
Li Yuanhang didn't know if Song Tingshen had taken his words to heart. He smiled and said, "Old Song, I'm actually quite happy to see you like this."
Song Tingshen glanced at him in askance. "Are you gloating?"
"No, that's not it." Li Yuanhang hastily shook his head. "I just think you're like a human now."
Song Tingshen: "..."
Was he not a human before?
Chapter 255 - My time has come (2)
"I've never seen you like this before. Even if your company has a major crisis, you'll still look calm. Back in college, you were the only one in our dorm that wasn't troubled by romantic feelings. Do you remember that time when Old Four got drunk because his girlfriend broke up with him? He ended up in the hospital for alcohol poisoning. He was a mess of tears and snot… You never had a moment like that one in college. Everyone else went through that rough patch in college. Your time has finally come. Your kid is in kindergarten and you're in your 30's, and you're finally starting to have relationship problems. Does it feel like you're experiencing your youth again? No wonder you found such a young wife. Do you feel a lot younger?"
Song Tingshen squeezed the bridge of his nose. "You're right. My time has come."
There might really be people that didn't get caught in having relationship problems, but he wasn't in that group.
He didn't know if that was a good thing or not. When he didn't have feelings for Ruan Xia, he wasn't troubled by feelings. And now, meh.
By the time Ruan Xia rushed over to the place that Li Yuanhang told her, Song Tingshen had drunk so much that he was covered in the stench of alcohol. He was lying on the table. She tried to talk to him, but he didn't respond.
Ruan Xia said with an apologetic expression, "Sorry to trouble you."
Li Yuanhang waved his hand. "I could have sent him back, but I drank too. It's inconvenient to call someone else to drive him home when he's like this. I hope my call didn't wake you up."
"No, not at all."
With Li Yuanhang's help, Ruan Xia supported Song Tingshen, who seemed unconscious, to the car.
"Do you want a ride home?" Ruan Xia asked Li Yuanhang.
Li Yuanhang shook his head. "No need. I called a car. You should hurry with bringing Old Song home. He still has to work tomorrow."
"En, okay." Just as Ruan Xia was about to get into the car, Li Yuanhang called out to stop her.
“Ruan Xia, something is probably weighing heavily in Old Song's heart. He didn't tell me." Li Yuanhang looked at her. "And I don't know what could be bothering him so much. You should ask him when he wakes up. Keeping what's bothering you to yourself over a long period of time is bad for your health. Don't you agree?"
Ruan Xia sighed. It seemed that Song Tingshen was truly upset. A four year old was able to see that, but she hadn't noticed. Sure enough, she was too slow-witted.
Ruan Xia acknowledged his words. "I'll ask him about it tomorrow. We really troubled you today."
Li Yuanhang just smiled and didn't say anything.
---
Song Tingshen must be truly drunk, right? The smell of alcohol had filled the car. Ruan Xia mumbled to herself, "If you throw up in my car, I'll fight you to the death tomorrow." even if he was the one that bought this car.
He seemed okay right now and was well-behaved. He was lying in the back seat and wasn't moving around. She looked at him through the rearview mirror. His tall figure looked rather cramped. Ruan Xia was worried about how she could bring him upstairs when they got home. He was much bigger than her.
The housekeeper aunty had fallen asleep a while ago, and Little Wang was way too small to be helpful.
If he was upset, couldn't he do his drinking at home? It would have been fine to call Li Yuanhang over to drink with him too.
Chapter 256 - My time has come (3)
After driving the car into the garage, Ruan Xia got out of the car and opened the door to the backseat. She was troubled as she looked at Song Tingshen, whose eyes were closed.
She tried to pull him several times, but he didn't respond. All she got for her attempts was becoming sweaty. In the end, Ruan Xia closed the car door, went to the housekeeper aunty's door, and woke her up with an apologetic expression.
With her small figure, she would still be struggling to move Song Tingshen until tomorrow morning if she didn't ask for help.
The housekeeper aunty was very strong. With her help, Ruan Xia quickly helped Song Tingshen upstairs. Even so, she still got sweaty and had to take a shower later.
After the housekeeper aunty left, Ruan Xia looked at Song Tingshen, who was sprawled out on the bed. When he was drunk last time, it was fine if she left him alone after covering him up with a blanket. However, their relationship was different now. She couldn't just ignore him.
Thus, Ruan Xia went to the bathroom, filled a basin with water, and wiped his hands and face.
He must really be unhappy. Even now, his brow hadn't unfurrowed.
She simply sat down on bed and leaned over him to take off his outer clothing. He must have drunk a lot, even the tips of his ears were turning red. While she was doing this, he turned over, and his drunken breath puffed over her neck, making her itchy.
"Song Tingshen!" Ruan Xia tried to push him off. No matter how good he was about maintaining his figure, the weight of a 1.8 meters tall man was still very heavy. It was difficult for her to breath with his body pressing down on her. If he didn't get off, she might be in danger of suffocation.
The only response she got was the sound of his breathing.
Could it be that he was so drunk that he was totally unconscious?
Ruan Xia used all of her strength to try to hit him and push him off. In the end, she was too angry and reached out to twist the soft flesh of his waist. The pain should cause him to move away.
To her surprise, Ruan Xia discovered something awkward while she was doing this.
Song Tingshen, he… Ahem!
Although she had no practical experience, she had read hundreds of novels.
Ruan Xia coughed to clear her throat. Her face was hot, but she deliberately scoffed and whispered into Song Tingshen's ear, "Stop pretending to be unconscious. The body can't lie. A completely drunk person won't have this physiological reaction. If you don't get off me now, just wait."
There were many novels with this plotline. The male protagonist got drunk, the female protagonist would take care of him, and a R-rated thing would happen between them. When Ruan Xia was young, she found this kind of plot believable. But later on, she had read scientific stuff online that explained that this was impossible. People that were drunk were very uncomfortable. When a man was feeling uncomfortable, he was incapable of having those thoughts. In other words, when a man was stone-cold drunk, he couldn't… do it.
So, although Song Tingshen had drunk alcohol, it wasn't to the point of falling unconscious. He had to be at least partially sober right now.
Her last two words carried a strong warning. Song Tingshen weighed his options.
Sure enough, a second later, Song Tingshen, who had seemed very drunk and unconscious just now, quickly turned over. Of course, he didn't forget to pull the blanket and cover himself in an attempt to hide a certain fact.
Chapter 257 - To easily disclose her biggest secret to him, she really didn't want to do it, and she didn't dare to do it (1)
Ruan Xia sat up straight and tidied up her hair. She glanced sideways to look at Song Tingshen, who was still pretending to be dead drunk. She scoffed and said, "Since you're not that drunk, please drink the honey water that the housekeeper aunty made for you. If you drink it now, you won't feel so bad tomorrow."
"En, okay."
Song Tingshen knew that he couldn't keep pretending to be dead. He could only awkwardly sit up and pick up the cup on the bedside table.
Ruan Xia wasn't stupid. Now that things had come to this point, she could guess why Song Tingshen was so uncharacteristically unhappy.
Song Tingshen wasn't an emotional person. At the very least, after knowing him for so long, she felt that he was someone that could keep calm no matter what. Even if Mount Taishan collapsed in front of him, his expression wouldn't change.
He was a very stable person and had already succeeded in his career. In addition, he was clearly able to compartmentalize his work life and personal life. As a man in his thirties with a successful career, he wouldn't get this upset over something related to work unless it was bankruptcy. Wait no, that wasn't right either. Even if he was facing bankruptcy, she believed that Song Tingshen could still be calm and composed.
At home, she and Little Wang were fine. There was no illness or disaster. Their lives couldn't be better. There was nothing for him to worry about.
After thinking about it, Ruan Xia could only temporarily attach a high importance to herself and think Song Tingshen had lost his self-control because of her.
She had had behaved so well during the this period. They had been sweetly getting along too and were about to become no different from any other couple that was in love. So, when she linked together what happened in the past two days, it didn't take much thinking on Ruan Xia's part to see where the problem lay.
The receiponisht hadn't made a mistake on Friday when she said that Qin Yu and Song Tingshen had left the room together. As for why Qin Yu didn't come back after their conversation, she didn't know why.
Why did Song Tingshen hide this from her?
She was sure now that Qin Yu was reborn. He likes the original owner so much. Since he had the opportunity to go back to the past, he would want to reconnect with her as soon as possible. He must have been surprised to find out that Song Tingshen isn't dead. Not only was she still a married woman, she still had a pretty good relationship with her husband. With Qin Yu's temperament, how could he accept that? Either he was the one that took the initiative to give up, or he was the one that stirred up trouble in their relationship.
If he would give up, he wouldn't have come with this setup. He even went so far as to create a company to get closer to her.
She really couldn't understand why Qin Yu was so obsessed with the original owner. In the original novel, he was considered an innocent party. It was because Qin Yu had married the original owner that the Little Wang had practically bankrupted him once he grew up. Qin Yu's ending definitely wouldn't be good. Did he not regret it? Did he not know what kind of person the original owner was despite being with her for so many years? Did he not know that the original owner didn't like him at all? If this had taken place in the ancient times, Qin Yu could be considered a faint monarch that had obstinately persisted in going about things the wrong way.
If she was Qin Yu and given a second chance, she would definitely keep her distance from the original owner and live her perfect life that couldn't be more carefree and awesome.
Seeing Song Tingshen's reaction, she knew that Qin Yu must have said or done something to put bad ideas in Song Tingshen.
Translator Ramblings: I don't agree with what Qin Yu has done, but I think he's a victim of fate. If the original owner was still around, his plan would have worked. Giving Little Wang a happy childhood would have prevented his villainous actions. I hope Qin Yu gets sent to whatever world the original owner went to after the author is finished using him as a plot device to push along Ruan Xia and Song Tingshen's relationship.
Chapter 258 - To easily disclose her biggest secret to him, she really didn't want to do it, and she didn't dare to do it (2)
Based on her experience of reading many novels, as long as she substituted Qin Yu into the role of the vicious female supporting character, it wasn't difficult to guess what he had done.
According to the standard routine, he had asked to speak privately with Song Tingshen, and Song Tingshen naturally wouldn't refuse. After all, he had no enmity with Qin Yu.
What would Qin Yu say to Song Tingshen?
Ruan Xia's expression was blank as she thought about this. He would definitely say a bunch of specious words to give Song Tingshen the wrong idea that she had a serious relationship with him. Yeah, an improper romantic relationship.
Qin Yu had been with the original owner for so many years. A few casual words would be enough to make Song Tingshen misunderstand.
Song Tingshen saw Ruan Xia's lack of response. He poked her waist. "I didn't do it deliberately."
In fact, he was already very embarrassed. He hoped that Ruan Xia could forget what just happened.
Ruan Xia rolled her eyes at him and mocked him, "You have the nerve to say you didn't do that deliberately? You don't look drunk at all. CEO Song, you're the type that doesn't get drunk easily, right? Who knows? Maybe you weren't drunk last time either."
He might have pretended to be drunk last time too and heard her conversation with Li Jing. He was probably smug over that.
Song Tingshen pinched the bridge of his nose and helplessly explained, "I really was drunk that time. I don't have a reason to lie to you."
Why did a woman's thoughts go that way? She thought just because he pretended to be drunk once, it meant that he had pretended to be drunk in the past too.
This time, despite being upset, he still restrained himself. Moreover, Li Yuanhang had been persuading him. He hadn't drank too much, but he had been dizzy when Ruan Xia arrived and napped in the car. It was only after his nap that his mind had cleared up.
As for why he pretended to be drunk, it was because he didn't know how to face her. He had no idea that such an embarrassing thing would happen.
Ruan Xia didn't want Qin Yu's trick to succeed. She didn't want there to be a misunderstanding between her and Song Tingshen because of that person. Song Tingshen was too good. He was so good that she was willing to do things detrimental to her dignity. She had fallen for him. She didn't want to lose him.
"Li Yuanhang told me that you were upset and said that I should ask you why. Your friend has already seen through you. Don't keep hiding stuff from me." Ruan Xia pretended to be a white lotus that didn't know anything. If she was going to have a frank conversation with him, she would just insist that she had nothing to do with Qin Yu.
That's right. There was nothing between her and Qin Yu to begin with. If Song Tingshen had Qin Yu investigated and found the slightest hint that there was something between her and Qin Yu, that would be her misfortune.
The stuff that Qin Yu said was only stuff that happened before his second chance at life. That was between him and the original owner in a past life. In this life, she had only seen him face-to-face a few times.
Even if he said ambiguous things, so what? She could just insist that she didn't know anything.
Ruan Xia had thought about laying everything out. She wanted to have a mutually honest relationship with Song Tingshen. She wanted a relationship without any secrets, but that wasn't possible.
Were there any couples that didn't have secrets? Besides, she has a strong sense of self-protection. Her relationship with Song Tingshen wasn't strong enough yet. To easily disclose her biggest secret to him, she really didn't want to do it, and she didn't dare to do it.
Chapter 259 - To easily disclose her biggest secret to him, she really didn't want to do it, and she didn't dare to do it (3)
Ruan Xia glanced at Song Tingshen and said, "It looks like you really are feeling bad about something. Let's talk about it. It's not a solution to keep to yourself what's bothering you. You'll feel better if you let it out. Although I can't give you any advice, you can pour out what's bothering you to me. I'll keep it a secret."
After Song Tingshen finished drinking honey water, he was silent for a while. He didn't know if he should tell her and if he could accept the result of saying his doubts aloud. Or in other words, he didn't know what kind of truth he could accept.
If she really had an intimate relationship with Qin Yu, Song Tingshen couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't mind at all. Maybe knowing that would be like a thorn. It wouldn't hurt too much, but he would never be able to forget it. He didn't want that to happen.
It was at this time that he realized he wasn't as magnanimous as he had imagined. He would mind, he would mind a lot.
If there had been nothing between her and Qin Yu, and he asked her about it, would she think that he didn't trust her enough? Otherwise, why would he be affected so much by the words of an unimportant person?
Despite the long silence, Ruan Xia patiently waited for Song Tingshen's answer. Actually, she didn't even know herself if she wanted Song Tingshen to tell her or continue to keep it to himself.
Regardless, she knew that if they didn't resolve this matter, then she and Song Tingshen wouldn't be able to move past it. Although this move of Qin Yu's was a lowly trick, it was very effective.
Song Tingshen didn't say anything. Ruan Xia simply got up after waiting for a while.
Just as she got up, he reached out to stop her.
"I'll say it."
If he wanted them to have a future, then she and him had to pass this hurdle together. In the following decades, who knows if an even bigger crisis would appear? If they can't even pass this hurdle, then any discussion of a future together or growing old together was futile.
Ruan Xia sat back down. "Go on, I'm listening."
"Remember Friday night? I lied. I didn't go to the bathroom. I left the room with Qin Yu," Song Tingshen said this slowly and seriously, "I guessed that the reason why you resigned and asked me to cooperate with you in putting on an act on the island is related to Qin Yu. When he asked me to step out for a talk, I wanted to make it clear to him. It's just…"
He paused, looking as if he was having a hard time speaking about it.
"He told me that I didn't know you at all and that you and him were the ones that had the closest relationship." Song Tingshen wryly chuckled. "He also told me you have a mole on the left side of your waist and that you have a scar behind your ear. I didn't know any of that. Logically speaking, I should verify those things before believing him, but I can tell that he was telling the truth."
He and Ruan Xia were husband and wife in name, and they should have the closest relationship. And yet, he didn't know any of the marks or scars on her body. He didn't know what colors she liked either. And yet, another man knew these things. For a man, wasn't finding this out the biggest psychological blow and irony?
Ruan Xia expressed that she really couldn't find anything to say to that.
Although she had guessed that Qin Yu must have said something, when her guess was confirmed by Song Tingshen, she wanted to curse out Qin Yu. What kind of man was he?
Even on the unlikely chance she had something with Duan Chi, that little idiot, she would never be with Qin Yu, that disgusting scheming jerk!
Ruan Xia softly said, "Song Tingshen, if I curse, will that affect the perfect image you have of me?"
Chapter 260 - A tiny matter? In his heart, this wasn't a big deal at all? Is that so? (1)
In the end, Ruan Xia didn't curse Qin Yu aloud, but she castigated him a thousand times in her thoughts without stopping.
Ruan Xia had read about Qin Yu in the novel. The first impression was the strongest, so after Ruan Xia entered the novel and met Qin Yu, she thought Qin Yu was a pretty good man despite the trouble his painstaking efforts had caused her. Although the original owner had easily manipulated him, his trait of being a loyal dog would always make readers more fond of him. But now, Ruan Xia wanted to curse him out for being trash.
What loyal dog? What good man? Ruan Xia thought he was worse than Duan Chi.
Although Duan Chi was stupid, oblivious, and had rushed to Song Tingshen's office to have him divorce her, he had always taken responsiblity for his actions and kept her out of it. From a certain perspective, he could be considered protecting her reputation.
As for Qin Yu? No matter what kind of intimate relationship he had with the original owner in his past life, she was married to Song Tingshen in this life. Nothing had happened between her and Qin Yu. At most, they only had an employer and employee relationship. In order to cause conflict between her and Song Tingshen, he had said these ambiguous words to him. He wanted Song Tingshen to misunderstand that something had already happened between them.
What kind of position was Qin Yu putting her in? When he was saying these words about her, he was splashing dirty water on her. And, this dirty water wasn't ordinary dirty water.
Ruan Xia felt that Qin Yu's feelings for the original owner was obsession not love. To use this method to get someone, how many people could endure it? If you truly love someone, wouldn't you rather hurt yourself than the person you love?
Even if the original owner was here, she probably wouldn't recognize and accept it.
Ruan Xia had already decided earlier that she was going to be a white lotus that didn't know anything. Qin Yu wanted to pour dirty water on her, but he should have looked at the situation. In this lifetime, she had nothing to do with him. Even if he laid everything bare from his past life, she had only met him a few times in this one. As long as Song Tingshen believed in her, it would be difficult for Qin Yu's attempt to succeed. She didn't have to be afraid of Qin Yu causing discord.
She scooted over to Song Tingshen. Smelling the scent of alcohol, she said with an aggrieved expression, "Do you believe whatever he says?"
Song Tingshen had a headache, but he still said, "I don't believe him. That's why I'm asking you."
Song Tingshen didn't know if a couple can truly believe in each other unconditionally. He only knew that he was human. He felt jealousy and anger. The only thing he could do is do his best to calm down and listen to her explanation with an open-mind and draw his own conclusions.
Ruan Xia lowered her head. She mulled over what to say for a while and finally quietly said, "Do you know why I resigned? On the day I went to the island, the receptionist gave me a first-class plane ticket. Everyone else had a ticket for economy class. I was very puzzled at the time. The receptionist said I was the lucky one that won the company raffle and the first-class ticket was the prize. I didn't think too much of it. After I boarded the plane, I found out the person sitting next to me was CEO Qin. At that time, I didn't know he was my boss. He was an entertaining conversationalist. After I arrived at the house with my coworkers, he came to our group dinner. It was only then that I found out he was my boss…"
Translator Ramblings: Has Ruan Xia forgotten that the only reason Duan Chi stopped harassing her with his unwanted attention is because Song Tingshen stepped in and indirectly forced him to stop? Even after she tells off Duan Chi, he ignores what she tells him. He doesn't respect her choice. He tramples her rights under the excuse of being in love. He's a male chauvinist disguised under the cover of being a gentleman. If she was a single woman, she would still have that stalker hounding her. It's incredibly creepy that Duan Chi found out her address and sent her flowers. He won't take her clear no for an answer.
Duan Chi and Qin Yu are both bad. There's no reason to compare them and say one is better than the other.
Chapter 261 - A tiny matter? In his heart, this wasn't a big deal at all? Is that so? (2)
Ruan Xia wryly chuckled. "Song Tingshen, I'm pretty good at attracting admirers. I'm not stupid either. At the time, I was somewhat doubtful. I thought about it a lot after I returned to my room. Do you remember how I told you that this company was too good after my interview? The job was so good that it seems as if it was tailor-made for me. I knew that the salary of an office worker shouldn't be so high. That's why I got suspicious. I checked the record of my resume submissions, and I found out that I never submitted my resume to this company."
"A month after I sent my resume out to other companies, Qin Yu's company asked me to come in for an interview… Isn't that strange? Moreover, I didn't even send my resume to his company. At the time, I was very doubtful. Whether you believe it or not, a woman's intuition is very accurate. Do you remember that time Little Wang had a parent-child activity? I asked my manager for the day off, and she said she had to ask her boss. I was just an entry-level office worker. Why would that be necessary? "
"Later, the manager said that the customer I'm responsible for was going to drop by the office that day, so she can't approve of me taking that day off, but that customer didn't come that day. That wasn't the first time something strange like that happened."
Ruan Xia wrapped her arms around herself. "The more I thought about it, the more scared I got. Regardless if I was overthinking things or not, I didn't want to stay at the company any longer, so I chose to resign."
Song Tingshen didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he believed her. He reached out and held her.
Ruan Xia calmed down a lot and continued to speak, "As for what CEO Qin told you, I can clearly tell you that there's nothing between him and me. I swear that if I have an improper relationship with him, I'll be hit by a car when I go out tomorrow!"
She was fine with making poisonous oaths. After all, there was nothing between her and Qin Yu in this lifetime.
Song Tingshen was very angry when he heard her vow. With a serious expression, he said, "Just speak normally. Don't curse yourself. You're already a mother. How can you speak without thinking? Hurry up, say phooey three times."
Ruan Xia could only go along with his request, then she leaned on his shoulder and said an aggrieved tone, "I'm worried that you'll misunderstand me. He was right. I do have a mole on the left side of my waist and a scar behind my ear. I was almost scared to death when you said that. For him to say that, even if I jump into the Yellow River, I can't prove my innocence. Leaving aside the issue of trust, he's already splashed dirty water on me. I know that if you don't investigate this matter to the end, you'll always have a thorn in your heart. So how about this? Go check it out. Use all your available contacts. If you find out that I had contact with him before this job, we… We can divorce!"
Song Tingshen was truly angry. He grabbed Ruan Xia's wrist and slightly exerted force. His eyes were full of anger. "Just a tiny matter and you want to divorce? In your opinion, is marriage so fragile?"
A tiny matter? In his heart, this wasn't a big deal at all? Is that so?
Ruan Xia wanted to laugh, but she wanted to cry too.
This man was too good, especially when there was a contrast.
She mumbled, "Don't men care the most about this sort of thing, being cheated on? If there really was something between Qin Yu and me, you would mind for a lifetime. Rather than this, isn't it better…"
Chapter 262 - A tiny matter? In his heart, this wasn't a big deal at all? Is that so? (3)
Those words had just slipped past her lips without much thought, but when she carefully thought about it, it was how she genuinely felt. In the past, she and Song Tingshen had nothing to do with each other, so even if something had happened between her and Qin Yu, it wouldn't have shaken their plastic marriage. However, as soon as there were feelings between them, how could it be possible to remain indifferent? It was obvious that was impossible.
Song Tingshen interrupted her, "Before we got married, we agreed that we wouldn't interfere in each other's personal lives after getting married. I'm a man and also a business person. I know the importance of upholding an agreement. If there really was something between you and Qin Yu, I'll be angry, but I wouldn't think about getting a divorce. I might mind it every time I think about it, but I never thought about splitting up with you because of it. I don't know what marriage, family, and feelings means to you, but they're very important to me."
"I'm not particularly magnanimous or cowardly. It's because I'll weigh what's really important to me. '' Song Tingshen's voice inexplicably became disheartened, "After weighing it, I discovered you're more important."
Ruan Xia was stunned by his words. In her cognition, no matter how honest a man was, he couldn't bear his wife cheating on him because this was the biggest blow to man even if he wasn't in love with her. Qin Yu probably thought this way too, that's why he had tried this trick. He wanted Song Tingshen to be upset over this and cause irreconcilable conflicts between her and Song Tingshen that would then lead to divorce.
However, whether it was her or Qin Yu, they were both mistaken about what Song Tingshen would do.
Song Tingshen cared too much about his family. He had lost his parents when he was young. He longed for a family more than anyone else. Now that this family existed, no matter what huge thing happened, his first thought is to keep his family.
It wasn't that he was cowardly or that he wasn't angry. It was because he knew what was important to him.
Ruan Xia hugged his arm. She lowered her head to hide the emotions in her eyes and softly said, "Song Tingshen, I didn't."
There was nothing between her and Qin Yu.
Song Tingshen was silent for a while before nodding. "I believe you."
"No." Ruan Xia shook her head. "You should still go check it out. Even though you say you believe me, I still want you to verify for yourself that I've never done anything that would wrong this marriage."
Whether it was the original owner or her, they had never overstep the bounds of what's proper in this marriage. That was what gave her the greatest confidence. No matter how Song Tingshen investigated or how Qin Yu tried to splash dirty water on her, nothing would come of it. She wanted Song Tingshen to clearly see that. Trust occupied an important position in a relationship, but no matter what the issue was, trust never held as much weight as facts.
Song Tingshen gave her trust, and she would give him facts.
"Okay."
They didn't say anything else.
Ruan Xia couldn't help thinking that Song Tingshen was really wonderful. Just like this matter, it can be considered a major crisis in their relationship, but he never lost his temper in front of her. Perhaps, this was the charm of a mature man?
She didn't know how long they sat there. Song Tingshen suddenly said in a low voice, "I want to see the mole on the left side of your waist and the scar behind your ear."
Ruan Xia froze in surprise for a moment and only said "Ah?" She didn't understand why he suddenly said this. She lowered her head and glanced at him.
He lowered her head and glanced at her. In a forbearing tone, he asked, "Can I?"
Translator Ramblings: "Just like this matter, it can be considered a major crisis in their relationship" I don't get their thought process at all. This shouldn't be a big issue or the focus of their conversation. A stranger tells Song Tingshen random things about his wife, and it causes so much drama into their relationship. If Qin Yu can cast doubt into their relationship with only a few words, their trust in each other is too fragile, and they should reassess their relationship.
If Li Jing had told Ruan Xia about a mark on Song Tingshen, I don't think she would have believed that meant anything because she trusts Song Tingshen to not lie to her, so why is it a big deal to them just because their roles are reversed?
Earlier in the novel, Song Tingshen trusted that the original owner would never lie to him about having another relationship while being married to him, and now, he doubts Ruan Xia, who previously confirmed that she doesn't have romantic relationships with other people. That's a regression in their relationship.
Besides, since they had agreed on having separate lives beforehand, how can it be considered cheating if they both agreed to have an open marriage during that previous stage where they're married, but were treating each other like strangers.
I find Ruan Xia's insistence that her word isn't good enough strange too. Even if Song Tingshen's investigation comes up with nothing, it doesn't mean there's nothing between her and Qin Yu. It only means he hasn't found anything. That's why trust is vital. Is she going to ask him to launch an investigation every time a guy says something about her to him?
What do you guys think?
Chapter 263 - What I want to know, what I want to see, it's not just this (1)
When Ruan Xia returned to her senses, she understood what Song Tingshen meant.
That night between him and the original owner had happened over four years ago. Perhaps, he had already forgotten. And now, a man told him about that mole and scar on her body. How could he not care?
Perhaps, he really believed her. He knew that it was impossible for there to be anything between Qin Yu and her because she solemnly guaranteed it. However, even after everything was laid out on the table, he still wanted to see that mole and scar for himself so that he knew them too.
Ruan Xia was very helpless. This man was usually very mature. He was as stable as a mountain and made her feel very safe like a safety blanket. However, there were times when he was as naive as a man in his early twenties.
Fortunately, she wasn't wearing a nightgown. Otherwise, it would be so awkward to lift up her nightgown to show him.
She stretched her head out towards him. Song Tingshen hesitated for a moment. He lifted her long hair, scooted a bit closer, and looked behind her ear. Sure enough, there was a scar there. It was very faint. If he wasn't carefully looking, he wouldn't have noticed it.
After he had seen enough of the scar, Ruan Xia stood up and lifted her shirt, revealing her slender waist, which she was very proud of.
Take a look. She didn't want this guy to feel unbalanced by thinking that an outsider knew something he, her husband, didn't know.
There really was a mole on the left side of her lower waist, but it wasn't obvious.
Song Tingshen inexplicably reached out and covered that mole with his big hand. It was late autumn now, and the temperature was low. The warm touch of his palm on her skin made Ruan Xia feel an indescribable numbness.
A second later, he simply hugged her waist, bringing them closer together.
He was sitting on the bed, and she was standing in front of him.
"What I want to know, what I want to see, it's not just this. I want to know things that others don't know," Song Tingshen said. Saying these were words tonight, it felt truly ambiguous.
Ruan Xia deliberately cleared her throat. "Not now."
Song Tingshen replied, "I didn't say I want to know and see right now."
Ruan Xia: "..."
Clearly, he was the one that started this topic. How could he make it seem like she was the one that couldn't wait?
"I've already started investigating Qin Yu." Song Tingshen changed the topic. "I'll do a more thorough checkup on him. Of course, I'm not checking if there was a relationship between you and him. He's blatantly coveting my wife. That makes me very unhappy. If it's necessary, I'll fight back."
Ruan Xia nodded. "Do what you want. You don't have to go out of your way to tell me. I know you have a sense of measure when you do things."
"I actually don't want to have a sense of measure." Song Tingshen paused. "I got mad on your behalf that evening and punched him."
Nowadays, who wanted to be a person with a sense of measure? Song Tingshen wanted nothing more than to beat Qin Yu into a pulp.
Ruan Xia was shocked. "You punched him?"
Song Tingshen looked at her. "He slandered you like that in front of me. As long as I'm a man, there's no way I can be indifferent about that."
Ruan Xia regretfully sighed. "It's a pity I wasn't there to see you punch that trash."
"Trash?" Song Tingshen chuckled.