Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Su Qingâs body trembled gently under Qin Jiayanâs gaze, and her eyelashes quivered hard. Her eyes elusively drifted over his face toward another area, while he fixed his eyes on her and bluntly said, âThat night was the first for you, am I right?â
Qin Jiayan had just been detailing their past a moment ago, and now he changed the subject so abruptly that Su Qing found it hard to keep up with him. After freezing for a moment, she then managed to react to what he was talking about. She no longer dared to look at him, and she lowered her head and stared at her legs.
Heâs right... That night was indeed my first time.
Su Qing had been married to Lin Mo for many years but only in name. They had never even stayed in the same room before, much less had had any real physical intimacy.
Lin Mo did not like women and was even known to abhor them, and he was never in a good mood when he saw Su Qing.
Father Lin had always blamed Mother Lin for Lin Moâs eccentricities, but she continued to spoil her son, never reprimanding him, and then always vented her anger on Su Qing.
If she hadnât been desperate, Mother Lin would have never considered drugging Su Qing to get her to sleep with her son.
âSo, your marriage with your husband is only a façade, isnât it?â Qin Jiayan asked.
Without giving her a chance to speak, he continued. âBack then, you actually did have a reason for marrying him: You already knew that he wouldnât be physical with you, didnât you?â
Although Qin Jiayan had questioned her three times consecutively, he was already sure that his conjectures were correct and had no intention of listening to her reply. He then voiced out the question that he most fervently wanted an answer to. âSu Qing, why did you voluntarily agree to a marriage in name only?â
Why? If I could tell him why, I would have told him back then. But now that so many years have passed since then, whatâs the point in telling him about it? It would only add to his guilt...
Su Qing pursed her lips and lowered her head slightly as she remained silent without showing the slightest intention to answer his question.
âAlright then. Itâs fine if you donât want to say...â When she hadnât responded after a long time, Qin Jiayan then said, âAll these years, he probably scolded and hit you more than once, correct? Even though your marriage is only a façade, he shouldnât treat you like this. Why havenât you divorced him?â
If I could divorce him, I would have done so long ago. The Lin family had an extremely challenging time finding a woman who could be a cover for Lin Mo being gay, so why would they let me off the hook so easily?
Furthermore, the Lin family is a large one with a prominent business... They have both power and influence. Iâm basically a nobody, so I would never win against them.
âIs it the family thatâs preventing from getting a divorce? Are you obligated to them in some way, and you donât dare to fight against them?â No one would approve of domestic violence, so Qin Jiayan didnât think his conjectures could be too far off.
If it werenât for the fact that I still harbor hope of being with her after all these years, I would have settled down for a stable life, married someone, and had kids a long time ago.
At this very moment, a shred of hope still exists between us, and I canât give up. For her sake and even more so for my own, I have to grab a hold tightly to this hope.
As this thought crossed his mind, Qin Jiayan abruptly reached out his hands and grabbed Su Qingâs shoulders, forcing her to look at him. He stared back into her eyes and emphasized firmly, âSu Qing, leave with me, alright?â