Chapter 3.

“He’s looking for you.”

I watched as Chen Yuzhou clicked the speaker button to accept the call. The voice from the other end came through far more frantic than I had expected.

“Tangtang! Look, I know you’re mad, but can we stop playing these games?”

“I haven’t been able to reach you for two whole days. I’m worried sick.”

“Are you at home? Can I come over right now?”

I bit my lip, answering softly, “No… I’m not at home right now.”

Xu Chen immediately pressed, his tone laced with mounting panic. “It’s this late, if you’re not at home, where are you?”

I glanced up at Chen Yuzhou, then said slowly, “I’m at Chen Yuzhou’s place.”

The line fell dead silent.

A long, agonizing moment passed before a shaky, disbelieving voice cut back through: “How… how could you…”

The temperature in the room plummeted several degrees.

Chen Yuzhou looked down at me, his voice quiet, yet dripping with hidden disappointment. “Tangtang… shouldn’t you be telling him… that we’re married?”

In his eyes, I saw a raw wave of hurt swirling just beneath the surface.

My heart twinged with pain, and I immediately opened my mouth to explain. “I was just about to tell him.”

Xu Chen kept calling my name over the phone, his voice bordering on sheer desperation.

Before I could say another word, Chen Yuzhou suddenly leaned down, stealing my breath with an unhesitating, consuming kiss.

“Tangtang,” he whispered against my lips, “let me teach you… how to destroy a rival.”

—

At first, Xu Chen had been spiraling with anxiety, grasping at every possible excuse to reassure himself. But the moment the heavy, ragged breathing came through the speaker, the entire world shattered beneath his feet.

He had always assumed that no matter when he turned around, Shen Tang would still be standing right there, waiting for him.

Now, she was in another man’s arms.

She… doesn’t love me anymore.

The realization sent a violent shudder through him, making his blood run cold.

Then came Chen Yuzhou’s icy voice floating through the phone: “Don’t ever disturb our married life at night again. Xu Chen, don’t you have a wife of your own? What business do you have harassing someone else’s?”

With a sharp click, he hung up.

Xu Chen stood there frozen, completely unable to process what had just happened.

It was impossible… Tangtang used to hate Chen Yuzhou so much. How could she possibly… marry him?

A wave of overwhelming rage and helplessness crashed over him. Xu Chen snapped, smashing everything within reach as shatters and crashes echoed wildly through his empty room.

—

Back in the villa’s bedroom, after our breathing finally leveled out, Chen Yuzhou just held me in silence.

Exhausted, I propped myself up on my hands, staring into his handsome face. His eyes were filled with an emotion so complex I couldn’t quite decipher it.

Leaning in, I gently brushed my fingertips over the furrow of his brow. “Chen Yuzhou… why are you unhappy?”

His eyes flickered slightly, his grip on my waist tightening. “Tangtang… do you still love Xu Chen?”

The question brought tears springing to my eyes. “I really don’t love him anymore. I was going to make everything clear to him… but you interrupted me.”

“Chen Yuzhou, the only person in my heart right now… is you.”

He stared at me silently for a long time before a slow smile broke across his face. “Okay… I believe you.”

Because he was always this gentle, my heart felt even more tangled in knots. I would have preferred him to be angry, to be possessive and jealous, rather than burying everything inside like this.

I took the initiative to wrap my arms around his neck, whispering softly, “Hubby, can’t you just trust me?”

How could Chen Yuzhou possibly resist such a sweet, soft surrender?

He held me tight, letting out a low, shaky laugh. “I do trust you… It’s just that I love you so much it makes me greedy. I want you all to myself, forever.”

His eyes flushed red as he pressed a long, reverent kiss onto the back of my hand.

I knew. I knew everything, his insecurity, his fears, and his unyielding love.

—

Our married life turned out to be so sweet it made all our friends sick with envy.

He kept a strict distance from every other woman, catered to my every tiny need, and held onto even the most offhand comments I made for weeks.

Sometimes, watching Chen Yuzhou bustled around the kitchen, I couldn’t help but feel like it was all a dream.

I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind.

He paused his hands and smiled warmly. “You’ve been unusually clingy these past couple of days, haven’t you?”

A soft smirk played at the corner of his lips. “Not that I’m complaining.”

I tightened my embrace, half-joking, “If it makes you happy, I can be even clingier.”

His body stiffened slightly. Turning around to face me, his eyes lit up like a child who had just found a prized treasure. “Really? Can you love me… just a little bit more?”

I leaned up, kissed his forehead, and beamed. “I can. Chen Yuzhou, I’m going to love you more and more every single day.”

He ducked his head and claimed my lips in a kiss that was gentle, yet overflowing with pure desire.

—

On Friday evening, Chen Yuzhou had a business dinner to attend. I originally planned to head home, take a warm bath, watch a movie, and wait for him, but an unexpected invitation to a high school reunion popped up.

When I arrived at the venue, Xu Chen was already standing by the entrance, his face lighting up the second he laid eyes on me.

I had no intention of striking up a conversation and made a move to walk straight past him.

Ignoring my cold shoulder, he reached out in excitement and grabbed my hand. “Tangtang, did you really… marry Chen Yuzhou? Back in high school, you clearly despised him! How could you marry him?”

His words sounded like an interrogation, but even more like a desperate attempt to convince himself. He offered a strained laugh, waiting for my denial.

I yanked my hand out of his grip and took a step back. “Do I really need to lie to you?”

“But why?!”

“Because I realized… I fell in love with him.”

The second the words left my mouth, Xu Chen’s eyes turned bloodshot. “No! You can’t fall in love with him!”