Chapter 9 — The Wedding House Was Destroyed, I Want It All Back

His voice came from outside, hoarse and heavy, as if pressed to the bottom, making me frown slightly. It wasn't difficult for him to find this place. Just ask a few people in the company to know that I don't rent, and this hotel is where I usually stay when I go on business trips.

"If you have something to do, contact my lawyer. It's late now, I'll leave."

I spoke through the door, not intending to open it, but his voice immediately became more urgent, carrying a rare pleading.

“Nien Niem, let's talk for a little bit, five minutes is fine, I beg you.”

“It's only five minutes, I'll leave now after I finish talking, otherwise... I'll just stand here and wait, or go to the company to find you tomorrow.”

He was using the exact thing I didn't want to face the most — my company and where I lived — as pressure to force me to open the door. I took a deep breath, understanding that tonight was unavoidable, and that was good, there were things that had to be clarified sooner or later. I put on a coat over my pajamas, walked to the door, looked through the cat's eyes, and saw only him standing there alone, his appearance completely different from before. His face was gray, his eyes were sunken, his chin was stubbled, there was no longer any neatness of the man I used to know. I opened the door, but stood right at the frame, not letting him in, my eyes cold and calm.

“Say it, five minutes.”

Chu Da looked at me, with all kinds of mixed emotions in his eyes - pain, confusion, and distorted suppressed anger.

"Nien Niem, do you really want to go to this extent? Chu Tinh has been held for many days, my mother cries every day, my father has turned a few strands of hair gray these past few days."

"My whole family is about to be forced to pieces by you. Can't you loosen your grip a little and give it a way? The appraisal is over 4,000,000 yuan... are you planning to put my whole family to death?"

“That number was given by the appraiser, not by me.”

I interrupted him, my voice so flat that it was almost emotionless.

"Whether your family is broken or not depends on what Chu Tinh does and what your parents choose, not on whether I protect my rights or not."

"It's not that I forced you, but her destructive behavior pushed everything to this point."

“Yes, it is wrong, so wrong that it cannot be denied!”

Chu Da suddenly raised his voice, ruffled his hair vigorously, frustration seemed to seep out of every move.

“But she is your sister, can you stand by and watch her go to prison, see her life come to an end?”

“Niem Niem, our three years… even if you don't accept my family, out of respect for me, can you take a step back?”

"You want compensation, we accept it, but can it be less, 1,000,000 yuan... no, 1,500,000 yuan is fine, my family really can't handle it right now."

"The company is having problems. If it has to take out more than 4,000,000 yuan, it may not be able to survive. Consider helping me once, okay?"

He took a step forward, about to take my hand, but I leaned away, the distance between us immediately clearer than any words. There was a flash of hurt in his eyes, which was quickly replaced by irritation.

"Are you really that cold? Not even a bit of your old love left. I've lowered myself to this level and you still refuse to give in?"

"Chu Da," I looked at the man who had planned to enter the civil affairs department with me. There were no longer any ripples in my heart, all emotions had calmed down like water after a storm.

“First, compensation is calculated according to the truth and legal, not having to pay the price like in the market, second, your company has no problem that has nothing to do with me, and cannot be used to relieve Chu Tinh's responsibility, third, three years of that so-called love, from the time you repeatedly asked me to make concessions, taking my legal rights in exchange for peace for your sister, and then your whole family took turns applying pressure, it has been completely consumed."

"I'm standing here listening to you not because I still have feelings, but just... to put an end to those three years."

Chu Da's face darkened, the pleading light in his eyes was replaced by disappointment and anger. He nodded, pulling out a distorted smile.

"Okay, Lam Niem, you are heartless enough, rational enough, it turns out that for the past three years you have been calculating me, including my family, the house is yours, the money is yours, the reason is yours, the law is also on your side."

“And we are all bad people, you are the only victim, right?”

I don't want to continue arguing, just stay silent, because at this point, anything I say is meaningless. His chest heaved a few times, as if he had pushed himself to the limit, then suddenly raised his head to look at me, his voice lowered but full of desperation.