Chapter 4 — Whispers of Lu Xiao

I wanted to visit Fifi at the hospital, but Shuqing refused. I tried to explain the situation to her, telling her that Su Rui had said it was Fifi herself who wouldn't hold her hand, that the whole thing was just a terrible accident. Shuqing’s voice turned colder than I had ever heard it. She told me that Fifi had a different story—that after just a few steps, my wife had deliberately let go of the girl's hand.

I instinctively defended Su Rui, asking what she could possibly gain from doing such a thing. Shuqing let out a soft, bitter laugh. She told me that Su Rui wanted me all to herself, and that her son only wanted me to be a father to him alone. She said it didn’t matter what she told me because I wouldn't believe it anyway; once a person is biased, they unconsciously protect the one they care for more. She told me not to come to the hospital again, stating that neither she nor her daughter wanted to see me. I tried to speak further, but she blocked my number. Distraught and refusing to believe it, I immediately went to confront Su Rui.

Su Rui looked at me with deep emotion, asking how I could ever doubt her. She reminded me that we were talking about a human life and that as a mother herself, she could never commit such an act. She suggested that children sometimes have overactive imaginations, noting that Zhezhe was the same way at times. Seeing that I wasn't entirely convinced, she went all out that night to please me, wearing a seductive silk nightgown that accentuated every curve of her body. She told me she understood my suffering and that although people gossiped about us, true love was never a mistake. She promised that as long as we were happy, we would eventually silence those who didn't understand. I wanted to believe her. People often spend their lives obsessed with things they lacked in their youth, and I felt lucky to have finally found what I wanted. I decided I should trust her.

The company's anniversary gala was held at a seven-star hotel. Su Rui walked in on my arm, making a public appearance to ensure everyone knew her status as the lady of the house. However, the wagging tongues of the crowd were not so easily silenced. I overheard employees whispering about how the former secretary had pushed out the boss's ex-wife and was now trying to control the company's finances. They reminisced about how Shuqing used to be kind and brought tea for the staff, while the new woman was arrogant, docking pay for the slightest infractions.

Su Rui’s nature was inherently haughty; she took immense pride in her beauty and thrived on vanity. In her eyes, anyone who didn't flatter her was looking down on her. I grew tired of her complaints about disrespectful staff and focused on toasted my business partners. In the crowd, I heard that the Fu Group was holding a concurrent event in the neighboring hall. I wanted to seize an opportunity to network. I had promised Su Rui a villa that I hadn't bought yet, and she had been making a scene about it, so I had compromised by buying her a Maserati.

Suddenly, I caught sight of Shuqing. She had completely shed her image as a simple housewife. She looked radiant, exuding an air of professional confidence as she moved through the crowd. I remembered how shy she had been when we first started the business, yet she had used her expertise to win over partners and secure deals. I remembered her drinking until she was sick just to close a contract, and how she once drove through a blizzard to pick me up, falling asleep in the car while clutching audit documents. Su Rui never did those things. She never picked me up, claiming her son needed to sleep by nine. Even when I drank until my stomach bled, she simply told me to go to the hospital myself so she could get her beauty sleep. The comparison was painful. I realized that seven years ago, I had wanted to grow old with Shuqing, but it seemed I had lost something vital along the way.

When Su Rui once again maxed out my credit card to enroll Zhezhe in a piano class that cost three thousand per session, I couldn't hide my irritation. I pointed out that the boy couldn't even remember where middle C was, questioning the need for such an expensive class. Su Rui insisted that art required a solid, expensive foundation. I thought of Fifi’s art classes, which cost only two hundred, and how Shuqing had worried about the expense even though Fifi actually had talent and had won awards.

Su Rui reminded me that she had married me even before the villa was bought and that as Zhezhe’s father, I was responsible for his lifestyle. In a haze of guilt and pressure while Fifi was hospitalized, I had officially registered my marriage to Su Rui. Holding the marriage certificate, I felt none of the joy I expected from winning my "goddess." Instead, Su Rui began spending even more aggressively. The house was soon filled with designer bags and clothes. I couldn't understand why she needed three different colors of a dress that cost nearly eight thousand dollars. When I married Shuqing, I had nothing and gave her a cheap watch that she cherished for years. Now I saw that marrying the woman I "loved" was far more expensive.

One day, the school called because of an incident involving Zhezhe. He had brought his expensive school supplies to show off, and apparently, a set of high-end pens had gone missing. Su Rui and I rushed there. The teacher said Zhezhe had become violent when a classmate wouldn't admit to taking them. When I saw Shuqing there as well, a sense of unease washed over me. Zhezhe ran to me, crying that Fifi had stolen his pens because she couldn't have me as a father anymore.

Fifi burst into tears, sobbing that she wasn't a thief. she cried out that "Dad Fu" had bought those pens for her because he knew she loved that specific brand. Hearing my daughter call another man "Dad" sent a surge of white-hot rage through me. But then I looked at her face and saw a bright red handprint where she had been struck. The words I wanted to scream died in my throat, replaced by a haunting, hollow silence.