I snorted and didn't answer.
Hugh Pei, however, walked around my apartment and then said, "You've got everything set up so nicely. You've gotten quite stubborn, haven't you?"
He took off his coat, tossed it on a chair, and sat down across from me.
I asked, "What do you want to talk about? Let's talk."
"Tell me what you're thinking," Hugh Pei retorted. "My family won't agree to our divorce."
Of course, I knew the Pei family wouldn't agree, but Hugh Pei's attitude shouldn't be like this. He was such a willful person; he wouldn't listen to anyone who disagreed and would just find a way to solve the problem.
I remembered his almost insane actions in my previous life.
Of course, I was also insane, and so was Evan Yu, all because of Lila Wei.
Why did I feel like he wasn't as into Lila Wei as he was in my previous life?
And Evan Yu, too, gave me a similar feeling.
"Hugh Pei, are you not willing to stand up to your family for Lila Wei?" I looked into his eyes. "Are you just going to let her be the other woman forever?"
"She's not the other woman," Hugh Pei frowned, clearly displeased with my choice of words.
"Then what is she?" I found it absurd. "Before we're divorced, if she's not the other woman, is she an angel?"
Hugh Pei's face darkened even more. He must have seen the news and the online comments these past few days. Most people had a decent sense of right and wrong and were condemning Lila Wei for interfering in someone else's relationship, calling her shameless and so on.
Actually, every woman Hugh Pei had been linked to in the past had been criticized by netizens. But those women were almost all celebrities, who were more immune to rumors and could handle it.
Lila Wei was different. This was her first time being cyberbullied.
No wonder she had tried to commit suicide. On one hand, it was probably to prove something to my mother-in-law, and on the other hand, she really couldn't take the criticism.
"Hugh Pei, I used to like your personality. I thought you were cool and decisive, a man of your word. Why are you so hesitant about this? If you were just a little more decisive, everything would be resolved."
"Your parents only have you as a son. Even if they oppose you and Lila Wei, if you insist, they will eventually give in. Don't they want grandchildren? If you work hard and get Lila Wei pregnant, I guarantee they will accept her."
"As for my parents, I will persuade them. Before my dad retires, he will definitely not hold up any of your project approvals because of personal matters. You can rest assured."
I spoke with sincerity, wanting to give my ten years of love a decent ending. If Hugh Pei agreed now, even though I had withdrawn the lawsuit, we could still have an amicable divorce.
But Hugh Pei's expression grew more and more ominous, as if a storm were brewing. Before I could finish, he roared, "Enough!"
I had to swallow the rest of my words.
He asked me, "Are you sure you want a divorce? You said yourself that you loved me for ten years. Can you really let go?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I can," I nodded without hesitation.
I couldn't overthink it. I was afraid the more I thought, the more unwilling I would be.
Hugh Pei suddenly stood up. Before I could react, he had strode over to me, pulled me up, and kissed me with the force of a storm, not gentle at all.
My calm heartbeat was thrown into disarray. I pushed against Hugh Pei's chest, but it was like trying to shake a tree.
How did a discussion about divorce turn into this? I was furious. When Hugh Pei's tongue invaded my mouth, I hardened my heart and bit down.
He let me go, as expected. A trace of blood stained the corner of his lips.
"You bit me?" He raised his hand to wipe his mouth, then stuck out the tip of his tongue and touched it with his finger. His fingertip immediately turned redder.
I also had a faint taste of blood in my mouth, but I didn't care. I just wiped my mouth casually and replied, "Who told you to mess around?"
"Am I messing around, or are you?!" Hugh Pei was angry. "You set off fireworks with Evan Yu on the hospital rooftop, went hiking with Julian Qi on Fuming Mountain, and went to an open-air concert with Deng Yiyang. Isn't that messing around?"
I was stunned. How did he know everything?
Hugh Pei's tone was filled with undisguised jealousy, but I still remembered him saying he didn't like me, that I was being presumptuous.
"Hugh Pei, you're jealous, aren't you?" I asked again.
He glared at me. This time he didn't deny it. Instead, he said with a defeated, self-deprecating tone, "Yeah, I'm jealous. I'm actually jealous because of you and other men. Isn't that hilarious?"
The shock I felt at that moment was at its peak.
Ten years, and this was the first time he had been jealous because of me.
"I originally wanted to make you a widow for the rest of your life, to torture you and make you regret marrying me. But I fucking started to like you a little? Otherwise, I would have just divorced you and been with Lila Wei," Hugh Pei said, as if he had given up.
My eyes suddenly turned red. It wasn't because I was touched and wanted to repeat my mistakes, but because my ten years had finally received a response.
It was like a deep obsession that was suddenly released just as I was about to let it go.
We were silent for a while. I finally spoke, "Hugh Pei, you should go. I need to think about what I want, and you should think about what you really want."
"Okay." He went to the chair, picked up his coat, looked back at me once more, and left.
After he was gone, I cried my eyes out, releasing all my emotions. It wasn't until my dad called that I stopped. "Zoe, come home for lunch tomorrow. Your uncle is back."
I tried my best not to sound like I had been crying. "Okay."
My uncle had been abroad for many years, also running a company, but focused on the overseas market. He only came back once a year at the end of the year.
"Zoe seems even prettier. Have you gained some weight? You look good with a little more weight," my uncle said, complimenting me.
"Uncle, you're back!" I said, running over to give my aunt and uncle a hug.
My aunt smiled. "She really is prettier. A true beauty!"
I shamelessly said, "I'm about the same as before. Always beautiful."
"Yes, always a great beauty!" my aunt agreed.
"Huh, why didn't Brother Min come back this year?" I asked curiously.
My uncle replied, "He's busy with the new branch company at the end of the year, so he didn't come back."
My dad chimed in, "Xiao Xin is interning at the company too, right? That girl just graduated from college, but I think she's just as capable as Xiao Min."
"Unlike my silly daughter, who only wants to play the cello and date. Now look at her… sigh."
My uncle also knew about Hugh Pei's affair. He said seriously, "Zoe, you really need to think about your future. Your parents are getting older, and Hugh Pei's heart isn't with you. So you need to learn how to run a business. We can't let Hugh Pei take over the Xu family's company!"
My parents exchanged a look but didn't say anything. I knew they felt the same way. The affair between Hugh Pei and Lila Wei had made them completely lose hope in him.