Xiang Wan was about to ask him what he had been doing last night when he preempted her by saying it himself.
Working overtime all night?
How laughable.
What kind of important work required him to be in a hotel room with a woman, working overtime?
Did he take her for an idiot?
“Is that so? If you were working overtime, why didn't you charge your phone? I thought something had happened to you.”
Lu Mingzhe sighed, “Don’t even mention it.”
“You were worried about my studio being full of women and things getting out of hand, so I transferred the previous assistant.”
“I’ve replaced her with a stay-at-home mom who’s re-entering the workforce after raising her child for a few years.”
“They say pregnancy makes you foolish for three years, and it’s true. She’s forgetful and flustered every day. She couldn’t even plug in my phone properly to charge it. I’m truly impressed.”
What a perfect excuse.
Not only did it reasonably explain why his phone was unreachable for no reason.
It also subtly confirmed that he loved her dearly and took her words to heart.
As expected of a psychologist.
For the first time, Xiang Wan realized how meticulous his words were.
When you trust someone completely, you’d believe them even if they said the sun rose in the west.
But once suspicion takes root, every word they utter seems like a lie.
Looking at Lu Mingzhe, who was "full of lies," Xiang Wan felt a chill run through her.
Such a man, the biological son raised by a woman like Mrs. Lu.
He actually naively believed he was different from his mother.
Naively believed that he could marry her and raise children together.
She was truly desperate to get married, lost in wishful thinking to the extreme.
Once suspicion arises towards someone, even being close to them makes one feel psychologically uncomfortable.
Especially when Lu Mingzhe’s breath carried the scent of alcohol.
Faced with his blatant lies, Xiang Wan felt nothing but disgust and wanted to distance herself from him.
She subtly shifted sideways and pushed his head away.
“If you’re tired, go sleep in the bed. I’ve had enough sleep.”
Lu Mingzhe didn’t expect his image in Xiang Wan’s heart to have transformed so drastically in just a few hours.
He didn't notice anything unusual about her. He kicked off his slippers, curled up his legs on the sofa, and rested his head on her lap.
“I haven’t seen you all night, I’ve missed you so much. I don’t want to sleep in the bed; I just want to be by your side. Wherever you are, I am.”
If he had said this to her yesterday, Xiang Wan would have been bubbling with happiness.
But now, she only wanted to award him an Oscar.
“You’re incredibly sweet-mouthed. I haven’t seen you interact with men, so where did you learn all these sweet nothings?”
“Do I need to learn this? I just say whatever comes to mind.”
Lu Mingzhe took her hands and placed them on his head.
“I’m going to sleep now. If your legs get numb, just wake me up. I’m not leaving you anyway.”
After a night of turmoil, he was truly exhausted and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Xiang Wan’s slender fingers traced his eyebrows, nose, lips, chin, slowly and repeatedly.
Looking at the face she loved to the bone, so familiar it was etched into her soul, but now felt so foreign.
Tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily.
She didn’t want to believe this was real.
She didn’t want to separate from Lu Mingzhe.
She still wanted to struggle one last time.
Even though she knew it was inappropriate, abrupt, and like she was going crazy.
She still picked up her phone and sent a message to Zhou Jinbei.
She asked how Lu Mingzhe had evaluated her behind her back when she wasn’t around.
Zhou Jinbei, groggy from sleep, slowly opened her eyes and grabbed her phone.
It was Xiang Wan.
This was the first time Xiang Wan had contacted her actively since leaving the hospital that day, and she was asking such a profound question.
It was clear she was in a bad mood or having a fight with Lu Mingzhe.
She quickly started speaking well of Lu Mingzhe.
“He praised you for being beautiful, smart, independent, and capable. He’s said everything.”
“He’s basically mentioned all the excellent qualities of the women he knows.”
“It’s just that your circumstances are limited, and your education isn’t very high. Otherwise, you would definitely be like my sister-in-law, a top female powerhouse in Nancheng.”
“With your excellent genes and him, a strong union, your future children will undoubtedly be extraordinary.”
So, he was interested in her genes?
Xiang Wan thanked Zhou Jinbei, put down her phone, moved Lu Mingzhe’s head off her lap, and went to her room to put on makeup and change.
After sending a WeChat message to Xiang Yang saying she was going to work, she drove directly to the hospital.
All children born into this world should be a product of their parents' love.
They are born to enjoy life, not to suffer hardships like she had.
Since she foresaw unhappiness, she would never recklessly bring a child into a tragic destiny.
She left early, and there were very few cars on the road. She arrived at the hospital at seven in the morning.
The registration area hadn’t opened yet, so she sat on a bench and waited.
As fate would have it, less than ten minutes later, she encountered Tang Haichao accompanying a woman to register at the obstetrics and gynecology department.
Upon seeing each other, both were somewhat surprised.
“Xiang Wan? Why are you here so early? Are you feeling unwell?”
Xiang Wan glanced at the woman sitting next to her.
She was in a similar state to Lu Mingzhe.
Drunk, disheveled, and looking exhausted, but wearing expensive clothes.
“I’m fine, just came to take a look. What’s wrong with you?”
Tang Haichao made the woman lean properly and stepped back.
“This is my ex-wife. She broke up with her boyfriend and is having an emotional breakdown. She drank so much knowing she was pregnant.”
“My daughter called me, and I’m bringing her here because I’m worried about her.”
In this situation, Xiang Wan really wanted to praise him as a good ex-husband in China.
But she couldn't bring herself to say it.
To be honest, she felt a pang of jealousy.
How could there be such an ungrateful woman in the world?
She had such a good man in Tang Haichao, yet she still wanted to divorce him and hurt his feelings.
Seeing that although Xiang Wan’s expression was calm, there was an undisguised weariness in her eyes.
And she was here so early in the morning.
Tang Haichao had a bad feeling.
But with his ex-wife present, he couldn’t ask directly.
He took out a cigarette and waved it, gesturing with his chin towards the stairwell, signaling Xiang Wan to follow him.
Xiang Wan felt that the only person in the world she could speak truthfully to, the only one she could consider a friend, was Tang Haichao.
She followed him.
Tang Haichao wasn't there to smoke, of course.
“Did something happen to you?”
Xiang Wan smiled self-mockingly.
“Do you remember what you told me a few days ago? At the time, I was still clinging to a sliver of hope, thinking I was different from you. I didn’t expect to be proven wrong so quickly.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means nothing. I don’t want the child anymore. I’ve decided to take your advice and cut my losses now.”
“You and him…”
Xiang Wan cut in, “Yes. I will organize my assets as quickly as possible in the next few days, pay off all the debts…”
“Actually, after I started building up the account, several agencies approached me for contracts, but I never had the heart to sell it.”
“Now, I’ve had enough of this city. I plan to sell it and start over somewhere else.”