After the divorce, my ex-husband and son lined up to pursue me.

Chapter 86 The battle is fierce

Jiang Xia took a deep breath and then looked away.

Clearly, she was just being stubborn, so what she said didn't reflect her true feelings.

"Ruan Muhuai, you're very angry, aren't you? Seeing that I almost went with someone else last night..." Her calm voice was especially calm as she suppressed her physical discomfort and leaned weakly against the soft pillow at the head of the bed.

Jiang Xia raised her hand to gather her loose long hair, and without looking at him, continued, "But you can rest assured, even if you hadn't gone last night, I wouldn't have had anything happen between me and Number Three. It's not because we're not divorced yet, nor is it because you're so important to me, it's just that I don't want to fall into the same trap as you."

Last night was truly an accident.

Lou Yushi and Jiang Shan meant no harm, but in that atmosphere, no matter how drunk Jiang Xia was, the nerves in his brain wouldn't break down.

It's not that she necessarily wanted to remain chaste, but rather that she valued her own purity and was taking responsibility for herself.

"Degenerate?" Ruan Muhuai murmured the harsh word, "Like me?"

Jiang Xia didn't respond, only saying, "I don't expect you to understand what I've been thinking all these years, and I don't want to argue with you. Let's just leave it at that. If we can make it work, we'll get along; if not, we'll leave immediately."

“My suggestion is to get a divorce. Half of the property and the son will go to me, and all the debts will go to you.”

Ruan Muhuai gave a cold laugh that was tinged with amusement, as if he were listening to a joke. "Are you talking in your sleep?"

"If you don't agree, then forget it."

Jiang Xia didn't want to waste any more energy. She glanced around and didn't see any of her clothes, but there was a bathrobe. She was about to reach for it when Ruan Muhuai grabbed her arm and turned her face away.

The sudden action caused her muscles to ache again, and instantly ignited the raging fire in Jiang Xia's heart. "Ruan Muhuai! What did you do to me last night? I didn't hold it against you, and you're still not done?!"

She misunderstood his actions, thinking he was going to...

But this only fueled the anger that had been building up inside him. Jiang Xia struggled to pull her hand back and slapped him across the face in return!

"You bastard! Do you even realize you're taking advantage of someone in distress?!"

The crisp sound of a slap filled the entire large bedroom.

Ruan Muhuai turned his face to the side after being hit, and remained motionless for a long time.

"Even if we're not divorced, you can't force me to agree! Don't you have any respect at all? Well, in your eyes, I've never meant anything. I should feel honored to be used as your outlet, shouldn't I?"

"You're still angry, feeling that I'm cheating on you, betraying you, and that you, as a man, can't accept it. But what about you? Even if you can't put yourself in my shoes, are you really heartless?!"

"What has happened between you and Xin Rou in the past few years? When you go on business trips, you ask her to come with you; when she wants to go on vacation, you immediately accompany her to Europe; when she gets drunk and calls you in the middle of the night, you immediately go to take care of her; when something happens at her family's hospital, you help out and run around to resolve it... Do I need to list them all?"

These...and even more trivial matters, felt like thorns in Jiang Xia's back, constantly pricking his heart.

How much harm does the appearance of a third party, a betraying partner, cause to the original spouse? Jiang Xia endured seven long years of unbearable suffering, each day feeling like a living hell.

Isn't this even worse and more hurtful than her slight indulgence at the club yesterday?!

Put yourself in their shoes...

Jiang Xia knew that Ruan Muhuai could never do it.

It's not that he doesn't know how to respect and cherish his wife, it's just that... if he doesn't love her, he doesn't care about hurting her.

Jiang Xia could no longer hide the pain in her eyes as she looked at him, her gaze piercing through her tears: "Ruan Muhuai, I really want to know, what do I owe you? Yes, I took the initiative to marry you, I was shameless, I was climbing the social ladder, but even killing someone is one thing, you've tormented me for years, isn't that enough!" Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, and Jiang Xia's body trembled slightly.

Angry.

It's also sad.

Ruan Muhuai took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The emotions that were hard to suppress were roaring in his heart. He stared at Jiang Xia, his eyes already filled with bloodlust.

“Not enough.” His cruel words were sharp and cold: “We have a son together, so unless you die.”

Jiang Xia was stunned for a moment, then a cold, endlessly sorrowful laugh burst forth through his blurry, tear-filled eyes: "Until I die? Fine, just you wait and see!"

Do you want to fight her to the death?

Then Jiang Xia will show him whether he can completely get rid of him before he dies!
Ruan Muhuai didn't glance at him again, silently turned around, and slammed the door shut as he left.

But he knew very well that he and Jiang Xia had reached a dead end with no room for maneuver.

Forced relationships are never sweet, and persisting in them is pointless.

Jiang Xia was sulking, but wasn't he just as stubborn?

He knew that letting go was the best solution, but he stubbornly refused to do so and didn't want to find out the specific reasons.

Jiang Xia didn't stay at Qiushui Garden for long. Even though it was already dark outside, she took a quick shower, changed her clothes, and went downstairs.

In these affluent residential areas, it's generally not easy to hail a taxi.

She simply went to the garage, grabbed a car key, drove a car, and went straight back to her neighborhood near the research institute.

Lou Yushi and Jiang Shan were both there. They hadn't done anything outrageous last night; they just played around and went home. By now, they were both sober. As soon as they saw Jiang Xia return, Lou Yushi hurriedly returned the card to her.

"I didn't use your card last night, um..." Lou Yushi hesitated, a little embarrassed, "You and your husband didn't argue..."

Before she could ask any further questions, she noticed the marks left on Jiang Xia's neck.

One can imagine how intense the battle was.

Lou Yushi awkwardly scratched the ground with her toes. "I...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken you to that kind of place. It's all my fault. Let me explain to your husband."

"No need, what nonsense are you talking about? What did you do wrong?" Jiang Xia tried to cover the mark on her neck by clutching her clothes, but she couldn't hide it. So she simply turned around and leaned into the sofa, exhausted.

Jiang Shan hurriedly fawned over her, rubbing her legs and shoulders, saying, "Sister Xia, it was all my bad idea. I'm so guilty. Hit me or scold me if you want."

Lou Yushi sat down next to her: "Don't keep things to yourself. Tell us, and we can help you think of a solution."

"It's nothing, really nothing." Jiang Xia was still not used to confiding her troubles to others, so she patted their hands and said, "Don't overthink it. I really didn't blame you at all. I'm just tired. I'm going back to my room to rest for a while."

With that, she got up and went into her bedroom.

But before she could even close the door, she caught a glimpse of the wooden box that had been tucked under the bed earlier.

Perhaps it's time to open and take a look at what Grandma Ruan left her.

(End of this chapter)