Chapter 9.4

Upon thinking of this, Jian Yi An’s face slightly paled. Seeing this, the reporters firmly believed that she was a thief with a guilty conscience and became more aggressive.

“Miss Jian, please answer my question!” They straight up changed their address, not believing that a gold-digger was worthy of being Mrs. Ke.

“Miss Jian, please don’t evade—“

“Have you had enough?” A thunderous rebuke furiously descended, shocking the group of reporters. Everyone turned around, stunned. They saw Ke Mu Yu walking over with big strides, his countenance severe, possessing a powerful imposing aura. “If you have any questions, ask me directly, don’t harass my wife! Yi An, come here!”

He pushed away the reporters and his large hand pulled his wife over, protecting her behind him.

Jian Yi An gazed at her husband, startled. She discovered that his back was actually upright and tall like a mountain, its firm, persistent, and steady bearing sufficiently protected any feeble woman. Looking at him, she was filled with tender feelings.

In his heart, was she someone that deserved his protection?

“Then Mr. Ke, please answer, are you guys in a contract marriage?” The reporters tactfully shifted the target of their questions.

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“Mbyv’p aktbv!” Tl nyzxzu yexkvvle. Gv bkp nsdqkaxyvksd, dsv sdzu olal yzz vbl alrsavlap sd pkvl pwarakple, Kkyd Zk Gd yzps vwadle ryzl kdpvydvzu.

噫: kdvlaflnvksd sq yrrashyz

“Xaktkdyzzu, ol eke tlv xyaakle clnywpl sq yd ytallxldv, vbkp kp vbl nsdvaynv vbyv ol pktdle yv vbl vkxl.” Tl vssj swv y esnwxldv qasx vbl kddla rsnjlv sq bkp nsyv, aykple bkp byde bktb, yde tyhl y oyhl.

Mbl alrsavlap olal zkjl bswdep vbyv pxlzzle ralu yde lmnkvlezu oydvle vs qlvnb vbl esnwxldv esod. “Ya. Il, nyd usw zlv wp vyjl y zssj yv vbl nsdvldv?”

“Rv’p kdnsdhldkldv vs pbso swvpkelap vbl rakhyvl ytallxldv clvolld wp vos, bwpcyde yde okql.” Tl vynvqwzzu alqwple, bkp qynl alvykdkdt y alqkdle yde nswavlswp pxkzl vbl ldvkal vkxl. “Wwavblaxsal, yv ralpldv, vbkp nsdvaynv kp yzps yzalyeu kdlqqlnvkhl.”

Gzz vbl alrsavlap olal nwakswp. “Ebu kp kv kdlqqlnvkhl?”

“Jlnywpl kv lmrkale y zsdt vkxl yts.” Tl nzlyazu elnzyale, plnalvzu bszekdt vbl byde sq bkp elzknyvl okql obs oyp clbkde bkx vktbvzu. “Gqvla vbl nsdvaynv oyp wr, ol eked’v ekhsanl yde pvkzz elnkele vs nsdvkdwl swa xyaakytl.”

“Ebu?”

“Does this still need to be asked?” He smiled brightly like the sun. “Of course it’s because we currently love each other very much!”

The reporters looked at one another, alarmed and at a complete loss. Jian Yi An’s heart trembled. She lowered her eyes, staring fixedly at the hand that was holding her husband’s with complicated feelings—Was what he said real? Or was he acting? Just like how her husband didn’t believe her expression of love, she also couldn’t truly see through his hidden and profound thoughts.

“…But I’ll also admit, in the beginning, it was indeed a transaction between us. Acting as a model husband and wife in front of people was also my idea, because I like to fish for compliments too much. I hoped everyone would think that I was a good man who loves his family and wife, Yi An was merely cooperating with me.”

Ke Mu Yu naturally placed all the responsibility on himself. He paused for a moment, his smiling expression dwindled and became solemn. “But I only understand now that when you lie, you must pay the price.”

“May I ask what kind of price?” The reporters questioned closely. “Can you be a little more specific?”

“Downstairs of my own company, being chased by you reporters who are chasing like you’re beating a drowning dog, losing face in front of everyone watching nationwide, don’t tell me that this still isn’t considered a kind of price? Or do you guys feel like this result is not miserable enough?” He hooked his lips with humor, his black eyes dazzling.

All the reporters couldn’t help sneering. Seeing that the atmosphere was somewhat eased. Ke Mu Yu smartly grasped the good opportunity. “Enough, right? If everyone still wants to know the inside story, you can make an appointment with me for a special interview. I will cooperate as much as possible. Now, can you please excuse us husband and wife? I don’t want to call security and make this a very unsightly scene.”

He used both hard and gentle methods and finally persuaded the reporters to leave the scene. The two of them held hands as they took the elevator up. Just after entering his private office, he worried over his little wife in a hurry.

“You’re okay, right? Yi An.” He closely examined her like he was looking for any trace of possible injuries.

“I’m alright.” She shook her head.

Confirming that not a hair on her was hurt, Ke Mu Yu let out a breath of relief, but a bundle of anger was also rapidly spreading in his heart. “Didn’t I make it clear to you to stay home these two days and that you’re not allowed to go out? Why did you have to stubbornly run out? Why are you so disobedient? Don’t you know that when those reporters become ruthless, they can force a person to insanity?”

“I know, I just wanted to come and ask you.” She looked at him hazily. “Why don’t you tell me what happened? I can solve this matter myself, no need to drag you into the water.” How is it dragging her into the water? They were both involved in this marriage! She bit her lip in agony. “This report, you wouldn’t think that I purposely leaked it, right?”

“Why would I?” He was shocked by this guess of hers. “I think it’s probably Qi Hong, she did this to take revenge on me.”

So he hadn’t suspected her at all. Jian Yi An was relieved, yet her emotions also became more knotted with sorrow because of this.

How much longer can she live like this? She couldn’t perpetually worry over what could possibly provoke her husband to suspect her day and night, this kind of life wore her down too much…

“Why are you looking at me like that?” He frowned, sensing that her expression wasn’t right.

“Those words just now, were they for me?” She asked lightly.

“Which ones?”

“When you lie, you must pay the price.” She clearly repeated his words. Every word was like a rapidly falling meteorite, melting her own soft heart.

He was silent for two seconds, his eyes gloomy. “They were for me. Before, I was fishing for compliments too much, now I indeed must pay the price.”

“So you chose to tell the truth to the media today?”

“Yes.”

“Then what about me? Don’t tell me that those words of yours weren’t intended to be aimed at me at all?” She questioned. He dimly remained silent.

They still were, right? She melancholically thought, trying to find a clue from those unfathomable eyes. He had feelings for her, right? She believed he did, otherwise, he wouldn’t rush downstairs to protect her just now, but these feelings, perhaps still wouldn’t win against suspicion…

She couldn’t go on like this, she didn’t want to continue playing hide-and-seek with him anymore. She had to gamble.

She took a deep breath, gathering all the courage in her body. “If you can’t believe me, then let’s divorce!”

“What did you say?!” He was shocked, his expression didn’t change. “Didn’t you say you love me? How can you divorce me?”

“I love you, I really love you.” She stared at him, making her true feelings clear once more, tears faintly shining. “But I can’t be together with a man that can’t believe me, this isn’t the marriage I want.”

“What is a marriage that you don’t want?” He sternly shouted. His hands roughly grasped her shoulders. Her sudden request made him panicked and anxious, his reason was like a wild horse that refused to be bridled, uncontrolled.

She clenched her teeth, resisting the acute pain at her shoulders. “I want to divorce, please get a divorce with me…”

“Jian Yi An!” He yelled, cutting her off and not allowing her to continue saying words that made him lose his wits. She miserably choked with sobs, her eyes misty with glistening tears, she looked at this man that made her love him dearly and also made her brokenhearted.

“I know it’s my mistake. Who told me to deceive you before, to lie to you before, but could it be that you yourself have never lied? Have you never lied to me? Have you never played tricks on me? Why are you just unwilling to believe me? Why do you have to treat me like this?” Every sound was accusing, each word full of suffering. They shocked him, leaving his heart at a loss, but he couldn’t think, he could only repeatedly declare his dominance. “You’re not allowed to leave, I definitely won’t agree to divorce!”

“Please, get a divorce with me, let me off…”

“I said it’s impossible!”

“Regard me as wrong, I’ll apologize to you, I admit that I’ve lost, okay? Let me off, please let me go…”

She apologized over and over again, admitted defeat over and over again, but he couldn’t feel her weakness at all, he didn’t feel like he had won, didn’t feel that he could haughtily and disdainfully look out of the corner of his eye at this woman in front of him crying like raindrops on a pear blossom¹梨花带雨: the tear-stained face of a beauty. Because his stubborn eyes were also faintly burning with pain.

“For me to let go, there’s just one condition!”

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[1] 梨花带雨: the tear-stained face of a beauty