redvbooks Chapter 410 - 409: "Killing Is Against the Law.
Chapter 410 - 409: "Killing Is Against the Law.
"What else? Am I supposed to fucking thank you for being with another man behind my back?"
Zhou Mochen’s expression was just as terrible as Xu Su’s. His face was deathly pale, his eyes a tangled mess of love and pain. "It doesn’t matter, Xu Su. You never have to care about me. After all, you’ve already torn me to shreds inside. You know I’ll love you no matter what, whether you’re still that innocent little girl I first met or not."
"Asshole! Zhou Mochen, you asshole!" Xu Su completely broke down, raising her hand to slap him.
’Only now did Xu Su realize he had never gotten over her past with Xi Zirong...’
’He thinks I cheated on him?’
Xu Su was filled with a mixture of rage and indignation, her heart aching with bitterness.
’So this was the image he had of her. That’s why his first reaction upon discovering Shen Chen liked her was to assume she’d cheated.’
’So in his heart, she was the type of woman who could cheat at any moment.’
’She had lied to him once, and because of that, she wouldn’t even have a shred of his trust ever again.’
Xu Su’s hand was only halfway up when Zhou Mochen caught it. His expression was icy. "Do you have any idea the way you used to look at Xi Zirong? Do you know how close and natural the two of you look next to Shen Chen? How dare you tell me there’s nothing going on between you?"
It felt like another heavy punch to the chest. Xu Su shook her head in a daze...
’Have I? Have I really been like that?’
Her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed to the floor before Zhou Mochen caught her by the waist, steadying her. He sneered, "Throwing yourself into my arms already?"
Ignoring his tone, Xu Su clung to him like a piece of driftwood. "I admit it, I once had real feelings for Xi Zirong. Whatever look you saw in my eyes, I’ll own it. I’ve been honest with you about all of this; I’m not afraid for you to know. But why would I be afraid to claim my innocence when it comes to Shen Chen?"
"Whether you believe me or not, I have to tell you: I have no feelings for Shen Chen other than as a friend!"
’It was awful being wrongly accused, even worse when the person she loved was misunderstanding her as some kind of promiscuous woman...’
Xu Su straightened up, no longer leaning on him, and took a deep breath. "I know that from your perspective, everything today seems too coincidental. But I swear, I only figured out he likes me today. I never even considered it before."
"Oh?" A smirk played on Zhou Mochen’s lips. "Tell me, then. If you were so oblivious before, how did you figure it out today?"
"..."
’Looking at the gun he still held in his hand, Xu Su gave a bitter smile. Could she really dare to tell the truth now?’
"He was too good to me, unnaturally so. It made me suspicious. Once I started paying attention to the details, I was sure."
Her chin was grabbed. Zhou Mochen studied her expression, then slowly smiled. "Speaking of which, he really does treat you well. Xu Su, how does that make you feel? If I hadn’t walked in on him being so attached to you, were you planning on continuing this ambiguous relationship with him?"
’Were you planning on continuing this ambiguous relationship with him...’
Xu Su lowered her eyes and answered stiffly, "I was already planning to distance myself from him starting tomorrow. There’s nothing ambiguous between us. I don’t like him. I never have, and I never will."
Zhou Mochen could tell she was angry with just a single glance.
’How ridiculous. She actually had the nerve to be angry.’
’She’s been spending all her time with a man who has designs on her, and now that I’ve caught them, she has the nerve to be angry?’
Zhou Mochen ground his molars, suppressing the vicious rage boiling inside him. "I’ll take your word for it for now. Now get out of my way. Someone’s trying to steal my girl right under my nose, and you want me to just ignore it?"
Xu Su shook her head, pointing at the gun in his hand. "Killing someone is a crime."
’If she let him go, the unprepared Shen Chen would probably be a dead man tonight. She didn’t want anyone to die.’
’That’s right! Shen Chen coveted his brother’s girlfriend, used their friendship to get close to her, and stole a kiss. It was indeed dishonorable, even despicable. But Xu Su didn’t want him to die in the slightest. No matter what Shen Chen thought of her, she truly considered him a good friend.’
’Besides, Zhou Mochen and Shen Chen had a deep brotherly bond. Right now, he was acting in the heat of anger, a man blinded by jealousy with no rationality to speak of. If he really did something, he would surely regret it once he calmed down. She didn’t want things to get to that point.’
But in Zhou Mochen’s eyes, this was just her trying to protect Shen Chen. He laughed coldly in his fury. "A crime? Even if I don’t step out this door today, do you think I’d let Shen Chen get away with having designs on you?"
He sneered, "But don’t worry, Xu Su. I definitely won’t make you a widow."
"..." Xu Su stood as still as a statue, turning a deaf ear to his words.
’As long as he didn’t leave with the gun tonight, she wouldn’t stop him from going wherever he wanted tomorrow. She didn’t care how he decided to deal with Shen Chen. Out of sight, out of mind.’
Zhou Mochen’s gaze grew even colder. "Fine, stand there if you want. But I’m telling you, don’t test my limits again."
With that, he turned and went upstairs.
The intense, oppressive feeling vanished. Xu Su’s legs went weak, and she crumpled to the floor. She propped herself up with her hands, her head hanging low, lost in thought.
’Normally, if she were sitting on the cold floor in a short skirt, Zhou Mochen would have frowned, his heart aching as he picked her up in his arms long ago.’
’But now...’
Xu Su raised a hand to cover the glint of tears in her eyes.
’Why does it hurt so much...’
"Miss Xu, the floor is cold. You should get up."
Sister Liu, who had been practically invisible all evening, walked over and helped Xu Su up, offering some advice. "You shouldn’t be angry with Sir. If there’s a misunderstanding, you two should talk it out calmly."
As a professional housekeeper, Sister Liu’s code of conduct didn’t allow her to interfere in matters outside her duties, especially not the masters’ romantic affairs.
This was the first time she had done so, and she would say no more.
Xu Su forced a smile at her. "Thank you."
’A misunderstanding?’
’This wasn’t some misunderstanding. At the root of it all, Zhou Mochen just didn’t trust her.’
’Testing his limits?’
’Xu Su knew very well what Zhou Mochen’s limit was: he absolutely would not tolerate her having an ambiguous relationship with any other man. The slightest hint of entanglement was enough to send him into a frenzy. He was a madman whose possessiveness bordered on paranoia.’
’And this madman wasn’t willing to trust her at all. He could suspect her of cheating at the drop of a hat!’
’Perhaps she was at fault. She had been too slow to notice Shen Chen’s feelings, had gotten too close to him recently, and had given him the opportunity to steal a kiss.’
’But was Zhou Mochen blameless? He had convicted her of betrayal based on his own speculation alone, refusing to even listen to a single word of her explanation.’
Xu Su touched the spot where the gun barrel had been pressed against her. The icy sensation seemed to linger.
’Before today, if someone had told her that Zhou Mochen would point a gun at her, Xu Su would have thought that person had lost their mind.’
’Zhou Mochen had actually pointed a gun at her!’
’The memory made Xu Su’s heart tremble. She thought she would never forget how she felt in that moment for the rest of her life.’
’Fear, heartache, panic, and a creeping, overwhelming sense of suffocation... the kind that stole your breath away...’