Chapter 117: No Need to Rely on Men
Xu Jiaming couldn’t quite describe his feelings. Disappointment, perhaps.
Had he really come all this way just to see Su Zhaozhao’s despair at being abandoned?
No, that wasn’t quite right. He was supposed to swoop in when she was at her most vulnerable and become her savior.
But unfortunately for him, none of what he’d hoped for had happened.
His gaze fell on her lips.
’Does she really like that man so much?’
He’d heard they had only just met. How could they decide to get married so quickly?
’Young people really are impulsive.’
But when he thought of that man, Xu Jiaming’s thin lips tightened. If it were anyone else, perhaps he could still fight for her.
But that was Xie Huaizheng.
Anyone from Beijing had at least heard of the Xie Family.
He just didn’t understand how Su Zhaozhao had gotten involved with Xie Huaizheng.
Seeing Xu Jiaming just standing there, Su Zhaozhao grew impatient. "You can go now, right?"
Xu Jiaming snapped back to reality. Looking at the girl in front of him, who clearly detested him, his face grew even paler.
"Do you hate me that much?"
"Yes, I hate you." Su Zhaozhao knew that saying something so blunt was hurtful.
But she had no choice. Xu Jiaming was just too thick-skinned. If she wasn’t this direct, he would just keep pestering her.
Xu Jiaming sighed and gave a somewhat helpless smile. "I’m leaving. I’ll be heading back to Shencheng City tomorrow. Are you sure you don’t want to come back with me? My family is very wealthy."
"No, thanks. I can make my own money."
Xu Jiaming raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with a probing curiosity. "Speaking of which, where exactly do you get all the things you sell? What’s your supply channel? They don’t have products like that in West State, do they? Where do you manage to find things that even the state-run department stores don’t carry?"
Su Zhaozhao froze. The thing she feared most had happened after all.
’Xu Jiaming knows I’ve been selling things!’
And how could she possibly explain where her inventory came from?
She just took things from her space and sold them.
That was why she had deliberately chosen places farther away—to avoid attracting attention.
But she had underestimated the extent of Xu Jiaming’s obsession. He had actually managed to track her down here.
The main thing was, she never thought she would attract the attention of this little psycho.
"Heh, I knew it. There’s something even you couldn’t investigate thoroughly." Thankfully, Su Zhaozhao reacted quickly and retorted, "So you’re not omnipotent after all. That’s a trade secret. I can’t tell you."
Unexpectedly, her words only piqued Xu Jiaming’s interest. "Is that so? Well, now I’m quite curious. Can you tell me? Name your price."
Seeing the cunning glint in the girl’s eyes, Xu Jiaming couldn’t help but grind his teeth. A strange light shone in his pale eyes as a bloodshot crimson crept into them.
The moment she saw his expression, Su Zhaozhao knew his ’illness’ was acting up.
"Still not leaving? A bet is a bet. You said so yourself. Don’t you dare try to back out on me now!"
In the novel, while Xu Jiaming was a psycho, he wasn’t truly evil. He just had a morbid obsession with the female lead because he couldn’t have her.
After the female lead married the male lead, Xu Jiaming would just secretly admire her and do some creepy things behind the scenes.
All in all, he was a relatively law-abiding yandere.
Sure enough, upon hearing Su Zhaozhao’s words, the light in Xu Jiaming’s eyes dimmed for a moment. He said to her, "Fine. I wish you happiness. If you’re ever unhappy, you can come find me. You’ll be able to find me at any Xu Family company in Shencheng City."
He turned and left without a backward glance.
Su Zhaozhao watched his lonely figure retreat and shook her head.
’I’m just cannon fodder, you know.’
Soon, Xu Jiaming would meet the novel’s female lead, and then all his attention would be focused on her.
Back in her room, Su Zhaozhao entered her space to eat snacks and play video games.
The longer she stayed in this world, the more complete her space became. It even had a gaming room now.
She could get online and play games in there.
The internet connection linked back to the modern world’s network. She could receive information and catch up on the latest gossip, but she couldn’t post anything herself.
It was better than nothing, she supposed. At least she could still watch TV shows and get the tea on celebrities she knew.
She couldn’t go back to her original world completely out of the loop, after all.
Go back to her original world.
The thought sprouted in Su Zhaozhao’s mind, and she suddenly wondered, ’Can I really go back?’
She had transmigrated here for no reason, experienced so much for no reason, and after all this time, she still hadn’t gone back.
And now, she had someone she loved and was about to get married.
What would happen if she accidentally went back one day?
But if she didn’t go back... she missed her parents and family in the real world, too.
Su Zhaozhao felt a little melancholic.
Her good mood for the day had vanished the moment she ran into Xu Jiaming.
Thankfully, that guy was gone.
Because he knew she was selling goods, she didn’t even dare tell Xie Huaizheng about it, afraid that he would investigate.
「That evening, Xie Huaizheng came to see Su Zhaozhao.」
After dinner, the two of them went for a walk in the neighborhood, just like before.
Xie Huaizheng held Su Zhaozhao’s hand and said, "I told my mom. She agreed and said she would come here herself, probably leaving in a couple of days. My grandpa wanted to come too, but my mom stopped him. He’s getting old, so it’s best he doesn’t overexert himself."
Su Zhaozhao hadn’t expected Xie Huaizheng to act so quickly. She was stunned for a moment.
At this, Xie Huaizheng couldn’t help but smile. "Zhaozhao, don’t be nervous when the time comes. My mom is pretty easy to get along with. She used to be a middle school teacher, so she might still sound a bit like one when she talks, but don’t take it to heart."
"Will your mother hear about... all the bad things about me?" Su Zhaozhao asked Xie Huaizheng.
Seeing the girl ask so cautiously, Xie Huaizheng was overcome with guilt, as if he were being submerged by a rising tide.
It was all his fault for not giving Su Zhaozhao the sense of security she needed.
Xie Huaizheng pulled her into his arms. "She won’t, Zhaozhao. As long as I’ve chosen you, they won’t reject you."
"They wouldn’t dare disagree. Besides, our marriage is our business. As long as the two of us live our own lives well, that’s all that matters."
He felt a sharp pang of heartache. ’My lack of trust earlier today must have left a scar on her, didn’t it?’
’Such a bold girl, yet she’s worried about not being accepted by my family.’
Su Zhaozhao hadn’t expected Xie Huaizheng to have such an enlightened view, but then again, his rebellious streak wasn’t anything new.
Perhaps it was just as he said: his love for her could overcome any obstacle.
For some reason, the face of Wang Dahua suddenly flashed through Su Zhaozhao’s mind.
Whether a marriage is good or not really is a matter between two people.
If your husband is willing to stand up for you, how could you possibly suffer so much injustice in a marriage?
’Will Xie Huaizheng stand up for me?’
’But it’s not like I need to rely on a man anyway.’
Thinking of this, Su Zhaozhao said, "Xie Huaizheng, I’m not the kind of woman who depends on a man to live. If you don’t treat me well after we’re married, I can just run away, you know."