Chapter 56: I Missed You So Much

She knew that he did not mean what he had just said, yet she could not stop herself from being affected. Her heartbeat quickened to the point where she could literally hear it pounding.

If he truly missed her, why did he not call her for the past two weeks? And why was she complaining like a wife missing her husband?

‘Xia Yanxi, calm down. Don’t forget you have just walked out of a toxic relationship with Bai Wenxuan! You are not to fall in love with another man so soon! Even if he is your legal husband, it is just on paper. Both of you are in this together for mutual benefits, not a mutual relationship! Remember your goals! To live a fulfilling life, to earn enough for your brother, and to stay strong. You are supposed to focus on yourself, to seize back everything that has been taken from you! Relationships and what not have to be secondary!’

Qiao Yanli noticed the subtle change on his wife’s face. He arched a weak smile and asked, “Mrs. Qiao? What is on your mind?”

Xia Yanxi responded quickly.

“N-Nothing.”

She gazed into the man’s eyes and asked, “Have you eaten? I still owe you a meal for saving me the last time.”

Half a month had gone by and his wife was not showing any signs of infatuation. To treat a man a meal for saving her… Was that not a means to draw a line? To make things clear that there was a border between them?

Qiao Yanli’s eyes widened, his expression changed to that of a distant one. An emotionless smile appeared on his face, and his face was colder than before.

“No.”

Xia Yanxi read his face like a book and knew how her response had or might have hurt his feelings. With that being said, she was not ready to truly open herself to accept the man. Not yet.

She knew that he was the kind of man that could make any woman fall in love with him just by walking beside them. His looks and demeanor were that of a true prince. She knew that it was only time before she would fall for his charms. However, that would be something in the far future. Right now, she needed to stay focused. Especially since she had suffered a powerful blow to her soul not too long ago. Figuratively speaking, her heart was still oozing with blood, and her mind was just beginning to recover. Of all the things she feared, she now feared the thought of getting hurt again.

“Come then. Let’s go for a meal,” she said with a bright smile on her face.

Qiao Yanli’s faint smile subsided. He only hummed in acknowledgement to the invitation.

The man took the lead and walked out of the hostel. High-pitch banshee-like screeching could be heard from the hallway. Taking advantage of the situation, Xia Yanxi hurried to her locker to deposit her work stuff and withdraw her purse and handbag. The other girl, Xu Lingwei, was still staring at the fleeting silhouette of her husband when Xia Yanxi nudged her again.

“What’s gotten into you? Are you in love with my husband?”

Xu Lingwei shook her head hard. Rolling her eyes, she retorted, “Nonsense. I just feel… Your husband might be upset.”

Even though his face was void of expressions, she could still feel the atmosphere around him change when he left.

“So what if he is upset? I have told you before, he and I are just husband and wife on paper. We have nothing to do with each other, in case you are wondering. Look, there are girls willing to ditch their own spouses to be with him. That kind of man would not have that sort of feelings toward me. To be honest, all men are the same. My father, Bai Wenxuan, and he are the same. Perhaps I am exaggerating and generalizing but you can say that I am the kind that will forever be afraid of ropes after being bitten by a snake once.”

Xu Lingwei nodded understandingly.

“True. Your husband is handsome. Surely he has met all kinds of beauty. It is impossible to think that this is a “love at first sight” situation.”

Xia Yanxi nodded. She felt something brewing in her heart when she heard Lingwei make the statement.

“That is why I will keep reminding myself not to fall under his spell! I must say, it is really hard to build an immunity toward that kind of attraction!”

Everytime he spoke to her, it made her feel whole and complete.

Xu Lingwei understood what she was saying. That kind of man had the power to make any woman fall for him.

“Let’s go. I’m in need of a decent meal!” Xia Yanxi declared as she dragged her best friend along with her.

“What are you doing?” Xu Lingwei asked worriedly.

“You are having a meal with your husband, no? I would only be a third wheel!”

“So? Like I said, there is nothing like that between us.”

“Fine. Let’s go then.”