Tears rolled down Gu Qiuyi’s cheeks as she choked, “I just want to give myself to you. I’m grown, and I’ve stayed pure for you all this time. Do you know how messy the entertainment world is? They don’t care about stuff like this. Look at Tawana, her dating history’s thicker than an encyclopedia, but you can tell she enjoyed every moment. Every woman wants to be cherished, to feel all that love can bring. I want that too!”
Seeing her cry, Ye Chen fumbled to wipe her tears, flustered, “Why’re you crying, silly? Lots of things can be worked out slowly. I’ve got my own mess to sort through. Don’t let Tawana get to you, you two aren’t from the same world.”
Gu Qiuyi’s emotions settled a bit, but she huffed sulkily, “She’s loved so many people, and at least she’s had them, even briefly. I’ve only ever loved you, but I’ve never had you.”
Ye Chen felt a bit at a loss. This topic was veering into awkward territory.
He had a wife and plenty of close female friends, but who had he truly had?
With Xiao Churan, there was always a strange distance, and over time, he’d lost the drive to bridge it.
But he was a fairly traditional man, raised with his father’s upright example. He wasn’t willing to step into affairs or infidelity.
Thinking it over, he and Gu Qiuyi were in similar boats, both holding fast to their principles for someone they loved, yet stuck in a kind of unfulfilled longing.
Gu Qiuyi had started with a mix of playful whining, but seeing Ye Chen’s expression grow heavy and wistful, she suddenly realised something serious.
“Could it be, my beloved Brother Ye Chen and his wife Xiao Churan have never been truly intimate?”
“It must be!”
“Otherwise, why haven’t they had a child after all these years of marriage?”
Ye Chen’s hesitant look only solidified her suspicion.
In that moment, her own grievances faded, replaced by a deep ache for Ye Chen.
She wanted to hug him and whisper sincerely, *If that woman won’t give herself to you, I will. If she won’t have your child, I will.*
But on second thought, saying that now would only rip open his wounds and make her seem like a homewrecker.
Yet the more she thought, the more her own bottled-up grievances had nowhere to go.
“In truth, I’m the one who’s been pushed aside.”
“Since I was a kid, I swore I’d be Brother Ye Chen’s wife, with both our parents’ blessings.”
“If not for what happened back then, I’d probably already be married to him, with a handful of kids by now.”
“Where would Xiao Churan even fit in?”
“Xiao Churan…”
“If you were completely devoted to Brother Ye Chen, I’d accept it. But you’re sitting on a treasure and don’t even know it. Married to him for years, and you still won’t give yourself to him? What, you think he’s not good enough? If that’s how you feel, why not just divorce him and end this hollow marriage?”
Gu Qiuyi’s heart grew heavier with resentment.
Little did she know, An Chengqi was already stepping in on behalf of the daughter-in-law she truly approved of.
Tang Sihai had boarded a freighter back to China, steadily crossing the sea toward the mainland.
An Chengqi was never one to dawdle. She’d instructed Tang Sihai to meet Xiao Churan in secret upon arrival, to put an end to Ye Chen and Xiao Churan’s warped marriage once and for all!
