Can't Take My Eyes Off You

When the siblings were in the county shopping, little did Jiang Yao expect that she would see Lu Yuqing sitting in a daze alone in a coffee shop next to the bookstore. She even looked as if her soul had left her body as she stared blankly at the open space.

Jiang Yao nudged Jiang Lei and ushered, "Hey, you go ahead, or you go home with my stuff first. I want to go and meet Sister Yuqing." Without further explanation, she pushed the coffee shop's door open. She took a stride forward, paused, and turned back to her brother. "In case my mother-in-law asks of my whereabouts, just tell her that I bumped into Yuqing and I'm with her."

Then, Jiang Yao walked straight in and stood beside Lu Yuqing quietly. She bent over and said gently, "Sister, it's me!"

Lu Yuqing was a little obtuse. She took a moment to respond to Jiang Yao's calling, but the minute she saw Jiang Yao, she raised to her feet abruptly, hugged Jiang Yao, and cried out loud with her head resting on Jiang Yao's shoulder.

"Xiaoyao, what should I do? Tell me, what should I do?" Lu Yuqing broke down and howled desperately. She had no one to express her frustrations to. She didn't dare tell her parents, for fear that her parents would worry about her. Her in-laws were worse.

"Yuqing, what's going on?" Jiang Yao was a little frantic as Lu Yuqing embraced her tightly, her hands hanging high in the sky, not knowing where to put them. Eventually, she gently patted Yuqing's shoulder, offering her comfort in the most primitive way.

"I hired a private investigator to follow Zhao Zhuangzong. I found out that oftentimes when he told me he had to work overtime till midnight, he was actually at that woman's house! And I, the silly me, waited for him until midnight like an idiot! I even made him supper! He came home with the joyful and happy disguise every time, but the fact is he just got out of the woman's embrace! Zhao Zhuangzong, that scum! How could he! How could he do this to me?" Lu Yuqing wailed, heartbroken and exasperated.

"Yesterday, I went back to my in-laws' place with him. My mother-in-law started talking about the baby again. That b*stard said that he had everything planned out, that he had asked someone about the adoption and that they would get the results in less than two months. You know what? My mother-in-law agreed! Less than two months, that's around the woman's due date! Is he planning to take the child he had with another woman home and expect me, the idiotic Lu Yuqing, to help him raise his son? Why do such cruel human beings exist? Did I offend him in any way? Why would he do this to me? Why!"

The more Lu Yuqing illustrated, the more heartbroken and sorrowful she was. "Clearly, my in-laws knew about it all along. They were all in this together. Perhaps they already know that the woman is carrying a son. I suspect that him bringing me to the in-laws yesterday is actually a decoy, a show where they've deliberately staged the baby adoption play and I was the main audience. They probably hoped that I'll care for the little b*stard for them, that I'll nurture the little b*stard for them, but the fact is that the baby has literally nothing to do with me! What role do they assume I play in the Zhao family? Their slave? Their nanny? Or perhaps they actually think I'm an easy target!"

"Yuqing, Zhao Zhuangzong is absolute scum," Jiang Yao swore agitatedly. "He isn't worth any of your tears and sorrow."

"Xiaoyao, I feel sorry for myself. What do you think I should do? Should I get a divorce? If I do, the d*mned couple's dream to be together will come true, won't it? That woman can officially come in and take my place, right? It's not fair! It's not fair!"

Lu Yuqing's whole face was covered with her tears. It was such a devastating sight to see such a strong and proud woman break down in tears right now.

"Yuqing, think about it. If you don't leave him, you're actually hurting yourself, am I right? Why do you want to make your life miserable and pathetic? Do you really think that staying with him and pretending like you don't know any of this is a good way of showing your fighting spirit? That you don't want them to win? If you do, then I must admit I'm very disappointed in you. You're actually giving up on your prime, your time, and most importantly, your life. Yuqing, you're such a wonderful woman. Without Zhao Zhuangzong, there are many men out there who are worth your effort," Jiang Yao persuaded.

She knew that it was normal for people to not give in because in their minds, they assumed it was a step of surrendering.