The moment the man embraced her from behind, Tang Wu's whole body went stiff and tense.
Her heartbeat skipped a beat uncontrollably.
The crisp, pleasant scent from the man washed over her, a scent she so deeply craved and that made her heart flutter.
Tang Wu lowered her butterfly-wing-like long eyelashes. After taking a deep breath, she raised her hand and, bit by bit, pulled away the man's large hands resting around her waist.
She did not turn around. With a slightly hoarse voice, she said, "Si Yanli, seeing you makes me think of my grandmother. It reminds me that she died on the very day we got our marriage certificate."
She couldn't get over that hurdle in her heart.
She knew it had nothing to do with him.
But whenever she saw him, she would think of her grandmother.
Perhaps leaving the country and going to a new place would make her feel a bit better.
"Si Yanli, maybe you have developed a bit of affection for me now, but it's definitely not to the point where you can't live without me. You know the reason why I insist on divorcing you. If you truly care about me and feel for me, please let me go!"
She knew he was not the type to pester someone endlessly.
For him to go this far, to lower his pride and ask her not to leave, was already the absolute limit of what he could do.
She had harbored a secret crush on him for eight years. To be able to receive a sliver of his favor and pity upon her departure, she was already very content.
Si Yanli looked at Tang Wu's slender silhouette. He finally withdrew his hands and said nothing more.
Tang Wu opened the door and walked out.
Not long after she drove away from Yujing Mansion, she noticed a familiar Cullinan following her.
Tang Wu frowned slightly.
Why was Si Yanli following her car?
Tang Wu didn't call to ask him. From beginning to end, he followed at a steady distance.
Tang Wu drove to Xia Zhiwan's apartment.
Since she was leaving soon, Xia Zhiwan was very reluctant to see her go and asked her to come over tonight for hot pot.
After going upstairs, Tang Wu walked to the balcony and glanced down.
The man's Cullinan was parked downstairs. His tall, handsome figure leaned against the front of the car, and uncharacteristically, he started smoking.
Tang Wu forced herself to look away.
Whatever he did now had nothing to do with her anymore.
Xia Zhiwan brought all the side dishes to the coffee table. Seeing Tang Wu standing on the balcony in a daze, she walked over to take a look. Seeing the tall, elegant man downstairs, Xia Zhiwan was a bit surprised. "Your scumbag man followed you here?"
Tang Wu pressed her lips tightly together. "He's not mine anymore."
Xia Zhiwan slapped her forehead. "I forgot you two are already divorced."
Tang Wu didn't want to talk about Si Yanli anymore, so she pulled Xia Zhiwan into the living room.
The two of them ate hot pot while watching a variety show.
When there was a funny moment, Tang Wu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Watching her force a smile, Xia Zhiwan couldn't help but nudge her with her elbow. "If you don't want to laugh, then don't."
Tears leaked from the corners of Tang Wu's eyes from laughing.
Xia Zhiwan put down her chopsticks and pulled Tang Wu into her arms. "I know you're hurting inside. If you don't want to be separated from him, then get back together!"
Tang Wu closed her eyes, her tear-misted long eyelashes trembling slightly.
Her voice was extremely hoarse. "We can't be together anymore. My grandmother's passing will always be a thorn in my heart."
That thorn would be very hard to pull out.
Xia Zhiwan gently patted Tang Wu's slender back and comforted her, "Your mother has already cut off Tang Shiyan's career, and the Tang family is about to face bankruptcy. Those who hurt you and your grandmother will all get their retribution."
After eating hot pot, Tang Wu and Xia Zhiwan chatted for a while.
She sent a message to Zhou Liying, saying she would stay at Xia Zhiwan's place tonight.
After taking a shower, she put on Xia Zhiwan's pajamas.
While Xia Zhiwan went to shower, Tang Wu couldn't resist walking out to the balcony.
The man downstairs had left at some unknown point.
Tang Wu leaned against the balcony railing, her heart feeling inexplicably empty.
These emotions should only be temporary.
Once she arrived in Australia and started a new life, she would slowly forget.
After Xia Zhiwan finished her shower, Tang Wu lay on the same bed with her, and the two played video games together.
It was almost early morning when the two finally went to sleep.
While sleeping groggily, Tang Wu heard her phone ringing.
Not wanting to wake Xia Zhiwan, Tang Wu took her phone and went to the living room to answer it.
The incoming call was from a landline number.
Tang Wu answered it with some confusion. "Is this Miss Tang? I am the head nurse of the surgical inpatient department at the City Hospital."
Tang Wu frowned. "I am Miss Tang. Is there a problem?"
It was so late, could someone be injured?
Was it someone she knew?
"It's like this. Mr. Si Yanli was in a car accident, and he gave your name and phone number before losing consciousness."
Hearing that Si Yanli had been in a car accident, Tang Wu's grip on her phone suddenly tightened.
All the blood in her body rushed to her head.
"Is... is he seriously hurt?" Her heart unconsciously leaped into her throat.
"It's hard to explain clearly over the phone right now. Would it be convenient for Miss Tang to come to the hospital?"
"Okay, I'll be right there."
After changing her clothes, she left in a hurry.
On the way to the hospital, her nerves were completely on edge.
She didn't know how Si Yanli was doing, terrified that something terrible had happened to him.
She constantly prayed to the heavens in her heart, hoping he would be safe and sound.
It took nearly twenty minutes to get from Xia Zhiwan's apartment to the City Hospital. To Tang Wu, those twenty minutes felt like several centuries.
When she rushed to the inpatient department, her legs were weak.
The head nurse led her to Si Yanli's ward.
Pushing open the ward door, Tang Wu looked at the man on the hospital bed.
He was wearing a hospital gown, his left arm wrapped in bandages, and his forehead seemed injured too, wrapped in a layer of gauze.
His handsome, elegant face lacked color.
His eyes were closed, and it was unclear whether he had yet to wake up or was just sleeping.
Tang Wu's heart clenched tightly.
"Mr. Si, Miss Tang is here."
Si Yanli opened his eyes and looked over at Tang Wu.
Just as Tang Wu was about to say something, she saw him start to cough weakly.
Tang Wu immediately stepped forward and asked worriedly, "Besides these external injuries, do you have any internal injuries? How do you feel right now? Should I call a doctor?"
Looking at the woman whose face was full of tension and panic, Si Yanli's thin crimson lips curled up into a faint smile.
"No major problems," he said, coughing continuously.
Tang Wu quickly poured a glass of water and brought a straw to his lips.
He took a couple of sips, his dark phoenix eyes looking at her. "I'm really sorry for calling you over so late."
Tang Wu shook her head. "As long as you don't have any major problems, it's fine."
Si Yanli pursed his thin lips. "Wuwu, I haven't eaten all day. I'm hungry."
Tang Wu's mouth twitched.
Why did his tone of voice just now sound like a child's?
Full of grievance.
"Then should I go buy you something now?"
The man gave a faint hum of agreement.
Tang Wu walked out of the ward. As she passed the nurse's station, she heard a few nurses talking, and she froze slightly.
