She wanted to be pregnant, wanted a child, wanted to keep her position as his wife, and could not be replaced by Mrs. Shi. Yet, looking at Shi Che’s cold back and listening to his words devoid of any warmth, she couldn’t say anything.
In the end, she forced herself to hold up her body, habitually swallowing all her grievances and unwillingness, and responded meekly, "I understand. I will take the medicine."
Her voice carried a hint of choking, and she feared Shi Che would discover she was crying, so she quickly suppressed her voice.
Hearing Ling Chuxia’s answer, Shi Che’s hands clenched suddenly, a trace of emotion flashing swiftly in his eyes. Then, he sneered coldly and walked straight into the bathroom.
The bathroom door slammed shut with a loud bang.
Ling Chuxia sat dazedly on the bed for a while, then raised her hand, wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, and reached to open the bedside drawer, taking out that box of after pills.
She looked at the box of after pills, and her eyes once again became moist. Her hand gripped the box tight, unable to open it and take out the medicine inside.
Shi Che hated her so much that every time he slept with her, it was merely to vent. Either he used protection, or he demanded she take medicine afterward. She simply wouldn’t have a chance to be pregnant.
If... if she didn’t take it this time, would there be... a little more hope?
However, this thought flashed through Ling Chuxia’s mind for just a second before she completely suppressed it. She couldn’t do anything against Shi Che. If he wanted her to take the medicine, no matter how unwilling she was, she had to take it.
Ling Chuxia closed her eyes, trembling as she quickly opened the pillbox, took out the medicine, placed it directly into her mouth, and swallowed it dry. The entire action was done in one swift move, as if hesitating for just a second longer would lead to regret.
After taking the medicine, Ling Chuxia was extremely exhausted and wanted to sleep just like that. But Shi Che was still showering and hadn’t come out yet. As long as he was not asleep, she could not sleep first, no matter how tired or sleepy she was, she had to serve Shi Che well first.
Ling Chuxia forced her sore body to clean herself up, then returned to the wardrobe to take out a new nightgown, put it on, picked up the tattered nightgown from the floor, tossed it into the trash can, and took new sheets from the storage cabinet, laying them out one by one.
When Shi Che stepped out of the bathroom, the whole room was suddenly new again, with no trace of the chaos resembling a crime scene from before.
Shi Che’s gaze lightly swept around the room, finally settling on Ling Chuxia.
She stood respectfully to one side, habitually lowering her head, still maintaining a docile appearance. Despite how excessively he treated her just now, she could be indifferent to him, without anger, resentment, or emotion. Unmoving and unfazed.
For the past three years, no matter what he did or how poorly he treated her, she always remained unfazed. How numb must one be to be so indifferent to everything, so unmoved by it all.