From Breakup to Vows, Marrying My Ex to Prove a Point - Chapter 5

As soon as I got into Mu Shi’s car, I took a careful sniff. There was no unfamiliar perfume.

But I still decided to strike first. “Why did you lie to me?”

Mu Shi said coldly, “When have I ever lied to you?”

He was so fierce. My eyes reddened instantly. “You did lie! You told me she was just your patient and that you wouldn’t get involved with her, but you brought her home!”

Mu Shi paused, then frowned. “You were downstairs at my apartment just now?”

Aha, he reacted so quickly. He must have a guilty conscience.

I glared at him, tears welling up. “Of course! I called you and messaged you, but you didn’t reply. I was waiting for you downstairs, and what do I see? You bringing someone home! If you’ve moved on, why didn’t you just tell me? Did you think I would cling to you shamelessly?”

“Wouldn’t you?”

“…”

I was at a loss for words. It then occurred to me that I was the one who broke up with him, and now I was the one chasing after him. I did look like I was clinging shamelessly.

I closed my eyes and decided to throw caution to the wind, arguing unreasonably, “Since you knew I would cling to you, why did you have to fall for someone else? Aren’t you afraid I’ll crash your wedding?”

“I haven’t fallen for someone else, and I didn’t bring anyone home,” Mu Shi said, his fingers tapping lightly on the steering wheel. “Lu Yu ambushed my car at the entrance of the complex. Her clothes were torn, and she was covered in bruises. So I had her wait downstairs while I went up to get her a jacket and some ointment. Then I waited for her parents to come pick her up.”

“As for my phone… I didn’t bring a charger.”

He paused for a moment. “I thought you would be waiting for me at home.”

My tears stopped, but I still whimpered, “You weren’t home. How could I wait?”

Mu Shi rubbed his temples, a flicker of weariness in his eyes. “Your fingerprint… I never deleted it. You could have just let yourself in.”

I was stunned.

A spot in my heart swelled with a sour, aching feeling. As it spread, it turned into a thrumming warmth that made my ears burn.

I looked away, flustered, and scanned the car. I suddenly noticed a half-empty pack of cigarettes on the dashboard, along with a lighter.

When did he start smoking?

While I was still dazed, Mu Shi’s voice sounded again. “Since you saw us, why didn’t you come and ask me? Chen Nanjia, is this your way of getting back at me? Coming to a bar with another man because you thought I lied to you?”

“Th-that was my cousin…”

My words were cut off by his cold, sharp gaze.

Mu Shi leaned in closer, inch by inch, his eyes fixed on mine, a mocking smile on his lips. “Is that so? Chen Nanjia, is he really your cousin?”

My throat tightened. I couldn’t speak.

“The matchmaker gave me your file, which emphasized that you had a simple family structure. I was with you for six months and even met your mother several times. Do you think I wouldn’t know if you had a cousin?”

His hurt expression struck my heart, sending a sharp pain through me. My fingertips trembled. “Then… why did you…”

“Why didn’t I expose you, you mean?” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Because I was in denial. I was holding onto a fantasy, thinking that if I pretended not to know about your lies, you would keep clinging to me like before, and maybe even…”

He didn’t finish his sentence. He closed his eyes and turned his head away. His long lashes cast a small shadow beneath his eyes, his jaw and throat forming a tense line.

I had never seen Mu Shi so vulnerable and so captivating.

Along with the ache of guilt, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by him.

After a moment, I came back to my senses and said in a low voice, “I admit, Qin Xuan isn’t my cousin. I said that because I was afraid you’d get angry. During our time apart, my mom introduced him to me, but I don’t like him. I’ve already told him I’m not interested.”

I started to rummage in my bag for my phone. “If you don’t believe me, I can have him tell you himself.”

“No need.” Mu Shi pursed his lips. His gaze fell on my slip dress and my pitiful, damsel-in-distress makeup. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “Then why did you dress like this and come to a bar with him?”

“I came by myself. I just happened to run into him,” I said, feeling wronged. “And I didn’t dress like this for him. It was because… I wanted to seduce you.”

The air hung still for a moment.

The next second, Mu Shi’s hand was at the back of my head, and as if he could no longer hold back, he kissed me forcefully.

It was an intensely aggressive kiss, his breath hot against my skin. His long lashes brushed against my eyelids, and his warm fingers threaded through my hair, growing hotter by the second.

…Help me.

“Nanjia.”

He pulled back slightly but stayed close. His other hand gently lifted my chin, studying my face.

A moment later, he kissed me again.

The cool, distant facade he always wore shattered in that instant. He was like a god who had fallen to the mortal world, finally troubled by earthly passions.

By the end, my legs were weak. Through a blurry haze, I looked at Mu Shi and heard him ask, “Nanjia, do you want to get back together?”

I clutched weakly at the front of his shirt and, without a moment’s hesitation, nodded.

“I do.”