Chapter 13: The Wife's Lover

Huo Sijue rubbed his temples again and again, his fingers pressing deep into the skin between his brows. Only then did he lift his bloodshot eyes—red as fresh wounds—to the note lying on the coffee table.

The note was careless, just a crumpled sheet torn from a tissue box. But the handwriting… oh, the handwriting was exquisite. The strokes were slightly unsteady, almost childish in their innocence—but the overall flow was bold, fluid, powerful, elegant. Like calligraphy carved by a warrior’s hand.

“What kind of handwriting is this?”
“A man’s handwriting?”

Xiao Lin, ever the chatterbox, blurted it out without thinking.

Huo Sijue’s gaze turned instantly lethal—his eyes burning crimson, like they’d just crawled out of hell itself.

“A man? Her lover?”

“…”

*Damn.*

How could you even say “lover”? They weren’t together anymore. If anything, she had a boyfriend, a paramour—*not* a cuckold!

Before he could even finish his thought, Xiao Lin, still blissfully unaware of impending doom, shot off another mouthful:
“President, you’re joking, right? How could it be an adulterer? If anything, he’d be the *wife’s* boyfriend—or better yet… her *husband*.”

**Smack!**

The sentence never finished. A heavy object—probably a book, maybe a lamp—slammed straight into Xiao Lin’s face.

“*Husband*, huh? Fine. You don’t find this guy for me today, I’ll leave you here to spend the rest of your life being someone else’s *husband*!”

The man’s eyes were now fully consumed by red fury—pulsing, seething, like a demon rising from the underworld.

“Wha—?!”

Xiao Lin’s knees trembled. For the first time in his life, he finally *got it*.

“No, sir! I didn’t mean it like that! I’m sorry, President—please!”

“**Get out!**”

Silence. Then, with a thud and a whimper, Xiao Lin vanished down the hotel stairs—still searching, still running.

And as soon as he disappeared, a woman emerged from the shadows behind the building. She wore a short skirt, her makeup flawless, her expression icy. When she saw Xiao Lin go, her eyes flashed with venomous hatred.

*Wen Xuxu… You’re still alive?!*

Five years. Five long years since your death. Because of you, Gu Xia has never been allowed inside the Huo family mansion. And that man—never once mentioned your name again. I thought time would dull it all. That grief would fade. But now… you’re back? Still haunting me? Still crawling out of the grave?!!

Her face twisted in rage. Her teeth ground together so hard they made a sound like cracking bones.

*Wen Xuxu… I will never let you live.*

—

That same day, Wen Xuxu’s escape went surprisingly smooth. By evening, she’d arrived at her aunt Karina’s countryside farm in rural America with her two children in tow.

Karina wasn’t really her aunt—just a patient she’d treated at Clear Hospital after arriving in the U.S. Back then, Karina had suffered from a rare, baffling illness. Western medicine failed. But Wen Xuxu, seeing her condition, prescribed traditional Chinese herbs and acupuncture. Miraculously, she healed.

From that moment on, Karina became fiercely loyal to Wen Xuxu. Living on a small farm in the country, she regularly brought baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables, sometimes even homemade bread. Over time, she and her two kids became the only real friends Wen Xuxu and her children had in this foreign land.

“Nancy! Oh my god, you actually came!”

As soon as the car pulled up, Karina rushed out, her face lit up with joy.

“Auntie! Look—Ruoruo’s here too! Come on, give her a hug!”

Ruoruo, the little girl, loved this place more than anywhere. As soon as she saw Karina, she wiggled out of her seat and flung her chubby arms wide toward her.

Karina’s heart melted on the spot.

She scooped Ruoruo up in her arms while Wen Xuxu carried her son Moba. Together, the three of them settled into the farmhouse for what they hoped would be a quiet, safe few days.

But two days later, peace shattered.

Karina picked up the phone.

“Nancy, it’s Miss Zhong. She’s on the line—says she wants to talk to you.”

Miss Zhong? Zhong Wan?

Wen Xuxu barely hesitated. She stood up from her daughter’s side and walked into the house to answer.

“Hello… Zhong Wan?”

“Xuxu… I—I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to betray you. They said… they said they’d throw me into the lake to feed the fish… Xuxu… I don’t want to die…”

No one expected it.

The moment the phone connected, sobbing poured through the line—raw, desperate, terrified.

*Who’s going to throw her into the lake?*

Was it Huo Sijue? That bastard had found her?!!

Wen Xuxu’s face paled. Her hands shook so badly she nearly dropped the phone. Her voice turned icy, sharp:
“Where are you?”

Zhong Wan: “I… I’m…”

Then—another voice cut in. Cold. Brutal. A man’s voice, low and dripping with menace. Even through the phone line, Wen Xuxu felt the chill of his cruelty.

“You have thirty minutes. If she doesn’t show up in thirty minutes, you’ll be thrown in. No second chances.”

Zhong Wan hadn’t even finished her sentence.

The line went dead.

Wen Xuxu stood frozen. Her breath caught. Her body trembled—not from fear, but from fury.

*Huo Sijue… you monster.*