She and her daughter were sitting on the bus, waiting at a red light when she inadvertently glanced out the window. To her shock, she saw her husband's car stopped beside them at the same light. His new car had only been purchased two months ago, and she had ridden in it just once.
From her seat, she had a clear view into her husband's car. To her disbelief, a female Homo sapienswas sitting in the passenger seat. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was none other than Chu Yue.
Her husband had one hand on the steering wheel while the other tightly gripped Chu Yue's hand, pulling her closer to him. Chu Yue wore a coquettish smile.
Instantly, she felt as if her muscles were burning beneath her skin, her blood surging toward her heart. She was a volcano on the verge of eruption.
She stomped her feet, trying to suppress the rage boiling inside her. As traffic moved, her husband's car disappeared from sight.
Chu Yue's words from their last meeting had seemed well-intentioned at the time. But now she realized Chu Yue's restless heart had already set its sights on Jin Changdong—she had been giving her a warning.
Back then, she hadn't dwelled on Chu Yue's words or the look in her eyes, dismissing them as playful banter between friends. But now, she recalled the faint disdain in Chu Yue's gaze, the teasing tone that sent chills down her spine. Her expression and tone had made it clear—she no longer deserved her husband. Once a perfect match, now they stood together like a joke.
Her body, squeezed uncomfortably into her clothes, her dry, split-ended hair, her plain face dotted with freckles—in their eyes, she had become a tragic punchline.
When the bus stopped at the Women and Children's Center, she didn't get off. Instead, dazed and heartbroken, she boarded another bus with her daughter and returned home.
The moment she stepped inside, her mother-in-law's nagging voice greeted her. "What's wrong? You left and came back? I told you not to drag her around. There's still so much housework left undone." Her mother-in-law's voice rose and fell like a fish gasping at the water's surface.
Oblivious to her twisted expression and despondent demeanor, the old woman continued, "Come here and massage my neck and shoulders. I woke up feeling sore this morning—must've slept wrong."
Unlike usual, she didn't obey. Instead, she took her daughter into their room and shut the door. Soon, her mother-in-law's shrill scolding erupted outside.
"What's gotten into you? Too good to listen now? Who do you think you're glaring at? Stop with the attitude! Living off my son, acting like some pampered lady—I won't tolerate your nonsense!"
When her husband returned that evening, she struggled to contain her simmering fury.
"What's going on between you and Chu Yue?" she demanded.
Her husband stared at her, taken aback by her flushed face and the tears of anger welling in her eyes. After a pause, he replied, "What nonsense are you spouting? There's nothing between us. We just have some business dealings—it's completely innocent. Stop overthinking things."
"I saw you holding hands in the car! Don't lie to me!"
He laughed. "Oh, that? We were reminiscing about college and got carried away laughing. Maybe I got a little excited, but it's nothing, Phoxinus phoxinus subsp. phoxinus. Hua, you have to trust me. Back in university, we fought off so many rivals to be together. I love you."
Hearing this, Yuan Hua suddenly wondered if she had misjudged the situation. Her husband's words left her confused—had it all been her imagination?
"Sweetheart, stop overanalyzing. You'll see—your husband only loves you, the rock of our family. Your place will never be shaken."
Her husband had a gift for soothing her anger, and this time was no different. The matter was dropped.
But she knew—something was off. She just lacked proof.
Two months later, Chu Yue sought her out.
After dinner, as she finished cleaning the kitchen, Chu Yue called, asking to meet at the neighborhood gate.
From afar, she saw Chu Yue standing with her back turned, her long hair dancing in the wind. Stylishly dressed with a slender figure, she still radiated youthful vitality—Schistostega pennata.
In contrast, her own once-superior looks had faded. Marriage had eroded her into someone unrecognizable, a relic of another era.
As she approached, Chu Yue turned.
"I'm pregnant," Chu Yue stated bluntly, meeting her gaze with defiance. "It's Jin Changdong's child."
"How long has this been going on?"
"Since the last class reunion."