My Alleged Husband

Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Arguing_1

Zhang Zhentian actually understood how Xia Jing felt too; he knew that if Xia Jing didn’t trust him, he would be deeply hurt as well. He was aware that he had made a mistake. He should have trusted Xia Jing. No matter what decisions she made, he should have supported her unswervingly instead of doubting her.

After sending Zhang Zhentian off, Xia Jing sat alone at home, silently crying. She couldn’t understand why the man she loved so recklessly didn’t trust her at all, and she didn’t know what she had to do to gain Old Master Zhang’s approval. She was at a loss for how to make the man she loved believe in her.

The more Xia Jing thought about it, the sadder she became. She sat on the floor, weeping, until she fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already noon the next day.

Groggily, she opened her eyes and dialed Zhang Zhentian’s number on her cellphone.

”Are you free?” Xia Jing asked the moment the call connected.

Upon hearing Xia Jing’s voice, Zhang Zhentian agreed without a second thought.

”Yes, of course. Where are you? I’ll come to you,” Zhang Zhentian said eagerly.

After thinking for a moment, Xia Jing said, ”If you don’t mind, let’s meet at your place. Is that okay with you?”

”Sure, sure, of course. Whatever you say, I’ll wait for you at my place. No backing out.”

And so, Zhang Zhentian and Xia Jing arranged to meet at his home.

An hour later, at the Zhang Family home.

Ding dong, ding dong, a series of knocks sounded at the door. It wasn’t Zhang Zhentian who came to open the door for Xia Jing, but a housekeeper employed by the Zhang Family. The housekeeper’s surname was Xu; years ago, she had fainted on the side of the road, and Elder Zhang found her pitiful and took her to his home, giving her a job cleaning the house. Seeing that it wasn’t Zhang Zhentian who opened the door, Xia Jing asked,

”Auntie, is Zhang Zhentian not at home?”

”Oh, are you Miss Xia?” the housekeeper, Aunt Xu, asked Xia Jing.

”Yes, Auntie, I’m Xia Jing. Is Zhentian not home?” Xia Jing asked again.

”Miss Xia, please come in. The young master called earlier and left a message. He said if Miss Xia comes to look for him, to have you wait for him at home for a while; he’ll be right back,” Aunt Xu relayed Zhang Zhentian’s message to Xia Jing.

”Okay, Auntie.”

”Miss Xia, don’t call me auntie. My surname is Xu. If you don’t mind, just call me Aunt Xu!” Aunt Xu said to Xia Jing.

”Then if I’m calling you Aunt Xu, you shouldn’t call me Miss Xia. Just call me Xia Jing.”

”Alright, then take a seat, the young master will be back shortly.”

Aunt Xu made a cup of coffee for Xia Jing. Half an hour later, Zhang Zhentian returned. He had rushed back as soon as Xia Jing called him to arrange a meeting while he was looking for Elder Zhang at the office. Zhang Zhentian burst through the door; he didn’t see Xia Jing sitting on the sofa, as a plant next to the sofa was blocking her from view. Not seeing Xia Jing, he didn’t even bother to change his shoes and ran to the kitchen to find Aunt Xu.

”Aunt Xu, Aunt Xu,” Zhang Zhentian called out as he walked.

Hearing what seemed to be Zhang Zhentian calling her, Aunt Xu came out of the kitchen and asked, ”What’s the matter, young master? Is something wrong?”

”Aunt Xu, so you’re here. By the way, has Xia Jing arrived?” Zhang Zhentian asked anxiously.

”Young master, are you having trouble with your sight? Miss Xia is sitting on the sofa. Didn’t you see her?” Aunt Xu asked in confusion.

Zhang Zhentian looked at Aunt Xu, who pointed towards the spot next to the sofa. Zhang Zhentian immediately understood, and he walked step by step past the plants there, where he saw Xia Jing asleep. He gently walked over to Xia Jing’s side and patted her head, causing Xia Jing to wake up startled.

”Zhentian, when did you get back?” Xia Jing saw Zhang Zhentian in front of her and asked.

”I just got back. I saw you were asleep, and I was going to let you sleep a little longer, but I woke you.” Zhang Zhentian touched his head awkwardly, his cheeks flushing a bit.

”It’s fine. I thought you’d be a while, so I took a quick nap here. I didn’t expect you to return so soon.”

”By the way, Xia Jing, did you need me for something?” Zhang Zhentian sat next to Xia Jing and asked.

”I came... to know what you think,” Xia Jing said.

Zhang Zhentian heard Xia Jing’s question and was still a bit stunned.

”What, what are my thoughts?” Zhang Zhentian asked, puzzled.

”What I mean is, I want to know what you think about the Li Jiayuan situation,” Xia Jing said to Zhang Zhentian, rather exasperated.

”Xia Jing, to be honest, I hope you will apologize,” Zhang Zhentian finally expressed his thoughts.

”Sigh, Zhentian, why are you so set on me apologizing? Do you really want me to kneel and beg forgiveness from Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan too?” Xia Jing said with a hint of anger.

”Xia Jing, clarify what you’re saying. What do you mean by ’you also want me to kneel and beg forgiveness from Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan’? Is there someone else who wants you to beg forgiveness from Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan by kneeling?”

”Isn’t it obvious? Doesn’t your dad want me to kneel and beg for forgiveness too? What, you dare say you didn’t know about this?”

”Xia Jing, you’re mistaken, I...” Zhang Zhentian had yet to finish speaking when Xia Jing cut him off.

”Mistaken? Am I the one who is mistaken?” Xia Jing asked Zhang Zhentian with a cold laugh.

”Xia Jing, you don’t understand. My dad’s intention isn’t for you to kneel and beg Li Jiayuan for forgiveness. He just hopes you’ll apologize to let the matter go, so that we can be together,” Zhang Zhentian pleaded earnestly.

”Stop right there; can you not bring up us being together in this matter?” The more Xia Jing spoke, the more agitated she became.

”Xia Jing, I just want this to be over. Haven’t you been running around raising money to save Zhang Corporation and working hard so that we can be together? You’ve put in so much effort before, why won’t you do this simple thing now? It’s just an apology, isn’t it?” Zhang Zhentian, also infuriated by Xia Jing, started speaking without restraint.

”Zhang Zhentian, what do you mean, what do you mean ’I won’t do’? What do you mean ’It’s just an apology’? Clarify what you are saying.” Xia Jing was also provoked by Zhang Zhentian’s words.

”It’s just that, isn’t apologizing a simple thing to do? Why do you have to make it seem like it’s as bad as losing your life? What’s wrong with apologizing? If you’ve done something wrong, shouldn’t you apologize for it?” As Zhang Zhentian spoke, he became angrier; in the midst of their argument, he even slammed a cup onto the coffee table. Xia Jing, upon seeing Zhang Zhentian like this, felt uncomfortable too and they began to quarrel.

”Zhang Zhentian, I’ve already gone this far, what else do you want from me? Could it be that you really want your future wife to be someone who has knelt before others? You said it yourself, if you’ve done something wrong, you should apologize. Don’t you think you are the most in need of an apology in all this? Why can you only see others’ faults but never your own? Or do you only have eyes that see others’ faults but lack a heart to recognize your own?” Xia Jing, completely incensed by Zhang Zhentian’s words, began to speak harshly.

”Fine, fine, fine, I’m the one who is wrong, okay? In the future, I don’t want to see you. Just go,” Zhang Zhentian lashed out at Xia Jing.

Xia Jing was already uncomfortable inside but became even more so after Zhang Zhentian said that.

”Fine, Zhang Zhentian, just remember what you said today.” After speaking, Xia Jing stormed out, slamming the door.

Xia Jing had initially come to persuade Zhang Zhentian to accompany her to apologize to Li Haixiao and Li Jiayuan, but never expected it to turn into a quarrel. With her naturally proud temperament, how could she accept Zhang Zhentian speaking to her that way?