My Alleged Husband

Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Thick-skinned_1

Li Jiayuan saw Zhang Zhentian’s desolate figure and felt a sense of satisfaction deep inside. She stood by the lake, her smile so wide that her lips couldn’t close, thinking that if she couldn’t have what she wanted, then neither could anyone else.

After calling Old Master Zhang, Zhang Zhentian ran wildly down the street, incessantly calling Xia Jing, but whenever Xia Jing saw the calls were from Zhang Zhentian, she wouldn’t pick up; she just let the phone ring beside her, pretending not to see it.

Zhang Zhentian knew Xia Jing must have been angry. He stopped calling her and ran desperately. Two hours later, he finally arrived downstairs at Xia Jing’s house.

Bang bang bang...

The knocking sound came in bursts. Xia Jing knew it was Zhang Zhentian, but she remained silent, sitting inside the house. As Zhang Zhentian knocked louder and louder, Xia Jing covered her head with her blanket and pretended not to hear. Seeing that his prolonged knocking had not been answered by Xia Jing, Zhang Zhentian realized he had to resort to his last option.

”Xia Jing, please open the door. I know you’re inside. Xia Jing, open the door...” Zhang Zhentian started calling out at the doorstep of Xia Jing’s house, and his shouts immediately drew many curious neighbors out to see what was happening.

More knocking sounds came in waves. Xia Jing continued to act as though she heard nothing.

Zhang Zhentian was not afraid of other people’s whispers and pointed fingers; he called out loudly at the door: ”Xia Jing, things are not what you think. Listen to my explanation, I didn’t know you had come back. Xia Jing, I beg you, please open the door. Xia Jing.”

Upon hearing Zhang Zhentian’s words, the neighbors all assumed he had done something to wrong Xia Jing and began to gossip.

”Hey, what’s wrong with this guy? And why won’t Xia Jing open the door and let him stand out there?”

”Who knows? Didn’t you hear just now?”

”Hear what?”

”Didn’t the guy just say he didn’t know Xia Jing had come back? He also said things aren’t what Xia Jing thinks and asked her to listen to his explanation. Do you think he cheated?”

”It’s hard to say. Now that you mention it, I don’t think it’s just simple cheating. Maybe he cheated and Xia Jing caught him red-handed! Otherwise, why would Xia Jing, with her normally good temperament, be this angry?”

”Yeah, exactly. Do you think the guy is an idiot? Girls as nice as Xia Jing are rare now. How could he have the heart to hurt her!”

......

The neighbors chattered incessantly, each adding their own comment. Although Xia Jing was not pleased to hear them speak ill of Zhang Zhentian, she understood deep down that they were standing up for her, which made her feel happy. She slowly got up and wiped her tears, about to open the door for Zhang Zhentian when she heard him start shouting at the neighbors outside the door.

”What are all of you hoping for? Do you really want to see me and Xia Jing argue? What does our quarrel have to do with any of you? I’d say Xia Jing keeps arguing and being upset with me repeatedly because you people are instigating...” Zhang Zhentian pointed at the neighbors.

Some couldn’t tolerate his words and stepped forward to yell at Zhang Zhentian: ”I just can’t stand men like you. You cheated, got caught by your girlfriend, and still have the nerve to show up at her door, utterly shameless.”

Hearing this, Zhang Zhentian felt even worse and retorted loudly to the neighbor: ”Whether I cheated or not is not for you to say. Who are you to Xia Jing? What gives you the right to yell at me like this?”

Zhang Zhentian argued back against the neighbors, showing no signs of backing down.

”That’s right, whether you’ve cheated on her or not isn’t our place to say, but we just think that Xia Jing is a good girl, and she doesn’t deserve to be with a man like you.”

”You...” Zhang Zhentian was so angry he didn’t know what to say.

Xia Jing couldn’t bear to listen any longer, so she flung the door open.

”Aunties and uncles, thank you for standing up for me, I’m really touched. Please let me handle this matter myself, I’m sorry for the trouble!” Xia Jing bowed to the neighbors, then turned around and yanked Zhang Zhentian into the house.

Zhang Zhentian thought Xia Jing opening the door to let him in meant she wasn’t angry anymore, so he hurriedly said to her, ”Xia Jing, I knew you were the best, thank you for forgiving me. Can we have a hug?”

Zhang Zhentian shamelessly looked at Xia Jing with a smile.

Xia Jing pushed Zhang Zhentian’s hand away and said, ”Zhentian, have you forgotten what I told you?”

Zhang Zhentian all of a sudden felt confused and didn’t know how to react, and Xia Jing thought he hadn’t taken her words to heart, which made her even angrier.

”Zhang Zhentian, I want to ask you, what are your intentions anyway? You just got back from the UK to find me; I hadn’t even decided to return with you before you had Li Jiayuan over at your place. Do you think that is fair to me?”

Zhang Zhentian didn’t speak, just let Xia Jing talk, knowing that the quieter he was, the less angry she would eventually be when she had finished talking.

”Zhang Zhentian, why don’t you say something? Are you playing the ’silence is golden’ game with me, or have I hit the nail on the head, leaving you with nothing to say?” Xia Jing grew more and more furious as she spoke.

Zhang Zhentian still hung his head in silence, and Xia Jing could no longer hold back.

”Zhang Zhentian, tell me, should we even stay together? I make a mistake, and I can’t be criticized, is that it? My neighbors stand up for me, and what right do you have to be angry with them? Zhang Zhentian, please get it straight. All the misunderstandings between us are not because of anyone else; they’re all because of you and Li Jiayuan, which is why we are in this situation now. I traveled all the way from the United States to surprise you and Elder Zhang at your house, and what a surprise I got – not from me to you, but from you to me. I never expected that in my absence, you would tell Li Jiayuan that you didn’t mind her coming over. Honestly, you might not mind, but I do. I don’t appreciate her showing up at my man’s house. Do you not care, or do you find Li Jiayuan so beautiful that you want to be with her?” Xia Jing left Zhang Zhentian speechless; he just stood there, looking at her. He knew how wronged she felt and wanted to comfort her, but he didn’t dare speak and just stood there, frozen.

”Zhentian, if you think Li Jiayuan is a good match, please tell me. Don’t let me watch you and Li Jiayuan acting all lovey-dovey like a fool. That’s it, now leave,” Xia Jing said and then tried to send Zhang Zhentian away. But how could Zhang Zhentian leave? He spoke up to defend himself.

”Xia Jing, this isn’t what you think, I didn’t know you were coming back, I...”

”Yeah, of course, you didn’t know I was back. Would you have said those things to Li Jiayuan if you had known?” Xia Jing interrupted Zhang Zhentian.

Zhang Sheng Tian heard Xia Jing say this, and suddenly he didn’t know how to explain any longer.

Zhang Zhentian grabbed Xia Jing’s hand, ”Xia Jing, just trust me this one time, please? I really have nothing to do with Li Jiayuan. That morning when I woke up, she was already at my place – I swear it wasn’t me who invited her. Besides, she said she was there to see my dad; I couldn’t just kick her out, could I?”

Xia Jing knew very well that Li Jiayuan had set a trap, but she still felt upset. She couldn’t believe that Zhang Zhentian wouldn’t kick Li Jiayuan out for her account.

”Fine, I’ll believe you this one time, but remember this, Zhang Zhentian, if you truly want to be with me wholeheartedly, then you absolutely must not keep any ties with Li Jiayuan. If I find out there’s anything between you and Li Jiayuan again, that’s it for us!” Xia Jing issued her ultimatum to Zhang Zhentian.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhentian knew that Xia Jing was no longer mad at him. He was overjoyed. He embraced Xia Jing tightly, regardless of whether she was still upset or not. He was truly afraid of losing her; he’d never felt such fear of loss before. For the first time, he realized he was utterly ensnared by Xia Jing and couldn’t extricate himself.