Just Wanting to Divorce My Love Rival - Chapter 30

“Calm down,” Zhong Yingzhi said, placing both hands on her shoulders to soothe her. “I don’t know what you’ve remembered, but I must tell you one thing: I never abandoned you. Never.”

Mu Cheng backed away, creating distance and instinctively rejecting Zhong Yingzhi’s proximity. “You’re lying. You lied about Grandma, too. Grandma didn’t die of a stroke at all. I don’t believe you anymore; there’s not a single word of truth in your mouth.”

Zhong Yingzhi replied, “I will tell you what you ought to know, but I won’t let you find out about things you shouldn’t.”

“What am I supposed to know, and what am I not?” Mu Cheng raised her arm, pointing at the scar on her wrist. “I cut this wound with my own hands, with a heart determined to die. I couldn’t understand why I wanted to die so badly back then, but just now, I suddenly guessed a little bit. I think the reason I wanted to die… was you!”

Zhong Yingzhi didn’t respond. She lowered her head, her gaze darkening.

“Does your silence mean you’re admitting it?” Mu Cheng continued. “You act like you’re doing this for my own good, keeping me locked up here like a child and hiding things I have a right to know. Are you really doing this for my sake? I’m telling you, you’re destroying me.”

Finished, Mu Cheng brushed past her, intending to leave.

Zhong Yingzhi grabbed her hand. “Where do you think you’re going dressed like that?”

“Stop blocking me, I’m warning you,” Mu Cheng turned back, glaring at her. “Even a clay man has three parts earthiness—don’t provoke me. I don’t think you’re a good person; I even suspect you’re the one who harmed me.”

Zhong Yingzhi didn’t let go. “You can’t leave. You must stay within my sight.”

Mu Cheng let out a cold laugh. “Am I your pet? Why should I stay within your sight? I’m no longer counting on getting any useful information from you, but please stop obstructing me.”

Mu Cheng tried to shake off Zhong Yingzhi’s hand. She tried once, failed; she tried with more force a second time, and still failed.

“Let go!” Mu Cheng roared.

Zhong Yingzhi looked at her expressionlessly and refused. “I won’t.”

Mu Cheng muttered a curse under her breath and then used every ounce of her strength to give a violent shove.

Zhong Yingzhi hadn’t expected her to use so much force. Caught off guard, she was thrown half a meter by the momentum. She stumbled a few steps and her head slammed against the corner of a table with a loud thud.

Zhong Yingzhi fell face-down on the ground. She struggled to get up, but collapsed halfway and then stopped moving altogether.

Mu Cheng looked down at her. “What are you faking for? It was just a bump. It’s not like you’re going to die from it.”

The person on the ground remained motionless. Mu Cheng looked at her hesitantly, starting to lose her confidence.

“What’s going on? Did something happen?” Auntie Yang came running over, having heard the noise.

When Auntie Yang saw Zhong Yingzhi lying on the ground, her heart skipped a beat. She rushed over to check. After flipping her over, she discovered a gash on Zhong Yingzhi’s forehead. Bright red blood was streaming down her face, staining the floor. It looked gruesome and terrifying.

Mu Cheng froze. She thought it was just a small bump that might result in a bruise at most; she hadn’t expected the injury to be this severe.

Panicked, Mu Cheng stood frozen. “Is she… is she okay?”

Auntie Yang looked back at her with anger in her eyes, but quickly regained her composure. She said steadily, “Stay here. I’m going to call for help.”

With that, Auntie Yang ran out to call the staff and get a doctor.

Mu Cheng knelt beside Zhong Yingzhi. Seeing her covered in blood, she couldn’t help but clench her hands into trembling fists. Guiltily, she whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Zhong Yingzhi’s long eyelashes were beaded with blood. They flickered, sending the droplets sliding down as she slowly opened her eyes.

Mu Cheng’s eyes filled with relief. “You’re awake! Are you okay?”

As soon as she asked, she felt the question was stupid. After losing so much blood, how could she be okay? “I’m sorry. I just wanted to shake off your hand; I didn’t mean to hurt you. Don’t worry, Auntie Yang went to get the doctor. They’ll be here soon. You’ll be fine. Just hold on… please don’t die.”

Zhong Yingzhi managed a weak smile. “I won’t die.” She took Mu Cheng’s shaking hand and comforted her, “Don’t be afraid.”

“At a time like this, you’re still worried if I’m afraid?” A surge of self-reproach rose in Mu Cheng’s heart.

She was starting to find Zhong Yingzhi incomprehensible. In her fragmented memories, it clearly pointed to the fact that this woman had abandoned her, yet looking at her now, she didn’t seem at all like someone who would do such a thing.

Zhong Yingzhi’s consciousness didn’t last long, and she soon slipped back into a coma.

Auntie Yang rushed back with medical staff. They performed emergency wound care on Zhong Yingzhi and then placed her on a stretcher.

Mu Cheng followed closely behind, her hand at her side, tugging aimlessly at the hem of her own clothes like a child who had done something wrong.

Auntie Yang looked back at her. Her attitude remained respectful, but her voice had turned colder. “Madam, please don’t follow us. The Eldest Miss isn’t in any grave danger. I will go and look after her.”

Mu Cheng opened her mouth, wanting to say something.

Auntie Yang cut her off: “Madam, it is not for me to judge your right or wrong. But I have watched the Eldest Miss grow up. On the surface, she lives a glamorous life, but in my eyes—if I may be so bold—she is like my own child. It breaks my heart to see her like this.”

Mu Cheng bit her lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Madam, you are too kind. I am but a servant; I cannot accept an apology.” With that, Auntie Yang boarded the ambulance.

Mu Cheng wanted to follow, but she was repelled by the look in Auntie Yang’s eyes.

Just as the ambulance doors were about to close, Auntie Yang thought for a moment and added one last thing: “There is one thing you must know, Madam. She has never harmed you. Even if she did in the past, it was never intentional. The situation did indeed start because of her, and she has been living in self-reproach and trying to make amends ever since. But no one could have predicted how things turned out. In the end, you are the victim, but she is a victim just the same. Please… stop tormenting her.”

The ambulance doors closed, the engine started, the taillights glowed, and it drove away.

Mu Cheng stood alone, her head down, her mood hitting rock bottom.

After a long while, she pulled herself together and ran back to the living room. She searched everywhere and finally managed to find her phone in a drawer.

After all this commotion, several hours had already passed. The longest she had ever stayed here was five hours. Mu Cheng didn’t dare delay another second and immediately entered her account and password to log into WeChat.

System prompt: Incorrect account or password.

Mu Cheng double-checked and re-entered it. Still wrong.

Did I change my password? Mu Cheng scratched her head in frustration. She tried logging into her QQ account, but the result was the same.

No matter how she tried, the passwords were all wrong. Mu Cheng gave up. She walked to the walk-in closet, grabbed a random outfit to replace her bathrobe, and then ran toward the villa exit.

Because of Zhong Yingzhi’s accident, the villa staff were in a state of chaos. The iron gates were wide open. She met no resistance and successfully left the grounds.

Mu Cheng opened the map on the phone and confirmed her location. Fortunately, this was Xicheng—Mu Cheng’s hometown.

If it were any other city, Mu Cheng really wouldn’t know who to turn to for information. In Xicheng, it was much easier. She could look for childhood friends, or her parents. There were many people she could find.

Mu Cheng’s first choice was naturally to go home to find her parents. Her home was near the high-speed rail station, outside the third ring road—a bit remote from the city center where she currently was. A taxi ride would take at least half an hour.

The longest she had stayed here was five hours, and now she only had 30 minutes left of that window.

Time wasn’t enough, but she had to go. There was no other choice.

Mu Cheng ran to the roadside and hailed a taxi. “To XX Community, please hurry. I’ll pay double the fare—triple even. Just get there as fast as you can, please.”

The driver, hearing “double fare,” gave a happy laugh. “You got it! I’ll take the fastest route for you.”

The driver was talkative and tried to chat with her, but Mu Cheng was in no mood for conversation. She stared at the time every second. Seeing her lack of response, the driver eventually took the hint and fell silent.

30 minutes passed. The five-hour mark arrived, but Mu Cheng didn’t travel back.

Mu Cheng let out a sigh of relief. It seemed the duration of her stay here was cumulative. The first time lasted only a few minutes, the second time increased to several hours, and the third and fourth stays were also steadily increasing.

As for exactly how much time would be added, she didn’t know. Mu Cheng was still worried that she still wouldn’t be able to learn the full story this time.

The time-travel ability was acquired suddenly, which meant it could also disappear at any time.

Mu Cheng was terrified of it vanishing. Her previous trips had been wasted; she couldn’t waste this one. Who could say for sure if she would be able to travel again on the 9th of next month? This might be her last chance.

In fact, every time the 9th arrived, Mu Cheng worried. She feared the ability would vanish, leaving her with only half-baked information, forcing her to live in fear for the rest of her days, constantly worrying that her life might suddenly turn dark because of some unknown variable.

Mu Cheng stared at the street scenery passing by the window, recalling the words Master Zhukong had said:

“Your fate carries a curse; your life will be full of hardships and you will not meet a good end. You will die in the wrong way, and after death, you will suffer in hell.”

“Nine years from now, you will set out on a path of no return. If you wish to change it, this may be an opportunity. By turning the direction of the road at the right moment, many misfortunes can be avoided. The dream is not a dream; the you in the dream is the you nine years from now.”

Can it be changed? Mu Cheng sighed. She hoped it wouldn’t all be in vain.