Chapter 86: What Identity?
Chen Jiamu felt a stifling pressure in his chest, a surge of fury boiling over. He tightened his fists and stood up abruptly, intending to charge into the Song residence. But as he reached the threshold, he came to a dead halt.
What would he even be doing if he rushed in now?
In what identity would he enter?
The Song family’s internal affairs were their own; no matter how he looked at it, there was no logical reason for him to interfere…
Unable to vent his anger, Chen Jiamu slammed his fist against the wall. The sharp, jabbing pain caused his brain to clear instantly.
Enduring the frustration, he could only look down at his bloodied, crimson knuckles, grit his teeth, and turn to leave.
He had no standing to help Li Qi right now. Besides, the primary conflict was between Song Jin and Li Ru.
He shouldn’t appear…
Shortly after Chen Jiamu left, the sound of a harsh scuffle drifted out from the front courtyard.
Murong Qing’s fist connected squarely with Li Ru’s face. A hint of pure loathing flickered across his usually composed features. “Instead of looking for the root of your own problems, you insist on blaming everyone else. You really are thick-skinned, aren’t you?”
“I’ve heard all about your affairs, your mistresses, and your solicitation of prostitutes. Any single one of those things should be enough to make you die of shame!”
“What’s the difference between a man who can’t control his lower half and a common beast?”
“And yet you still have the nerve to harass Xiao Jin. I truly wonder where you get the courage!”
“I’ve been tolerating you since the moment I walked through the door, but you just had to push your luck.”
Having been struck for the first time in his life, Li Ru clutched the corner of his mouth, stunned for several seconds. Eventually, he pointed a trembling finger at Murong Qing’s nose and screamed, “You motherf—! Who the hell do you think you are?!”
“A male homewrecker like you has the gall to hit me?!”
“Watch your phrasing! Xiao Jin and I got together after your divorce!” Murong Qing countered coldly.
“I am with her legitimately! You, on the other hand, are merely an ex-husband!”
Murong Qing looked at Li Ru as if he were staring at an idiot. He had been present when Song Jin originally married the man. Back then, he had only caught a fleeting glimpse and hadn’t realized how much of a fool Li Ru was.
Seeing him now, he seemed practically brain-dead…
“You…”
Li Ru was at a loss for words. Clutching his mouth, he looked toward Mother Song, who stood nearby. Mother Song was so enraged that she slammed her cane against the floor repeatedly. The thud-thud of the wood against the brick was jarring to the ear.
“All of you, quiet down this instant!”
“I will never agree to you marrying Murong Qing!” Mother Song barked at her daughter.
“You’re nearly forty years old and still making a scene over a divorce. Aren’t you afraid of people laughing at us?”
Song Jin leaned on Li Qi for support, her body barely keeping itself upright. Hearing that her mother was still this stubborn, she didn’t want to stay for another second. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath; when she opened them again, they were filled with a new, ruthless resolve.
“I didn’t come here to ask for your opinion. I am here to notify you. I, Song Jin, am going to marry Murong Qing!”
Having blurted it all out in one breath, Song Jin’s entire body shook uncontrollably. Large tears began to fall, soaking the collar of her white sweater.
“I don’t agree!”
The Song parents shouted in unison, but Song Jin’s mind was made up. She gave them one final look, turned around with a shudder, and squeezed Li Qi’s hand tight. “Let’s go!”
Li Qi hadn’t said a single word throughout the entire ordeal. He simply stood quietly by Song Jin’s side. Even when Li Ru insulted him, he didn’t snap back.
He didn’t refrain because he was afraid, but because he didn’t care.
He didn’t give a damn what Li Ru thought of him.
To him, Li Ru was nothing more than a biological vessel that had provided the spark for his existence…
As Li Qi helped Song Jin forward, the Song parents screamed from behind them: “If you dare take one step out of this house, I will no longer recognize you as my daughter!”
“I’ll act as if I never gave birth to you!”
At those words, Song Jin’s straight back suddenly stiffened. Her steps halted.
She looked at the front hall where she had grown up. In her memories, she had spent most of her time there kneeling in punishment…
To hell with etiquette and shame! To hell with rules and upbringing! She didn’t want any of it anymore.
“Xiao Qi! Let’s go!”
Song Jin’s sudden stop had made both Li Qi and Murong Qing’s hearts skip a beat. But hearing the tearful determination in her voice, they finally let out a breath of relief.
When she stepped forward again, her gait was much steadier.
She didn’t want to spend another second in this family, which was suffocating under the weight of such pedantic, archaic thoughts!
The moment the three of them stepped out of the Song residence, Song Jin broke down into inconsolable sobs. Murong Qing and Li Qi exchanged a look, and the two of them swapped positions.
Li Qi stepped aside, watching Song Jin weep in Murong Qing’s arms. His own heart ached silently in sympathy.
He had heard from Murong Qing that Song Jin’s childhood hadn’t been a happy one. The ideology the Song parents had drummed into her was one of absolute obedience. They believed a woman must obey her man for her entire life and never harbor a second thought.
Consequently, her marriage to Li Ru had been arranged by the Songs. Back then, Song Jin could only follow orders, entering the marriage in a daze.
During the first year, Li Ru had behaved himself, making Song Jin less resistant to him. For a few years afterward, they had lived in relative harmony.
But eventually, Li Ru started his own company and began staying out all night.
Sometimes, he wouldn’t be seen for days.
Gradually, rumors of Li Ru’s infidelity reached her ears, though there was never any concrete evidence.
Li Qi’s birth had been an accident—an accident that allowed Song Jin to find the proof herself. Proof of Li Ru’s betrayal…
Song Jin had made a fuss about it back then, but the Song parents had suppressed it all. Li Ru stayed quiet for a while, but she eventually discovered evidence of him keeping a mistress.
Fearing a public scandal, the Song parents forced Song Jin to endure everything. Even after she and Li Ru divorced, they wouldn’t let her speak a word of it to the outside world.
After all these years, Song Jin was done enduring.
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