Chapter 271: Chapter 270 If You Dare to Betray Me (Part 2)
Chapter 270 If You Dare Betray Me (Revised)
Since they started dating, Zhang Xin never missed his calls. No matter how busy, no matter what she was doing, as long as it was Qu Chaozong calling, she would always answer immediately.
Qu Chaozong’s expression changed repeatedly, but in the end, he chose to trust Zhang Xin. Since she said she wanted to be with him, he should give her some degree of trust. This is mutual respect between lovers.
Qu Chaozong reassured himself that Zhang Xin might have something she’s not comfortable letting him know. Everyone needs some personal space.
Qu Chaozong purposely refrained from calling Zhang Xin again, waiting for her to call him. On that same afternoon, he suddenly received a short video.
The video was only a few seconds long. Naked bodies flashed across the screen in a compromising position. From beginning to end, the camera showed only a man’s toned back, the muscles tightening in motion, and his two graceful calves swaying in the air.
Just as the video was about to end, a woman’s voice suddenly sounded, lazy and a bit low: "What are you doing?"
The man then shifted his body, revealing the woman beneath him, propping herself up on her arm.
The woman was half-squinting, her face flushed. Her thin collarbones to her chest were covered in marks, bright and glaring.
Even though the woman’s image was just a fleeting glimpse, Qu Chaozong immediately recognized her as Zhang Xin.
Qu Chaozong was thunderstruck, his body going cold as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He felt his heart spasm with pain.
Qu Chaozong had always known about Zhang Xin’s chaotic past. Knowing is one thing; seeing it with his own eyes is completely different.
He couldn’t determine whether the video was from the past or present. Qu Chaozong couldn’t even begin to imagine if Zhang Xin had started cheating on him just days after they got together...
Qu Chaozong sat rigidly in his chair, motionless. This thought looped in his mind, causing a splitting headache, leaving him dizzy.
Zhang Xin... if you dare betray me...
Qu Chaozong took out his phone and, with trembling hands, pressed the dial button. This time, the call was answered before the phone even rang twice.
On the phone, Zhang Xin’s cheerful and pleasant voice quickly came through: "Hey, Chaozi!"
Qu Chaozong’s heart contracted sharply. In a deep voice, he said, "It’s me."
Zhang Xin chuckled lightly, "Couldn’t find me and got anxious, huh?"
Qu Chaozong suppressed the urge to ask her outright and hoarsely said, "Mm, why haven’t you been answering my calls?"
"I lost my phone, just got a new SIM card," Zhang Xin quickly replied as if she had anticipated his question. "When I replaced the card, I saw a couple of phones for couples, really pretty. I picked a silver one for you, and a gold one for me, with matching phone cases. You’ll definitely like them."
Her words were clearly seeking praise. Had this been before he saw the video, Qu Chaozong would have indulged her with compliments, exchanged some sweet talk, and chatted for a while. But now, every word Zhang Xin said felt particularly jarring, clashing with that lazy sentence in the video, causing his heart to ache almost to death.
Qu Chaozong asked painfully, "Weren’t you at home earlier? How did you lose your phone?"
Zhang Xin hesitated briefly before saying, "Oh, I went out after talking to you."
Qu Chaozong bit his lip, forcing out the fact that he had called again five minutes later that day, but it went unanswered.
Zhang Xin’s cheerful voice came through the phone: "Chaozi, when will you come back? I have a gift for you."
Qu Chaozong mechanically replied, "Is it a phone?"
From the phone came Zhang Xin’s satisfied laughter: "The gift I’m talking about isn’t a phone. It’s much more of a surprise. You’ll definitely like it when you see it."
Qu Chaozong gripped his phone tightly, feeling his trust and affection for her being squeezed and bitten away with each lie she spoke.
Zhang Xin asked, "Chaozi, when are you coming back then?"
Qu Chaozong gritted his teeth, his voice trembling as he said, "I’ll come back tonight, this evening."
After hanging up, Qu Chaozong immediately turned off his phone. He informed Li Wenda briefly and headed straight for the bus station.
The pain and shame from betrayal almost drove Qu Chaozong mad. Zhang Xin successfully made him experience the feelings of a heart attack patient firsthand. The only thought in his heart now was to get rid of this pair of despicable people, leaving none spared.
He couldn’t be the only one suffering.
The bus ride from the provincial capital to the city took over five hours, plenty of time for Qu Chaozong to slowly regain his composure. He began to think logically, pulling himself away from thoughts of violence and returning to rational human thinking.
Who sent the short video, and what was their intention? Was it to provoke him?
When was the video taken? Was it from the past, or recent?
Qu Chaozong found himself unable to think. His veins felt like they had a machine gun mounted on them, bullets rapidly firing. In the end, he gave up pondering about this matter further, leaned back onto the seat, his neck slumped backward.
Zhang Xin had dressed up early, wearing brand new white lace lingerie, a beige backless dress, and meticulously curled her hair into waves cascading down her back, subtly exposing her smooth, alluring back.
She reapplied her lip gloss in front of the mirror, then grabbed her handbag and walked out of the bedroom, sitting in the living room waiting for a call.
Zhang Zhao came out of his bedroom to drink water. Seeing Zhang Xin’s attire, he was taken aback and asked, "Sis, are you going out?"
Zhang Zhao’s face was gloomy, his eyes ringed with dark circles, and his overall condition looked very poor.
Zhang Xin casually replied with an "Mm." Regarding her brother Zhang Zhao, she couldn’t say if she liked or disliked him. Ever since their mother moved in, she had never spoken nicely to Zhang Zhao’s mother, nor did she wear a friendly face. As for Zhang Zhao, the animosity relaxed a bit, enough for them not to stay out of touch forever, but they weren’t close either.
Watching Zhang Xin meticulously dressed, Zhang Zhao asked, "It’s so late. It’s unsafe to go out. Why not just wait until tomorrow?"
Zhang Xin noticed something was off about Zhang Zhao. He usually didn’t dare meddle in her affairs. Even if they met at home, he’d only mumble a few words before fleeing like a startled rabbit. Yet today, he seemed to be trying to make conversation.
Zhang Xin watched Zhang Zhao without speaking, sensing his odd demeanor, distracted and not present.