Chapter Three: A Cold Husband and a Helpless Marriage
1068 Words
Night had fallen when Lu Zexing returned from work, stepping into the grand estate. His shadow stretched under the warm glow of the entryway lights, his chiseled features made even more distant by the soft illumination. Without a word, he handed his car keys to the butler, shrugged off his jacket, and hung it neatly on the coat rack. Everything about his movements was quiet, efficient, and utterly detached, as though this mansion was merely a temporary stop, not a home.
Gu Yunshen sat on the sofa in the living room, a glass of red wine in her hand. Hearing the familiar sound of his footsteps, she looked up briefly but hesitated to speak. Over the past few days, she had grown used to this routine: his silent return, his cold presence, and her place as little more than an ornamental figure in his life.
“You’re back,”
she said softly, her voice tinged with tentative hope.
“Mm.”
Lu Zexing responded with a curt nod, offering nothing more. Without pausing, he walked toward his study and shut the door behind him, cutting himself off from the rest of the house.
In that moment, Gu Yunshen felt like a butterfly trapped in a glass dome. No matter how hard she fluttered her wings, she couldn’t escape this cold, suffocating prison.
The Cruel Reality of Marriage
Everything about their married life was as she had expected, yet somehow it still caught her off guard. Lu Zexing’s indifference was sharper and more chilling than she had anticipated. There were no fights or arguments, but there was also no warmth or connection.
Gu Yunshen had tried to bridge the distance between them—preparing dinners, offering him tea when he seemed exhausted—but every attempt was met with the same dismissive responses: “There’s no need,” or “You don’t have to do this.”
One evening, she tried to broach the subject of their future together.
“Lu Zexing, shouldn’t we talk about what’s next for us…?”
“What’s next?”
He looked up from his paperwork, his gaze icy.
“What is there to discuss? You got what you wanted, didn’t you? I upheld my end of the deal, and you should uphold yours.”
His voice wasn’t raised, but each word struck her like a hammer. She opened her mouth to protest but found herself unable to argue.
An Isolated Island
The estate was flawless in every way, but to Gu Yunshen, it felt like a desolate island. Her room was always impeccably maintained, and the servants treated her with the utmost respect, yet no one truly cared about how she felt.
One day, she wandered into the garden and sat by the fountain, staring at her reflection in the rippling water. A sense of emptiness washed over her, and she began questioning everything: what was the purpose of this life?
She had once believed she was strong enough to face the challenges of a wealthy family’s lifestyle, but she had been wrong. What suffocated her wasn’t the environment itself but Lu Zexing’s relentless coldness. His every word and action reminded her that this marriage had been a mistake from the start.
“Why am I doing this to myself?”
she whispered, her fingers tracing the cold edge of the fountain.
“Is this my destiny?”
A Glimmer of Hope
One late night, after much hesitation, Gu Yunshen finally gathered her courage and knocked on the door of Lu Zexing’s study.
“Come in,”
his deep voice called out.
She pushed the door open to find him seated at his desk, surrounded by stacks of documents. He glanced up briefly, his expression unreadable. “What is it?”
“I want to talk to you,”
she said, her voice trembling slightly but carrying a note of resolve.
“About what?” He set down his pen and leaned back in his chair, his sharp gaze cutting through her like a blade.
“Our marriage,” she replied, taking a deep breath. “It’s meaningless for both of us to go on like this.”
Lu Zexing’s brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of impatience crossing his face. He rose to his feet, placing both hands on the edge of the desk as he looked down at her. “Gu Yunshen, you’re the one who insisted on marrying me. Now you feel uncomfortable? Regretting it already?”
His tone was as cold as ever, laced with mockery and disdain. Gu Yunshen’s face turned pale, and though her eyes reddened, she stubbornly held back her tears.
“Yes, I asked for this,” she said hoarsely but firmly. “But I didn’t expect marriage to feel like this. I just want you to remember that I’m a person too—not a decorative piece to place beside you.”
For a moment, Lu Zexing seemed to hesitate, his gaze flickering with something unreadable. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared. He turned away, his back to her. “Whatever warmth you’re hoping for, I can’t give it to you. If you can’t take it, you’re free to leave.”
The finality in his words extinguished the last spark of hope in her heart. She took a step back, biting her lip to hold back the tears that threatened to fall, and left the study without another word.
To Stay or to Leave
Back in her room, Gu Yunshen sat on the edge of her bed, staring at the moonlight spilling through the window. She knew she had reached a crossroads in her life. Should she give up and start anew, or should she stay in this cold, loveless marriage and gamble on an uncertain future?
“Gu Yunshen, you can’t give up now,” she told herself silently, though her voice sounded hollow even in her own mind.
Lu Zexing might be cold and unyielding, but she refused to let this marriage break her completely. No matter what lay ahead, she knew every day would be a battle. And all she could do was find a way to make herself stronger.
As moonlight bathed her trembling hands, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Deep down, she vowed that she would find her way out of this labyrinth—no matter how many thorns lay in her path.
- Writer
