Before and After Divorce

He has never been able to deal with others’ anger, perhaps because when he thought of the word anger, what crossed his mind was the memory of his childhood with his father’s slap, the drunken heavy breathing, and the severe pain on his body. Therefore, even when he grew up, it was difficult for him to control his anger. When he was mad he would rashly do something he would regret after. 

But on the contrary, if someone was mad with him, even if it was just a stranger, his brain would blank out for a while, followed by reflexive fear and withdrawal.

In the past five years, Su Yan didn’t get angry with him most of the time, and didn’t even raise his voice to yell at him.

He had almost forgotten what it was like to face someone’s anger directly, and Zhou Yang’s barrage of accusations overwhelmed him.

“Sorry, Zhou Yang.” Xia Tingwan’s throat dried up, pausing for a long time, and eventually stuttered out, “I, I really didn’t think so much.” 

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

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“After your marriage, you were photographed kissing a male model while drunk. People all over the world were eating melons. How much effort we spent, and how many manuscripts we bought to help you wash white this matter over? Even Mr. Su lost face while helping you explain to the media: it’s all small matters, not considered cheating. If it wasn’t for that kissing door back then, do you think now that you’re divorced, there wouldn’t be so much media watching you hilariously and writing you off as so unpleasant?”

“Isn’t it the same now? You drank, you drove, you hurt someone, you got yourself a six centimeter scar on your face, but in the end it was Mr. Su who was helping you clean up the mess, the company helping you apologize with the PR, I was in a hurry to get you a scar removal, but what about you? You’re in a bad mood and are hiding at home, not caring about anything. Tingwaan, you’re already in your twenties, it’s time to start thinking a little more, no matter how vulnerable you are at this point, how much you don’t want to bear it, you have your responsibilities — we all do, that’s what life is fucking like, grow up.”

“Well, I have something else to do. I’ll help you change the appointment date of the treatment later. Think about it yourself.”

Xia Tingwan was scolded to the point his mind was completely blank. Zhou Yang hung up the phone for a long time, and he was still there holding his phone in daze.

Apart from the unbearable years when he was a child, he became popular when he was young. Then he was courted by Su Yan and married Su Yan. He lived in a fairy tale castle for five years. 

He had never heard such merciless accusations, and even felt his face was burning with shame.

People couldn’t accept their imperfections, just like when looking at the mirror, their eyes will accordingly correct those asymmetries, beautify those flaws, and then their brain will create a more beautiful, filtered face

Xia Tingwan always knew that his personality was not very good, but it seemed to be passable. Even what Su Yan said after their divorce, he didn’t tell him so frankly — “You’re terrible”.

But now, Zhou Yang just didn’t give him any room to retreat, so he told him. 

Before going to bed, Zhou Yang sent him the time of the appointment for tomorrow in Ren’ai hospital. Xia Tingwan took a look and got into bed.

He tossed and turned until midnight, but he couldn’t sleep. Thinking about what Zhou Yang said word by word, he suddenly felt something was wrong and couldn’t help but dial Zhou Yang.

“Hello?”

“Zhou Yang…” Xia Tingwan asked, “What do you mean when you just said I drove the car and I hurt a person?” 

There was silence on the phone for several seconds. Xia Tingwan looked down and it was clear that he was still on the phone: “Hello? Zhou Yang?”

“Well, there’s something wrong with the signal just now.” Zhou Yang finally opened his mouth, and his voice was very smooth: “What I just said is — you hurt others and yourself, which not only makes yourself suffer many wrongs, but also makes people who care about you worried.”

Did he just say that?

Xia Tingwan had some doubts in his heart, but he didn’t take Zhou Yang’s words to heart. Zhou Yang was too calm, so he had to go over like this: “Alright, I have received your message, and I will go have treatment tomorrow.” 

Zhou Yang didn’t say much, and hung up the phone with a “mhm”.