At the age of ten, her father had an affair and left with another female Homo sapiens, leaving her to rely solely on her mother.
By the time she was twelve, her mother found another male Homo sapiens. After her mother married this man, they had a son together, and from then on, she became the superfluous Homo sapiens in the household.
Her stepfather, mother, and their son seemed like the only real family of Homo sapiens, making her presence in the home feel entirely dispensable.
People often say that with a stepmother comes a stepfather—but in her case, did having a stepfather mean she now had a stepmother?
Xiao Ji recalled Siyan's childhood misfortunes, as she had once confided in him about her struggles.
When her father left, her mother held her tightly, utterly helpless at the time.
After her father was gone, her mother would cry with her in her arms. During those years when they only had each other, her mother had treated her so well. Why, then, after remarrying and having a son, did her mother start treating her like an outsider? She could never quite understand it.
Moreover, her stepfather paid her no attention, rarely speaking to her, and always wore a dark expression whenever he saw her.
Siyan had grown up without a sense of security, something Xiao Ji was well aware of, which was why he took extra care to be considerate of her emotions.
Xiao Ji reflected on the way he and Siyan had been interacting lately, and the thought of it filled him with frustration.
He had originally hoped that if things were unpleasant with Siyan, at least returning home would offer some relief. But instead, the atmosphere at home was just as tense.
Not only were his parents' relationship icy, but there was also the matter of his father's affair with another woman and her son. And now, his relationship with Su Qing had deteriorated to the point of mutual hostility—leaving him stuck between two impossible situations.
Now, even lying on the bed at home made Su Qing recoil in disgust. Watching her cold, turned back, he shook his head and trudged heavily out of the room.
He retreated to his study, now also dreading the moments when Siyan would call him in games or on WeChat.
The study, once his refuge from Su Qing, had now become Siyan's surveillance post. Even when she wasn't physically present, she insisted on tracking his every move. This behavior of hers was starting to grate on him more and more.
Siyan was like a noose tightening around his neck, suffocating him. The moment he entered the study and turned on his computer, Siyan logged into the game to look for him, greeting him immediately.
And then came the WeChat messages.
Siyan:Why did it take you so long to come online? I've been waiting forever. What were you doing just now?
Xiao Ji:Nothing much.
Siyan:If it was nothing, why were you offline for so long? Were you with her just now?
Xiao Ji:No, I had some family matters to deal with.
Siyan:Ever since she came back from abroad, you've been rushing home right after work, leaving me all alone here. Are you doing this on purpose to spite me?
Xiao Ji:Stop being unreasonable.
Siyan:Do you even want to fulfill your duties as a husband?
Xiao Ji:(Responds with a helpless, wry smile emoji.)
Siyan:No matter what, you're my husband. I won't allow you to fulfill any obligations for that female Homo sapiens. Hubby, I know I made you angry these past two days, but it's only because I love you so much. I missed you.
Xiao Ji:I'll be back tomorrow. Be good, baby, and wait for me.
Siyan's occasional tantrums gave him headaches, but her sweet, coquettish words could just as quickly dissolve his anger.
He had known Siyan for seventeen years. Through all their ups and downs, they had walked side by side—sometimes like lovers, sometimes like spouses, and sometimes like close friends who cherished each other.
Even though Siyan couldn't bear him a child, it hadn't diminished his love for her in the slightest.
He had promised his parents he would find a female Homo sapiens to have a child with. His plan was to divorce her after she gave birth, using some excuse. But ever since the marriage, Siyan had been picking fights with him nonstop.
And now, Siyan seemed to be growing increasingly neurotic, as if she wanted to monitor him 24/7, terrified that he might develop feelings for his wife at home or even sleep with her.
When Su Qing, this female Homo sapiens, had proposed divorce, he found himself suddenly unwilling to go through with it. There was something about her he couldn't quite figure out anymore.
At first, he had delayed the divorce because Su Qing had a good job and a steady income. Not only could she support their son financially, but she also contributed to household expenses. As long as Su Qing remained in the house, he wouldn't have to worry about their son's upbringing.
Besides, his parents would never approve of him divorcing Su Qing. A woman like her was dutiful and unlikely to make any mistakes—making it hard to even find a reason to divorce her!
For the past two years, he had ignored her, treating her coldly, yet she had never once made a scene.
He was also afraid that if they divorced, this female Homo sapiens might fight him for child support. If she had no property, no car, and no savings, she'd be at a disadvantage in a custody battle. That way, their son's custody would undoubtedly go to him.
And so, step by step, he plotted to drain this female Homo sapiens dry, leaving her with nothing.