Chapter 90 — Buried Past
Bai Xuan had barely taken two steps while dragging Bai Xia away when Mei Mei's sharp voice cut through the air again.
"That's right—leave! My brother is a married man. His wife is a thousand times better than you. You don't even deserve to kiss the dirt under her feet. She owns a big company and comes from a wealthy family. Unlike some people."
That was it.
Bai Xuan spun around, fury exploding in her eyes.
"What do you mean by that? Say it again and see if I don't smack your mouth crooked!"
Her voice drew a few glances from the nearby vendors, but she didn't care. Bai Xia turned to Fu Jian instead, her expression colder than ice.
"Tell your sister to shut her mouth. Or I'll do it for her."
Fu Jian panicked. Mei Mei was being stupid—dangerously stupid. And Bai Xia's eyes were so sharp and emotionless that he felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Before he could open his mouth, Mei Mei jumped in again.
"Who do you think you are? My sister-in-law is the boss of XB. Do you even dare compare yourself to her? You can't measure up in a million years. Go home and look at your own reflection first—hmph!"
Bai Xuan faltered.
For once in her life… she was speechless.
The insult slapped her harder than any physical hit could.
Fu Jian covered his face with one hand. Even after sending this girl abroad, she was still this brainless? He turned quickly to Bai Xia.
"Don't listen to her. She's talking nonsense. She's crazy."
But Bai Xia was spiraling.
She didn't know whether to feel touched that her supposed sister-in-law spoke so highly of the mysterious "wife"…
…or furious that Fu Jian might already be married and cheating on her with herself.
"I've never heard of Fu Jian being married," Bai Xia said coolly. "He's still single, and he's my boyfriend."
And the moment the words left her mouth, revenge sparked in her.
She looked directly at Mei Mei.
"You should be ashamed. You insulted me so confidently—must feel good to think I'm his girlfriend, right?"
Mei Mei gasped as if shot.
"You— You're proud of being a homewrecker?! Shame on you!"
Fu Jian immediately slapped his palm over Mei Mei's mouth.
"She's your sister-in-law! Can't you see we're trying to keep a low profile?!"
Mei Mei froze.
Her brain rebooted.
Sister… in-law?
Lightning struck her entire body.
Her attitude flipped instantly—one hundred and eighty degrees with no shame at all.
"I-I'm sorry, Sister-in-law! As my brother said, I've been talking nonsense. Maybe it's the wine I drank earlier."
She bowed deeply, nearly folding in half.
In her defense, she had never met her sister-in-law and had only heard rumors about her. But she truly didn't expect this girl to be that woman.
Bai Xia didn't respond. She simply turned away and walked deeper into the market. Outwardly calm, but inside—
Inside, she was boiling.
Fu Jian watched her back, fully expecting her to storm back and kiss him senseless the moment the misunderstanding cleared. But she didn't. She stayed cold, distant, unreadable.
He didn't dare approach; he knew he'd only get ignored.
So he waited.
They continued shopping for jade. Bai Xia used her Crystal Eyes, picking stone after stone with absolute precision. When their cart filled, Stella carried everything to the large van she had brought.
They repeated the cycle again and again.
By 6:00 p.m., the van was full.
Mei Mei, meanwhile, shamelessly acted as though nothing had happened earlier—talking nonstop about everything from jade colors to what she had eaten for breakfast. Bai Xuan almost lost her mind. Even Bai Xia's expression was stretched thin with irritation.
When the shopping finally ended, Bai Xia waved her hand tiredly.
"Take everything back, Stella."
Bai Xuan hesitated.
"Bai Xia… how do we know the stones will actually have jade inside?"
"Don't worry," Bai Xia replied softly. "They will."
"Sister-in-law, you're amazing!" Mei Mei chirped happily.
Bai Xia didn't even spare her a glance.
Fu Jian opened his mouth to speak to her but closed it again. Every time he tried today, she ignored him. He didn't know whether to be sad, frustrated, or afraid.
Stella drove away with the van.
The remaining four walked past the antique market next.
Bai Xia didn't stop. She had no skills in antiques and didn't want to pretend. She simply walked ahead of them, her steps slower, her heart heavier.
Something in her chest felt wrong.
Uneasy.
Familiar.
Too familiar.
It was the same suffocating feeling she had experienced in her past life—
The day she learned Shang Shan was behind her kidnapping.
The day James betrayed her.
Her chest tightened painfully.
She realized something terrifying:
She didn't trust anyone—not truly.
That was why she surrounded herself with robots.
That was why she kept people at arm's length.
She had assumed she and Fu Jian were just having a brief romance—something sweet that would fade away eventually, just like everything in her past life.
But the moment she heard he might have a fiancée…
She realized she had fallen for him. Badly. Completely.
She didn't even reject him when he mentioned marriage earlier.
She—who never trusted anyone—felt a strange, desperate need to keep him close.
Fu Jian, however, wasn't fully honest with her.
He never said what business he did.
Never mentioned his family name.
He once said he didn't have siblings, yet now one appeared.
She hadn't cared before.
Now… she wanted answers.
If Fu Jian ever left her, she would simply make a robot that looked like him.
But the thought alone—
The thought of him leaving—
Made her eyes sting.
One tear slipped out before she could stop it.
She quickly wiped it away.
Fu Jian had been watching her carefully the entire time. The moment he saw the tear, something snapped in him.
"Bai Xia… what's wrong? Tell me."
She didn't want to speak. She didn't want to cry in front of anyone. She wanted to curl into a dark room and shut the world out.
"I'm not feeling well."
"What's wrong? Tell me," he urged, stepping closer. "Talk to me."
He reached for her hand.
"I said I'm not feeling well. Don't touch me."
Fu Jian didn't listen. He held her shoulder instead, refusing to let her walk away from him.
"Bai Xia, I—"
"I said don't touch me!!!"
Her voice cracked through the market like lightning, raw and sharp.
And the whole world seemed to go still.