When the fire broke out, Pei Xia risked half his life to protect me.

Everyone envied me for having such a good husband.

Even the nurse who came to change my dressing said, "Miss Xiang, you're so lucky. It's the first time I've seen someone willing to sacrifice their life for their wife."

But no one knew the truth.

I had received an anonymous email not long before.

It was filled with dense photos and videos of my husband with another woman.

...

Pei Xia had just returned from a business trip and was dozing on the sofa.

I was a little surprised to see him when I got off work.

He heard the noise and immediately stood up to greet me.

Holding my face in his hands, he said in a deep voice, "Honey, did you miss me?"

My face turned red instantly.

Even after five years of marriage, I still couldn't resist him calling me in that tone.

It was simply too sexy for words.

Pei Xia leaned in to kiss me, and I tilted my head to respond.

We were so caught up in the kiss that the ambiguous atmosphere was suddenly broken by a phone call.

Pei Xia reached for the phone, and I rested my head on his chest.

I vaguely heard a woman's voice on the other end of the line.

It sounded familiar, but I couldn't recall who it was.

Whatever she said made Pei Xia let go of me.

He said into the phone, "Don't worry, I'll be right there."

He grabbed his clothes, put them on in a hurry, and turned to leave.

I stood there dumbfounded and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

He didn't have time to explain, grabbed his keys, and was about to leave.

As if remembering something, he added, "Wanwan, there's an emergency at the company. I might be working late. Go to bed early."

It was the first time Pei Xia had left me in such a hurry for something else.

I tentatively asked, "Can you not go?"

His hand on the doorknob paused. His tone was a mix of mild anger and consolation: "Don't be unreasonable. It's an emergency. I'll spend time with you when I get back."

With that, he kissed me on the forehead and walked out the door.

I sat on the sofa, still reeling from what had just happened.

Had Pei Xia really come home?

I think he had.

I was already used to it.

Pei Xia was either on a business trip or on his way to a meeting.

When he was busy with work, we might not see each other more than a few times a month.

My mom knew my temperament—I've never been able to stand the slightest grievance since I was a child.

Every time I called her, she would always remind me, "Wanwan, you can't be childish anymore now that you're married. You must take good care of yourself. Don't get angry over trivial matters; it's easy to hurt the relationship between husband and wife."

But I just couldn't control my emotions. Every time Pei Xia left, I felt a hollow feeling in my heart.

I had a bad temper, but because of Pei Xia, I kept countless grievances bottled up inside.