I Already Severed Ties With Them. Who Would Bother With Them Now? - Chapter 16:
Chapter 16: A Slap in the Face!
Up ahead, Zhang Xiaofeng had barely taken a few steps when he turned and noticed Su Yuebai following him. He instantly felt sick to his stomach and snapped coldly, “Stop following me. Go wherever it’s cool—get lost!”
Inside the car, even though the windows weren’t open, the harsh scolding still made its way in. To Su Yuebai, the words were sharp as a blade, stabbing deep into her heart, tearing it in half, blood pouring, pain unbearable.
“Waah!” Su Yuebai couldn’t hold it in anymore. Her tears gushed out. But before she could respond, Zhang Xiaofeng had already walked away with his luggage without even looking back. Within moments, he disappeared into an alley, and she couldn’t even see his silhouette.
Su Yuebai stood frozen, staring at the spot where he vanished, her heart aching and filled with despair. She cried for a long time before finally leaving in sorrow.
…
Driving down a road, Su Yuebai heard the voice from the navigation system, “Entering Guangwu Avenue ahead…”
Guangwu Avenue! This was Guangwu Avenue! Su Yuebai suddenly felt like she was dreaming. In a daze, she remembered walking this road with Zhang Xiaofeng many times before. Back when they were dating, this was always the road they walked, because both sides were lined with phoenix trees. She liked phoenix trees, and Zhang Xiaofeng knew it. That’s why he always brought her here.
But once, after they got tired from walking, he suggested getting some barbecue from a street stall. She had exploded on the spot, shouting, “Why don’t you just go die?! How could I eat from a street stall? I’m someone of high status. I only dine in luxury—either Western or French cuisine, the cheapest is at least 1,000 yuan worth of Japanese food. Why should I eat street food?” As she said that, she even slapped Zhang Xiaofeng.
Now that she thought back, it made her feel horrible. She’d been fighting with her best friend that week, and her heart was filled with frustration, which she took out on him. But he was always so caring. After being yelled at, he didn’t argue. He just lit a cigarette, turned away silently, waiting for her to calm down. They didn’t eat barbecue that day. She went to a Western restaurant alone, leaving him behind.
“You want barbecue? Then eat by yourself!”
She remembered clearly that after saying that, she stepped on the gas and drove off, leaving him alone and ignored.
What was she thinking back then? What was going through her head?
Su Yuebai was drowning in endless regret…
…
Zhang Xiaofeng quickly exited the alley and walked onto a bustling street. Five minutes later, he found a budget hotel, affordable and decent. He booked a room, lay down, and took out his phone to look for apartments online.
Staying in hotels wasn’t a solution. He needed a stable place. In ten minutes, he found an apartment on a rental app. The price was good—just over 800 yuan per month, one month’s rent and one month’s deposit. He scheduled a viewing for the next morning.
His work started at 9:30 a.m., and the landlord agreed to meet at 8:00. He’d have plenty of time.
Unable to sleep, Zhang Xiaofeng kept thinking. He knew working for others wouldn’t last forever. Even though the salary was good, he was still just an employee. It’d be better to have his own business.
But he didn’t have much money now, so he’d continue working while starting a small side hustle. Even if it failed, he wouldn’t go hungry. Side businesses were popular nowadays. He’d try one too—two sources of income were better than one.
What required the least investment? After five minutes of thought, he decided to start a street stall. It was simple, low-cost, and the loss wouldn’t be big even if it failed. Very low risk.
He planned to wholesale some hats, scarves, and cotton gloves. Jiang City was a cold-region city. Though spring had started, it still felt chilly. Warm clothing was in demand.
Since money was tight, he decided to ask the company for an advance. His boss was a good person and likely to agree.
Next was finding stock and a vending spot. That part was easy. He’d lived in Jiang City for two years and knew the area well. He checked his map app and quickly picked a location. Then he found the address of the wholesale market and planned to visit it the next day.
Feeling tired, Zhang Xiaofeng finally drifted off to sleep.
…
The next morning at 8:00, Zhang Xiaofeng was woken by his alarm. He immediately called the landlord, who said he was already waiting at the door. Zhang Xiaofeng quickly got dressed, grabbed his luggage, and went downstairs.
The place wasn’t far. A ten-minute taxi ride brought him to a clean and well-kept residential complex for workers. It looked good.
Ten minutes later, he met the landlord, a man in his thirties with an honest face. They chatted for a bit and got along well. Zhang Xiaofeng went upstairs to view the unit. It was perfect—one bedroom, one living room, one kitchen, one bathroom, fully furnished. Because he didn’t have much money, he only rented it for six months. Including the deposit, it cost 5,500 yuan.
After tidying up the apartment, Zhang Xiaofeng rushed to the company. He’d already calculated last night that renting would cost a lot, so he needed to advance some salary to fund his business.
Not long after arriving, he found his boss in the office.
He said, “Boss, I’d like to request an advance on my salary. Is that okay?”
Zhang Longfa asked, “What happened?”
“I’m short on money. I want to make some extra income. I plan to set up a street stall after work. It won’t affect my job.”
Zhang Longfa looked at him appreciatively and nodded. “You’re a hardworking young man. Alright, I’ll give you a raise—your salary will go up to 20,000 yuan. Today I’ll advance you 10,000 yuan. No need to thank me. When I graduated and started my first job, I wanted to run a stall too. I asked my boss for an advance, pleaded with him, but he refused. I told myself that if I ever met someone in the same situation, I’d give them the advance without hesitation. I wouldn’t be stingy like that old miser.”
Zhang Xiaofeng felt deeply moved. He nodded hard and said, “Boss, you’re a good person!”
“No need for thanks. Go to the finance department. I’ll call them now.”
…
Zhang Xiaofeng headed straight to finance. Five minutes later, they transferred 10,000 yuan to his card. Seeing the increased balance, he felt a surge of motivation. Even if his stall failed, he’d still have next month’s salary—no fear!
Work that day was boring as usual. He was idle the whole time. Soon it was lunch break. He didn’t start again until 2:30 p.m., so he had time to scout for suppliers. After grabbing lunch downstairs, he took a taxi. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at a wholesale market in Jiang City.
The market was huge. Zhang Xiaofeng browsed for a long time and finally found a decent supplier. He bought 1,000 yuan worth of goods—a little of everything—and told them he’d pick it up after 6:00 p.m., then left.
The rest of the afternoon was dull again. By 6:00 p.m., he got off work, quickly took a taxi to the wholesale market, collected his goods, and went to the vending spot he’d chosen. After talking to the market supervisor, he purchased a one-month usage permit for the location and set up his stall.
To his surprise, his first day went very smoothly. In no time, he sold three pairs of cotton gloves, two scarves, and one women’s hat. By the time he closed at 10:00 p.m., he had made a profit of 192 yuan. Not bad at all. He was determined to keep it up tomorrow!
After packing up the goods, Zhang Xiaofeng went home.
…
The next morning, Zhang Xiaofeng was eating breakfast at a food stall when suddenly a foot appeared in front of him. Looking up, he saw Su Yuebai!
He gave her a cold glance, turned around without a word, and walked away, completely ignoring her.
Su Yuebai had gone home in tears the day before. She had been heartbroken and got up early to look for him today. By sheer luck, she found him again on Guangwu Avenue. She was excited and said, “Husband, can you come back with me? I…”
Zhang Xiaofeng cut her off, “What do you mean ‘husband’? Who’s your husband? Don’t go around claiming things. Do I even know you?”
People around turned to look, stunned at first, but then understanding. The woman must’ve done something wrong. Now she came to make amends, but her husband didn’t even acknowledge her.
“Husband, please don’t say that. I can’t live without you. The baby is over four months now. We’re just a mother and child alone. I can’t let you go…”
“Let your damn self go! If I die from your torment, the kid won’t have a father anyway! Who the hell do you think you are? Now you regret it? Too late—get lost!”
The sharp tone startled Su Yuebai, and she trembled. She took a deep breath and pleaded again, “You can’t leave the baby without a father. Don’t be so heartless…”
“Stop trying to guilt-trip me! I treated you people so well, and how did you treat me? Now you’re using the baby to manipulate me? If the kid knew his dad was bullied to death, what would he think? Get lost! I never want to see you again!”
Zhang Xiaofeng grew angrier by the second. With a loud crash, he threw the bowl in his hand. Glass shards flew everywhere.
The stall owner saw his fury and didn’t dare stop him. A bowl wasn’t worth much anyway.
Su Yuebai turned pale with fear but still didn’t leave. She begged again, “Husband, don’t be like this. I’m scared. Please come home, give me and the baby a family, okay?”
PAK!
A crisp slap landed on Su Yuebai’s face. Her head spun, and stars filled her vision. She held her face, stunned.
“You… you actually slapped me…” She stared at Zhang Xiaofeng, shocked.
“Get lost!” Zhang Xiaofeng was shaking with rage. “We’ve got nothing to do with each other anymore, and you’re still trying to guilt-trip me? You’re the one who told me to leave! You’re the one who made the kid fatherless! And now what? Are you brain-dead? Where the hell do you get the face to show up here?!”
Su Yuebai stared at him, tears welling up.
Zhang Xiaofeng continued, “From the moment I stepped out of your house, I was never coming back. That slap? The first time I ever hit you—and damn, it felt good! All those years of bottled-up frustration, finally released! Get lost! I’m doing just fine now. I don’t need some rich girl. I was never good enough for you!”
Su Yuebai stood frozen. She couldn’t recover from the slap. He… he actually hit her? In public? Did he really hate her that much? She wanted to cry. Not just from the pain on her face, but the ache in her heart. The sting on her cheek would fade, but the pain inside would last for a long time. She was crushed, heartbroken…
“Husband… please come back with me. I want you to come home…”
PAK!
Another slap landed hard on her face. Su Yuebai immediately spat out saliva and broke down in tears.
“Waah! That hurts! Husband, it really hurts!”
“Get lost!” Zhang Xiaofeng shouted angrily, scanned to pay, got into a taxi, and left without looking back.
Su Yuebai stared at his departing figure. With a thud, she collapsed to the ground, wailing.
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drmaniac
I can’t really feel bad for the MC because it seems like his ex was always super abusive and he enabled it so it just got worse.