Chapter 159: Misunderstanding

When Shen Yijue returned after buying the items, Mo Qi was already fast asleep on the bed. Zeus curled up in her arms, lifting its head the instant it heard the noise.

Shen Yijue glanced at Zeus, softened his footsteps, and walked over.

Upon seeing Shen Yijue, Zeus stared at him coldly with its deep green eyes for a good while before curling its body back up to resume sleeping.

Shen Yijue placed the snacks he bought on the coffee table, picked up Zeus without ceremony, and set it on the floor. "I'll buy you a bed when we get back."

Seeming somewhat afraid of Shen Yijue, Zeus let out a couple of whimpers, nestled against Mo Qi's slippers, and curled up on the carpet beside the bed to continue sleeping.

Having dealt with Zeus, Shen Yijue climbed onto the bed.

Exhausted from a day of traveling, Mo Qi had relaxed and leaned against the bed, falling asleep without realizing it. Feeling the bed shift now, she blinked her eyes open in a daze. "You're back."

Shen Yijue lay down, reached out to wrap his arms around Mo Qi's shoulders, and pulled her halfway into his embrace. "Go to sleep."

"Mm." Mo Qi shifted her head, comfortably resting it in the crook of Shen Yijue's shoulder as she drifted back to sleep.

Holding her close, Shen Yijue pulled the blanket up over his waist and closed his eyes to take a nap as well.

Ever since he began spending time with Mo Qi, his sleep had improved; he no longer suffered from the total sleeplessness of the past. Even without sleeping pills, he could manage two or three hours of rest.

Yet, that quality of sleep could never compare to the deep peace he felt with Mo Qi by his side.

Shen Yijue had only intended to take a brief nap, but he slept so soundly that when he woke up again, the sky outside the window had already grown dark.

Mo Qi remained nestled in his arms, still fast asleep.

Shen Yijue checked his watch and was surprised to see it was already past eight in the evening. The two of them had slept for nearly four hours.

Gently lifting Mo Qi's head to place it on the pillow, Shen Yijue got out of bed to wash up.

Hearing the commotion, Mo Qi woke up as well. Having slept for too long, her mind was completely foggy. "He Shuai, what time is it?"

Standing in the doorway with a toothbrush already squeezed with toothpaste, Shen Yijue felt the faint smile in his eyes vanish instantly. "Who did you just call?"

Mo Qi's lagging brain snapped to attention immediately.

In her half-asleep daze, she had momentarily forgotten about her rebirth, which was why she had slipped up and called out He Shuai's name.

How was she supposed to explain this?

Shen Yijue stared at Mo Qi expressionlessly.

Mo Qi felt a sudden throbbing pain in her temples. She must have lost her mind to have blurted out He Shuai's name just now.

The good mood Shen Yijue had felt moments before was instantly extinguished. His own woman waking up and calling another man's name—what kind of situation was this?

"What is this? A double-dealing romance?" Could it be that while Mo Qi claimed to be dating him, she had been seeing He Shuai at the same time?

Frowning slightly, Mo Qi tried to explain, "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it like?" Shen Yijue said coldly. "Aren't you and He Shuai close?"

Of course they were close! Except that familiarity belonged to the time before her rebirth. For a moment, Mo Qi had no idea what to say. Should she tell him that He Shuai was her ex-boyfriend who had caused her death, and that she had been reborn in Mo Qi's body to start a new life?

Such an absurd thing—had she not experienced it herself, even Mo Qi would never have believed it. Rational as Shen Yijue was, how could he possibly believe it? He would only think she was spinning elaborate lies to deceive him.

Giving Mo Qi a deep, lingering look, Shen Yijue turned, walked back into the bathroom, and put his toothbrush away.

Hurryly scrambling out of bed, Mo Qi saw Shen Yijue already walking out of the bathroom, brushing past her with an expressionless face as he headed for the door.

Mo Qi grabbed his wrist and said earnestly, "Believe me."

Without even turning his head, Shen Yijue said coldly, "Let go."

"It really isn't what you think. I can explain."

"Explain what? Tell me you aren't close with He Shuai? Then why did you always act so abnormal whenever He Shuai showed up?" In Shen Yijue's cold voice lay suppressed sarcasm. "Or are you saying you really are close, and while you were dating me, you were seeing him too?"

Shen Yijue had never imagined there would come a day when he was played for a fool by a woman. Just a moment ago, he had been filled with sweet joy, believing that the beauty and perfection of life amounted to no more than this. He never expected that the very next moment, Mo Qi would deal him a heavy blow, forcing him to realize how foolish he had been just moments prior.

Had he, Shen Yijue, become someone's cheating target? Had he become someone's spare tire?

People always lose their rationality when they are angry.

Coldly, Shen Yijue brushed away Mo Qi's fingers, pulled open the hotel room door, and walked out.

Once he left, the hotel door clicked shut automatically behind him.

Standing frozen in place, Mo Qi stared at the closed door, still finding it hard to believe what had just happened.

Had it really ended between her and Shen Yijue just like that?

Mo Qi knew very well whom she loved now. If she still paid attention to He Shuai at all, it was only driven by a desire for revenge, with not a shred of romantic feeling remaining.

Her slipping up and asking that question while half-asleep was entirely due to a habit formed over several years of living together. Her mind had not been clear, causing her to temporarily forget that she had been reborn.

She could have explained everything, even told Shen Yijue the whole truth about her death and rebirth. But she had never expected that he wouldn't even give her a chance to explain before simply walking out.

Given Shen Yijue's pride and self-esteem, once he convinced himself he had been cheated on, there would likely be no room for turning back.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh." Mo Qi covered her eyes with her hand and let out a low chuckle. The low laughter gradually grew louder, finally turning into a full-blown burst of bitter laughter.

This was the love she had chosen to trust once more, yet at the first sign of a misunderstanding, he wouldn't even grant her a single chance to explain.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha." Mo Qi laughed until she was out of breath, the laughter eventually causing a churning sensation in her chest as she covered her mouth and began to retch. "Ugh! Ugh! Cough! Cough!"

Nothing came up except for the saliva that choked her throat.

Tears welled up in her eyes without her knowing, streaming down her cheeks and into the corners of her mouth, tasting intensely, painfully salty.

When she was betrayed by He Shuai in the past, although she had felt grief, she had still been composed enough to give him a severe beating.

Yet now, merely because a misunderstanding had bred a lack of trust, her heart ached as though it were being repeatedly stabbed by a knife.

The fact that Shen Yijue didn't trust her hurt her far more than if he hadn't loved her at all.

Reborn into this life with lingering darkness in her heart, she had intended only to use any means necessary to reclaim everything that rightfully belonged to her. She had already prepared herself to live out her life alone, but Shen Yijue had aggressively and forcefully broken into her world.

Step by step, he had dismantled her defenses, making her fall for him before she even realized it.

She had gritted her teeth and made up her mind: if it was Shen Yijue, she was willing to trust in so-called love one more time. Originally, she had been certain her trust was well-placed, but what about now?

Was this the love she got in exchange for stripping away her disguise and showing her truest self? To face a misunderstanding, yet not even be granted the chance to offer an explanation? And to find herself unable to explain simply because of something as absurd as rebirth, with no one to believe her?

If a misunderstanding like this could happen once, it could happen a second time. If they could reconcile this time, what about the second, third, or fourth time?

She and Shen Yijue were fundamentally people from two different worlds. Because of his regard for her, she had recklessly stepped forward, working hard to make herself strong in the hope of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

Yet from the very beginning, this relationship had been fraught with hidden dangers.

She harbored a desire for revenge and kept secrets; he was a favored son of the heavens, arrogant and domineering, unable to tolerate even a speck of deception.

What was she supposed to do now?