Memories Are the Worst Form of Torture (1)

Li Xiuying finally understood her twin sister's warning. She initially thought that Li Chuntao and their Uncle Yuren's worries were baseless. However, now that she was slapped back with the reality that Mu Jianyu had cast her aside in favor of another woman, she regretted the fact that she did not even try to listen to them. 

Sometimes memories were the worst form of torture and to top it off, Lin Meirong's pregnancy was Mu Jianyu's ultimate betrayal towards her. Was she so insignificant to him that he was willing to toss everything for a woman like Lin Meirong? 

She was blind and stupid, alright. She was stupid to believe that he would change and come back to his senses. She should have listened to everyone who told her to accept the divorce he had pressed on and move on with her life. Everyone wanted the best for her except for her husband. 

"I want to be left alone," she finally told her bodyguards and Lan Jinyao. She was tired. It was worthless to fight a battle she knew she'll eventually lose. 

"Miss!" Song Zexi exclaimed. 

They couldn't leave their Miss Ying like this. Not when she was weak and unstable. If something bad happened to her, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves from Li Yuren's wrath. Also, she and Su Ling were worried that she might do something foolish. Given her condition, they wouldn't dare to leave her alone. 

"Miss, we received direct orders from Master Yuren not to leave you alone unattended," Su Ling said impassively. He wasn't comfortable seeing a crying woman especially if it was their Miss Ying. 

Li Xiuying had no interest in arguing and nodded in understanding. It would be too selfish for her to demand something that would cause trouble for Song Zexi and Su Ling. 

"I understand." 

That was the situation Shen Zichen saw when he arrived to meet Li Xiuying. He was walking under the rain with an umbrella in his hand and saw Li Xiuying's form leaning against Song Zexi for support. Her eyes were bloodshot indicating that she'd been crying prior to his arrival. 

Shen Zichen frowned. What could have happened to make her cry like this again?

"Ying," he called out to get her attention. 

Li Xiuying wiped her tears dry and smiled bitterly at him. Song Zexi released a sigh of relief when she saw that Young Master Shen had finally arrived. Maybe their Miss Ying would listen to him not to go alone. 

"You're late," Li Xiuying teased him but it couldn't hide the somber in her tone. 

"It's been raining hard since I left the capital. Have you been waiting for me all this time?"

She shook her head. She had lost the track of time with all the events that happened today. 

"Brother Zichen, I would like to visit my parents' grave." She requested in a low voice. She didn't want to be in the same place where her husband and the mistress were. 

Aside from her twin sister, Li Xiuying would only let her defenses down in front of their parents' grave. Ever since they passed away, she only had Chuntao to support her mentally and emotionally. 

Although they were both loved by their Uncle Yuren and Aunt Yue, the twins' bond with each other was so deep that no one else could come in between. Since Li Chuntao's departure to study abroad, Li Xiuying could only go there whenever she was having a dilemma or when she was missing her twin sister. 

"Miss Ying wanted to be alone but we cannot allow her. Can Young Master Shen accompany Miss Ying?" Song Zexi asked him. 

Shen Zichen looked at Li Xiuying then shifted to Song Zexi who was clearly worried that their miss would try to run away again like she did last time. It was fortunate that Shen Zichen had stumbled upon Li Xiuying, saving her bodyguards from the trouble of searching for their Miss around the capital. 

"Alright. I will bring you to them. Just promise you wouldn't leave without telling Song Zexi where you're going." 

Li Xiuying agreed and stepped forward, invading Shen Zichen's private space as they shared the same umbrella he brought with him. Lan Jinyao, Song Zexi, and Su Ling could only watch as Shen Ziched led Li Xiuying away from the hospital to his car and saw them disappear from their sight. 

"Who's that?" Lan Jinyao couldn't stop herself to ask Song Zexi out of curiosity. She'd never seen and met a man that could freeze anyone with mere gaze but look at Li Xiuying like she was the only one that mattered in the world. Was he in love with Li Xiuying? Lan Jinyao wondered. 

"That's Young Master Shen." Su Ling answered. "Don't worry. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to her." 

It was already past midnight when Shen Zichen and Li Xiuying came back to the capital. Thankfully, the rain had stopped pouring but it still made the road slippery, so Shen Zichen had to slow down his driving. It didn't take long for them to reach the Li family's private mausoleum where Ying and Chuntao's parents' tombs were. 

The mausoleum was neat and clean indicating that the caretaker from the Li family had been visiting the place to keep it clean. The white marbled tombs encasing her parents' remains were perfectly polished unlike those tombs outside which were covered with moss and were unkempt. 

Shen Zichen remained outside while Li Xiuying entered alone. She knelt in front of her parents' grave and started to cry her heart out. 

For the past three months, since she discovered her husband's affair, she pretended that she was alright but tonight… on the day her last bit of hope shattered, all the memories she shared with Mu Jianyu came back all at once. 

The woman who believed in love was no more. Mu Jianyu had successfully ruined her and Shen Zichen was witness to how badly she was broken.