Chapter 568 - 567: Neither Man Nor Woman (4)
"Divorce?" Wu Xia repeated faintly. Yet, there was no great surprise on her face, an indication that she had thought about it before.
"Yes. If I were in your shoes, I would choose to get a divorce." Su Li paused, her gaze distant.
"How should I put this... The first reason is obviously Zou Liping’s physical condition, but it’s not the only one. This is a congenital issue; it isn’t his fault, and I’m not one to discriminate."
"However, the problem with them isn’t just physical. More importantly, it’s a matter of the heart—or, you could say, a matter of character."
"I can understand them exploiting a loophole when arranging the marriage. I can even understand them hiding his physical condition to get married. But for them to refuse to talk to you properly or treat you well after you discovered the truth, and instead resort to such methods... that is a problem with their character."
"They’re rotten to the core. That’s the fundamental issue."
Wu Xia stared blankly at Su Li. Su Li spoke eloquently, every word reasonable and utterly convincing.
Seeing how intently Wu Xia was listening, Su Li decided to say a little more.
"Even if being intersex can’t be ’fixed,’ it doesn’t mean a happy life is impossible. If they had treated you genuinely, if Zou Liping himself had been sincere with you, I don’t think you would have been unhappy. But..."
Wu Xia nodded vigorously. ’That’s right. Even with Zou Liping’s condition, if they could have just lived peacefully, she could have accepted it. But...’
Seeing Wu Xia nod so vehemently, Su Li’s heart felt a pang of sorrow and softness.
"So, yes. That’s why I said if it were me, I’d probably get a divorce."
A marriage without sex isn’t necessarily unhappy, but a marriage filled with abuse and humiliation like that will absolutely never be happy.
Zou Liping and Mrs. Zou had fundamental character flaws. Regardless of whether it was pressure or something else that made them that way, Su Li was not willing to let Wu Xia pay the price for them.
If she were an outsider, she might pity them. But Su Li couldn’t, not after all the suffering Wu Xia had endured.
Su Li had no intention of forcing Wu Xia to accept her philosophy, but she wouldn’t water down her advice.
"Su Li... let me think about it," Wu Xia said softly.
"Okay, think it over carefully. This is a decision for a lifetime, after all." Su Li nodded and glanced at the time. "We need to tell your aunt and Wu Sheng about this. Your grandmother and your little aunt need to know, too."
Now that Wu Xia had told Su Li everything and heard the answer she most wanted to hear, she didn’t hesitate this time.
"Okay." She nodded forcefully, then asked hesitantly, "Then... what about them?"
"Them," of course, meant Zou Liping and Mrs. Zou.
"Them? Don’t worry, just leave them to us." Su Li thought for a moment. "How about this: you go to the neighbor’s house. I’ll go back, and I’ll come get you in a little while."
Su Li smiled. "Rest assured, by then, the Zou mother and son will be gone without a trace. Leave this to us."
Wu Xia looked at Su Li’s expression and nodded hard. The shoulders that had been constantly tense suddenly relaxed.
She was filled with a sense of security, because the family behind her was her powerful support.
Her shoulders hadn’t relaxed since she first got married, not even in her dreams. After so long, the sudden release of tension made her realize just how exhausted she was.
Su Li took Wu Xia to a neighbor’s house, then returned to the Wu family home.
The moment Su Li stepped into the Wu home, all eyes turned to her.
Wu Qihua and Wu Xia’s little aunt watched with concern, while both mother and son from the Zou Family grew nervous.
Su Li cast a cool glance at the Zou mother and son and said flatly, "We have some things to discuss. Would the two of you please leave for a moment?"
To so bluntly ask them to leave—everyone present was taken aback.
But the members of the Wu Family, even the little aunt, knew Su Li was not a person who acted without reason. They looked surprised but didn’t blame her.
The Zou mother and son, however, were shocked.
"You... How can you speak like that? Are you trying to kick us out?"
The mother and son’s mindset was much the same: a mix of anger and panic. Why had they rushed all the way to the Imperial City? It certainly wasn’t out of concern for Wu Xia, but out of fear that she would tell her family about Zou Liping’s condition.
They had tried to stop her from coming home for this very reason.
If Wu Xia had told them... They couldn’t even imagine the consequences.
The more terrified and panicked they became, the louder they tried to be to assert that they were in the right.
"Who do you think you are? You’re an outsider..."
’She hasn’t even officially married into the Wu Family yet, what right does she have to talk like that?’
Before Mrs. Zou could finish, Wu Sheng cut her off. "The only outsiders here are you!"
’How dare they ask who Su Li thinks she is? Are they looking to die!’
Wu Sheng was furious, but Su Li remained perfectly calm. "It would be best for the two of you to leave. Otherwise, I’ll have to say some things in front of you that I’m sure you’d rather not hear."
The expressions of the Zou mother and son changed. "You... That bitch Wu Xia... She... she told you..."
This time, it was Zou Liping who spoke. His face paled and flushed, twisting into a vicious and terrifying mask that distorted his once-handsome features.
The moment Zou Liping spoke, the faces of the Wu Family members collectively darkened.
He had apologized with such sincerity just moments ago, making them think he was genuine. To think he would turn around and call her a bitch.
He actually called Wu Xia a bitch! A bitch! And he blurted it out so casually!
The Wu Family’s expressions changed drastically, but Zou Liping and his mother couldn’t afford to pay them any mind. Seeing Su Li’s ice-cold face, they finally left the Wu home, seething with a mixture of anger and restraint.
After the Zou mother and son had gone, everyone looked to Su Li.
Su Li poured herself a glass of water, took a couple of deep breaths, sat down, and looked seriously at the Wu Family.
"You need to mentally prepare yourselves for what I’m about to say."
Su Li recounted the story in a low voice. The little aunt’s lips trembled, too shocked to speak.
Even Wu Sheng and Wu Qihua’s faces changed.
"How... How could something like this happen? This is outrageous!" Wu Qihua said furiously.
Wu Sheng’s expression shifted, his face filled with a murderous aura. "How dare they bully one of my own like this? They must not want to live."
The little aunt gasped for breath a few times before finally recovering. "Heavens, oh heavens, what have I done? What sins did I commit in a past life to have married Wu Xia off to someone who’s neither a man nor a woman..."
The little aunt let out a wail, her heart breaking. "How much must Wu Xia have suffered this past year? How frightened she must have been... And I, her own mother, knew nothing at all..."
"I... I’m not even as good as Wu Dong, not even as good as her younger brother. What sins did I commit? Why did my Wu Xia have to suffer so much..."
The little aunt sobbed uncontrollably, filled with self-blame.
Watching her, Su Li felt a deep sense of unease and quickly got up to close the door.
Wu Qihua hurried to console the little aunt, but she only cried harder.
"I’ll go get Wu Xia. She’s at the neighbor’s,"
Su Li said in a low voice to Wu Sheng. He followed her out without a word.
Outside the door, Wu Sheng’s expression was heavy. Su Li looked at him and sighed. "Don’t blame yourself too much."
Wu Sheng wiped his face. "How can I not blame myself? Wu Xia has been staying with us all this time. Mom and I kept trying to get her to open up, but we never realized she was carrying a secret like this..."
"In the end, it was you... she told you..."
Wu Sheng looked at Su Li. He didn’t care that they were in the alley, or that someone might come out at any moment. He couldn’t help but pull her into his arms.
"Thank god for you... Su Li..."