Chapter 2

“Ye Tingxue, your stubborn refusal to admit you’re wrong is ruining everyone’s mood.”

He stood over me and scolded loudly.

“This trip is supposed to help everyone relax. Do you have to spoil it for the whole team?”

The train shook again.

Pei Chuan lost his footing and stepped back.

To steady himself, he planted his leather shoe hard on my outstretched right hand.

Floating in the air, I rushed forward instinctively.

“Don’t step on it!”

My transparent hands passed through him.

I could only watch that rigid sole crush the joints of my fingers.

There were faint sounds of bones shifting. Several fingers twisted at unnatural angles.

He frowned and lifted his foot in disgust.

He rubbed his sole against a clean patch of floor.

“Don’t think playing dead gets you out of your punishment. You’ve dirtied my shoes. Clean them later.”

The noise finally drew a railway police officer.

He strode over. At the terrible sight on the floor, his expression changed.

“What happened? Why is she lying here?”

He crouched, saw my twisted fingers and purple face, and immediately took out his radio.

“Get the train manager! An unconscious passenger in the vestibule of carriage eleven. Contact emergency staff at the next station now!”

“No need to call an ambulance.”

Pei Chuan suddenly lunged forward and pressed down on the officer’s radio.

He took a business card from his jacket and held it in front of him.

“I’m Pei Chuan, CEO of Pei Group. This is an internal disciplinary matter.”

The officer pushed his hand away.

“I don’t care what company you run. In this condition, she needs a hospital immediately!”

“She’s pretending to be ill.”

Pei Chuan straightened.

“She has serious trouble controlling her emotions. Whenever she’s upset, she likes to lie on the floor and play dead.”

He pointed at the staff.

“Ask them if you don’t believe me.”

My colleagues exchanged glances. Under his pressure, they all lowered their heads.

Bai Meng immediately stepped forward to agree.

“Officer, Mr. Pei is telling the truth. Ms. Ye’s just stubborn. She’s determined to sulk at him.”

As she spoke, she headed for the toilet.

“I’ll gather her things and persuade her to get up.”

I floated after her into the toilet.

She locked the door. Her innocent expression vanished.

She bent to pick up my handbag, caught under the door.

Quickly unzipping the inner compartment, she rummaged through it.

“Found it.”

With a cold smile, she took out a small white bottle labeled *Fast-Acting Heart Medication*.

That was the medicine I had desperately reached toward Pei Chuan to get.

My only chance of survival.

Malice flashed in Bai Meng’s eyes as she studied it.

Without hesitating, she opened the bottle.

She emptied every pill into the stainless-steel toilet.

“Why do you get to be the CEO’s wife while I’m just some lowly assistant?”

Watching the pills swirl, she cursed under her breath.

“If you have heart disease, just die already.”

She pressed the flush button without a moment’s hesitation.

Rushing water swept the pills away.

Then she tossed the empty bottle into the toilet’s rubbish bin.

Pei Chuan had sent away the still-doubtful police officer and returned to his seat.

He opened his laptop and began typing.

He ignored every murmur from the vestibule.

I sat on the empty seat beside him.

My gaze settled on the silver chain around his neck.

A plain band from our matching pair of rings hung at its end.

We had bought them for our first anniversary.

He said we must never wear them on our fingers at work, to avoid gossip and prevent the staff from thinking he played favorites.

The ring had become another secret that could never see daylight.

Three years of putting up with it suddenly seemed ridiculous.

The train announcement said we were approaching a major interchange station.

Passengers began carrying their luggage toward the doors.

They had to step over my body, their faces showing disgust.

“Young people are getting more inconsiderate by the day.”

“Exactly. Throwing a tantrum in a public aisle. How’s anyone supposed to get past?”

“She dresses decently enough. Why does she have no manners?”

The criticism went on.

Pei Chuan’s fingers paused on the keyboard, but he still didn’t stand.

He only spoke coldly into the air.

“Hear that? The whole carriage thinks you’re a joke.”