Chapter 12: A Man Who Doesn't Self-Respect is Like Spoiled Lettuce

Huo Xiyao nodded. "Since Miss Xia insists, I won't be polite and will accept it. But do we have to keep addressing each other so formally as Mr. Huo and Miss Xia? Why don't we just call each other by our names? It will also prevent me from accidentally slipping in front of my sister.

Xia Chu thought about it and smiled in agreement, "Then, Mr. Huo, you can call me Xia Chu, and I'll call you... ahem, Xiyao, okay? Calling you by both first and last names also sounds a bit odd."

While they were talking, the hourly worker, Sister Xie, arrived with fresh vegetables and fruits.

So Huo Xiyao paused and took Xia Chu to the door to record her fingerprint and then passed Xia Chu's basic information to the property management.

After lunch, Xia Chu took a hot shower, changed her clothes, applied light makeup, and drove to the law firm.

Xu Pei had been anxiously waiting in the parking lot ever since he finally received her message, 'Meet at the law firm at 2 p.m.'

Now, finally seeing Xia Chu's car, he almost jogged up to greet her, "Panpan, you're here."

Xia Chu got out of the car unhurriedly before looking at Xu Pei.

Seeing that although his clothes and beard were neatly groomed and he appeared proper, the redness in his eyes and the smell of smoke on him showed he had not had an easy time since yesterday.

With a mocking curl of her lips, she dropped the words, "Let's go." and headed towards the elevator.

Even though Xu Pei had seen Xia Chu, he still had no reassurance, took a deep breath, and then followed her.

The two reached the law firm on the fifteenth floor, only to find Jiang Ziyao already waiting there.

Xia Chu hurried over, "Ziyao, why did you come? Didn't I say I could handle it alone, and you didn't need to come?"

Jiang Ziyao gave Xu Pei a resentful glance before saying, "I was afraid you'd be bullied. That scumbag is so vile, who knows what else he might do? It wasn't far, so I came."

Xia Chu felt a warmth in her heart, "Then let's go in together, get this done early, and I'll treat you to a good dinner tonight."

Seeing Jiang Ziyao, Xu Pei knew for sure that she would never side with him like Xia Benjun and Ye Shuhua had, making him feel even less confident.

But he still had to enter the law firm.

Xia Chu, with Jiang Ziyao, went straight into the meeting room. The receptionist, Xiao Guo, came in to turn on the lights and pour water, but Xia Chu declined, "Xiao Guo, you go on with your work."

Then, watching Xu Pei draw the blinds of the meeting room, she coldly said, "Are you afraid of losing face now? Then you shouldn't mess around close to home. At least have the decency to do it somewhere else."

Xu Pei was full of remorse. "Panpan, I really know I was wrong. I have already sent her away and ended it completely. I won't disturb our lives again. Please give me another chance; let's live well from now on, shall we?"

Xia Chu turned a deaf ear and pulled out the breakup agreement she had drafted from her bag. "This is the breakup agreement I've put together. Take a look and if you have no objections, please sign it soon. Don't worry, I'm only taking what I deserve and won't take advantage of you."

Xu Pei felt as if he had been stabbed, and it even became difficult to breathe.

He had actually gone to find Xia Chu in the morning, and since neither Xia Benjun nor Ye Shuhua could make Xia Chu change her mind, he had no choice but to go himself.

With five years of affection, he truly loved Xia Chu and had never thought of spending his life with anyone else. He definitely couldn't give up so easily.

Xia Chu had unexpectedly moved out overnight, and the ones who opened the door for him were a young couple.

It had only been yesterday that such a thing had happened, and yet she was able to endure and move out overnight, all so that he, as well as everyone else, couldn't find her.

It clearly showed her determination to break up!

Now she had even drafted the so-called breakup agreement.... Xu Pei's voice had changed, "Panpan, I don't want to break up. I will truly never do it again, this lesson is enough for me to remember. Please, can we start over?"

Xia Chu saw that he wasn't looking at the breakup agreement, so she read it to him, "I only want my own 20% of the shares, please convert them at a discount for me as soon as possible. At first, I thought that you could calculate them based on the market value before the investment, but calculating them based on the value after is better. But now, calculate it based on the value before the investment, as long as it's quick."

"The house will be listed tomorrow, and after it sells, I'll take my thirty percent of the market price. The savings and investments in our joint account have always been mostly contributed by you, so I'll still only take thirty percent. As for the car…"

Xu Pei, with red eyes, couldn't listen anymore, "Panpan, must you be so ruthless? After all these years of affection, you can't be so heartless. And didn't you also register with another man yesterday? We could consider it even…"

Xia Chu coldly interrupted him, "So that's why I'm discussing breaking up now. Since we're even, what is there to keep? Let's keep it dignified."

Jiang Ziyao couldn't bear listening either, "Xu Pei, you scumbag, how dare you say you're even with Xia Chu? She was just dumbstruck by your shamelessness yesterday, but you didn't disappoint her. In the middle of the night, you dragged her parents all the way from Su City, almost driving her to her death."

"And you still have the face to disagree with the breakup, to talk about years of affection. When you were cheating right under Xia Chu's nose, why didn't you think about all those years of affection? If you really cared about the affection, you would have a decent breakup with Xia Chu, so I wouldn't despise you even more!"

Xu Pei coldly looked at Jiang Ziyao, "This is between Xia Chu and me, it's none of your business!"

Jiang Ziyao was unyielding, "Xia Chu is my best friend, how is it not my business? I'm telling you, I'm involved to the end! You better sign the agreement immediately, give Xia Chu what's hers, or don't blame me for not being nice, spreading your dirty laundry so both the industry and outsiders know about it!"

Xu Pei grew even angrier, "Jiang Ziyao, you better watch your mouth!"

Jiang Ziyao sneered, "My mouth is cleaner than the disgusting things you've done. A man who doesn't respect himself is like rotten cabbage, you, being dirty and stinky, still expecting Xia Chu to forgive you as though nothing happened—you think she's a garbage recycling station? Why don't you ascend to heaven!"

Suddenly, Xia Chu said, "Ziyao, stop swearing, it's not necessary. Xu Pei, I've been thinking all of last night, what did I do wrong that you could treat me this way?"

"Later, I realized that it wasn't that I did something wrong, but that you changed. The boy who waited for me downstairs in the freezing winter, the boy who would warm my icy feet in his embrace when we went traveling, the boy who reignited my hope for marriage, he had already changed."

"So, I don't blame you anymore, just be straightforward, be dignified, and let's end things on good terms!"

Towards the end, Xia Chu's voice nearly choked up.

Who would have thought that the forever we once firmly believed in could only last these few short years?

As Xia Chu's voice choked, Xu Pei also choked up, "Panpan, you did nothing wrong, it's all my fault, I betrayed our love, I failed the promises I once made to you. But can't you, for the sake of those good old times, give me another chance?"

Xia Chu said solemnly, "It's because those times were too good that they can't be forgiven. I registered with a stranger yesterday not only because I was too angry, but also because I didn't want to leave myself the chance to forgive, didn't want us to become loathsome in the future. So, sign it."

Xu Pei's hand was shaking so much he could hardly hold the pen.

Reason told him that since Xia Chu had spoken to this point, he could only agree to break up, yet emotionally, he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

After so many years of affection, nearly two thousand days and nights, he hadn't even truly had Xia Chu…