There are still five minutes until the hero escapes from marriage. - Chapter 44

Wen Zhao flung the door open, and the mess inside the room left the faces of those who followed her in turning ashen.

The butler silently took out his phone and switched to video mode.

Chen Shan was so furious she could barely stand. They were all adults, and it was glaringly obvious what had taken place in this room!

The bedroom door wasn’t even closed—whether due to being too absorbed to remember or because they assumed it was a private apartment where no one would intrude didn’t matter. The door remained open.

Wen Zhao walked straight into the bedroom as if no one was there.

The sight on the bed was even more appalling.

Chen Shan finally lost control and screamed, “Gu Xianting! You beast! Get up!”

She grabbed a pillow from the side and fiercely smashed it into his face.

Gu Xianting, groggy from sleep, was bewildered. After an exhausting night, he had slept deeply and hadn’t noticed anything unusual in the house until he was rudely awakened.

At first, he was angry. Then, seeing Wen Zhao standing behind Chen Shan, his pupils contracted sharply. Why was Wen Zhao here? Why were so many people here?

He quickly gathered himself, grabbing the blanket to cover Su Mengyao, who was lying in his arms. “How did you even get in here?”

“That’s your concern at a time like this?” Chen Shan’s voice was filled with disappointment. “You didn’t come home last night, and Zhao Zhao was worried sick. We searched for you all night and nearly called the police, only to find you here, messing around with another woman!”

Gu Xianting’s mind was in chaos. Despite being with the woman he claimed to love, he felt an inexplicable mix of guilt and unease at being caught by Wen Zhao in this situation.

He couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eyes, fearing what he might see there.

“Everyone, get out.” He forced himself to remain calm, but their commotion finally woke Su Mengyao from her dreams.

“Ah—!” she screamed, instinctively burrowing into Gu Xianting’s embrace. What was happening? Why were so many people here?

“Gu Xianting.” Wen Zhao’s father, his face dark with anger, stepped forward and landed a heavy punch on his face.

“Ah!” Su Mengyao shrieked, almost on the verge of collapse, especially when she saw that Wen Zhao was present as well. “Xianting…”

“Zhao Zhao, let’s go outside.” Jiang Xinyan coldly watched her husband pummel Gu Xianting. She led Wen Zhao out of the bedroom, figuring the scene inside was too much for her daughter to witness.

Wen Zhao had no desire to see any more, either.

The butler, finding the couch repulsive, fetched a chair, wiped it down, and invited Wen Zhao to sit.

Jiang Xinyan stared at the butler for a while, unable to shake a strange sense of familiarity—not because she had met him before on the island, but as if she had known him from even earlier. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall anything more.

In the bedroom, Su Mengyao was still screaming while Gu Xianting was receiving blow after blow. The sounds from inside were chaotic.

Half an hour later, Gu Xianting and Su Mengyao, their clothes hastily thrown on, were dragged out and thrown before Wen Zhao like a pair of stray dogs.

Gu Yuanchen’s face was thunderous as he addressed Wen Zhao, “Zhao Zhao, what he did was worse than a beast. He betrayed your trust and expectations. I leave him to you—whatever punishment you see fit is yours to decide!”

Chen Shan couldn’t help feeling a pang of pity seeing her son’s bruised and battered face, but she said nothing. Her disappointment was absolute. Looking at him, she felt as if she was staring at a stranger. How had her son turned into this?

Gu Xianting was in nothing but pain, his entire body aching. Wen Zhao’s father had held nothing back in his beating.

In contrast, Su Mengyao had fewer injuries; Wen Zhao’s father wouldn’t hit a woman. The marks on her were from trying to protect Gu Xianting.

“Gu Xianting.” Wen Zhao called softly.

Gu Xianting flinched, curling up even more and covering his face with his arms.

She walked over, reaching out to pull his arm away, but Su Mengyao was quicker, shoving her hand aside and throwing herself over him protectively. She glared at her, “Enough! What do you want to do to him? Can’t you see he’s already been beaten like this?”

Jiang Xinyan couldn’t hold back anymore and kicked her aside, “Who do you think you are to talk to my daughter like that!”

Su Mengyao groaned in pain, the sound snapping Gu Xianting back to his senses.

What was he doing? He was actually trying to run away!

He quickly got up and shielded her behind him. “Don’t touch her! This is all my fault—I’m the one who brought her here!”

Jiang Xinyan’s face twisted into a mocking smile. “Of course it’s your fault, but it doesn’t change the fact that your mistress is asking for it herself.”

Jiang Xinyan’s gaze was as cold as if she were looking at two dead people. “Gu Xianting, you swore to the world that you’d cherish Zhao Zhao and build a life together. How long did that last? So it’s really ‘once a cheater, always a cheater,’ huh? You’re truly the living embodiment of trash.”

“Xianting.” Wen Zhao suddenly spoke, “You’ve been lying to me all along, haven’t you?”

She stared into his eyes.

His heart tightened under her dark gaze, as if she could see straight through his soul. “Zhao Zhao… I’m sorry.”

Standing behind him was Su Mengyao. He had wavered and hesitated before, but now he was resolute. “Let’s… get a divorce.”

The entire room was stunned by his words.

Well, except for Wen Zhao and the butler.

Wen Zhao put on a hurt and shocked expression, “Xianting, you’re divorcing me for this woman? Who is she? When did you meet her? First there was Su Mengyao, and now this random woman? Is our relationship that worthless?”

The butler watched her performance, his gaze slowly settling on Gu Xianting. This had once been his body, later forcibly taken away. To him, it was already ruined—and now it was truly defiled.

Gu Xianting was torn by her questions, his emotions complicated. Before, while pretending to be the real Gu Xianting, he was the childhood sweetheart Wen Zhao believed had returned to her. And now, so soon after, he was betraying her again. It was indeed cruel.

But—he had no choice. He met Mengyao first; he came back for her.

*Slap!* Gu Yuanchen’s patience snapped, and he delivered a vicious slap to his face, knocking a tooth loose and drawing blood. “You bastard! Divorce? On what grounds? How dare you make another mistake after already doing wrong!”

“But Dad, I…” Gu Xianting was both angry and frustrated, a lump of resentment choking him. He wanted to say something, but Gu Yuanchen didn’t give him the chance and slapped him on the other side of his face.

“Stop hitting him! Please!” Su Mengyao’s heart ached, tears welling up in her eyes as she saw his swollen face and bloodied mouth. “We truly love each other! Why can’t you just let us be together?”

“How ridiculous.” Wen Zhao sneered, “You’re asking me, his wife, to bless your affair with my husband? Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m telling the truth! He doesn’t love you, this whole thing is meaningless!” Su Mengyao’s previous rage had turned into deep hatred toward Wen Zhao.

The rain from yesterday brought back memories of her first encounter with Gu Xianting. She had faked an accident, and he personally got out of the car and carried her. At that moment, her heart was pounding wildly.

She couldn’t explain why, but she told Shen Han Feng she had some business to take care of and left the Shen household, heading to the apartment Gu Xianting had given her.

She felt that she and Gu Xianting were destined to be together. Otherwise, why would they both choose to come here on the same day?

The moment she saw him, her heart was filled with resentment and hatred, not wanting to see him at all. Yet, he forcefully grabbed her and kissed her intensely and passionately.

She could feel his deep love for her through that kiss.

She had resisted and rejected him, but ultimately, she fell for him again.

As if making up for all the regrets from before, they kissed and intertwined passionately. She was certain that Xianting loved her!

She knew she was shameless, but wasn’t it true that Xianting loved her?

Even if Wen Zhao forced him to stay with her, a forced relationship would never be sweet. Two people who don’t love each other would only live in pain.

Wen Zhao stared at her, watching her expression that was full of determination to sacrifice everything for the man in front of her. She pondered a question.

Did Su Mengyao fall in love with Gu Xianting because the plot dictated it, or would she love him even without the influence of the plot?

But that didn’t matter now.

“No,” she  decisively refused. “He’s my husband and will always be my husband! I don’t care where you came from, just leave, or don’t blame me for being rude.”

“Impossible, I will never leave!” Su Mengyao looked at the man in front of her, and since Gu Xianting didn’t back down, neither would she!

“Oh, suit yourself. But now, I’m taking my husband home.” Wen Zhao didn’t want to waste any more attention on Su Mengyao.

Gu Xianting’s expression changed instantly. “Zhao Zhao, I already said we’re getting a divorce! Things have already come to this; there’s no going back.”

“Whether we can go back or not isn’t for you to decide.” Suddenly, she gave him a bright smile. “Xianting, you’re my husband.”

As long as she didn’t let go, even if he rotted and decayed, he would still have to stay by her side.

Wen Zhao’s father wanted to say something, but Jiang Xinyan stopped him and shook her head.

Gu Yuanchen looked at her, hesitated, and remained silent. To be honest, he no longer understood his daughter-in-law.

“No, you can’t!” Su Mengyao tightly clung to Gu Xianting, who instinctively stepped back.

“Wen Zhao…” Gu Xianting sensed danger. None of the people here were on his side!

“Take him away,” Wen Zhao said as she turned and walked out.

The butler smiled faintly and slowly walked toward him.

Wen Zhao didn’t look back and walked straight out of the apartment.

Behind her, the desperate cries of Su Mengyao and Gu Xianting, as if they were being torn apart, echoed—a pitiful duet.

Wen Zhao couldn’t care less about their theatrics. In the original plot, Su Mengyao and Gu Xianting had passionately reunited like this after eloping. She later learned everything from the system, but no matter how it was described, nothing compared to the impact of witnessing it firsthand.

Gu Xianting was dragged out of the apartment by the butler. No one tried to stop it—not Wen Zhao’s parents, not Gu Xianting’s parents. After his explosive declaration, no one had the standing to intervene.

So, Gu Xianting was dragged away like that. He tried to resist, but it was futile. Already beaten half to death by Wen Zhao’s father, he was no match for the butler, whose strength easily overpowered him. In his injured state, it was no surprise that he was subdued.

The car drove steadily along the road, with his mouth gagged, leaving him unable to make a sound.

He had gone through countless mission worlds and experienced all kinds of hardships, but nothing had ever made him feel so uncertain about what lay ahead.

Wen Zhao’s behavior back on the island had left a shadow in his heart.

The car arrived back at Yubin Residence. Wen Zhao got out, and the butler followed, carrying Gu Xianting as they walked forward.

She didn’t go upstairs; instead, she headed toward the basement.

Gu Xianting’s pupils contracted sharply—what were they planning to do?