100 ways to kill your husband

Chapter 2: The Rules for Maintaining a Perfect Marriage for the Second Time

Wen Xu had never seen such heavy rain before. It got dark so quickly that the hotel staff didn't remember to turn on the lights for several seconds. People on the street complained as they ran into the nearest shelter, such as the hotel lobby, as well as the independent brand cafes, bars, and custom cake shops connected to the lobby. Any place where people didn't buy anything was crowded with people.

Wen Xu opened the ride-hailing app, which showed the earliest pick-up time was two hours later. If she didn't want to go out and be hit by hail, she had no choice but to stay here for two hours.

"It seems you can't leave. Why don't you come with me to the hotel restaurant for a cup of coffee?"

Shao Ziwen spoke frankly, explaining that the hotel restaurant was separate from the hotel rooms. Previously, Wen Xu had occasionally stayed at the same hotel with colleagues or clients for work, and to save time, they often met in the restaurant. But Wen Xu didn't want to spend even a minute longer with Shao Ziwen. She glanced at the coffee shop in front of her and saw a woman with her back to her.

The woman was wearing a gray woolen hat, a black coat, and a black mask. She glanced at Wen Xu quickly and then immediately turned her head away. Although the glance was brief, Wen Xu still recognized her as Tang Lin from her narrow eyes.

If there was one thing she regretted most in her life, it was letting her best friend, Tang Lin, betray her. Tang Lin was her friend of many years and also the matchmaker between her and Lu Heng. She always thought that she and Tang Lin would remain good friends and stay together. But Lu Heng told her personally that Tang Lin saw her and Shao Ziwen enter the Shaohua Liujin Hotel together, which became her death warrant.

She drank a cup of coffee and a cocktail that day and remembered nothing else. Afterwards, Shao Ziwen insisted that he was only aroused and did not drug her. If Tang Lin really saw it at the scene, she was likely an accomplice. Wen Xu didn't believe there could be such a coincidence.

She glanced at the weather outside the window. The rain hadn't lessened; in fact, it was pouring down harder. A flash of lightning caught her eye, and she suddenly had a thought: fate wouldn't allow her to escape. And from the moment she saw Tang Lin, she didn't want to run anymore. Why should she, the one who was betrayed and abused, be the one to run away, while those who had committed crimes against her were living well?

Wen Xu secretly sized up Tang Lin. She remembered that Tang Lin had always been a glamorous career woman, from head to toe, from her hair to the tips of her high heels. Now, however, her face was so swollen that even a mask couldn't hide it, and she was wearing a bulky outfit. Wen Xu also noticed that she was wearing wireless earphones and was carefully listening to what the other person was saying, nodding frequently.

Wen Xu had a plan; she was going to lay out the bait and wait for Tang Lin to take the bait.

"Which floor is the restaurant you mentioned on?"

Shao Ziwen was delighted by Wen Xu's change in attitude. He led her into the elevator and pressed the button for the fourth floor, where the restaurant was located. He felt that Wen Xu had become very different. Before, whatever he said, Wen Xu would smile and nod gently. He liked her submissive manner when she agreed and didn't care whether she understood or not. But now, although she smiled, her eyes were bright.

Throughout the journey, Wen Xu observed her surroundings. The waiters, both men and women, ranged in age from twenty to fifty, all with professional faces, showing neither curiosity nor concern for their arrival. She also took the opportunity to observe the layout of the fourth floor. The entire fourth floor lacked guest rooms; besides two banquet halls, there was a restaurant, a gym, and two men's and two women's restrooms. Both banquet halls were occupied, and there were event staff tidying up outside. The gym was empty.

Shao Ziwen led her into a private room in the restaurant. Wen Xu only ordered a cup of Americano. Shao Ziwen remembered that she needed a straw for her coffee, so he specially got her one and enthusiastically recommended the restaurant's crab meat with roe. Wen Xu said that she had already eaten before coming.

Before the coffee arrived, she excused herself to go to the restroom and left. Wen Xu didn't go into the restroom, but instead followed the exit of the private room to the gym, which was directly connected to the corridor.

Tang Lin's attitude was hesitant; she was waiting for someone's instructions to harm Wen Xu, and she was required to wait on the fourth floor to check on Wen Xu's condition.

The banquet hall wasn't crowded during peak hours, but the fourth floor wasn't enclosed, so there was a possibility of being seen. However, the restaurant's private rooms had two entrances for privacy, one of which led to a corridor, allowing access to the elevator without disturbing anyone. This exit led to the elevator via the gym, so Tang Lin was likely hiding in the gym's changing room.

Wen Xu slowly approached the dressing room. She heard Tang Lin sobbing softly, "I did as you said, but it seems she saw me."

Tang Lin's voice was filled with immense fear. Wen Xu knew he would frighten her, but he still quickly opened the door. Tang Lin didn't scream, but instead gasped, her expression as if she had seen a ghost.

Tang Lin was alone in the locker room, talking on the phone with her wireless earpiece plugged in. She stared at Wen Xu, but didn't tell him what had happened. More than being discovered by Wen Xu, Tang Lin was afraid that he would find out she had messed things up.

Wen Xu walked quietly to her and put a wireless earphone in her ear. The other person did not notice her action and continued to speak.

"She's afraid that Americano will stain her teeth, so she'll definitely drink coffee with a straw. I've already tampered with the straw, so if you recycle it, it won't leave any trace."

When Wen Xu heard that voice, her blood ran cold. She had once been infatuated with Lu Heng's deep, gentle, and affectionate voice, but now he was using that voice to give the order to destroy her.

She had always thought Lu Heng was just jealous and capricious, but the consequence of killing her was precisely the result of his own actions. She recalled his pained expression before each time he attacked her, his trembling voice questioning why she had betrayed him. She had never truly understood this man she called her husband.

A silent outburst wouldn't get her the answer she wanted, so Wen Xu typed a few words on her phone, held it up to Tang Lin, and asked Tang Lin to read them aloud.

Tang Lin's forehead was covered in sweat, but she gritted her teeth and continued reading.

"I don't understand why you treat your wife like this."

Lu Heng remained silent on the other end of the phone, but Wen Xu's heart clenched in pain.

"Oh."

After pausing for only two seconds, Lu Heng chuckled lightly, his tone relaxed, as if he were simply asking what to eat for dinner.

"The rule for maintaining a perfect marriage is not love, but guilt. As long as she feels guilty towards me, she won't think about leaving me."