Xu Miyu smiled as she said to Nie Yucheng, “Let’s get a divorce.”
Her smile was so enchanting.
Nie Yucheng, however, burst into tears.
The bag he brought for Xu Miyu slipped from his hands and fell to the ground.
Chocolate spilled from the bag, scattering across the floor.
The once sweet gift, meant to bring her joy, now lay before her eyes as bitter remnants of pain.
The chocolate candy she had given him when they first met had transformed into a floor covered in the bitter fruits he returned to her.
Nie Yucheng approached, trying to embrace Xu Miyu. She resisted. He persisted. She pushed him away. Yet, he continued to cling desperately.
Exhausted, Xu Miyu gave up the struggle. Nie Yucheng embraced her tightly, his tearful sobs echoing in her ears as he rested his head on her shoulder.
He choked out apologies, suggesting they give their relationship another try.
As he paused, tears subsiding, Xu Miyu gently pushed him away.
With a determined expression, she told him, “I didn’t want a divorce originally. I was afraid of facilitating your relationship with Lu Zhenzhen. But I can’t go on. Infidelity is not solely the fault of the third party; a man who can’t control his desires is also at fault. I can’t just hate Lu Zhenzhen and continue living a peaceful life with you. I can’t. I find you repulsive; I hate that you can’t control yourself. We are not possible anymore, Yucheng. Let’s get a divorce.”
Xu Miyu believed that divorce was a matter for two people. However, since entering the cooling-off period, others continuously intruded into her fading marriage, earnestly advising her that the marriage should not end.
Overnight, it seemed like everyone was condemning her decision to divorce.
Her father, upon hearing about her intention to divorce, called her urgently. He passionately warned her against it.
“You divorce what? You don’t even have a job; how will you survive after a divorce? You’re not qualified to divorce, do you know that? This society is like this; men become more appealing after divorce, while women become devalued. The moment you divorce, you’ll immediately lose value. There are plenty of young and beautiful girls everywhere. How can an older divorced woman like you compete? Nie Yucheng only made a mistake once, and he said he would change and live a good life with you. Don’t persist in this endless griping. He’s good to you and to our family. If you divorce him, where will you find a son-in-law so capable of helping our family?”
While she initially thought her father’s perspective was somewhat considerate, she eventually understood his true concern – the potential loss of Nie Yucheng’s care for the family.
A chill ran through her heart, and she ignored her father’s words.
Her mother, Jiao Xiumei, issued a subsequent warning.
“Third child, don’t be stubborn. This marriage should not end; this time, listen to me, Mrs. Jiao Xiumei, and you won’t go wrong! Your father is right; Nie Yucheng made a mistake, forgive him. He will feel guilty for a lifetime, and he will only be more obedient to you. I asked Nie Yucheng before, and he regrets his affair. He asked me to advise you not to divorce. He also said he would treat you better in the future and take better care of our family. Third child, he has expressed himself like this. If you still insist on divorcing and give that outsider a place, are you not being foolish? Be smarter!.”
Even her elder sister, Xu Mizi, took the time to persuade her. She earnestly advised against divorce, deeming it unworthy to make room for the third party. After all, she and Nie Yucheng had a foundation of affection, and breaking up was a pity. Finally, her sister said, “If you divorce Nie Yucheng, it will be difficult for me and your brother-in-law in the future. We still work for him.”
Her second sister, Xu Miman, also called to dissuade her.
“Don’t divorce; what’s the point of divorcing? Have you lost your mind? What Dad, Mom, and sister said are all correct. You’re being foolish if you divorce now. Life will be tough for a divorced woman. Our family’s house is in a good school district. I was planning to register my child there in the future. If you divorce, my nephew won’t have a good school to attend.”
Even her pampered younger brother, Xu Mibao, warned her, “Xu Miyu, I don’t like to nag, but I’ll make it short: don’t divorce my brother-in-law. If you really must divorce, at least wait until I’ve bought my house!”
Amidst this bombardment of opposition to divorce, Xu Miyu felt emotionally and physically drained. It seemed everyone was considering her situation, but in reality, each person had their own self-serving agenda.
She was infuriated by their selfish considerations. Yet, despite the anger, they were still family, and she couldn’t escape the fact that blood ties bound them.
In the midst of this frustration, what baffled her was that she simply wanted a divorce, and yet, it seemed so difficult. In the 21st century, with societal advancements and technological progress, divorce came with a mandated cooling-off period. Why did it become increasingly challenging for a woman to divorce? Why were there so many inherent societal judgments prematurely cast upon a woman preparing for divorce? Who decided that a divorced woman would inevitably be more unfortunate than a man?
These thoughts sparked a rebellious streak in her, strengthening her resolve to divorce once the cooling-off period ended.
During this time, only one person explicitly supported and even encouraged her to quickly divorce Nie Yucheng, urging her not to hesitate. It was Nie Yucheng’s mother, her mother-in-law.
Although she didn’t directly convey these sentiments to Xu Miyu, the words were relayed through relatives on Nie Yucheng’s side:
“It’s better to divorce. I always felt that the family behind that woman had no decency, selfish and calculating, sucking blood. They are fundamentally incompatible with our scholarly and dignified family. I always said that a family like that wouldn’t produce respectable children. Look at Xu Miyu; she graduated from a third-rate university and hasn’t worked since. She’s been relying on my son all these years. During this time at home, she hasn’t accomplished anything. Originally, I opposed their marriage; how could they be compatible? But my son, in his foolishness, liked her. It’s not too late to divorce now. It’s just right for my son to find a suitable, beautiful girl while he’s still in his prime and quickly give me a chubby grandson.”
Xu Miyu only now realized that her mother-in-law, whom she had always thought of as reserved, was not merely reserved by nature; she was distant because of various dissatisfactions with Xu Miyu. In the past, Nie Yucheng had shielded her from those dissatisfactions.
So, let it be. After the divorce, Nie Yucheng’s mother would no longer have to bear grievances on behalf of her son, and Xu Miyu would no longer face various criticisms.
Finally enduring the cooling-off period, Xu Miyu and Nie Yucheng went together to obtain their divorce certificate.
In the end, Nie Yucheng made one final attempt, and Xu Miyu smiled and declined.
Nie Yucheng then understood that Xu Miyu truly had no intention of turning back.
The house and car were purchased with funds from Nie Yucheng’s family before marriage, legally belonging to Nie Yucheng. Though Nie Yucheng wanted to leave the car to Xu Miyu, she refused. There was some savings in the family, and Nie Yucheng was willing to give Xu Miyu her share. She accepted only half of what she was entitled to.
The division of assets was settled easily. Xu Miyu packed a small suitcase and prepared to move out.
As she was leaving, she dared not look back. She feared regretting the decision to obtain the divorce certificate, afraid of parting with the home she had lived in for over six years, and afraid she couldn’t let go of the many memories with Nie Yucheng in this house.
When Nie Yucheng escorted her downstairs, he couldn’t resist holding onto her.
He asked her, “Do you have somewhere to go? Why not stay here for now?” His tone almost sounded pleading. He couldn’t bear to see her walk out of his life like this.
She smiled and told him, “No, we have no relationship now. How can I stay in your house?”
He asked her, “Do you have a place to go? What are your plans for the future?”
Xu Miyu replied, “I’ll go back to my hometown for a while, and I’ll think about what to do next.”
He hesitated, then finally said, “If your family gives you a hard time, you can come back.”
Xu Miyu thanked him.
A polite expression turned them into strangers in each other’s lives.
Xu Miyu said, “Nie Yucheng, thank you. Even after the divorce, you’ve been generous, giving me my share of the money. It’s getting cloudy; you should go upstairs quickly.”
She hailed a taxi, loaded her luggage, and left.
Along the street, plane trees were planted. On this overcast day, the already pale and scattered tree bark appeared mottled, like a face with makeup running down in tears.
Under the tree shadows, Xu Miyu turned around, smiling and waving at Nie Yucheng.
“Goodbye,” she said.
As she turned to get into the car, her smile instantly shattered, and tears welled up. Her tear-streaked face resembled the plane tree outside.
A clap of thunder echoed, and heavy rain poured down.
Even the heavens wept.
She sat in the back seat, unable to bring herself to look back, crying uncontrollably. In that moment, she painfully bid farewell to the six years of her past self.
The taxi driver suddenly spoke from the front, asking, “Are you a young couple having a disagreement? Look at that young man behind, crying more miserably than you. He’s standing there getting soaked. Miss, do you want to go down, or should he come up? You two should communicate properly!”
Xu Miyu didn’t turn around. Amidst the sound of the pouring rain outside the window, she sniffed heavily and told the driver, “Drive, please.”
There was nothing left to say. So, let’s go. Walk out of each other’s lives and live separately.
Xu Miyu thought that the period from preparing for divorce to the day of divorce would be the most difficult time in her life. Once she endured this period, everything would get better.
But she was wrong.
The days after the divorce turned out to be truly agonizing.
Every day, besides digesting the lingering sorrow of losing her home and husband, a chronic ailment of belated realization, she had to deal with the disapproving looks from her parents and siblings. Eventually, their expressions gradually made it difficult for her to summon the grief for the departed marriage.
From the day she dragged her luggage through the door, her mother, Jiao Xiumei, had been incessantly reproaching her. She persistently advised her not to be stubborn and urged her to reconcile with Nie Yucheng before he moved on. “Otherwise, as time goes on, whatever deep emotions you had initially will be worthless. He’ll just turn around and find some other little enchantress!”
Xu Miyu refused to listen to her mother. Her divorce was never an act of stubbornness, and she never once considered turning back.
After staying at home for a few days, she gradually realized that this was not a sustainable way to live. In the past, Nie Yucheng provided for her, and she didn’t need to work. However, now she had to go out and find something to do, learn to earn money.
But for the past few years, being a housewife at home, her activities were limited to cooking, doing household chores, and watching dramas. She had become disconnected from society. Now, even handling documents and forms had become a struggle. She didn’t know what kind of work she could do to make money once she ventured outside.
Continuing to stay at home was not a solution. Jiao Xiumei was convinced that when Xu Miyu divorced, she received a significant amount of money. She kept urging her to use that money to buy a house for her and her daughter.
Fortunately, Xu Miyu had strong determination this time. No matter how much Jiao Xiumei praised her or tried to influence her, she didn’t let go of the money.
With only this little money, she needed to sustain herself until she learned how to survive and make money.
However, being pressured daily by Jiao Xiumei, Xu Miyu thought it would be better to quickly find an investment opportunity. She wanted to increase the money in her hands, and then use a portion of the interest to shut Jiao Xiumei up.
With this plan in mind, Xu Miyu began searching for investment-related information.
Through a fortuitous encounter, she joined a group recommended by a friend. In the group, there was someone named Zhang Zong. He claimed to have a new profitable business. Immediately, several people in the group asked if he could bring everyone along to get rich together.
Zhang Zong is quite generous. He replied that if they can have a good conversation, anyone interested can add him on WeChat for a private chat.
Xu Miyu hesitated whether to add Zhang Zong on WeChat for a private chat. After a week, her hesitation was somewhat dispelled. Several people in the group mentioned that they had already chatted privately with Zhang Zong, found the project promising, invested some money, and received interest returns as scheduled in the first week.
They shared their profit records in the group.
Looking at interest rates several times higher than the bank’s, Xu Miyu felt a bit tempted. She added Zhang Zong’s WeChat and initiated a private chat.
She asked Zhang Zong how much she could invest, and Zhang Zong asked her how much she could invest.
Xu Miyu was cautious and didn’t reveal her amount directly.
Zhang Zong sent a voice message, saying, “How about this? I’m currently on a business trip in Xing City. I’m staying at the Swi Hotel in Xing City. If it’s convenient for you, come and meet me. We can have a face-to-face chat in the hotel lobby’s coffee shop. This way, we can grasp information more intuitively and accurately. By the way, the coffee at Swi Hotel’s coffee shop is quite good.”
When Xu Miyu heard the name Swi Hotel, she was briefly stunned. She felt a deep connection between this hotel and herself recently.
After some thought, she concluded that since Zhang Zong could afford to stay at Swi Hotel, it indicated his good financial strength. After all, in Xing City, those who could stay at both top-notch luxury five-star hotels, Swi Hotel, and Xing Ji Hotel were not ordinary people.
Since she had nothing to do at home, Xu Miyu decided to meet this Zhang Zong.
Early the next morning, she took a long-distance bus from her hometown to Xing City station and then took a taxi to Swi Hotel.
After a journey, she arrived at the hotel around two in the afternoon, almost the time she agreed upon with Zhang Zong.
Xu Miyu entered the hotel lobby and looked around. The coffee shop was on one side as you entered. Although she had been to Swi Hotel a few times, she had never paid much attention to this coffee shop. It was decorated luxuriously, with tables made of intricately carved wood and comfortable leather sofas. The entire coffee shop had semi-open booths.
A table near the door was already occupied by two people. Xu Miyu didn’t pay much attention to what they looked like, but they seemed to be in decent suits. Looking towards the back of that table, she saw one person.
Apart from them, there was no one else.
Xu Miyu walked towards the person sitting alone at the table, meeting Zhang Zong.
In the afternoon, Ji Feng had a meeting to attend back at the group headquarters, but the car sent to pick him up had gone out for a wash at noon and was stuck in traffic on the return journey. So, he sat in the hotel lobby’s coffee shop with Xue Rui, waiting for the car.
During this break, Ji Feng asked Xue Rui to bring the tablet over. He opened a farming game on it, started harvesting crops, and planting seeds.
Xue Rui watched his boss, with a face that looked like an icy mountain, doing something boring while exuding an air of nobility. He performed this mundane task every day, persistently and consistently, at least in the few years Xue Rui had been Ji Feng’s assistant.
While Ji Feng was harvesting his crops, he heard Xue Rui make a surprised sound.
He didn’t lift his head or ask Xue Rui what had surprised him.
Xue Rui couldn’t resist muttering to himself, “Seeing her again, that woman who snatched the VIP elevator and accused her husband of infidelity.”
Ji Feng raised his eyes, giving Xue Rui a cold glance with a hint of mockery and disdain. He warned Xue Rui with his eyes that he didn’t want to hear nonsensical gossip about this woman, and Xue Rui immediately shut his mouth.
However, after a while, even without Xue Rui saying anything, the conversation of a man and a woman could be heard behind them. The woman’s voice was relatively soft, while the man’s speech was not only loud but also carried a fluctuating tone, as if giving a speech.
If it weren’t for the trouble of leaving soon, Ji Feng would definitely have changed seats to avoid this noisy conversation.
The woman called the man Zhang Zong, and the man called the woman Miss Xu. Zhang Zong introduced a highly profitable investment project to Miss Xu, promising a 10% weekly return on investment.
Zhang Zong kept praising Miss Xu for her temperament, vision, intelligence, foresight… As Miss Xu listened, she seemed moved by these words, looking very happy. She told Zhang Zong that she had some money and intended to entrust it to him for financial management.
Hearing this, Xue Rui couldn’t help lowering his voice and commenting, “Isn’t this a scam? What kind of business pays interest weekly, and at such a high rate? And this Miss, why does she get so emotional just because someone praises her a bit? Is she that lacking in love?”
Ji Feng ignored his noisy chatter. After harvesting and planting on the tablet, he opened a financial news app and then clicked on a video news. The news anchor, with a voice that was neither too small to disturb others nor too loud to be heard by people nearby, reminded investors in society that financial management carries risks and investment should be cautious.
Xue Rui was stunned for a moment, unsure if Ji Feng had coincidentally opened this or if he had some intention behind reminding him.
As the driver finally arrived, he walked in from the entrance to pick up Ji Feng.
Ji Feng closed the video, handed the tablet to Xue Rui, and stood up. As he walked out, he furrowed his brow and spoke coldly, “Mind your own business and do your job as my assistant. If you can’t stop being so nosy, then don’t do it anymore.”
Xue Rui hesitated for a moment, thinking that he might have overthought it just now. Ji Feng warning him to mind his own business was probably just a coincidence that he happened to open that news video.
Shaking his head, he quickly lifted his legs to catch up with Ji Feng’s steps.
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