Chu Rong acted as if he hadn't seen Quan Jiu's glare. He started the car on his own, and soon, they were out of the underground parking lot.
Wang Xiao watched the car drive away, silently feeling sorry for herself for two seconds. She walked out of the parking lot, hailed a taxi, and resigned herself to returning to the company to work overtime.
...
Perhaps it was the cool night breeze, or perhaps she had finally vented, but by the time the car left the parking lot, Quan Jiu had also calmed down.
She gazed at the receding high-rise buildings and after a long while, asked, "What do you want from me?"
"To take you home," Chu Rong replied calmly.
Quan Jiu couldn't help but laugh. "Mr. Chu, if I recall correctly, in the past, you only ever took Jiang Mengran to your Chu family villa, and my only driver was Wang Xiao. What's happening today? Do you want to use sweet talk to make me willingly return to be your blood bank again?"
Chu Rong gripped the steering wheel, fell silent for a moment, and then said faintly, "Don't overthink things."
"Heh heh~" Quan Jiu's expression was cold and stunning. "I'll make myself clear today. Either you sign that divorce agreement voluntarily, or we'll go to court. Although your Chu family has power and influence, you can't cover the sky with one hand, and I believe there is justice in the world."
Quan Jiu turned her head, staring at his exquisitely carved profile, and said each word with chilling coldness, "I don't mind fighting you to the end."
Chu Rong was silent for a moment, then asked softly, "Do you miss me that much?"
"Then how should I think of you? I really can't understand why you're still clinging to me. Shouldn't we be strangers? Why are you still asking people about me, why are you doing such outrageous things?"
The parking lot, the art museum, today—all these memories brought her nothing but anger.
"I'm looking for my own wife; I don't consider that outrageous."
"Then, in front of your wife, you meet your lover Jiang Mengran every night and have your wife act as your blood bank for your lover. Is that not outrageous?" Quan Jiu asked mockingly.
Chu Rong fell silent again for a long time, then said calmly, "I won't defend past actions, but in the future..."
"There is no future," Quan Jiu interrupted. "Not everything has a future. I don't care what you're thinking now; it has nothing to do with me."
Nothing to do with her...
Chu Rong's face turned a little pale. After a long time, he said with a touch of stubbornness, "As long as one is alive, there is still a future."
Quan Jiu smiled. She felt a pang of heartache, wanting to laugh.
She didn't say anything.
Silence spread between them.
Quan Jiu had no desire to say more. She looked at the increasingly familiar streets and realized that Chu Rong indeed knew she lived in Lijing Yuncheng.
She felt utterly exhausted and too lazy to engage further. She said faintly, "Stop at the entrance."
The car drove to the entrance of Lijing Yuncheng. Just as Quan Jiu thought it wouldn't stop, the car pulled up at the entrance of the complex.
She opened the car door, but before getting out, she left him with a cold parting remark.
"I've made my words very clear. From now on, even if we meet, I hope we can pretend not to know each other. After all... every time I see you, I'm reminded of my past self who was kicked in the head by a donkey, and it makes me feel ashamed, even disgraced. So, if you have any conscience left, don't let me see you again."
"This, I cannot do," Chu Rong subconsciously grabbed Quan Jiu's hand.
Quan Jiu flinched, frowning. "We've been separated for five years and are no different from strangers. I hope Mr. Chu can always be mindful of boundaries. Your actions are enough to constitute sexual harassment."
Chu Rong's hand trembled slightly, and he slowly withdrew it.
He lowered his eyelids, his emotions unreadable. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "Apart from this, I can agree to any of your requests."
"Then sign the divorce agreement."
"Apart from this."
Quan Jiu sneered. "Then what can you do?"
Chu Rong looked up, his gaze fixed on Quan Jiu, his voice filled with tenderness. "Apart from leaving me, I can agree to any of your requests."
Quan Jiu felt as if she had been scratched fiercely by a cat, feeling both uncomfortable and pathetic.
She became even colder. "Apart from leaving you, I have no other requests." She left decisively.
...
Back home, Quan Jiu collapsed onto the living room sofa, utterly drained. Her mind replayed the day's events like a flickering lantern.
This day had been truly long.
"Mommy," Mimi came out of her room and went to Quan Jiu's side, asking with concern, "You must be exhausted today."
Quan Jiu looked at her adorable daughter, and all her emotions vanished.
She affectionately stroked Mimi's soft hair. "It's all over now. Just sleep, and everything will pass."
Tutu also came out of her room, went to the refrigerator, and took out a small cake. "If you're tired, eat something sweet; it can increase your happiness."
Quan Jiu smiled and pulled both children into her arms. "Mommy is already very happy seeing you. You are Mommy's home. As long as I'm home, all fatigue disappears."
Tutu chuckled. "Then I'll eat the cake. I'm still a bit short on happiness today."
Mimi playfully tugged Tutu's arm, causing Tutu to cry out in pain and cover her ear. "Sis, sis, let's talk it out. Gentlemen use their words, not their hands. I'm still a child."
Watching the two children squabble, Quan Jiu's worries melted away. The three of them tussled together.
...
Late at night, He Miao emerged from the bathtub, shivering.
Her skin was pale and wrinkled from soaking, but she still felt it wasn't enough. That ugly man was found by Shen Lu. She had only glanced at him initially, but now, that face couldn't be erased from her mind.
Her phone rang.
He Miao picked it up and saw a message from Shen Lu. There were five messages, all asking about the outcome of the matter.
The outcome... He Miao cried with hatred.
She trembled as she typed a string of text: [Shen Lu, my current predicament is all thanks to you. Just you wait, I won't let you off.]
Upon receiving the message, Shen Lu guessed that the matter had been exposed. She quickly comforted her: [How are you? Are you okay? As long as you're safe, we still have a chance. You and I are on the same boat. I'll think of another way and avenge you.]
He Miao couldn't reveal the truth, and she dared not provoke Quan Jiu again, especially since Quan Jiu still held her leverage. But this didn't stop her from seeking revenge on Shen Lu.
A cold smile played on her lips. After thinking for a moment, she changed her tone and replied: [Okay, I'm rather slow. You think of a way, and I'll cooperate with you.]
Shen Lu cursed her as a fool, put down her phone, and began to consider other methods.
...
The next day, at Chu Corporation, despite it being the peak of the workday, the entrance to the building was unusually congested.
Everyone was captivated by a horizontal poster at the main entrance.
"Young Madam of Chu Corporation" + a photo of an exquisitely beautiful young woman.
On the main road, the situation was no better. Countless passing vehicles and pedestrians all looked up at the giant poster hanging from the top of the building. The road was also causing significant traffic congestion as a result.