Lin Xingwan's heart ached, the discomfort feeling like her stomach was twisting. "Yes."
In fact, she didn't want a divorce. She knew she still loved Zhou Jinbai.
This feeling, brief yet unforgettable, like a tornado passing through, had already surpassed Cheng Yanzhe's ten years of companionship and the affection she held for Gu Shaoting.
But what was the use of liking him so much?
Once problems arise in a relationship, they are the most fatal.
Either resolve it completely, root and all, or never bring it up again.
Lin Xingwan had given Zhou Jinbai a chance to resolve it, but the man, apart from making vows to her, refused to explain.
Her personality also made it impossible for her to never bring it up. It was like a thorn stuck in her body, and every day thereafter, whenever Lin Xingwan thought about it, they would only argue again and again.
It was like when her mother was alive, she argued with her father repeatedly, yet her father never resolved it, and in the end, her mother committed suicide.
What crushes a relationship isn't life and death, but the slow accumulation of various small problems until one can no longer bear it.
Lin Xingwan did not want to become like her mother!
"Alright, then let's sleep first. I'll accompany you to get the divorce papers tomorrow morning." Zhou Jinbai finally compromised. Lin Xingwan, having gotten the answer she wanted, didn't feel any happier. Instead, she felt a strong sense of sadness.
She couldn't even control her tears, which fell like beads from a broken string.
Zhou Jinbai panicked and quickly wiped the tears from Lin Xingwan's face.
"Why are you crying? Don't cry, it's all my fault, I'm the one who's wrong. Wife, hit me, it's my fault for making you angry, hit me."
Zhou Jinbai held Lin Xingwan's hand and forcefully slapped it against his own cheek.
Angry if they didn't divorce, angry even if they did. This woman was clearly here just to torment him.
The crisp, loud slaps echoed. Zhou Jinbai wanted to hit harder, but Lin Xingwan pulled her hand back.
The self-blame and guilt on the man's face immediately turned into joy: See, his wife still cared about him, she couldn't bear to hit him further.
Lin Xingwan, however, said with a cold face, "If you want to slap yourself, then slap yourself. Why use my hand? Doesn't it hurt me?"
After speaking, she directly pushed Zhou Jinbai out of the room. "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep."
With a 'bang', the door was closed.
Zhou Jinbai: "..."
Alright, the most outstanding Dongfang Junze of the Dongfang family, the youngest global CEO of the Dongfang Corporation, had been shut out for the first time!
Although there was a spare key to the room, he didn't dare to enter, afraid of making his wife cry again.
Both of them were sleepless that night.
Every second for them was an ordeal.
Meanwhile, at the Cheng family's villa, Cheng Zhiyuan, Hao Manqing, and Ye Qingning were also sleepless.
Their only son, Cheng Yanzhe, had gone to jail. Hao Manqing, the real culprit, didn't even have the courage to confess.
"I was truly blind. You are Yanzhe's mother. Why would you implicate your own son for your mistakes? What did Yanzhe do to deserve a mother like you? They say even tigers don't eat their cubs, but you are simply a devil!"
Cheng Zhiyuan pointed at Hao Manqing's nose and cursed. If Yanzhe hadn't knelt on the ground begging him not to expose Hao Manqing, Cheng Zhiyuan would have abandoned his wife to save his son.
Hao Manqing looked disheveled, her face, unadorned by makeup, appeared aged and harsh. "I harmed Yanzhe, it's my fault. I want to pay for my mistakes, but I'm afraid of dying in prison. I'm truly terrified."
Hao Manqing was filled with self-reproach. She had wronged her son, but in her heart, she consoled herself that her son was still young. If he spent thirty years in prison, he would only be in his fifties when he got out.
But she couldn't. She didn't even know if she would live to see thirty years later.
She knew her behavior was selfish, but she couldn't help it. The fear of the future made her choose silence.
Besides, she had raised her child for so many years. For her son to go to jail for her was merely repaying her nurturing kindness.
"If you die in prison, you deserve it. Yanzhe's bright future has been ruined by you." Cheng Zhiyuan was so angry that he lunged at Hao Manqing. He grabbed her hair and slapped her again.
Hao Manqing was pushed to the ground. Cheng Zhiyuan was about to kick her when Ye Qingning stopped him.
"Uncle Cheng, since this has already happened, no matter how sad or upset we are, it's of no use. Instead of arguing here, it's better to think about how to get Yanzhe less jail time." Ye Qingning spread her arms to block Hao Manqing. If Hao Manqing didn't still have some value, she would never have gotten involved with these two after Cheng Yanzhe's imprisonment.
Cheng Zhiyuan sighed and said to Hao Manqing, "Reflect on yourself properly." Then, he turned and left, hands behind his back.
"Aunt Cheng, let me help you up." Ye Qingning turned around and looked at the worried and concerned Hao Manqing, carefully helping her up from the ground.
"Qingning, I'm sorry to you, sorry to Yanzhe." Hao Manqing tightly grasped Ye Qingning's hand, repeating the same words, "I'm sorry to you, sorry to Yanzhe..."
Ye Qingning looked at the distraught Hao Manqing before her and squeezed her hand back, comforting her, "Aunt Cheng, how could I possibly blame you? The main culprit who caused all this is that woman, Lin Xingwan. If she hadn't deliberately seduced Yanzhe, a toad wanting to eat swan meat, you wouldn't have dealt with her. It's all her fault. If it weren't for her, Yanzhe wouldn't be in jail, and Yanzhe and I might already be married. You shouldn't blame yourself, but rather help Yanzhe get revenge."
Ye Qingning's words were undoubtedly what Hao Manqing most wanted to hear.
"Qingning, you understand me. Why can't they understand me? Lin Xingwan, like Tao Xian, likes to seduce men. I don't allow my husband to like Tao Xian, and I don't allow my son to like Tao Xian's daughter. This time, it was just my mistake. That bitch Lin Xingwan, I want revenge, I want revenge for my son."
After pushing all the blame onto Lin Xingwan, Hao Manqing no longer felt guilty or remorseful. She even hated Lin Xingwan.
Tao Xian had ruined her marriage, and Lin Xingwan had ruined her family.
Since Tao Xian, that bitch, was already dead, then her daughter should pay the debt owed to the Cheng family.
Ye Qingning looked at the now deranged Hao Manqing and sneered inwardly.
Hao Manqing displayed the worst aspects of human nature to the fullest. Clearly, she was jealous of Tao Xian, but because she was not as good-looking as her, not as capable as her, and inferior in every way, Tao Xian had become an obsession she could never overcome.
Therefore, even though Tao Xian was dead, Hao Manqing could not reconcile with herself and transferred all her jealousy and hatred to Lin Xingwan.
Yet, she still used the excuse of doing it for her son's sake to ease her conscience. At this point, she was stubborn and unrepentant, like someone possessed, beyond saving.
"Aunt Cheng, of course you must get revenge. Otherwise, how can you do justice to Cheng Yanzhe, who is behind bars, and Uncle Cheng, who didn't hesitate to hit you? You suffered all this because of Lin Xingwan, and Lin Xingwan is Tao Xian's daughter. If Tao Xian had never appeared in your life, you would have been a happy Mrs. Cheng, your husband wouldn't have had a spiritual affair, and you wouldn't have been disgusted for so many years. You should have had an enviable family and a son to be proud of, but all of that has been destroyed. Since Tao Xian is dead, Lin Xingwan should also atone and go to hell..."
"Yes, that bitch Lin Xingwan must go to hell, she must!" Hao Manqing's previously lost expression turned into one of surging hatred, the fire in her eyes seeming to devour everything.
Ye Qingning took in Hao Manqing's emotional changes and a triumphant smirk spread across her lips.
It seemed that this foolish pawn, Hao Manqing, could still contribute something for her.
Lin Xingwan, just you wait!
—
The next day.
After washing up and getting dressed, Lin Xingwan came out of her room.
She saw her grandmother and Zhou Jinbai busy in the kitchen.
"My dear granddaughter-in-law, you're awake so early? Go back to sleep for a bit longer. Breakfast isn't ready yet, it should take about half an hour." The old lady came out of the kitchen with a bowl of corn and pork rib soup, her expression towards Lin Xingwan the same as usual.
"Grandma, breakfast can be simple." Lin Xingwan looked at the five or six dishes already on the table and felt that breakfast could be considered a home-style luxurious dinner.
"No, this is the last breakfast my dear granddaughter-in-law will have at our house. With your personality, after divorcing Jinbai, you definitely won't come to my house again. I just want to cook all my specialty dishes for you, so that later... this old lady won't have any regrets."
Lin Xingwan felt uneasy upon hearing this. After the old lady placed the corn and pork rib soup on the dining table, she walked over to Lin Xingwan, took her hand, and led her to the living room sofa.
The two sat on the sofa, and the old lady looked at Lin Xingwan with kind eyes. "I know you're afraid of me bringing up you and Jinbai's matters. Actually, you don't need to be nervous. This isn't the old society anymore. Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog. Divorce isn't shameful. If you're not compatible, divorce. Otherwise, spending your entire life with someone you dislike is no different from being in prison. When I was young, I also had several disagreements with Jinbai's grandfather about divorce. I disliked Jinbai's grandfather for being philandering and chauvinistic, and he also liked to gamble. Everyone advised me to endure it for the sake of the children...
I endured it again and again. Although in the end, we didn't divorce, we were already separated. I tried hard to find the past, I started dressing up, wearing beautiful clothes, and no longer fought over a man. It was only later that I more often remembered the good in Jinbai's grandfather. Although he was philandering, he was at least not stingy with me and didn't scheme against me; although he was chauvinistic, it wasn't a big problem; as for his gambling, it was his money that was lost anyway.
Later, Jinbai's grandfather fell ill, and I went back to take care of him. When I saw the once spirited man suffering in bed, I thought that as long as he recovered, no matter how philandering, how much he gambled, or how chauvinistic he was, I could endure it, as long as he was well. But in the end, Jinbai's grandfather passed away. People are strange. When you see each other every day, you only think of their bad points, but when you can no longer see them, you only think of their good points. Thinking back to the reasons why I had to divorce now seems utterly ridiculous."
The old lady's eyes were a little moist as she reminisced.
"Jinbai is not a bad child, and you are also excellent. It's impossible for this old lady not to be sad that you two have come to this point. But sometimes, losing something makes you see the overlooked details more clearly. That's all I can say, my dear granddaughter-in-law. Sit here for a while, I'll go back to the kitchen to help Jinbai."
After speaking, the old lady got up and walked towards the kitchen.
Soon, breakfast was ready.
Even though the meal was incredibly sumptuous, the three of them didn't even finish a tenth of the dishes.
The atmosphere was oppressive and uncomfortable, as if something was stuck in their throats, making it difficult to swallow.
"If you can't eat, let's go." Zhou Jinbai disliked this kind of atmosphere. Instead of being slowly tormented, it was better to have a quick end.
Lin Xingwan nodded and left with Zhou Jinbai.
Heaven seemed to be deliberately helping them divorce quickly. The roads were surprisingly empty during rush hour.
Even when they arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau, expecting a long queue, they were surprised to find they were the only couple there to divorce.
"Here are your divorce papers. You have a one-month cooling-off period. If you still wish to divorce after one month, come here to apply for your divorce certificates. If no application is made after one month, it will be considered a withdrawal of the divorce registration application."
"Okay, thank you." Zhou Jinbai politely placed the divorce registration application into a document bag and then said to Lin Xingwan, "Let's go."
Lin Xingwan glanced at the document bag and replied expressionlessly, "Okay."
The two walked silently to the car. Zhou Jinbai offered to drive Lin Xingwan, but she refused.
"Since we are divorced now, it's not appropriate to ride in your car. I'll take a taxi back. Mr. Zhou, you can go ahead."
Lin Xingwan's tone was too polite and distant. Zhou Jinbai found it jarring and infuriating.
But who could he blame but himself? He could only say, "I want to take you to see the old principal."
"Why?" Lin Xingwan raised her eyes, a hint of confusion appearing in her numb expression.
"Because of your mother's necklace." As Zhou Jinbai spoke, he opened the passenger door and gently pushed Lin Xingwan's waist, signaling her to get in the car.