Chapter 13: Too Bitter

Page (1/3)

Upon seeing the reply message, Liu Zhuyin suddenly stood up.
“Divorce! How dare he divorce me!”
With a flurry of taps, she typed a lengthy message on her phone.
‘Divorce? What divorce? Who wants a divorce? Gu Yichen, are you serious...’
I couldn’t be bothered to look; I immediately blocked her!
Calls, WeChat, texts—any means she could reach me by, I blocked them all!
“That bastard! He blocked me!”
The exclamation marks on her screen infuriated Liu Zhuyin to no end!
Besides anger, she was mostly confused.
They clearly loved each other so much—why did he want to leave? Why divorce her?
Could it be that he... really no longer wanted her?
Just then, Ning Yuanzhou called.
“Ayin, I feel so miserable, can you come keep me company...”
Startled, Liu Zhuyin didn’t hesitate.
“I’m coming right now!”
...
I put down my phone and sat by the seaside, enjoying the breeze brushing against my face.
Luo Mingzhu came over, carefree, and plopped down beside me.
“Aren’t you supposed to be out having fun? Just lying here like this, isn’t it boring?”
I didn’t find it boring; on the contrary, I relished the peaceful atmosphere.
“Don’t disturb me, I need quiet.”
Luo Mingzhu glared at me, about to speak, when my phone rang.
It was Lady Liu calling.
She had sent me many messages before, all unanswered.
Now she was calling; after some thought, I picked up.
“Mom... no, Lady Liu, did you need to speak with me?”
Since we were divorced, calling her “Mom” felt inappropriate.
“You... you child! Your address changed so fast!”
Lady Liu was displeased but without much reproach, only sighing repeatedly.
“Xiaochen, Ayin came to see me today. She really hopes you’ll come back.”
“I can tell she still has feelings for you. Are you really not going to give her a chance?”
Without hesitation, I answered.
“No.”
Feelings? She only has feelings for Ning Yuanzhou.
For me? Impossible!
Ridiculous!
Even if there were feelings, I no longer wanted them.
“You... sigh.”
“But you should at least explain the divorce to her, right?”
“Leaving silently like this isn’t right.”
“I suggest you both sit down and talk this through.”

Page (2/3)

“Why?”
I still refused.
“There’s nothing left to discuss.”
“She has already signed; the one-month cooling-off period has passed. We no longer have any ties.”
Lady Liu continued to urge reconciliation.
I didn’t want to know the reasons. In any case... I had repaid the Liu family’s kindness.
I owed no one anything.
“Lady Liu, if there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”
“Wishing you... good health, and all the best for the Liu Corporation.”
After hanging up, I didn’t block Lady Liu.
Though divorced from Liu Zhuyin, Lady Liu had treated me kindly since the wedding.
After all, she was an elder; I didn’t want to hurt her feelings too much.
Facing me was Luo Mingzhu’s inquisitive expression.
“What are you looking at?”
She squinted her big eyes, scrutinizing me carefully.
“Sounds like your wife wants to persuade you to come back.”
“But you’re so heartless! Even your mother-in-law can’t get through to you.”
That girl understood nothing and was making up stories about me.
“If you’re bored, why don’t you dive into the sea a few times.”
I closed my eyes, too lazy to respond.
Luo Mingzhu sulked and went off to play.
In the hospital, after seeing Ning Yuanzhou asleep, Liu Zhuyin wearily rubbed her temples and couldn’t help but pick up her phone.
She tried resending messages, but the result was the same.
The red exclamation mark felt like a heavy stone pressing on her chest.
Dragging her tired body home, she entered the master bedroom and saw documents on the bed.
She instinctively picked one up and glanced at it.
Just one look changed her expression.
“This...”
The divorce agreement, signed with her name at the bottom.
“When did I...”
Panic filled her eyes as she recalled.
That day, when helping Ning Yuanzhou try on ties, she had signed the document.
“That bastard!”
Furious, she tore the divorce agreement to pieces.
Then she recalled her own behavior over the past month.
Yet she hadn’t sensed anything unusual.
“Why divorce me? Does he... not love me anymore?”
Liu Zhuyin couldn’t understand. Curling up on the bed, the cool silk quilt touching her skin made her shiver.
She instinctively moved back, but grasped only empty air.
In the past, the quilt was cold but I was warm.
But now...
She hugged herself tightly and only fell asleep well into the second half of the night.

Page (3/3)

In the morning, seeing breakfast prepared on the living room table, her face brightened as she hurriedly called out my name.
“Gu Yichen, are you back?”
Her calling didn’t summon me but instead brought the butler.
“Miss, sir... sir hasn’t returned.”
Liu Zhuyin questioned in disbelief.
“Impossible! If he’s not back, then who made this breakfast?”
The butler awkwardly called over the new chef.
“Madam was worried you weren’t eating well and specially hired this chef for you.”
Liu Zhuyin’s fleeting joy instantly darkened.
She sat down, took a bite, and a surge of frustration rose.
“Terrible! Does this chef even know how to cook?”
“I don’t want such a chef!”
After scolding, Liu Zhuyin went upstairs.
Both the butler and chef were helpless.
After all, this was a five-star hotel chef, yet this was the first time anyone had said he couldn’t cook.
Back in her room, Liu Zhuyin sat on the sofa, her mind filled with thoughts of Gu Yichen.
Her heart felt utterly empty.
It felt like needles pricking her, unbearably painful.
“Hmph! Didn’t you want a divorce from me?”
“Didn’t you want to leave the Liu family?”
“Let’s see how long you can keep up this act!”
Liu Zhuyin stormed off to the company.
For several days in a row, she worked late at the office.
Ning Yuanzhou called every day, but she was so overwhelmed she barely had time to respond.
Her temper worsened by the day.
“What are you all good for! You can’t even handle such simple matters!”
Her furious shouts echoed from the office, catching Lady Liu’s attention. She pushed open the door and entered.
Seeing her mother, Liu Zhuyin impatiently dismissed the others.
“Mom, why are you here?”
Lady Liu sighed.
“Ayin, what’s wrong with your temper lately?”
“You’re not the same as before.”
Liu Zhuyin bit back a retort, “It’s not me who’s changed; it’s how they work! This doesn’t work, that’s wrong! I don’t know how we’ve gotten by all these years.”
She grumbled, furious and frustrated, which only made Lady Liu feel more helpless.
“How have you gotten by?”
“The Liu Corporation is where it is today because Xiaochen saved the company step by step.”
“What you’re seeing now are just trivial little problems!”
“If you ask me, you’ve just been living too comfortably these past few years.”