Volume One, Chapter 12: The Right to Sign the Divorce Agreement Lies with Him

Xu Xingyuan’s voice did not lower deliberately, and Ji Shu heard it clearly.

Lu Jinchuan took the cake from her hand with a composed expression.

It was as if the death sentence had finally been pronounced, and the Damocles sword hanging overhead had at last fallen.

Ji Shu curled her lips in a self-mocking smile, bitter and profound; everything that happened today seemed to mock her naivety and foolishness.

From the moment she saw that news in the morning to everything that unfolded in the banquet hall tonight.

Each moment relentlessly reminded her of the undeniable truth: Lu Jinchuan did not love her.

Ji Shu never believed Lu Jinchuan knew about her pineapple allergy, yet one always harbors a faint, humble hope.

That hope turned into a knife at the moment Lu Jinchuan took the cake, piercing her heart without deviation.

Lu Jinchuan approached her holding the cake and extended it forward.

The identical gesture drew all her memories rushing back, overlapping with this moment.

This was not the first time Lu Jinchuan handed her pineapple cake; the last was in their senior year of high school.

To please Xu Xingyuan, Lu Jinchuan had bought cakes for the entire class.

That day, too, he had casually carried the cake over to her just like today.

Ji Shu and Lu Jinchuan had little interaction in high school; she only saw him when he came looking for Xu Xingyuan. Yet that was the third year she had liked him.

Snapped out of her reverie, Ji Shu lifted her gaze to the man before her, expressionless: "I don’t eat cake."

Lu Jinchuan’s cold voice descended like a blade from above. "Ji Shu, what tantrum are you throwing now?"

His indifferent, distant tone drove the knife even deeper into her heart.

He frowned slightly, repeating her name, "Ji Shu!"

Ji Shu lowered her head slightly.

The dizziness from her cold gnawed at her already foggy mind.

She forced herself to rise slowly, bypassed Lu Jinchuan to the bar for a drink, then turned toward Xu Xingyuan.

Her voice was hoarse: "This drink is to celebrate your return home. I have some matters to attend to, so I’m leaving early."

Without hesitation, she tilted her head back and drank it all.

Setting down the empty glass, Ji Shu turned and walked toward the exit.

"Where are you going?" Lu Jinchuan reached out and grabbed her wrist.

Xu Xingyuan calmly extended her hand, gripping Lu Jinchuan’s sleeve tightly. "Jinchuan, there are still so many people waiting for you here!"

---

Ji Shu twisted her arm to break free, her eyes full of displeasure and resistance, shaking off his hand before heading for the door.

Gao Xia followed her into the elevator, quietly holding her hand on the way down. Ji Shu smiled at her, signaling she was alright.

Both had drunk tonight. Outside, a black Cullinan awaited.

The black paint shimmered under dim light like a beast lurking in the darkness.

The rear window rolled down slowly. When Ji Shu saw who was inside, her gaze faltered.

"Get in!" Lu Jinchuan’s face was mostly hidden in shadow, his expression unreadable; only his cold command came through.

Ji Shu’s glance brushed over him, her refusal unmistakably clear.

Lu Jinchuan’s eyes flickered; a faint frost seemed to crystallize in their sharp depths. "No longer want the divorce agreement?"

His tone was firm, as if certain Ji Shu would get in.

They stood at an impasse for several minutes. The taxi they had called arrived at the entrance.

Taking a deep breath, Ji Shu steadied herself, saw Gao Xia into the cab, then opened the Cullinan’s door.

The car sped into the night.

The city’s skyscrapers glittered with lights, traffic flowing like streams of light under the neon glow. The black Cullinan weaved deftly through it all.

They sat close. A faint fragrance drifted into Ji Shu’s nostrils—strange yet familiar.

Familiar because it was Lu Jinchuan’s car scent, strange because another scent mingled within it.

Xu Xingyuan’s perfume.

Perhaps the drink she had taken stirred something in her; a burning sensation rose in her stomach.

She clenched her fists to suppress the discomfort, voice cold: "Where’s the divorce agreement?"

Lu Jinchuan’s face darkened as if ink dripped from it, anger welling in his eyes. "I didn’t bring you here to talk about that."

Ji Shu sneered coldly, "Then what did you want to hear?"

Three years had eroded all desire she once had to communicate with him.

Their quarrels no longer resembled those of a married couple but of mortal enemies.

Lu Jinchuan had avoided her for three years; his sudden reappearance was merely because the three-year agreement was about to expire.

"Ji Shu, the divorce agreement from three years ago was given to you by me. After three years, I have the right to take it back. The right to sign the divorce agreement lies with me."

The cramped car interior made it hard for Ji Shu to breathe. The drink she had swallowed felt like a stone weighing heavily in her stomach.

"Then there’s nothing left to say." Holding her stomach, Ji Shu told the driver, "Stop the car."

The driver, having overheard their quarrel, asked hesitantly, "Mr. Lu, do you want to stop?"

---

Lu Jinchuan’s eyes darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "Keep driving."

His tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal.

At the entrance of the Emerald Residence, they got out one after another. Ji Shu felt numb, cold sweat breaking out on her back. She sensed her consciousness wavering between clarity and haze.

As she stepped inside, a strong grip seized her wrist. Her stomach convulsed violently; the drink churned like a tempest, sending spasms throughout her body.

She no longer had the strength to break free from Lu Jinchuan’s grasp.

His phone rang at that moment. He answered with one hand.

The stillness of the night amplified the cool female voice on the other end; Ji Shu could clearly hear it was Xu Xingyuan.

"Jinchuan, when will you be back? Ke Jin and the others are still waiting for you."

Lu Jinchuan was silent for a moment before answering coolly, "Later."

"Then be careful on your way back. Oh, the designer just called about the ring details. Let’s go again tomorrow."

"We’ll talk about it tomorrow."

A growing heaviness settled in Ji Shu’s head. She clenched her fingers tightly, nails digging into her palms, trying to rouse herself with self-inflicted pain—an attempt to deceive her mind, masking the ache inside.

It’s nothing. It’s because she’s sick, that’s why she feels so bad. Medication will fix it once she’s home.

It’s nothing...

"What’s wrong?"

Lu Jinchuan finally noticed something was amiss. He hung up and stared intently at Ji Shu.

Her face was pale, fingers white from clenching. He reached out, placing his hand on her forehead; the heat transferred through their skin.

"I’m fine," she whispered.

Her head swam, and the touch sent a shiver through her. She turned aside, trying to avoid his hand.

But ill as she was, she was no match for him. He gently turned her face back and stroked down her cheek. Her fair neck and under-eye area were flushed crimson, the heat frighteningly intense.

Lu Jinchuan withdrew his hand, touching his own forehead to check his temperature. Frowning, he said gravely, "Ji Shu, you have a fever."

Ji Shu felt her body grow heavier, the world spinning wildly. Her vision blurred.

Then, she collapsed forward softly, losing all consciousness and sensation.