A man with a pleasant voice, when coaxing someone, possesses a tenderness that is utterly disarming.
Gu Anyun’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.
“Isn’t there any other medicine that’s not so… stimulating?” She took a deep breath, then another, trying her best to appear calmer. “I’m not scared, it’s just a reflex.”
“No, this medicine is already the mildest. If you’re afraid, I can blow on it for you?”
Gu Anyun: “…Thank you, but no need. I’m not a child anymore.”
Jin Chenyue’s lips curved. “You can always be a child.”
Gu Anyun froze, lifting her eyes to look at him.
In Jin Chenyue’s dark pupils, her delicate face was reflected. His thin lips slightly upturned, his voice low and gentle, carrying a hint of temptation. “No one is forcing you to be sensible or endure. Whether in the Gu family or the Jin family, you can live freely and unrestrained.”
Gu Anyun’s heart thumped wildly.
What did he mean by that?
She didn’t dare meet his gaze any longer, lowering her head as her eyes wandered aimlessly.
Suddenly, she noticed the embroidery on his cuff.
It was the label designed by Wen Xinzhi—a single letter Z.
All her emotions faded in an instant.
The chaotic rhythm in her chest quickly returned to normal.
Gu Anyun raised her eyes, meeting the man’s dark gaze.
She withdrew her hand. “Nan Qiu is more careful and gentle. I’d like her to help me apply the medicine.”
Jin Chenyue didn’t understand why her attitude had changed so abruptly. Just moments ago, the atmosphere had been quite pleasant.
He felt puzzled, and even a little wronged.
In the end, he didn’t say anything more, standing up and saying, “Wait a moment.”
Gu Anyun watched as he tossed the cotton swab into the trash bin. The motion was crisp and decisive, as if coaxing her to apply the medicine earlier was merely a duty he had to fulfill as her husband.
An inexplicable anger built up in her chest. Her breathing grew heavier, and as he turned away, she asked calmly, “Have you signed the agreement?”
Hearing this, the man’s tall frame stiffened.
A few seconds later, he turned around, looking down at Gu Anyun. “So eager to divorce me?”
“Yes.” Gu Anyun’s expression remained indifferent as she spoke truthfully. “You see, I’m not wearing the gown, and I’m not attending tonight’s banquet. This is my way of honoring the agreement. Besides, I went back to the main house this afternoon. Apart from keeping it from Mommy, the other three elders already know. Daddy must have called you too, right?”
Jin Chenyue had always known she was clever. The Gu family’s genes were formidable—both boys and girls had IQs above 200. Although Gu Anyun had been raised in a sheltered environment with little real-world experience, her innate high intelligence gave her a significant advantage in reading people and analyzing situations.
She understood perfectly that three years was the ideal timeframe.
Any necessary adjustments had been made, and the elders’ initial impulsive enthusiasm had gradually cooled.
Three years of marriage, no children, both still young at just 23.
Proposing a divorce now was a way to cut losses in time, making it easier for both parties to move on from this marriage and find better matches.
Seeing him staring at her without speaking, Gu Anyun grew somewhat impatient.
She frowned slightly. “Jin Chenyue, what are you still hesitating about? This was what we agreed on from the start.”
“There are a few parts of the agreement that aren’t quite suitable.” Jin Chenyue cleared his throat, feigning composure. “I’ll have the lawyer revise it tomorrow…””The agreement was drafted by my lawyer based on our pre-marital assets, ensuring a fair distribution of property without any unreasonable terms.”
Jin Chenyue frowned. “You’re a woman. In a divorce, it’s only right that I provide compensation.”
“Unnecessary.” Gu Anyun had anticipated this response, her tone firm. “We are parting amicably, with no fault on either side. I won’t take advantage of you simply because I’m a woman. The agreement doesn’t need changes. Just sign it, and we can go to the civil affairs bureau to finalize the divorce.”
Her meticulousness left no room for hesitation or rebuttal from Jin Chenyue.
She was clearly eager to end this marriage.
Jin Chenyue lowered his gaze, his eyes fixed somewhere indistinct, his voice low. “Alright. When do you want to go to the civil affairs bureau?”
Her tightly knitted brows relaxed instantly. “If possible, tomorrow.”
Tomorrow?
She really was in such a hurry!
Jin Chenyue’s anger flared completely. “Gu Anyun, you—”
“Additionally,” Gu Anyun met his furious gaze directly, her tone calm as she reminded him, “you’ll sleep in the study tonight. It’s inappropriate for us to share a bed when we’re about to divorce.”
Jin Chenyue: “…”
His hands clenched tightly at his sides, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
She had cut down the Australian plums he gifted her, discarded the carefully chosen dress he prepared, and refused to attend the banquet…
Each incident was proof of her desperate need to sever ties with him!
Having lived a smooth and privileged life for 23 years, Jin Chenyue had never felt so helpless and stifled.
Unwilling to remain passive, the usually proud and aloof man scoffed lightly. “I was just testing your resolve. I don’t want you to regret it later and paint me as the villain forcing you into divorce.”
Gu Anyun stared at him steadily, her exquisitely beautiful face still icy. “How cunning of you, Mr. Jin.”
Jin Chenyue: “…”
Damn, what nonsense had he just spouted?
Testing what resolve?
He never intended to divorce in the first place!
The man took a deep breath, cleared his throat, his expression slightly awkward.
After an intense internal struggle, he couldn’t help but muster the courage to ask, “What if I said I don’t want a divorce?”
Gu Anyun was momentarily taken aback.
But the words of his childhood friend echoed in her mind.
Her beautiful eyes remained cold, a faint smile curling her pink lips. “Stop pretending. You want it.”
Jin Chenyue: “…”
…
After applying medicine to Gu Anyun’s wound, Nan Qiu looked up and saw her eyes were red and swollen.
“Does it hurt that much?” Nan Qiu felt deeply guilty. “I’m sorry, Madam. I tried to be as gentle as possible, but I still ended up hurting you. I apologize.”
“It’s not your fault.” Gu Anyun gazed at her bandaged fingertip, lost in thought. “I’m just overly sensitive to pain. My eyes turning red is a physiological reaction—I can’t control it.”
“Madam is delicate and precious; it’s natural to fear pain.”
Nan Qiu tidied up the medical kit. “But if you’re this afraid of pain, how will you manage pregnancy and childbirth in the future?”
Gu Anyun: “…I never said I wanted children.”
Nan Qiu paused, then chuckled softly. “Right, right. Look at me, speaking out of turn again. You and the young master are still young; there’s no rush to have children.”
Gu Anyun: “…”
Was that what she meant?
With the divorce scheduled for tomorrow, Gu Anyun could almost imagine how shocked Nan Qiu would be upon finding out. But then again, it no longer concerned her.
After the divorce, whether it was Jin Chenyue, the Yuexi Mansion, or Nan Qiu—who had taken such good care of her for three years—none of it would have anything to do with her anymore.