The evening sunset painted the glass curtain walls of Linjiang Garden in a wash of gold. Shu Jin stepped out of the elevator in her slender high heels, her face still carrying the lighthearted joy from shopping with Gu Chen that afternoon. Out of habit, she pressed her finger against the fingerprint lock, only to be met with a sharp, grating error tone. Frowning, she entered the password, but the electronic screen flashed a red warning.
“How is that possible?” she murmured. She carefully entered the six-digit code again, the one she could type even with her eyes closed… their wedding anniversary.
“Incorrect password. Maximum attempts reached for today. Please contact the administrator.”
The cold electronic voice snapped her fully awake. In a panic, Shu Jin hurriedly pulled out her phone. Only then did she notice an unread message from Jiang Yi sent three hours ago: “My personal belongings have been removed. The password has been changed. Your items will be sorted later.”
The calmness of that message, almost cruel in its detachment, sent a chill through her entire body. With trembling hands, she dialed Jiang Yi’s number. The line rang with a monotonous busy tone. Once… twice… three times… only then did she realize she had been completely blocked.
Panic surged over her like a tide. Shu Jin leaned helplessly against the cold door, slowly sliding down to the floor. Her expensive silk dress spread across the dusted ground, yet she did not notice at all. This was not the Jiang Yi she knew… the man who had always been soft toward her, who had always indulged her whims. How could he be so resolute?
She remembered last winter. Over a trivial quarrel, she had stormed out and stayed at a hotel for two days. On the third morning, Jiang Yi had appeared at the hotel entrance with 999 roses in his arms, his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse as he begged her to come home. That day, he had held her tightly and said, “Xiao Jin, without you, this home feels as cold as an ice cellar.”
And now… he had personally shut the door on the home they had built together for five years.
“No… this can’t be…” Shu Jin muttered, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress unconsciously. Her carefully manicured nails left faint creases in the fabric.
With shaking hands, she sent a message to Gu Chen: “Jiang Yi changed the password. I can’t get into the house.”
The moment the message was sent, Gu Chen called. Shu Jin answered as if grasping a lifeline, her voice choked with sobs, “He doesn’t want me anymore… he moved my things out, and I can’t reach him…”
In less than fifteen minutes, Gu Chen arrived. Seeing Shu Jin sitting in the corridor, lost and disheveled, he frowned briefly before quickly replacing it with a gentle expression. He was wearing a brand-new shirt, his hair carefully styled, a faint trace of cologne lingering around him.
“What happened?” Gu Chen sat beside her and naturally wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Shu Jin buried her face in his chest. As she caught the unfamiliar scent of his cologne, a strange sense of distance rose within her. This smell would never replace the faint cedar scent that always clung to Jiang Yi.
“He doesn’t want me anymore…” she sobbed again, “He’s never treated me like this before…”
Gu Chen gently patted her back, his tone light, “Silly girl, he’s just sulking with you. You’re so beautiful, and you’ve been with him for so many years… there’s no way he’d let you go.”
“But he even changed the password…”
“So what?” Gu Chen chuckled dismissively, “That just proves he cares about you. Think about it… if he didn’t care, why would he bother who you’re with?”
Shu Jin lifted her head, her tearful eyes looking at him. Gu Chen reached out to wipe away her tears, the warmth of his fingertips calming her slightly.
“Trust me,” Gu Chen’s voice carried a persuasive allure, “He’s just trying to force you to give in. As long as you hold your ground, in a few days he’ll come begging you. When that happens, won’t everything be up to you?”
Shu Jin stared at him blankly. The unease in her heart slowly softened under his words. Yes… Jiang Yi loved her so much, how could he truly abandon her? She remembered her birthday last year. Jiang Yi had flown back from abroad just to have dinner with her. His flight had been delayed, and by the time he reached the restaurant, it was already 23:00. He still carried the exhaustion of travel, yet he smiled and said, “I promised to celebrate your birthday with you. How could I break that promise?”
“But I can’t even get into my home right now…” she said weakly, her voice still hoarse from crying.
“What’s the big deal?” Gu Chen said casually, “Perfect timing, just move in with me. I’ve already booked a hotel… a five-star suite. It’s far more comfortable than your cold, empty home.”
Seeing her hesitation, Gu Chen pressed further, “Think about it… if you bow your head now, how will you ever hold it high in front of him again? He’ll only control you more and more. This time, you have to make him understand that you’re not someone he can manipulate so easily.” Enjoying the story? Read on at NovelPing.
Those words finally swayed Shu Jin completely. Yes… why should she be afraid? Clearly, Jiang Yi was the one at fault. He had neglected her first, and now he still dared to treat her like this?
“You’re right.” Shu Jin straightened up and wiped away her tears, “I can’t give in first.”
Gu Chen smiled in satisfaction and kissed her cheek, “That’s the Shu Jin I know. Come on, I’ll take you to eat something nice, then we’ll go for a SPA and have a good rest. By tomorrow morning, Jiang Yi might already regret it.”
Shu Jin let him pull her to her feet. The unease in her heart was gradually replaced by a strange sense of confidence. Yes… Jiang Yi loved her so deeply, how could he truly go through with a divorce? This was surely just his way of forcing her to compromise.
She glanced back at the tightly shut door. Suddenly, it didn’t feel so painful anymore. When Jiang Yi gave in, she would make sure to teach him a proper lesson.
At the same time, on the other side of the city, Jiang Yi stood in the study of the villa in Jinhua Garden, looking at the surveillance screenshots sent by his assistant. In the images, Shu Jin and Gu Chen were sitting together in the corridor, holding each other. The sight was glaringly sharp.
He calmly closed the images and continued working on the documents in his hands. The phone on the desk kept vibrating… calls from Shu Jin using new numbers. He glanced at them once and blocked each one without hesitation.
Some people could never be woken up.
Meanwhile, Shu Jin had already followed Gu Chen to an upscale restaurant. Sitting by the window, she looked at the expensive prices on the menu and suddenly thought of the supplementary card with its spending limit. But she quickly dismissed the thought… once Jiang Yi came back to her, none of this would matter.
“Order whatever you like,” Gu Chen said generously, as if it were not Shu Jin’s money being spent, “When you and Jiang Yi make up, you’ll have to thank me properly for being your strategist.”
Shu Jin looked at his confident smile and suddenly felt that perhaps all of this was just a temporary storm. After all, Jiang Yi had once said that without her, he couldn’t live even a single day.
What she didn’t know was that at this very moment, Jiang Yi stood on the villa balcony, gazing out at the city’s nightscape. The whiskey in his hand shimmered amber under the moonlight, his eyes as calm as still water.
Some boundaries, once crossed, could never be returned to.