At that moment, the master bedroom door was pushed fully open.
Gu Chen stood there, leaning lazily against the doorframe, dressed in Jiang Yi’s deep blue silk sleepwear. The sleeves were slightly too long and casually rolled up a few times. The collar hung open, exposing part of his chest. A perfectly measured trace of apology rested on his face, yet his eyes carried a faint, unmistakable provocation.
“Mr. Jiang, I’m truly sorry,” Gu Chen said, his voice gentle and polite, yet it made Jiang Yi’s back stiffen instantly, “I didn’t expect our first meeting to be under such circumstances.”
Shu Jin hurriedly wiped her tears and quickly moved to Gu Chen’s side, instinctively clutching his sleeve. That subtle gesture did not escape Jiang Yi’s notice.
“It’s all my fault,” Gu Chen continued, lightly patting the back of Shu Jin’s hand as if to comfort her, “Xiao Jin only took me in out of kindness because I had nowhere to go. I never expected it would cause such a misunderstanding.”
Jiang Yi’s gaze fell on the sleepwear Gu Chen was wearing. It was his favorite set, a birthday gift from Shu Jin last year. Now it was on another man’s body, carrying a scent that did not belong to this home.
“A misunderstanding?” Jiang Yi’s voice was cold as ice.
Gu Chen gave a helpless smile, “Mr. Jiang is always busy traveling for work. Xiao Jin is bound to feel lonely staying at home alone. As an old friend, I occasionally come by to keep her company and ease her boredom. That shouldn’t be such a big issue, right?”
As he spoke, his gaze drifted deliberately across the living room. Jiang Yi followed his line of sight and saw the bottle of whiskey he had collected placed on the coffee table, more than half of it already gone. Several distinct fingerprints marked the glass door of the liquor cabinet.
“Gu Chen, stop talking…” Shu Jin said softly, her face pale.
“Why shouldn’t I?” Gu Chen raised his voice instead, “Mr. Jiang, do you know how hard Xiao Jin has had it recently? Every time you go on a business trip, she doesn’t even bother eating properly when she’s home alone. If I didn’t come by to keep her company, she wouldn’t even have anyone to talk to…”
Jiang Yi’s fists slowly clenched at his sides. Looking at Gu Chen’s feigned sincerity, countless details suddenly surfaced in his mind… Shu Jin’s recent complaints about him being too busy, her desire for more companionship; the way she had started dressing up more, buying new clothes but rarely wearing them in front of him; how her phone was always on silent, how she avoided him when answering calls…
Now, everything had an explanation.
“So,” Jiang Yi cut him off, his voice carrying suppressed anger, “you’re saying it’s because I neglected my wife that she needed you?”
Gu Chen lowered his head in a show of humility, “I wouldn’t dare put it that way. I just think that if Mr. Jiang can’t give Xiao Jin the care she wants, then he shouldn’t stop others from giving her warmth.”
“Warmth?” Jiang Yi suddenly laughed. The sound was cold, filled with sharp mockery, “Wearing my sleepwear, drinking my liquor, sleeping in my bed… is that the warmth you’re giving her?”
Shu Jin’s face turned as pale as paper, “Jiang Yi, it’s not like that…”
“Then what is it?” Jiang Yi finally turned his gaze to her, his eyes sharp as blades, “Letting him stay in our marital bedroom, using my things… is this what you wanted?”
Gu Chen stepped forward, shielding Shu Jin behind him, “Mr. Jiang, please don’t speak to Xiao Jin like this. She’s a kind person, just too lonely. If you had spent more time with her, she wouldn’t have…”
“Shut up.”
Jiang Yi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it froze the air in the entire living room. He stepped toward Gu Chen, his gaze cold enough to burn.
“This is my home.” He spoke each word slowly, “What you’re wearing is mine. What you’re drinking is mine. Every inch of this place was earned by me.”
Gu Chen was forced to take a step back, the fake smile on his face finally collapsing.
Jiang Yi’s gaze shifted to Shu Jin… the woman he had loved for seven years. Now she stood behind another man, looking at him with fear in her eyes.
At that moment, it felt as if something tore his heart apart. The pain was suffocating. He remembered the hardest days of his startup, when Shu Jin had eaten instant noodles with him for a month without a single complaint. He remembered her tears when he proposed, saying she wanted to be his wife for life. He remembered staying up all night when she was sick, afraid she might feel even the slightest discomfort.
And now, she had brought another man into their home, let him wear his clothes, sleep in his bed, and even used his supposed indifference to justify her betrayal.
He laughed… not out of joy, but from overwhelming rage and bitterness.
Jiang Yi suddenly let out a low laugh, filled with desolation and self-mockery. He raised his fist and slammed it hard against the wall beside him.
A dull thud echoed as a visible dent appeared in the pristine white wall. Sharp pain shot through his knuckles, but it was nothing compared to the agony tearing through his chest.
Shu Jin screamed in fright and instinctively clutched Gu Chen’s arm tighter.
That single action severed the last trace of hesitation in Jiang Yi’s heart.
He slowly withdrew his hand. His knuckles were already swollen and broken, blood seeping through the skin. Yet he seemed not to feel the pain at all. He simply looked at Shu Jin with icy indifference.
“Pack your things.” His voice was terrifyingly calm, “Three days from now, we meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau.”
Shu Jin’s eyes widened in disbelief, “Jiang Yi, you…”
“If you don’t come,” Jiang Yi cut her off, his gaze as cold as a Siberian wind, “I’ll have my lawyer file a lawsuit. By then, the entire city will know how the CEO’s wife of Hengyao Group brought another man into her home.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the entryway, never once looking back at the woman he had once considered his entire world.
The sound of the door slamming shut was deafening, making the entire apartment tremble.
Shu Jin collapsed onto the floor, her vision blurred by tears. Only now did she truly realize that Jiang Yi was serious.
Gu Chen crouched down and gently pulled her into his arms, “Don’t be afraid. He’s just angry right now. Once he calms down, he’ll definitely come back and beg you.”
Shu Jin leaned against him, feeling the unfamiliar scent on his body, and suddenly a piercing chill ran through her.
This time, the look in Jiang Yi’s eyes when he left… was cold enough to terrify her.