“I mean it,” I said, sitting upright as I met those intimidating eyes without flinching. “It’s been five years. Since you’ll never fall in love with me anyway, let’s set each other free.”
In just one month, City A would host a large-scale business forum where Pei Heng would meet Wei Lan, who was working part-time as a greeter. He’d fall for her at first sight, going so far as to forcibly claim her regardless of the consequences.
With such an intense story unfolding, I had no intention of being the cannon fodder in their legendary romance.
Everything I wanted to do, could do, and should do—I’d already done in my previous life, reaping the final outcome. In this lifetime, I wouldn’t make a fool of myself again or push the Xu family into an abyss.
I decided to withdraw before Pei Heng and Wei Lan ever met, conceding the first step on their rocky path to love.
Perhaps it was the sincerity in my eyes, but Pei Heng’s expression instantly darkened. With his notoriously bad temper, he never spared anyone who crossed him.
“Heh, so I, Pei Heng, have become someone’s plaything now?” He laughed, but his eyes were icy. “You were the one who insisted on marrying me five years ago, and now you’re the one asking for a divorce. Xu Zhiyi, are you toying with me?”
Five years ago, the Pei and Xu families were on good terms and arranged our marriage. Given Pei Heng’s personality, he wouldn’t have obeyed so easily—but the turning point came when his grandfather fell gravely ill and forced him to marry me.
To Pei Heng, this was a profound humiliation. Fortunately, he didn’t have some beloved “white moonlight” at the time, and he was just taking over the family business, needing a supportive wife. So we muddled through these five years.
I smiled bitterly, a pang of sorrow in my heart. “Do you actually want to continue this marriage in name only?”
“Marriage in name only?” Pei Heng seemed to mull over these words, then raised an eyebrow sarcastically. “Oh, so you’re feeling lonely and empty?”
“No, I just…” I hesitated, searching for the right words.
But Pei Heng had already risen and approached me. He leaned down, bracing his hands on either side of the sofa, his arms forming a cage around me. His voice was almost seductive as he said, “If you’re lonely, why not contact me? Instead, you make a scene about divorce—are your desires that strong?”
Pei Heng enjoyed smoking, always carrying a faint, fresh scent mixed with the aroma of tobacco.
Of course, he never held me—I’d only secretly smelled his coat before.
Now that complex, captivating fragrance enveloped me. By all accounts, I should have been thrilled, my cheeks flushing with excitement. But in reality, I only felt suffocated.
I was preparing to leave. Anything that might sway me felt like a bad omen.
“That’s not why!” I tried to explain. After so many days and nights, I’d long grown accustomed to loneliness.
“Really?” Pei Heng straightened up. He’d never had any real interest in me; that earlier flirtatious teasing was just to embarrass me. He wouldn’t lose control.
Here I was—a 27-year-old married virgin, radiating resentment rather than any alluring fragrance.
“Xu Zhiyi, I know today is our fifth wedding anniversary, but I have no interest in celebrating these things. If you’re thinking of using this as an excuse to divorce me, I advise you not to bother.” Pei Heng stood before me, looking down from his height, his voice having returned to its icy tone.
“An anniversary we’ve never celebrated year after year – I don’t need to start making a fuss about it only now,” I also stood up, tilting my head to look at Pei Heng. “You should think it over carefully. My usefulness to you should be almost exhausted by now. Compared to me, you’re the one who needs freedom more, aren’t you?”
After speaking, I turned and went straight up to the second-floor bedroom without looking back, not wanting to say more.
A rough slamming sound came from downstairs, followed by the revving of a car engine outside the window. I knew Pei Heng had left, but this time I felt completely calm inside.
Just then, my phone rang – it was my friend Deng Jing’er calling.
“Yiyi, come out and have fun! Let’s go to Tangge Club!” Deng Jing’er’s loud voice instantly dispersed my melancholy. She’s about the same age as me but has remained single.
After marriage, I rarely went out to have fun. Out of ten invitations from Deng Jing’er, I would decline nine, yet she remained incredibly persistent.
“Alright!” I agreed immediately, so readily that there was a long silence on the other end of the line.
“But today’s your wedding anniversary with your Pei Heng! Are you sure you want to come out??” Deng Jing’er finally spoke again, her tone full of doubt and shock.
I had used our wedding anniversary as an excuse to reject Deng Jing’er for four consecutive years.
“Yes, it’s an anniversary not a death anniversary. I’ll be right there,” I answered Deng Jing’er with certainty before hanging up.
Opening my wardrobe, I was met with a sea of white, black, and gray – even blue was a relatively rare color. Behind every luxury brand were various exciting designs, yet I, the big fool, had spent large sums of money buying the most dull styles among them.
After ten minutes of selecting, I finally picked out a slightly less boring black halter dress. Made of silk with a deep V-neck that extended almost to my navel, it had an elastic waist that accentuated my overly slender figure. My fair arms were completely exposed, and most of my back was bare.
I remembered this dress – I had bought it specifically to seduce Pei Heng. As it turned out, he didn’t even come home that entire month.
The only thing that dissatisfied me now was that my chest was too flat, somewhat unworthy of the dress’s myriad charms.
I’ll make do with it – I can just eat more in the future, I comforted myself.
After changing clothes and applying makeup, I went to the garage and drove a red Porsche straight to Tangge Club.
Tangge Club was a nightclub in City A, its name carrying a wild, artistic feel.
After parking my car, I entered Tangge Club and found Deng Jing’er and the others at the agreed-upon bar counter.
During university, Deng Jing’er, Ouyang Tian, Li You and I were known as the Four Talented Women of the Music Department. Everyone thought we would achieve great things after graduation, but instead I married young, Deng Jing’er became a nightclub queen, Ouyang Tian secured a deputy manager position in her family’s company, and only Li You remained true to her path, participating in music competitions everywhere, determined to become a singing star.
“Rare guest, rare guest!” Deng Jing’er adopted the manner of a leader meeting a dignitary, jumping down from her bar stool to grasp my hands excitedly.
The other two nodded repeatedly as well, since I had practically disappeared from social circles after getting married.
For Pei Heng, I gave up my social circle.
After a few drinks, Ouyang Tian sighed, “Yiyi, if you hadn’t come out this time, I would’ve started doubting whether I attended your wedding or your funeral five years ago.”
A complete death.
“That’s strange, no candlelit dinner at home today?” Deng Jing’er asked curiously, prying open my eyelids, “Let me see, has that scumbag Pei Heng still been ignoring you? Have you been crying?”
“Don’t pull off my false eyelashes, alright?” I swatted away Deng Jing’er’s hand.