15
Divorce After Five Months
Chapter 15: Divorce in Five Months
Jiang You made a helpless face. “I was just asking.”
Fu Jing lifted the blanket and got into bed, ignoring him.
Both went about their own business.
Jiang You dealt with some emails while Fu Jing stared intently at his phone, seemingly handling work matters with serious concentration.
“What are you looking at?” Jiang You leaned over to glance at Fu Jing’s phone.
“The tender announcement for Nancheng Sanatorium,” Fu Jing replied without looking up.
“Oh,” Jiang You responded.
After a while, Fu Jing set down his phone and pressed his temples with lowered head.
“Headache?” Jiang You asked.
“A bit.”
Jiang You put down his phone and patted his own thigh. “Lie here, I’ll massage it for you.”
Fu Jing stared at him for a moment before refusing: “No need.”
“Come here.” Jiang You grabbed his wrist. “Massaging helps.”
Fu Jing was forcibly pulled to lie across Jiang You’s thighs.
Jiang You pressed his index, middle, and ring fingers against Fu Jing’s temples, gently kneading. “Is this the spot?”
“Mhm,” Fu Jing responded faintly with closed eyes.
The massage felt so comfortable that drowsiness began to creep in. Fu Jing opened his eyes and met Jiang You’s attentive gaze fixed on him.
In that instant, Fu Jing inexplicably felt his heart flutter.
Though they had been married for five years, they hadn’t shared many nights together.
During the first two years, to avoid Jiang You, Fu Jing had studied abroad for two years, though Jiang You would visit for a few days each month.
After returning from overseas, both became engrossed in work, spending little time together.
Over the years, aside from interactions at the company and in bed, they had minimal communication.
But in this moment, they made Fu Jing feel like an ordinary long-married couple.
Fu Jing gazed at Jiang You’s lowered eyelids. “Jiang You, you look quite different with and without makeup.”
Fu Jing could now instantly tell whether Jiang You was wearing makeup.
Without makeup, Jiang You’s complexion appeared excessively pale, his lips similarly colorless, giving him a sickly appearance.
“Do I look better with makeup?” Jiang You asked.
“Just so-so,” Fu Jing said.
Jiang You raised an eyebrow and asked again: “But still better than during university, right?”
He had invested millions in cosmetic procedures over the years.
“Not really,” Fu Jing answered without hesitation.
Well, those millions were wasted.
“Fu Jing, if I were better looking, would you like me?”
“It’s not about appearance,” Fu Jing said. “You’re just inherently hard to like.”
“Fu Jing, don’t be so harsh,” Jiang You commanded calmly.
Fu Jing let out a derisive laugh but said nothing.
For a moment, Jiang You was taken aback – this laugh seemed different from before, as if it genuinely came from the heart.
“Fu Jing, I never expected things to turn out this way. I thought I could catch up to you.”
“You grew up with a silver spoon, getting everything you wanted without experiencing setbacks or hardships. It’s inevitable you’d be overconfident.”
“That’s not it.” Jiang You’s fingertips brushed Fu Jing’s cheek. “I used to believe familiarity breeds affection.”
Fu Jing said nothing more, rising from his lap and pulling the blanket over himself as he lay flat. “Let’s sleep.”
Jiang You wrapped an arm around his waist, lifting his head to kiss his lips.
“Get lost.” Anger colored Fu Jing’s face as he frowned at Jiang You.
He never kissed Jiang You.
Yes, throughout these five years, they only had sex – no kissing, only physical intimacy without love.
After a moment of silence, Jiang You spoke softly: “Fu Jing, how about this? You satisfy my need for kisses and hugs at any time, and I promise we’ll get divorced in five months.”
A flicker of surprise crossed Fu Jing’s eyes. He remained speechless for a while, as if unable to believe this sudden blessing.
“Are you serious?” Fu Jing’s tone carried doubt.
Jiang You’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he tightly grasped the hem of Fu Jing’s pajamas. “Yes.”
Fu Jing abruptly sat up, hurriedly got out of bed and left the room, returning shortly with a notebook and an ink pad.
He flipped open the notebook and quickly scribbled:
「Fu Jing agrees to satisfy Jiang You’s need for kisses and hugs at any time. In exchange, Jiang You agrees to divorce Fu Jing in five months.」
Fu Jing precisely marked the divorce date – exactly five months from today.
After writing, Fu Jing signed his name and handed the notebook and pen to Jiang You.
Jiang You took it, glanced at Fu Jing’s elegant handwriting, then signed his name beside it.
This signature was uglier than any Jiang You had ever written before. His strength seemed drained, his hand trembling uncontrollably.
Immersed in joy, Fu Jing naturally didn’t notice these details.
Seeing Jiang You’s signed name, Fu Jing finally smiled genuinely.
Not the faint or fleeting kind of smile, but a gentle curve that lingered at the corners of his mouth.
Seeing him so happy, Jiang You actually felt somewhat happy too, yet simultaneously miserable.
Like when a sugar-coated pill gets stuck in your throat – the sweetness vanishes instantly, leaving only the bitter medicine seeping out, its bitterness tugging at your nerves.
“What made you suddenly come around?” Fu Jing’s voice was laced with laughter.
He asked without looking up, instead carefully studying Jiang You’s signature.
Much neater than the signatures on contracts, yet it felt stiff, like characters assembled from twigs.
Unattractive, and lacking the domineering CEO style.
Just like Jiang You himself.
It wasn’t about coming around, but rather losing hope. Jiang You forced a smile, “I admit defeat, classmate Fu Jing.”
His smile was strained. Without makeup, with his hair smoothed down, and lacking his suit’s authority, he looked like an ordinary young man.
Fu Jing believed that just by appearance, no one could detect the madness and obsession buried deep within Jiang You’s bones.
Truthfully, he never thought Jiang You was ugly. He only said those things intentionally, to hit him, trample him.
Everyone else lifted Jiang You up, but he refused.
He wanted to see this privileged young master who could command wind and rain suffer setbacks, endure hardships, taste bitterness.
He wanted Jiang You to understand that he couldn’t always have his way, that the whole world didn’t revolve around him.
Jiang You could force others, but he couldn’t force his heart.
He didn’t care whether Jiang You suffered or felt pain. On the contrary, he wanted to see him crumble, witness his defeat.
Fu Jing didn’t dare imagine how spectacular, how shocking it would be when that long-standing, unshakable mountain finally collapsed.
Of course, this was merely Fu Jing’s fantasy. Neither Jiang You nor the entire Jiang Corporation Empire were at their most vulnerable stage.
How could they suddenly collapse?
Fu Jing placed the notebook and pen in the bedside table drawer. Just as he turned around, Jiang You threw himself into his embrace.
Fu Jing stiffened, exhaled deeply, then lay down on the bed with this human-shaped accessory clinging to him.
He lay perfectly straight, with Jiang You clinging to his embrace like a baby monkey holding onto its mother in the animal world.
Fu Jing suddenly felt that he might have agreed too hastily—what if Jiang You went back on their deal later?
He lifted Jiang You’s chin and said, “Swear to me that we’ll definitely divorce in five months.”
Jiang You’s eyes flickered slightly as he raised three fingers of his right hand and looked at him. “I swear, if I break this promise, may I die a terrible death.”