24
I Want to Get Divorced Quickly
Chapter 24: I Want a Quick Divorce
Fu Jing had always been quicker with his mouth than his thoughts.
Before Jiang You could start overthinking, he immediately added, “You’d better throw yourself into the Pacific Ocean and never come back. That would give me some peace and quiet.”
In just a few seconds, Jiang You’s emotions had rollercoastered. He stared blankly at Fu Jing for a long moment.
After a while, he buried his face back into his sweater collar, as if it were his protective shell.
…
Fu Lin looked like a gender-swapped version of Fu Jing – tall and beautiful.
Among the crowd of students, Jiang You spotted Fu Lin immediately and waved to her.
Fu Lin jogged over and threw herself into Jiang You’s arms, hugging him tightly. “Brother.”
Unlike Fu Jing, who detested Jiang You, Fu Lin adored him just as much.
“Brother, why have you lost so much weight?” Fu Lin frowned as she looked Jiang You up and down.
“I’ve been quite busy lately,” Jiang You explained.
“Neglecting your proper duties,” Fu Jing casually interjected.
Fu Lin smacked his arm. “How can you talk about your wife and superior like that?”
She lifted her chin with a street-smart expression. “Your wife is responsible for thousands of people’s livelihoods, and you say he’s neglecting his duties?”
“Why don’t you ask him how many days he showed up for work last month,” Fu Jing retorted, crossing his arms.
“My brother Jiang is the CEO. Does a CEO need to clock in?” Fu Lin hooked her arm around Jiang You’s shoulder. Being only a fist shorter than him, it was effortless for her to walk arm-in-arm with him.
Jiang You flashed a smug little smile and raised an eyebrow at Fu Jing, who rolled his eyes at both of them and said nothing more.
With one arm hooked through each of theirs, Fu Lin proudly showed off her two brothers to everyone they passed, until Fu Jing finally grabbed her and tossed her into the car.
The three of them returned to Fu Jing’s home together. Opportunities for Fu Jing and Jiang You to visit home together were rare, making each occasion feel almost like celebrating the New Year.
Fu Jing’s mother had prepared a massive table of dishes, even more extravagant than a Manchu Han Imperial Feast.
Like Fu Lin, Fu Jing’s parents showed little reaction to seeing him, instead eagerly fussing over Jiang You.
“Xiao You, have you lost weight?” Fu Jing’s mother patted Jiang You’s shoulders and arms repeatedly.
“Maybe it’s just the black clothes making me look thinner,” Jiang You said, though he had specifically worn loose clothing that wouldn’t reveal his figure.
Fu Jing didn’t participate in their conversation, walking into the house by himself and sitting on the sofa.
During the meal, Fu Jing’s mother and Fu Lin kept piling food into Jiang You’s bowl until it formed a small mountain.
“Have you been very busy lately, Xiao You?” Fu Jing’s mother asked.
“Yes, there’s been quite a lot going on,” Jiang You had to agree.
“Delegate whatever you can. Don’t shoulder everything alone. Even when you’re busy, you need to eat proper meals. Don’t always eat out – it’s not healthy. Come home, and Mom will cook for you,” Fu Jing’s mother advised.
Warmth spread through Jiang You’s heart. “I understand, Mom. Thank you.”
The words “Mom” and “thank you” shouldn’t have to be said together. Fu Jing’s mother looked at Jiang You, her eyes filled with heartache.
It was all because of Fu Jing. She knew exactly how her son treated him.
Jiang You had spent five years on Fu Jing, yet Fu Jing remained consistently lukewarm.
Sometimes even she, as his mother, couldn’t understand what kind of person Fu Jing was looking for. Wasn’t Jiang You good enough?
“Brother, why is the back of your hand bruised? Have you been on an IV?” Fu Lin grabbed Jiang You’s left hand.
Jiang You pulled his hand back into his sleeve. “Oh… I had a fever a couple days ago and was on an IV for two days.” He didn’t try to hide it.
“Have you recovered now?” Fu Jing’s father, who rarely spoke, only chimed in at crucial moments.
“It’s alright, Dad,” Jiang You replied.
When Fu Jing turned to look, Jiang You had already lowered his hand.
Jiang You was talented, pragmatic, and dutiful. As an elder, Fu Jing’s father greatly appreciated such a young man.
He just didn’t understand why this kid was so stubborn when it came to matters of the heart, charging down a single path without looking back.
“Take care of your health. A healthy body is the foundation of everything,” Fu Jing’s father said.
“Okay,” Jiang You nodded in agreement.
…
After leaving Fu Jing’s home, Jiang You finally let out a sigh of relief.
It suddenly occurred to him that agreeing to divorce Fu Jing after five months seemed too long.
His body was growing thinner by the day, his face increasingly haggard. Perhaps he should leave sooner.
Fu Jing had been drinking with his father and tossed the car keys to Jiang You. “I’ve been drinking. You drive.”
Jiang You took the keys and got into the driver’s seat.
“Were you hospitalized?” Fu Jing asked after getting in the car.
“Yeah,” Jiang You responded softly. “It was more convenient for the IV drip, so I stayed.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Jiang You looked at him in surprise. “Would you care?”
Fu Jing thought he was being reproachful, and for some reason, the irritation in his heart grew stronger.
“Of course not. At least you have some self-awareness,” Fu Jing said, buckling his seatbelt.
Jiang You started the car, his tone slightly stiff. “Understood. That’s why there was no need to tell you.”
“…”
Fu Jing was filled with inexplicable anger.
When they reached their apartment building, he snatched the car keys from Jiang You and turned to drive away.
Jiang You grabbed him. “Where are you going after drinking?”
“Get lost,” Fu Jing pushed him away.
Jiang You grabbed him again. “You’ve been drinking and you’re furious. You can’t drive.”
“None of your business.”
Jiang You’s tone softened as he tightly gripped Fu Jing’s wrist. “Let me apologize, okay? I was wrong. I shouldn’t have argued with you.”
The dim streetlights cast a warm hue on Jiang You’s pale complexion. His brows were tightly furrowed, his face full of anxiety.
Truthfully, Fu Jing wasn’t angry at him—he was angry at himself.
He was mad that Jiang You hadn’t told him about being hospitalized with a fever, and even angrier that he cared about such insignificant people and matters.
“Don’t be angry. You drank a lot with Dad. Let’s go home, and I’ll make you some honey water,” Jiang You said, leading him back to their apartment.
Once home, Jiang You prepared a cup of honey water and brought it to him, then sat down beside him.
The two had hardly ever argued—Jiang You always yielded to whatever Fu Jing said. This was their first real dispute.
One might call Jiang You stubborn, but his usual temperament was soft. The moment he softened and apologized to Fu Jing, most of Fu Jing’s anger dissipated.
But now, Fu Jing felt once again that he was entirely under Jiang You’s control, being manipulated by him.
He refused to accept it.
“Jiang You, it’s always been your way or nothing between us. Can you listen to me for once?”
Jiang You looked at him, his lips parting slightly without making a sound. After a few seconds of thought, he said, “What do you want to say?”
“I want to speed up the divorce. Shorten the time to three months.”
Jiang You blinked, his expression unchanging. He stared at Fu Jing for a moment before slowly lowering his head.
He clasped his hands together on his lap, remaining silent for a long time with his head bowed.
Normally, his posture was always upright, but now his back was curved like a shrimp. He wasn’t tall to begin with, and being thin made him appear even smaller when hunched over like this.
Jiang You wasn’t considering whether to agree with Fu Jing or not.
Instead, he was suppressing his surging emotions.
He always thought that after five years together, Fu Jing couldn’t possibly have no feelings for him at all.
Yet the reality was that Fu Jing remained eager to leave him.
A dull ache throbbed in his chest, as if venom were gushing out in waves, leaving desolation in its wake.
He pressed it down, again and again, repeating the process until Jiang You finally managed to suppress the bubbling, rolling pain.
When he lifted his head, Jiang You’s eyes were unbearably red.