Wen Xi couldn’t take it anymore and was about to storm into the Private Room to confront Jing Muhan.
Bai Shujun grabbed her and said, “He doesn’t love me. Confronting him would only humiliate me. Since we’re getting divorced anyway, I can start over. I’ve already prepared to file a lawsuit. My brother is back, and he said he’d help me.”
Wen Xi froze for a moment, then asked cautiously, “Are you hoping to rekindle things with your brother?”
Bai Shujun shook her head. “My divorce has nothing to do with my brother. I’m leaving Jing Muhan so I can start a new life. This marriage has been suffocating.”
Her Mother had spent three whole years in the ICU, but in the end, she still left Bai Shujun. There were fewer and fewer things in her life she cared about.
Wen Xi could barely stomach the meal, and the two of them didn’t talk much.
Jing Muhan came out of the Private Room, with Qin Yuexin and the child beside him.
Jing Muhan held the child in his arms himself. When he saw Bai Shujun, he acted as if she weren’t there.
Bai Shujun had no intention of speaking to him either, and continued eating.
Qin Yuexin, however, came over with a beaming smile and introduced the child in a soft voice. “Bai Shujun, this is the son Muhan and I share, Jing Lan.”
Wen Xi was so furious she wanted to curse. She dropped her chopsticks.
Bai Shujun remained composed. Looking up, she sneered, “What, have you brought your illegitimate son to pay respects to me, the lady of the house? Are you his mistress or his concubine? Or are you just his lover? I’ll prepare a different red envelope for each of you.”
Qin Yuexin’s face fell, and she was so angry her liver hurt.
Then she turned to Jing Muhan and said in a meek voice, “Muhan, look how uncultured she is.”
Jing Muhan said coldly, “Bai Shujun, you’ve gotten quite a temper lately. Have I been too lenient with you?”
Bai Shujun raised her eyes and said scornfully, “Keep your woman in check and tell her to stop bothering me. We’ll stay out of each other’s way.”
Jing Muhan frowned, handed Jing Lan to Qin Yuexin, and said softly, “Take the child home first.”
Qin Yuexin said, “Muhan, didn’t you say you were going to spend tonight with Lanlan?”
Jing Lan said in a babyish voice, “Daddy, I want you to stay with me while I sleep.”
Jing Muhan soothed him gently. “Lanlan, be good. Daddy will come back and stay with you once he’s finished.”
Qin Yuexin and Jing Lan said their goodbyes to Jing Muhan with great reluctance, as if they were parting forever. Jing Muhan’s eyes held a patience and tenderness Bai Shujun had never seen before.
Wen Xi’s chest heaved with anger as she muttered, “What a lunatic.”
Bai Shujun’s expression was dark too. Although she no longer wanted to stay married to Jing Muhan, she still couldn’t help getting angry at the sight.
She really wanted to slap those two shameless people.
After Qin Yuexin and her son left, Jing Muhan sat down nearby without a word and watched Bai Shujun eat. His stare made her uncomfortable, so she put down her chopsticks and asked, “What do you want?”
He stood up and said, “Come home with me. We’ll talk there.” His tall frame cast a shadow over her, and Bai Shujun immediately lost her appetite.
“President Jing, didn’t you block me on WeChat? Whatever it is, you can say it here.”
Wen Xi glanced at Jing Muhan in shock. That bastard always managed to lower her opinion of him. He’d actually blocked his own wife on WeChat.
Jing Muhan curled his lips into a mocking smile. “Are you sure you can afford the consequences of breaching the contract?”
“Fine!” Bai Shujun picked up her bag and left with him. It was the first time in three years she had ridden in his car.
Seven luxury cars belonging to Jing Muhan were parked in the garage at Bantang No. 1. He had never allowed Bai Shujun to touch them.
“You’re not worthy of driving my car. Know your place.”
His words from their wedding day came back to her. From then on, Bai Shujun had kept her distance.
Once they were in the car, Jing Muhan raised the partition and glanced sidelong at Bai Shujun.
Bai Shujun didn’t notice his gaze. She lowered her head and replied to Cen Yunxiao on WeChat. 【Senior Brother, I’m available to start work anytime.】
Cen Yunxiao replied instantly: 【Then start tomorrow. I’ve already got the position ready for you! I promise you’ll be satisfied.】
A smile appeared on Bai Shujun’s face as she replied: 【Thank you, Senior Brother!】
Watching her focus intently on her phone, Jing Muhan wanted to reach over and snatch it from her.
Suddenly, Jing Muhan’s phone rang. It was a video call from Qin Yuexin, but he hung up.
Bai Shujun couldn’t help sneering. “I’m about to divorce you. I don’t care if you answer a video call from your first love. After all, I’ve been the one keeping you two from being together all these years.”
Jing Muhan parted his thin lips and leaned closer to her. The distinctive scent of Chinese juniper on him drifted over.
Annoyed, Bai Shujun tried to push him away, but Jing Muhan grabbed her slender wrist.
“If you don’t care, then why did you run away from home and prepare a divorce agreement? Are you trying to get my attention? Let me make this clear: what you’re doing is pointless.”
Bai Shujun shifted toward the window and said evenly, “I don’t need your attention. We agreed from the start that I’d marry you to bring you good fortune. Now that you’ve recovered, I’ve done my part, so I’m stepping aside to let you and your first love be together—and to let your son be acknowledged by his family. That way, no one will call your first love a mistress or your son an illegitimate son. See how considerate I am?”
She had no intention of competing with Qin Yuexin. After all, Qin Yuexin had so many advantages, while Bai Shujun had nothing.
All she wanted was to divorce Jing Muhan as soon as possible. She had no interest in watching them act out some tragic romance.
Jing Muhan’s eyes were clouded. He said coldly and distantly, “Bai Shujun, I’m the one who decides what happens in this marriage. You don’t get to decide when we divorce.
“You married me for ten million. You should put up with every grievance this marriage brings. Just be a good Mrs. Jing and don’t think about anything else.”
Bai Shujun sneered. “Does anyone even know I’m Mrs. Jing?”
Jing Muhan reached out with his slender, bony hand and irritably tugged at his tie. “It’s enough that I know. Be good.”
Bai Shujun stared at his long, narrow, sinister eyes. She couldn’t understand what he was trying to do, so she asked, “Qin Yuexin has already come out with it. Aren’t you going to give your first love and your son official status?”
Jing Muhan said indifferently, “That’s my business. Don’t meddle!”
Bai Shujun said dejectedly, “Got it!”
Qin Yuexin called again. Jing Muhan ordered the Driver, “Pull over.” Then he turned to Bai Shujun. “Get out. I’ll add you back on WeChat, but don’t bring up divorce again.”
Bai Shujun couldn’t be bothered to answer him. She thought, Do you think you’re some ancient emperor? You say we won’t divorce, and that’s that? I’ll sue you. The court isn’t yours, and I refuse to believe the law can’t punish you.
Jing Muhan’s car sped away, leaving no trace. It was extremely difficult to get a taxi in this area, and there were more than ninety people ahead of her in the queue. Bai Shujun cursed under her breath. A dog was a dog—he had insisted on bringing her here, only to abandon her.
She was adding extra money to her ride-hailing order when her mother-in-law, Huang Wanxiu, called. Huang Wanxiu’s tone was as overbearing as ever, as if Bai Shujun were nothing more than a servant in their household.
“The day after tomorrow is Grandma’s birthday banquet. Come over and get everything ready!”