Her voice trembled with suppressed anger. “Sheng Lianjue! Was it you who did this to my brother? We have nothing to do with each other anymore. What more do you want from me?”
“If you have something to say, come back to the capital and say it to my face.”
Sheng Lianjue coldly delivered that single line before hanging up the phone.
It was widely rumored that Sheng Lianjue acted decisively and ruthlessly, and no one dared to cross him. Jiang Wan had thought it was just baseless gossip, but now she had witnessed it firsthand.
Taking a taxi to the capital would only take two or three hours.
By the time she arrived in the capital, the sky had already darkened.
There was no moon in the night sky, only pitch-black darkness. Dark clouds shrouded the heavens, and the wind carried a cool, damp chill. It looked like a heavy rain was coming tonight.
Jiang Wan rushed to the Capital People’s Hospital. Seeing Gao Yuan, who had been waiting for a long time, she wasn’t surprised.
Gao Yuan walked ahead, leading Jiang Wan to press the elevator button for the upper-floor wards. “Madam, why must you make things difficult for yourself? Being a kept woman isn’t so bad, really.”
Jiang Wan didn’t respond. Her expression was cold as she stepped into the elevator. Being looked down upon still stung her heart.
They arrived at the VIP ward on the twenty-third floor.
Gao Yuan stood at the door and knocked. “President, Madam is here.”
Sheng Lianjue’s tone was icy. “Wait.”
The door was open, and Jiang Wan wasn’t blind.
She saw Jiang Lan changing Sheng Lianjue’s clothes.
The man’s muscular torso was exposed, without the slightest hint of modesty.
This scene pierced her eyes deeply.
Even as an outsider, after three years of marriage, she couldn’t help but think how perfectly matched they seemed.
When Gao Yuan turned around, Jiang Wan had already turned and walked away.
Logically, Jiang Wan was the one whose name shared the same household register with the man inside.
But at this moment, Jiang Wan felt like an outsider, unable to blend into their world.
The weather in Wuchuan was different from that of the capital.
The capital was colder, especially at night, with gusts of chilly wind.
In her haste to return, she had only worn a thin, beige knitted cardigan.
Just then, her brother called, but she didn’t answer.
After the call ended automatically, she replied to Zong Wangchuan, saying she had something to attend to and wouldn’t be returning.
If she answered the phone, she would surely give herself away.
She wasn’t good at lying, but she couldn’t let her brother know she had returned to the capital. Otherwise, he would worry about her.
Standing outside, Jiang Wan felt a bit cold. She hugged herself and rubbed her arms, unsure how long it would take inside.
Gao Yuan came out and called her in.
Jiang Lan stood by the bed, rinsing the towel she had just used to wipe Sheng Lianjue’s body. “If you feel uncomfortable anywhere, you can tell me.”
Sheng Lianjue was wearing a brand-new hospital gown.
He had a cleanliness obsession. The pajamas he wore every day had to be new, and he would never reuse anything once it had been touched.
The man’s voice was cold and arrogant. “Both of you, step out.”
Jiang Lan carried the basin out, not even glancing at Jiang Wan.
She wore high heels, making her height equal to Jiang Wan’s, but her gaze was haughty and condescending.
If it were the old Jiang Wan, she would never have allowed another woman to touch Sheng Lianjue’s body.
But now, even if Sheng Lianjue undressed in front of Jiang Lan, her heart remained calm.
Once you give up hope, you can learn not to care.
The ward door closed, and the sudden silence left Jiang Wan feeling utterly out of place.
“Come here.”
“Was it you who did this to my brother?”
The two of them spoke almost simultaneously.
For a moment, the tense silence was broken.
In the past, during such moments, she had always been the one to lower her head and yield.Jiang Wan did not go over as he said, but instead pulled a chair and sat by his bedside.
Jiang Wan had changed back into her old clothes.
A blue dress embroidered with gardenias, made of the poorest fabric, paired with a beige cardigan that had already started pilling—this entire outfit cost less than a hundred yuan.
What she wore wasn’t even as expensive as a single pair of Sheng Lianjue’s socks.
After all, he was the favored son of heaven, lofty and untouchable.
All his personal belongings, from the inside out, were custom-made and naturally came with a hefty price tag.
This was the gap between them, an insurmountable chasm.
Jiang Wan’s hands resting on her knees tightly gripped the hem of her dress. Then, she met his deep, abyssal gaze and spoke first, “…What do you want to do to let my brother go?”
Sheng Lianjue’s look at her remained as unfamiliar and cold as ever, completely devoid of the gaze a husband should have for his wife.
Sheng Lianjue’s voice carried a hint of suppressed anger, “Are you bargaining with me now?”
“I came this time to resolve my brother’s matter. I don’t want to argue with you.”
Jiang Wan knew she wouldn’t gain anything and might even drag her brother’s family into trouble again.
“The premise of resolving matters is negotiating terms. Didn’t the Jiang family receive everything from the Sheng family? What do you think you can offer to negotiate with me? Make it clear, and I’ll give you this chance.” His deep, vortex-like eyes seemed to see right through her.
His words were entirely in the tone of a businessman, as if the person before him wasn’t his wife but a long-term business partner.
Jiang Wan fell silent.
She lowered her head, looking at her fingertips tightly gripping her skirt, which had turned pale, and her heart ached along with it.
In front of him, she was still so lowly.
She avoided his gaze.
Seeing her like this, Sheng Lianjue narrowed his sharp eyes, his gaze icy cold: “Or tell me what you did wrong, and I’ll consider your brother’s family’s situation accordingly.”
The scene before him was like a disobedient student being reprimanded by her homeroom teacher.
Jiang Wan didn’t dare look up at him. Whether it was because the air conditioning in the hospital room was set too low, she felt herself trembling with cold.
After a long while, she finally found her voice.
For some reason, Jiang Wan’s eyes grew hot, and she felt a pang of grievance for herself.
Three years of marriage, three wedding anniversaries.
He had spent every one of them with Jiang Lan.
Even the anniversary gifts were just potted plants and flowers delivered by his assistant every year.
Aside from blooming and looking nice at home, they were utterly useless.
She looked up with a smile.
But her smile didn’t look happy at all.
“Sheng Lianjue, what makes you think I did something wrong?”
“What gives you the right to think that!”
Jiang Wan suppressed her emotional breakdown, her voice thick with a nasal tone as if she were about to cry.
There were some things Jiang Wan no longer wanted to discuss with him. She stood up, “If you think I was wrong to divorce you, then I was wrong. Think whatever you want.”
Jiang Wan turned to leave, but her steps paused as she faced away from him. “Actually, what they said wasn’t wrong. We really aren’t suited for each other, and I don’t deserve you.”
“Three years ago… we really shouldn’t have gotten married.”