Having missed the Spring Festival at home, Li Yixun went straight to her parents’ house with gifts and souvenirs upon returning to China.
As soon as she put her things down, she found her parents and sister-in-law busy packing, looking like they were either moving or going on a trip.
“Where are you going?” Li Yixun asked, puzzled, wondering what had happened at home after not being in touch for a while.
“Helping your brother move,” her mother said, directing her father to pack the soy milk maker into boxes.
“Where are you moving to? Is your brother going to live alone?” Li Yixun was completely bewildered. How could her brother, that mama’s boy, bear to leave his parents? Besides, with his meager salary, supporting two children, where would he get the money to buy a house? Their current house was bought with the two million yuan dowry Chen Nian gave them, sold from their old small house.
Li’s parents exchanged glances, realizing that Chen Nian hadn’t told Li Yixun about this.
Afraid of offending his daughter, Mr. Li spoke cautiously: “It’s just that Zishan’s school is quite far from our house, and considering the inconvenience of commuting… we let them move out.”
Li Yixun didn’t miss her father’s evasiveness and seized on the core issue, asking, “You rented a place for him?”
The sounds of packing suddenly stopped, and in the ensuing silence, everyone kept their eyes downcast.
After hesitating for a while, Mr. Li finally answered softly, “Isn’t it because Chen Nian has a house nearby?… He said your brother could stay there for a few years.”
Li Yixun felt her blood pressure instantly spike, and anger surged to her head: “You were the one who brought it up with him, weren’t you?!”
“Stay for a few years?” she sneered, her eyes filled with undisguised mockery. “In a few years, he’ll take over the house, and it’ll become your brother’s, right?”
“Li Yixun! How can you speak so rudely!” Mrs. Li, displeased with Li Yixun’s tone, scolded her.
“I spoke rudely?” “Li Yixun gritted her teeth and glared at everyone in the house. ‘You dare say you didn’t have this intention?’
Li’s father couldn’t help but retort, his words brimming with self-righteousness: ‘So what if we did? Isn’t it a son-in-law’s duty to be filial to his parents-in-law?’
Li Yixun’s voice trembled with anger: ‘I don’t need to tell you how much a school district apartment in Shenhai is worth, do I? Tell me, what kind of son-in-law is this filial to his parents? This isn’t even for my parents to live in; it’s for my younger brother!’
‘Your daughter is really valuable! Two million in dowry wasn’t enough; she wants to add another school district apartment!’
‘I don’t agree! As one of the owners of this house, I don’t agree!’
‘Give me back the keys.’ Li Yixun reached out to her parents; she was determined to get the house back today.
Hearing her ask for the keys, Li’s father instantly jumped up, angrily rebuking her: ‘Why don’t you agree! My son-in-law has already agreed!’ ”
Li Yixun suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with sarcasm and sorrow: “Maybe it won’t be like that soon.”
“What do you mean?!” Li’s father was as if doused with cold water; his previously rising anger instantly subsided.
The remaining people present couldn’t hide their shock.
“He cheated on you, didn’t he? Then don’t mention divorce. Just bear with it; aren’t all men like that?” Li’s father thought seriously for a moment, then added, “If you really have to divorce, he’s the one at fault, so you can get more money… Let’s spend more money and hire more lawyers.”
Li Yixun was disheartened, but his face remained unyielding: “That’s my business. Give me the keys.”
“You’ll have to move out after the divorce anyway. Don’t get kicked out by the landlord.”
“Why are you saying such hurtful things?” “Although Mr. Li was stubborn, he knew she had a point and returned the key to her.
Li Yixun, having already mentally calculated her salary and savings, transferred 200,000 yuan directly to Mr. Li’s bank account after getting the key, then sent a screenshot of the successful transfer via the app to the family group chat.
She looked up at her parents, her voice cold and resolute: ‘I transferred 200,000 yuan to your account, plus the 2 million yuan dowry Chen Nian gave, it’s still far more than the cost of raising me.’
‘From now on, don’t have any contact with me. I’ll pretend I have no parents, and you should pretend you don’t have a daughter like me.’
Li’s parents didn’t expect her to go this far. Mrs. Li’s voice trembled with anger: ‘You…you unfilial daughter!’
‘Yes, I am an unfilial daughter.’
‘Don’t ask me for money again. You know my personality, you won’t get it.'” ”
Li Yixun’s resolute demeanor vaguely overlapped with the face of someone who insisted on going to university many years ago. Back then, she insisted on earning her own money to go to university, and even threats of suicide couldn’t deter her. Now that she was independent and powerful, they were even more powerless against her.
Li’s mother wanted to say something more, but was stopped by a look from Li’s father.
After many years of marriage, she naturally understood that he was telling her not to provoke Li Yixun any further, and to discuss a solution later. Besides, Li Yixun might regret it once her anger subsided; after all, what child wouldn’t support their parents?
After leaving, Li Yixun blocked all her family’s phone numbers. She had had enough of this insatiable family.
But besides being disheartened by her parents, she also had a pent-up anger with nowhere to vent. Thinking of Chen Nian, the accomplice who had instigated this argument, her anger flared even more. She quickly called him as soon as she got into her car.
Chen Nian answered quickly this time, his voice even carrying a smile: “Why do you call me every day?” “Did you miss me?”
Li Yixun, however, had no time for flirting. She launched into a tirade: “Chen Nian, why did you agree to let my brother live in the house?”
Chen Nian sensed her unease and cautiously replied, “Your father rarely asks me for favors, and I figured the house was just sitting empty, so I had the driver run off and give him the keys.”
“I thought it was a small matter, so I didn’t discuss it with you… What’s wrong? Are you angry?”
Provoked by his nonchalant tone, Li Yixun’s anger flared even more: “First of all, didn’t I tell you when we got married that you shouldn’t interfere in my family’s affairs, that I would handle it myself? Why did you make decisions behind my back?”
“Secondly, does he mean he can only live there for a few years? If he asked you to transfer the house to him, would you have done it? I never knew I had such a generous son-in-law.” Chen Nian couldn’t understand her logic, but still tried her best to calm her anger: “I believe your father didn’t mean it that way. Don’t be angry. Next time something happens in your family, I’ll definitely discuss it with you before handling it, okay?”
“You don’t understand what kind of people my parents are at all! Besides, the house is yours, not mine. Whether I’m willing to support my family or not is my business. Even if I were, I should use my own money, not make you the sucker.”
Chen Nian was enraged by her drawing lines: “What do you mean by ‘yours’ and ‘mine’? Isn’t this shared property? Besides, isn’t your brother just staying here temporarily? Li Yixun, don’t always be so sensitive about money!”
Li Yixun also jumped up, saying angrily: “You’ve never been poor, of course, you’re not sensitive! I am poor, so what if I’m sensitive! Did you just find out I’m sensitive today? You don’t understand me at all. I’d rather donate the money than give it to them!” ”
Li Yixun couldn’t hold back her heartache and disappointment; tears welled up in her eyes.
Chen Nian simply didn’t understand. He didn’t understand that she had never been able to escape the shadow of her family of origin. She didn’t want to be a ‘brother-supporting demon,’ nor did she want to deal with her parasitic parents.
He had never understood her because he had never put any effort into her.
She recalled Chen Nian hiding the fact that he was in Japan from her: “Besides, have I ever interfered in your family’s affairs? What right do you have to handle my family’s affairs for me!”
Chen Nian immediately remembered the purpose of his trip to Japan. Feeling guilty and ashamed, his tone softened instantly: “Fine, fine, I won’t donate it to them. I’ll go back to China and ask your father for the keys myself!”
“I’m sorry, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have made the decision without asking your opinion.”
Li Yixun noticed the change in his tone. Seeing him quickly soften his stance but make no attempt to bring up the matter of hiding it, she felt even more disheartened.
“Never mind.” “She said.”
Chen Nian thought she wasn’t angry anymore, so he tried to coax her on the phone, but Li Yixun just responded with “uh-huh” to appease him.
Seeing that she wasn’t hanging up immediately despite her perfunctory replies, Chen Nian assumed she wasn’t so angry anymore and didn’t think much of it.
Unbeknownst to him, Li Yixun’s “never mind” actually meant “Let’s call it quits.”
Chen Nian arrived home late at night, dragging his suitcase, a week after Li Yixun returned to China.
It was already 12:30 AM, but the living room lights were on. Li Yixun was sitting cross-legged in his familiar spot, assembling the “Van Gogh Starry Night” Lego set he had left behind.
Her hair was pulled back with a hair clip, with a few playful strands falling across her face, adding a touch of gentleness to her beautiful profile.
“You’re back?” Li Yixun looked up at his travel-worn and tired appearance, gesturing to the finished product on the floor: “Perfect, it’s all done.” ”
‘Why are you still up so late, building this?’ The room was nice and warm. He took off his coat and relaxed on the sofa.
‘I couldn’t sleep, so I got up to get some water and saw this, so I tinkered with it for a bit.’
Since Li Yixun left, he hadn’t been interested in this Lego set. Chen Nian estimated that the remaining progress would take about an hour, so she’d been sitting there for at least an hour.
‘Then after I shower, we can do something else to help me sleep,’ Chen Nian suggested calmly, getting up to shower, but Li Yixun stopped her.
‘Since you’re interested in doing something else, I assume you’re wide awake tonight.’
‘Let’s talk.’ Li Yixun tried to stand up from the carpet, but due to prolonged sitting and poor blood circulation, her legs went numb,b and she slumped back down.
Chen Nian tried to help her up, but she stopped him with a shake of her head.
He vaguely sensed something was wrong with her tonight, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Li Yixun’s next words quickly confirmed his premonition.
“Let’s get a divorce.”
Chen Nian couldn’t contain his shock, not understanding what Li Yixun was playing at this late hour: “…Why?”
“No reason, I just feel bored and want to change my lifestyle.” Li Yixun said casually, pressing her numb legs.
Chen Nian’s gaze suddenly sharpened. He couldn’t accept such an absurd and ridiculous reason: “Li Yixun, this isn’t child’s play! You need to give your boss a legitimate reason when you resign from a company, and you need time to properly hand over your work, let alone a divorce!” ”
Li Yixun returned his gaze with the same icy stare: ‘So many people get divorced, what’s the big deal?’
‘Fine, you want a reason? I’ll give you one! We got married because of pregnancy, and the child was lost not long after the wedding. Doesn’t that mean our reason for getting married has disappeared?’
‘We should have divorced long ago, but we dragged it out for so many years.’
‘And now, it’s time to correct our mistakes.’
Chen Nian’s eyes reddened with emotion at her words. He repeated her words with a cold laugh: ‘Mistake? We spent so many years proving a mistake?’
‘Li Yixun, you said you loved me, you said you loved me again and again.’
Li Yixun seemed to have heard something amusing, suddenly recalling the last time she said she loved him: ‘You don’t really believe what you say in bed, do you?’
‘Besides, humans are fickle. Can’t I stop loving you now? Every time I ask you if you love me, you just respond with silence. If you don’t love me, what right do you have to demand that I love you forever?” ”
His face instantly turned ashen, his features even twitching slightly unconsciously. After a moment, he seemed to understand something and suddenly relaxed, lowering his eyelids as he murmured, “It doesn’t matter, not loving is fine, a marriage without love can last.”
“But I don’t want that. I don’t want a marriage where neither of us loves the other.”
Li Yixun felt ridiculous. Even when she brought up divorce to question his love for her, she received no response.
Humans aren’t plants or trees; they can all be indifferent. They had known each other for so many years; she couldn’t believe he had no feelings for her at all. Even if it wasn’t love, even if there was only a sliver of feeling, he could have lied to her that he loved her tenfold. But this smooth-talking man wouldn’t even bother to deceive her.
“I don’t understand… I don’t understand why you suddenly brought up divorce… We were perfectly fine except for the arguments we had before. We’d worked things out for a long time and were quite used to this marriage and life.” Chen Nian’s usually calm mind seemed to freeze. He tried to reason about the cause and effect of the relationship, but couldn’t come to a conclusion.
“Feelings can’t be measured by reason,” a saying came to mind.
He guessed aimlessly, “Is it because I took it upon myself to handle your family affairs before? I apologized to you. If you’re still uncomfortable, you can tell me directly what you need to do to feel better.”
Li Yixun looked at the man with his head down. Her long eyelashes, which she had once counted one by one, were now fluttering anxiously, unable to hide her restlessness. The usually proud Chen Nian was probably finding it hard to accept losing a loyal admirer, losing a marriage he had controlled.
Looking at him like this, she felt a secret, vengeful pleasure: “You think we’re doing well because I’m enduring it. I’m not used to this kind of life. I don’t want to live a life where I don’t even know where my husband is all day long.”
“Or, let me ask it another way. Chen Nian, can you honestly tell me where you went on this business trip?” Chen Nian suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with undisguised shock. He quickly regained his usual nonchalant demeanor: “Just some urgent business; I went abroad.”
“I thought we were both career-oriented people, that you didn’t care about these things, and you never mentioned wanting me to reduce my workload to spend more time with you. I didn’t know you thought this way. If… I will try to reduce my workload and tell you my itinerary.” Chen Nian tried to lower his voice and soften his tone, hoping she would feel his sincerity.
She looked at his attempt at gentleness with icy eyes: “Chen Nian, don’t compromise. You haven’t misjudged me. I don’t need a husband who only clings to me. A good relationship and a good marriage are about mutual growth and improvement, not about clipping each other’s wings.”
Then, Li Yixun dropped a bombshell without hesitation: “I know you went to Japan, but it wasn’t for business, right?” Shock, hesitation, and worry intertwined in Chen Nian’s eyes. He cautiously remained silent. Li Yixun must know something, but he didn’t know how much she knew or how she knew.
Seeing his silence, she slowly voiced her guess: “I guess you went to Japan to continue dealing with your father’s illegitimate child… Of course… I’m not sure. I don’t know how much you’ve been hiding from me.”
“But I do know one thing: a marriage without trust and honesty—is this what you call ‘we’re doing well’?”
Chen Nian’s expression was complex. Under Li Yixun’s cold gaze, he spoke with difficulty: “I really haven’t told you about my family situation… I even did some things that weren’t very good because of it. I didn’t intentionally hide it from you; I can handle these things myself… I just don’t want you to know that I used some despicable methods…”
“If you care… I’ll tell you everything.”
Li Yixun suddenly laughed, as if she had been struck by some strange humor, her eyes. She even laughed until a few tears streamed down her face: “Do you think I’m a very kind person?”
“Don’t you know the mess my family’s made of?”
“When my dad asked for atwo-million-yuann dowry, and I immediately flipped the table in protest, calling him heartless and ungrateful, weren’t you there?”
“When we argued, I said I’d rather donate the money than give it to my parents. Don’t you know that better than anyone?”
“Being too kind is a weakness. You actually think I’d mind your dirty tricks? Chen Nian, do you really understand me?”
Chen Nian didn’t know how to respond. His usually bright and expressive eyes were now filled with complex emotions. He wasn’t good at, and didn’t want to, dissect his inner struggles of keeping these things a secret at this moment.
Li Yixun shook her head with a smile, her eyes filled with a desolate, disheartened sadness: “Let’s let each other go, Chen Nian.”
“No, I don’t agree.” A hint of stubbornness crept into Chen Nian’s expression: “As long as I don’t agree, we can’t get a divorce.”
Li Yixun’s smile widened, as if mocking his naiveté: “You don’t know about filing for divorce, do you? It just takes a while.”
“Then I’ll file for divorce. I’ll drag it out with you.” Chen Nian gritted his teeth, his jawline taut, his face displaying a resolute expression she had never seen before.
Li Yixun’s smile froze: “Do you really have to do this? Can’t we part amicably?”
“Yes!”
She dropped her fake smile, reverting to her invincible warrior persona: “You don’t really think I’d fight an unprepared battle, do you?”
“Your company was indeed established before our marriage, but in the past two years, there have been changes to the business registration, with a new company established to hold shares in the original company. Therefore, it’s now considered marital property. If we go through a normal divorce now, I won’t divide the company shares with you; instead, I’ll choose to take other assets, even if I suffer a loss. I don’t want to destroy your hard work. I don’t want to hold shares, and I don’t want to interfere with your company.” “Or you could either operate the business or sell the shares.”
“But if you insist on a divorce lawsuit, I will demand an equal division of all assets, including the shares… This will inevitably affect the structure of your company… I’ve consulted industry insiders, and they know you have some big plans coming up. If news of the divorce and share division surfaced at this time, it would be very detrimental to your company.”
“You know yourself well; we are both business-minded people. You can’t be confused about what’s best for you, can you?”
Chen Nian had never imagined being treated this way by his closest partner. His eyes were bloodshot from straining, making him look particularly frightening. He called her name almost word by word, his voice filled with pain: “Li Yixun!”
The person whose name was called appeared calm, forcing a relaxed smile, only her dim eyes revealing a hint of her inner turmoil: “If there are no problems, then have your lawyer come and talk to me.”
“I don’t have many demands regarding the property. Give me this large apartment I live in now and the car I drive. The rest is up to you… If you don’t give me anything, that’s fine too. I’m not greedy; this apartment alone is enough for me to work hard for half my life.”
“Once everything is settled, I’ll schedule an appointment at the Civil Affairs Bureau for a divorce. The guides on Xiaohongshu say it’s quite difficult to get an appointment for divorce in Shenzhen now, so let’s do it as soon as possible.”