Xie Wantang was convinced that Lu Yanshen only spoke with such tenderness and affection when talking to Xia Meng.
To say she felt nothing at all would be a lie.
Her heart ached terribly.
After all, he was the man she had deeply loved—and still loved. Over the past three years, she had tried so hard, so very hard, to make him fall in love with her, but she had never succeeded.
Yet, in this world, there was another woman who could effortlessly and easily possess his love and his special treatment.
To say she wasn’t envious would be a lie.
Xie Wantang wasn’t just envious—she was jealous.
But she believed she was a woman who could pick things up and also put them down.
Given enough time, she was sure she could treat Lu Yanshen as if he were a stranger.
As for Lu Yanshen, he had already been betrayed by his “white moonlight” years ago. If he hadn’t learned his lesson then, so be it. In the future, if he were to be betrayed by his “white moonlight” again, he would surely regret losing Xie Wantang—the woman who might love him most in this world.
If that day ever came, it would be his problem, not hers.
“That doll, I brought it back from Milan. It’s a belated birthday gift for you.” Lu Yanshen’s low, seductive voice sounded beside Xie Wantang’s ear.
He leaned in so close that the warmth of his breath brushed against the skin of her ear.
Xie Wantang hadn’t even noticed when Lu Yanshen had hung up the phone. She had been lost in her own thoughts, but the moment he spoke, her attention was drawn back to him.
When she realized how close Lu Yanshen had leaned in, Xie Wantang suppressed her disgust and shifted toward the door.
She was disgusted by him.
Even after three busy days, she couldn’t forget the photo Xia Meng had posted on her social media—the two of them standing so close together. Who knew what hadn’t been captured in the frame? Were their fingers intertwined, or were there even more unsightly interactions?
After being so intimate with another woman, did he now want to get close to her?
Sorry, but even though she wasn’t usually a germaphobe, when it came to this kind of thing, she was extremely particular—almost to the point of being in a high-risk zone.
Seeing her still acting distant, Lu Yanshen raised an eyebrow. “What? Don’t like it? Then what do you like? I’ll take you to buy it.”
“And then?” Xie Wantang turned her head, waiting calmly for him to continue.
Was he going to tell her to stop making a fuss or something?
“What do you mean ‘and then’?” Lu Yanshen frowned slightly, as if he didn’t understand what she was trying to say.
“Lu Yanshen, don’t play dumb. That night, we agreed to divorce. You didn’t object, so why did you run off the next day without signing the papers?”
“Run off? I went on a business trip. I told you the night before, Xie Wantang. If you haven’t lost your memory, you should remember.”
“Of course I remember, but—”
Before Xie Wantang could finish her sentence, Lu Yanshen cut her off:
“Since you remember, I understand that you’re upset because I couldn’t celebrate your birthday with you on time. I haven’t held it against you for not helping me pack, for bringing up divorce, or for disappearing without a trace for so many days and making everyone worry about you.”
“Xie Wantang, ours is a marriage of alliance between families. I married you because you were obedient, sensible, and knew your place. You married me so the Lu family could support the Xie family. So, why did you write ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason for divorce on the divorce papers?”
“Don’t you think there’s a problem with that? Between us… is there even any affection?”
“……”
Xie Wantang was at a loss for words. He wasn’t wrong—theirs was an arranged marriage, and their union hadn’t been founded on affection from the start.
But damn it all, if there was no affection, why did he take such delight in sleeping with her again and again?
“So, Xie Wantang, was I wrong to ask you to rewrite it?” Lu Yanshen continued to question her, as if he hadn’t noticed her face stiffen instantly.
His impression of Xie Wantang still lingered in the realm of rationality, understanding, and maturity. Therefore, he believed that dissecting the state of their marriage in this way would dissuade her from wanting a divorce.
Theirs was an arranged marriage, so if they were to divorce, they absolutely couldn’t consider only themselves—they had to think about both families.
However, in Xie Wantang’s eyes, this was Lu Yanshen reminding her that they weren’t in a loving relationship, so she shouldn’t act up—he wouldn’t indulge her.
“So, Lu Yanshen, is your dissatisfaction with the divorce agreement solely because of the phrase ‘irretrievable breakdown of the marriage’?” Xie Wantang frowned and retorted.
Was Lu Yanshen really that nitpicky?
What did it matter how the divorce agreement was written?
Wasn’t the goal simply to get divorced?
As long as they could divorce, who cared whether it was due to a breakdown of affection or the collapse of a shared interest? Wasn’t it all just about ending things?
Divorce wasn’t murder—there was no need to trace the exact reasons.
“……”
Lu Yanshen gazed at her deeply, saying nothing.
It wasn’t the divorce agreement he was dissatisfied with—it was her capriciousness in proposing divorce.
The word “capricious” didn’t suit her at all.
“And, Lu Yanshen, you just said there’s no affection between us. So why do you take such delight in sleeping with me again and again?” Xie Wantang asked with utter frankness and seriousness.
She allowed him to sleep with her because she loved him.
But what about him?
Did he really have no affection at all when he slept with her again and again?
Was he some legendary stud?
She distinctly remembered that when he slept with her, he was tender, focused, and utterly immersed.
“……”
Lu Yanshen’s face instantly changed color.
How could he have known that Xie Wantang would ask such a question—and with such composure, without a hint of embarrassment or fluster?
Her mental fortitude was stronger than his.
And did she say he took delight in it?
Did he?
“Since we’re married, marital duties must be fulfilled, right?” Seeing that she was waiting for his answer and showing every sign of continuing to question him if he didn’t respond, Lu Yanshen spoke up.
Feigning calm.
“Marital duties? Ha, Lu Yanshen, if it’s just about fulfilling marital duties, you could do it once a month, or even twice a year. But every time you return from a business trip, you don’t stop at just once. I… mmm.”
Before Xie Wantang could finish, Lu Yanshen couldn’t bear to listen any longer and covered her chattering little mouth with his hand.
Xie Wantang, unable to breathe smoothly with her mouth and nose covered, glared at him, warning him to let go.
What was he trying to do?
Silence her for good?
“Pei Xiao is still here. Can’t some things be discussed behind closed doors?” Lu Yanshen’s ears were bright red.
He was embarrassed.
At the same time, he was utterly shocked—shocked that Xie Wantang’s mouth held not a single shred of restraint.
Pei Xiao had quietly raised the partition as soon as the car started moving. However, even so, some of Xie Wantang’s bold and unrestrained words still managed to slip through, and he caught a phrase or two.
“Mmm…” Xie Wantang protested with a low whimper.
Translation: Lu Yanshen, you jerk, let go of your hand.
“I’ll let go if you stop talking. First, we’ll go home to put away your suitcase, then you can take a bath and change clothes. Grandma wants us to go back to the old house for dinner.”
“…” Xie Wantang couldn’t pry open Lu Yanshen’s strong grip, so she turned her head to the side, unwilling to go.
They were about to get divorced—why should she still go to the old house and endure the displeasure of his family?