They say no woman can come away smiling after looking through her husband’s phone.
Song Shiran knew the feeling now, too.
The sound of running water from the bathroom, the rumpled double bed, and the lingering scent of passion in the air all spoke of the lovemaking that had just ended.
The phone on the bedside table lit up. Song Shiran glanced at it without thinking.
When she saw a message from Shen Qiao to Chi Mochen, she couldn’t stop herself from opening it.
Chi Mochen’s phone had no passcode.
A screenshot showed the description of a hotel room type. Shen Qiao had also sent a message—
【Brother Mochen, what do you think of this kind of room? (shy)】
Song Shiran’s hand trembled uncontrollably.
She knew Shen Qiao was coming back to the country, but she hadn’t imagined the two of them had already gotten this far!
“Had enough?”
Chi Mochen walked over, drying his hair, his face icy.
Song Shiran put the phone back where it had been and, unwilling to let it go, pressed him for an answer.
“You two… how far have you gone?”
Chi Mochen casually tossed the towel aside, his gaze cold.
“You’ve crossed a line.”
Song Shiran’s heart gave a small tremor. She’d forgotten: theirs was only a marriage of convenience.
What right did she have to talk about feelings?
But the image of that room kept surfacing in her mind, impossible to shake.
“My husband is about to stay with another woman in a romance-themed hotel room with a big bed. As his legal wife, I’m not even allowed to ask about it?”
Chi Mochen frowned.
“How are you any different from those shrews who jump to conclusions at the slightest rumor and make a scene?”
His offhand remark trampled Song Shiran’s self-respect into the dirt.
She was jealous, bothered by Shen Qiao’s presence, because she cared too much about Chi Mochen!
But in Chi Mochen’s eyes, that had become a reason to despise her.
They had just shared the most intimate act between them, yet now they lay on opposite sides of the bed.
It was as if the Mariana Trench stretched between them, impossible to cross.
In the middle of the night, the phone vibrating on the bedside table woke Song Shiran.
Half-asleep, she saw Chi Mochen sit up, pick up his phone, and walk out onto the balcony.
“Shen Qiao? Why are you calling at this hour?”
The rest was completely muffled by the glass doors. There was no way to eavesdrop.
Song Shiran’s heart sank.
When had Chi Mochen ever shown her such tenderness and consideration?
Throughout their two years of marriage, Song Shiran had taken care of his meals and daily needs, always considering his feelings.
Yet Chi Mochen’s prejudice against her had never lessened in the slightest.
Song Shiran watched the figure on the balcony. The expression on her husband’s face was changing because of another woman.
How ironic!
She simply rolled over, turning her back to the balcony. Out of sight, out of mind.
Just as she was drifting off again, the blanket was suddenly yanked off her.
Song Shiran opened her eyes, confused.
“What are you doing?”
Chi Mochen clutched his phone, his expression grim.
“Did you send Shen Qiao that text? Were you also the one who sent someone to follow and scare her?”
Song Shiran struggled to sit up.
“What text? What are you talking about?”
To Chi Mochen, her bewildered expression was nothing but a deliberate act.
He gave a cold laugh and tossed his phone in front of her.
“Take a look at what you’ve done!”
Song Shiran picked up the phone and saw that Shen Qiao had sent him a screenshot of a text message. Its contents were shocking.
【You’d better get the hell away from Chi Mochen! Otherwise, what kind of “accident” might happen is anyone’s guess!】
Song Shiran understood and hurried to explain.
“I didn’t send this. It’s not even my number. It has nothing to do with me!”
Her three denials only earned a derisive laugh from Chi Mochen.
“Who’d be stupid enough to send a text like that from their own number? Who besides you would say something like that to Shen Qiao?”
“It’s only the second day, and Shen Qiao is already being followed! She fell down the steps and broke her leg while trying to get away!”
Song Shiran’s face went deathly pale, and the corners of her eyes reddened and grew moist.
“Is that really what you think of me? That I’m this despicable and shameless?”
Just because the woman he idealized had been injured in a fall, she had become the prime suspect?
Chi Mochen’s icy eyes gleamed as he mocked her.
“Song Shiran, if you hadn’t set me up back then and deliberately called reporters to the door of the hotel suite, making sure everyone found out, do you think you could have married me?”
“After what you’ve done before, is it really so surprising you’d do this to Shen Qiao now?”
Song Shiran’s heart plummeted.
What had happened back then had been nothing more than a series of unfortunate coincidences.
But everything had happened so coincidentally that no matter how many times she tried to explain afterward, Chi Mochen had never believed her.
From now on, whenever anything happened to Shen Qiao, would Chi Mochen blame her?
Song Shiran suddenly felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
Powerless. Desolate.
Apparently, heartbreak could hurt so much that even tears would not come.
Song Shiran got out of bed, her expression blank.
“Think whatever you want!”
She couldn’t be bothered to explain anymore. Even if she did, Chi Mochen wouldn’t believe her.
How could she ever compete with the woman Chi Mochen idolized?
Rather than live miserably amid suspicion and disgust, she’d rather leave with her head held high.
Song Shiran went to the study. She couldn’t sleep in the same bed as Chi Mochen anymore.
The next morning, Chi Mochen came downstairs in a suit and tie. A servant immediately went over to him.
“Sir, Madam asked me to give you this.”
Chi Mochen took the document envelope and began opening it as he asked, “Where is she?”
“Madam went out early this morning.”
The moment Chi Mochen saw what was inside, his expression turned icy.
He shoved the papers back into the envelope and strode out in a hurry.
At that moment, Song Shiran was sitting at her workstation, organizing files on her computer.
Suddenly, a figure blocked the light in front of her.
Song Shiran looked up. Chi Mochen’s face was cold as he said, “Get in here. Now!”
Then he turned and strode into the CEO’s office, anger radiating from his back.
Song Shiran stood and followed at an unhurried pace.
As soon as she closed the door, an envelope flew to the floor by her feet.
“What do you mean by this?!”
The man’s restrained voice could not hide his fury.
Song Shiran recognized the envelope. It was the divorce agreement she had left for him.
She replied calmly, “With your assets, I’m only asking for this much. That’s not unreasonable, is it? Even if you have no feelings for me, I’m still entitled to a share of the marital property.”
A look of contempt crossed Chi Mochen’s handsome face.
“So your so-called love really does come with a price tag. You’ve calculated it all very carefully!”
His sarcastic words brought out Song Shiran’s defiance.
“I’m only taking what I’m entitled to. Should I leave it for Shen Qiao to enjoy instead? I’m not stupid!”
Chi Mochen was about to lash out when his phone rang.
He ended the call and hurried to the door. “There’s been an incident at the film studio complex. I don’t have time to argue with you about this!”
Seeing him leave, Song Shiran hurried after him.
She hadn’t resigned, so she was still Chi Mochen’s secretary. She still had to do her job.
They got into the car and sped toward the film studio complex under construction on the outskirts of the city.
As they passed an intersection, a large, out-of-control truck came barreling out and headed straight for the Bentley.
Crash—