Volume One, Chapter 48: Sang Wan, Your Defeat Is Certain!

“Lu Jinnian, nine o’clock sharp. See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau!”

Afraid that Mr. Lu, busy and important as he was, might forget today marked the end of their cooling-off period and the day they were to collect their certificates, Sang Wan had already called Yang Yan last evening to make sure he reminded Lu Jinnian. She didn’t care how Lu Jinnian reacted on the other end of the line. Sang Wan simply hung up after delivering her message.

On the other end, Lu Jinnian’s face was clouded with gloom. Before him was today’s schedule, just handed over by Yang Yan and not yet perused. From nine to ten o’clock, one entry stood out in bold: “Civil Affairs Bureau.”

Sang Wan’s cold, matter-of-fact notification still echoed in his ear, and beneath her tone, he could almost detect a faint, airy sense of relief. As if, at last, she was about to be freed.

The thought that his well-intentioned actions had nearly turned into nothing more than wishful thinking made Lu Jinnian want to hurl the stylus in his hand—and the whole desk with it—straight out the floor-to-ceiling window.

He looked coldly at Yang Yan. “Leave me.”

“Yes, sir.” Yang Yan turned to go. The door hadn’t even closed before it was pushed open again.

Lin Chaochao, radiant in a champagne-pink cocktail dress, burst in with a bright smile. She shut the door and flung herself into Lu Jinnian’s arms. “What’s wrong? Are you in a bad mood?”

He’d promised her just last Monday that she could move into the villa with him and little Lu Mu, starting tomorrow—they’d share a home at last. Yet over the weekend, her calls to Lu Jinnian had either gone unanswered, or he picked up only to say a few half-hearted words before hanging up. Even his messages had become perfunctory, if he replied at all.

She couldn’t help but recall that question he’d asked the other day. Even if he’d claimed it was a joke, Lin Chaochao couldn’t shake her unease.

“Jinnian…” Is it that you don’t want a divorce after all?

But seeing the dark gloom on Lu Jinnian’s face, she changed her question mid-sentence. “Or… is it that Sang Wan doesn’t want the divorce anymore?”

Lu Jinnian looked up.

Lin Chaochao’s eyes grew red. “It’s alright. I’ve thought it through. In fact, not divorcing actually benefits you, and the Lu Group, more.”

“Mr. Lu…” She straightened from his arms, forcing back her tears. “I’ll be okay.”

“Fool.” Lu Jinnian rose, ruffling her hair. “A real man stands by his word. Once spoken, it’s as good as done. Why should I let her dictate everything?”

“Be good and stay at the office. We’ll go out for a big meal after work.” He picked up his suit jacket, adjusted his tie, and strode out.

As the door closed, Lin Chaochao let out a gentle sigh.

Sang Wan, see? You lost—utterly, and with no suspense.

I told you before: the one who is unloved is always the outsider.

...

Sang Wan took a number and waited in the hall for over ten minutes before Lu Jinnian finally arrived.

A thick stack of documents lay before them; by the time she finished signing, Sang Wan’s hand ached. She slid the completed papers back across the desk.

The clerk asked, as procedure demanded, “Are you sure?”

Sang Wan nodded. “I’m sure.”

Lu Jinnian’s pen paused. He turned, looking at Sang Wan. “Sang Wan, what if I told you that nothing ever happened between me and Lin Chaochao?”

Over the years, there had been business dinners, company banquets, endless social obligations in high society. He’d had a hostess at a club feed him wine mouth-to-mouth. He’d been added on WeChat by starlets at parties, who sent him suggestive photos and tried to tempt him. His mind had wandered, yes. But it had never gone beyond that.

Even with Lin Chaochao, after six months, things had remained at the level of ambiguous hugs and kisses—never crossing the line.

Lu Jinnian couldn’t understand why Sang Wan was so fixated on Lin Chaochao, so determined to end their marriage.

Sang Wan froze, a mocking look flickering across her face. “Lu Jinnian, even now you think I’m being dramatic, that I’m just jealous of Lin Chaochao, don’t you?”

Wasn’t that the case? The meaning was written plainly across Lu Jinnian’s face.

Sang Wan laughed. “Just sign.”

Lu Jinnian’s face darkened.

They had met when she was sixteen; Sang Wan had been icy and aloof, like wild grass by the roadside, stubbornly reaching for the sun—unbending in any storm. At eighteen, when he confessed and they got together, Sang Wan transformed from a block of ice to a warm towel—ever understanding, ever gentle.

Lu Jinnian had never seen her wear such a mocking, contemptuous expression until today, as if she’d finally realized she’d misjudged him all along.

Her look stung him. He bent his head, and as he signed the last character, the tip of the pen nearly tore through the page.

The clerk repeated, “Are you sure?”

Facing Lu Jinnian’s cold, grim face, the clerk understood.

Bang, bang—the red official stamp came down. Red booklet exchanged for red booklet.

The moment the divorce certificate landed in her hand, Sang Wan couldn’t help but let out a quiet breath.

At last.

Exiting the Civil Affairs Bureau, Lu Jinnian felt all the agitation in his heart sweep away, leaving nothing but clarity.

Whether it was real or just a performance, this farce was finally over.

He felt lighter than air, slipping back in an instant to his old, unflappable self.

He took in Sang Wan’s attire—so plain she could have been any office worker. Gone was the elegance and luxury of Mrs. Lu. He remembered she was now working at the Lou Group, likely still in her probation period.

Lu Jinnian curved his lips. “Sang Wan, if you ever find yourself at rock bottom, you can always come back and ask me for help.”

“After all, we were husband and wife once.” His gaze was lofty and cold. “If not for anything else, for little Mu’s sake, I would never just stand by and do nothing.”

Ask for help? The year he was job hunting after graduation, she had polished and refined his resume for him. When he worked in the Lu Group’s project department, it was her who drew his blueprints. Even his departmental comments for meetings—she’d prepared them all in advance.

Yet he had never seen any of her talents at work. All along, what he wanted was simply a good wife and loving mother.

Sang Wan smiled. “Lu Jinnian, all you require of a partner is that she be young and beautiful. I’m sorry, but that’s not me.”

“Sang Wan!” Lu Jinnian’s expression darkened with anger. He heard it clearly—Sang Wan was still blaming him over Lin Chaochao, calling him a scoundrel.

Yet she never considered that, if not for him, with her family background, even with a degree from Imperial University, she’d have ended up with some practical, unremarkable man, living an ordinary life. Would she ever have been Mrs. Lu, chauffeured in luxury cars, clad in silks and satins?

“Now that you’re divorced, you’d better keep your wits about you.” He reined in his temper, adopting a tone of advice. “You should know, it’s not easy for a divorced woman...”

“Sang Wan!”

A bright, lazy voice rang out, accompanied by the roar of an engine.

A black Maybach swept up to the steps, window lowering smoothly. In the driver’s seat, Lou Ye looked down at Sang Wan. “Ready to go?”

Sang Wan didn’t know why Lou Ye had shown up, but she didn’t want to spend another second looking at Lu Jinnian’s face.

“Take care of little Mu. I wish you happiness.”

With that, Sang Wan turned and got into the car. She saw the vibrant bouquet of red roses on the passenger seat, and also saw that Lou Ye’s gaze had never left her.

Something flashed through her mind, so quickly she couldn’t catch it.

Lu Jinnian’s expression shifted subtly.