Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I decided to give it a try.

My consultant was an eloquent, intellectual, and handsome man. Wearing a pair of sophisticated, thin-rimmed glasses, he reportedly held a PhD in psychology and taught at a prestigious university.

In my seven previous failed attempts to save this marriage, I had exhausted every trick in the book.

But he proposed a concept I had never considered: “self-improvement.”

The sky was now pitch black.

If everything went as expected, Gu Jingshen would be home in fifteen minutes to tell me he was canceling our upcoming vacation plans.

I knew the reason all too well.

Jiang Wan was returning to the country.

As for our anniversary candlelight dinner, I had ordered catering from a five-star hotel. The food was already plated and looked flawless.

Headlights illuminated the front yard, followed by the sound of a car pulling into the garage downstairs. Gu Jingshen was home. I put on my most beautiful silk dress and sat at the table, waiting for him amidst the flickering candlelight.

My husband, a man without a romantic bone in his body, flicked on the chandelier. Loosening his tie with one hand, he looked at me with a cold, handsome face and asked, “What are you doing?”

“It’s our wedding anniversary,” I said, resting my cheek on my hand as I looked at him.

“…” He started searching for an excuse. “Today-”

“-I know, an emergency shareholders’ meeting,” I said understandingly.

Gu Jingshen frowned but said nothing. He took off his coat, washed his hands, and sat down at the opposite end of the long dining table.

We ate in silence, separated by the distance of the table. As expected, he didn’t notice anything unusual about the food.

I pushed a gift box toward him.

“A gift for you.” They were obsidian cufflinks, carved to perfectly suit his temperament.

I knew perfectly well that Gu Jingshen hadn’t prepared a gift for me.

He looked down at the contents of the box and offered a brief thanks. My husband was always icy; it was impossible to tell where his heart truly lay.

A long time ago, I thought this was just his nature. Only later did I realize he was only like this with me.

“I’ll have my secretary take you shopping tomorrow.”

“No need. I have plans tomorrow.”

Gu Jingshen paused, looking up to scrutinize me. This was unusual; since our marriage, I hadn’t had any social life outside of the family.

“One more thing,” he continued. “The vacation is canceled.”

I had spent a long time excitedly planning this Roman holiday.

Gu Jingshen and I never had a honeymoon. In seven years of marriage, this was supposed to be our first trip together. It was almost as if… we were a couple truly in love.

“That’s fine. No need to cancel my ticket,” I said nonchalantly, cutting a piece of steak. “I have an old friend in Rome. It’s a good chance to catch up.”

A flash of surprise finally crossed his features.

The numbers flickered.

[Marriage Reconciliation Success Rate: 36.5%]

I was secretly astonished. Professor Jiang’s consulting service actually worked.

The first step of self-improvement: learn to say no.

As for the second step… it was infidelity.