Chapter 1

Chapter 1

His beautiful eyes fixed on me, not saying a word.

“If you can’t wake up,” I said, my voice very soft, “leaving tomorrow afternoon is fine too.”

He grabbed my outstretched hand. At over six feet tall, his presence was immediately oppressive. He whispered in my ear, “You’ve really got guts, Du Niangniang.”

The next morning, on the crowded rush-hour subway, my work chat exploded with messages.

A famous actress had been photographed late at night spending a lovely evening at a second-generation heir’s apartment.

I work in entertainment media. This smoking gun was truly explosive.

Duan San, Duan Guanqin-net worth over a hundred million, all thanks to being born into the right family.

“Maybe she can actually marry into that,” a colleague ranted to me.

“No way,” I replied curtly.

“How do you know?”

Because I’m Duan Guanqin’s wife.

Actually, ex-wife.

Marrying Duan Guanqin had taken every ounce of my strength.

The subway arrived, and I squeezed out like a sardine, accidentally pulling my earphone cable loose.

I turned back to see it on the ground, stepped on a few times. Before I could pick it up, the doors closed.

I was in a rush to clock in, so I ran to the office. I barely caught the elevator, but it beeped from being overweight. Under everyone’s gaze, I had to step off in defeat.

Ah… my perfect attendance bonus…

Resigned, I waited for the next elevator.

I took out my phone. Fifteen minutes ago, Qi Sen had texted me: he’d ordered breakfast delivery to the office and told me to watch for the rider’s call.

I scrolled up and saw an unknown call from five minutes ago.

Probably the rider. I’d missed it earlier.

I called back, but the other end hung up.

After a moment, they sent a text: “In a meeting. Wait.”

A meeting?

I replied, “Are you the delivery rider? Just leave it at the front desk. Thanks.”

Turning to head to the front desk, the phone rang.

I answered and immediately said, “Hello, I’m at the office entrance. You can bring it here.”

There was a pause on the other end, then an indifferent voice said, “Rider?”

Duan Guanqin.

I stopped in my tracks.

The last time we’d spoken was probably half a year ago.

“Something up?” I asked.

“Come back to the old house tonight,” he said.

Divorcing him was my idea.

He thought I was just throwing a tantrum.

“All you’ve got is this move?” His eyes held impatient contempt.

“Need more money?” He assigned a reason to my actions.

Meeting my earnest gaze, he frowned.

“Is this fun?” He leaned back in his chair, narrowing his eyes.

I handed him the divorce agreement.

He stared at me like a dangerous leopard, his anger gradually surfacing. I felt it.

Provoking him had become my source of pleasure in our twisted marriage.

But now, it all felt meaningless.

“Don’t drag this out. Just sign.” My tone was flat as I carelessly tossed the agreement onto the table.

He watched my action and instead laughed, as if seeing through something.

His voice dripping with mockery: “Sign. Why wouldn’t I sign?”

He seemed convinced I was playing a trick to keep him.

I watched his hand quickly sign the agreement. When he finished, I reached for it, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms-a sensation both strange and familiar.

He whispered in my ear, “Leaving with nothing? Let’s see how long you can stay away from me.”

“Jiejie, coming over tonight?”

Before leaving work, I received a text from Qi Sen.

I didn’t reply, put away my phone, picked up two large bags of groceries, and got into a rideshare.

Inside the car, I thought it over, then picked up my phone and replied.

“Busy.”

The car drove to the outskirts of the villa area. The security guard at the gate wouldn’t let us in.

I rolled down the window and greeted him.

He immediately put on a smile: “Madam Duan, it’s been a while.”

As soon as I entered the house, the aroma of lotus root and pork rib soup hit me.

The housekeeper took the groceries. Duan’s Mother quickly untied her apron and ran out to the living room: “Niangniang, you’re back!”

“Mom,” I changed into slippers and walked over. “Making pork rib soup? It smells great.”

“Yes, I specially simmered it for you this afternoon.”

Duan’s Mother had aged well, her skin smooth and glowing, looking barely in her thirties. “Oh dear, Niangniang, why such dark circles? Work must be tough.”

“It’s nothing,” I said, sitting on the sofa. “I’m just used to staying up late.”

“That won’t do,” Duan’s Mother sat beside me, her expression earnest. “Health is most important. I always tell Qinqin to stop you from working, but he always says I’m meddling too much.”

“Oh, I’ve watched you grow up. You’re dearer to me than a daughter. It’s just Qinqin’s personality that’s no good-he doesn’t know how to care for people.” Duan’s Mother held my hand, chattering on gently.

“Mom.”

Duan Guanqin’s voice came from behind.

“You’re back?” Duan’s Mother turned. “Hey, how come you two came separately?”

“I came from the office.” Duan Guanqin turned and went upstairs.

After not seeing him for half a year, even his voice felt slightly strange.

My phone vibrated. Qi Sen.

“Can’t sleep without jiejie.”

I turned off the screen. Duan’s Mother turned back and asked me, “Are you two staying at the old house tonight?”

“Up to him,” I said.

Duan’s Mother nodded, then remembered something and got up to go to the kitchen.

I opened my phone and replied to Qi Sen.

“Then don’t sleep.”

Duan Guanqin handed me a bowl of lotus root soup.

When our fingertips touched, there was a strange discomfort from the contact.

He briefly glanced at my face, then looked away.

“Stay here tonight,” Duan’s Grandfather said.

“I have things tomorrow,” Duan Guanqin said. “We won’t stay.”

Duan’s Grandfather set his bowl down heavily, prompting a few coughs.

The air suddenly grew tense.

Duan Guanqin continued eating as if nothing had happened: “Her company’s in the north of the city. Staying at the old house would mean a two-hour commute.”

The atmosphere eased slightly.

Duan’s Grandfather asked me, “Girl, still doing that job?

“Getting used to it?” Duan’s Grandfather said with concern. “If there’s too much work, just let Duan San handle it.”

“It’s fine, Grandpa. I’m quite used to it.”

Duan Guanqin drove me home.

“You’re driving yourself,” I said from the passenger seat, breaking the silence a bit awkwardly.

He didn’t speak.

As always, he answered my words selectively.

I touched the edge of the window on my right.

I haven’t been in a decent car for so long. The feel of it under my touch is just too good.

He glanced at me sideways, just one glance, as if he were bestowing a favor.

Driving through the city at night, the car was quiet.

Suddenly, a phone rang.

Duan Guanqin picked up.

It was so quiet in the car that, from the passenger seat, I could hear the woman on the other end perfectly clearly.

She was coquettish, asking him to stay with her.

His beautiful eyes darted an indetectable glance at me-not out of guilt, just testing me.

“I’ll come over tonight,” he said, his tone neither cold nor warm.

The other side was clearly delighted and instantly started chattering nonstop.

“Don’t talk on the phone while driving,” I said softly, but it shut her up at once.

Duan Guanqin laughed, said a few more words, and closed his phone.

“Did you do that on purpose?” he couldn’t help asking as he turned the steering wheel.

Swear to God, I was only looking out for my own skin.

“Even when we were married, I never meddled with you fooling around with other women,” I lifted an eyebrow. “Now that we’re divorced, what business is it of mine?”

His car was just as cold as he was.

I reached out to turn on the heater, but he smacked my hand away.

“The air is set to recirculate,” he pressed a button, slanting me a sidelong glance. “Your perfume is choking me.”

“I’m not wearing perfume,” I retorted.

Red light.

He reached over to touch my head, and I instinctively flinched back.

His hand froze, then he gave a cold laugh and quickly pulled it back: “Your hair.”

I touched my hair and brought it to my nose to smell.

Ah, I understood.

It was the scent of the shampoo from Qi Sen’s apartment.

It was the scent of men’s cologne.

I let go of the strand I’d lifted and looked at Duan Guanqin.

He was waiting for my explanation.

I turned my head to the window. “We’re divorced. Things I didn’t meddle in before, I have even less reason to meddle in now.”

He fell silent.

Inside the car, it was terrifyingly quiet.

“Subway entrance. Get out,” he said.

I opened my phone to check the time. “The subway isn’t running anymore.”

12:13 a.m.

“You know how to take a cab, right?” He pulled the car to a stop by the curb, his tone a little irritable. “Get out.”

He saw I didn’t move. “What? Can’t understand simple words?”

His tone was harsh, like the prelude to an outburst of rage.

I met his gaze, full of danger. He was waiting for me to back down.

But I wanted more than ever to push his buttons.

I smiled, tapping my fingers lightly along the comfortable window sill.

“You get out,” I said.

“What?” He didn’t catch on at first, turning to look at me with that impatient expression still on his face.

“What? You can’t understand what I’m saying?” I smiled at him.

He finally got it, and his eyebrows drew together: “What the hell…” He didn’t finish the sentence, putting on an air of not wanting to argue with me. “Stop horsing around. Get out. I’ll reimburse your cab fare.” He sighed a little.

I laughed. “You get out. I’ll reimburse your cab fare.”

That really riled him up. “What are you making a fuss about!”

“Yo~ Can’t hail a taxi by yourself?” I said gently. “Then I’ll call Uncle Zhou to come pick you up~”

I made to dial, but his big hand came over and covered mine.

“What are you trying to say?” His breath brushed my ear.

I leaned back a little to avoid him. “We’re divorced already. If you want to wait for the right moment to tell the Duan family, I can help you keep up the act. But that doesn’t mean I still have to put up with your shitty temper.” I shook my phone at him. “Telling me to get out at the drop of a hat-how many years have you been using that trick?”

He wanted to snatch my phone, but I held it tight.

He gave me a deep look, as if recalling something, and then he gripped my wrist so hard it left a red bruise. He snatched my phone right out of my hand, swept it past my ear, and smashed it against the car window. “If you’ve got the guts, keep at it.”

He turned and got out of the car.

I picked up my phone, got into the driver’s seat, and drove off without a backward glance.

I drove the car to the underground parking garage of Qi Sen’s apartment.

I turned to look at him. “What happened to your forehead?”

He rubbed his forehead. “Nothing, just bumped it.”

Tsk, with such a good-looking face, it’s a shame to get it scratched.

“Worried about me?” He leaned in to look at me.

When I didn’t speak, he asked again, “Where did you get the car?”

I turned off the engine, handed him the car keys. “It’s yours.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Grown some nerve? Where’d you steal it from?”

I stuffed the keys into his hand and was about to get out.

He grabbed my wrist.

But he didn’t dare use much strength, afraid of hurting me.

“What?” I asked him.

“Won’t you give it a try?”

“Try what?”

“What do you think?” He grinned brazenly, rubbing my wrist.

The next morning, I was woken up by a phone call.

I buried myself under the covers and didn’t want to move.

Didn’t want to go to work, didn’t want to get up.

Qi Sen sat up, took the phone, and handed it to me.

Then he wrapped me in his arms, his heat covering me.

“Hello…” I was under the covers, my voice muffled.

“Did you know there’s surveillance in my car?”

That woke me up.

I wanted to push Qi Sen away and get up, but he bound me down with his large limbs, pinning me completely and not letting me go.

I coughed violently and glanced at the caller ID.

Duan Guanqin.

Tsk.

“I didn’t know,” I cleared my throat.

“Now you know,” the voice on the phone said.

What kind of person are you.

Who installs surveillance in his own car.

“Jiejie, can I give you a ride to work?”

Qi Sen was leaning against the bathroom door, still half-asleep, following me like a little puppy.

“You have morning classes,” I washed my face. “Hurry to school.”

Qi Sen came up behind me, still unable to open his eyes, and dropped his head onto my shoulder.

“Don’t, you’re too heavy.” I pushed his head away.

His fluffy hair really did make him look like a dog.

“Beep, beep, beep.” He kept his head down, his morning voice slightly husky.

“What are you doing?” I dabbed his face with warm water.

He nuzzled my neck. “Hang on, I’m recharging.”

I speechlessly pushed him away.

Picking up my bag, I was about to squeeze onto the subway.

“By the way,” I said before leaving. “Go ahead and use the car however you like, but there’s a camera inside. Find it and take it out.”

“Camera?” He leaned against the door as he saw me off. “Niangniang, you really have all sorts of tricks up your sleeve.”