Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Today is my birthday.

It’s also the twelfth day of my cold war with Shen Yichuan.

In the afternoon, he called and said, “Happy birthday.”

I froze for two seconds, glanced at the screen to confirm.

For a moment, awkwardness surged up; I actually didn’t know how to respond.

I just said, “Oh.”

Then, “Thank you.”

Shen Yichuan fell silent too.

“You…”

“I…”

We spoke at the same time.

Silence again.

“You go first,” Shen Yichuan said with gentlemanly courtesy.

I didn’t dodge it and said, “I agree to the divorce.”

“What?” He sounded a bit stunned.

I repeated, “I said, I agree to the divorce.”

Fifteen days ago, he brought up divorce.

That day, he was out at a meeting.

I went to his company.

I overstepped my authority and fired Ruan Qiao in public.

It got ugly.

But Ruan Qiao didn’t cry or make a scene; she was calm, neither servile nor overbearing.

She just took off her badge and said, stubbornly, “I quit.”

She gathered her things and went back to her hometown that very day.

Two hours later, he found out.

He called me immediately.

His voice was low, anger held down.

“Xie Shaowei, you’ve gone too far.”

“I’m going to find her.”

“When she comes back, you’ll apologize to her.”

“Otherwise we’re getting a divorce.”

He rushed overnight to her hometown.

Stayed two days.

Talked her into coming back.

But he didn’t come home.

He had his assistant pick up his clothes and sent me a message:

“President Shen says before you do what you promised him, you two should cool off for a while.”

What I promised him?

Apologize?

I’m not apologizing. No way.

Since he wouldn’t come home, I moved out too.

He Qi said lots of people were gossiping about me.

Saying I’m chronically jealous, shallow, vicious.

Thinking that being Mrs. Shen means I can do whatever I want.

As if they don’t know the thing men hate most is a woman reaching her hand too far.

She asked me, “What exactly did Ruan Qiao do to offend you?”

Ruan Qiao was a financially strapped student Shen Yichuan directly sponsored.

She was, in effect, his junior schoolmate.

They were both students of Professor Liu.

Professor Liu thought highly of her-smart, driven, sensible-just poor.

Catching his meaning, Shen Yichuan gave her a bit of help.

And Ruan Qiao was grateful, intent on repaying the favor.

Backpack on, she waited a long time for him downstairs at his company.

She gave him a jade pendant she’d made herself.

She said that after she graduated, she would join his company.

Mingyuan is hard to get into.

He arched a brow. “I won’t open the back door for you.”

Ruan Qiao’s eyes sparkled, full of conviction.

“I’ll rely on my own ability.”

While they were talking, I waited in the car.

I heard it clearly through the window.

He thought the girl was interesting.

So did I.

Youthful spirit, bright as sunshine-indeed eye-catching.

Back then, I truly didn’t take it to heart.