Chapter 490: (Two-in-One, July Monthly Tickets Over 10,000 — Extra Update 2)

Since Song Shiwei had already seen it, Gu Sen had nothing left to hide. He walked past her, spread the divorce agreement out on the table, then took a pen from his breast pocket and set it on the stark black-and-white paper.

"Sign it." Gu Sen looked at her bleeding soles. "You sign, and I'll call a doctor to treat your wounds."

Song Shiwei stood rooted to the spot, eyes reddening as she stared fixedly at Gu Sen's calm face.

Gu Sen reminded her, "Don't bother thinking about tearing it up. I can print out countless copies of the paper version."

"I won't divorce!" Song Shiwei gritted her teeth, her eyes seeming to glare at Gu Sen. "I don't agree!"

If she didn't agree, Gu Sen couldn't get a divorce.

Gu Sen stopped his stride toward finding a doctor and turned his head to look at Song Shiwei. "Divorce isn't the only way. It's just that this way is more dignified for both you and me. Husband and wife for over thirty years—let's part on good terms."

"I don't want it!" Song Shiwei still said the same thing.

Gu Sen stopped indulging her and instead made her face a reality. "All the money in your accounts has already been transferred overseas by Gu Yinxue. Who knows how many times it's been laundered or whose hands it's flowed into. You're now penniless, but if we divorce by agreement, you can take seventy percent of the assets. Whether it's for supporting your parents in their old age or taking care of yourself, it'll be more than enough."

The moment she heard Gu Yinxue's name and the monstrous things Gu Yinxue had done, Song Shiwei felt all the blood in her body drain from the soles of her feet. She turned as pale as a corpse, a chill seeping through her entire body.

"Since she's been mentioned, I'll tell you as well. She's committed the crimes of instigation, intentional homicide, kidnapping, assaulting police, intentional injury, and abuse. The last two charges are because she swapped out the medication you were taking for your bipolar disorder."

"Our family of four—she didn't spare a single one, not even you."

Song Shiwei trembled, a wretchedness pervading her whole body, until it made her dry-heave from pure physiology. She crouched down, heaving until tears came out, heaving until her eyes ached.

She raised a hand and grabbed Gu Sen's arm, tilting her head up to declare she was wrong. "Gu Sen, I was wrong, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so good to her, I shouldn't have been bad to our daughter. I was wrong, I was wrong… Gu Sen, we can't divorce. How could you divorce me? When we got married, you said it yourself—you said you'd always protect me, always take care of me."

Tears kept streaming from the corners of her eyes.

Listening to her—someone who hadn't truly recognized her mistakes but merely paid lip service—Gu Sen's eyes gathered a long-suppressed exhaustion and resolve. He reached out and pried Song Shiwei's hand away.

"You're just afraid. You don't think you're wrong. Even your apology is only to achieve your goal of not divorcing. But Song Shiwei, even if you truly realized you were wrong, I would still divorce. If you won't take the peaceful path of a consensual divorce, then we'll take another."

"I have a mental illness! I didn't have it before marriage—I developed it after. I never hid it from you, and you've always known. So your lawsuit for divorce won't succeed. As long as I refuse the divorce in court, you won't succeed." Song Shiwei knew full well the advantages her illness brought her.

For instance, when she lost control of her emotions at the dock and smashed Gu Yinxue with a rock, nearly beating her to death—it was by no means self-defense. But she had a history of bipolar disorder, so she wouldn't be classified as having committed an intentional crime.

So Gu Yinxue lay at death's door, while she remained unscathed.

"Gu Sen, suing for divorce is just a waste of effort." Song Shiwei's eyes held tears, her gaze carrying a plea, but also a trace of cold indifference that came from holding the winning hand.

Ever since she learned Gu Sen intended to divorce her, she had looked into it and consulted relevant lawyers.

The court's core standard for granting a divorce was only one: that the marital relationship had truly and completely broken down, and that mediation had proven ineffective.

The courts were inherently cautious in handling divorce cases where one party had a mental illness. Hers happened to be an intermittent condition like bipolar disorder—a mental disorder controllable through medication—so the conditions for granting a divorce were even stricter.

Not only that, but bipolar disorder patients counted as a legally disadvantaged group. The court would prioritize the principle of protecting the rights and interests of the weaker party.

Having a mental illness alone was not sufficient grounds for a divorce ruling.

Marriage was not merely a simple personal relationship—it was the anchor and safeguard of life.

Gu Sen looked at her as if looking at a devil.

Song Shiwei's heart ached sharply. She laughed and cried at the same time as she said, "You see, Gu Sen, it's very hard for the law to grant us a divorce. I'm ill, you knew about it, my condition is controllable, and I'm receiving treatment. There's no concealment, no prolonged incurability. As long as I don't agree to the divorce, you'll never break free of this marriage for the rest of your life."

"Never break free…" she murmured in a low whisper, tears surging, burying her face in her hands as she wept. It was unclear who she was crying for—it seemed more like she was crying for herself.

The more Song Shiwei acted like this, the more it cemented Gu Sen's determination to divorce. He said, "All along, I've been open and upright with the Gu family, with you, with everyone. I've never used any underhanded tactics. At this age, it's about time I let myself go wild once. Song Shiwei, you're Mrs. Gu, but this 'Gu' is my Gu. How are you going to fight me?"

Song Shiwei's eyes widened in terror.

Gu Sen took back the divorce agreement. "Since you don't want a peaceful divorce, since you don't want seventy percent of the assets, then don't take anything at all."

Seeing Gu Sen about to leave, Song Shiwei truly panicked. In her frantic flailing, she felt a slightly larger shard of glass on the floor and quickly pressed it against her own wrist. "Gu Sen! If you divorce me, I'll die right in front of you!"

Gu Sen frowned and looked back. Song Shiwei, slumped on the floor, was about to slit her wrists.

His heart jolted, but then he thought of how strong Song Shiwei's will to live had been during this kidnapping, so he couldn't be bothered to play out the wrist-slitting suicide drama with her.

Gu Sen strode out of the hospital room.

Song Shiwei slashed her own wrist without hesitation. Blood gushed out. The pain made her collapse to the floor, tears streaming sideways into her ear, yet her mouth still called Gu Sen's name.

"Gu Sen…"

The instant he saw Song Shiwei actually slit her wrists, Gu Sen was at a loss. His gaze was complicated. He didn't understand how this woman, Song Shiwei, who clearly schemed against everyone and was so plainly afraid of death, could commit suicide over her refusal to divorce.

Gu Sen couldn't stand by and watch Song Shiwei bleed out in front of him, so he called for a doctor and nurses.

Even as she passed out, Song Shiwei kept saying, "Gu Sen, no divorce. I'd rather die than divorce you…"

They all said a wife follows her husband, and a married daughter is like spilled water. In truth, she felt women were like duckweed—before reaching marriageable age, the family was their root; once they reached marriageable age, the husband became their root.

Gu Sen was her root.

Without Gu Sen, without this marriage—how could a person with no root go on living!

In the end, Song Shiwei was resuscitated. By then it was already dusk, half overcast and half sunlit.

Song Shiwei still said the same thing: if he divorced her, she would die.

Gu Sen looked at her coldly. "We can not divorce, but I won't come see you again either. Threatening me with suicide won't work either. By the time I get the call and rush over, your blood should have already drained dry."

With that, he turned around resolutely.

Song Shiwei lay on the bed, laughing and laughing until she started crying. "As long as we don't divorce…"

Gu Sen left the nursing home, his resolve to divorce only growing stronger, not weaker.

He would leave B City. A couple living apart long enough would meet the conditions for a broken marriage. Add a few more tactics—

Sooner or later, they would divorce.

Even at seventy or eighty, he would divorce.

He didn't want to keep shouldering the responsibility of a husband anymore. It was too exhausting, too painful, too bitter.

……

Whatever happened to Song Shiwei in the nursing home couldn't be hidden from Gu Zhiyan and Ke Zhongyu. The former had hired people to watch inside the nursing home; the latter had cultivated connections throughout it.

If Ke Zhongyu knew, that meant Jiang Lai would know too.

But no one brought up the matter, leaving Song Shiwei alone to suffer and struggle in the nursing home—because the rest of her life, just like Gu Yinxue's, would mean never stepping out of her own cage.

Matters in B City were mostly settled. Jiang Lai simply couldn't bring herself to like this place and kept thinking about returning to A City.

The next morning, after getting up, they set off.

Jiang Lai and Ke Zhongyu stepped out and not only saw Fu Youqing, but also Gu Zhiyan and Li Dan.

She thought Gu Zhiyan and Li Dan had come to see them off, but it turned out the two were heading to the airport together.

Jiang Lai glanced at Gu Zhiyan a couple more times, and Gu Zhiyan immediately explained, "I'm leaving today too; we're on the same flight."

Gu Zhiyan's body paused briefly, then continued, "Dad needs to leave the day after tomorrow; there are some things at home to take, and the driver will drive to A City."

The result of moving the whole family to A City was obvious.

Jiang Lai didn't know what to say, she just stood by Ke Zhongyu's side.

Ke Zhongyu liked the little gestures Jiang Lai made when she got close to him, gestures that others didn't notice but only he could, like an aloof plush cat that seems unclingy to others yet secretly slips its soft cushion into your palm.

Sometimes he even does it in front of many people.

Quietly, yet brazenly, he draws near.

Ke Zhongyu's heart is forever moved by a faint glance or a tiny action from Jiang Lai.

He wrapped his arms around Jiang Lai's waist, holding tighter.

Jiang Lai was about to take a step when a voice suddenly came from beside her.

"Zhi Yan, Jiang Lai."

Qu Mei walked slowly toward them, first standing in front of Jiang Lai and handing her a gift: "I asked Uncle Gu and learned you're leaving today. I know the chance you'll return to B City is very small. Here's something for you; may your takeoffs and landings be safe, and may you be safe thereafter."

Jiang Lai had previously exchanged contact information with Qu Mei, but she always stayed quietly in the list; when the Gu family had trouble, she would say a few caring words but never be overly enthusiastic. This appropriate distance of communication always made Jiang Lai feel comfortable.

But Jiang Lai didn't expect Qu Mei to come to see her off; she was a bit surprised and a bit grateful.

"Thank you, and I wish you safety and smoothness as well." Jiang Lai took the gift, then saw Qu Mei walk toward Gu Zhiyan.

Ke Zhongyu, arms around Jiang Lai, left first.

Fu Youqing followed, and Li Dan's eyes flicked as she caught up with Fu Youqing's pace.

"Qu Er Xiaojie." Gu Zhiyan called Qu Mei.

Qu Mei, at 1.74 m tall, stood before the 1.82 m Gu Zhiyan, the difference barely noticeable to the naked eye; a slight tilt of her chin let her meet his gaze.

"Uncle Gu said you're also leaving."

"Yes, Qu Er Xiaojie." Gu Zhiyan's address carried distance and politeness.

Qu Mei asked, "Are you coming back?"

"I might return during festivals." Gu Zhiyan replied, then asked, "Qu Er Xiaojie, is there something you'd like to say?"

Qu Mei opened her lips: "Yes, this matter is quite important to me and also a big deal for you, but you're leaving so hastily that I can only tell you here—about the marriage between us. Did Uncle Gu ever tell you my thoughts?"

Gu Zhiyan paused, "Yes."

Qu Mei thought there was no need to repeat herself, and asked, "What's your view?"

Gu Zhiyan lifted his wrist to check the time; there were still forty minutes until takeoff, still enough time.

"Qu Er Xiaojie, let's find a spot on the floor to sit."

The two sat in an empty corner of the airport coffee shop. Gu Zhiyan didn't want to waste each other's time and said plainly, "It was crowded over there, but here it's quiet. Qu Mei, I've told you before, I don't want an arranged marriage; you don't really want it either, do you?"

Qu Mei nodded, "But I don't want marriage to interfere with my dancing; I'm not as opposed to an arranged marriage as you are."

In their circle, arranged marriages are commonplace.

Gu Zhiyan looked at her, "Before, the Gu family and the Qu family were well‑matched, but now our two families don't really fit. I can understand you saying you don't want to marry any of the other match candidates."

He knows those people's characters.

Qu Mei is a pure flower whose heart is only dance; marrying any of those people would indeed be painful.

But marrying him wouldn't be any better.

"My reason for refusing isn't you; it's me. I once had a secret crush, and even when that crush came true, it was terrible—worse than you know."

"I could tell you directly: she has a venereal disease, and I'm at risk of infection. Although my recent re‑examination hasn't confirmed it, the doctor said we have to wait for the final check at six months to know the real result. To any woman who becomes intimate with me, I could be a walking biochemical weapon."

"Don't gamble, Qu Mei."

"Besides, there's no feeling between us; marriage would become a shell."

I and my father have already planned to settle in A City, start anew. My dad is no longer Gu Zong of Gu Travel & Culture, and I am no longer the so‑called Eldest Son of the Gu Family; there's a gap between us.

If we really married, would you come back to A City with me or stay? Your circle isn't in A City; there, you'd be a lonely person, without family, without lifelong friends, and even your husband would be just a decoration.

If you don't come back to A City and stay alone in B City, how would your family view you? How would your friends view you? Have you thought these through, Qu Mei?

Qu Mei stared blankly at Gu Zhiyan; he was very different from the Gu Zhiyan she had known.

The Gu family's misfortune had suddenly changed the temperament of this Eldest Son of the Gu Family; he became less cold than before, yet more courteous and reasonable.

Gu Zhiyan saw she remained silent, gave a slight nod, then stood up to catch his flight.

"Gu Zhiyan." Qu Mei stood up and called him, and after he turned, she said, "I really haven't thought these through. When I have, can we talk again?"

Gu Zhiyan: "?"

Gu Zhiyan: "……"