Chapter 1: Lu Yanshen, Let

In the late night at the Lu Family villa, the crystal chandelier stretched Xie Wantang's shadow thin and long.

Today is her twenty‑fifth birthday; she sits on the living‑room sofa waiting for her late‑returning husband, the coffee table holding the birthday cake she made herself, while the dining table is laden with the dishes she cooked herself, now gone cold.

At this moment, she stares at her phone screen, her breathing growing ragged.

A few minutes ago, Xia Meng posted a moment: a photo plus caption — "Some stubborn guy insists on celebrating my birthday again, watching fireworks on the mountaintop with the one I love; that is the ultimate happiness."

In the photo, Lu Yanshen's white shirt is stained with Xia Meng's long hair on her shoulder, the fireworks overhead blazing brilliantly, Xia Meng cradling a little boy in her arms while Lu Yanshen looks down at them, his eyes full of tenderness — a depth of feeling Xie Wantang has never seen.

Her heart feels as if a steel needle has been driven into it, a sudden sharp pain stabbing fiercely.

"Ding——"

The electronic lock on the front door clicks open; Xie Wantang quickly flips her phone face‑down on the coffee table, her fingertips still trembling.

The sound of leather shoes on marble approaches from afar, carrying a familiar cold scent — the cedar cologne Lu Yanshen loves most.

"Still awake this late?" Lu Yanshen loosens his tie and instinctively hands his briefcase to Xie Wantang, "Didn't I tell you not to wait for me?"

Xie Wantang clutches Lu Yanshen's briefcase tightly, her nails almost digging into her palm: "Yanshen, today I…"

Lu Yanshen slips into his slippers; as he passes the living room, his gaze sweeps the cake on the coffee table, then he turns and sees the untouched cold dishes on the dining table.

"You're having a birthday too today?" Lu Yanshen's eyes are icy, his tone slightly shocked, yet without any guilt.

That single word 'also' leaves Xie Wantang's inner world a barren wasteland.

"I have to fly to Milan tomorrow for a project." Lu Yanshen pulls out his phone and unlocks it; the blue light makes his brows and eyes even colder. "The company's been swamped, I have no time to make up your birthday — just take a red packet, buy whatever you like."

His words still carry the lingering scent of alcohol.

A soft chime — her phone alerts her that the red packet has arrived.

Yet Xie Wantang feels not a hint of joy.

For the same birthday, hers is dismissed with a cold red packet; she has waited nearly a day for him, yet he won't even light a birthday candle with her or share a slice of cake.

For his First Love, Xia Meng, he not only thoughtfully arranged the mountaintop fireworks view, but sincerely stayed with her until late at night.

Xie Wantang watches Lu Yanshen's back as he finishes the transfer and returns to the bedroom, recalling their wedding night three years ago, when he claimed work as an excuse, went to the study, and never came back, leaving her to guard the empty room all night.

Back then she thought that if she were sincere enough, she could melt his iceberg.

Until now, the diamond ring on Xia Meng's ring finger in the photo stabs her eyes.

Xie Wantang suddenly laughs.

She rushes into the room; Lu Yanshen already has his clothes ready for a shower. Seeing her fling the door open with such force, it slams against the rear wall with a loud bang, and his handsome brows knit tightly.

"My white shirt — remember to hand‑wash it tomorrow with the detergent you bought last time; it smells nice." At this moment, Lu Yanshen doesn't take it seriously, assigning her chores.

"Lu Yanshen," Xie Wantang suddenly says, her voice light as if drifting on the wind, "Let's divorce."

Lu Yanshen's steps falter as he enters the bathroom; he turns, his eyes icy as if forged in ice: "In the middle of the night, can you stop making a fuss? Xie Wantang."

"I'm not making a fuss." Xie Wantang clenches her fists, struggling to control her emotions: "Tomorrow morning I'll have the divorce agreement printed; you just need to sign it. Besides, I'll leave with nothing."

The air instantly freezes.

Lu Yanshen stares at her calm face, a sudden inexplicable irritation rising in his chest: "Xie Wantang, you'd better not regret this."

Xie Wantang stops at the doorway, moonlight tracing a hazy outline around her: "Lu Yanshen, the one thing I, Xie Wantang, will regret in this life is loving you."

Having spoken, she turns and walks away.

First, she dumps the entire table of cold dishes from the dining room into the trash bin.

For the first time, she does not wash the grease‑smeared plates and utensils, but tosses them straight into the sink, waiting for someone else to clean them.

After leaving the kitchen, she enters the living room alone, tears streaming down her face, eating the sweet cake with a bitter heart until she feels nauseous and vomits.

She goes to the bathroom, eyes red, tears the pregnancy test report into shreds, and flushes it down the toilet.

Finally, she sits on the toilet lid, gently stroking her belly: "Baby, from now on you'll have only a mother, no father."

……

Before dawn the next day, Lu Yanshen is awakened by a call from his assistant, Pei Xiao.

"Mr. Lu, I've arrived at the residential complex."

"I know." Lu Yanshen then remembers he has to go to Milan today.

After hanging up, Lu Yanshen glances sideways and realizes that Xie Wantang never returned to the room last night; her side of the bed is ice‑cold, the sheets neat and untouched, showing no sign of having been slept in.

Sitting up on the bed, he feels a headache, presses his temples, scans the room, and sees no sign of his packed luggage.

"That woman Xie Wantang knows I'm on a business trip today, yet she didn't even pack my luggage?"

"Oh right, I remember — Xie Wantang wants to divorce me."

Lu Yanshen's eyes sharpen abruptly; he rises quickly, goes to the bathroom to wash up, then simply packs a few changes of clothes and drags his suitcase to the living room.

Xie Wantang is not in the living room either; on the coffee table lies the divorce agreement she printed and signed.

Lu Yanshen picks up the divorce agreement and glances at it — a few simple clauses; Xie Wantang has decided to leave with nothing, so the entire asset‑division section was simply cut out.

They have no children, no custody dispute, and the whole agreement doesn't even fill a single A4 sheet.

Hah——

Lu Yanshen lets out a soft hum, puts the agreement down, and turns to the kitchen to pour himself a cup of warm water.

Just as he reaches the door, a sour, rotten smell makes him halt; standing there, he sees the sink in disarray, the nauseating odor drifting from it.

Lu Yanshen's brows furrow tighter; he turns and leaves the house outright.

When the ship's whistle sounds in the quiet night sky, the feigning‑asleep Xie Wantang in the guest bedroom opens her eyes, rises carefully from the bed, and heads to the living room.

Eagerly, she picks up the divorce agreement she printed before bed last night; the party A is her, already signed and thumb‑printed, while party B, Lu Yanshen, remains blank.

No signature?

Did he not see it?

That shouldn't be the case; she deliberately placed it at the most conspicuous angle, where he could easily see it.

He saw it, yet didn't sign — what does that mean?

Xie Wantang picked up her phone and sent him a message: "President Lu, didn't we agree to divorce?"

After waiting a minute, Lu Yanshen didn't reply; just as Xie Wantang thought he was deliberately not replying and was about to call him, Lu Yanshen's message came: "Redraft."

"..."

Those three light words made Xie Wantang want to curse.