Chu Rong pursed her lips, glanced at Quan Jiu, then turned to the kitchen. Before long, she emerged with a cup of hot soy milk, "Drink some soy milk to warm yourself up."
Quan Jiu looked at the familiar cup, and her heart felt as if it had been fiercely clutched, hurting so much that even breathing was painful.
She let out a hollow laugh, stood up, and her voice was filled with coldness, "I chased you for eight years, and we were secretly married for two. You didn't know, did you? I actually really hate soy milk. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Of course, President Chu is always busy with important matters. How could someone as insignificant as me possibly warrant your remembrance?"
Quan Jiu picked up her handbag and walked unhurriedly towards the door, her elegant gait and stunning beauty making her seem unapproachable, creating an invisible wall that no one could breach.
"Where are you going?" Chu Rong's face darkened again, and he grabbed Quan Jiu's wrist, "Where do you think you're going? Trying to find Guan Shi? Five years ago, you looked for him, didn't you? Do you like him that much?"
Quan Jiu seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world and couldn't straighten up from laughing.
Ridiculous, truly utterly ridiculous. She had clearly, so clearly, said that she had loved him for ten years, but... all her words had probably been dismissed as nonsense.
Thinking of this, the sorrow in Quan Jiu's heart was replaced by anger. He didn't care about her likes or dislikes, didn't remember what she said, and now he was even defiling her ten years of devotion.
Quan Jiu violently shook off Chu Rong, stepped forward, grabbed his tie, and pulled hard, bringing his handsome face, which was a head taller than hers, closer.
Her eyes were cold, and she spoke word by word, like ice, "Chu Rong, listen clearly. My infatuated love for you vanished completely five years ago.
And our relationship completely ended the moment I signed that divorce agreement. I'm only back this time to get the divorce certificate, as I still want to remarry."
Chu Rong's eyes narrowed dangerously, and with a sweep of his arm, he pulled Quan Jiu's waist into his embrace, "Remarry? Our marriage is still valid. If you're not afraid of bigamy, I won't stop you."
Quan Jiu's smile grew colder and more alluring, "Although I guessed you wouldn't easily sign because of your Jiang Mengran, hearing it directly, I have to admit, it's quite a blow.
Since you're unwilling to sign, then we'll have to meet in court. Five years of separation, I think my chances of winning the divorce case are quite high, what do you say, President Chu."
Breaking free from Chu Rong's embrace, Quan Jiu smiled slightly, her aggressive beauty like Medusa, captivating and chilling.
"Actually, President Chu doesn't need to make things so complicated. I've always been one to help others achieve their desires. Making your Jiang Mengran wait another five years, wouldn't that chill a beauty's heart? So just sign it happily, it's better for both of us."
Chu Rong, however, laughed, seeming genuinely pleased, "You're jealous of her."
Jealous? Quan Jiu's expression grew colder, "What is she to me that I should be jealous of her? Chu Rong, you think too highly of her, and too highly of yourself."
With that, she turned decisively and left.
"She and I are not what you think," Chu Rong quickly explained, "She's not worthy. I misspoke."
But Quan Jiu's heart had turned into a block of ice. She opened the door, leaving behind a final, chilling remark.
"It's not that she's unworthy, but that you are merely insignificant passersby in my life. I have no need to care."
...
Returning to Lijing Yuncheng, Quan Jiu finally let down all her pretense. Trembling, she sat down against the wall, her mind uncontrollably replaying everything that had happened at Shujing, and tears finally began to flow uncontrollably.
Five years. Why, after five years, could he still so easily turn into a sharp blade, piercing her body with wounds.
They say the more you give, the harder it is to let go. Perhaps, she just couldn't let go of the self who had given so much, perhaps, she just needed a little more time.
Quan Jiu tried to focus on the future, tidied her mood, and as she opened her laptop to polish her new script, her phone rang. It was Cheng Xuhai.
"Hello? Teacher Zhi Fan, are you alright?"
Quan Jiu concealed her emotions and replied, "I'm fine, I'm home now. I caused trouble for the exhibition hall today, I'm sorry."
Cheng Xuhai felt immensely guilty, "No, no, it's our exhibition hall that should apologize. Teacher Zhi Fan, because of our staff's negligence, the light bulb in the exhibition area injured you. I've already requested approval from my superiors, and as compensation, we will not charge you the display fee for this art exhibition."
Injured... Quan Jiu glanced at her wrist. A trace of blood that she hadn't had time to wash off, but it wasn't her own.
"Will you be implicated?" she asked with concern.
Cheng Xuhai smiled, "Don't worry, Teacher Zhi Fan. If you choose to cooperate with Tong Hua again next year, I will still be your dedicated exhibition manager."
After hanging up, Quan Jiu calmed herself, cast aside all distractions, and began her immersive creative process.
...
It was past five in the afternoon. Wang Xiao, who hadn't even had lunch, finally finished handling everything. Dragging his weary body, he hailed a car and returned to the Shujing Villa community.
"Boss, everything at the police station has been processed. Also, the main works by artist Zhi Fan have been purchased, and the art museum will deliver the paintings tomorrow."
Chu Rong's stiff expression finally softened a little. After a while, he faintly hummed, "Dispose of the food in the dining room."
Wang Xiao, whose stomach was growling, chuckled and asked, "Boss, I haven't had lunch yet..."
"Mm." Chu Rong picked up his laptop and walked into the study.
Wang Xiao walked towards the dining room, looking around. It was clear that only he and the boss were in the space, no Madam.
Wang Xiao's heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat's paw, but he dared not ask. He could only eat his meal silently.
After eating, Wang Xiao nervously approached the study, "Boss, should we still investigate Lijing Yuncheng and the film crew?"
"Investigate. I want to know everything about her, but don't disturb her."
"Okay." To his surprise, he wasn't met with a scowl. Wang Xiao felt as if he had narrowly escaped a disaster. He cleaned up the dishes and leftovers and left.
Lijing Yuncheng. Quan Jiu was engrossed in her writing when she suddenly received an email signed "Lin Zhong Ren." She then remembered that she had stood up her confidant and quickly opened the email.
[Zhi Fan, I'm very sorry. I was unexpectedly delayed today and couldn't make our appointment. May I have the honor of inviting you again.]
She had been delayed too. Quan Jiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly replied: [It's okay. Coincidentally, I was also tied up with琐事 today and couldn't make it. Thank you for your support and appreciation of my work. I'll treat you to a meal another day.]
...
As night fell, outside the entrance of the Lijing Yuncheng community, a Jaguar, after all the lights in the houses had been extinguished, finally started and drove away.
In the driver's seat, the man driving made a phone call, his voice low with a hint of laziness, "The guy surnamed Chu brought a woman to Shujing today."
Jiang Mengran, who was about to go to sleep, suddenly sat up in bed, startled, "What does she look like? Where is she now?"
Just as the man was about to speak, an SUV suddenly cut across in front of his car. The man braked sharply, hesitated for only a moment, then immediately reversed, but another car blocked the rear.
The man locked the car doors and looked at the middle-aged man in his forties who had stepped out of the vehicle in front.
"Come out, let's talk," Old Li said with a smile, adjusting his clothes.