Chapter 1: Divorce

SLAM!

"Sign it!"

Inside the Civil Affairs Bureau, a fashionable, beautiful woman slammed a divorce agreement onto the table. Her voice contained not a shred of emotion, drawing the side-eyes of many bystanders.

Ye Xuan lowered his head, staring at the divorce agreement on the table. His expression gave away neither joy nor anger. Dressed in cheap street-stall clothes, he looked like he belonged to a completely different world from the woman before him.

Picking up the document, Ye Xuan looked up. "Aoxue, are you sure about this?"

Looking at the glaring, bold words on the paper, a wave of bitterness washed over him.

"Our marriage was just a stage play, and you know it. Sign it." Lin Aoxue tried her best to appear utterly calm.

"Alright. I understand."

Ye Xuan smiled. The tip of his pen touched the paper, leaving behind his name. Swift and decisive.

His complete lack of hesitation caught Lin Aoxue off guard. Yet, as Ye Xuan finished the final stroke, her heart couldn’t help but ache, overwhelmed by a chaotic mix of conflicting emotions. She bit her red lip, suppressing the complicated feelings.

She wondered why he was so decisive and why he didn’t even try to hold onto her. Was he trying to show off his backbone in front of her?

Acting almost out of spite, Lin Aoxue snatched the agreement back and handed it to the clerk, her tone ice-cold. "Please process the divorce."

No one noticed the slight tremble in her delicate hand the moment the clerk took the document away. Three years. Even a pet would garner affection over that time, let alone a three-year marriage with a living, breathing man like Ye Xuan!

Before long, two bright red booklets—identical in color to marriage certificates—were handed to them. However, the three words printed on the covers read "Divorce Certificate."

Seeing the two booklets, Lin Aoxue suddenly felt a needle-like prick in her heart. Ye Xuan instinctively reached out to take one, but Lin Aoxue swiftly snatched it up and stuffed both into her bag. "I’ll keep these. You can go!"

Perhaps she just wanted to keep a memory of him.

Hearing this, Ye Xuan froze for a moment before shaking his head. "Alright. I’m leaving. Remember to take good care of yourself. I prepared some food before coming here; just heat it up when you get home. Also, you’ll have to bring in the clothes drying on the balcony yourself. I saw on the weather forecast that it might rain today. Here’s an umbrella. I know you drive, but you’ll still need it when you get out of the car."

Handing her a pink folding umbrella, he suddenly remembered something. "Didn’t you mention you wanted a new evening gown a while back? I bought it and hung it in your closet.

"Don’t worry, the money I used to buy it was saved up from the spare grocery change you’ve given me over the years."

Dazed, Lin Aoxue took the umbrella. Looking at Ye Xuan’s smile, her heart ached with a sudden pang.

Over the past few years in the Lin Family, Ye Xuan had played the role of a useless son-in-law, enduring endless eye-rolls and mockery. Yet, he never uttered a single complaint, always silently dedicating himself to her. Especially when she was in a bad mood, Ye Xuan was invariably the first to step forward and comfort her.

Thinking about how they were about to go their separate ways, Lin Aoxue’s beautiful eyes instantly reddened.

However, Ye Xuan simply revealed a relieved smile. "Aoxue, take care!"

Hearing him say these words, Lin Aoxue gritted her teeth and turned her head away. By the time she turned back around, Ye Xuan had already walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Ye Xuan strode away. Come to think of it, the three-year deadline had arrived. It was time to break free. He had joined the Lin Family as a live-in son-in-law purely to repay a favor, but he couldn’t deny the feelings that had blossomed between him and Lin Aoxue.

"Aoxue, you were my wife for a day, so I promise you a lifetime of glory and wealth... Take care..."

Back inside the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Lin Aoxue’s beautiful eyes were slightly red. Fighting the urge to chase after him, it took a long time for her emotions to settle. Just then, her phone rang. It was her father, Lin Guodong.

"Hello! Aoxue, hurry up and divorce that boy Ye Xuan! I’ve already pulled some strings to arrange a blind date for you. The other party is the direct grandson of the Yang Family, Yang Tian!"

Lin Guodong’s voice was brimming with excitement. "As long as we can latch onto the Yang Family, our Lin Family is destined to soar! Did you hear me, Aoxue?"

"I heard you," Lin Aoxue replied expressionlessly. "Five minutes ago, I divorced Ye Xuan."

"Really?"

Before Lin Guodong could celebrate, Lin Aoxue calmly added, "But I won’t marry into the Yang Family, either. Dad, you can give up on that idea right now."

"What did you just say?" Lin Guodong’s voice suddenly turned cold. "Lin Aoxue, you better think this through! The Yang Family’s status is countless times more powerful than our Lin Family’s! A marriage alliance with them brings all benefits and no harm! The advantages we stand to gain are beyond your imagination!"

Hearing this, Lin Aoxue let out a cold laugh. "All benefits and no harm? Trading my marriage for family interests—is this what you call ’all benefits and no harm’?

"I can’t deny the Yang Family’s power, but if you give me another three years, I believe I can become even more powerful than them!"

Lin Aoxue had always possessed an unyielding nature, even if it meant setting the Yang Family as her target to surpass.

Lin Guodong took a deep breath, trying his best to sound calm. "Aoxue, think about it carefully. Marrying that trash Ye Xuan was a marriage, and marrying Yang Tian is also a marriage. Why not choose a capable man?"

Before Lin Aoxue could speak, Lin Guodong continued, "Listen to your dad, the matter is settled. Tomorrow, Young Master Yang will invite you to a banquet. You better behave well and try to put a wedding on the agenda! That’s all. Hanging up now!"

With that, the call disconnected.

Listening to the dial tone, Lin Aoxue stared at the bright red divorce certificates in her hand, her emotions incredibly tangled. Her delicate fists slowly clenched, a flash of confusion passing through her beautiful eyes. She wondered if she really had to marry into the Yang Family and abandon her convictions.

Who wouldn’t want a powerful man to protect them? Even though Lin Aoxue was a strong, independent woman, she couldn’t avoid entertaining such fantasies. But she didn’t know that her triumphant rise in the business world over the years was entirely because of Ye Xuan!

After returning home, the umbrella Ye Xuan had given her was still dripping with rainwater. True to Ye Xuan’s words, it had rained today. That man had always been so meticulously thoughtful.

Looking at the delicious meal Ye Xuan had personally prepared for her, Lin Aoxue’s nose started to tingle with unshed tears. She knew she would never get to eat food like this again.

"Lin Aoxue, be strong!" She rubbed her stiff cheeks, consoling herself. "My husband should be an unparalleled hero, not a nanny. So what if Ye Xuan is gone? Am I just going to stop living?"