The next day.
Xiang Yuan came to the hospital holding the divorce agreement that Gu Jingzhan had already signed, handed it to Xiang Wanniao, and said expressionlessly, "Madam, Lord Zhan asked me to give this to you."
Xiang Wanniao reached out and took it. The moment she opened it, several striking characters jumped out at her: "Divorce Agreement".
She froze for a moment, unable to believe her eyes, and asked, "What... what does this mean?"
Didn't Gu Jingzhan promise her yesterday that he wouldn't divorce her?
Why did he send Xiang Yuan over with the divorce agreement today?
"Lord Zhan said you can ask for whatever you want as divorce compensation, and he will satisfy all of it."
Xiang Yuan's tone toward her remained ice-cold, just like a emotionless machine.
Xiang Wanniao's hands trembled slightly as she held the divorce agreement. Flipping to the last page, she saw that Gu Jingzhan had already signed his name, and tears streamed down her face instantly.
Gu Jingzhan really wanted to divorce her!
Living another life, was she still destined to face the end of losing him? Was there truly nothing she could save?
"No! I'm not getting a divorce." Overcome with emotion, Xiang Wanniao tore the divorce agreement in her hands to shreds. "Where is Gu Jingzhan? I want to see him."
"Madam, why must you make things difficult?"
"I want to see him!" Xiang Wanniao growled, "I want him to tell me face-to-face!"
Xiang Yuan took out another copy of the divorce agreement and said, "Madam, Lord Zhan will not see you. You might as well just sign the divorce agreement."
"I said, I'm not getting a divorce!"
In a fit of anger, Xiang Wanniao pulled out the IV needle from the back of her hand, threw off the blanket, and rushed barefoot out of the ward.
Xiang Yuan tried to stop her, but it was too late; she had already bolted right past him before he could react.
Xiang Wanniao pushed the door open and saw Gu Jingzhan standing straight in the corridor outside the ward.
With his hands in his pockets, a custom-fitted black designer suit outlined his tall and perfect figure, and he was shrouded in a gloomy and indifferent aura.
Disregarding the chill of the tile floor, Xiang Wanniao walked up behind him and asked with a choked voice, "Do you really want to divorce me? Won't you even give me a chance to turn over a new leaf?"
Gu Jingzhan pressed his thin lips into a tight line, not turning to look at her.
After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "I'm tired. I'm letting you go, and I'm letting myself go."
Xiang Wanniao walked up with reddened eyes and hugged him from behind. "Gu Jingzhan, I know I was in the wrong before and failed your sincere heart, but I truly know I was wrong now, and I will never do it again."
She held onto him tightly, crying and pleading, "I'm begging you, don't divorce me, don't leave me."
"You are only compromising and staying by my side to help Xiao Xu'an get what he wants from me."
Xiang Wanniao shook her head. "No, I didn't..."
Gu Jingzhan peeled her hands away, a bitter note in his voice: "I can give you whatever you want. There is no need to force yourself to stay by my side. It's not worth it."
"Gu Jingzhan, believe—"
"Sign the divorce agreement, and from now on, you will be free."
As his voice trailed off, Xiang Wanniao's vision suddenly went dark, and she collapsed to the floor with a thud.
Hearing the commotion, Gu Jingzhan whipped around.
Seeing Xiang Wanniao collapsed on the floor, he frantically scooped her up in his arms and shouted darkly at Xiang Yuan, "Quick! Call the doctor."
"Yes."
Xiang Yuan immediately called a doctor over to give Xiang Wanniao a thorough examination.
Gu Jingzhan stood to the side, gazing at the person lying on the hospital bed with eyes full of worry.
After finishing the examination, the doctor said, "Mr. Gu doesn't need to worry. Mrs. Gu fainted due to extreme physical weakness combined with excessive emotional fluctuations and a sudden surge of stress. She will be fine after a good rest."
Gu Jingzhan let out a sigh of relief and replied in a low voice, "All right, I understand."
Xiang Yuan glanced at Gu Jingzhan and then waved his hand, signaling everyone else in the ward to leave.
Gu Jingzhan sat down by the hospital bed, carefully holding Xiang Wanniao's hand, his voice very soft: "Qiaoqiao, what on earth am I supposed to do with you?"
"No... Gu Jingzhan... I'm sorry..."
Xiang Wanniao seemed trapped in the abyss of a nightmare, suddenly gripping his hand tightly.
Her brows were furrowed deeply, her expression was one of extreme pain, tears hung at the corners of her eyes, and she kept muttering under her breath.
"I was wrong... I'm sorry..."
Noticing that something was wrong with Xiang Wanniao, Gu Jingzhan gripped her hand back and called out near her ear, "Qiaoqiao, Qiaoqiao."
Xiang Wanniao snapped her eyes open, her breathing somewhat rapid, her forehead and back covered in cold sweat, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness.
She grabbed Gu Jingzhan's hand tightly, as if terrified that he would vanish before her eyes.
"Gu Jingzhan..."
"Did you have a nightmare?"
Seeing her in such a bad state, Gu Jingzhan's attitude was no longer as rigid as before.
Xiang Wanniao abruptly sat up, pulled him into a tight embrace, and buried her face in the crook of his neck, her voice muffled: "Gu Jingzhan, don't divorce me. Don't abandon me."
Just then, she had dreamed once again of Gu Jingzhan dying a miserable death in prison in her past life. She was terrified—truly terrified.
Gu Jingzhan felt her fear and helplessness, and likewise felt her reliance and attachment to him.
He had to admit that he was deeply enamored of this feeling.
In the past, his Qiaoqiao had poured all her heart into Xiao Xu'an, never once looking at him properly, and would certainly never have taken the initiative to embrace him like this now.
Gu Jingzhan raised both hands to hug her back, his voice softening unconsciously, "Qiaoqiao, I will never abandon you. If you don't want a divorce, we won't get one."
"I'm not getting a divorce. I will never divorce you in this lifetime," Xiang Wanniao said in a tone that allowed no room for doubt.
A flash of surprise crossed Gu Jingzhan's eyes, the corners of his lips curving upward as a low voice was laced with an unnoticeable smile: "All right, no divorce."
Since she was unwilling to leave of her own accord this time, he would never let go again.
So what if she was lying to him? He was willing, body and soul.
Xiang Wanniao lifted her head from his crook, looked at him, and said with a wronged expression, "Then promise me you won't ever bring up the word 'divorce' again."
Gu Jingzhan raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face and answered her, "Mn, I won't ever bring it up again."
Xiang Wanniao leaned in and kissed him of her own accord, a smile blooming on her face afterward.
"That's a seal, so you don't go back on your word later."
In that split second, all of Gu Jingzhan's psychological defenses were shattered by this kiss.
The man's broad palm suddenly clamped onto the back of Xiang Wanniao's head, and he lowered his head to capture her lips with an intensely strong sense of possession.
The man's kiss was overbearing and passionate, as if he wanted to knead her directly into his own body.
Xiang Wanniao did not refuse; instead, she closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and enthusiastically returned his kiss.
Feeling that she was not resisting his touch, Gu Jingzhan felt flowers burst open in his heart, every organ in his body clamoring for more.
The next second, he pressed her back down onto the hospital bed, forcefully parting her lips and teeth, greedily and madly plundering her breath as he hooked the tip of her tongue in a lingering dance.
Xiang Wanniao's mind went completely blank from the kiss, unable to process a single thought, feeling only that she was running out of air.