The house was unnervingly quiet.
Fu Jingzhou frowned, his typically cold expression clouded with displeasure. "It was just a birthday, Lin Anqiao. Why must you make such a scene?"
For seven years, Lin Anqiao had been devoted to him. He assumed this talk of divorce was nothing more than a tantrum—a deliberate act of defiance because he and Qiao Yusu had spent the day with each other instead of her. She loved him far too much; surely, she could never bring herself to actually leave him.
"Mom, you eat the Fu family’s food, use their things, and even work at the Fu Group," Fu Xiaochuan scoffed. "If you leave Dad, how will you ever enjoy such a life of comfort?"
Lin Anqiao suddenly smiled. At the office, Fu Jingzhou refused to acknowledge her work; at home, Fu Xiaochuan assumed she lived a life of leisure. If she were truly living in luxury, would she be in the late stages of stomach cancer from overwork?
"I will have a lawyer draft the divorce agreement," Lin Anqiao said calmly. She had three months left, and she would not waste another second.
With that, she turned and walked toward her room. Behind her, Fu Jingzhou stared at her slender back, his brow furrowed deeper. Her temper was endless. He had spoiled her too much; it was time to teach her a lesson.
...
Inside her room, Lin Anqiao let out a long, shaky breath.
*Ding-dong.* A notification popped up on her phone. It was a message from her best friend.
*“Guess who’s back in the country?”*
Lin Anqiao frowned, and a moment later, the other person sent a photo. A man’s figure instantly filled her vision. In the picture, he had the same captivating, peach-blossom eyes, though his features were colder and sharper than they had been seven years ago.
It was him. Song Hanjiang… he had actually returned.
The complexity of her thoughts left her stomach churning. She sent a quick sticker in reply and lay down on her bed, falling into a deep, heavy sleep. But all night long, the image of those eyes flickered in her mind, and she didn't manage to drift off until dawn.
When Lin Anqiao opened her eyes again, it was already noon. Her supervisor’s phone call was ringing like a death knell. She picked it up, only to be met with the man’s abrasive voice: "Lin Anqiao, do you not want this job anymore?!"
Her marriage to Fu Jingzhou was a secret; he had repeatedly insisted that she pretend not to know him at the office. Consequently, everyone at the Fu Group assumed she was just an ordinary employee. She had endured her supervisor's constant harassment only to stay close to Fu Jingzhou. But she only had three months left, and she intended to do exactly as she pleased.
She lowered her eyes and spoke quietly. "That’s right, I don’t want it anymore. I’ll send my resignation letter to your email shortly."
"There are plenty of people lining up to take your place! Let me tell you, that promotion you were aiming for? President Fu already earmarked it for Qiao Yusu! No matter how hard you work, you’ll never compare to the one President Fu actually favors!"
The supervisor hung up, seething. Lin Anqiao let out a self-deprecating laugh. She had spent nights working on proposals and entertaining clients to earn that position, never imagining that Fu Jingzhou had been saving it for Qiao Yusu all along. It made her decision to endure stomach pain while drinking with clients look particularly pathetic.
It didn't matter. She didn't want any of it anymore. The job, the position of Mrs. Fu—she wanted none of it. She would happily leave them to their father-son bond and Qiao Yusu.
...
At the Fu Group, Fu Jingzhou raised an eyebrow upon receiving news of Lin Anqiao’s resignation. "She really said that?"
His executive assistant nodded. Fu Jingzhou gave a cold scoff, his eyes filled with impatience. "Let her be. I’d like to see how long she can keep this up."
...
Lin Anqiao went out for a walk. She had loved painting since she was a child, and in these final three months, she wanted to hold her own exhibition. She would consider it her farewell to the world.
She didn't return home until evening. Fu Jingzhou was out, but Qiao Yusu was there. She was laughing and embracing Fu Xiaochuan, the two of them giggling together. Lin Anqiao froze at the door, staring at the radiant smile on her son’s face. She had never seen him look so happy.
Qiao Yusu was fiddling with a piece of jade, inspecting it as she said, "Your mother is quite amusing. It’s the twenty-first century, yet she still believes this can guarantee safety."
Fu Xiaochuan scoffed. "She’s just a housewife with nothing better to do, caught up in feudal superstitions. She insisted I wear it. She's nothing like Auntie Yusu, who is actually highly educated!"
"You're making me sound old! Call me Sister Yusu!"
"No way!" Fu Xiaochuan stuck out his tongue. "You’re going to be with Dad; I can't mess up the family hierarchy!"
"You brat!" Qiao Yusu blushed instantly.
Lin Anqiao watched quietly, choosing not to interrupt. It was only when Qiao Yusu noticed her that she spoke up. "You're back? Don’t overthink it; I was just joking with Xiaochuan."
She wore the posture of a lady of the house. Upon seeing it was Lin Anqiao, Fu Xiaochuan’s smile vanished. The living room fell into a heavy silence. Qiao Yusu stood up, feeling slightly awkward, and the jade slipped from her lap.
*Crash.* It shattered into two pieces.
"I’m so sorry, Anqiao. Let me pay you back for it, okay?" Qiao Yusu said, flustered, reaching for her phone to transfer money. "How much is it worth?"
Lin Anqiao stared at the two broken pieces on the floor, saying nothing. Fu Xiaochuan turned pale with fear. He knew better than anyone how much his mother treasured that jade. Now that it was broken, he worried his mother’s explosive temper would lead her to blame Auntie Yusu.
He whispered to Qiao Yusu, feigning indifference, "Don't worry about it. It’s just a worthless trinket. If it’s broken, it’s broken."
Watching her son show such gentleness to an outsider, Lin Anqiao suddenly smiled. She lowered her eyes. "It's fine. It really is a worthless trinket."
When Fu Xiaochuan was first born, he had been sickly, and no doctor could help. She had begged a master for this jade, kneeling step by step all the way up the mountain. Her knees had been covered in blood, and the scars still remained. The miracle was that after he started wearing it, Fu Xiaochuan had recovered. She had told him the story before; he knew. And yet, he still thought it was worthless.
It seemed that, in the eyes of this father and son, her devotion was equally worthless.
Lin Anqiao returned to her room and began to pack in silence. Since she had decided to divorce, she would not stay in the Fu house a moment longer.
When she emerged with her suitcase, Qiao Yusu was gone. Fu Jingzhou was sitting in the living room reading. He frowned the moment he saw her luggage.
"You’re still at it?" His voice was cold, his impatience mounting. "Xiaochuan already told me. It was just a piece of jade, and Yusu didn't do it on purpose. The Fu family has an heirloom piece of jade—I’ll let you have it another day."
Lin Anqiao stood silent. She knew that heirloom jade; it was meant for the wife of a Fu heir. For seven years, she had asked for it many times, but Fu Jingzhou had never budged. The fact that he was offering it now was only to appease her on Qiao Yusu’s behalf.