Ye Ran lay in bed, tossing and turning.
The sky outside had already brightened, yet she still hadn't fallen asleep. She could no longer remember when she had finally drifted off.
When she opened her eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky, and her phone was buzzing persistently.
Ye Ran rubbed her eyes. The moment she sat up, morning sickness hit her. She rushed to the bathroom to dry heave, and when she came out, thankful that the call hadn't disconnected, she saw it was from the lawyer handling the lawsuit against Lu Lingshuang.
Once she answered, the caller didn't discuss Lu Lingshuang, but rather the other matter Ye Ran had entrusted to him.
"Miss Ye, you asked me to draft a divorce agreement for you. That's easy enough, but I was too busy yesterday and forgot to ask—do you have any preferences regarding property division?"
Listening to the lawyer's precise and courteous tone, Ye Ran replied decisively, "I don't want anything."
The lawyer paused for a long moment, unable to help himself from blurting out, "What? You... are you serious?"
Ye Ran laughed.
Recalling the lawyer's stunned reaction when he first learned her husband was Lu Linshen, she figured Attorney Chen must think she was a fool right now.
"I'm serious," she replied.
The lawyer fell silent once more.
After a brief pause, instead of offering any persuasion or comfort, he threw out a series of questions.
"Then I'd like to ask, Miss Ye, what exactly did you hope to gain by marrying Mr. Lu? Affection? But as far as I know, Mr. Lu has always maintained the public image of a bachelor. Behind your secretive marriage, is there really any genuine affection?"
This time, it was Ye Ran who fell silent.
A bystander's casual remarks were like salt sprinkled on a wound—unintentional, yet striking the mark with pinpoint accuracy.
"I'm sorry, Miss Ye. What I said might have been out of line."
Ye Ran let out a contemplative hum, then said, "Whether there is affection or not is inconvenient to explain further. As for what I sought from these three years of marriage, I suppose it was Lu Linshen himself."
"Attorney Chen, I know this sounds hopelessly foolish, but for the past three years, my husband was Lu Linshen, and in the future, my ex-husband will still be him. His achievements across the board can hardly be considered a stain on anyone's life resume."
In other words, having an exceptionally outstanding ex-husband shouldn't be counted as a penalty; it should be seen as a bonus.
Lu Linshen was handsome, wealthy, and capable. Not everyone could have an ex-husband like that.
Realizing how presumptuous his words had been, Attorney Chen hurriedly apologized again and accepted Ye Ran's request to waive any claim to the property.
Hanging up the phone, Ye Ran let out an irritated sigh. It wasn't that she wanted to speak up for Lu Linshen, nor was she averse to others twisting the knife in her heart, but... she didn't want her foolish, misguided affection to be pointed at or pitied by others.
Originally, Ye Ran had indeed liked Lu Linshen.
Yet this feeling had been buried deep, and interactions between the two had been very scarce. Ye Ran had received financial support from the Lu Family, but Ye's father had saved Elder Lu's life, which led Lu Linshen to treat her like a younger sister.
He treated her much like he treated Lu Lingshuang, perhaps even with a bit more doting.
Yet Ye Ran knew her boundaries. She never made a fuss or showed off in front of Lu Linshen without reason, nor did she ever throw affected tantrums.
Both maintained a clear sense of boundaries, allowing them to coexist comfortably.
At the time, Ye Ran felt that was enough. To occasionally catch a glimpse of Lu Linshen, hear tidbits about his company, and watch him achieve various milestones and make his fortune—it was akin to idolizing a celebrity, best admired from afar with good wishes.
Until... Elder Lu proposed the marriage.
The old man had considered every single angle. Lu Linshen and Ye Ran were both of marriageable age, and having known each other since childhood, they could be considered sweethearts. Although their family backgrounds were mismatched, there was the debt of gratitude owed to Ye's father. Elder Lu took charge without hesitation; while pressuring and coercing Lu Linshen, he reasoned with Ye Ran and appealed to her emotions, ultimately bringing this marriage to pass.
She still remembered the day they registered their marriage. Lu Linshen had stated there would be no wedding ceremony, nor any public announcement. Aside from a few close friends and relatives, no one knew the two of them had become husband and wife.
Ye Ran had agreed.
Yet that very night—the wedding night that should have been spent with red candles and a bridal chamber—
Lu Linshen had sat on the edge of the bed with a cold expression. His fair skin, illuminated by the crimson candlelight, resembled a solemn plaster sculpture, his sharp, handsome facial features radiating indifference laced with impatience.
At a loss, Ye Ran stood awkwardly near a table a short distance away, pondering what she could say to break the deadlock, but the words died on her lips as she had no idea what to do.
In the end, it was Lu Linshen who broke the silence.
He gazed at her probingly and offered a mocking smirk. "Everyone who tries to get close to me does so either for money or power. They're always after something. I actually thought you were different."
The moment those words left his mouth, Ye Ran froze.
In that instant, she also knew that the special affection and unusual sentiment Lu Linshen had once held for her were completely gone.
"I'm not..." She lowered her head, offering a choked, vague explanation anyway.
What she received in return was still Lu Linshen's disdainful chuckle, followed by his questioning tone once more: "Let's be direct. What do you want?"
Struggling, Ye Ran raised her head. Meeting his frigid eyes, devoid of the slightest warmth, she stubbornly shook her head. "I don't want anything."
"Is that so? Then should I praise you for being noble? Or should I say you're... simply playing a deeper game?"
Lu Linshen's cold smile persisted, and gloom already welled up in the depths of his displeased eyes. "Ye Ran, my patience is limited. This is the last time: besides your mother's medical expenses, what else do you want to get out of me?"
Ye Ran looked at him steadfastly, her defiant eyes brimming with mist.
She knew Lu Linshen had misunderstood, thinking she was employing a new strategy. Relying on her father's life-saving grace toward Elder Lu, she was not only scheming to have the Lu Family willingly fund her education, but also angling to become the young mistress of the Lu Family, climbing higher step by step.
Lu Linshen assumed she was no different from anyone else—that she had her eyes on his face, his family background, his status as heir, and the assets under his control...
Ye Ran had no way to clear her name. She knew full well that if she simply fabricated a reason—for instance, claiming she just wanted her mother to receive better medical treatment or that she wanted to study abroad—any random excuse would achieve the mutual benefit Lu Linshen desired.
If she did that, perhaps Lu Linshen could finally set his mind at ease.
And perhaps it would provide a logical outlet for this forced marriage.
Ye Ran understood all of this, yet she still recklessly gave Lu Linshen an answer he neither wanted nor could stomach.
She said, "I don't want anything else. If you insist on naming something, it's you."
"We are already husband and wife. From now on, let's stop doubting each other like this and live our lives properly. This is what Grandpa wants to see, too."
Lu Linshen barely heard the rest of what she said. The moment Ye Ran uttered the previous sentence, his tense face instantly grew dark and gloomy in a way that was visible to the naked eye.
Without regard for Ye Ran's attempt to stop him, he pushed her aside and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
And now...
Ye Ran remained true to her original intention, and her answer was still the same.
Only, she was tired, and she could no longer find the strength to love.