Divorced

Lin Youyou was in the hotel, sprawled on the bed and playing with her phone.

She was extremely surprised when she received Xu Huanshan's message. After all, he had only just returned home not long ago.

Lin Youyou instinctively formed some guesses.

She told the hotel staff downstairs to send Xu Huanshan up.

Before long, there was a knock. Lin Youyou opened the door and saw Xu Huanshan, who was clearly different from usual.

She froze for a moment, then moved aside to let him in. "What's wrong?"

Xu Huanshan said nothing. He kicked the door shut, picked Lin Youyou up, and tumbled onto the bed with her.

After a passionate encounter, the two of them leaned against the bed.

After a brief silence, Xu Huanshan said, "Gu Jia found out."

Lin Youyou was startled by the news. She had previously assumed that they had merely quarreled and were having marital problems, but she had never expected Gu Jia to discover their affair. Combined with Xu Huanshan coming to find her, the result was obvious.

She secretly rejoiced, but still asked, "What happened?"

"Divorce tomorrow."

"What about us?"

Xu Huanshan pondered for a long while. "Let's talk about it later."

Although she was disappointed, the news that Xu Huanshan would divorce tomorrow still excited her immensely.

The next day, Gu Jia had drunk quite a lot the day before and was still asleep in the living room.

After going out for a run, Wang Yan brought back some breakfast and woke Xu Ziyan to come eat.

Xu Ziyan exercised every day as well and was full of energy. It was inevitable for children to sleep in, but he had long since slept enough. He simply rolled around in bed, unwilling to get up.

Wang Yan called him once, and he got up immediately. He was very decisive and had absolutely no morning temper.

Xu Ziyan was rather surprised to see Gu Jia sleeping in the living room after he came out.

He sometimes slept at Wang Yan's house, but his mother had never stayed the night before.

"Dad, why is my mom here too?"

"She got drunk, and your dad had something to do and wasn't home, so she stayed here for the night. All right, eat your breakfast."

Xu Ziyan was sensible. Knowing that Gu Jia was drunk, he spoke very softly, afraid of waking her.

After the father and son finished eating, Wang Yan tidied Xu Ziyan up, drove him to school, and then returned.

By the time he got back, Gu Jia had already woken up and was taking a shower.

They said the morning was the most important part of the day, and Wang Yan was somewhat restless. However, he controlled himself well. After today, he could do whatever he wanted with her, so why rush?

When Gu Jia finished showering, Wang Yan pointed at the porridge on the table. "Eat a little. You must feel awful. Have some to settle your stomach."

"Okay."

She nodded, sat down at the table, and lowered her head to drink the porridge.

After breakfast, Gu Jia tidied herself up. Wang Yan said, "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I can handle it myself. Besides, it wouldn't be good for you two to meet." Gu Jia smiled gently, stepped forward, kissed Wang Yan, and left.

Feeling the lingering warmth on his cheek, Wang Yan watched Gu Jia's departing figure.

The corners of his lips lifted, and his eyes held a smile.

Old Wang had risen to the top.

After leaving, Gu Jia returned to her apartment on the twelfth floor to collect all kinds of documents. She then called Xu Huanshan and arranged to meet him at the law firm they had worked with before.

When she arrived, she found a familiar lawyer, explained the specific terms, and asked him to draft an agreement first.

After waiting for quite a while, Xu Huanshan finally arrived late, arm in arm with Lin Youyou.

If Wang Yan had been there, he would have given Xu Huanshan a thumbs-up and praised him for being a real man.

His behavior was understandable. He was simply bringing someone along to show off.

Look how young and beautiful the woman I found is. Isn't she vastly better than you, an aging woman whose youth and beauty have faded? Do you think I can't live without you, Gu Jia? I'll show you what I'm capable of. Without you, I'll only be better.

However, doing this truly meant that he had no regard for the years they had spent together. After so many years of marriage, his behavior was rather heartless.

It was also the greatest mockery of Gu Jia. The relationship she had protected for all those years had turned out to be a joke.

Just the day before yesterday, he and Gu Jia had still been a model couple, deeply in love. Before that, he had loudly confessed his love and expressed his feelings at her thirtieth birthday party. Yet only a few days later, after sweet-talking her and kneeling to beg for forgiveness yesterday, he had brought someone right in front of Gu Jia today—at the very place where they were signing their divorce agreement?

Perhaps Gu Jia had oppressed him for too long. Now that he had escaped his cage, perhaps Xu Huanshan wanted to anger her.

It was impossible for him to be that stupid. He and Gu Jia had not reached the point of being mortal enemies. Lin Youyou must have played a part in this.

Xu Huanshan looked refreshed, while Lin Youyou held her head high. The two walked arm in arm toward Gu Jia.

When they stopped in front of Gu Jia, Xu Huanshan said, "Gu Jia, let me introduce you. This is..."

To be honest, Gu Jia had still been somewhat sad and reluctant earlier. But when she saw the pair approaching, she felt that the greatest sorrow was when one's heart had died. All her feelings vanished in an instant.

Of course, she was angry. But that anger only lasted for a while. Once it passed, it was over.

They did not care about her at all. Why should she waste her time sorrowing over spring and autumn, being sentimental, and thinking about useless things? She immediately let it go.

"No need. I have no interest in knowing who she is."

Gu Jia did not give the two of them any face, nor did she even look at them directly.

She had no intention of lecturing them anymore. Given the situation, it was already generous of her not to curse them.

Lin Youyou's expression became somewhat ugly. But then she thought about how she had brought down the legitimate wife and once again raised a victorious smile. Gu Jia was merely a loser, so Lin Youyou decided to be magnanimous and not quibble with her.

Xu Huanshan looked at Gu Jia's expression. His goal had been achieved, and he felt somewhat pleased.

Just then, the lawyer came out. "Sister Gu, this is the agreement I drafted according to your requirements. Please see whether there are any problems."

Gu Jia took it and handed a copy to Xu Huanshan. "Take a look. If there's no problem, sign it. Hurry up—we still have to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau later."

Xu Huanshan carefully read through it. This concerned his future sex life, so he could not afford to be careless.

As for dividing the assets, he had already discussed it with Lin Youyou the day before. She naturally wanted more. But she was not stupid, either. The couple had built everything together, and most of it was jointly owned, so splitting it fifty-fifty was only fair. Gu Jia had only asked for the tea factory and a few other things. That was already acceptable.

If she made a fuss and took the matter to court, Xu Huanshan might not even receive half. He would only resent her. The established facts could not be changed simply because she made a scene.

They had made everything clear yesterday, and the agreement had been drafted according to their discussion, with only a few other insignificant details added.

After reading it once and finding no problems, Xu Huanshan signed.

Gu Jia had finished her side long ago. Seeing him sign, she put away the contract, tossed out a "See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau," picked up her bag, and left.

She now wished to finish everything and part ways as soon as possible. Seeing those two bastards wandering around in front of her was making her extremely upset.

There were many people at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Whether they were there to divorce or marry, there were always plenty of people.

After waiting for a long time, it was finally their turn.

As usual, the clerk tried to persuade them. After all, people should be urged to reconcile rather than separate. Being able to come together was fate. If he managed to persuade one couple to stay together, he could eat two extra bowls of rice at dinner.

Both of them said there was no need to persuade them and that they were determined to divorce. The clerk shook his head and began processing the paperwork without another word.

Their documents were complete, and the divorce agreement had been signed. The division of their jointly owned property was clearly stated, so there was no dispute over the assets.

Everything went very smoothly.

With a click, the steel seal was stamped onto the divorce certificate, and their marriage finally came to an end.

Xu Huanshan stared at the divorce certificate in front of him, feeling empty inside. He did not feel relieved as he had imagined. Instead, he felt especially lost.

If Xu Huanshan had not behaved the way he did before, Gu Jia might have cried a little. But now, she had not a single lingering thought left. She was the one who truly felt relieved.

After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Xu Huanshan forced himself to stay composed. How could he let Gu Jia see his weakness?

Gu Jia said to the barely composed Xu Huanshan, "Go back and pack your things. After the house is sold, transfer the money to me."

As for their earlier show of bravado, to be honest, she had considered telling Xu Huanshan that she and Wang Yan were together, just to strike back.

But after thinking it over, she gave up. For one thing, it would create complications and invite more trouble. For another, it was not something honorable. What was there to compete over?

Besides, putting on an empty show for the sake of a momentary dispute was pointless. Living her own life well was what truly mattered.

She called Wang Yan and, after asking where he was, drove over to find him.

After Gu Jia left that morning, Wang Yan had set out as well.

At that moment, he was in a building not far from Junyue Mansion called Tianyue Mansion.

The previous apartment was not small, and it had been more than enough for three people. But it was completely flat, with only one bedroom and one study. It would not be convenient for him and Gu Jia to raise a child there.

Wang Yan had planned this long ago, and the new home had already been prepared.

The house was worth a little over one hundred million. Since it was a second-hand property, renovating it properly would take a year or more, which was too long. When he had first arrived, he had not had that much cash on hand, so later he mortgaged the apartment at Junyue Mansion for more than twenty million and raised the money on the market. Naturally, he did not pay for the house in full. He borrowed about fifty million. With that money, he could make another few investments and earn more than the interest on the loan.

This was the duplex penthouse that had made Gu Jia envious. It had a first-rate river view and an excellent outlook. From the twenty-third floor upward, it extended across two levels. The top floor had an open-air garden. Overall, it was quite good.

He had always favored high-rise buildings because he especially liked the feeling of looking down on everything, of standing above the rest. Perhaps once his cultivation reached a higher realm, he would return to seeing mountains as mountains and come to enjoy standing on solid ground. Who could say?

The previous decorating style was very fresh, and he thought it suited his taste. After buying the place, he altered some of the layout, dividing it into children's, nanny, fitness, storage, activity, and entertainment areas, then partially redecorated and arranged them.

Now everything had been tidied up perfectly, and it was ready to move into.

Gu Jia drove to Tianyue Mansion.

Wang Yan had made arrangements in advance. After Gu Jia showed her identification downstairs, the property staff issued her an access card.

She used the card to reach the twenty-third floor by elevator. Wang Yan had already been waiting at the door.

When she entered and saw the interior, Gu Jia was somewhat shocked.

Gu Jia knew the quality of Tianyue Mansion. It was even better than Junyue Mansion. She could roughly estimate what a penthouse here would be like. Although she knew Wang Yan was capable, the impact of standing in a home worth over one hundred million was still enormous.

"From now on, the three of us will live here. What do you think? Do you like it?"

Gu Jia nodded and rushed forward to kiss Wang Yan. She was excited too. She had been terribly envious when she saw Mrs. Wang living in a duplex. Now that she could live here, her dream had come true.

She pulled Wang Yan around to inspect the entire place. She could find no fault with the layout, furnishings, or decoration and was extremely satisfied.

The gloom after the divorce vanished without a trace. Xu Huanshan? Go to hell.

She had spent half the day waiting in line at the Civil Affairs Bureau, and it was almost evening. Xu Ziyan would be getting out of school soon.

"Wang Yan, let's go pick up Ziyan together."

"After we get back, we can buy some groceries nearby. I'll prepare a feast."

They had known each other for so long, yet Wang Yan had never eaten anything she cooked. Today, she would let Old Wang see what a virtuous wife and loving mother could do.

"We can also celebrate my new life and our move into our new home."

Wang Yan naturally nodded in agreement. "All right, we'll do as you say. Let's go."

He immediately drove off with Gu Jia.

After picking up the child and buying groceries, they finally returned home.

Xu Ziyan froze when he entered. In his short few years of life, he had never seen such a large house. "Wow, it's so big! Mom, Dad, are we going to live here from now on?"

Gu Jia nodded. "That's right. Come look around. Do you like it?"

The child was innocent and spoke honestly. "I like it."

"Then where will Dad live?"

Gu Jia fell silent. She felt somewhat guilty toward her child and did not know how to explain it to him.

Seeing her silent, Wang Yan naturally stepped in. "Ziyan, do you know what divorce means?"

He was not afraid of Xu Ziyan being hurt. Children were precocious nowadays. He might not understand the deeper implications, but he knew at the very least that his father and mother could no longer live together with him. Moreover, Wang Yan had spent so much time with him that he understood him well.

Xu Ziyan heard Wang Yan and asked, "Mom and Dad got divorced?"

Wang Yan nodded. "Your mother and father weren't happy living together, so they separated. From now on, the three of us will live together."

"But if you miss your father, you can still go see him whenever you want."

This was the moment to test the results of all the time he had spent raising him. It could not all have been for nothing.

Some children in Xu Ziyan's kindergarten had parents who were divorced, but they seemed happy enough and did not consider it a big deal. His dad had also said that he could see his father whenever he wanted, so it was not as though he would never see him again. Besides, compared with Xu Huanshan, he liked Wang Yan more. Thus, he did not take it to heart.

Xu Ziyan thought for a moment and said, "Oh, I understand. I think living together like this is great. I've wanted to be with Dad for a long time."

Children were fickle, and their memories were not that strong yet. With a little more effort from Wang Yan, Xu Huanshan might well be forgotten by Xu Ziyan within a month.

Seeing that Xu Ziyan did not resist, Gu Jia glanced at Wang Yan and let out a long breath. "All right, Ziyan. You and your dad go look at your room. Mom will go cook."

She then went into the kitchen and began clattering away.

Wang Yan took Xu Ziyan to see his room, as well as a separate place for playing with toys. Xu Ziyan was thrilled. He had never seen an entire room filled with toys that belonged to him.

Afterward, the two of them wandered around upstairs and downstairs. Xu Ziyan looked at this and poked at that, finding everything fresh and interesting.

After a while, Gu Jia finally finished cooking. "The food's ready. You two stop wandering around, wash your hands, and come eat."

After going up and down three floors, Xu Ziyan was exhausted. When he heard Gu Jia call them to eat, he hurried over enthusiastically.

Wang Yan took him to wash his hands, and the three of them sat at the dining table, beginning the first meal of their new life.

Gu Jia placed some food in Xu Ziyan's bowl and said to Wang Yan, "Wang Yan, try it and see how it tastes."

Wang Yan picked up his chopsticks and took some braised carp. After chewing, he said, "Mm, not bad. It's every bit as good as what a master chef at a large restaurant could make."

Anyone would be happy to have their cooking acknowledged and praised, let alone by Wang Yan.

Gu Jia smiled gently and placed another dish in Wang Yan's bowl. "If you like it, eat more. Here, try this."

"From now on, I'll often cook for you two."

The meal was filled with laughter and conversation, and everyone ate happily.

Afterward, Wang Yan and Gu Jia accompanied Xu Ziyan as the three of them played together for half the day.

Xu Ziyan was utterly immersed in the joy of moving into the big house. There was plenty of space, so he dragged the two adults into a game of hide-and-seek.

Gu Jia and Xu Ziyan had not experienced such a harmonious atmosphere for a long time. In any case, everyone was very happy.

After playing for a long while, Xu Ziyan grew tired. Gu Jia bathed him and coaxed him to sleep.

She went to the large bedroom on the top floor and found Wang Yan admiring the view on the terrace.

The two exchanged glances. When Gu Jia let out an "Oh," he picked her up at once.

Wang Yan's usual post-intimacy cigarette. Two words: That hit the spot.

After exchanging sweet nothings, Wang Yan contentedly held Gu Jia in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.

Thanks to Big Brother (Antivirus) for the monthly-ticket support.

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