You'd better give up on that idea

Qiao Hua rolled her eyes, speechless.

How had Gu Wenze managed to connect those two things?

"I'm divorcing you because of the problems between us. It has nothing to do with anyone else," Qiao Hua snapped.

"The problems between us?" Gu Wenze's gaze darkened further. "Then why did you choose this particular moment to ask for a divorce?"

She had asked to separate right after getting close to Yan Yu. Clearly, something was going on between them.

"President Gu, don't you know perfectly well why I want to divorce you?" Qiao Hua scoffed. "You don't even like me. Why should I keep clinging to you?"

"Besides, you only reluctantly married me because you thought I'd drugged you. Now I'm setting you free. Isn't that a good thing?"

I know you can't wait to divorce me so you can be with your precious Jiang Nan.

I'm not the type to cling to someone, either. Just give me enough money, and we can part on good terms.

Shit, I just realized something. Has he been refusing to divorce me because he doesn't want to give me any money? He's the president of an entire corporation, yet he's this stingy.

I've been with him for three years. Even if I haven't contributed anything, I've still put in the effort, and he won't even give me this little bit of money. The richer people are, the stingier they get. That saying really is true.

Gu Wenze's expression turned thunderous. "Can you honestly say you didn't orchestrate what happened three years ago?"

The original owner of her body had explained herself countless times. Qiao Hua couldn't be bothered to argue anymore.

Gu Wenze wouldn't believe her anyway. He would only think she was making excuses.

"Yes, yes, yes," she said dismissively. "If you think it was me, then I did it. How could a vicious woman like me deserve to be with you? So hurry up and sign the divorce agreement. Then we can both be free."

Hearing Qiao Hua admit to something like that just to divorce him made Gu Wenze feel as though a fire were raging in his chest.

He had indeed wanted to divorce Qiao Hua before, and had even brought it up several times. Yet now that she had actually asked for a divorce herself, he felt none of the relief he had imagined. Instead, it was as though something were clogging his chest.

He was always the one who dumped other people. No one had ever dared to dump him.

That thought seemed to convince Gu Wenze. An aggressive air radiated from him as he reached out and gripped Qiao Hua's chin, his jaw taut. "The more you want to be with that man, the more I'll refuse. You'd better give up on that idea."

With that, he shoved Qiao Hua away and turned to leave.

Qiao Hua hurried after him, shouting at his back:

"Hey, don't you want to be with Jiang Nan anymore?"

"I can ask for less money! Everything's negotiable!"

"I'm warning you, this is your only chance! When you want to divorce me later, I won't agree either!"

Watching Gu Wenze return to the master bedroom without so much as looking back, Qiao Hua kicked at the air in frustration.

Was Gu Wenze out of his mind? Such a perfect opportunity was right in front of him, and he actually refused it!

Could he be some kind of masochist?

After stewing over it all night, Qiao Hua went downstairs early the next morning, planning to corner Gu Wenze.

The nanny was a little surprised to see her up so early. "Madam, why are you up so early today?"

Qiao Hua gave an awkward smile and picked up a sandwich from the table, her eyes darting around the living room. "Auntie, where's Gu Wenze? Is he still in bed?"

"President Gu?" The nanny went into the kitchen and brought out the piping-hot breakfast. "He left first thing this morning."

Qiao Hua nearly choked. She stared at the nanny in disbelief. "He left? This early?"

The nanny nodded. "Yes. It's quite unusual, actually. Both you and President Gu got up so early today."

Qiao Hua forced a smile, already gritting her teeth in resentment.

That bastard.

He must be afraid I'll bring up the divorce!

Qiao Hua bit hard into her sandwich, as though she were chewing Gu Wenze's flesh rather than bread.

After breakfast, Qiao Hua went to work as usual. Just as she reached the elevator, its doors slid open with a ding.

Yan Yu stood in the middle and looked up at the sound.

He wore a dark gray suit that accentuated his tall, handsome figure, every movement exuding elegance and refinement.

"President Yan, what a coincidence!"

Qiao Hua was a little surprised. Only when the elevator doors were about to close did she come to her senses and hurry inside, standing beside Yan Yu.

"It certainly is." Noticing the dark circles beneath Qiao Hua's eyes, Yan Yu asked with concern, "Didn't sleep well last night?"

Qiao Hua yawned. "Not really."

Last night, she had dreamed that Gu Wenze agreed to the divorce and immediately gave her a downtown apartment and ten million. She had been so excited that she hadn't slept well all night.

Yan Yu, however, read something entirely different into her appearance. After a moment's silence, he asked, "After you left the restaurant yesterday, did you and your husband have any trouble?"

Gu Wenze really did go berserk, Qiao Hua thought.

But she didn't want Yan Yu to blame himself, so she said lightly, "No. That's just his temper. He's unpredictable. Don't take it to heart."

Yan Yu hesitated for a moment. "Qiao Hua, this question might be a little intrusive. I hope you won't be upset."

Qiao Hua looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

Yan Yu's expression was solemn. "Why are you and your husband... getting divorced?"

Perhaps yesterday's meal had brought them closer, because Qiao Hua didn't hold anything back. "He has someone else in his heart, so I decided to bow out."

Whenever heroines on television separated from the male lead, they always took all the blame themselves so that other people would still think well of him.

Qiao Hua could never do anything that fucking stupid.

She wasn't the one who had cheated, after all.

Yan Yu looked thoughtful at her words. After a moment, he said earnestly, "It seems he has terrible taste. He can't even appreciate someone as wonderful as you."

Qiao Hua laughed. "President Yan, isn't that just your friendship bias talking?"

Yan Yu turned toward her, his deep-set eyes fixed intently on hers as he said meaningfully, "It isn't bias. To me, you're the best."

For some reason, Qiao Hua heard a hint of something else in those words.

Just then, the elevator doors opened. Yan Yu stepped out first, then turned back to find Qiao Hua standing there in a daze.

"Aren't you coming?" Yan Yu held the closing elevator doors open with one hand and asked politely.

Qiao Hua snapped out of it and shook her head vigorously.

I was probably overthinking it, right?

Easygoing as she was, Qiao Hua promptly put the little incident out of her mind and hurried out of the elevator. She never noticed that Yan Yu's gaze remained fixed on her from behind, an almost imperceptible depth in his eyes.

If Qiao Hua got divorced, I'd have a chance, wouldn't I?