After the Divorce, My Ex-Wife Regrets It Deeply - Chapter 5

At the company gala.

Chen Shi glanced down at his phone, waved a smile to the colleagues in front of him, and began searching for Luo Yueming’s figure.

Soon, he spotted her. Having finished dealing with the directors, Luo Yueming was hiding in a corner taking a short nap.

Chen Shi didn’t rush over. Instead, he placed his wine glass on a nearby table before approaching quietly. Just as he drew near, the eyes of the closed-eyed Luo Yueming suddenly snapped open, her clear gaze staring silently at him.

His momentum instantly withered under her stare. Chen Shi gave an awkward laugh: “Everything you asked me to do has been taken care of.”

Luo Yueming withdrew her gaze and closed her eyes again. Only then did Chen Shi dare to look at her face, noticing the faint dark circles under her eyes.

Luo Yueming was famous in the company.

It wasn’t just because she was beautiful—and she certainly was, with her jet-black, lustrous hair and tall figure—but because any wandering thoughts of pursuit would vanish the moment one met those deep, piercing eyes.

You couldn’t beat her; it was better to simply behave yourself in her presence.

Even more striking than her beauty was the desperate, life-risking drive she poured into her work.

How else could someone become Chen Shi’s superior within just a few short years of joining the company?

Over the past month, this desperate streak had intensified. Aside from social engagements, she spent all her time busy at the office, even staying there to rest.

Her hard work had secured a massive contract for the company. Now, even at an important event like this gala, the Chairman was willing to let her hide away and rest.

In fact, even if Luo Yueming went home and fell asleep right now, the Chairman wouldn’t say a word.

Chen Shi figured she was intentionally waiting for him.

“Your wife has already signed a contract with my uncle. It’s for five years.” Chen Shi felt a pang of regret at the thought. So many people in the company dreamed of being with her, only to find out she had been married all along.

“Mm.” Luo Yueming’s voice betrayed no emotion; she sounded utterly exhausted.

Feeling confident because he had done her a favor, Chen Shi didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stayed to say a few more words: “Originally, my uncle was only willing to lease for three years at most. Don’t be fooled by the fact that the neighborhood isn’t full yet; in two years, it will become a high-end luxury residential area. The tastes and spending habits there won’t be low. By then, any business will be easy to run.”

With such a prime location, there was no way the rent would be cheap. Three years was one thing, but leasing it for any longer certainly wouldn’t be cost-effective.

Chen Shi hadn’t expected his uncle to agree to five years. The favor of introducing a storefront was one thing, but there was no need to take such a loss.

However, since his uncle was willing, Chen Shi was happy to take the credit and use it to gain favor with Luo Yueming.

Luo Yueming pursed her lips and opened her eyes again, saying, “Understood.”

Chen Shi: “…”

Luo Yueming pressed her hand to her head. Between the days of no rest and the alcohol, her head felt like it was about to explode. She really wasn’t in the mood to listen to this. “I’m going back first. If you need anything, find my assistant.”

Director Luo was cold and heartless, discarding people once they had served their purpose.

Chen Shi’s expression shifted several times. He almost wanted to pull out his phone and complain to Lu Yao—was that her name? He wanted to tattle to his “sister-in-law”!

Speaking of which, he didn’t understand. They could have discussed this behind closed doors at home. Why send him to do it? And why keep it a secret from her?

He couldn’t help but take a glass from a waiter and down a large gulp, spitting out a curse: “She must be getting rejected at home, that’s why she’s too afraid to go back!”

The cold wind outside the hotel dissipated much of the alcohol in Luo Yueming’s system.

She hadn’t actually drunk much. Her tired appearance was due to genuine exhaustion; her thinking had slowed to the point where she didn’t even want to do simple arithmetic.

Luo Yueming didn’t rush home. Instead, she walked to the side, pulled a lighter from her coat pocket, and lit a cigarette.

She didn’t smoke it. She merely held it between her fingers, having no interest in bringing it to her lips, simply watching the smoke swirl.

Lu Yao didn’t like the smell of smoke.

Out of respect for her wife, Luo Yueming never smoked or drank in front of her… though the time they spent together was sparse. A sense of irritation rose in Luo Yueming’s heart again.

The wind picked up. Luo Yueming extinguished the cigarette and put the lighter back in her pocket.

Today, she was only wearing a tight-fitting long dress and an overcoat. Standing in the freezing wind, even the most cold-resistant person should have felt a chill.

Yet, this coldness slightly dulled her headache, giving her space to think about other things.

It was just… she couldn’t figure it out.

Lu Yao didn’t want that apartment; she respected Lu Yao’s choice.

Lu Yao wanted to open a shop; so, she gave Lu Yao a hand.

After all, as a woman herself, Luo Yueming understood clearly that women who had been out of the workforce for too long after marriage found it difficult to find suitable work. Lu Yao’s current situation was because of her.

She had done everything she should, yet there was still an indescribable restlessness.

Such an emotion was foreign to Luo Yueming, leaving her momentarily unsure of where to go.

Go home?

She didn’t want to.

Where did Chen Shi say his uncle’s shop was? Since she had arranged it for Lu Yao, it was only right that she go and take a look to ensure there were no oversights.

Luo Yueming let out a soft, sudden laugh, thinking of Lu Yao’s dazed and confused manner.

Her fingers twitched, wanting to reach for a cigarette again, but she eventually abandoned the idea.

In the middle of the night, Luo Yueming drove toward the address in her memory. After circling the outskirts twice, she finally found the shop belonging to Chen Shi’s uncle.

Lu Yao had already moved in. The light on the second floor was on, though it wasn’t very bright.

Luo Yueming parked by the roadside and watched for a long time in silence. After about ten minutes, she finally saw Lu Yao’s silhouette appear by the window.

Only her upper body was visible. Lu Yao was looking out the window, then she closed it and turned around to turn off the light.

Soon, that bit of brightness vanished.

Another half hour passed. The person inside should have been asleep, but Luo Yueming had no intention of leaving. She checked the time on her phone, then simply reclined her seat, planning to sleep in the car for a few hours before heading back to change her clothes.

I think I saw Luo Yueming’s car.

An illusion, right?

Lu Yao had the habit of checking the window every night before bed. Though she couldn’t really “inspect” anything, she would just take a look outside before closing the window.

The apartment Luo Yueming had bought was on a high floor of a complex; looking out, she could only see the building opposite and a patch of sky. Now that she had changed residences, she could see the cars on the street.

There weren’t many people living here yet, so it became quite lonely once night fell.

That car was parked quietly by the roadside, drawing attention. But Luo Yueming? How could it be?

Lu Yao turned off the light and got into bed.

After thinking of Luo Yueming, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She stared into the dim room for a long time before finally getting up to turn on the light and walking back to the window.

She looked down again. The car was still parked there. The more she looked, the more it truly resembled Luo Yueming’s car.

She pulled over a chair and sat by the window, reminiscing as she watched the car.

Luo Yueming’s car… they had gone to buy it together.

A year into their marriage, Grandma’s health began to decline. Luo Yueming’s parents didn’t want to care for the elderly woman, and Luo Yueming was busy with work, so it fell to Lu Yao to travel between the hospital and home every day.

After this happened many times, Luo Yueming suggested buying a car.

“Buy a car?” Lu Yao had been puzzled.

“Mm.” Luo Yueming lowered her eyes, her narrow gaze resting quietly on Lu Yao. After just one look, she withdrew her vision. “You come back late every day. It’s not convenient to catch a ride.”

Lu Yao thought about it. “Okay.”

At that time, Luo Yueming had been working for two years, taking the subway to and from work every day. Lu Yao felt that she needed a car very much as well.

As for herself, Lu Yao didn’t care much. Her pace of life was slow, and she was used to taking the bus for long distances or walking for short ones.

The two of them agreed, and they used the holiday to go to the dealership to pick out a vehicle.

Luo Yueming had gotten her driver’s license in university and often drove company cars. In comparison, Lu Yao knew nothing about cars; she didn’t even have a license yet.

So, when they arrived at the dealership, she followed obediently behind Luo Yueming, her gaze occasionally falling on her, completely in a supporting role.

Consequently, the salesperson focused their attention on Luo Yueming, asking what her requirements were.

Luo Yueming looked back at Lu Yao, who was sitting quietly on the sofa. “Something suitable for a beginner.”

“A beginner, is it?” The salesperson wasn’t surprised and began introducing models. “You have long legs, so there are many suitable cars, like the Lavida, Magotan, Accord…”

Hearing this, Luo Yueming looked at Lu Yao’s legs.

“A small car.”

The salesperson continued to smile and make recommendations.

And so, while they had come together, it was Luo Yueming who made the decisions and paid the money. Lu Yao just watched, only standing up when Luo Yueming was ready to leave.

Because Luo Yueming had brought her license, she was the one who drove back. She sat in the driver’s seat while Lu Yao sat in the passenger seat. Lu Yao, who was supposed to just be a companion, felt her eyes light up.

The feeling of sitting in the passenger seat was wonderful. Luo Yueming was extremely focused while driving; even if Lu Yao stole a few extra glances, Luo Yueming wouldn’t react.

Just as her gaze was becoming mesmerized, Luo Yueming stopped the car.

Lu Yao’s breath hitched, and she hurriedly withdrew her gaze. Just as she lowered her head, she heard Luo Yueming speak: “Go get your driver’s license.”

Lu Yao, her heart racing, didn’t have time to think and agreed on the spot.

Later, Lu Yao did get her license, but she rarely drove that car unless there was an emergency.

She still preferred the feeling of the passenger seat, where she could watch Luo Yueming for a long, long time…

Emerging from her memories, drowsiness finally washed over Lu Yao. She took one last look at the car below before returning to bed to sleep.

When she woke up the next day, the car was gone.

Lu Yao stood in a daze for a moment. Suddenly, she realized she should buy a car for herself as well.

Now that she had opened a flower shop, she couldn’t keep taking taxis to restock. But regarding cars, she really didn’t know much, and she wasn’t sure if her budget was enough.

Lu Yao walked downstairs. When she pulled up the rolling shutter, she was nearly knocked over by the wind.

The wind was a bit strong today. Lu Yao coughed a few times, and a sense of retreat instinctively rose in her heart. In the end, Lu Yao, who had loved depending on others since she was a child, was just a fool.

When a fool takes their first step, it is always shaky and prone to falling.

Even though it wasn’t right, Lu Yao would still miss Luo Yueming. It seemed that in doing so, she could draw strength and become brave.

Lu Yao’s chest felt very tight, and her breathing, which had been clear, became labored again. Her eyes turned red from the wind as she recalled Jiang Yunyun’s awkward words.

“That person, Chen Shi… he’s from the Shengxi Group. I did business with him once. He seems to be… an employee under Luo Yueming.”