Fell Deeply In Love With My Ex-Husband's Fiancé - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Formal Divorce

The three words “Divorce Certificate” reflected a metallic sheen…

Lu Feiran was pulled into the studio, violin and all. Lance’s grip was strong, and Lu Feiran couldn’t break free.

The studio was fully equipped with all kinds of tools and excellent lighting, but it was clear at a glance that it had never been used—everything was brand new.

Lance asked Lu Feiran to play any tune he liked, while he sat in front of the easel and picked up a charcoal pencil.

For some reason, Lu Feiran felt Lance was a little anxious, as if he was desperately trying to prove something. But he didn’t think too deeply, assuming Lance was simply suddenly interested in painting.

He stood by the window as Lance requested. Wielding a violin again after many years, his heart was surprisingly calm. The sheet music was etched into his memory without the slightest blur, and the sound of the instrument poured forth like trickling water.

Lu Feiran didn’t just play one piece; he completely immersed himself in the long-lost musical wilderness, playing one after another, his eyes closed, drawing the bow, swaying gracefully.

When he finally stopped, he looked at Lance with a triumphant smile, only to see a completely unfamiliar expression on Lance’s face.

Lance’s face was taut, completely devoid of expression, intently focused on the drawing paper in front of him.

The sun was setting in the west, and the indoor light was fading, leaving half of his features obscured in the faint shadows.

Lu Feiran looked at Lance, tightening his grip on the bow.

Is he too serious? Lance was different from his usual self. The warm aura that usually drew Lu Feiran closer was completely gone, leaving only coolness.

Lu Feiran stood still, silently observing Lance. He noticed that Lance’s brow bone was more prominent than he had previously thought, his nose bridge was higher, and even his jawline was sharper.

The indifference and aloofness Lance inadvertently displayed felt like a sudden spring chill, making Lu Feiran shiver.

The sense of dissonance was too strong. Lu Feiran couldn’t help but break the silence: “Norn?”

Lu Feiran called him.

Lance seemed completely oblivious, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, making even his brow ridge look sharp.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw Lu Feiran standing still in the distance, holding the violin in a daze.

Lance smiled. The whistling cold wind finally passed, and warmth filled the entire room again.

Lu Feiran secretly breathed a sigh of relief, though he didn’t know why he had felt nervous just now. He walked toward Lance, wanting to see the painting: “How is it? Can I see?”

The painting was covered, and Lu Feiran was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected Lance to refuse him.

Why can’t I see the painting?

There was more than one covered sheet of paper. Connecting this with Lance’s serious expression just now, he understood: Lance wasn’t satisfied with the paintings, thought he hadn’t drawn well, and was therefore in a bad mood.

Lance lowered his head, seeing Lu Feiran’s fair, slender fingers move past his eyes. He grasped Lu Feiran’s large hand. A wet, warm sensation came from the dry palm; Lu Feiran’s palm was sweating.

Lance squeezed harder, completely enveloping Lu Feiran’s hand, not giving him another chance to focus on the covered drawings.

Lu Feiran stopped his movement. Lance gently shook his hand, pressed his cheek against Lu Feiran’s hand, and looked at him with misty green eyes: “You played beautifully. It was very moving.”

Lu Feiran’s breath hitched, and his eyes darted left and right. He knew Lance was changing the subject. Were those drawings really so bad that he couldn’t see them? He wouldn’t say they were ugly. Did he have to hide them?

“Aren’t you going to show your work to the model? I want to see,” Lu Feiran said, sounding annoyed, his eyebrows almost standing up like a ruffled black cat.

His questioning and commanding tone did not provoke Lance at all; instead, it deepened his smile. Squeezing Lu Feiran’s soft palm, he used some coaxing techniques and said, “Aren’t you tired? Do you want a cookie?”

The topic change was too abrupt. Lu Feiran felt helpless and exasperated, but he didn’t insist further. He patted Lance’s hand, withdrew his own, and followed Lance’s lead: “I’m a little hot. I want to take a shower and then eat.”

“I’ll get your pajamas.”

Lu Feiran had only stayed at Lance’s a few times, but he had accumulated almost all the necessary personal items, including pajamas, underwear, and exclusive slippers, and even several sets of outerwear.

Lu Feiran didn’t manage to see Lance’s paintings today. Coaxed and distracted by him, he went to bed early that night.

Late at night, the spacious studio was unlit. The window was open a crack, allowing the cold autumn wind to blow in. The cashmere curtain was gently swayed, and moonlight fell upon a tall figure.

Lance held a slender blue ribbon cigarette between his fingers. The pale gray, curling smoke was scattered by the wind. A red point of light glowed brightly, but he didn’t take a single puff before it extinguished.

He finally picked up the discarded drafts after crushing the cigarette butt.

Every single one was of Lu Feiran.

It was evident that the artist had sincerely tried to capture Lu Feiran’s expression and posture vividly, but the artist’s skill was not exceptional, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t grasp the most delicate brushstrokes.

He couldn’t draw Lu Feiran.

The naive, stiff lines were simply unworthy of Lu Feiran while playing the violin.

Frustration, like an invisible ghost, wrapped around Lance, choking his throat, making him unable to ignore the strange feeling in his heart any longer.

Lance had never lost, and he didn’t plan to lose when it came to Lu Feiran.

The smell of scorching paper wafted out from under the door. Lu Feiran, asleep, curled up and twitched his nose. He changed his position and continued sleeping.

He slept straight through until noon. Lu Feiran searched the entire house but couldn’t find Lance, so he obediently sat at the dining table and ate the meal Lance had prepared.

With his stomach full, Lu Feiran suddenly remembered smelling a strange odor in his sleep. He looked toward the studio, and on an impulse, went inside, wanting to see those drawings from yesterday.

But the paintings were gone; he couldn’t find them anywhere.

Lu Feiran returned to the bedside and saw multiple missed calls on his phone. They were all from Zhai Qiance?!

Lu Feiran quickly reviewed his negotiation with Zhai Qiance yesterday, believing there were no flaws. He cautiously answered the phone: “Hello?”

“Where are you?” Zhai Qiance’s tone was urgent and hostile. “Bring your ID card. I’ll send someone to pick you up. Come to the Civil Affairs Bureau with me now, immediately.”

“What?” Lu Feiran was stunned.

“Didn’t you want a divorce?! Come with me now and get divorced!” Zhai Qiance almost roared, the loud volume hurting Lu Feiran’s ears.

But Lu Feiran wasn’t happy. Unusual circumstances suggest a trick. Was Zhai Qiance planning to send people to take him to a deserted wilderness and dispose of his body?

He called Zhou Zihua and explained the situation. Zhou Zihua immediately acted like a knight guarding a princess, offering to drive his flashiest white Pagani convertible to take him to the divorce.

“Are you still at that hotel?” Zhou Zihua asked.

Lu Feiran’s expression didn’t change: “I am!”

The pure white Pagani, with its high-profile rear wing, stopped in front of Lu Feiran, who had hailed a taxi to reach the hotel. The back seat was stuffed with vivid red roses. The roses were wrapped in black silk ribbons, the intense, fiery color making Lu Feiran, dressed in a white sweater, look even more delicate.

Zhou Zihua could tell Lu Feiran’s spirit was improving day by day. He opened his music player and said, “Good boy, you’ve got some skills! You’re getting divorced so quickly! I was afraid there would be complications! How about the flowers? Aren’t they beautiful?”

Not only was the narrow back seat filled with roses, but Lu Feiran also held a huge bouquet. The fragrance filled his nostrils, and fallen petals clung to Lu Feiran’s neck and sweater. He picked them off for a good while until he was clean.

Seeing Zhou Zihua pull out two Bluetooth speakers from somewhere, an ominous premonition surfaced in Lu Feiran’s mind: “What are you going to do?”

“Play ‘Good Days’! Today is your great day!” Zhou Zihua’s voice was quite loud, and his actions were high-profile, attracting the attention of many passersby. “We’ll play it all the way there. I’ll wait for you outside the Civil Affairs Bureau with the music playing. Don’t worry, I’ve already arranged a model for the photos. Just waiting for your arrival!”

Lu Feiran was amused but helpless. However, Zhai Qiance’s unusual behavior made it difficult for him to feel at ease. He pressed down on Zhou Zihua’s eager hands and said, “Don’t play music. When things are abnormal, there must be a trick. I suspect his asking me to go is a decoy.”

Zhou Zihua’s face instantly changed: “You suspect he doesn’t want to divorce, but is taking the opportunity to retaliate against you? In broad daylight…”

“He wanted to send someone to pick me up. I didn’t dare to agree, so I called you to come over,” Lu Feiran said with worry. “His tone was very unpleasant. I can’t imagine what could make him so agitated.”

“It’s fine. We’re only going to the Civil Affairs Bureau and nowhere else. I’ll leave a message for my dad first,” Zhou Zihua comforted him.

The high-performance car’s engine roared, and the white wind carried Lu Feiran into the distance. Driving onto the avenue where the Civil Affairs Bureau was located, Lu Feiran wondered, Is this really the end?

Lu Feiran looked around hesitantly, easily spotting a discreet black Maybach under the shade of a nearby tree.

The Pagani’s engine cut off, and Zhai Qiance stepped out of the Maybach.

Lu Feiran observed him. The suit jacket had too many wrinkles on the sleeves. His tie was slightly crooked, and his hair was somewhat messy, not entirely slicked back.

Zhai Qiance’s gaze met his, mixed with complex, indescribable emotions, a hint of lingering affection, followed by hatred, making Lu Feiran feel uncomfortable.

Lu Feiran composed himself, secretly scanned the surroundings, and, finding nothing amiss, breathed a sigh of relief. He gave Zhai Qiance a provocative smile, more captivating than the red roses in his arms.

Zhai Qiance had never felt that Lu Feiran’s beauty was the dazzling type. He felt like he was seeing a stranger again.

He raised his hand to check his watch, his face growing even gloomier: “Important people are busy. You kept me waiting.”

Lu Feiran nodded: “Glad you know that.”

Although Zhai Qiance was unhappy with Lu Feiran’s sharp retort, he didn’t argue at this crucial moment. His chest visibly rose and fell twice, suppressing all his frustration and unwillingness. He walked into the Civil Affairs Bureau first.

Lu Feiran followed, filling out forms and submitting documents according to the procedure. He didn’t encounter a single hitch; the entire process was excessively smooth.

The staff member handed him a red booklet. Lu Feiran didn’t dare to take it, his dark eyes anxiously surveying the surroundings, as if trying to find a clue to a bizarre dream. He pinched his thigh again.

A dull pain struck. Lu Feiran didn’t have time to register the pain. He took the certificate with both hands.

The three words (Divorce Certificate) reflected a metallic sheen. Lu Feiran ran his finger over it again and again, finally confirming that he was not in a dream, but in the harsh, cruel reality.

It was finally over.

Lu Feiran was lost in thought for a long time in his seat. Only when the staff member prompted him did he snap out of it. Zhai Qiance had already left. Today was truly just about the divorce, just the divorce…

His hands and feet started to feel numb, and a vein in his temple throbbed violently. Lu Feiran forcefully covered his mouth, preventing himself from hyperventilating, and squatted in the waiting area for a long time before standing up.

“Congratulations!”

Colored confetti poured down like heavy rain. Lu Feiran looked at Zhou Zihua, who had pulled the party favors. His eyes were sore, but the autumn afternoon sunlight wasn’t blinding.

Zhou Zihua hugged him excitedly: “The arrangement is ready. A Russian guy showed up. Blond hair, green eyes, and a killer body. You’ll definitely like him!”

Something in a certain part of Lu Feiran’s heart was inexplicably triggered. He felt guilty and pretended he didn’t understand: “Huh?”