The Alpha’s Hidden Marriage, Public Obsession - Chapter 57.1

The two stood at the door, staring at each other in silence.

Though they were so close, Lin Yulan felt an insurmountable distance between them as if a thick, towering wall separated them. She could see Jiang Xue clearly, yet she couldn’t reach her.

It was obvious that Jiang Xue had made up her mind. She was determined to divorce her and wouldn’t change her stance, even invoking legal terms to ensure Lin Yulan had no chance of swaying her.

Lin Yulan wanted to go mad, to simply grab Jiang Xue and carry her back by force, locking her in the villa so she would have no choice but to see her every day.

But that was just a fleeting thought. It was easy to possess someone’s body, but Lin Yulan didn’t just want Jiang Xue physically she wanted her heart and soul as well.

“If Assistant Manager Lin has nothing else to say, I’ll be going back now.” Seeing Lin Yulan standing motionless, her gaze fixed on her, Jiang Xue was immediately reminded of the previous morning when Lin Yulan had looked at her the same way only to do something outrageous afterward.

This time, she absolutely would not give Lin Yulan any opportunity.

Yet, the moment Jiang Xue turned to leave, Lin Yulan grabbed her.

“What do you want now?!”

But contrary to expectations, Lin Yulan didn’t do anything aggressive. Instead, she said softly, “Uncle Zhao has prepared dinner. Eat before you go.”

Jiang Xue wanted to refuse, but then she reconsidered. Since they were about to divorce, this might be the last time they’d ever see each other. They had agreed to part amicably, this could be their farewell meal.

“Let go of my hand first,” Jiang Xue said. “I can walk on my own.”

Seeing Jiang Xue agree, Lin Yulan slowly released her grip. She watched as Jiang Xue stepped inside before following behind.

The meal was agonizing. The two sat across from each other in complete silence. Eventually, Lin Yulan couldn’t eat anymore and simply set down her chopsticks, watching Jiang Xue instead.

Under that intense gaze, Jiang Xue grew uncomfortable and also put down her utensils.

“What’s wrong? Is the food not good? I can ask Uncle Zhao to prepare something else.”

As Lin Yulan stood up, Jiang Xue stopped her. “It’s not that! It has nothing to do with the food. Can you stop staring at me?”

No one liked being watched while eating. Lin Yulan knew this perfectly well, yet she pretended otherwise truly despicable.

Lin Yulan slowly sat back down. “I’m already full.”

Full?

Half the rice in her bowl remained untouched. The vegetables she had picked out were barely eaten, and the meat she had taken hadn’t been touched at all. This was what she called “full”?

Jiang Xue couldn’t eat properly under these circumstances.

“If you don’t want to eat, then have the staff clear the table.”

Lin Yulan glanced at the half-finished bowl of rice in front of Jiang Xue. “I really don’t have an appetite, but I’ll just watch you eat.”

Jiang Xue didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t just leave halfway through the meal wasting food was unacceptable. So she shot Lin Yulan a glare and silently finished the remaining half-bowl of rice.

Fortunately, Jiang Xue didn’t take long to finish her meal. Ignoring the gaze Lin Yulan directed at her, she wiped her mouth with a tissue, gathered her tableware, and took it to the kitchen for the designated housekeeper to clean.

Originally, Jiang Xue had wanted to help, but the housekeeper insisted she shouldn’t, so she could only leave the dishes and quickly exit. Just as she turned around, she saw Lin Yulan standing at the kitchen doorway, her eyes fixed on her.

Jiang Xue pretended not to notice. After leaving the kitchen, she walked straight past Lin Yulan, exchanged a brief greeting with the butler, Uncle Zhao, and headed outside without hesitation.

Lin Yulan followed cautiously behind.

As they neared the door, Jiang Xue suddenly stopped.

Lin Yulan halted as well, expecting Jiang Xue to say something else. Instead, she heard Jiang Xue say coldly, “Lin Yulan, you don’t need to see me off. I hope to see you at the Civil Affairs Bureau in three days.”

With that, Jiang Xue walked away without looking back.

Lin Yulan stood frozen in place, nearly overwhelmed by frustration and despair.

“Miss, should I send someone to bring Young Madam back?” The butler, hearing the mention of the Civil Affairs Bureau, immediately understood Jiang Xue’s implication and hurried over.

“It’s useless.”

“What?”

“When Jiang Xue makes a decision, she never changes her mind.”

“Then Miss, are you really going to divorce Young Madam?”

Lin Yulan took a deep breath, her voice hoarse. “I don’t want a divorce. But Uncle Zhao, I can’t think of any way to make her forgive me.”

The butler thought to himself, who was the one who had spoken so harshly before? Now, there wasn’t even a chance to chase after her wife; they had skipped straight to the crematorium stage, with not even ashes left behind.

But since this was his young mistress, he couldn’t be too blunt. He only said, “Miss, Young Madam is still angry right now. Of course, she won’t forgive you especially since Miss Qu even brought the Zhao family today just to mock her. It’s only natural for her to be this resolute. However, since Young Madam has given you three days, you should use this time to think carefully. From what I know of Young Madam, she may have a sharp tongue, but her heart is soft. It’s not that she refuses to forgive you she just needs time to process her emotions. If you truly don’t want a divorce and want to win her back, I believe that if you show her the utmost sincerity, Young Madam will definitely reconsider.”

“Do you really mean that?”

“That depends on how far you’re willing to go, Miss.”

Lin Yulan bit her lip. “I only have three days. If Jiang Xue doesn’t see me at the Civil Affairs Bureau in three days, she’ll leave the country with her school team. Uncle Zhao, legally, if we’re separated for one or two years, even if I don’t want a divorce, it’ll be mandatory.”

The butler nodded. “That’s exactly why I said it depends on how far you’re willing to go.”

To win someone back, one must be willing to pay a price.

Even if, in the end, Jiang Xue couldn’t be persuaded to stay, at the very least, showing enough determination might make her reconsider the divorce. That alone would be a step toward a better outcome.

Lin Yulan understood what the butler meant. But she didn’t want to make Jiang Xue resent her even more. Most importantly, she wanted to leave the choice to Jiang Xue to make her willingly, wholeheartedly, forgive her.

But now, it seemed she really had no other choice left.

Lin Yulan slumped back to her room, her head hanging low like a withered flower, looking as if she might shatter at any moment.

In truth, Lin Yulan was already broken only her body was barely holding on. The last traces of the Omega’s scent in the room had completely vanished, Jiang Xue really didn’t want her anymore.

For the next three days, Lin Yulan drifted through life in a daze, though she spent most of her time buried in work at the company, as if drowning herself in busy tasks could numb the pain a little.

“Assistant Manager Lin.”

Her assistant pushed open the office door in a fluster.

Lin Yulan was reviewing project documents when she noticed the assistant’s uneasy expression. She looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The assistant replied, “Assistant Manager Lin, someone we don’t know who has somehow gotten hold of some false information and sold it to the tabloids. Now those reporters are spreading blatantly slanderous articles online. Should we have someone handle it?”

“What false information?”

“It’s… ”

The assistant hesitated for a long moment before speaking in a weak voice, “It’s about your marriage to the young madam. Rumors are spreading that she’s just a replacement you found. Now all the prominent families know you’re married, but since there was no wedding ceremony, they’re all saying.”

Lin Yulan was already in a foul mood, and hearing this made her expression darken instantly.

The assistant had never seen Lin Yulan angry before. The murderous look in her eyes was terrifying.

“Assistant Manager Lin, I’ll have someone deal with it right away!”

“No need.”

No need?

Did that mean she wasn’t going to address it?

But if they ignored it, wouldn’t the rumors just solidify as fact?

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