The Ex-Wife Of A Wealthy/Powerful Family Tempts Me To Treat Her Badly/Betray Her - Chapter 45

Chapter 45: “We stop here.”

Jiang Yu’s breath hitched.

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, her heart still leaped when she realized her speculation had become reality.

She felt the blood rush from her extremities, reaching an extreme point, with a strange feeling of oxygen deprivation.

In a high-rise apartment, there were few sources of noise. At this moment, the study was exceptionally quiet.

But Jiang Yu’s thoughts were a mess.

The two Rong Weis were one person, so what should she do about their relationship now?

To be fair, besides that contractual marriage, Jiang Yu had been busy with work all these years and had no significant romantic experience, not even an ambiguous relationship.

Her attraction to Rong Wei at the climbing gym was mostly lust at first sight; she liked Rong Wei’s body. They were very compatible, and she didn’t really want to separate from Rong Wei right now.

But the issue was that Rong Wei must have known all along that she was her contractual marriage partner.

A sense of being played suddenly surged within Jiang Yu.

She leaned back in the chair, quietly emptied her mind for a moment, then shifted her gaze back to the marriage certificate.

In the red-background photo, the woman with light gold hair was strikingly beautiful. When the photo was taken, both of their faces were expressionless, clearly looking like strangers.

Jiang Yu suddenly understood where the sense of familiarity, which had existed since she first met Rong Wei in Li City, came from.

How could a person one had met before be a complete stranger?

She stared at the photo on the marriage certificate for a long time, then opened her phone and messaged Rong Wei.

【CEO Rong, what are you doing?】

Perhaps it was a case of telepathy, Rong Wei quickly replied:

【Just about to have lunch. What is it?】

【Nothing, I just might have a somewhat presumptuous question for CEO Rong.】

The other side of the phone was silent for a moment, and then Jiang Yu received a video call invitation from Rong Wei.

Jiang Yu paused, put the marriage certificate back in the safe, and accepted the call.

On the other end of the phone screen appeared Rong Wei’s face.

It was the same cool and stunning face as in the marriage certificate photo, but obviously, the person in the video, who could talk and move, was more vivid and real.

She was wearing a smoothly tailored black shirt, sleeves slightly rolled up, revealing half of her forearm. The veins on her arm were visible and matched the black sapphire bracelet well—very attractive.

Jiang Yu admitted that she was attracted by physical appearance; she loved this look of Rong Wei’s.

The knot in her chest seemed to ease slightly. Just as she was deliberating on how to speak, she heard Rong Wei say, “Miss Jiang, what is your question?”

Rong Wei’s voice had its usual cool quality, but her tone was gentle and soothing. Especially at certain times, her voice made people feel tender and lingering.

Jiang Yu smiled and said, “Nothing much, I’m just a bit bored and wanted to chat with you.”

This was a very casual tone, with no apparent purpose.

But Rong Wei felt somewhat surprised; after all, Jiang Yu rarely contacted her outside of Saturdays.

“Chat about what?” Rong Wei asked concisely.

The topic started naturally.

Jiang Yu was not the type to keep things bottled up. Although she was a bit angry, after careful thought, she also realized that she and Rong Wei rarely talked about their real lives.

There was no chance to chat, so how could they talk about being completely honest with each other?

Jiang Yu still wanted to first see what Rong Wei was thinking.

“I dreamt about you on the plane, but the dream was a bit bizarre,” Jiang Yu said.

Rong Wei spoke with interest: “Bizarre?”

Jiang Yu smiled, put her phone on a stand nearby, and said: “Yes, I dreamt that when we were together, we ran into your ex-wife. Your ex-wife asked me who I was to you.”

After speaking, Jiang Yu adjusted her posture, subtly observing Rong Wei’s reaction.

On the other side of the phone, Rong Wei moved with an air of composure. When the topic of the ex-wife came up, she just smiled lightly and then asked, “How did you know it was her?”

“Someone who can be so close to CEO Rong, besides her, I can’t think of anyone else,” Jiang Yu replied quickly, sounding completely normal.

Rong Wei listened to Jiang Yu, seriously looking at Jiang Yu on the other side of the screen.

Suddenly bringing up the topic of an ex-wife out of nowhere.

Rong Wei felt that something wasn’t right.

She suddenly recalled what Rong Shi had told her a few days ago on the phone.

Rong Shi said that if two people hadn’t brought up the matter, it was nothing.

But perhaps they needed a suitable time to make things clear, or at least subtly hint at something.

Rong Wei pondered, then said, “Besides her, that person could actually be you.”

“My relationship with her started quite accidentally.”

“She is also a Chinese national. Are you interested in hearing about our story?”

“Shall I tell you?”

Jiang Yu was genuinely curious about what Rong Wei would say.

But at this moment, hearing Rong Wei’s voice, she suddenly lost the desire to ask.

More than now, she wanted to see Rong Wei’s reaction when they met in person.

She smiled and waved her hand: “Never mind. I’m not interested in CEO Rong’s emotional status.”

“As long as everything is clear, and it can be a bit of fun, there’s no real problem.”

“Alright, CEO Rong, enjoy your lunch. I won’t bother you anymore.”

“Okay, goodbye.”

The call ended. Rong Wei put away her phone and opened the lunch delivered by the home chef.

She replayed what Jiang Yu had just said to her in her mind.

She still felt like something wasn’t quite right.

Rong Wei suddenly felt her right eyelid twitch. Almost at the same moment, her phone vibrated.

It was a message from Jiang Yu.

【End of the month, see you on the 30th. Don’t forget.】

Rong Wei looked at the message, her fingertips gently tapping the desk. She felt like something had changed.

She thought quietly, and after a while, an idea came to her mind.

The marriage certificate came in two copies.

Previously, Jiang Yu worked in Li City, and with her personality, she might not have carried the documents with her.

But now that she was back in the country, she might look at the marriage certificate before officially finalizing the divorce agreement.

They had been together for so long.

Rong Wei felt that Jiang Yu might have found out something.

If so, things seemed to have become a bit interesting.

Rong Wei curled her lips into a smile, sent a message to Jiang Yu, and replied: 【Okay, but should we go directly to the Civil Affairs Bureau, or meet somewhere beforehand?】

On the other end, Jiang Yu quickly replied.

【Either way is fine. You set the location.】

Rong Wei replied “Good.” The WeChat chat fell silent, and she put down her phone to enjoy her lunch.

The subsequent work would be busy. Considering this, Jiang Yu went to bed early tonight, preparing to sleep.

She fell asleep relatively quickly, but perhaps because she had changed beds, even though Jiang Yu went to sleep very early tonight, her sleep was restless.

Vaguely, she really did dream, and she dreamt of Rong Wei.

The Rong Wei in her dream was different from her real-life persona.

She seemed a bit more wicked than in reality, making people feel very strange.

Jiang Yu dreamt fitfully all night and didn’t sleep well. When she woke up, she naturally didn’t feel very energetic.

Ordering takeout was convenient domestically. Jiang Yu didn’t want to make her own breakfast, so she ordered rice porridge.

While waiting for breakfast, she applied makeup, paying special attention to covering her dark circles.

The breakfast was delivered forty minutes later. Jiang Yu opened the box and took a simple sip.

The vegetable porridge had a gentle flavor and actually didn’t taste bad, at least better than the food she often ate in Li City.

But Jiang Yu always felt something was missing.

She suddenly thought of the vegetable porridge made by the chef at Rong Wei’s home.

At this thought, she suddenly cheered up and slapped her cheek lightly.

What am I even thinking?

Why is Rong Wei appearing in my life with increasing frequency lately?

…

The matter with Rong Wei was just a minor interlude. Jiang Yu was very busy with work and wasn’t constantly dwelling on it.

The weather in Lin City was gloomy today, with a damp rain falling outside.

The summer rain did nothing to cool things down. Outdoors, Jiang Yu didn’t feel the typical refreshing coolness of the rainy season. Instead, the muggy and humid feeling on her body was intensified.

Before heading to the work site, Jiang Yu specifically went to the airport to pick up Jiang Baoyi.

Originally, Jiang Yu didn’t need to do the airport pickup.

But something unexpected had happened on Jiang Baoyi’s end, and she arrived a day later than scheduled.

This meant that upon her arrival in Lin City, she had to head straight to the filming location for rehearsal.

The details communicated over the phone were not clear enough. To minimize communication time later, Jiang Yu simply went to the airport to pick up Jiang Baoyi.

And conveniently, the filming location later was in a private mountain resort not far from the airport expressway.

Jiang Baoyi was quite famous in the country. As soon as Jiang Yu arrived at the airport, she saw many people who knew the news coming to meet her.

They were all young girls holding banners related to Jiang Baoyi, radiating a youthful vibe.

She lowered the brim of her hat and headed to the VIP lounge.

After waiting for twenty minutes, she heard Jiang Baoyi’s voice.

“Sister Jiang Yu.”

From afar, Jiang Yu saw Jiang Baoyi.

She had a vibrant, energetic look. She was tall, with large, expressive eyes.

“Sister Jiang Yu, thank you for coming all the way to pick me up,” Jiang Baoyi said immediately upon seeing Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu smiled and shook her head, replying, “It’s nothing. The filming location is right nearby.”

Jiang Baoyi nodded, but continued to say, “No matter what, I still have to thank you, Sister Jiang Yu.”

Jiang Yu wasn’t very good at dealing with such enthusiastic girls and gave a helpless smile.

“Alright, let’s go. There are many fans outside waiting to see you.”

Jiang Baoyi composed her expression and left the VIP area.

At the exit, many fans were standing there waiting to meet her.

Jiang Baoyi bowed in thanks, accepted two letters, and then got into the commercial van with Jiang Yu.

It was too muggy outside. Only after getting into the car did she feel the temperature drop.

Jiang Baoyi comfortably stretched and turned to look at Jiang Yu, keenly noticing a small alpaca charm hanging on Jiang Yu’s bag.

Jiang Baoyi was exceptionally familiar with this little charm. She exclaimed, “Sis, you actually brought it with you.”

Jiang Yu followed Jiang Baoyi’s gaze and saw the handmade woven alpaca charm hanging on her bag, which had a “Peace Talisman” written on its forehead.

“It’s very cute and unique. I like it a lot, so I brought it with me.”

“Thank you.”

Jiang Baoyi smiled and nodded: “Sister Jiang Yu, you’re always so polite.”

“The item isn’t valuable, but I hope the little alpaca that symbolizes safety can have a special meaning.”

“In any case, as long as you like it, I hope it brings you good luck.”

Jiang Yu’s heart softened, and she returned Jiang Baoyi’s smile: “I like it very much.”

While speaking, Jiang Yu noticed Jiang Baoyi unconsciously tugging at the hem of her trousers, sensing that she was a little nervous, and said, “I’ve talked to the people at Qijiang these past few days. They prefer a wild, natural, energetic style.”

“So you don’t need to be too nervous. This endorsement is practically tailor-made for you.”

Jiang Yu comforted Jiang Baoyi briefly, then discussed work details with her.

…

“That’s about it. You don’t need to worry too much.”

While chatting and confirming work details, the car drove through a patch of greenery and onto a winding mountain road.

This was a mountain resort not open to the public. In front of the dense cluster of villas was a very large lake that seemed big enough to encompass all of Lin City.

The surrounding plant species were abundant. After getting out of the car, one could smell the fresh scent of grass, making one feel refreshed and energized.

Aside from that, the setup of the work site was no different from other filming locations.

Lively, fashionable, full of youthful, active energy—these were practically the site’s entire synonyms.

Jiang Yu dropped off Jiang Baoyi with the fashion director, then went to the filming area herself to communicate specific details with the staff there.

There were about a hundred people working at the filming site.

Excluding the fashion director and the related photographer, Qijiang had exclusively hired new people. Thus, Jiang Yu wasn’t very familiar with these people.

“Sister Jiang Yu, we meet again.”

This was the second time today Jiang Yu had heard someone call her name.

But since these were all people working in the fashion industry and they were in China, Jiang Yu wasn’t surprised that someone knew her.

She turned around, looking for the direction the voice came from.

At the end of her sight, appeared a girl who also had light gold hair, amber eyes, and a neat ponytail. She looked very lively.

Jiang Yu looked closely at the girl, trying to determine if she knew her.

But…

Jiang Yu couldn’t retrieve this information from her memory.

As the girl approached, Jiang Yu smiled and nodded.

Rong Shi introduced herself: “Sister Jiang Yu, I was a fan at Sister Ador’s filming location in Li City before, and after that, we met once at the climbing gym.”

Jiang Yu maintained an unwavering smile on her face. Her memory frantically searched, finally locating Rong Shi’s image.

She vaguely remembered…

Rong Shi seemed to be Rong Wei’s younger sister.

She subtly glanced at the ID badge on Rong Shi’s body, suddenly seeming to understand the other significance of Qijiang.

—To give Rong Shi, who loves the fashion industry, some experience.

No wonder they were so rich and heavily invested.

“I remember you. Long time no see.”

Although her attitude towards Rong Wei was somewhat complicated right now, she wasn’t someone who mixed personal and professional matters, nor was she the type to easily take out her anger on others.

So, looking at Rong Shi, she didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

“I’m here to gain experience too. I hope we can communicate well.”

Jiang Yu nodded, said a few encouraging words, and then left the area.

After she left, Rong Shi took out her phone from her pocket.

She pondered for a moment, then, seemingly casually, messaged Rong Wei.

【Ah, I came to work at Qijiang.

It’s a bit busy, but I’m so lucky to see my goddess.】

【Sister, are you busy with work these days?】

【By the way, I have something to ask you. Has your friend’s issue been resolved?】

In Li City, Rong Wei had just gotten home from work and saw Rong Shi’s message.

She would be meeting Jiang Yu in a few days, and the matter would resolve itself then.

Rong Wei smiled and started typing: 【Mostly resolved, didn’t ask her.】

Rong Shi couldn’t help but laugh when she saw Rong Wei’s message.

She pondered for a moment, then said: 【Did your friend find time to be completely honest, or…?】

【I thought about it again and feel that it might be better to be honest beforehand.】

Rong Wei raised an eyebrow and decisively edited her message: 【Not yet, but you can rest assured, my friend probably has a plan.】

Rong Shi looked at Rong Wei’s WeChat message.

She felt like something was wrong, but for a moment, she couldn’t articulate what it was.

She was about to ask a few more probing questions, but the set manager next to her called her name.

She only replied to Rong Wei with a message before putting away her phone.

On the other end of the phone, there were no more messages from Rong Shi.

Rong Wei simply put down her phone as well.

She stood up and left the study.

The housekeeper, Aunt Gu, hadn’t left the house yet. Seeing her emerge, she greeted her with a smile: “CEO Rong, the new batch of specimens you received has been organized.”

Rong Wei nodded, casually grabbed a bottle of mineral water from the water cooler, and then walked to the specimen storage room.

The storage conditions for the specimens were quite strict, typically requiring a dry environment, and some special items needed to be kept out of the light.

Therefore, the room where Rong Wei collected specimens had no windows. When she first entered, it was pitch dark. The subtle scent of rose from the cleaning detergent wafted into Rong Wei’s nostrils.

She turned on the light, and the dark room was instantly illuminated.

This was a collection room of about a hundred square meters; it could easily be called a private specimen museum.

The walls were entirely lined with butterfly specimens, all neatly arranged. The butterfly wings were spread open and free, making it feel like stepping into a dreamlike world.

Among them, the wall of Morpho portis butterflies, the latest batch Rong Wei had received, was the most dazzling.

She quietly observed the wings of the Morpho portis. They were almost transparent and clear, with a subtle, shimmering, iridescent sheen—highly aesthetic.

Rong Wei raised her hand, lightly touched the display molds for the specimens, and then slowly walked inside, looking around her collection.

Passing through the butterfly specimen area, the larger animal specimens were in the center.

Her favorite was still the hawk specimen in the very center, wings spread, exuding an imposing aura.

It was strange.

She loved these things that were made into specimens and were highly aesthetic.

Rong Wei suddenly thought of Jiang Yu.

In truth, her curiosity about Jiang Yu came somewhat suddenly.

Even at the very beginning, she had somewhat wickedly viewed observing Jiang Yu as the same as observing butterfly specimens.

She simply loved beautiful things, whether withered or in full bloom.

Rong Wei quietly admired her collection in the specimen room for half an hour before leaving the room.

Meanwhile, in Lin City, the Qijiang endorsement shoot was proceeding in an orderly manner.

The preliminary preparations were complete. Now that the model was on site, all that remained was makeup trials, rehearsal, filming, and photo selection.

Around eleven in the morning, Jiang Baoyi finished her final makeup look, and it was time for the lunch break.

The location was a bit far from the city center, so Qijiang had arranged lunch—Chinese food from a private kitchen, with a rich variety of dishes.

Jiang Yu wasn’t very hungry, so she only picked a couple of items and found a place to sit.

After a morning of work, everyone was somewhat familiar with each other. When Jiang Yu approached, she saw Jiang Baoyi munching on a cucumber.

Seeing her, Jiang Baoyi shifted over, and Jiang Yu naturally sat next to her.

Jiang Yu looked at the vegetables on Jiang Baoyi’s plate and sincerely suggested, “Why don’t you drink something hot? I remember you said your stomach wasn’t very good.”

Jiang Baoyi gently shook her head: “Thank you, Sister Jiang Yu. You know me… I have the kind of physique where eating anything makes me feel bloated.”

“I’ll endure it for now. The workload isn’t too heavy lately.”

Jiang Yu nodded and sighed softly: “Alright. Before you leave this time, let’s look into getting some Chinese herbal medicine to regulate it.”

While they were talking, Rong Shi walked over with a sandwich.

A plate full of vegetables was certainly visually striking. Rong Shi leaned over and said, “Aiya, our Sister Baoyi is working hard.”

Rong Shi was a very friendly person. Jiang Baoyi liked spending time with her and smiled: “It’s my job.”

“Our company is already very good. Sister Jiang Yu’s ‘Age of the Gods’ era was truly hell.”

Jiang Yu looked up, gave a surprised “Mhm,” then looked at Rong Shi. Rong Shi nodded: “Yes… that time was indeed terrifying.”

“Especially that Everbee show. It was later nicknamed ‘The Devil.'”

“But it was also that show that made me completely fall for Sister Jiang Yu.”

Jiang Yu listened quietly, her memory involuntarily being pulled back.

That was a long time ago.

At that time, Jiang Yu had just been discovered by Madame Lunce. Her career was developing, and her company at the time negotiated one luxury brand opening and closing show after another for her.

However, the clothing company preferred models to be exceptionally thin, even pathologically so.

Jiang Yu was 176cm tall and weighed about 47.5 kg back then, but the company still wasn’t satisfied.

So, for those two weeks, Jiang Yu maintained high-intensity exercise and only ate one cucumber a day, eventually reaching a weight of 42.5 kg.

On the day of the show, Jiang Yu wore a cinched waist long dress.

The waist cinching of that dress was terrifying. Jiang Yu’s 55cm waist barely fit into it.

Because the dress was too tight, after putting it on, Jiang Yu felt like her internal organs were being squeezed, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

The conditions were difficult, but show-related matters couldn’t be spoken of lightly, of course.

It was only later that a fellow model, who couldn’t stand the pathological trend and didn’t want to continue working in the modeling industry, exposed the matter.

She mentioned Jiang Yu, and her words were full of sympathy for her.

As a result, Jiang Yu’s suffering during the shoot became known to many. The story spread, eventually becoming a common consensus among people in the fashion industry.

Jiang Yu said softly: “The environment is indeed much better now than it was in my time.”

“But everyone has their struggles. As Jiang Baoyi said, when it comes to work, you must be conscientious and responsible.”

Rong Shi nodded, sighed softly, and didn’t continue the conversation.

“Keep up the good work. I hope we have a pleasant collaboration.”

Jiang Yu smiled and replied: “Okay.”

The afternoon rehearsal went very smoothly. When they finished work, it was just after eight in the evening.

On the way back, she received a call from her assistant.

Lin Yao briefly reported on the work situation. Before hanging up, she added, “Oh, by the way, CEO Jiang, I think there’s something I need to tell you.”

Jiang Yu: “Tell me.”

Lin Yao: “It’s like this. The photos of you picking up Miss Jiang Baoyi at the airport today were posted online. It’s a bit sensitive. There’s suddenly some information about you trending online.”

Jiang Yu gave a surprised “Mhm.” After hanging up the phone, she opened Weibo.

On the third trending topic, she saw a term that seemed to be related to her.

【Not considering a comeback?】

Jiang Yu clicked in and saw a photo of her at the airport, heavily covered up, picking someone up. In addition, the user’s caption read: 【I’m a loyal fan of the fashion world. I came to the airport to pick someone up and accidentally saw someone who looked like Jiang Yu. I’m a bit emotional. I feel like she’s an old friend. It’s especially heartwarming to see her again. But honestly, I initially thought she retired so early possibly because the high-intensity work was too taxing on her body, but I didn’t expect her to still look this good.】

The comments section below was quite engaging: 【Oh my god, who am I seeing? Isn’t this our ancient true god? We haven’t seen her for so many years, and she still looks great.

Sis, since you’re in such good shape, are you really not considering a comeback?

I know your results in mentoring new talent are also excellent, and Baoyi is great, but I still really want to see you.

I’m so touched. If it weren’t for this post, I would have thought no one in this world liked Jiang Yu anymore.

Suddenly remembering the Weibo trending topic about Jiang Yu a few days ago.

Everyone: We’re just old, not dead.】

Jiang Yu was actually a little surprised to see this post.

After all, she wasn’t that active on domestic platforms back then, so she didn’t think she had many fans. Also, she hadn’t walked the runway for many years. The fashion industry changes very fast, and it’s hard for people to truly remember or miss anyone.

It was rare to see such comments, and Jiang Yu suddenly felt a bit emotional.

Jiang Yu looked quietly, then put away her phone after a while.

Almost at the same moment, in the Qin family home on the other side of Lin City.

“Dad, did you know that Sister Jiang Yu is back in the country recently, and she even became a trending topic on Weibo?”

Qin Yuanshan ran an entertainment company, and his control over public opinion was top-notch. He knew about this even without Qin Yan reminding him.

“I know. What about it?” Qin Yuanshan’s voice was very gentle when speaking to his most beloved youngest daughter.

“Didn’t you say you’d contact Sister for me? Why haven’t I heard anything?”

“If she was coming to pick me up, that person today would have been me.”

Qin Yan was a child who grew up in the Qin family. She clearly understood the impact of public opinion on a public figure.

She really liked the modeling profession, but she actually didn’t want to just make money quietly in a small circle by herself.

She still preferred the feeling of being the center of attention.

Qin Yuanshan gently agreed, signaling that he understood.

He sat in the study, pondering for a moment, then made a phone call and sent another WeChat message to Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu was a bit busy that night. By the time she saw Qin Yuanshan’s message, it was already breakfast time the next morning.

These days, she was growing increasingly annoyed with Qin Yuanshan. She simply didn’t click into the message to see what was sent, choosing to delete the message entirely to keep it out of sight.

…

Work in Lin City progressed smoothly, and time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, it was the 30th, the night before Jiang Yu and Rong Wei were scheduled to meet.

That evening, after finishing work and showering, Jiang Yu lay in bed, preparing to send a WeChat message to Rong Wei.

She had been quite busy with work and hadn’t messaged Rong Wei in days.

The situation was special today. They would be meeting in another capacity tomorrow, and Jiang Yu was curious about Rong Wei’s attitude.

【I’ll be back in less than four days. That day is a Friday.】

Rong Wei’s message quickly came through from the other side.

【Soon. Just one more week.】

Jiang Yu looked at Rong Wei’s message, silently looking at the content in the other chat window with Rong Wei.

This person really knew how to pretend.

Jiang Yu sneered and sent Rong Wei a reply.

After a simple communication, Jiang Yu dealt with some work matters and fell asleep.

The weather the next day was still not very good.

At nine in the morning, Jiang Yu got ready and headed to the place where they had agreed to meet before.

Sinan Club.

This was a Song Dynasty-style club, based on black, with gold and bronze elements interspersed throughout, making it look exceptionally mysterious and high-end.

She arrived early. When she entered the private room, Rong Wei had not yet arrived.

The porcelain in the room was blue and white, with excellent glaze texture, looking highly collectible. The corresponding decorative painting was a Song Dynasty market scene, possessing an exceptionally elegant flair. Next to it was a large floor-to-ceiling window. Since the club was on a hillside, it offered a panoramic view of the entire city.

It was an undeniably elevated perspective.

Jiang Yu quietly finished observing the environment. Her phone vibrated.

It was a message from Rong Wei.

【I’ll be there soon.】

Jiang Yu crossed her hands. Thinking of the scene of them meeting in a while, her heartbeat suddenly quickened.

【Good.】

Putting down her phone, Jiang Yu’s eyes involuntarily fell on the doorway, and she subconsciously tapped the table.

She still hadn’t fully figured out how to face Rong Wei.

Jiang Yu was contemplating this.

The tightly shut door was pushed open.

Rong Wei was wearing neatly ironed black trousers and red-soled high heels, with a bright red shirt on top. Her hair was partially tied up, and she looked utterly elegant.

Even though she had prepared herself mentally, when she saw Rong Wei, she still felt a rush of blood throughout her body.

They had been intimate just yesterday, and moreover, in Jiang Yu’s concept, Rong Wei should still be in Li City at this moment.

Almost immediately, their eyes met.

Jiang Yu watched Rong Wei with a smile.

Rong Wei maintained an air of calm composure from beginning to end, as if nothing had happened.

An insidious fire was ignited in Jiang Yu. She sneered, stood up, looked at Rong Wei, and said, “CEO Rong, what a coincidence.”

The atmosphere suddenly became delicate.

Like a sword poised to strike, ready to be unsheathed at any moment, plunging fiercely into flesh and tearing it apart.

Rong Wei pulled out a chair, sat down, poured herself a glass of water, and smiled: “It is quite a coincidence. We meet again.”

Jiang Yu leaned back, dropping her smile, and looked at Rong Wei seriously: “It’s not that much of a coincidence.”

“Because I was waiting for you.”

Rong Wei smiled, her tone deflecting: “Good, let’s talk.”

Listening to Rong Wei’s seemingly nonchalant voice, the long-accumulated anger in Jiang Yu’s heart was completely ignited.

She laughed, looked at Rong Wei, and her words were somewhat aggressive.

“We do need to talk, or else I won’t know how much longer I’ll be played by CEO Rong.”

“The first time we met outside the show, did you recognize me then?”

Jiang Yu wasn’t in the mood to beat around the bush with Rong Wei and spoke directly.

The atmosphere at this moment was truly not harmonious. Rong Wei had anticipated this scene beforehand.

She quickly reviewed the several possible scenarios that might follow in her mind, leaned back, and nodded: “Yes.”

Jiang Yu looked at Rong Wei and was suddenly amused by anger.

“So, you recognized me from the very beginning. Including every subsequent meeting, you always knew who I was, but you never told me, acting as if we were just friends with benefits meeting for the first time.”

“Oh, no, I shouldn’t blame you. I should blame myself for being so shameless, persistently sticking to you.”

“Seeing your indifferent ex-wife relentlessly pursuing you from another angle.”

“Rong Wei, are you very proud of yourself?”

Jiang Yu spoke more and more excitedly, and her voice rose completely.

The atmosphere became utterly tense, like a wound that had been cut open.

Rong Wei instantly understood what Jiang Yu was trying to express.

She thought she was being treated as a spectacle, as if she had been toyed with.

This was not the negotiation result she wanted.

Rong Wei frowned and said softly, “Don’t talk about yourself like that. You are wonderful, very outstanding.”

“My meeting you was actually an accident.”

“I admit I was curious about you, but I definitely did not have any superior, deliberate intention to tease you.”

“It was not my intention to make you angry. I am very sorry.”

“As for being proud, absolutely not. How could I bear to?”

Although the words sounded good.

But looking at Rong Wei, especially at her composed expression, Jiang Yu didn’t feel that Rong Wei was sorry at all.

That apology was too insincere.

Jiang Yu suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton.

Jiang Yu felt a great fire burning in her heart, and she already had her answer. A friend with benefits is just that. If they’re gone, they’re gone.

She took a deep breath, feeling there was no point in continuing the negotiation with Rong Wei, and simply took out the divorce agreement and the marriage certificate.

“Forget it. I don’t want to bring this up again.”

“I have nothing more to say to you.”

“Let’s go to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Once we leave there, we’ll have no relationship.”

A flicker of surprise flashed through Rong Wei’s heart. Her right eyelid twitched, and she had a vague feeling that things were slipping out of her control.

Her brain worked rapidly, and she finally spoke: “Going to the Civil Affairs Bureau is fine.”

“But I want to ask Miss Jiang.”

“Do we still continue the relationship we have on Saturday nights?”

Jiang Yu’s gaze suddenly froze on Rong Wei.

It seemed Rong Wei was still playing games.

The “no contact” she spoke of meant absolutely no contact, regardless of the identity.

Right now, she was truly furious, truly angry.

But Rong Wei smiled, and continued in a composed tone, “Do you really want to get a divorce? Wouldn’t it be better to stay together legitimately?”

“Or, darling, do you find this more interesting?”

Rong Wei’s two sentences directly penetrated Jiang Yu’s mind.

She was suddenly stunned, looked up, and stared at Rong Wei in disbelief.

Rong Wei still maintained her simple, stylish appearance, looking capable and sophisticated, with an undeniable elite aura. Her tone was as gentle as ever, but her words made her feel intensely mocked.

Jiang Yu suddenly realized that Rong Wei was only seemingly gentle.

In reality, she was a bona fide capitalist, imbued with the air of a superior being. She didn’t understand respect or equality. Many things, in her eyes, were merely playthings.

She was utterly arrogant.

Jiang Yu suddenly felt a tickle in her throat. She looked at Rong Wei and laughed.

As if something deep in her soul had been completely ignited, Jiang Yu pushed her chair away, stood up, walked to Rong Wei’s side, leaned over the table, and whispered in her ear.

“Fine. Why not?”

“This is better, more stimulating.”

As if a spell had been cast, the tense atmosphere suddenly became incredibly thick.

The unsettled feeling in Rong Wei’s heart disappeared. She looked into Jiang Yu’s eyes and softly replied, “Good.”

Jiang Yu looked into Rong Wei’s eyes, maintaining the same posture, her tone raised: “So, where are we going?”

Rong Wei gently stroked Jiang Yu’s back: “To my place?”

Going to Rong Wei’s home.

On a typical day, Jiang Yu would definitely refuse.

But at this moment, Jiang Yu didn’t want to refuse and responded with a smile: “Okay, why not?”

She looked at Rong Wei’s lips, gripped Rong Wei’s lower back, and then stood up: “I’ll put my things away.”

“You make the arrangements.”

Like a sudden passing thermal cyclone, after the storm, the atmosphere suddenly calmed down.

Although it was strange, at least there were no more incidents, and no one would get drenched.

This was a result Rong Wei was very satisfied with.

She took out her phone, fiddled with it briefly, and then said, “I’ve called the driver. They should arrive in about half an hour.”

“The roast duck here is good. Do you want to eat something to tide you over?”

After eating and waiting for over twenty minutes, Rong Wei’s driver arrived at the club.

Jiang Yu collected the things she had brought, and got into the car with Rong Wei.

It wasn’t the same car model, but Jiang Yu still habitually sat slightly to the left.

There was no leather scent in the car. Instead, there was the familiar, low scent of agarwood that belonged to Rong Wei.

As the car started, the partition in the front naturally went up.

The space suddenly became confined.

Jiang Yu looked at Rong Wei, said nothing, and directly sat on Rong Wei’s lap.

She stared intently into Rong Wei’s ice-blue pupils, reached out a hand, and touched Rong Wei’s cheek.

Her thumb lightly brushed the lower edge of Rong Wei’s lip, asking, “Is CEO Rong available for a kiss?”

Rong Wei hugged Jiang Yu tightly, and the distance between them became more intimate, almost non-existent.

Seeing this, Jiang Yu immediately kissed her.

She intertwined her hands in Rong Wei’s hair, kissing her very forcefully.

Rong Wei was actually a little surprised.

It had always been her who was more proactive between them.

Jiang Yu’s initiative was rare, let alone such a fierce kiss.

Rong Wei paused, stroked Jiang Yu’s neck, and then gave a passionate response.

In the back seat, there were clearly two people.

But they were so close, practically touching, that only one shadow was reflected on the car window.

In the private space, they intimately entwined.

It felt like a long time passed.

When Jiang Yu opened her eyes, she saw that the collar of Rong Wei’s shirt had been pulled messy by her.

A feeling of successful revenge suddenly surged through her.

She lifted Rong Wei’s chin and asked with a smile, “CEO Rong, do you like kissing like this?”

At this moment, Jiang Yu’s voice was a little husky. Under the sunlight outside the window, the area around her lips sparkled with a crystalline shine.

Rong Wei narrowed her eyes and gently wiped the moisture from around Jiang Yu’s lips with her index finger: “I do.”

Saying that, she was about to continue kissing Jiang Yu but felt a resistance.

Jiang Yu had reached out and pushed her away.

She quickly moved back to the seat where she was originally sitting, offering a friendly reminder: “CEO Rong, moderation is key.”

Rong Wei laughed softly and nodded.

Jiang Yu picked up her phone and asked, “What’s the address?”

Rong Wei looked at Jiang Yu: “Di Jing New City, 2810. But there should be an access control. You can have it delivered to the first floor.”

Di Jing New City.

Jiang Yu paused.

Jiang Yu actually had quite a connection with this residential area.

She liked places with open views. When she started making money, she had looked at buying a house here.

But unfortunately, when she inquired, the sales center told her that the top floor had already been reserved by someone else.

Jiang Yu then settled for the flat she currently lived in.

Noticing her slight distraction, Rong Wei asked, “What is it?”

Jiang Yu smiled, not wanting to say much, only: “Nothing.”

“Oh, right. I plan to buy some finger cots and some daily necessities we might need tomorrow. Do you need anything? I can buy it together.”

Rong Wei: “Not for now. If I think of something later, I’ll let you know.”

“Mhm. But there aren’t many other things here. If CEO Rong wants something, you’ll need to prepare it yourself.”

Rong Wei laughed: “I’m not that excessive, am I?”

Jiang Yu gave Rong Wei a thoughtful look but didn’t say anything specific.

The car stopped steadily. On the ground floor, Jiang Yu and Rong Wei got out separately.

After swiping the access card, the elevator slowly moved upward.

“Miss Jiang, this is the first time anyone has been to my home.”

Jiang Yu smiled and gave a proper response: “My honor.”

“But if you’ve changed your mind, we can go somewhere else,” Jiang Yu added thoughtfully.

Rong Wei shook her head: “No, let’s go in.”

Ding-dong. The elevator stopped, arriving directly at the entrance.

It was an electronic password lock. Seeing that Rong Wei didn’t intend to use fingerprint recognition, Jiang Yu turned her back, giving Rong Wei space to enter the code.

After a few beeping sounds, the door unlocked. Rong Wei pushed the door open and said, “Welcome.”

Jiang Yu turned around and entered Rong Wei’s home.

It was a very simple style, much like the overall feeling Rong Wei gave off.

The living room had an extremely large floor-to-ceiling window, allowing for an even closer view of Lin City’s scenery.

Just within her field of vision, Jiang Yu suddenly felt emotional.

In some ways, the two of them had very similar interests and tastes.

Because she also liked spacious floor-to-ceiling windows—bright, well-lit, as if they could drive away all unseen darkness.

“Feel free to sit down. I’ll get you some water.”

Jiang Yu nodded, sat on the sofa. The sound of a cabinet opening came from nearby. The next second, Rong Wei walked over with two bottles of sparkling water.

“I haven’t been back in too long. There’s no regular drinking water at home. Is this okay?”

Jiang Yu shrugged indifferently, reached out to take the bottle, took two sips, picked up her phone to look at it briefly, and then said, “It looks like the delivery will take another forty minutes.”

At this moment, besides sleeping, she didn’t want to have too much other conversation with Rong Wei.

“I’ll go shower first. Which bathroom is convenient?”

“There are three bathrooms: the master, the guest, and the central hall. Any of them will do.”

The master bedroom was Rong Wei’s private space. Jiang Yu naturally wouldn’t intrude. Thinking that she would be sleeping in the guest room anyway, she said, “The guest room, then.”

“Okay.”

“There should be toiletries inside. You can use them directly.”

“No rush. I should be faster than you. If I finish first, I’ll have someone pick up the delivery.”

Saying that, Rong Wei stood up: “Let’s go. I’ll show you to the bathroom.”

Jiang Yu gave a soft “Mhm” and went to the bathroom.

The sound of running water washed over her, easing some of the restlessness in Jiang Yu’s heart.

In truth, coming back with Rong Wei today was completely unexpected.

It was more a product of an emotionally charged moment.

She had to admit that sometimes, acting on hormonal impulses had an unexpected effect.

At least that intense, uncomfortable feeling of being toyed with had significantly diminished.

She usually took a long time to shower.

By the time she emerged from the bathroom, over an hour had passed.

Something was a little different from the past.

It was daytime now; they couldn’t dim the lights as they did every time before.

So, as soon as Jiang Yu stepped out, she could clearly see Rong Wei’s figure not far away.

Today, Rong Wei was wearing a black bathrobe, exuding a sense of lazy casualness.

Next to Rong Wei were two cloth bags, clearly the things she had just ordered.

“You didn’t take them out?”

“They’re your things. I have no reason to actively look through them.”

Jiang Yu glanced at Rong Wei and casually said, “CEO Rong is quite respectful at times like this.”

“I feel like that statement implies something else.”

Jiang Yu smiled, didn’t say much, but reached out to take the bags, ripped open the packaging, and took out the two thin small boxes.

“Alright, everything is ready.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Jiang Yu felt her waist go slack. Before she knew it, she was back in Rong Wei’s arms.

This was the first time they had been intimate in broad daylight, in such clear sight.

Especially with the incredibly wide floor-to-ceiling window nearby. It was clean and bright, like facing the clouds in the sky directly.

Jiang Yu suddenly felt an extraordinarily strange excitement.

Her gaze towards Rong Wei became hot, and she said, “How about we try here?”

Rong Wei chuckled, looked around, and finally agreed: “Okay.”

In the bright, clear environment, every sensory perception was amplified to the maximum state.

They became entangled, lips and teeth mingling, carefully sensing each other’s breath and body temperature. The atmosphere grew incredibly dense, as if the previous tension had never existed.

The leather sofa was actually quite cool, but after lying on it for a long time, the body no longer felt cold. In fact, the leather material underneath gradually transitioned to a hot, even scorching, feeling.

Jiang Yu was very good at detaching herself from her emotions. When she spoke to Rong Wei at the club earlier, she was indeed very angry. But now, after venting her emotions, she could still sleep with Rong Wei as they had before.

Jiang Yu had no extra energy to think about unnecessary things.

Seize the day was her life motto.

The hands on the wall clock turned halfway, and the surface beneath her body gradually became sticky.

Jiang Yu still had some vague consciousness. Before Rong Wei’s lips could descend again, she said, “Let’s change the location.”

Rong Wei understood what Jiang Yu was worried about. She gave a soft “Mhm” and agreed.

They left the living room and went straight to the bathroom.

The splashing sound of water in the bathroom made one’s consciousness blur.

A subtle pain emanated from her wrists, giving Jiang Yu a feeling of unbridled exhilaration.

She let out a sigh and gently bit Rong Wei’s ear.

Jiang Yu was too lazy to move herself, but when Rong Wei was about to return to the master bedroom, she reminded her.

“The guest room, please. This area doesn’t feel right.”

A subtle feeling flashed through Rong Wei’s mind. She gave Jiang Yu a deep look, then carried her to the guest room.

They hadn’t seen each other for nearly half a month, so they were inevitably a bit intense, especially since Jiang Yu was particularly proactive today.

After half a month, it was a rare episode of overindulgence, and Jiang Yu naturally wasn’t going to make things hard on herself.

After trying many new things, they showered separately. By the time they left the bathroom, it was already afternoon.

Jiang Yu habitually stood by the window, preparing to smoke a cigarette.

That’s what she thought, and that’s exactly what she did.

The cool sensation of the menthol bead made her feel refreshed. As always, it brought her back to her senses immediately.

She exhaled a smoke ring and stood in silence.

After a while, Rong Wei walked up to her. She wasn’t smoking, and Jiang Yu didn’t have the habit of making others breathe secondhand smoke, so she stood a little distance from Rong Wei.

“I called the chef to prepare dinner. We have a little time. Shall we find a movie to watch?”

Jiang Yu was silent for a moment, then agreed: “Okay.”

After all, she didn’t have the strength to leave right now.

Everything else could wait until she woke up tomorrow morning.

“You go first. I’ll wash my hands and be right there.”

Rong Wei nodded, told Jiang Yu the location of the media room, and then turned to leave.

Six minutes later, Jiang Yu washed her hands and, as Rong Wei had instructed, walked into her media room.

The curtains in the media room were drawn, completely blocking out external light, leaving only the strip lighting around the perimeter. The lighting was slightly dim, but it was an environment both Jiang Yu and Rong Wei were quite used to and comfortable with.

After all, their relationship wasn’t something they could openly display. This environment was the most comfortable state for them.

The table wasn’t empty. It was filled with fruit. Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise and heard Rong Wei’s explanation: “I just asked the housekeeper to send over some fruit and water. It just arrived.”

Jiang Yu nodded casually and settled into the sofa.

“Let’s watch a movie.”

“What do you want to watch?”

“Anything is fine.”

Rong Wei heard Jiang Yu’s answer, looked at the menu on the TV screen, and fell into deep thought.

She didn’t watch many visual media, so she eventually just randomly selected a movie from the page.

It was a sci-fi movie about battles and territorial disputes.

Jiang Yu wasn’t very fond of this genre. She was already a bit tired, so she ended up falling asleep.

Rong Wei was always quite focused. By the time she noticed the even breathing next to her, about five minutes had passed.

She quietly looked at Jiang Yu.

She sighed softly.

The day had gone more smoothly than she had anticipated.

The matter with the ex-wife was likely over and done with.

Rong Wei thought to herself, looking down at Jiang Yu.

The temperature in the media room was a bit low. Rong Wei stood up, retrieved a blanket from a cabinet nearby, and covered Jiang Yu with it.

When Jiang Yu woke up again, the sound of the movie was still playing, though the volume seemed to have been lowered significantly. Not only that, but Jiang Yu also felt a fuzzy blanket covering her.

She groggily sat up, preparing to leave the media room, but heard Rong Wei’s voice beside her.

“Awake?”

Jiang Yu nodded, actually a little surprised.

Her voice was a little hoarse from just waking up: “How long did I sleep? Did you eat yet?”

“Only about an hour. Dinner was just delivered. You can wake up a bit, and then we’ll eat together.”

Jiang Yu was indeed a little hungry, so she gave a soft “Mhm” and agreed.

Leaving the media room and going to the dining room, the table was set with a very rich spread of Chinese cuisine.

“We usually had porridge before because it was late and I worried about digestion. It’s still early today, so let’s eat some food together.”

“The chef here is quite skilled at cooking.”

Jiang Yu replied “Good” and quietly sat down to eat.

Looking at the dishes Rong Wei had the chef prepare, Jiang Yu had to admit that Rong Wei was often a very thoughtful person.

For example, adjusting the volume earlier, or knowing her average appetite and ordering meals that were always rich but well-portioned.

Furthermore, compared to meat, Jiang Yu actually preferred vegetables.

So, whenever they ate together, Rong Wei didn’t order much in the way of meat dishes.

Jiang Yu took a bite of vegetables, looked up, and unintentionally met Rong Wei’s gaze.

She laughed softly and then said, “CEO Rong, don’t talk while eating or sleep while sitting.”

Rong Wei nodded slightly, not saying anything else.

The evening passed exceptionally smoothly. The atmosphere was so harmonious that the two people seemed completely unlike those who had just had a quarrel.

After dinner, Rong Wei had a sudden meeting to attend.

Jiang Yu was happy to have the freedom. She told her she was tired, went straight back to the guest room, closed the door, and prepared to sleep.

The bedding had been changed to a fresh set of sheets at some unknown time.

Jiang Yu sighed softly, her mood suddenly complex.

Rong Wei was actually a very good friend with benefits.

It was just a shame that the time they met was not so perfect.

And she also didn’t like this deeply hidden arrogance in Rong Wei.

Jiang Yu thought quietly, and unconsciously drifted off to sleep.

The night was dreamless. When she woke up the next day, it was exactly seven in the morning.

Yesterday was quite intense. Jiang Yu felt sore all over, but her mental state was quite good, so her overall mood was high.

Before going to sleep yesterday, she had taken her daily necessities to the guest room. Now, she didn’t have to go out to get them. She just squatted down, selected what she needed, and went straight to wash up.

Jiang Yu washed up, changed her clothes, grabbed her things, opened the door, and left the guest room.

The weather today was even worse than yesterday. The sky was terribly overcast, like a storm was imminent.

As expected, Rong Wei had already changed clothes and was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window on the phone.

She was tall and slender, a perfect clothes hanger. Just standing there was a pleasure to behold.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but to avoid overhearing, Jiang Yu left the area. When she returned ten minutes later, she saw Rong Wei just hanging up the phone.

“Awake?” Rong Wei put down her phone, walked toward Jiang Yu, and asked.

Jiang Yu nodded.

“Did you sleep well?”

“So-so.”

Rong Wei nodded, as usual: “I ordered breakfast. Shall we eat together in a bit?”

Saying that, her eyes fell on the bag Jiang Yu was holding.

Looking at Jiang Yu, Rong Wei carefully said, “Why don’t you leave the things you bought here? Don’t take them with you.”

“It might be more convenient in the country later.”

Jiang Yu put down the bag and laughed: “Forget it.”

“CEO Rong, there won’t be a ‘later’ between you and me.”

Her words were incredibly cold. Rong Wei was momentarily caught off guard and looked at Jiang Yu in confusion.

Jiang Yu didn’t expect Rong Wei to understand her.

But based on the idea of parting amicably, she looked at Rong Wei and explained: “Fine, let me be clearer with you.”

“Rong Wei, CEO Rong, after being together, I feel we are not a good fit.”

“I thought I made myself clear yesterday. Whether it’s friends with benefits or a wife, let’s end all our relationships here and now.”

As the words fell, a muffled thunder rumbled in the room.

Rain suddenly started falling. The dense raindrops hitting the glass window made one feel restless.

Seeing that Rong Wei was silent, Jiang Yu sighed and said, “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as agreement.”

“Are you free in a bit? Let’s go straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau and finalize the paperwork.”