The Popular/Charismatic Beta Always Thinks They Are Universally Disliked - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Happy Divorce to Us

“The moving company is in position. Please confirm if there are any issues with the specific location and time.” The young secretary sat down unceremoniously on the sofa in He Xin’s office, looking around left and right, trying to pocket something from her boss’s office.

“Don’t bother looking,” He Xin gave a wry smile without lifting his head. “I was just robbed once.”

As the head of the secretarial team, He Xin was not only unusually good-tempered but also personally mentored promising talent, so people in the secretarial team were generally not afraid of him. Every time they came into his office to report, they would naturally take something with them, like forming a team to raid a dungeon for gear.

The young secretary rolled her large eyes, resting her arms on her mentor’s desk, and lowered her voice to gossip: “…The complex CEO Wei chose is too far from the CBD compared to where he lives now, isn’t it? Even driving, he’d have a two-hour commute to work!”

He Xin lifted his head from the screen and replied speechlessly: “Do you really think he comes to work every day? I can count the number of times the boss comes to the company in a year on five fingers.”

Wei Yuzhi’s main profession in other fields did not allow him to hold a large number of shares in non-listed companies. Therefore, strictly speaking, he was nominally detached from the power structure of the Wei Group.

The nominal shareholders who could make major decisions for this vast enterprise, established by his grandfather, were not members of the Wei family.

However, these nominal shareholders, who were no different from mascots, meticulously and precisely executed Wei Yuzhi’s will and decisions, adhering to layers of trust agreements. Wei Group executives, including He Xin, all knew, without exception, who their true superior was.

He operated outside the Wei Group, but his will was always carried out without cease.

The young secretary wasn’t new to the job. She had previously been curious about what would happen if the transparent “shell” disobeyed, but she was later deeply shocked by the parts of the agreement He Xin intentionally revealed.

If the mascot dared to show a sliver of disloyalty, the Wei family’s legal team could bankrupt him before he even opened his mouth.

“There’s nothing wrong with this complex,” He Xin flipped through the detailed information the secretary sent. “The only issue is that the security level is too low. Check this with the others and give me a report before work tomorrow.”

Before work tomorrow $ne$ Before the end of work today.

The young secretary grasped the implied overtime hint in He Xin’s words, and all she wanted to do was hang herself right there in his office. She was already well-versed in the leader’s rhetoric, such as assigning work on Friday and expecting it before Monday.

“…Did CEO Wei choose this complex because of Mr. Little Wen?” The secretary had a flash of insight and asked on her way out.

“You’ve started calling him Mr. Little Wen too?” He Xin raised an eyebrow, feeling relieved that his subordinate, who had been stable and mature since joining, had finally learned to gossip. “It’s normal, right? Who wouldn’t be desperate when divorce is on the table?”

The young secretary, who had already opened the office door, quietly slipped back, closed the door, and sat back down next to her boss, asking eagerly: “CEO Wei seems quite concerned about Mr. Little Wen. How did they end up getting a divorce?”

Her wording was discreet. In reality, the way Wei Yuzhi acted in the hallway yesterday could not be summarized by “quite concerned.”

He Xin paused his action of flipping through the documents, considering how to use this topic to teach his promising protege a lesson.

This extremely brief silence startled the young secretary. She fidgeted, quietly looked up at her superior’s face, wondering if she had said something wrong.

He Xin noticed her sneaky glance, smiled, and calmly posed an unrelated question: “I recall you had a boyfriend when you first joined the company?”

The secretary stiffened, utterly confused about why the gossip had suddenly turned to her.

“How long after joining did you break up?” Although He Xin asked the question, he didn’t care about the answer. He pondered, stroking his chin: “How should I put it? People like us definitely prioritize work more. It’s normal when your career is still on the rise. But when work stabilizes, most people start considering settling down. This is the common choice for the majority—career first, then family.”

“Simply put, we haven’t formed a ‘mindset block.’ We can consider the relative importance of choices when faced with them.”

He Xin continued slowly: “But CEO Wei isn’t like that. It’s not that he can’t make a choice; he simply doesn’t realize a choice is laid out before him.”

Wei Yuzhi’s father and grandfather died together in a car accident. Before he came of age, he had to fight his uncles and cousins to the death. The adults who sat at the gambling table with him, playing by the rules of the game, were all treacherous and cruel, with greedy eyes, trying to snatch everything he owned from Wei Yuzhi.

Therefore, for Wei Yuzhi to win the game, he had to be crueler and more indifferent than everyone else.

Since his opponents were a group of well-dressed beasts who disregarded family ties, he became even more violent and extreme—he started viewing himself as the only flesh-and-blood human being very early on.

Because the people opposite him were emotionless and incapable of pain, there was no moral pressure in using any cruel or despicable means.

He Xin had followed Wei Yuzhi for over a decade and clearly saw the indifference and ruthlessness he displayed.

Wei Yuzhi’s indifference was not due to a lack of emotion, but because he believed others lacked emotion.

When he married Mr. Little Wen two years ago, he virtually gifted all his clean assets unconditionally to the other party. He went to great lengths to protect all of the other party’s information flawlessly. Even in the early stages of their marriage, when Mr. Little Wen would suffer from insomnia due to his ex, Wei Yuzhi would grit his teeth and send people to the Chen family to inquire about Chen Que’s well-being.

Who could say he lacked emotion or didn’t love Wen Zhiyi?

But Wen Zhiyi chose to believe exactly that.

Because Wei Yuzhi never, ever seriously considered the emotions Wen Zhiyi showed in front of him.

He had lost the awareness, and to some extent, the ability to do so.

Only when a truly painful lesson was right in front of him could Wei Yuzhi understand that he was not a mere doll waiting for him to inject affection, and only then could he understand that the mindset block formed by his past struggles must be completely purged.

Before that, Wen Zhiyi would only perceive all his emotions as self-aggrandizement.

As it currently stands, Wei Yuzhi still has a very long journey ahead.

…

Meanwhile, Ning Meng, who had just helped Chen Que settle down in the Capital, also received a notice to move.

The mentally unstable boss bought an apartment on a whim, spending money like water.

Upon hearing this news, Ning Meng gave a helpless, wry smile and chose to call her work buddy back from overseas.

“Didn’t you become the boss’s assistant since he was in college? Don’t think you can escape this. Explain to me what this situation is about.”

“What? You don’t want to see the boss’s face?”

“Sudden breakup? No wonder the boss’s ex had a dark expression. If it were me, I’d have slapped him silly. Mr. Wen is too easygoing.”

“You know about Mr. Wen’s ex-ex too? Yes, I ran into him, and we even got into a fight, haha! Of course, I won! Could a supreme, fierce Alpha lose to a Beta?”

“Um, let me ask you something: supposing, and I mean supposing, if we get injured while helping the boss deal with his private affairs, can we claim workers’ compensation?”

…

Regardless of what the three ex-boyfriends were secretly up to, Wen Zhiyi looked at the money transferred by Assistant Fang into his account and let out a sigh of relief for his growing small savings.

Next up was considering the law firm internship.

Wen Zhiyi figured he could use this money to buy a few outfits suitable for work. He had only brought a few T-shirts and jeans when he moved out of Wei Yuzhi’s villa. Although the relationship had broken down, CEO Wei, who was extremely concerned about appearances, had never materially shortchanged him.

But Little Wen, who had low demands for living conditions, didn’t really need it anyway.

His highest demand was to be well-fed, warm, and happy. He was born without ambition and only wanted a decent job, a few hobbies outside of work, to read books, play games after work, and occasionally travel if time allowed.

But now that he had Zhuangzhuang, he also wanted a better life for his little cat.

Just as Wen Zhiyi was dizzy from picking out items on the shopping page, his junior sister and junior brother in the same research group coincidentally messaged him simultaneously.

Good Luck Continues: Senior Brother, Senior Brother, don’t you have classes this semester? I haven’t seen you at school! [Poking Cat]

Hogwarts Junior Brother: Bro, want to play games? We’re short one for a five-person queue. [Evil Charming Dragon Image]

Wen Zhiyi clicked his tongue, quickly rejected his junior brother, and opened the chat with his junior sister.

Who could refuse a cat?

Wen Zhiyi expressionlessly found an excuse for his favoritism.

However, if Liu Jiajie dared to send a cat emoji, he would block him immediately.

Liu Jiajie was the junior brother obsessed with games.

Wen Zhiyi: Correct. I only have one forum to attend this semester, so I haven’t been back to school. Have you all started the semester?

Gao Han: Yep. The first year of grad school has a packed schedule of required courses. No one told me about four days of 8 AM classes! Oh, right, Senior Brother, are you preparing for internships? If you haven’t decided yet, I can recommend one!

Wen Zhiyi was a little surprised and politely declined: Thank you very much, but I’ve already decided on Zhongcheng Law Firm. I plan to start next week. [Rose][Rose]

Gao Han: Ah, ah, ah, ah! Zhongcheng! That’s exactly what I was going to recommend! Didn’t a new associate professor join this semester? He told us in class that if we were looking for an internship, we could consider Zhongcheng. He’s a partner at Zhongcheng!

Associate Professor?

Wen Zhiyi, whose temples were throbbing wildly, had an extremely strong premonition of bad news. He typed out a few words with difficulty: Which associate professor?

Gao Han replied instantly: Professor Gu Yansheng! His lectures are great, and the most important thing is that he never assigns homework! [Jumping Puppy]

Wen Zhiyi pulled up an email from a few days ago, reconfirming that the place he was about to join was indeed Zhongcheng Law Firm, one of the top-tier “Red Circle” firms.

The only thing he could grudgingly accept was that the team he was joining belonged to another partner at Zhongcheng, not Gu Yansheng’s team.

The lively junior sister messaged again, but she didn’t continue discussing Gu Yansheng, instead showing concern for Wen Zhiyi’s internship life.

“Senior Brother, I heard that if you want to stay on, you should pay a little attention to your clothing! I see you usually dress very casually QAQ Of course, Senior Brother looks good in anything, but I found a few style guides. Would you mind taking a look?”

What is timely help? This is timely help.

Wen Zhiyi was touched and sent a red packet. After she declined, he offered to buy her a bubble tea.

Gao Han happily accepted and specifically warned him not to add ice.

Little Wen sent an OK gesture in understanding.

Gao Han on the other end of the phone suddenly asked casually about Liu Jiajie.

“Senior Brother, has Liu Jiajie contacted you recently?”

“Yes, does playing games count? What happened?”

Gao Han hesitated for a moment, then chose to trust her good-tempered senior brother and made a determined request: “Well, if the supervisor assigns any tasks in the future, could Senior Brother talk to the Ph.D. Senior Sister and ask not to put Liu Jiajie in our group…”

When she first joined the group, she inevitably developed a slight, vague fondness for Wen Zhiyi, but this subtle crush quickly vanished when she learned he was married. Now, she completely viewed Little Wen Senior Brother as a friend.

She neither wanted to be in the same group as Liu Jiajie nor did she want to be in the same group as Wen Zhiyi, so she shamelessly asked to move Liu Jiajie to another group.

Where else could she find such a kind and easygoing senior brother? Sniff.

Wen Zhiyi frowned and typed a few words: “What’s wrong? Did he bully you?”

“No, not at all!” Gao Han quickly clarified. “It’s just… he confessed to me a few days ago, and it’s just too awkward to be in the same group.”

Wen Zhiyi, in a rare moment of gossip, asked: “You rejected him?”

Gao Han nodded firmly, then remembered Wen Zhiyi couldn’t see it through the screen: “Of course! Intimacy is forbidden in the palace. Sorry, I can’t do dating people in the same research group.”

Of course, if it were Little Wen Senior Brother, that would be a different story. Hehe.

“…”

Little Wen was amused by her strange analogy and replied seriously: “I’m afraid I can’t do that. Since Jiajie hasn’t done anything wrong, I can’t bring this up to Senior Sister. But I can try not to assign tasks that require collaboration between the two of you.”

Gao Han sent a crying cat emoji, indicating understanding.

Wen Zhiyi looked at the tearful cat on the screen and couldn’t help but soften slightly.

But only slightly.

If he moved Liu Jiajie to another group for personal reasons, the latter might suspect he hadn’t done well enough or that his ability was lacking, when in fact he was just as excellent as Gao Han.

So, Wen Zhiyi couldn’t agree to the request.

He sent Gao Han a self-made Zhuangzhuang napping emoji as comfort.

…

After ending the conversation with Gao Han, Wen Zhiyi started gathering the materials needed for the divorce registration that afternoon.

ID Card.

Little Wen looked at his photo on the ID card. It was hard for him to say he was satisfied—the ID card obtained a few years ago looked too young and immature now. He needed to find time to get a new one.

Marriage Certificate.

Little Wen annoyedly shoved the little book into his backpack, not wanting to look at it for a second longer.

He had to compliment his own cleverness. He had deliberately taken the marriage certificate when he moved out of Wei Yuzhi’s villa for this very day!

Two years ago, when he registered their marriage with Wei Yuzhi, Wen Zhiyi had even posted a photo on a social circle visible only to his parents and brother, announcing his flash marriage in that childish way.

Divorce Agreement.

Most of the large assets Wei Yuzhi gifted him had been returned, accumulating into a rather terrifying sum when converted to cash. That bank card was now quietly lying in the Wei family’s villa.

As for the assets whose market value couldn’t be estimated, he hadn’t signed any gift contracts.

To this day, Wen Zhiyi never accepted anything he couldn’t repay—money, sincerity, affection… He believed he didn’t owe anyone.

After organizing the materials, Little Wen briefly relaxed. He thought for a moment and chose to call He Xin.

“Mr. Little Wen? Ah, yes, I remember. CEO Wei told me. We’re getting things ready now—your marriage certificate… is with you? Okay, then we’re all set—”

The phone was answered instantly the moment it rang.

He Xin, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, one hand in his pocket and the other holding the phone, habitually put on a polite, appropriate smile for the Beta who left a good impression on him. Even though Wen Zhiyi couldn’t see his smile, the slightly upturned lilt in his voice due to the curve of his lips was enough to convey the amusement in his tone.

He sincerely and gently confirmed the necessary documents for the divorce registration with Wen Zhiyi. He gradually shifted from facing the floor-to-ceiling window to facing the office, and the phone in his hand was switched to speaker mode.

“Two in the afternoon. Please remind Wei Yuzhi. I don’t want any more delays.”

The voice coming from the other end of the phone sounded somewhat distorted. The gentle and soft parts were stripped away, leaving only a flatness and calmness that one could see to the end of.

Wen Zhiyi’s emotions truly sounded devoid of any fluctuations.

The man sitting behind the desk lowered his gaze to the photo on his phone’s lock screen.

It was a rather blurry headshot, seemingly enlarged from a smaller photo. One could tell the photographer’s skill was poor; the background was razor-sharp, while the subject was blurred like melted cream. It could only be confirmed that the original photo must have been printed on some official document.

The young man in the photo had an innocent face, looking at the camera with a fresh but determined expression, appearing to be only sixteen or seventeen. The full, smooth curve of his cheek vividly outlined the flowing smile on his face. A vibrant, clean youthful aura seemed to rush out from the photo.

When he heard that Wen Zhiyi had exclusively taken his marriage certificate, Wei Yuzhi subtly frowned for a moment.

Two years ago, he and Wen Zhiyi, who had just turned twenty, rushed back to the Capital overnight from Mount Kailash. They sat staring at each other in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau for half the night, stubbornly waiting until the office opened to become the first couple to register that day.

As for why they didn’t go home to sleep but squatted in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau?

Because Wei Yuzhi was certain that as soon as Wen Zhiyi calmed down, he would absolutely, absolutely regret it.

At that time, Wen Zhiyi was completely unaware of Wei Yuzhi’s true identity, only thinking of him as an experienced hiker. Marrying him was purely an impulsive decision made on a whim.

All Little Wen could think of was rebellion!

After the fact, it was proven that the Wen family indeed erupted in a massive fight over his flash marriage, and Ms. Zhao was so angry she nearly had to go to the hospital.

As for Wei Yuzhi, he had already thoroughly investigated Wen Zhiyi. He had gone to Mount Kailash for the vague purpose of praying for his grandmother, only to find Little Wen, who was suffering from a high fever and starting to ramble incoherently, at the sky burial platform.

Wen Zhiyi’s hiking teammates were utterly unreliable, daring to leave him alone in the tent despite knowing he was a beginner, heading off to trek alone. If He Xin hadn’t been meticulous and noticed the sound coming from the tent, Wei Yuzhi’s group would have missed the critically ill Little Wen.

Wei Yuzhi expressionlessly pulled back the tent flap and saw Wen Zhiyi, wrapped tightly in his sleeping bag with a scarf on. He seemed utterly cold, having tied the scarf clumsily and hurriedly. His fair face was flushed red with fever, and he was still unconsciously frowning and rubbing against the fuzzy scarf near his cheek.

He seemed to be clumsily and desperately trying to draw the only warmth and softness within easy reach.

The team doctor who approached to take his temperature and administer medicine was waved away by Wei Yuzhi with a cold look. While expressionlessly holding the person and feeding him medicine and water, he had He Xin look up which team had carelessly abandoned him.

With that one light sentence from Wei Yuzhi, the fate of those three or four people was naturally quite miserable, resulting in a social death that could be considered ruinous.

In short, this pilgrimage to pray was not effective. Wei Yuzhi’s grandmother still passed away a few days ago, two years later.

Wei Yuzhi, who didn’t show much sadness about this, calmly arranged his grandmother’s funeral and personally handled all the busy and trivial matters. He had actually been mentally prepared for this, as the grandmother who had sat at the gambling table with him had long shown signs of her life force being depleted.

What must come cannot be stopped, and those who must leave cannot be retained.

But until this moment—and only at this moment—until he recalled this exact time two years ago—

Wei Yuzhi suddenly realized that the pilgrimage had, in fact, been effective all along.

The legendary deity of Mount Kailash had already manifested.

The deity did not appear in the hospital room he eagerly awaited, but in that unexpected tent.

Otherwise, Wen Zhiyi would never have appeared in his life.

But, but that single manifestation seemed to have exhausted the spiritual power of all three hundred and sixty deities, so even though he met Wen Zhiyi, he couldn’t keep Wen Zhiyi.

Wei Yuzhi’s marriage certificate was quietly lying in the office desk drawer, yet he lacked the strength to retrieve it.

He thought he wouldn’t be this weak.

But in fact, he was this weak.

This weakness, which was beyond his comprehension, roared ceaselessly in his mind and heart like a colossal, undeniable torrent, a tide. As soon as the night was quiet, these thoughts would begin to whisper and flourish until Wei Yuzhi was forced to confront his own heart.

He was perplexed but relentlessly pursued the answer to one question: Why did that Beta want to leave him?

Because of Chen Que? Because of Gu Yansheng?

Is that truly the reason?

A voice he desperately ignored but which was always about to surface whispered softly: It doesn’t seem to be.

It really isn’t.

Otherwise, how could he explain Wen Zhiyi’s gentle, damp, and veiled gazes over countless nights?

He had truly seen his own reflection in those eyes, and those eyes had truly looked only at him.

Thinking thus, Wei Yuzhi listened with a calm expression to Wen Zhiyi’s voice coming from He Xin’s phone.

Expressionless, but with a heart pierced by a knife.

He heard that voice, which seemed to carry a hint of a smile, gently and frankly say:

“Then, please tell CEO Wei—Happy Divorce to us.”

Wei Yuzhi suddenly noticed his own hand trembling. Confused, he tried hard to use his other hand to steady the shaking one.

“We should be fine here. All the documents have been—”

He Xin, who turned to his boss for confirmation, abruptly stopped speaking.

He saw the ID card clenched between Wei Yuzhi’s fingers being completely and relentlessly snapped in half.