The Wife From the Contract Marriage Does Not Want to Get Divorced - Chapter 21

The twilight deepened.

The cloying sweetness of wisteria tangled with the tartness of tamarind candy. Lu Yanqing held her breath, her fingernails unconsciously tracing the patterns of the wicker chair.

She was waiting for Xie Siyu’s answer.

“I…”

Xie Siyu adjusted her posture for the third time, not daring to meet Lu Yanqing’s blunt gaze. Her eyes finally landed on the corridor pillar behind the other woman, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremble. “I want to be your… wife in every sense of the word.”

“Sis, time for dinner—”

Lu Yanwei’s crisp shout drifted over from the direction of the main house. Lu Yanqing frowned; it was incredibly frustrating because Xie Siyu’s voice had been so quiet that she hadn’t heard a single word.

“Sorry, could you say that again? What do you want to be?”

Lu Yanqing noticed the tension in the curve of Xie Siyu’s neck. She gripped the tinfoil candy wrapper in her hand and leaned toward her, her expression gentle and earnest to show she wasn’t playing games, but truly hadn’t heard.

As Lu Yanqing drew closer, the hem of her cashmere skirt brushed against Xie Siyu’s bare ankles, sending a small shiver through her.

Xie Siyu pressed her lips tight. A speck of light filtering through the wisteria trellis flickered across her trembling eyelashes. Saying those words just now had already consumed every ounce of her courage.

On the steps not far away, Lu Yanwei was still waiting for them to come inside. A faint curve appeared at the corner of Xie Siyu’s mouth. “Let’s talk another day. Let’s go inside first; don’t keep Grandfather and the others waiting.”

Lu Yanqing: “…”

It felt as though a ball of cotton was stuffed in her chest stifling and restless.

Yet, she couldn’t force Xie Siyu. She tossed the mangled candy wrapper into the trash and pulled a wet wipe from the box to clean her fingers.

She rose to follow her. As she passed her younger sister, Lu Yanwei, her dark, complex gaze swept over her.

Lu Yanwei blinked innocently. Though she was a science student, she was still a girl; she naturally sensed that her sister and Xie Siyu had been discussing something important that she had interrupted.

“I’m sorry, Sis, I didn’t mean it.”

She quickly hurried after them.

Suddenly remembering something, she lightly tugged at Lu Yanqing’s sleeve and whispered mysteriously, “Sis, come upstairs with me after dinner. I have something to give you. It’s related to Siyu… to Sister-in-law.”

Sister-in-law?

Hearing her sister call Xie Siyu that, the gloom in Lu Yanqing’s eyes slowly dissolved, and her mood inexplicably brightened.

She bent her index finger and tapped her sister’s forehead with controlled force. “You’re about to become a formal respiratory doctor; be more steady in your work. Don’t be so scatterbrained all the time.”

Lu Yanwei nodded obediently and made a gesture of promise. “I understand.”

10:00 PM, Jianghai Lanyuan

After washing up, Lu Yanqing lay on her bed in a silk camisole, repeatedly looking at two movie ticket stubs. The date on them was the day she and Xie Siyu had registered their marriage.

The movie had been the most popular romance film at the time.

The font on the stubs had long since blurred, and the numbers “2021.3.21” had faded to white.

For a moment, Lu Yanqing felt her breathing tighten.

Sister-in-law left a coat behind when you two came home for dinner a while ago. The maid found these in the pocket while washing it and didn’t dare handle them, so she gave them to me.

If Sister-in-law kept them on her person, they must be important.

Sis, Sister-in-law has worked so hard managing the Lu Group all these years, and people outside say such nasty things. Now that you’re back, you must protect her.

The humidifier in the guest bedroom puffed out white mist. Lu Yanqing stepped onto the slightly cool floor with bare feet. Remembering what Xie Siyu had said before, she went back to put on her slippers.

Standing before the master bedroom door, her hand hovered in mid-air. Several times she wanted to knock, but she didn’t know what to say.

Was she really going to ask why the other woman had kept those two movie ticket stubs?

The door wasn’t actually latched; a gentle push would have opened it.

After agonizing for several minutes, she eventually turned back to the guest room and sent a message via WeChat: I’m free Saturday night. Do you want to go see a movie?

Simultaneously, in the master bedroom:

Xie Siyu had just showered and taken a sleeping pill. Just as she was about to lie down, her phone on the nightstand chimed. A message popped up on the lock screen. She scanned the content and could hardly believe her eyes.

She sat back up and unlocked the phone.

The contact pinned at the top was indeed Lu Yanqing.

“A movie?”

She was inviting her to a movie?

Xie Siyu looked toward the ajar door, but when she stepped out, Lu Yanqing was nowhere to be seen in the hallway. Had she sent it to the wrong person?

She took a step back, leaning against the bedroom door.

She peeked toward the guest room, struggling for a long time before finally replying with a question mark to test the waters.

She was afraid the person Lu Yanqing wanted to invite wasn’t her.

The wait for the verdict felt eternal.

I have no plans for Saturday night, but I forgot to ask about your schedule. Do you have other things to do?

Her heart went thump-thump, beating fast and strong.

Xie Siyu felt a surge of relief and gripped her phone tightly. Lu Yanqing really did want to take her to a movie; it wasn’t a mistake.

Her eyes grew hot again. Lately, she was always moved to tears by the other woman’s casual actions.

Truly useless of her.

I have no other plans.

Is there a movie you want to see? Anything is fine with me.

Before falling asleep, Xie Siyu finally received the movie title from Lu Yanqing: Marriage Bestowed to You.

Seeing those four familiar words, her heart skipped a beat. The memory of those two old ticket stubs slowly woke up.

She suddenly buried her face in the soft pillow, her tears falling like a broken dam.

It wasn’t until the lock screen showed 00:17 and the sleeping pill began to take effect that Xie Siyu closed her eyes and was forced into sleep.

Late at Night

In the same city, at the South City Highway entrance, the van carrying Su Man was slowly entering the toll station. The driver went straight through the ETC lane into the city.

He didn’t speed up immediately, but instead asked Su Man in the back seat, “Miss Su, are we going to Jianghai Lanyuan or the New City Apartment Complex?”

“New City Apartment Complex.”

Su Man sat up and pulled back the window curtain. Watching the receding greenery outside, a mocking smile touched her lips.

Why go to Jianghai Lanyuan?

Since Zou Xiao was determined to avoid her, even if she stood outside the apartment all night, it didn’t mean that person would soften her heart.

Her right index and ring fingers were wrapped in gauze. While filming a water scene that night, her fingers had been cut by sharp ice in the lake. The wounds had repeatedly become inflamed, aching sharply at the slightest touch.

Huang Ling could naturally see that Su Man was depressed. While helping her adjust the seat back, she comforted her: “Sister Su Man, don’t overthink it. Maybe President Zou has her reasons? For the past three years, she’s been completely devoted to you. Song Wei joined the company two years before you, and she’s still third-tier.”

“Others fight tooth and nail just for an audition, yet you can pick your own scripts. Anyone with eyes can see that President Zou likes you very much. So… don’t listen to the gossip outside. You have to give President Zou a chance to explain.”

Huang Ling said this because she didn’t believe Zou Xiao would suddenly have a change of heart; only two months ago, Su Man had spent Zou Xiao’s 32nd birthday with her.

The two had even talked about marriage then.

“Ling, you don’t understand her at all.”

Su Man gripped the white curtain beside her tightly and let out a heavy breath. The top-tier resources Zou Xiao gave her required a return.

Because when she joined Xinghai Entertainment years ago, she had signed an unequal contract. Aside from the two of them, probably only the hidden CEO behind Xinghai knew about it.

Best Actress. Top star of the entertainment industry.

It was indeed glamorous, but she had fought hard for all of it. Yet outsiders including her assistant Huang Ling thought it was all because Zou Xiao had spent a fortune to promote her.

President Zou is back in Rongcheng.

Huang Ling didn’t understand why Su Man was being so pessimistic. Wasn’t it normal for couples to argue occasionally?

The phone screen lit up in the dim car. Seeing the message from a colleague, her eyes brightened. “Sister Su Man, President Zou is back in Rongcheng.”

She then patted the back of the driver’s seat. “Brother Liu, go to Jianghai Lanyuan.”

Su Man looked away from Huang Ling’s phone. She wasn’t as optimistic; even if Zou Xiao returned to Rongcheng, she didn’t just have one apartment at Jianghai Lanyuan.

She closed her eyes. Forget it what if she really did go back there?

2:00 AM

Su Man stood at the door of Zou Xiao’s apartment. She rang the doorbell first, and after waiting a few minutes, she entered the code herself and pushed the door open.

The house was dark, with no lights on. It felt even colder than any time she had visited before.

Just two months ago, they had blown out birthday candles and eaten cake in this very room.

“Maybe President Zou is still on the way?”

Seeing Su Man looking more miserable than if she were crying, Huang Ling felt a wave of regret. They shouldn’t have come.

Unexpectedly, Su Man turned on the entryway light. She placed her bag and phone on the shoe cabinet, composed herself, and forced a smile for Huang Ling. “You’ve worked hard lately. Have Brother Liu take you back to rest. I’ll stay here tonight. Just come pick me up tomorrow morning.”

Huang Ling didn’t dare leave Su Man alone in this state. She immediately shook her head. “Sister Su Man, let me stay with you.”

Fearing Su Man would refuse, she added, “Don’t worry, I’ll just make do in the car downstairs for the night.”

Eventually, Su Man relented and let Huang Ling stay in the apartment.

The girl was just worried about her; there was no need to push her away.

However, it was a sleepless night.

At seven o’clock the next morning, Su Man saw a familiar figure downstairs. Her eyes, bloodshot from the all-nighter, finally spilled tears.

She draped her cashmere coat over her shoulders and rushed out the door.

Xie Siyu had a habit of morning jogs something Lu Yanqing only found out today. She had gone downstairs to get breakfast and, seeing a vendor selling fresh flowers at the entrance, picked out a bouquet of Diana roses.

Encountering Su Man at Jianghai Lanyuan was something she hadn’t expected.

“Something the matter?”

Su Man didn’t look well. Her eyes were crimson, tears still clung to her lashes, and her face was pale with dark circles underneath, looking as though she hadn’t slept in days.

Lu Yanqing suddenly recalled the content she had seen in Zhong Wanyi’s WeChat group at the bar that night. Her brows knit slightly.

Su Man wore a mask, her eyes tearful. She took two steps toward Lu Yanqing, her voice choked. “Qingqing, I…”

“Yanqing.”

Xie Siyu returned from her jog and stumbled upon this scene. She trotted over to Lu Yanqing, her fingers brushing the water droplets on the pink petals. She asked softly, “Are the flowers… for me?”

Lu Yanqing nodded subconsciously. “Mhm.”

Afraid Xie Siyu might misunderstand, she was about to explain, but the other woman had already taken the pink roses into her arms. A gentle, watery smile lit up her striking face. “Thank you. I love them.”

Being gazed at by those soft, elegant eyes, Lu Yanqing was momentarily dazed it felt as though she could hear the sound of her own heartbeat.

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