Chapter 12

Lin Jialang had only just started her freshman year of university this year.

Last week, she officially confirmed a relationship with a fourth-year senior named Wei Yuhong.

Wei Yuhong didn’t actually like her that much.

But then again, who could resist beauty?

Men were shallow creatures who all loved pretty faces.

Truthfully, Lin Jialang didn’t like Wei Yuhong all that much either.

The reason she got together with him was because Wei Yuhong had some connection to the Jiang family, one of Beicheng’s Four Great Families.

She had seen the news.

The Jiang family heiress rumored to be involved with her brother-in-law—Jiang Chengyin, the current heir of the Jiangs—was Wei Yuhong’s cousin.

Her father’s renovation company had earned quite a lot these past few years.

But no matter how much money they made, it still couldn’t compare to families like the Sis or Jiangs.

Sometimes Lin Jialang thought—

If she’d been born earlier…

If she’d grown up in the compound too…

Then maybe the one who married into the Si family wouldn’t have been Lin Ke, but her instead.

Still, it didn’t matter.

Lin Jialang believed she would obtain everything she wanted through her own efforts.

That night, she accompanied Wei Yuhong to a social gathering.

He told her the guests would all be important figures from their circle and instructed her to dress beautifully.

Dressing up was effortless for her.

She patted her chest confidently and promised she wouldn’t embarrass him.

But the moment she arrived at the private club, Lin Jialang was still slightly shocked.

Over the past two years, she had already experienced many upscale occasions.

Yet stepping into this uniquely extravagant, intoxicating top-tier palace of Beicheng finally made her realize just how tiny and ignorant she used to be.

Wei Yuhong glanced sideways at the undisguised awe in his newly changed female companion’s eyes.

Internally, he sneered.

But outwardly, his smile remained gentlemanly.

He extended an arm.

“Hold onto me.”

Lin Jialang immediately linked arms with him intimately.

“Who’s coming tonight?”

“You’ll know once we get inside.”

She smiled shyly and nodded obediently.

Tonight was Jin Yang-ge’s birthday.

Jin Yang-ge was a friend of his cousin.

Wei Yuhong himself wasn’t very familiar with him, but after asking his cousin for a favor, he’d managed to secure an invitation.

At the entrance to the exclusive private room, Wei Yuhong gave his name, and the attendant respectfully opened the doors for them.

Lowering his head to look at his little girlfriend, he saw exactly the admiration he expected reflected in her face.

Jin Yang was Beicheng’s most notorious playboy.

Not even thirty yet, he excelled at racing and horse riding alike, even forming his own professional racing team.

Over the past few years, they’d achieved dazzling results in various competitions.

Of course, besides him, their circle also included people who became major officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tech company founders…

But the brightest name among them was naturally the young man who controlled half the business world—

The ruler of Entropy Group, Si Yuming.

Wei Yuhong had heard from his mother countless times that no matter how impressive the others were, none could compare to Si Yuming.

The Si family lineage was filled with influential figures for generations.

Even the Jiangs—where his aunt had married into—had once depended on the Sis for survival.

Still, he’d heard Si Yuming married young and already had a daughter.

His aunt often sighed over the matter, saying that if not for some unexpected outsider appearing midway, then her cousin Jiang Chengyin should have naturally become the mistress of the Si family.

Wei Yuhong rarely saw Si Yuming himself.

He had no idea whether the man would come tonight.

Entering the venue with his female companion, Wei Yuhong quickly found tonight’s birthday host amid the lively crowd and stepped forward to greet him.

“Yang-ge, happy birthday.”

Jin Yang narrowed his eyes and stared for a while before finally recognizing him.

“Yuhong? Damn, kid, you’ve grown up already?”

Then he looked at the girl beside him.

“And this is?”

Wei Yuhong introduced her,

“My girlfriend, Lin Jialang.”

Lin Jialang also greeted politely,

“Yang-ge, happy birthday.”

“Good good good. There are lots of people tonight, so enjoy yourselves. If you need anything, just say it—don’t be shy.”

“Alright, Yang-ge, you go ahead and stay busy.”

Lin Jialang followed Wei Yuhong to their seats.

Looking around at the understated luxury of the venue and the room filled with wealthy and influential figures of Beicheng, excitement gradually surged through her heart.

Wei Yuhong seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.

Leaning close to her ear, he warned,

“Don’t speak recklessly later. Stay close to me.”

“Mhm.”

An attendant approached to pour drinks.

Each of them took a glass and began drifting through the crowd.

Not long afterward, a disturbance arose near the entrance, drawing everyone’s attention at once.

Jin Yang’s cheerful voice rang out loudly:

“Well well, our President Si actually found time to celebrate little brother’s birthday?”

Si Yuming had arrived.

Wei Yuhong had just started moving toward him when he abruptly froze after hearing the girl beside him murmur in confusion—

“Brother-in-law?”

He stopped immediately.

“What did you say?”

Lin Jialang was also surprised.

She never expected to run into Si Yuming here.

Although this brother-in-law of hers was incredibly famous throughout Beicheng, the two of them weren’t actually close.

Si Yuming rarely visited the Lin family.

And she herself rarely had opportunities to visit the Si residence because the other mistress of the house looked down on them.

Still, after seeing the disbelief in Wei Yuhong’s eyes, she straightened her back proudly and said calmly,

“Si Yuming is my brother-in-law.”

This time it was Wei Yuhong whose eyes widened.

He was utterly shocked that the random girl he’d chosen as a temporary companion actually had such a connection.

Only then did he finally react.

“Your sister is Si Yuming’s wife?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yuhong fell silent for two seconds before speaking again, his attitude suddenly becoming extremely gentle.

He even wrapped an arm around her waist proactively.

“Come on. Let’s go say hello.”

Si Yuming still stood near the entrance, seemingly with no intention of staying long.

As they approached, they happened to hear Jin Yang trying to persuade him to remain.

“I’m telling you, President Si, you finally come out once and you’re leaving already? What, your little Lin Ke keeps you on too tight a leash?”

The refined man in black suit smiled faintly.

“I’ve been too busy lately. I really do have to go back.”

Patting Jin Yang’s shoulder, he added,

“Happy birthday. I’ll prepare your gift anytime.”

The implication was obvious—

Whatever he wanted, he could simply ask later.

Jin Yang instantly stopped complaining.

Receiving a promise from the ruler of Entropy Group was worth more than any birthday present imaginable.

Grinning happily, he grabbed a glass of champagne and handed it over.

“Then at least drink this before leaving?”

Si Yuming accepted it and drained the champagne in one swallow.

Once their conversation neared its end, the young couple finally found an opportunity to speak.

Wei Yuhong greeted first.

“Yuming-ge.”

Si Yuming turned around and saw a vaguely familiar young man.

Then, shifting his gaze slightly, he recognized Lin Jialang, whom he hadn’t seen in quite a while.

Lin Jialang met his eyes but didn’t dare maintain eye contact for long.

She quickly looked away and greeted softly,

“Brother-in-law.”

“What are you doing here?”

From that single response, Wei Yuhong fully confirmed the relationship.

Wrapping his arm more firmly around the girl’s waist, he said,

“Yuming-ge, Jialang is my girlfriend.”

Only then did Si Yuming properly examine the boy.

After a long moment, he finally remembered—

This was Jiang Chengyin’s cousin.

He nodded without saying anything more, bid Jin Yang goodbye, and left.

Once he departed, the crowd gathered near the entrance gradually dispersed as well.

Only Lin Jialang and Wei Yuhong remained standing there, each lost in different thoughts.

Wei Yuhong sounded mildly reproachful.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier that Si Yuming is your brother-in-law?”

Lin Jialang hadn’t expected to encounter Si Yuming here at all.

Her mind turned quickly.

Hooking herself around Wei Yuhong’s arm again, she said ingratiatingly,

“He won’t be my brother-in-law for much longer.”

Wei Yuhong looked shocked.

“What do you mean?”

Her expression hesitated, as though revealing a huge secret.

“My sister is going to divorce him.”

“Really?”

Lin Jialang couldn’t understand why Lin Ke stubbornly insisted on divorcing Si Yuming like an idiot.

But she was certain it couldn’t truly be because of some stupid agreement.

Most likely, Si Yuming simply didn’t want Lin Ke anymore.

Otherwise, why would news about him dating the Jiang heiress have spread?

So in the end, the Jiang family still emerged victorious.

She tightened her grip around Wei Yuhong’s arm.

“Of course it’s true. I heard my sister say it myself.”

Outside the room, the man who had returned to retrieve a forgotten gift for Meng Jing suddenly halted in place after hearing those words.

His footsteps froze completely.

……

That evening, Lin Ke planned to meet Zhang Man.

Earlier in the afternoon, she’d asked Si Yuming whether he’d be working overtime.

He’d said he had matters to attend to and would come home late.

So she asked Aunt Chen to pick up Si Xiaotie from school and make her dinner.

By now, Si Xiaotie was already accustomed to her parents occasionally returning home late.

Through Aunt Chen’s WeChat, she even sent a voice message saying she’d behave and telling Mommy not to worry.

The moment Lin Ke arrived at the bar, the already half-drunk Zhang Man immediately started yelling that she wanted to video call Si Xiaotie.

Lin Ke absolutely didn’t dare let that happen.

She quickly put down her bag and hurried over to coax her friend.

There was a reason Zhang Man had drunk herself into this state.

Her flash-marriage husband most likely really did have problems.

Lin Ke sat beside her at the bar and gestured to the bartender to replace Zhang Man’s alcohol with water before steadying her.

“Tell me what happened?”

Zhang Man waved a hand dismissively.

“There’s nothing much to say. Keke, I asked you out tonight because I want to discuss divorce. You’re smart and level-headed. You’re the only person I trust.”

“……”

“I already caught him dating another man. Fraudulent marriage and cheating—solid proof. If he doesn’t want things getting ugly, then he’d better negotiate properly with me. Otherwise, he can forget about surviving in Beicheng.”

Zhang Man stared at her pitifully.

“Keke, he has some money, but I don’t know exactly how much or how much I can get, so I need a way to probe him. Do you have any ideas?”

Lin Ke laughed helplessly.

“I’m a translator, not a detective.”

“Then is there any method to help me get more money?”

Lin Ke thought for a moment.

“No matter what, at most you can only get half of the marital assets accumulated after marriage. I think the most important thing right now is not alerting him. Don’t give him a chance to transfer assets.”

“I know. I’m watching him closely.”

Zhang Man seemed slightly more sober.

Digging through her bag, she pulled out a divorce agreement and handed it over.

“Keke, this is a divorce agreement I found online. I modified it a bit. Help me check it over.”

“Alright. I’ll review it for you.”

Lin Ke placed the agreement into her bag before looking again at the dejected woman beside her.

She didn’t know how to comfort her properly.

So she simply embraced her.

“Things always turn around after hitting rock bottom. From now on, your days will only get better.”

Hearing those words, all the grievance Zhang Man had been forcing down instantly exploded.

Nearly thirty years old already, yet she sobbed like a little girl.

“Even though it was a flash marriage… I really wanted to live a good life with him……”

“I know, I know.”

Lin Ke patted her back gently.

“You’re wonderful. It’s just that bad people are too awful and took advantage of your soft heart.”

After a while, Zhang Man spoke again.

“Keke, do you know something? I really envy you.”

“Envy me for what?”

Lin Ke smiled lightly.

“Because I married Si Yuming?”

“No.”

Leaning against her shoulder, Zhang Man gradually relaxed.

“I envy how clear-headed you always are. You know exactly what you want and don’t want. If I had thought more carefully back then, maybe I wouldn’t have married him.”

Then she suddenly realized something.

“Oh right… technically, you had a flash marriage too.”

After a pause, she asked:

“Keke, do you regret marrying Si Yuming?”

Lin Ke hadn’t expected the question.

But she’d already had the answer long ago.

“I don’t regret it.”

“You love him?”

This time, Zhang Man received no answer.

She only felt the woman hugging her breathe slightly heavier.

She didn’t continue pressing the topic.

Instead, she sighed emotionally again.

“Good thing we never had children. Otherwise, I might not have been able to get divorced.”

Lin Ke disagreed immediately.

“Who says having children means you can’t divorce?”

“Society says it. Elders say it. And honestly… I think I’d hesitate too. For children, a complete family matters more.”

Lin Ke had no intention of changing her views, but she still calmly voiced her own perspective.

“If the child’s father is a good and responsible person, then even after divorce he’ll still fulfill his obligations. But if the father is practically nonexistent, then divorce might actually cause less harm to the child.”

Naturally, she had already imagined what life after divorce might look like.

Based on the Si Yuming she knew—and the father-daughter relationship she’d witnessed over the years—she believed Si Xiaotie would not lack paternal love after divorce.

“Manman, don’t underestimate children. They understand everything. Only when you yourself live happily and well can your child gain strength from you.”

Even after saying it, Lin Ke didn’t feel entirely confident.

The fact Zhang Man had no children truly was her greatest blessing in this marriage.

No matter what, divorce between parents always hurt children.

The degree simply differed.

Zhang Man lifted the plain water before her and took a sip.

Finding no taste in it, her gaze drifted into the distance as she abruptly changed the subject.

“Keke… do you think he ever loved me?”

“No.”

“He didn’t love me.”

“Keke, I think people are so pitiful. When we’re young, we crave our parents’ love. When we grow up, we crave love from a partner. And maybe when we’re old, we still crave love from our children. If those desires aren’t fulfilled, we end up wounded all over. Is that how it is?”

Lin Ke couldn’t answer.

After a long silence, she said softly,

“I love my mother. I love my partner. I love my daughter. I think my life is very happy.”

Zhang Man turned to look at her.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“But I love myself most.”

……

Only after delivering Zhang Man home did Lin Ke finally return home herself.

A dim nightlight still glowed in Si Xiaotie’s room.

She walked over, knocked lightly, and pushed open the door.

The man leaning against the headboard immediately made a shushing gesture, indicating the little girl in his arms who was almost asleep.

Lin Ke instantly softened her movements and quietly returned to the master bedroom.

Si Yuming carefully shifted the arm currently serving as his daughter’s pillow.

After confirming she was fully asleep, he cautiously pulled his arm free and quietly left the room as well.

Water sounds echoed from the master bathroom.

Walking toward the bed to retrieve the phone from the nightstand, his gaze inadvertently shifted—

And landed on a document partially exposed from inside the woman’s handbag.

The bold words on the title stabbed directly into his eyes—

    “Divorce Agreement.”