Breaking free from the billionaire shackles

At half-past eleven in the evening, the city's neon lights shimmered with kaleidoscopic splendor, their reflections casting a luminous ribbon across the surface of the moat, reminiscent of a celestial river of stars in the night sky. A black Maserati glided through the streets, maintaining a steady pace toward the opulent villa district at the end of Jinke Avenue. Su Lingwei guided the Maserati into the subterranean garage, retrieved her platinum handbag, and emerged from the vehicle. Ascending in the elevator to her home, she was met with an unexpected sight the moment she opened the door: the house was ablaze with light. The brilliance, pouring forth from the crystal chandelier in the center of the living room, was so intense it compelled her to squint. Xiao Zhenyu, a man who hadn't been home in over a month, was an improbable presence on the living room sofa. Clad in casual attire, he was perusing a document. At the sound from the doorway, his brow furrowed slightly. He set down the papers, his gaze lifting to meet Su Lingwei's. "Where have you been?" he inquired, his voice toneless. "To return at such an hour." Evidently, he had been back for a considerable time, waiting for several hours. A humorless laugh echoed in Su Lingwei's mind. What right did he have, a man perennially absent, to question her whereabouts simply because, on this one rare occasion, he had arrived a few hours earlier? In the week since her rebirth, she hadn't once concerned herself with his location. Indeed, in the week since she had returned, she had not sent him a single text, nor placed a single call. It was no longer necessary; she couldn't be bothered. "I was visiting my father today." Su Lingwei placed her platinum handbag on the console table, slipped off her high heels at the entrance, and slid her feet into plush, soft-soled slippers before proceeding slowly into the room. She wore an ombré lake-blue gown. As she moved, the hem of her dress swayed, creating ripples like gentle waves, stirring a similar turbulence in the observer's heart. Xiao Zhenyu's gaze remained fixed upon her, following her movements, settling on the glimpse of her calf revealed beneath the flowing skirt. Her legs were slender and alabaster, as flawless as polished jade, a sight of exquisite beauty. Su Lingwei seated herself on the sofa opposite him. She lifted her magnificent eyes to his, her expression serene and composed as she spoke. "We need to talk, Xiao Zhenyu." Her eyes, large, dark, and luminous, were framed by long, thick lashes that fluttered for a moment, swiftly concealing a flicker of some hidden emotion. "Talk about what?" This version of Su Lingwei was a stranger to him, and an inexplicable knot of panic tightened in his chest. "Let's get a divorce." Having contemplated this for the entire week since her return, the words, now spoken, brought a profound sense of relief, as if she had just completed an arduous marathon and could finally relinquish her burden. The announcement was so abrupt that Xiao Zhenyu was momentarily stunned. Before he could respond, Su Lingwei continued, "I've already had a lawyer draft the divorce agreement. I've also spoken with my father, and he has given his consent." So swift, all of it arranged. Her decisiveness was a stark contrast to the gentle, languid disposition he had always known. He looked at her, asking, "Why?" Why a divorce? And why had she suddenly become an entirely different person? Su Lingwei found this almost amusing, tilting her head slightly. "Isn't it self-evident?" Xiao Zhenyu was silent. The diamond studs in her ears caught the light as she moved, casting a dazzling glint that momentarily disoriented him. He heard her continue, "A husband who, on our very wedding night, feigned being overwhelmed with work to avoid me, made his rejection of this marriage perfectly clear through his actions. I was simply too foolish, too obstinate, to comprehend it then. In our two years of marriage, I can count on one hand the number of times you've come home. This union was something I forced. You do not desire me; you have never once touched me. A love that is coerced cannot be sweet. I am ready to let go—to release myself, and to release you." In her past life, it was her refusal to let go, her desperate meddling after the female protagonist appeared, that had offended the heroine and enraged her admirers, leading to her own utter ruin and tragic end. This time, she wanted no part in their drama. The male protagonist could have his histrionic heroine; may they be entangled in their epic romance for all eternity. Su Lingwei rose to her feet. "I'll be staying at my apartment tonight," she informed him. "Tomorrow, my lawyer and I will come to your office for your signature. I'll have my things moved out of here as soon as possible. That is all. Goodbye." Her piece said, she turned and walked away with a clean, resolute finality. Xiao Zhenyu's throat worked. Words were caught in his larynx, and though his lips parted, no sound emerged. ***** Descending in the elevator and settling back into her Maserati, Su Lingwei leaned against the steering wheel, an irrepressible laugh escaping her. She had learned of Xiao Zhenyu’s return that morning and had deliberately made him wait for hours, catching him completely off guard with her immediate confrontation. It was a preemptive strike, ensuring he couldn't gain the upper hand as he had during the divorce negotiations in her previous life. A beautifully executed maneuver. She congratulated herself. With her spirits lifted, Su Lingwei started the car and drove away from the Jinding Villas. Twenty minutes later, she arrived at her apartment at the Imperial Grand—a graduation gift from her father. She had lived here often before her marriage, and now, on the brink of divorce, she was back. It felt right. The apartment was regularly maintained by a cleaning service and was perfectly ready for her. Su Lingwei set down her platinum handbag, selected a set of pajamas from the walk-in closet, and after a long, soothing hot bath, retired to her bedroom. She slept soundly, without a single dream. The next morning, Su Lingwei awoke rejuvenated and radiant, devoid of any sorrow a pending divorce might bring. She rose, washed, and chose a striking crimson gown, then applied her makeup with meticulous care. Gazing at her own luminous eyes and breathtaking beauty in the mirror, she was deeply satisfied. Even in divorce, one must be magnificent. After a brief call to her personal lawyer, Mr. Wu, to arrange a time and place to meet, Su Lingwei departed. She arrived at Xiao Zhenyu's company at precisely nine-thirty. After meeting Mr. Wu at the entrance, they entered the Xiao Corporation building together. The receptionist, recognizing Mrs. Xiao, required no appointment. Su Lingwei led her lawyer directly up to Xiao Zhenyu's office. Xiao Zhenyu had cleared his entire morning schedule, awaiting her arrival. In stark contrast to Su Lingwei's vibrant energy, he appeared somewhat haggard, his eyes bloodshot as if from a sleepless night. Su Lingwei granted him a single, fleeting glance before looking away, her heart utterly still. She produced the prepared divorce agreement and handed it to him. "Please review this. If there are no issues, you may sign." Without a word, Xiao Zhenyu accepted the document and began to read. The few minutes of waiting were tense, but the outcome was favorable. Xiao Zhenyu had no major objections to the agreement, contesting only the division of assets. "You will receive everything you are due; I won't short you a single cent," he stated with an air of magnanimity. This time, his generosity far exceeded her expectations—a stark departure from their last life, where their acrimonious split had left her penniless. She would take what she could get, considering it his compensation. Su Lingwei raised no objection. With decisive speed, they both signed the divorce agreement, witnessed by the lawyer. "If there is nothing else, I will take my leave. Goodbye." (And may we never meet again.) Su Lingwei offered him a faint smile and a small wave. Xiao Zhenyu stood up, making a rare, proactive gesture. "Let me see you out." "That won't be necessary. You should attend to your work. We just need to find a time to finalize the legal proceedings later," Su Lingwei said, shaking her head in a firm refusal. With the agreement signed, there was no need for further pleasantries. Once the divorce certificate was issued, they would be complete strangers, destined for separate paths, never to intersect again. The moment she stepped out of the Xiao Corporation building, it seemed to Su Lingwei that the sky itself had become a more brilliant shade of blue. That very afternoon, she hired a moving company and had all of her belongings removed from the Jinding Villa with swift and decisive efficiency. When Xiao Zhenyu returned that evening, he was met by a house that was now a hollow, frigid space, utterly devoid of warmth or life. He sat on the sofa, lost in a daze for a long while. The chime of a message alert suddenly broke the silence. He snatched up his phone, his thumb swiping open the notification, only to find a work-related message from his assistant. Su Lingwei's profile picture remained dormant. It had been many days now since she had last sent him a message.