Chapter 002
1453 Words
The following day, Su Lingwei returned to the old Su family residence.
Her father had been awaiting her arrival. Seeing her appear safe and in good spirits, a benevolent smile graced his kind face. "Weiwei, come to your father."
Su Lingwei ran forward, a bright smile on her face, and looped her arm through her father's, calling out sweetly, "Papa."
He raised a hand to stroke her head, just as he had when she was a child, and asked with gentle concern, "Is everything settled?"
Su Lingwei nodded. "All settled. Everything went smoothly."
Upon hearing this, her father sighed softly. That his daughter, whom he had cherished and sheltered her entire life, should suffer such indignity pained him deeply. "I will make him answer for this," he vowed.
Recalling her past life—how her father, in his quest for vengeance on her behalf, had clashed with Xiao Zhenyu, making a series of disastrous decisions that led to failed investments, a broken capital chain, and the ultimate bankruptcy of their company—Su Lingwei hastened to dissuade him, pleading that he not take such risks for her sake.
"Papa, you don't need to do anything for me. This was my own decision. Years ago, it was I who fell for Xiao Zhenyu, I who insisted on marrying him. You couldn't sway me, and so you helped me fulfill my wish through a business alliance."
"Now, I am the one who has seen things clearly. I've decided to stop loving him, to let him go. Our separation was amicable, and he provided fair compensation. There are no debts between us, nothing to 'get back.' So please, do not cause trouble for him on my account, will you?"
Su Lingwei's plea was earnest, her anxiety palpable. She stared at her father with wide, unblinking eyes, desperate for his promise, terrified he might act rashly.
After all, the Xiao Zhenyu of today was not the same man he was two or three years ago. Back then, following the recent deaths of his parents, he had been left to manage a chaotic enterprise and had little choice but to agree to the business marriage. But now, the Xiao Corporation had grown exponentially; their own Jiahe was no longer a match for his. Her father could not, under any circumstances, take such a risk.
Seeing the tension on Su Lingwei's small face pained her father even more. Not wanting to cause her further worry, he relented. "Very well. I promise you, I will not cause trouble for Xiao Zhenyu."
The swiftness of his agreement, however, only deepened her apprehension. She feared he might do something dangerous behind her back.
An idea sparked in her mind. Tightening her hold on his arm, she pleaded with the same coquettish charm she had used as a child, "Papa, I want to work at Jiahe. Now that I'm divorced, I have nothing to do. I'll only be idle. Please let me come work at the company, just to pass the time."
Her father chuckled at this, patting her head with affection. He asked in return, "And what would you do at Jiahe?"
"Anything. As long as I can be near you. If you're in a meeting, I'll join you. If you're working, I'll help you organize files. Wherever you go, I'll go," Su Lingwei declared with utmost seriousness. If she followed her father at the company every day, she would be privy to every decision, enabling her to intervene before any catastrophic errors could be made.
"Papa, please say yes," Su Lingwei implored, gently shaking his arm, her eyes sparkling as she put on her most winsome expression.
Her father had always been powerless against his daughter's requests. He could only sigh softly and say with fond indulgence, "Alright, I promise. You can start at the company on Monday."
"Oh, wonderful! Papa, you're the best! I love you!" Su Lingwei hugged his arm tightly. This life, she would be sure to protect Jiahe with everything she had.
*****
"So, you're divorced. Cause for celebration?" her best friend, Li Xinran, texted her.
Aside from her father, Su Lingwei had confided in Li Xinran alone about the divorce.
"Of course it is! A celebration of my return to single life. Tonight, we're hitting Supreme," Su Lingwei typed back rapidly. Her words held not a trace of sorrow or dejection, but rather the exultant joy of a bird freed from its cage.
Li Xinran was her biggest supporter: "Weiwei is the best! Long live Weiwei! I love you, Weiwei!"
They arranged to meet at the bar, Supreme, at eight o'clock that evening.
Su Lingwei reapplied her makeup, changed into a provocative dress suited for the venue, and drove off.
She arrived at Supreme at precisely eight. As she was searching for a parking spot, she received a call from Li Xinran.
"Are you here?" Li Xinran's voice came through the phone.
"I am. Look to your left," Su Lingwei said, having already spotted her friend from inside the car.
Li Xinran turned, saw Su Lingwei getting out of her car, and ended the call, walking over cheerfully to link arms with her.
"Weiwei, you look absolutely stunning tonight."
Su Lingwei pinched Li Xinran's cheek. "You too."
Laughing and teasing, the two entered Supreme together.
The bar throbbed with fervent, unrestrained music. On stage, performers moved with abandon. The place was a cauldron of sound and motion, and to step inside was to feel an immediate surge of adrenaline.
Su Lingwei and Li Xinran found two seats at the bar. The handsome bartender juggled his shakers with the flair of an acrobat, a smile playing on his lips. "What can I get for you two beautiful ladies?"
Su Lingwei: "Tequila."
Li Xinran: "A Blue Margarita."
"You got it." The bartender agreed with a smile and began to mix the drinks with deft, handsome movements. The process was a fluid, captivating performance, executed with seamless grace.
"For the lovely lady, your drink," the bartender said, first preparing Li Xinran's cocktail and placing it before her with a slight smile.
The azure liquid swirled in the glass with the luster of a gemstone. Li Xinran took the glass and sipped it delicately.
Su Lingwei, her chin propped in her hand, tilted her head to watch her friend, her gaze slightly suggestive.
Li Xinran reached out and gently pinched her cheek. "What are you looking at?"
"You're beautiful," Su Lingwei said with a grin.
Li Xinran, however, did not smile. She looked at her friend directly, her tone concerned. "I've been holding back, but I have to ask. Why did you decide to divorce Xiao Zhenyu? You chased him for three years. You were finally married, for two years already. Why the sudden change of heart?"
"It's not a change of heart. The agreement is already signed. We just need to file the official papers," Su Lingwei corrected her.
"Alright, you just need to file the papers." Li Xinran nodded in resignation, but she still couldn't comprehend it. "But why?"
"He doesn't love me," Su Lingwei stated with utter frankness, as if discussing someone else's affairs. Her face showed no sadness, no grief, only a profound sense of release. "I loved him for too long. I grew weary of it. I don't want to love him anymore, so we divorced. Now, I'm going to start my own new life."
The depth of her love in her last life was matched only by the depth of her suffering. She had endured enough and had no desire to repeat the experience. As for Xiao Zhenyu, the farther he rolled away, the better.
"Are you truly over him?" Li Xinran knew just how much Su Lingwei had loved Xiao Zhenyu, the lengths she had gone to in her pursuit of him. For all these years, Xiao Zhenyu was the only one in her heart and in her eyes. Could she truly let go of someone she had loved so deeply, just like that?
Su Lingwei nodded, raising her right hand. "I am truly over him. I can swear on it if you don't believe me."
"Alright, alright, I believe you." Li Xinran quickly pulled her hand down. There was no need for dramatic oaths.
Just then, the bartender delivered her tequila. Su Lingwei raised her glass, clinking it against Li Xinran's. "To my happy divorce, and to the beginning of a new life."
"Okay. Happy divorce." Li Xinran's wish for her happiness was sincere.
As they were talking and laughing, an upright, handsome man approached them. He smiled at Su Lingwei and Li Xinran. "Weiwei, Xinran, long time no see!"
Su Lingwei's long lashes fluttered. For a moment, she couldn't place him.
- Writer
