SYLM Chapter 114

Chapter 114 “Don’t go…please stay…”

Jiang Yingxu never imagined that Tang Ying’s first visit to the military region would be to file for divorce.

Looking at the words “Tang Ying,” signed long ago on the divorce agreement, bold and forceful, he knew he had completely lost.

He had never won against her.

But he couldn’t understand where he had lost, let alone how Tang Ying had convinced Tang Lan.

Occupying an important position in the military, Jiang Yingxu had signed countless documents, but none were as difficult as this one.

Staring at the divorce agreement in front of him with a deep and complex gaze for a long time, Jiang Yingxu suddenly remembered five years ago when Tang Ying found him, they had also signed a prenuptial agreement face to face, and at that time he thought they would be lifelong partners.

The pen on the table lingered for a long time without moving. After a long silence, Jiang Yingxu looked up at Tang Ying, seemingly wanting to make a final attempt to salvage the situation:

“Why does it have to be this way, Tang Ying? I don’t understand. Haven’t we been mutually benefiting and cooperating very well for the past five years? Are you really willing to give up everything you have now?”

“I don’t want to waste words. Sign it.”

As with every previous refusal to communicate, Tang Ying’s face was cold and her tone was extremely impatient.

In front of him, Tang Ying wasn’t even willing to pretend.

Jiang Yingxu wanted to say something, but the next second, he clearly saw the visible coldness and disgust in her overly beautiful eyes.

Didn’t she have even a shred of feeling for him after all these years?

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Jiang Yingxu’s face. After a moment of silence, he finally picked up the pen in front of him.

Was he willing to get divorced just like that?

No, he wasn’t.

But he had no choice.

Although Tang Ying’s mother, Tang Lan, didn’t have much real power in the military herself, she had connections with a certain Lin, the deputy commander of the military region, and a certain Jing, the head of a political performance troupe. The Jiang family had taken these into consideration when they agreed to the marriage between Jiang Yingxu and Tang Ying. This morning, before Tang Ying arrived, Jiang Yingxu had already received several phone calls from above. He had to sign this paper today no matter what.

A good wind relies on its strength; Tang Lan certainly hadn’t exaggerated. Over the years, she was the one with the connections.

Both mother and daughter were ruthless enough.

Just as the pen tip, which had been hesitating for a long time, finally touched the paper, Jiang Yingxu suddenly spoke, as if he had thought of something:

“Did you find her?”

“……”

As soon as the words were spoken, he was satisfied to see Tang Ying’s figure stiffen visibly. Her sharp eyes were now staring at him, as if she wanted to cut him into a thousand pieces.

See, only when it involved Fu Yi Wen could he glimpse a trace of real emotion from Tang Ying’s icy shell.

“I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Slowly and deliberately signing the last character, Jiang Yingxu waved his hand and passed the agreement over:

“I just wanted to ask if you needed any help.”

The man paused, revealing a gentle smile, his tone seemingly relieved: “Even if we’re divorced, we can still be friends, right?”

Hearing this, those deep, cold phoenix eyes almost pierced through the man on the sofa. Tang Ying threw the agreement into her bag, sneered, and said each word with resolute certainty:

“Jiang Yingxu, you and I have never been friends. The cooperative relationship is over. You’d better not interfere in my affairs again. This is the last warning.”

“……”

The loud slam of the door echoed in the office for a long time. After a while, the man sitting on the sofa sighed.

She saw through his thoughts.

Smart enough.

But what did it matter?

Remembering Fu Yi Wen’s resolute expression during their private conversation, the previously pretended relief and gentleness completely disappeared. Jiang Yingxu forced out a mocking sneer.

He couldn’t get Tang Ying, and Tang Ying couldn’t get Fu Yi Wen. After all the scheming, it was all in vain in the end. He had no reason to feel unbalanced.

—-

Obtaining the divorce agreement was only the first step.

Tang Ying requested an indefinite leave from school.

At first, the principal was a little hesitant when he heard that she wanted to take leave, saying that the second year of high school was a tight schedule with heavy tasks and that he probably couldn’t approve it. Tang Ying wasn’t unreasonable either. She nodded and said that she would just resign, scaring the principal so much that he almost didn’t keep his reading glasses on straight. He immediately approved the leave without saying another word.

Before leaving, Tang Ying asked Gu Wan Jun out for a meal, choosing a Japanese restaurant.

When Gu Wan Jun pushed open the wooden sliding door of the private room, Tang Ying had already been there for an unknown amount of time, her fingertips with newly manicured nails holding a slender lady’s cigarette, the smoke curling up, a hazy scene.

“You’re so slow. Someone who didn’t know would think you crawled here.”

Tang Ying rolled her eyes in dissatisfaction, and tapped the seat opposite her with the cigarette. Gu Wan Jun put her bag aside. Before sitting down, she reached out and took the cigarette from Tang Ying’s fingers as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Watching helplessly as more than half of the cigarette was directly extinguished in the ashtray, Tang Ying twirled her empty fingertips, her face turning cold, even more dissatisfied: “What are you doing?”

“Listen to the sound of you talking, you’re almost singing rock and roll, smoke less.”

“Mind your own business.”

“Yeah, my house is by the sea.” Gu Wan Jun said seriously, and then moved the metal cigarette case away from Tang Ying’s hand: “I still want to live a few more years, don’t always make me inhale secondhand smoke.”

“……”

As soon as the words were spoken, Tang Ying’s eyes changed slightly, subconsciously thinking of someone who hated the smell of smoke as much as the person in front of her.

Or rather, two people.

Wait, thinking of Fu Yi Wen was normal, but what was with thinking of Tang Lan?

Tang Ying frowned slightly, grinding her back teeth.

Forget it, there was no explaining it to those who hated the smell of smoke.

Tang Ying gave up on the idea of ​​taking back the cigarette case, but she didn’t show any weakness in her mouth, saying coldly:

“You have this mouth but you don’t use it on the people you should, you’re just using it on me, you’re really capable.”

Tang Ying paused deliberately. As she spoke, she crossed her arms, somewhat disdainfully admiring a certain Gu teacher’s face changing performance:

“What’s wrong? Looking at your worried look, haven’t you coaxed her yet?”

“……”

The hand pouring water into the teacup trembled. Gu Wan Jun looked up at the person in front of her, her expression a little helpless.

She was the one who had a stomach full of questions that she hadn’t asked yet, but this person had started teasing her first.

“Alright, let’s not talk about me right now. What are you planning to do? I heard from the principal that you’ve taken a long leave?”

“Yeah.” Tang Ying shook the sake cup, the ice cubes clinking. Without any reservations, she said, “I’m going to find Fu Yi Wen.”

“Find Fu Yi Wen?” Gu Wan Jun’s hand holding the teacup tightened. She was stunned for a moment: “But…”

“Gu Wan Jun, I’m divorced.”

“……”

The air solidified for a few seconds. Gu Wan Jun widened her eyes, watching Tang Ying pull a divorce agreement out of her bag. The embossed seal pressed a clear indentation on the paper, the date showing it was today.

From the last time they met at home until today, it had only been less than a week, and Tang Ying had actually gotten divorced.

Shock was written all over Gu Wan Jun’s face. She didn’t know what to say for a long time.

Looking at the shocked and speechless look of the person in front of her, Tang Ying suddenly felt a little amused. She tugged at the corners of her mouth, her tone light:

“Don’t even mention you, even I didn’t expect this to go so smoothly.”

Her gaze drifted away with her words, Tang Ying’s eyes complicated.

If she could have made the decision earlier, if she could have chosen to be brave from the beginning, if she had proactively negotiated with Tang Lan earlier.

Wouldn’t she and Fu Yi Wen have not reached this point today?

Unfortunately, there was no “what if” in the world.

After a long silence, Gu Wan Jun’s voice pulled Tang Ying’s wandering thoughts back to reality:

“Do you have any idea where Fu Yi Wen is?”

Tang Ying’s eyes instantly dimmed, her tone not good: “If I did, do you think I’d still be sitting here?”

The sashimi was poked full of holes, unrecognizable, like Tang Ying’s fragmented mood at the moment.

Gu Wan Jun pursed her lips, looking like she wanted to say something but stopped.

Of course she wanted to help Tang Ying, but she couldn’t get Fu Yi Wen’s whereabouts from Chen Lu, after all, the little girl was still angry with her…

Thinking of Chen Lu’s deliberate avoidance of her during breakfast this morning, Gu Wan Jun still felt a subtle pain in her heart when she thought about it now.

As if sensing her entanglement and embarrassment, Tang Ying knocked on the table, actually squinting her eyes and teasing her in a cold voice:

“Hey, don’t blame me for not reminding you. The person you have a crush on is protective and ruthless, her degree of difficulty is on par with me, you should be careful.”

“……”

Tang Ying successfully broke the guilt in Gu Wan Jun’s heart with one sentence. The person who was still entangled in all sorts of ways earlier was unconsciously led astray, her tone a little helpless:

“You still have the heart to joke with me, let’s find the person first.”

Tang Ying raised her chin and snorted: “Watch, I’m definitely stronger than someone.”

“Someone?”

“Isn’t it?” Tang Ying counted on her fingers, looking disappointed: “You’ve been guarding Chen Lu like this every day for so long and you still haven’t won her back, if I’m not stronger than you, then I’d be too useless, I’d be embarrassed.”

“……”

Sure enough, this kind of “stabbing” conversation style was more suitable for them.

But joking was joking, and after the laughter gradually subsided, the silence that was late but still there spread across the table.

Gu Wan Jun unconsciously drew on the edge of the teacup with her fingertips, while Tang Ying stared at the sashimi in front of her, which she hadn’t touched much. Both of their eyes were filled with different degrees of worry and unease, and even a hint of unspeakable confusion.

One was guarding the person but didn’t know what to do, and the other couldn’t find the person at all. The seemingly different situations actually ended in the same unsolvable predicament.

What should they do?

This Japanese restaurant was really a bust, why did everything taste bitter?

—-

After separating from Tang Ying, Gu Wan Jun was absent-minded during her afternoon classes. It wasn’t until she got off work and returned home, seeing the cardboard boxes stacked in the living room and the suitcase spread out on the floor, that Gu Wan Jun’s chaotic thoughts suddenly cleared.

What was going on?

Whirr——

The sound of hangers colliding came from the bedroom. Gu Wan Jun’s body stiffened, her nails digging into her palm, but she couldn’t feel the pain. Before she could go in, Chen Lu came out holding a pile of clothes.

As usual, Chen Lu didn’t look at Gu Wan Jun. She squatted next to the suitcase by herself, packing things up. The astringent throat suddenly surged with the taste of rust. Gu Wan Jun then realized that she had bitten her mouth at some point.

“Why are you suddenly packing things up…” Gu Wan Jun smoothed her hair a few times, as if trying to cover up her panic: “Did something happen?”

“I’m moving out.”

“……”

The overly cold voice made Gu Wan Jun’s heart tremble. She stood there, watching Chen Lu neatly pack the clothes folded into standard squares into the suitcase. All kinds of excuses to stay turned around on the tip of her tongue, but in the end they turned into an unusually dry sentence:

“You…did you find a suitable house?”

As soon as the words were spoken, the movement of packing clothes stopped. Chen Lu suddenly looked up at her. Those crescent eyes that made people’s hearts flutter were frighteningly clear at the moment. Gu Wan Jun was stared at and took half a step back, immediately explaining haltingly:

“I…I didn’t want to ask about your private affairs, I just wanted to know if you would be back…after all, after all, if Duo Duo comes back and doesn’t see you, I won’t be able to explain it to her——”

“Li Sa is on vacation.”

With a “click,” Chen Lu lowered her head and closed the suitcase, locking the combination lock. Gu Wan Jun seemed to hear the sound of her heart breaking:

“I’m moving in with her, I won’t be back.”

“……”

Won’t be back. Won’t be back.

These words turned into countless ice cones, climbing up Gu Wan Jun’s spine, nailing into every inch of her bones and blood, hurting her so much that she couldn’t help but tremble.

“Tomorrow…” Gu Wan Jun just opened her mouth and was frightened by her own hoarse voice. She blinked her eyes and cleared her throat: “Tomorrow I’ll take a day off to help you…”

“No need, I’ve packed everything. The moving company will come to move it tomorrow. I’ve put the key on the table for you.”

“……”

The dazed and helpless gaze followed Chen Lu’s voice and fell on the keychain on the coffee table. There was also a cat keychain that the little girl had specially made, which was grinning at Gu Wan Jun with a cold, mocking smile.

Won’t be back. Won’t be back.

Once Chen Lu left, she wouldn’t be back.

No being together day and night, no sleeping together.

There was nothing left.

She had no chance.

The wheels of the suitcase rolled over the solid wood floor, rolling over every nerve of Gu Wan Jun.

Her hand landed on the doorknob, and just as the gap in the door was about to widen, Chen Lu was suddenly hugged around the waist. Cold lips trembled and pressed against the sensitive skin behind her ear. The hot, choked sobs were like wildly growing vines, tightly wrapped around her neck:

“Don’t go…please stay…”

“……”