Chapter 14: Divorce

Two days later.

Wen Yang received a call from Cheng Yanyu in the evening. After the call connected, there was a brief silence. After a long pause, Cheng Yanyu finally spoke. His voice was hoarse, no longer sounding like himself. “I consulted a lawyer to draft a notarized agreement. I’ll transfer 10% of my shares in the company to you. The apartment we live in and the car will also belong to you.”

“If you don’t want the apartment, I’ll convert its value into cash for you.”

When Yiyan Event Planning Company was initially established, Wen Yang had contributed some money as part of a joint venture between the couple. She held 30% of the shares, while Cheng Yanyu held 40%. The remaining shares were owned by other stakeholders. He had been preparing to expand the company and collaborate with advertising firms by the end of the year. Back when they got married, the money Wen Yang contributed wasn’t enough for such a large shareholding. Cheng Yanyu had voluntarily transferred 10% to her, allowing her to hold the amount she did.

Wen Yang pressed her lips together and said, “Convert your 10% into cash for me.”

“I don’t want the apartment or the car either. Convert those into cash as well.”

“Where will you live, then?” Cheng Yanyu asked instinctively, his heart aching to the point of suffocation.

“That’s none of your business,” Wen Yang replied.

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Wen Yang looked up at her. “Cheng Yanyu.”

“What did he want?” Yu Qing asked as she placed her laptop heavily on the table and looked at Wen Yang.

“What else could it be? He called to discuss the division of assets,” Wen Yang replied, blinking.

Yu Qing asked about his arrangements, and Wen Yang relayed them to her.

Yu Qing sneered. “At least he still has some conscience. He needs money for his expansion plans by the end of the year, yet he’s giving you an additional 10% in cash. Once the company completes its first round of financing, you’ll be on equal footing with him.”

Wen Yang’s voice was hoarse. “Having some cash in hand is more important for me.”

Yu Qing nodded, understanding.

The cash from the apartment and the car would be substantial. For Cheng Yanyu, preparing these two sums alone would require significant effort. With this money, Wen Yang would be able to live comfortably.

During the preparations for their divorce, Wen Yang couldn’t stay in a hotel indefinitely. She rented a two-bedroom apartment in Yu Qing’s neighborhood. After furnishing it slightly, she began moving her belongings. She encountered Cheng Yanyu several times during the move. He helped her in silence, his stubble unshaven for days.

Later, whenever he saw Wen Yang, he would still retreat to the bathroom to shave.

The once cozy and beautifully decorated apartment became increasingly disordered after Wen Yang moved out. From the clothes left in the closet, it was clear that Cheng Yanyu had almost stopped coming back.

Each time the door opened, the place felt colder than the time before.

Wen Yang followed the jewelry exhibition by Mengbai Studio, which was a resounding success. Videos of the event were available online, with Yiyan Event Planning prominently credited.

Yu Qing mentioned that Cheng Yanyu had gained some recognition through this exhibition.

Wen Yang smiled faintly.

Li Man was indeed his guiding star, bringing him honor from the very beginning.

Wen Yang impulsively checked Li Man’s social media, only to find that it hadn’t been updated in a long time. Since the last video of her running, there had been no activity. She seemed to have gone silent, hiding her beauty.

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The divorce proceedings were scheduled for a Friday, a sunny day.

Yu Qing offered to accompany Wen Yang, but she declined. Yu Qing had been working tirelessly, competing with the newly hired designers and proving to Liu Yu that she was the backbone of the studio. She had moved in with Wen Yang but spent most nights working late, sometimes sleeping no more than three hours a day.

Wen Yang wanted her to rest longer and decided to go alone. Nowadays, divorcing couples were so numerous that appointments had to be made in advance. Wen Yang freshened up and stood in front of her wardrobe, picking out an outfit.

Yu Qing, yawning and sitting on the bed with heavy dark circles under her eyes, asked, “Have you heard the song Divorce in the Republic of Ghana?”

Wen Yang shook her head. “No.”

Yu Qing played it on her phone.

“Do you still love me? Do you still love me? Don’t you know I might weakly wish to return to your side? I didn’t expect we’d come to this. Seeing your teary eyes, I don’t know what to say. I always thought we’d have a lifetime to say goodbye…”

A lifetime to say goodbye.

Wen Yang’s eyes reddened. Yu Qing looked up and said, “In Ghana, there’s a custom where people wear wedding dresses to divorce. They awaken the best memories and bring a beautiful end to it all.”

Wen Yang said nothing.

Yu Qing pointed at the wardrobe. “You must pick a beautiful dress today. Show Cheng Yanyu exactly what he’s lost.”

“I still remember how stunning you looked in your wedding dress when you married him. It’s so damn unfair.”

It made her wonder how she could ever believe in love again.

Wen Yang’s gaze landed on a yellow French-style tea-length slip dress. Yu Qing’s eyes lit up as well. She jumped off the bed, pulled out the dress, and said, “Wear this one.”

This was the dress Wen Yang had worn when she agreed to be Cheng Yanyu’s girlfriend. They had been standing on a dam overlooking the coastline with friends, laughing and taking pictures. Cheng Yanyu had held Wen Yang’s hand and smiled. Embarrassed, Wen Yang had looked away shyly.

Back then, she had been breathtakingly beautiful.

That was the beginning of their love.

Today marked its end.

Wen Yang held the dress in her hands and gazed at it for a while. At Yu Qing’s urging, she put it on. She had gained a little weight in the past five years, which made the dress fit even better. She looked at herself in the mirror, her slender collarbones and matured features glowing with a quiet elegance.

As emotions overwhelmed her, time did not wait. Wen Yang brushed her hair and said to Yu Qing, “I’m off.”

Yu Qing grabbed her shoulders. “Put on some lipstick. You don’t need makeup to look good, but lipstick is non-negotiable.”
Wen Yang nodded softly.

Pressed by Yu Qing, Wen Yang applied lip glaze.

When she arrived at the civil affairs bureau, there was already a line. A few couples were in line to get married, while the divorce line was notably longer. Wen Yang lifted her skirt slightly as she ascended the steps and took her place at the back of the line. Soon, Cheng Yanyu arrived. After hastily parking his car, he climbed the steps in a few strides. As he glanced at the queue, his eyes met Wen Yang’s. Among the crowd, she stood out, dressed as beautifully as a blossoming flower.

Cheng Yanyu paused in his tracks. He recognized the dress—it was the same one Wen Yang had worn when she had agreed to be his girlfriend. His fingertips tensed as a sharp pain crept into his chest. He walked over to her. “Have you been waiting long?” he asked.

“No, I just arrived,” Wen Yang replied, glancing at the queue. “It’s busy today.”

Cheng Yanyu, his stubble not fully shaven and wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, gave a quiet nod. The two stood close, yet the distance between them felt immense. They followed the queue in silence. On the other side, the couples waiting to marry radiated happiness, while the divorce line was steeped in silence and melancholy. Some couples bickered quietly, others looked indifferent, and a few were preoccupied with phone calls.

Cheng Yanyu couldn’t help but glance at Wen Yang. She was looking down at her phone, and the silence between them stretched on.

When it was finally their turn, the staff asked for their documents. Wen Yang handed hers over first, followed by Cheng Yanyu, who hesitated briefly before doing the same. They both remained calm until the divorce agreement was placed in front of them.

Wen Yang froze momentarily as she held the pen. Her gaze lingered on the words that marked the severing of their bond, their connection, and their shared future. Her eyes reddened as she stared at the final line, where her name would go. She wrote her name carefully and pressed her fingerprint to the document.

Cheng Yanyu, however, paused, the tip of his pen hovering over the signature line. Wen Yang wiped her fingers with a tissue and didn’t look at him. After a long silence, Cheng Yanyu’s voice, low and hoarse, broke through. “Wife…”

It would be the last time he called her that.

Wen Yang’s reddened eyes brimmed with tears, and she turned her head away.

Sometimes, she didn’t understand how they had ended up here. But every time she thought of his drenched shoulder for Li Man, she was reminded of his obsession with her. What more was there to say?

She let him go.

“Hurry up. There are a lot of people waiting,” Wen Yang said softly, her head lowered.

Cheng Yanyu stared at her for a moment. She moved aside, giving him space. His grip tightened around the pen as he lowered his head and, trembling slightly, signed his name: Cheng Yanyu.

Out of the corner of her eye, Wen Yang saw his name and thought, “You’re free now.”

They received their divorce certificates and walked out. Cheng Yanyu turned to her. “I’ll go get the car and drive you home.”

Wen Yang looked out at the bright, sunny streets of Nancheng. She glanced at him briefly. “No need. Yu Qing will pick me up. You can go. I don’t want to see you again.”

Her cold tone pierced Cheng Yanyu, leaving him breathless with pain. “Let me take you home,” he insisted.

“Didn’t you hear me?” she retorted. “I said, go.”

Cheng Yanyu’s throat tightened. After a few seconds, he nodded and turned to leave. As his figure disappeared, Wen Yang felt a fleeting sense of relief, but also a wave of uncertainty.

Vulnerability and confusion surged within her.

She had finally pushed Cheng Yanyu away. Her sharp tone, the thorny words—none of that was like her. She had become someone she didn’t like.

The emotions faded as Cheng Yanyu left. Wen Yang, feeling disoriented, stepped down the stairs. Her high heel twisted slightly, making her stumble.

Just then, a tall figure passing by steadied her arm. Startled, Wen Yang looked up and met the sharp, handsome features of Fu Xingzhou.

He appeared slightly surprised to see her, raising an eyebrow. “Can you stand steady?” he asked.

Recovering, Wen Yang steadied her footing. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Fu Xingzhou released her arm, his gaze lingering briefly on her tear-streaked face. The tears on her chin glistened like crystals, embodying the phrase “women are made of water.”

Jiang Yue, carrying some documents, climbed the steps and noticed the scene. He looked at Wen Yang, paused in surprise, and nodded politely. Wen Yang returned the gesture before turning to leave.

Fu Xingzhou ascended the stairs as Wen Yang descended.

In the solemn surroundings of the civil affairs bureau, Wen Yang’s yellow dress stood out like a ray of sunshine. The hem of her dress brushed against the steps as she walked toward the bus stop.

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Sansukini: Wearing the dress she wore when they started the relationship to their divorce is such a nice touch.

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