Chapter 3.1

Xin Zhihuan barely slept all night.

Due to jet lag and a surge of thoughts, he tossed and turned in bed until dawn, only drifting into a hazy sleep, awakening again in less than two hours.

Unable to sleep, he restlessly scratched his head, jumped out of bed, opened the bedroom door, intending to freshen up in the bathroom, but caught a glimpse of Qi Feifei doing yoga in the living room.

She was wearing tight-fitting workout clothes, her graceful figure on full display, her slender limbs bending and flexing with agility.

She was his wife.

Xin Zhihuan watched, feeling inexplicably dry-mouthed. They had reunited after a long separation yesterday, and he had already confirmed her beauty, but seeing her this morning, he realized she was even more stunning than before.

Before, although her features were beautiful, her figure was slightly plump, and her skin was somewhat rough due to lack of care.

Now, perhaps yoga had sculpted her figure, not only were her curves more graceful, her skin was also firmer and her complexion brighter.

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It had been a long time since he had been back to Taiwan. Previously, when he came back to visit relatives, it was always in a hurry. This time, he had the rare opportunity to go for a morning run, and he discovered that the streets of Taipei had changed a lot.

No longer just dull asphalt roads, there were also riverside parks with shady trees. Streetlights were no longer rigid poles, but had playful or abstract lines. Even the pedestrians on the roadside were not just solemn office workers; there were grandmas dancing folk dances, smiling elders practicing qigong, and teenagers skateboarding.

Taipei had changed.

Just like his wife, she was also very different from six years ago…

Xin Zhihuan stopped, regulated his breathing, sweating profusely. He felt very comfortable and refreshed from the run, thinking that his pent-up frustration would dissipate, but unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. When he returned to the building where his wife lived, he unexpectedly saw her chatting and laughing with another man.

He had seen that guy in a business magazine before; he was Fang Jiajun, a small businessman from a large logistics group in Taiwan.

He actually followed her home!

Xin Zhihuan squinted, observing the interaction between the two from a few meters away. Qi Feifei had changed out of her workout clothes and was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, looking plain but attractive.

Compared to her casual attire, Fang Jiajun was in a sharp suit with a noble tie, standing behind him was a handsome BMW sports car, and he held a bunch of luxuriant pink roses in his hand.

Didn’t he just send a roomful of flowers and gifts yesterday? Sending flowers again today?

Xin Zhihuan frowned, his hands crossed in front of his chest, waiting to see what tricks this wealthy young man would play. He saw him give her roses and then casually propose an invitation. Qi Feifei accepted it with a smile.

She agreed?

Xin Zhihuan suddenly felt displeased, a fire rising in his chest, ignoring politeness, he strode over.

Qi Feifei caught sight of him, seeing his aggressive posture, couldn’t help but be shocked, afraid he would say something inappropriate, and hurriedly spoke first.

“Uh… brother, you’re here.”

Brother?! 

Hearing this title, Xin Zhihuan was completely stunned, frozen in place, while Fang Jiajun curiously turned his head along with her gaze.

“Is this your brother?” 

Damn it! When did he become her brother?

Xin Zhihuan gritted his teeth, his brows twisted fiercely, his gaze towards Qi Feifei sharp as a blade, sharp and fierce.

She blinked, pretending not to notice his anger, deliberately put on a bright smile, reached out to link her arm with his. “Jiajun, let me introduce you. This is my brother, uh… brother, this is Mr. Fang Jiajun.”

Was she so afraid to admit her married status in front of her pursuer? Worried she might scare him off?

“Mr. Qi, hello.” Fang Jiajun reached out his hand to him proactively.

He took that hand, shook it perfunctorily, his lips curling into a cold smile full of malicious intent. “Surname ‘Xin’, Xin Zhihuan.”

“Xin?” Fang Jiajun was taken aback, his right hand suspended in mid-air, hesitantly looking at Qi Feifei. “Aren’t you siblings? Why do you have different surnames?”

Yeah, he also wanted to hear her explanation. Xin Zhihuan waited leisurely on the side. 

Unexpectedly, Qi Feifei was well-prepared, smiling sweetly. “Because he’s my mom’s godson, considered my god brother. My mom treats him very well, so he takes care of me too, occasionally coming to see me.” She looked at him. “Right? Brother.” This time, she called him softly, sweetly, as if pleading for his cooperation.

He squinted, pursed his lips, although full of resentment, facing her soft plea, he was momentarily at a loss of how to respond. She seized his brief hesitation and immediately took control of the situation.

“Jiajun, sorry, I have breakfast plans with my brother and can’t chat with you anymore. Thank you for the flowers, I really like them. See you tonight.”

With that, she waved to Fang Jiajun and hurriedly dragged him back to the building, not giving him a chance to say much.

When they reached the elevator, he questioned aloud, “Am I your brother?”

“Just acting,” she said somewhat awkwardly. “I can’t just tell him you’re my husband who hasn’t divorced yet, can I?”

“What’s wrong with telling him? You’re already married, why not admit it?”

“Admitting it will only make things more complicated, right? Anyway, we’re getting divorced in a month.”

Yeah, they were getting divorced, was she in such a hurry to get rid of him?

Xin Zhihuan snorted coldly, about to retort sarcastically when she spoke up again.

“Please, Zhihuan, can you do me this favor? I’m really serious about being with Jiajun, he’s a really good guy.”

She wanted to be with Fang Jiajun? He’s a really good guy?

Xin Zhihuan was speechless. Although he had guessed that she wanted to be with Fang Jiajun when she served him divorce papers, hearing her say it still boiled his blood involuntarily.

“Didn’t you say that as long as I help you get the position of general manager, we’ll divorce in a month?” She continued to persuade him.

He stared at her trembling cherry lips, so soft and cute, yet the words that came out always made him itch with anger—Shit!

“Did I say we’d divorce in a month? I remember saying that this time the rules of the game are set by me.”

“You—” Her face instantly turned pale, like a wilted flower, pitiful and helpless.

He looked at her, angry at her, even angrier at himself—what’s going on? Why did he suddenly feel like he was some evil wolf bullying an innocent woman?

“Fine, in a month, whether I become the general manager or not, I will definitely divorce you, okay?”

He arrogantly declared, turned his head away, but his eyes dimmed in an instant.

Wasn’t it too much to call him brother in front of Jiajun?

Arriving at the restaurant, sitting in her office, Qi Feifei was still restless, her thoughts tangled like a ball of yarn, unable to focus.

Not daring to acknowledge his identity in front of Jiajun, she admitted to herself that she was cowardly. For the past six years, she had been exploring the world outside as a single woman, and suddenly he appeared as her husband, to be honest, she was troubled.

She didn’t know how to explain to the reporters who came to interview her yesterday, didn’t know how to explain to the employees of her restaurant, and even more so, didn’t know how to explain to Jiajun.

Although they weren’t officially in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, they had been dating for a while. Jiajun’s feelings for her were clear, and she was seriously considering accepting him, so she wanted to end her unclear marital status first.

This morning, facing Jiajun, she panicked, blurting out a clever lie, actually calling him her brother.

Had she hurt him? Such behavior seemed to treat him as something shameful, eager to hide it.

If he treated her like this in front of his girlfriend, wouldn’t she be angry and hurt too?

“Sorry…” Thinking this, Qi Feifei sighed softly, apologizing to someone who wasn’t present but was still on her mind.

She twirled her pen, flipping through documents, trying hard to read the contents, but her mind wandered disobediently, unable to focus.

The phone rang, and she almost breathed a sigh of relief as she quickly answered.

“Hello, this is Qi Feifei.”

“Miss Qi, this is Jason.” The other party greeted. “Long time no see!”

“It’s you.” She immediately smiled. Jason was the manager of a bank, familiar to her. The first loan she received for her business was approved by him, and since then, her restaurant had been dealing with the branch he managed. “Is there something wrong? Is there a problem with the loan I applied for?”

“No problem, I’m calling to inform you that it’s been approved.”

“Really? That’s great, thank you for your help.”

“No problem, Miss Qi, you are an excellent customer of our branch. We should thank you for your trust in our branch for all financial transactions.” 

“That’s because we have a pleasant cooperation! By the way, you and your wife haven’t visited our restaurant for a long time. When are you free to come? Our head chef has recently developed a new menu, it’s very good!”

“Yeah, my wife has been wanting to come to your place for a good meal, but I’ve been busy with work lately, always working overtime, she’s quite resentful!”

“Then please ask her to come with friends! I’ll open a bottle of wine for them.”

“Thank you in advance, hehe. By the way, Mr. Wang is here with me, do you want to talk to him?”

“Mr. Wang? Qixuan?” She was pleasantly surprised, her smile even brighter. “Sure, I have something to discuss with him.”

Two seconds later, the person on the other end of the line changed.

“Feifei, it’s me, Qixuan.” His warm and clear voice.

“Qixuan, where have you been lately? Your secretary said you went abroad?”

“On a business trip to Europe, just returned this morning, came over to the bank to visit, and deal with some investment matters.” Wang Qixuan explained with a smile. “What’s up? Do you need anything from me?”

“Yeah, I need your help with something. Remember I said I was going to open another branch? I want you to take a look at the business plan, see if the decor, style, and target customer base match the strategy?”

“Just want me to give you some advice, right?”

“Yeah, you’ve helped me with the previous two branches, and with a professional’s input, I feel more at ease.”

“Where did you get the idea that I’m a professional? I’m an architectural designer, I can judge the decor style, but when it comes to business management, it’s not my strong suit.”

“But the suggestions you gave me before were very useful!”

“That’s because—” Wang Qixuan paused, seeming hesitant for a moment, then after a while, he asked, “I heard that Zhihuan has returned to Taiwan, is that true?”

She was taken aback. “You know?”

“I emailed him a few days ago, and he said he would be back in a couple of days.”

“I see.” Qi Feifei sighed lightly, at a loss for words. Zhihuan and Qixuan were good friends to begin with, so it wasn’t strange that they kept in touch. She just didn’t know how to explain the current complicated situation to Qixuan.

Or maybe Zhihuan had

 already told him?

“You didn’t see him?” Wang Qixuan asked.

“I did.”

“Why don’t you just ask him? He’s a professional management consultant, his word is worth more than ten of mine.”

“How can I ask him? How can I say it?” How could she bring herself to ask? “Qixuan, you should know, Zhihuan and I, we—”

“Are getting a divorce?” He interjected.

“You know?” 

“Zhihuan told me everything.”

Really? He told him? Indeed, they were good friends. Qi Feifei thought with a hint of melancholy.

“I heard you initiated the divorce, Feifei, are you really planning to divorce him?” Wang Qixuan continued to ask.

“Yeah.”

“Not reconsidering?”

What else was there to consider? She smiled bitterly. “Let’s talk about this when we meet! Would you like to come to my restaurant when you’re free?”

“Sure, I’ll definitely go.” Wang Qixuan understood and didn’t press her further, after a few more casual chats, he hung up the phone.

After the call ended, Qi Feifei still absentmindedly held the receiver, lost in thought for a while, listening to the cold beep-beep of the line.

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