Chapter 12

Four days after signing the divorce agreement, I called Jiang Ye.

He answered slowly.

His tone was indifferent: “What’s up?”

I responded with a simple “Hmm.”

“Are you free tomorrow? Let’s go to the civil affairs bureau.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“I’m on a business trip, we’ll talk when I get back.”

“How many days?”

“Uncertain!”

“Jiang Ye!” I emphasized, “I need a time, you have to give me a time.”

“I already said uncertain!” Jiang Ye’s voice rose, faintly impatient, “I’ve signed the divorce agreement, are you afraid I’ll run away?”

“Two days.”

“What?”

I said, “I’ll only give you two days. If you show up at the civil affairs bureau the day after tomorrow, I’ll leave you a shred of dignity. Otherwise, I’ll tell your friends and family about your affair.”

The moment my words fell, the call was abruptly disconnected.

I could imagine Jiang Ye’s fury.

He might even throw his phone in anger.

I didn’t care if he was truly busy or just making excuses.

I only cared whether my goal could be achieved quickly.

To my surprise, Jiang Ye showed up at my door the next evening.

“Why are you here?”

“I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Jiang Ye looked at me and suddenly chuckled, “Do I not even have the right to enter now?”

His sarcastic tone made me frown.

“What exactly do you want to say?”

Jiang Ye’s face darkened.

“Su He, you’ve gone too far. No matter what, this is between us. You shouldn’t make things difficult for a young girl.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Not admitting it?” Jiang Ye’s eyes were filled with sarcasm, “Dare you say the cancellation of Tao Meng’s scholarship has nothing to do with you?”

“Tao Meng? Who?”

A deep voice suddenly interrupted.

Jiang Ye was startled.

“Brother?”

Jiang Heng emerged slowly from behind me, looking at Jiang Ye with an expressionless face.

“Who is Tao Meng?”

Jiang Ye glanced at me, then at him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m asking you, who is Tao Meng?”

“None of your business!”

“Will you tell me, or should I investigate?”

Jiang Ye’s lips pressed into a thin line, stubbornly refusing to speak.

I felt a headache coming on.

“Alright, you go inside first, let me talk to him.”

Jiang Heng wanted to say something, but I interrupted him.

“This is between Jiang Ye and me, stay out of it!”

After a brief standoff, Jiang Heng finally retreated into the room.

Watching Jiang Ye, I exhaled a heavy breath.

“I don’t know about Tao Meng. If you had any sense, you wouldn’t come to me. If I really wanted to mess with her, I could make her drop out with your affair photos and evidence of you supporting her. Jiang Ye, I just want a divorce, not trouble. You…”

“Affair? Supporting? Divorce? You cheated? You’re getting divorced?”

…

I looked at Jiang Heng speechlessly, “Can you stop eavesdropping?”

Jiang Heng ignored me, his gaze fixed intensely on Jiang Ye.

A stern shout: “Speak!”

“This is between her and me, none of your concern.”

“Oh, none of my concern?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Heng punched Jiang Ye in the face.

“Bastard!”

Jiang Ye was never one to stand and take a beating.

Even if he was in the wrong, he could still return a punch.

Watching the two of them wrestle, I closed the door with a blank expression.

Later, when they stopped fighting or left, I had no idea.

The next day, I arrived at the civil affairs bureau at eight o’clock sharp, took a number, and waited for Jiang Ye.

About ten minutes later, Jiang Ye showed up.

He sat silently beside me, his face bruised, his expression despondent.

Before long, our number was called.

I stood up.

Jiang Ye suddenly grabbed my wrist.

His voice was hoarse: “I lied to you that day, I didn’t go to her, we’re already over. She called me saying her scholarship was canceled, I know it wasn’t you. I was just suddenly happy, I finally had a reason to come to you. I never thought about divorce, I never wanted to divorce you.”

Jiang Ye’s voice grew lower, even choked with emotion.

I never could handle Jiang Ye crying.

I agreed to be with him because he had red eyes for me.

But now…

“Jiang Ye, your crying makes me feel a bit disgusted!”

Jiang Ye’s grip on my hand tightened.

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke in confusion.

“What did you say?”

I broke free from him, tore up the paper in my hand, and took a new number.

“Actually, since this happened, we haven’t sat down and talked properly. You haven’t asked how I found out about your affair, nor what I know.

“Let’s go through the whole process. Starting half a year ago, our marital life became less harmonious. You were gloomy and met Tao Meng while drinking. Maybe because she resembles me a bit, maybe because she’s younger and more vibrant, you couldn’t resist and cheated. Cheating is always wrong, to justify yourself, you found fault with me. You said since I turned thirty, you felt I was dirty, because of the fine lines on my face, because of my no longer full figure, you said I was like a withered flower, smelling foul from afar.

“Jiang Ye, when you used those harsh words to describe me, do you know how disgusting you were in my eyes?

“I started doubting myself, wondering how blind I was to step into a pile of dog shit. Dog shit stuck to my shoe, yet it complained my shoe stank.”