The sound of rushing water emanated from the bathroom; Lu Yunxi was taking a shower.
Lin Xi, still wrapped in her sheets, got up from the bed, her mind filled with thoughts of the previous night, her face blushing. Despite being married, she still felt incredibly shy after every sweet encounter.
As the water ceased, Lu Yunxi emerged, wrapped in a towel. She handed him his clothes. "Breakfast is ready. I'll wait for you downstairs."
"Alright."
Heading downstairs, Lin Xi carefully retrieved a cake from the refrigerator and placed it in the center of the dining table. In her hand, she held a pregnancy test report. Nervously, her heart pounded.
Today marked their two-year wedding anniversary, and she was anxious yet eager to share the news of her pregnancy with him.
Lu Yunxi, now dressed and downstairs, looked dashing in his hand-tailored black suit, exuding an elegant and captivating charm.
After finishing breakfast, Lin Xi clutched the test report tightly, took a deep breath, and nervously began, "Yunxi, there's something I want to tell you."
"Actually, I have something to tell you too."
"Then, you go first."
Lu Yunxi stood up, retrieved a document from a drawer, and slowly handed it to Lin Xi.
"This is a divorce agreement. Please take a look when you have time."
Lin Xi was caught off guard, struggling to maintain her composure and not collapse. She took a deep breath, the air entering her lungs feeling like a knife's edge.
A divorce agreement? Her mind went blank. After a while, Lin Xi finally found her voice and asked in bewilderment, "Are you asking for a divorce?"
"Mmm,"
His voice was barely audible.
Lin Xi, clutching the pregnancy test, was about to ask him if there was no room for negotiation. What if we have a baby? Would you reconsider then?
But in the next moment, his voice came again, "Qing Lian is back. I want to end our marriage early. We originally agreed on three years, but circumstances have changed. Let's end it a year earlier."
"I know this is hasty, and this agreement is just a draft. Take a look first, and if you have any requests, feel free to propose them, as long as they're not too unreasonable, I will meet your conditions."
Lin Xi nodded, her mind blank. "Okay, I'll look at it later."
She brought her hand behind her back, clutching the pregnancy test tightly, her palms sweating layer by layer.
She knew there was no need to bring it up now.
"There's one more thing I need to ask of you," Lu Yunxi said.
Lin Xi tightened her grip on her hands, trying to look up at him with a smile. "Alright, go ahead. I'll help if I can."
"On the matter of divorce, you have to talk to my grandfather. He won't agree if I bring it up."
"Okay, I understand."
She was originally just an ordinary girl, and her family was incredibly ordinary too, with a nurse mother and a gambling-addicted father.
In such a family, there was no way she could have climbed up to the Lu family by any means.
All this opportunity came about because Lu Yunxi's grandfather and father were ambushed by business rivals, resulting in a car accident that triggered heart problems for both.
Her mother happened to pass by and kindly saved the two elderly men.
Many years later, her mother fell ill with cancer and passed away. Her father was a compulsive gambler. Her mother, worried about her future, finally contacted the Lu family after many years and asked them to take care of her orphaned daughter.
Lu's grandfather made the decision directly and promised her to Lu Yunxi as soon as she graduated.
At that time, Lu Yunxi had said, "I can marry you, but my heart belongs to someone else. Our marriage will last for three years, and after that, you can request a divorce from my grandfather. We'll each go our separate ways."
She suppressed the bitterness and concealed all her affection.
With a nonchalant tone, Yunxi replied, "I understand. I have someone in my heart too. As soon as the engagement period ends, I will fulfill my promise and leave voluntarily."
After marriage, he had fulfilled all the duties of a husband: loving her, doting on her, protecting her – treating her exceedingly well. Their friends all knew she was the apple of Lu Yunxi's eye, the jewel in his hand. Yet, only Lin Xi knew that their marriage was never built on love; it was merely a contract.
All the goodness he bestowed upon her had nothing to do with love; it was merely a duty. If there was any love, it was solely directed at her body, a passionate infatuation.
Originally, they had agreed on three years, but now the woman who had occupied his heart had returned, and it was time for Lin Xi to step aside.
Lin Xi bent down to pick up the "divorce agreement" from the table. She had lost her appetite. Just as she was about to return to her room, Lu Yunxi suddenly appeared troubled, tugging at his tie, and called her back.
"When you bring up the divorce, Grandfather will surely ask for the reason. Didn't you mention at our wedding that you had someone you'd liked for many years? Now that I'm setting you free, you can go find him and pursue your happiness. Even if Grandfather doesn't agree, he won't be able to refuse this answer."
Lin Xi nodded. "Okay, I'll tell Grandfather that."
Afterward, she couldn't wait to leave. If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she might regret it and tell him, "Lu Yunxi, I don't want a divorce."
Lu Yunxi suddenly reached out, and Lin Xi hastily pulled back, fearing that he would discover what she held in her hand.
Lu Yunxi grew even more concerned and firmly held her hand. "Why does your face look so pale? Is there something wrong?"
"No," Lin Xi quickly freed her hand.
"After two years of marriage, do you think I can't tell when you're lying?" Lu Yunxi's eyes held a deep and mysterious gaze.
Lin Xi eventually relented, "It's nothing serious, just that my period started."
"Rest for a while."
Lu Yunxi then caught sight of her tightly clenched right hand and asked softly, "What were you holding so tightly? You seemed quite agitated."
Lin Xi immediately threw it into the trash can as if it were a hot potato and forced a smile. "It's nothing, just trash. I've been holding it and forgot to throw it away."
He wouldn't know how much her heart was hurting. It was as if someone had taken an axe and split her heart in two, with blood flowing, and everything blurred by flesh and blood. Each piece still bled, and she held that shattered heart, suffering unbearable pain.
"Yunxi, Lu Yunxi," Lin Xi whispered in her heart, "We were such a happy couple. How did we end up like this?"
When she had married him, she had almost risked everything. But now, her departure felt rushed and desolate.
"Lin Xi, you foolish girl, you've ultimately lost the gamble. He doesn't love you at all," she scolded herself.
Seeing her appearing somewhat weak, stumbling as she walked away, Lu Yunxi thoughtlessly scooped her up in his arms.
Lin Xi was taken aback and quickly protested, "Put me down, I can go back by myself."
"You're so exhausted. Don't act strong."
Lu Yunxi's voice was gentle and charming, and his deep, sexy tone reverberated in her ear.
It was this voice that she had listened to for two years, becoming intoxicated for two years, but now, he was about to withdraw suddenly.
Lin Xi blinked, unable to hold back her tears.
Lu Yunxi teased her, "You're not a little girl anymore, and you're crying because of your period? Don't cry; I'll call a doctor for you later."
"I'm not crying," Lin Xi stubbornly insisted.
This idiot, this blockhead.
He didn't know what she was crying about.
"Alright, alright, you're not crying then!" Lu Yunxi conceded.
"Can you tell me who he is?" Suddenly, he asked out of the blue.
"He?" Lin Xi was puzzled.
"You mentioned having liked someone for many years during our wedding. I'm curious, who is the lucky man who has occupied your thoughts for so long?" Lu Yunxi inquired.