Zhou Yuwen became less and less interested in remarrying.
Su Qing grew more anxious!
And then she thought about all the little moments she had shared with Zhou Yuwen!
For six years, including their entire university life and the first two years starting their careers, Zhou Yuwen took such good care of her that, apart from work and studies, Su Qing never had to worry about household affairs.
Just a few days after the divorce, Su Qing developed a stomach ailment.
Because Zhou Yuwen had pampered her stomach too much, she couldn't even eat takeout.
And sometimes, fate really plays tricks on people.
While she was married to Zhou Yuwen, all she heard were praises about everyone else's husbands or boyfriends getting promotions and raises, or being sent abroad! Everyone said, "Find a boyfriend who is ambitious!"
"My goodness, Qingqing, your husband is so lucky to have a wife like you."
"Yeah! I can't even imagine myself with a boyfriend who only makes five thousand a month!"
"A man must at least earn a hundred thousand a month, otherwise how can he support me?"
"A man should definitely have ambition."
In that environment, Su Qing became unsteady and made a regretful decision.
Then after the divorce, the discussions around her changed.
"These men are so pathetic, once they make some money they think they are all that. As if nobody else could earn it."
"Yeah, I really don't understand what these men are thinking, thinking they can define our relationship by buying me dinner or a gift, stuff worth just a few thousand that I can easily afford myself; they wouldn't even dream of spending tens of thousands."
"Sigh, actually what we women want isn't money, but emotional value!"
"Nowadays, it's so rare to find a stable, normal man,"
"Exactly! If he's emotionally stable and can cook, doesn't smoke or drink, I wouldn't care if he had no salary at all; I'd be willing to support him!"
"Hey! I remember, Qingqing, your husband doesn't smoke or drink, and he is quite handsome, too."
"Yeah, I think your brother-in-law cooked really well!"
"Right, Su Qing, why did you divorce him in the first place? He was such a great guy!"
During lunch at the office, a group of women gathered to chat. The initial topic wasn't about Su Qing, but as the conversation turned to her, Su Qing felt like crying without tears and suddenly blurted out, "Weren't you the ones who said that a man earning five thousand a month isn't capable?"
"Hey! Su Qing, you can't just say that!"
"I never said that!"
Suddenly, that remark scared all her female colleagues away.
As early marriages go, Su Qing and Zhou Yuwen were ahead of their peers. By the time Su Qing and Zhou Yuwen divorced, others around them were still getting married. Only then did Su Qing realize how truly happy her marriage to Zhou Yuwen had been.
Among her acquaintances, just talking about the bride price ended several relationships.
From the women's perspective, the bride price was just to see the man's attitude.
"I'm already 26! I'm not a little girl from years ago, I need to secure my future!"
From the men's perspective, "Damn, you're a 26-year-old woman, not even in mint condition! Asking me for 200,000!"
At that point, someone asked Su Qing, "How much did your husband give you when you got married?"
"300,000," Su Qing said.
"300,000! That's a lot! Your husband was so good to you, why did you divorce him?"
That stung Su Qing again.
The 300,000 from Zhou Yuwen's family went entirely into renovating their house, and both Zhou Yuwen and Su Qing were the only children in their families, so they approached marriage very seriously.
As years passed, and more and more of Su Qing's friends got married, the more she felt that Zhou Yuwen wasn't the best, but he surely was the most suitable for her!
There were girls who married wealthy men, but those rich men were philanderers, which was the least of their issues. What was vile was that aside from being unfaithful, these men had no respect for women, they didn't even treat them as human beings.
Then there were those stingy guys who insisted on splitting everything after marriage, or had no money but still acted like big shots!
Having seen such marriages, Su Qing increasingly felt that her ex-husband was truly precious.
Just as Su Qing regretted divorcing Zhou Yuwen,
a colleague who enjoyed reading novels frantically approached Su Qing with a smartphone in hand, "Hey, Su Qing, look, isn't this your brother-in-law?"
It was indeed a photo of Zhou Yuwen.
It mentioned something about the 'Twelve Heavenly Kings'?
What 'Twelve Heavenly Kings'!?
"Sister! You don't know about the Twelve Heavenly Kings? They are really powerful novelists! They make a few million a year!"
"What!? Really? Su Qing, your husband makes millions a year!?"
"Let me see, let me see!"
The mention of a few million shocked all of Su Qing's colleagues, who all gathered around the younger colleague's phone to see.
"It really is Zhou Yuwen?"
"Su Qing, this is really your husband?"
The office colleagues passed around the phone, and Su Qing felt a glow of pride.
At that moment, someone said, "What husband? That's her ex-husband!"
"Oh right! Su Qing, you got divorced!"
"Geez, how could you be so foolish! Such a talented husband, and you still thought about divorcing him!"
That comment darkened Su Qing's face as she looked at her colleagues chattering carelessly, wishing she could stab them all! It was clearly they who had pushed her to divorce him!
On the day of the divorce, they even took her out to dinner, calling it a 'night of singlehood'!
And now they had the audacity to blame her!