harleyscars Chapter 48 I Still Want to Marry You
Chapter 48 I Still Want to Marry You
There is no such thing as pure warmth and nobility in this world. Everyone is playing a game based on their own selfish motives. The so-called "good parting" is just a polite excuse when things haven't reached a dead end.
-----------------
Zeng Jia never expected that adding Wang Haowen back on WeChat would be to help Zhang Zhishan and Yu Li with their divorce.
The group arranged to meet at a private club in Beijing; the dilapidated villa had long been left to be cleaned up by servants.
The four of them sat around the table, a veritable hodgepodge of Northeastern stew, but the flavor was off. Zhang Zhishan and Yu Li stared at each other, holding their breath for ten minutes without saying a word, but their eyes had already torn each other to shreds, a mixture of resentment, blame, frustration, and indignation.
Zeng Jia knew perfectly well that their emotions were usually just an act, but this time it was real.
Zhang Zhishan's phone buzzed twice. He glanced at it, then slammed it face down on the table, breaking the silence. "I told you before, you had to attend Grandma's 80th birthday celebration, but you stubbornly refused to listen. Things have gotten to this point; public relations are useless now. They're deliberately trying to embarrass us. They clearly still have cards to play, just waiting for us to deny it so they can unleash a killer move. Right now, the only way out is to announce the divorce. The board of directors has to give us an explanation."
No matter how thick the makeup on Yu Li's face was, it couldn't hide the weariness seeping from her very bones. "Get it done, the sooner the better."
She has already found out that the company that bribed the two reporters is an insignificant, nearly bankrupt e-commerce company. They hope to get some hush money from Tianyi through this, or better yet, be acquired by Tianyi at a high price. At the very least, if Tianyi collapses, they can still try their luck when it comes to dividing the market.
The world of fame and fortune is the most realistic place. As long as there is even the slightest crack, even the most insignificant ant will frantically gnaw at the beast's fatal throat. And this time, the public relations loophole was Song Yaxuan. Even if Yu Li was furious, she could only endure it, after all, she was the one who brought this person into the mess.
Zhang Zhishan was genuinely pleased to see Yu Li back down. Just as he was about to make a sarcastic remark, Yu Li, as if sensing his words, said, "Don't try to pin all the blame on me. Do you think your little starlet can withstand people digging up dirt on her? Right now, we need to get things done as quickly as possible. If we both get stuck in this mess, we won't be able to get out!"
Zhang Zhishan immediately fell silent, his mouth tightly shut. The two had spent half their lives together, practically reading each other's minds; he knew exactly what the other wanted to say.
Unfortunately, all that "tacit understanding" went into digging holes and filling them in, leaving him feeling as if a heavy weight was stuck in his chest, making him want to scratch the wall.
"Okay, let's do it this way. We'll have a board meeting in three days, and we'll insist that we've already broken up. I'll have someone take care of those two reporters."
"We'll strangle any small e-commerce business." Yu Li rubbed her throbbing temples, which were throbbing with pain. She had to vent her anger, or her reputation would be completely ruined.
What's even more painful is the divorce from Zhang Zhishan. She had long planned to go her separate ways, but when it came down to it, all the pretense of being nonchalant was swept away by this sudden whirlwind.
Zhang Zhishan also took two deep breaths, as if trying to suppress the pent-up frustration. In fact, there were only forty-odd days left until the day they would have their bet settled. This short period of time was as short as a fart, yet it had overturned all their plans.
"Yu Li," Zhang Zhishan suddenly blurted out, "Actually... no matter how much I made a scene, I never really thought about divorcing you."
Whether what he said was true or not, it made Yu Li look at him a few more times. Zhang Zhishan didn't even look at Yu Li's reaction, turned to Zeng Jiayi and gestured with his chin, "Call the Civil Affairs Bureau and ask what time they open this afternoon!"
Zeng Jia quickly said "Hey," and took out her phone to ask, but Wang Haowen suddenly interrupted, "I've already contacted them. It's 1:30, and I've made an appointment for you two. As long as the materials are complete, we'll get started as soon as you walk in."
Zeng Jia paused, turned her head and glared at him. He was quick to break up with his own partner, but now he's just as quick to dismantle others' relationships? He might as well set up a stall outside the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow!
But the words caught in her throat, and she swallowed them back. Was it really worth it? Making herself sound like a complaining woman!
Wang Haowen was perfectly aware of Zeng Jia's unspoken message. Why was she being so dramatic? If they didn't get things sorted out quickly, the situation would escalate to the point where they would both lose their jobs and starve.
Zeng Jia was too lazy to argue with him; her mind was entirely on the two troublemakers in front of her. She disliked Yu Li, but she had to admit that this woman was truly formidable. She had imagined a hundred times what their divorce would be like—chaotic chaos? Tearing each other apart? She never expected it to be like this.
A sense of desolation and bleakness permeated the air, a lingering, oppressive atmosphere. Even more strangely, she could actually detect a faint hint of reluctance on their faces.
So capitalists aren't entirely devoid of humanity after all? Then why did they fight like that before?
Yu Li glanced at her watch; it was almost midnight. She stood up and said, "One-thirty, at the Civil Affairs Bureau entrance. Don't be late."
"How about we have a farewell dinner? The usual place," Zhang Zhishan suddenly suggested, his fake smile gone. "Just the two of us, no one else, let's part on good terms."
Yu Li didn't refuse him and offered her hand. The two linked arms and, just like in their countless previous acts, chatted and laughed as they walked out.
Zeng Jia didn't have time to think about it anymore. She got up and headed towards the villa. She needed to prepare Zhang Zhishan's divorce papers. Time was tight right now, and she might not make it if there was a traffic jam.
February 10th, 1:30 PM, Civil Affairs Bureau.
Yu Li and Zhang Zhishan's divorce went smoothly; the signing and sealing of documents proceeded without incident. However, the notice of the thirty-day "cooling-off period" felt like a fishbone stuck in her throat, impossible to spit out or swallow, causing an unpleasant, itchy feeling all over her body.
Before leaving, Zhang Zhishan suddenly gripped Yu Li's hand tightly, his eyes quite serious: "Even if we really divorce, I can't marry anyone else. Once this storm has passed and things are settled, I'll bring you back with great pomp and circumstance!"
Yu Li smiled coquettishly, "I finally managed to get away, do you think I'm stupid? But you should take good care of yourself too." She subtly pulled her hand back as she raised it to comb her hair, and looked at the car that was already waiting.
Zhang Zhishan also gave Zeng Jia a look that said "he'll leave first," he said, he needed to see his lawyer first, and he would leave the other trivial matters to Zeng Jia.
The two got into their respective cars and left one after the other. In the blink of an eye, Zeng Jia and Wang Haowen were left staring at each other in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, standing there like two gatekeepers.
Zeng Jia stared down at the property division template in her hand, her head throbbing with pain. She hadn't even been married yet, and she'd already figured out the divorce process. She glanced at Wang Haowen beside her; he wasn't doing much better, looking like he was crawling with lice, unsure of what to do with his hands.
"Are you satisfied now that things have come to this? You stubbornly refused to change the signing date back then, insisting on going head-to-head with me and arguing with me. Now look what's happened, the whole city is in an uproar, the company is in turmoil, and the boss and his wife have divorced. Are you happy now? Do you think you've won by dragging everyone down with you?!" Zeng Jia's pent-up anger and grievances finally exploded, every word dripping with barbs.
Wang Haowen froze, the awkwardness in his eyes instantly replaced by rage, his voice filled with resentment and anger: "So all the blame should be pinned on me? Zeng Xiaojia, have some conscience! If you had just replied to one of my messages on DingTalk and agreed with me on the same story, would things have gotten to this point? Seriously, this is dereliction of duty! It's shirking responsibility! Don't think you're so innocent!"
"I neglected my duty?" Zeng Jia laughed coldly and sarcastically, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "I was working non-stop all night at the old house in Zhejiang, splitting myself in eight pieces, so busy that I didn't even have time to drink water. And you? You just served tea and water to that rich heiress, living a very comfortable life, didn't you?" As she spoke, she deliberately stood on tiptoe, her gaze sweeping over his head, her contempt undisguised. "Don't be so sure, that photo on the trending topics, the back of your head really went viral! I never realized before that you were born to be a gigolo and climb the social ladder. If I had known you were this capable, I would have let go of you a long time ago, so as not to delay your climb to the top."
Wang Haowen instantly exploded, "Stop making baseless accusations! You were the one who blocked me first, deliberately used the silent treatment, and pushed me away! Song Yaxuan and I have nothing to do with each other; we've only ever had a working relationship. Don't try to smear me!"
"Innocence?" Zeng Jia raised an eyebrow, her eyes practically overflowing with mockery. "Innocence? Wang Haowen, do you even believe that yourself? The young lady is always clinging to you, the Song family's resources are practically handed to you, even Yu Li is personally paving the way for you. With your current situation of being the center of attention, do you really need to pretend to be innocent with me? Am I the only fool who would bother with your sincerity and calculate the future? In the end, I've become a stumbling block to your rise to power, a thorn in your side?"
"Don't try to absolve yourself of all responsibility!" Wang Haowen retorted, his face flushed red. "Isn't all you care about money, a house in Beijing, and a Beijing residency permit? When I proposed to you, you refused to marry me unless I bought a house. You've never been with me for my sake, only for those material things. What right do you have to criticize me? Aren't you already flirting with other rich kids?"
"Yes, I just want money. You're after the shortcut to a life of luxury, while I'm working hard to build my own strength and protect myself. You want to climb the social ladder through women, while I just want to survive on my own. We're evenly matched, neither of us is more noble than the other, and neither of us has the right to stand on moral high ground and criticize the other!" Zeng Jia didn't explain, but instead readily agreed.
Wang Haowen's anger was instantly extinguished by most of it. He stared blankly at Zeng Jia, a hint of confusion and resentment in his eyes. "So... all these years of our relationship are worthless in your eyes?"
"Feelings?" Zeng Jia felt nauseous at the word, as if she had swallowed a fly. "Wang Haowen, the moment you and Song Yaxuan stood side by side, chatting and laughing as you rode the elevator together, leaving me behind, that relationship was already over. From now on, let's go our separate ways and not bother each other anymore."
Just as she finished speaking, the ride-hailing car pulled up to the side of the road and honked its horn. Zeng Jia didn't hesitate for a moment, turning around to open the car door. Before getting in, she gave Wang Haowen one last look, "I don't want any amicable parting with you. After the bet, we'll settle things, and from then on, we'll never see each other again."
With a bang, the car door slammed shut, the car started moving instantly, and sped away.
Wang Haowen stood frozen in place, his blood surging. He clenched his fists tightly and cursed under his breath, "Damn it!"
Before he could suppress the suffocating anger and grievance, his phone screen suddenly lit up, the glaring light reflecting on his ashen face. It was a message from Yu Li: "You should also collect some dirt on Zeng Jia and try to find a way to get it out of her. The lawyer is coming to the villa tonight to discuss the division of property, and you should come too."