When Li Yaru woke up, she felt like she was about to die. Her head was spinning, her body ached all over, and it felt as if she was about to split in two.
Under Zhuang Qiting’s strict control, she hadn’t gotten drunk in years, and she’d almost forgotten what it was like.
So getting drunk wasn’t just about a splitting headache— her legs and feet were suffering too?
Li Yaru stared blankly at the crystal chandelier, twisting her stiff waist a little.
Sure enough, it was both sore and numb, as if someone had beaten her hundreds of times!
If she weren’t at home, with no messy marks on her body and the sheets still neat and clean, she’d have suspected she’d done something wild after drinking.
After drinking…
The more Li Yaru thought about it, the more terrified she became. She quickly shook off the thought and rang the bell to call a servant to run her a hot bath.
Soaking comfortably in the steaming water, Li Yaru washed away the smell of alcohol and felt fresh and clear.
Her skin carried the rich scent of amber camellias, and as she walked, the air around her swirled with a charming, mature woman’s fragrance.
The kitchen had prepared a lavish lunch. No one disturbed her, so she enjoyed it alone, facing a garden full of red camellias in contentment.
“By the way, Uncle Li, I didn’t wake him up when I came home last night, did I?” Li Yaru still felt uneasy.
Even though she’d blacked out from drinking last night, the feeling hadn’t disappeared.
She vaguely remembered being pressed down until she couldn’t breathe, all sweaty and sticky, as if a hot, heavy blanket had pinned her down, impossible to push away.
That made her think of Zhuang Qiting.
Zhuang Qiting was broad-shouldered and long-legged, with hard muscles. Every time he pressed down on her, she’d be left gasping for air.
If— if Zhuang Qiting had dared to take advantage of her while she was drunk last night, she’d storm right into his office and raise hell!
She’d make him lose all face in front of their son!
Li Guanjia, dressed in an elegant British-style butler’s uniform, looked every bit the loyal servant who wouldn’t tell a lie. “Madam, sir went to bed very early last night. He only learned about your drunkenness this morning.”
“Got it.”
Only then did Li Yaru feel at ease. She smiled, a little embarrassed. So it was just a spring dream.
At her age, she was still having those strange, feverish dreams? It made no sense.
Maybe she’d been too lonely lately… After all, it had been nearly a month since she’d tasted that flavor.
At night, without Zhuang Qiting, that grabby human-shaped pillow, she still felt a little out of sorts.
She needed to get the Divorce Decree as soon as possible, move out, and find herself a hot young boyfriend! If this dragged on, she’d become a pitiful, unsatisfied woman!
.
Who knew when the Divorce Decree would finally come down— on Hong Kong Island, divorce was never easy.
Li Yaru hadn’t planned to settle the matter in just a few months.
There was no rushing hot tofu. A friend in her circle had fought a divorce case for five years and still hadn’t settled it.
What troubled her more was that the real estate agents hadn’t gotten back to her.
She’d asked Ada to follow up several times, but the answers were always either that no suitable property had been found, or that the owner suddenly refused to sell, or that only full payment in one go was accepted.
A Shallow Water Bay Garden Villa costing over a billion, and they wanted full payment up front—weren’t they just making things difficult?
At present, Li Yaru had just over a billion in liquid funds in her account. The rest was tied up in stocks, financial products, or various investments.
In the past, she never had to worry about money.
She’d buy anything without looking at the price, since Zhuang Qiting always picked up the tab— whether it was jewelry worth tens of millions or a New York Mansion costing over a billion.
She could have whatever she wanted.
Now that her accounts and Zhuang Qiting’s were separated, from the moment she signed the divorce agreement, she couldn’t even take a single coin from his account.
The Unlimited Black Card Shenghui Bank had customized for family members had also been frozen.
In short, she still looked glamorous on the surface, but in reality, she couldn’t even afford a villa by the bay. Even her three sons were richer than she was.
Zhuang Qiting must have noticed her predicament. Gentlemanly and mild, he asked if she’d found a new place, and told her to just say so if she needed money.
“No need, I’m not short on money.” Li Yaru didn’t want to deal with his sanctimonious face.
He just wanted to see her struggling after leaving him, calmly waiting for her to come crawling back like Jiang Taigong fishing.
For once, Zhuang Qiting smiled, his usually stern features softening by a few degrees. “It’s fine, Ah Rou, you can always stay here. I’ve said it before— moving isn’t easy, don’t make things harder for yourself.”
“I’m definitely moving out.”
Besides, she would never just buy some small house to make do, as if she’d been thrown out as some pitiful discarded wife.
If Li Yaru was going to live somewhere, it had to be a top-tier mansion!
She wanted Zhuang Qiting to know that every day after their divorce, she was living her best life! She was even going to plant a whole field of red camellias in her new place!
“Oh, is that so.” Zhuang Qiting was relaxed, sipping his Pu’er tea. “Then I wish Ah Rou luck finding a good place soon. After all, you have so many things— you’ll need somewhere spacious.”
She lowered her head, her expression shifting.
……………….
Zhuang Qiting narrowed his eyes.
Li Yaru wasn’t listening at all. She was thinking that she actually really liked the Zhuang Residence—loved it, in fact. It had been tailored to her tastes, and after more than twenty years, she was deeply attached. If only…
If only Zhuang Qiting would move out! Then she could have the whole Zhuang Residence to herself! She could do whatever she wanted, throw parties whenever she pleased! She’d toss all his stuff out and kick him to the curb— serve him right!
“Hmm? What did you say?” She snapped back, lifting her head. Her dark, glossy eyes reflected the fiery red camellias.
She was so stunning, her beauty full of charm. Surrounded by camellias, she still outshone their brilliance.
Zhuang Qiting paused for half a second, recalling his reckless actions a few nights ago when his wife was drunk.
He felt a bit helpless—he was already past forty, yet whenever he faced her, he still lost control like a young man.
Luckily, Li Yaru had been dead drunk that night and hadn’t woken up.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to explain it, and would have made their already strained relationship even worse.
“I said, Ah Rou,” Zhuang Qiting’s fingers gently tapped the saucer as he gazed at his sweet, unsuspecting wife and said softly, “If you need anything, just come to me. Money, or anything else— it’s all fine.”
“We’re not divorced yet, Ah Rou. There’s no need for you to suffer.”
.
With her move stalled, Li Yaru had no choice but to keep living at the Zhuang Residence.
Fortunately, Fan Zizhuo had made some progress. Her people had gotten in touch with the Chief Financial Officer’s ex-wife in Vancouver.
That woman had been the CFO’s secretary back then and had handled a lot of business.
Before her husband was taken by Public Security, she’d quickly signed a divorce agreement and fled to Vancouver with their child and their assets.
Fan Zizhuo had someone pass a message to her— don’t worry, there was no need to look for more people, he wasn’t suffering inside, and he’d be out soon.
Li Yaru wasn’t a soft-hearted woman, but her eyes still grew wet with guilt when she saw those words.
Who knew what methods the Mainland Public Security Bureau might use on Fan Zizhuo? Not letting him sleep would be the least of it.
This was a disaster out of nowhere, and it was all Zhuang Qiting’s fault! Jealous and reckless, he’d dragged innocent people down with him— completely dishonorable!
Li Yaru’s resolve to get divorced only grew. She wanted that old man to understand that the world didn’t revolve around him, and she wasn’t his to mold.
There was still a long way to go— who could say who’d end up suffering in the end.
Their three sons had no idea their parents had signed a divorce agreement in private. The Zhuang Residence still seemed lively and peaceful on the surface.
Zhuang Shaozhou had always been the most perceptive of the brothers. He’d noticed something was off from the little clues.
Several times, coming home late at night, Madam Li was still out attending events, and the old man didn’t wait up for her, let alone pick her up— he’d just gone to bed. That shocked him.
Zhuang Shaozhou didn’t ask directly, but encouraged his younger brother to do so.
Li Shengming, of course, didn’t dare ask his father, so he tried to probe his mother instead, asking if she and Dad had been fighting.
Li Yaru smiled and ruffled her youngest son’s hair, then asked him in return: if Dad and Mom got divorced, who would he go with?
Li Shengming was stunned. As the only man in the family under eighteen, he suddenly felt lost about his future.
His mother had never asked him such a life-or-death question! What was going on?
“Seriously? Mommy, don’t lie to me. Why would you get divorced? Did Dad bully you? If Dad bullied you, I’ll stand up for you… I’ll… I’ll get Second Brother to hit him! Second Brother’s been boxing lately—he’s really good.”
Li Yaru laughed so hard she almost choked. Where had this little puppy come from— so cute! It was a miracle she and Zhuang Qiting had managed to have such a little rascal as Li Shengming.
“Your second brother won’t fall for your tricks. He’s sharp, you be careful or he’ll beat you up.”
Li Shengming grumbled in dissatisfaction. “Fine.”
Li Yaru knocked his head. “I’m asking who you’d go with.”
Li Shengming panicked: “Isn’t it obvious? I have your surname! I’m yours in life and death—”
“Char siu, you!” He’d say anything, this silly son. Li Yaru smacked his head. “I was just speaking offhand. Even if we get divorced, you don’t need to pick sides. Things will stay the same— nothing will change.”
“Oh.” Li Shengming looked puzzled. “So are you getting divorced or not?”
Li Yaru thought for a moment but still didn’t say.
Li Shengming turned around and told his two older brothers everything.
Zhuang Shaozhou said nothing, just mulled it over.
Zhuang Shaoyan, for once, put on the stern authority of the eldest brother and told his two younger brothers to keep their mouths shut— don’t say anything they shouldn’t, especially with the Zhuang Family’s annual Chanzhen Prayer Ritual coming up. No mistakes could be allowed.
This was the Zhuang Family’s yearly family event— to strengthen family ties internally and present a powerful, stable image to the outside world.
Every member of the Zhuang Family on Hong Kong Island had to gather at Baoyuan Temple to offer incense, release animals, bathe, copy scriptures, eat vegetarian meals, and clean the Ancestral Hall for three days.
If news of a divorce broke out now, it would only spark a storm of speculation and gossip. Li Shengming understood how serious it was and promised to keep his mouth shut.
In previous years, the prayer ritual had always been organized by the eldest daughter-in-law, Li Yaru.
This year, the responsibility had been handed to the Second Sister-in-law— Zhuang Qiting’s younger brother Zhuang Qikai’s wife, Zhou Xinlan.
Zhou Xinlan was different from Li Yaru. She was the picture of a proper lady— born wealthy, dignified, beautiful, cautious, and very traditional.
When she called to notify Li Yaru, she gently addressed her as Big Sister-in-law.
“Big Sister-in-law, we shouldn’t wear vermilion at the temple this time. Master said the Zhuang Family’s fortune is strong this year— if we use red, it might burn us. Please remind Big Brother and the nephews.”
“We’ll gather at Da Xiongbao Hall’s east side at 8:00, incense offering at 8:26… I’m bringing several of the family chefs, I hope the food suits everyone’s taste…”
She gave a string of gentle, detailed instructions, and Li Yaru listened patiently, smiling. “I’ll follow your arrangements. This year, you’re the matriarch.”
Zhou Xinlan laughed softly. “You’re teasing me, Big Sister-in-law. I’m just afraid I’ll make a mistake and everyone will suffer. If you were in charge, everything would be even more perfect.”
Li Yaru reassured her, “It’s just a matter of getting used to it. Don’t be nervous— you’re much more capable than I am. From now on, you’ll be taking the lead.”
Zhou Xinlan paused, not quite understanding what her sister-in-law meant. After hanging up, she told her husband.
Zhuang Qikai laughed, saying Big Sister-in-law was just being lazy, pushing all the work onto his wife. He’d have to talk to the big boss about it!
The night before the prayer ritual, Zhuang Qiting came to knock on Li Yaru’s door.
Knocking felt strange to him— this bedroom was a place he’d always entered as he pleased, the person inside someone he could look at, hug, or kiss whenever he wanted…
Forget it. Times had changed.
“Who is it? Mingzai?”
Since she had to get up early the next day, Li Yaru hadn’t gone out and had washed up by eight.
“It’s me.”
Li Yaru quickly grabbed her robe and slipped it on. Her full, alluring figure was hidden by silk, but her curves still showed. “…Come in.”
Zhuang Qiting pushed open the door and was greeted by a seductive womanly fragrance. He saw his wife wrapped in her robe, lazily reclining on the red velvet sofa.
Her face, scrubbed clean of makeup, was fresh and elegant— like a camellia after rain.
“Yeh ma ma nei zou mat yeh?” (What are you doing so late at night?)
She’d had half a cup of kitchen-made sweet rice wine with osmanthus.
Her voice was languid and soft— at first it sounded like a complaint, but on closer listen, it was more like she was being coquettish.
Zhuang Qiting walked in but didn’t sit. He stood with one hand in his pocket, looking down at her. His gaze naturally fell on her crossed neckline— so fair, so soft.
He looked away quickly and said blandly, “We have to get up early tomorrow. Go to bed early tonight.”
“Oh.” Li Yaru frowned, not understanding why he still cared about her bedtime when he was practically a pre-divorce ex-husband.
“Everyone will be there tomorrow, and there will be media. Behave yourself, okay?”
Li Yaru bristled, glaring at him. “How exactly do you want me to behave?”
Zhuang Qiting found her reaction amusing and glanced at her. He couldn’t understand why she was so angry with him— maybe she’d been playing wild outside lately. He’d see how long she could keep it up.
“Just cooperate with me. Be as affectionate as necessary, otherwise people will notice. I don’t want anything going wrong right now.”
Li Yaru rolled her eyes, too lazy to argue, and replied lazily, “Got it, got it. How could I not listen to the great Zhuang Sheng? Don’t worry.”
She needed to do her bedtime stretches, which meant taking off her nightgown. This man, tall and imposing, stood there looking relaxed but was actually overbearing, like a silent giant serpent locking her in. It made her very uncomfortable.
“You should go back now,” she urged softly.
Zhuang Qiting didn’t leave. Instead, he looked around the master bedroom.
Go already, ex-husband! Li Yaru bit her lip, not understanding what he was looking for. All his things had already been moved out.
She followed his gaze around the large bedroom, finally noticing it landed on the nightstand. What was so interesting about the nightstand? She was suspicious.
Zhuang Qiting’s eyes were unfathomably deep, dark currents swirling within. Li Yaru felt a tingle of anxiety under that gaze. “You…”
“Ah Rou, don’t do anything bad behind my back. You’re still my wife—everything here is mine, understand?”
“………………?”
What was wrong with him, making these random declarations of ownership? Did he have nothing better to do than come here and pick a fight? Li Yaru looked at him speechlessly.
It wasn’t until the man sauntered out that Li Yaru finally realized something. She suddenly lunged for the nightstand, yanked open the second drawer— and found it completely empty.
Li Yaru’s mind went blank. Embarrassment and shame twisted together, her face burning hot.
Her treasures had been confiscated by Zhuang Qiting…!