Chapter Two: Divorce

Pushing open the door, the living room was as immaculate as when he had left. A vague sense of unease flickered across Song Zhiyan’s heart—by rights, Yu Tang ought to have flown into a rage and smashed everything in sight. How could she be so unnaturally calm?

As he drew nearer, he saw the woman sitting upright on the sofa, her gaze fixed intently on the divorce agreement. Yu Tang showed no reaction, her eyes glued to the document; it was impossible to tell if she was studying it or simply lost in thought.

Seeing her like this, Song Zhiyan frowned instinctively. “Yu Tang, I’m talking to you. What’s with the act—pretending not to hear?”

Yu Tang had reached the last line of the agreement. Even as Song Zhiyan spoke, she ignored him completely. Once she confirmed there were no hidden traps in the contract, she picked up the pen on the table with no hesitation and, in a sweeping motion, signed her name.

After signing, she didn’t even glance at Song Zhiyan. Instead, she waited expectantly for the system’s voice.

Fortunately, she was not disappointed. As expected, the system’s voice echoed in her mind.

“You are hopelessly in love with Song Zhiyan. For you, divorcing him is tantamount to dying. To make this decision, you must have steeled your resolve.”

“Task completion: fifty percent. Reward: the vitality of your twenty-three-year-old self.”

The system’s announcement barely faded before Yu Tang felt strength coursing back into her formerly limp limbs. Her head no longer ached, her legs were no longer sore, her waist was free of pain, and even the fresh bruise on her forehead had vanished. She felt wholly rejuvenated.

Noticing the change, Yu Tang’s eyes gleamed with delight. It was her own body once more—nothing could compare. She was already this agile at twenty-three; she could hardly imagine how supple she’d be at twenty.

Song Zhiyan, observing Yu Tang’s dazed expression, was inexplicably irritated. Why the pretense of not understanding?

He stepped closer, about to speak again, when Yu Tang suddenly looked up.

Their eyes met unexpectedly. Yu Tang’s were still bright with the remnants of her unrestrained joy—a sparkle that made Song Zhiyan’s heart give an involuntary jolt.

It had been a long time since he’d seen Yu Tang like this. In his memory, she was always either in the throes of hysteria or teetering on the edge of it. The last time they had sat together in peace must have been shortly after their wedding.

For a moment, he felt strangely ill at ease; the words he had prepared stuck in his throat, unspoken.

But then his gaze dropped to the divorce agreement in Yu Tang’s hand, already bearing her signature.

Seeing her name there, his pupils contracted sharply. “You… you’ve signed?”

Yu Tang now realized—this was the very husband who had been her nemesis. Her smile faded instantly. She gathered the signed divorce agreement to her chest, handling it as if it were a priceless treasure. Rising to her feet, she brushed imaginary dust from her clothes, her gaze firm. “Let’s go!”

Song Zhiyan was momentarily at a loss. “Go where?”

“The Civil Affairs Bureau.”

With that, she swept past him, muttering as she went, “Acting clueless doesn’t make you cute, you know.”

Hearing her, Song Zhiyan rolled his eyes in exasperation. He had just been caught off guard, all right? Why had Yu Tang’s demeanor changed so dramatically? In the past, she would never have agreed to a divorce so readily.

Rather than believing she’d had an epiphany, Song Zhiyan was more inclined to suspect some new scheme. Driven by curiosity, he grabbed the necessary documents and, together with Yu Tang, raced to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Standing before the bureau’s imposing entrance, Yu Tang looked up, taking a deep breath.

Song Zhiyan, observing her, assumed she was having second thoughts. He couldn’t help but sneer, “The agreement’s already signed. I’m telling you, it’s too late to regret it now.”

Yu Tang said nothing, simply striding forward with determination. As if she’d even have time to back out—she was in too much of a hurry.

Watching her, Song Zhiyan felt a dull ache in his chest, but he refused to show weakness and followed after her.

When they emerged again, each held a “Divorce Registration Application Receipt.”

Song Zhiyan stared at the flimsy slip of paper in his hand. For some reason, it felt impossibly heavy—a thousand pounds pressing on his heart. A faint bitterness rose within him.

He couldn’t help glancing sideways to gauge Yu Tang’s reaction. Was she regretting it already? There was still time, after all—the thirty-day cooling-off period remained.

Yes, thirty days. He couldn’t let her stir up trouble during that period and derail the divorce.

Clutching his receipt tightly, Song Zhiyan issued a warning: “Listen, whether you’re planning to put on a show or something else, the divorce application is submitted. For the next thirty days, don’t you dare pull any stunts to stop this from going through.”

The more he spoke, the more convinced he became of her motives. He knew exactly what Yu Tang was up to—she intended to make a scene during the cooling-off period and have the application rejected.

Hmph, Yu Tang’s scheming truly ran deep.

At that moment, the supposedly scheming Yu Tang was carefully folding her receipt, trying to make it small enough to fit into her pocket. The weather was warming, and her pockets had shrunk; if she didn’t fold the slip, it wouldn’t fit. But she couldn’t risk damaging it either—what a hassle.

Hearing Song Zhiyan’s words, she merely shot him a glance. “Are you out of your mind?”

Without another word, she bent her head to continue folding her slip.

“You—!” Song Zhiyan, unsure whether from embarrassment or anger, felt his temper flare, and he turned on his heel to leave.

When Yu Tang finally came back to herself, a chilly wind swept across the empty square in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, leaving her standing there all alone.

Realizing what had happened, Yu Tang let out a sharp exclamation. “Damn, I should’ve made him give me a ride back!”

She already knew—her current cash reserves, from every possible source, totaled only thirteen thousand yuan. If she didn’t get more money soon, she’d starve.

As for the money and assets promised in the divorce agreement, she hadn’t seen a single cent.

Heart aching, Yu Tang pulled out her phone to call a ride home. Whatever else, she needed to get her money back.

As soon as she unlocked her phone, the system’s electronic voice sounded once more.

“You are a small-time celebrity in the entertainment industry. Out of jealousy for the real heiress, who is more beloved by fans, you always try to undermine her on variety shows. Yet, every time, she deftly turns the tables, leaving you the object of scorn across the internet and your relationship with her growing steadily worse.”

“New task: appear on a variety show together with the real heiress.”

“Task difficulty: Five stars.”

“Task reward: the skin you had at twenty-one.”

Hearing the reward, Yu Tang’s eyes shone even brighter than before. Twenty-one had been the peak of her complexion. She desperately wanted that fair, supple skin again! This sallow, dull skin—she’d gladly let someone else have it.