Chapter 1 One Last Time Before the Divorce
Rainy night, Yunxi Bay Villa.
In the master bedroom on the third floor, the warm yellow light cast a hazy glow, illuminating the raindrops sliding down the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Jiang Wan sat on the edge of the bed, holding her phone, staring blankly at the date on the lock screen.
Tomorrow will be her and Zhou Chong's third wedding anniversary, and today is the last day of their three-year marriage agreement.
The master bathroom was lit, filled with mist, and the frosted glass reflected the tall, imposing figure of a man, indistinct and shadowy.
Jiang Wan couldn't quite tell whether the pattering sound was from the shower in the bathroom or the torrential rain outside the window.
A moment later, with a "click," the bathroom door was pushed open.
Jiang Wan suddenly shuddered, her wandering thoughts instantly returning to her senses. She slightly raised her eyelids and looked at the man in front of her.
The open-necked bathrobe draped loosely over Zhou Chong's body, giving him a more casual and unrestrained air compared to his usual dignified and refined demeanor.
Tall and long-legged, with a lean and muscular build, his half-dry hair fell between his eyebrows, partially revealing his dark eyes, which shone like stars in the night sky.
Jiang Wan met his gaze, and a sudden thought struck her:
It was raining heavily outside, the sky was overcast, and the stars were all obscured by the clouds, so nothing could be seen.
All you can see are the eyes of the person in front of you—deep and bright.
Lost in thought, Zhou Chong had already stepped to the other side of the bed.
He reached for the light switch by the bedside, turning his head slightly to the side. "It's getting late, shall I turn off the light?"
Jiang Wan bit her lip, turned around, her light eyelids drooping downwards, "Today is the last day, you remember?"
Zhou Chong was stunned, his fingertips, which were pressing the switch, froze.
A moment later, he unconsciously curled his fingers and let out a soft "hmm" from his nose.
Hearing his affirmative answer, Jiang Wan closed her eyes briefly, suppressing the sudden clench of her heart, and took a deep breath.
"Then let's go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to complete the divorce procedures at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."
After he finished speaking, the empty room remained silent for a long time.
Jiang Wan kept her head down, not daring to look at Zhou Chong's face, her fingers trembling slightly as she gripped the corner of the blanket.
After waiting for a long time, the dim yellow light in front of me suddenly went out, plunging the whole room into darkness.
Jiang Wan almost gasped in surprise, but then she heard a deep voice from beside her, "Okay."
She opened her mouth, but the breath that was about to escape was forcibly blocked, and then she swallowed it back.
Then, the mattress beside her sank, and a corner of the blanket was lifted, creating a slight breeze that, along with the man's scent of wormwood, unexpectedly entered her nostrils.
Jiang Wan wrinkled her nose, smelled the familiar scent of wormwood, and also lifted the blanket and lay down.
The night was deep and quiet, and the sound of rain pattering outside the window could still be heard.
Natural white noise should have a good sleep-inducing effect, but Jiang Wan lay next to Zhou Chong and couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
She and Zhou Chong were high school classmates, but their love story wasn't the kind that everyone envied—from school uniforms to wedding dresses.
To be precise, she and Zhou Chong barely spoke a few words during high school.
Both of them were top students in their class and even in the grade at the time. Their close competition in academic rankings was her entire impression of Zhou Chong.
Jiang Wan was a princess who was pampered and adored since childhood. She was born into a wealthy family, had a happy life, and enjoyed all kinds of love. She could have whatever she wanted.
The pampered princess naturally refused to be second to anyone and hated being called a rich second-generation heir who relied on her family's wealth. Therefore, she always wanted to be the first and had a strong competitive spirit.
Zhou Chong was the one who was always ahead of her during their student days.
However, he was also very cold-hearted, so Jiang Wan naturally didn't want to talk to him.
But nothing is absolute. At the class reunion three years ago, the two began to cross paths when Jiang Wan took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Zhou Chong.
At that time, her grandmother's health was not good, her underlying diseases were getting worse, and her elderly body could not hold on for much longer.
The whole family was worried, but the old lady was very calm. She said that birth, aging, sickness and death are all normal things in life, and that she had lived to a ripe old age and had died a peaceful death.
However, her only regret is that she might not have the chance to see her beloved granddaughter get married, which makes her a little uneasy.
Jiang Wan and her grandmother had a very good relationship. When she heard these words outside the ward, tears streamed down her face.
That winter, before the Spring Festival, the high school class organized a reunion. Jiang Wan wasn't in the mood to go, but her best friend Sun Qianyu, who was also her high school classmate, dragged her along to cheer her up.
Zhou Chong stood out excessively among the group of people, both in appearance and career, he was at the top of the pyramid.
The top science student in Lincheng back then is now a partner at Rongxin Investment Bank.
In terms of qualifications, Zhou Chong is Jiang Wan's best marriage prospect right now.
If I were to marry just anyone with average circumstances, not only would my family be suspicious, but my grandmother wouldn't be at ease either.
But Zhou Chong was different.
Looking at the men in sharp suits at the party, Jiang Wan made a hesitant decision.
After the event, she stopped Zhou Chong and said she wanted to talk to him.
Zhou Chong had rejected countless others with similar opening lines at the dinner table before, but this time, he didn't reject her.
The two sat down in the hotel's coffee shop, and Jiang Wan got straight to the point, proposing a marriage of convenience.
"As a condition, I will have my family's company provide Rongxin with a fund investment."
Jiang Wan wasn't really sure what to do. After all, she and Zhou Chong weren't very close in high school, and most people wouldn't agree to such a request if she made it rashly.
But Zhou Chong agreed.
He adjusted his wristwatch, a slight smile playing on his lips. "There's no need for fund investments. Becoming Chairman Jiang's son-in-law will bring me a lot of benefits in terms of industry connections and influence."
What followed was a natural progression.
They drafted an agreement, got their marriage certificate, and held a grand wedding.
Grandma Jiang was overjoyed to see her beloved granddaughter get married, and her health improved considerably. The doctor had predicted that she only had a little over a year left to live, but she actually lived for another year.
As a result, her original two-year marriage agreement with Zhou Chong was extended for another year.
For the past three years, Zhou Chong has accompanied her in front of family and friends, playing the role of a loving couple. Everyone says the two are a perfect match.
But Jiang Wan knew in her heart that Zhou Chong was just fulfilling the agreement. He was aloof and never crossed the line except for necessary marital relations.
Perhaps women are just naturally emotional creatures. After three years of living together day and night, she had developed some feelings for him, but Zhou Chong remained the same as he had at the beginning.
Now that the agreement has expired, it's time for all of this to end.
Jiang Wan closed her eyes, and before she knew it, her eyelashes were a little wet.
She turned over, trying to quietly raise her hand to wipe it, but heard the man next to her also turn over.
Then, a deep, magnetic voice sounded from above, "Can't sleep?"
Jiang Wan paused for a moment, then slowly raised her head, using the moonlight from the window to look into those dark and deep eyes.
She pursed her lips and gave a soft "hmm".
Just as Zhou Chong habitually put his arm around her shoulder, intending to gently pat her to lull her to sleep, Jiang Wan suddenly tilted her head back and kissed his sharp Adam's apple.
"Should we do it one last time before the divorce?"
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