Chapter 12 Chen Jiashu's Ex-Wife
Opening the round red iron box, Qin Qiao took out the passbook, bank cards, and some gold and silver jewelry, and then took out a pair of diamond rings from the bottom.
A perfect match.
On the day of the move, Chen Jiashu's ring was also taken by her.
The ring features a pure platinum band with a polished surface that gives it a soft metallic sheen.
The ring band is set with a few small diamonds, which sparkle in all directions as the angle changes, creating an understated yet luxurious effect.
The men's style is completely plain, without any embellishments. Both are matching couple styles, personally chosen by her. Chen Jiashu had no objections; as long as she liked them, that was fine with him.
Because she is a financial journalist and plans to delve deeper into this field, she was worried about being questioned about potential conflicts of interest in the future. Therefore, they kept their marriage a secret, and she never wore this ring in public.
Although the wedding eight years ago wasn't grand, it was still a major life event. It was held at a star-rated hotel in Jiang City with more than 20 tables, and all the guests were close relatives and friends.
Chen Jiashu gave her a small, exquisite, and ingenious wedding.
A week before the wedding, they rehearsed a ten-minute banquet dance with their close friends.
The wedding did not have the hotel or wedding design company do any lighting effects; the entire venue was illuminated by bright white lights.
Qin Qiao took the wedding DVD into the study and inserted it into the computer case.
She fast-forwarded until the evening dance began.
As lively and cheerful music played, Chen Jiashu, dressed in a white groom's suit, entered the venue surrounded by his groomsmen. They stepped onto the stage with synchronized hand gestures and dance steps, clapping their hands as they did so.
Almost simultaneously, cheers erupted from the guests below through the other side of the entrance. She lifted the hem of her red off-the-shoulder dress and led her bridal party onto the stage.
The two teams met in the center of the stage, with the best man and bridesmaids raising their arms and waving them, pretending to be passersby.
The groomsmen pushed Chen Jiashu forward, and the man pretended to stumble a few steps, which made the audience laugh.
Just when everyone thought the groom was being coy, Chen Jiashu pulled off his jacket and threw it off the stage, instantly making his broad shoulders and narrow waist, wrapped in a white shirt, the focus of attention.
The four immediately performed a subtle rumba, their restrained yet elegant dance moves drawing cheers from the audience.
In the last two minutes, she and Chen Jiashu shared a short, sweet waltz within the dispersed encirclement.
Pressing the pause button, the scene ends with the two kissing amidst a shower of colorful fireworks, and the guests stand up and applaud them.
*
A heavy rain lasted for ten minutes in the morning, and a cool breeze brought coolness. Qin Qiao came out of the bank and ran her hand through her disheveled hair.
She met Zhang Mi and a blond, blue-eyed foreign man.
Zhang Mi was holding the man's arm, suggesting that the two could be lovers or even husband and wife.
After all, Zhang Shuang has been gone for more than a year.
"Sister Zhang Mi, it's been a long time." Qin Qiao took the initiative to step forward and greet her.
"Long time no see, you haven't changed at all." Zhang Mi introduced the man beside her: "This is Tom, my husband."
She then introduced her to the man: "Tom, this is Qin Qiao."
Tom extended his hand: "Hello, Qin Qiao."
His pronunciation lacks tones, and he sputters each word out one by one, unlike someone who has lived in China for a long time.
Qin Qiao shook hands in return, saying, "Hello, welcome to China."
As she let go, she glanced back unintentionally, and her pupils trembled.
Zhang Mi's white shirt was made of a very thin material, and her slightly protruding belly was faintly visible.
I'm pregnant...
Qin Qiao recalled the conversation between Zhang Shuang's parents that she overheard at the door of the ward last year.
The gist of the story is that the two families are locked in a bitter custody battle over their child. When Zhang Shuang fell seriously ill, her father came to take the child in. He has a violent temper and, without warning, physically assaulted Zhang Shuang's father, causing him to fall and fracture his coccyx.
Because of this, the two families fell out to an irreparable point. Later, Chen Jiashu went to the grandmother's house to try to reason with her, but the child was taken to the countryside more than a thousand kilometers away by his grandmother.
The conflict between the two families had a long history and often escalated into physical altercations. Tragically, none of Zhang Shuang's children came to see him one last time at his funeral.
On the afternoon Zhang Shuang removed her oxygen mask, Qin Qiao saw Zhang Mi who had rushed over. She knelt at the entrance of the emergency room, crying uncontrollably.
While she was lost in thought, a boy ran past them, splashing water onto Qin Qiao's leather shoes. The slight weight of the water brought her back to her senses.
Qin Qiao looked Zhang Mi straight in the eye: "Sister Zhang Mi, is it convenient for us to step aside and talk?"
After exchanging words with her husband in English, Zhang Mi smiled and asked her, "There's a coffee shop in front of Qin Qiao's place. We haven't seen each other for so many years, shall we chat?"
After walking about two or three hundred meters along the street, the two turned into a coffee shop.
Qin Qiao insisted on paying the bill, then took two cups of hot coffee to a seat by the window.
As soon as she sat down, Zhang Mi asked her, "Haven't you and Jia Shu remarried yet?"
Qin Qiao smiled and replied, "No."
Zhang Mi laughed, tracing circles on the rim of her glass with her finger: "Jia Shuren is a good person. To be honest, I was quite surprised that you two divorced because of that incident. Later, I guessed it might have been a temporary measure, after all, you're a media worker, and we couldn't let your reputation be damaged. Who would have thought that you two would be separated for so many years?"
Above the table was a chandelier, its white light falling on the woman's face, revealing skin as smooth and flawless as white porcelain.
Zhang Mi recalled being stunned by Qin Qiao's pale skin when they first met. Her features were delicate and petite, and she was very beautiful, possessing a scholarly air that was not dull.
Unexpectedly, she liked Chen Jiashu so much.
Chen Jiashu is indeed handsome, but he's just a small business owner selling small appliances, and his eyesight is poor. The girl, on the other hand, is a top student from a prestigious university; she clearly has many more options, yet she only pursues Chen Jiashu.
Five or six years later, the two did get married. However, by then Chen Jiashu was no longer a small shop owner; he owned a factory and a logistics company, with an annual income of at least ten million.
Zhang Mi stared at her, remaining motionless for about half a minute. Qin Qiao, of course, had no idea what she was thinking. She took a sip of coffee and changed the subject: "Sister Zhang Mi, let's not talk about us anymore. Do you live in Lanchuan City now?"
Zhang Mi's eyes flickered slightly as she hooked her slender fingers around the handle of the cup: "No, I came to see Chengcheng today, and also to visit Zhang Shuang's parents."
Qin Qiao paused, then put the coffee cup down, the bottom of the cup making a soft tapping sound on the glass tabletop.
Qin Qiao knows Zhang Shuang's son's name is Zhang Yicheng. She saw photos of him as a toddler on Zhang Shuang's WeChat Moments; he was so cute!
But Zhang Shuang never posted any more photos of her son after that, probably because she was busy with work. After all, she worked hard with Chen Jiashu for several years, and the two of them worked together to take the group public.
Her thoughts wandered again. Getting back to the point, what did Zhang Mi mean by that? That Chengcheng wasn't with her? Was he with his grandparents?
Is it temporary or...long-term?
After all, Zhang Mi has remarried and has children now.
If one spouse dies in the country, the marriage is automatically dissolved.
Qin Qiao is not a feudal person. It is normal for a widow or divorced person to find a partner again. However, Zhang Shuang and Zhang Mi have always had a good relationship. Or rather, from her perspective, Zhang Shuang is 100% devoted to Zhang Mi.
Once, Zhang Mi said, "My parents like college students." So Zhang Shuang went to study at the Open University. He was someone who didn't like studying when he was young, but he spent his time every day memorizing books, asking her for help with writing papers, and asking Chen Jiashu for help with college mathematics.
Two years later, his hard work paid off, and he successfully obtained his graduation certificate and degree certificate.
Zhang Mi asked, "Do you think I'm pretty heartless?"
With her fingertips pressing against the table, slightly cool, Qin Qiao said softly, "Everyone deals with grief differently; there's no right or wrong."
“I have grievances against Zhang Shuang. He insisted on confessing, but my parents value innocence and Chengcheng's future above all else…” Tears welled in Zhang Mi's eyes as she continued, “Although it's not like he absolutely has to go down that path, my parents are quite traditional. They've arranged everything for Chengcheng since he was born, and now…”
Zhang Mi's parents both work in the system. Although they are not high-ranking officials, the older generation values reputation. Qin Qiao understands this to some extent, but she still wants to say: "Shuang Ge confessed because he would rather take the blame himself than let innocent people be implicated. Chengcheng will definitely understand this in the future."
Her vision was a little blurry, and her wet eyelashes swept across her eyes. She moved her lips and curved them into a very shallow arc: "About seven years ago, Shuang Ge had dinner at our house. He said that if he had children in the future, he would recognize Jia Shu and me as godparents. We toasted each other. I will never forget that."
“Sister Zhang Mi, I’m back in China now. I’ll visit Chengcheng often. As for the future… it’s too early to talk about that now. As long as Chengcheng grows up well, he’ll have the opportunities he needs.”
Zhang Mi was impressed by the woman's composure and confidence.
Six years is neither a long nor a short time, but it can change a person's appearance and temperament from the inside out. Whether it is Chen Jiashu, Qin Qiao, or her, they have all grown through the tempering of time.
Confident, composed, and adept at handling situations—this is what Zhang Mi saw in Qin Qiao.
Zhang Mi took a small sip of her latte, slightly bitter with a sweet aftertaste: "Jia Shu said the same thing last year, Zhang Shuang has two good friends like you, her life has not been in vain."
"Thank you on behalf of Chengcheng."
--
Five days later, Qin Qiao found the address Zhang Mi had given her, and found where Zhang Shuang's parents were living.
Zhang Shuang owns several properties and a few supercars. All his assets, when added together, amount to nearly one billion yuan, all of which he and Chen Jiashu have worked hard for over the years.
Zhang Mi also told her that Zhang Yicheng was sent to his grandparents' house at the beginning of the year. After all, he was Zhang Shuang's son, so the elderly couple who had lost their son had something to hold on to.
She is also Chengcheng's mother and often comes to visit him.
This is an upscale residential area, and Qin Qiao's car couldn't get in. She could only take out her phone and find the phone number Zhang Mi had given her three days ago for Zhang Shuang's mother.
Because it was an unfamiliar number, Qin Qiao was worried that Zhang Shuang's mother wouldn't answer.
"Hello? Who is this?" came a slightly aged female voice.
"Hello, Auntie, I'm Qin Qiao," Qin Qiao said quickly, afraid of being mistaken for a salesperson and having the call hung up.
The old man thought for a long time, "That sounds familiar..."
"Do you know Qin Qiao?" the old man asked his wife.
Zhang Shuang's father's voice came through the receiver, "I don't know him."
Qin Qiao hurriedly said, "Auntie, I am Chen Jiashu's ex-wife. I came here today specifically to visit you."
"Yasuki... Oh."
The old man shouted, "Jiashu, the woman on the phone said her name is Qin Qiao, and she's your ex-wife."
Qin Qiao's heart skipped a beat.
The sounds of footsteps and the tapping of a white cane were right next to my ears.
Then Chen Jiashu's deep voice rang out: "Why didn't you tell me beforehand so I could pick you up?"
Qin Qiao was speechless.
Do you know what an ex-wife is?
Does my ex-wife need to report to you where she goes?
Out of consideration for the elderly person on the other end of the phone, Qin Qiao swallowed back what she wanted to say.
The security guard in the guard booth received a call from a resident and immediately raised the barrier to let them through. Qin Qiao rolled up the car window, restarted the car, and drove into the residential area.
On the way, Qin Qiao remembered something that made her angry: she had written an interview invitation by hand and asked her team members to deliver it to the front desk of Qiao Shu Group.
Logically, since the letter had the provincial TV station's emblem on the cover, the receptionist would definitely have handed it over. However, five days had passed and Qiaoshu Group still hadn't responded. It was unclear whether Chen Jiashu hadn't received it or was deliberately pretending not to see it.
*
Chen Jiashu opened the door, with a handsome little boy standing beside him.
"Chengcheng."
The young woman I saw at the amusement park last time walked over with a peeled banana in her hand.
The woman greeted him with a smile, "Hello." She offered the banana to Zhang Yicheng, who took it and started eating.
Chen Jiashu introduced them: "Zhang Shuang's younger cousin, Chengcheng's aunt."
Qin Qiao smiled and said, "Hello, little cousin."
This cousin is probably no more than twenty-five years old, but she's of a certain generation.
"You're too kind, you can just call me Zixin."
Qin Qiao nodded. She was still outside the door, blocked by Chen Jiashu, preventing her from getting in.
"Mr. Chen, please move aside. I have something in my hands and it's inconvenient for me to step aside." She was holding a toy gift box in one hand and two boxes of health supplements in the other.
Chen Jiashu yielded to the side.
Zhang Shuang's parents appeared in the foyer, and Qin Qiao greeted them warmly, "Uncle, Aunt, long time no see, I'm Qin Qiao."
Zhong Ying's face immediately lit up with a smile: "Old man, I remember now, it really is Jia Shu's wife."
After closing the door behind her, Qin Qiao followed Chen Jiashu into the living room. She gave the skincare products to the elders, who politely said that there was no need to bring gifts.
“Godmother.” Zhang Yicheng took the toy from her hand without flinching.
Like father, like son; he's naturally friendly.
Qin Qiao asked curiously, "How did you know I was your godmother?"
"My godfather is right."
Qin Qiao chuckled, and then heard a low laugh behind her. She turned around and saw that Chen Jiashu's eyes were practically creased from laughing.
The house is a large, open-plan apartment. The living room alone is about 40 to 50 square meters, and the entire house is estimated to be over 200 square meters. The living room is bright and airy with natural sunlight streaming in from both north and south. However, because the outside temperature is close to 30 degrees Celsius, the windows are all closed and the air conditioner is running inside.
Qin Qiao sat there and chatted with the two elderly people. Aunt Zhong said that she had gallbladder surgery a while ago and had been staying at Chen Jiashu's house for a week. Chen Jiashu personally picked up Chengcheng from school.
Uncle Zhang said with emotion, "Jia Shu had someone take me to the hospital for check-ups every month."
The two elderly people could never avoid talking about Chen Jiashu, and in their hearts, Chen Jiashu had become their second son.
Indeed, it's fair to say that without Zhang Shuang, Chen Jiashu's entrepreneurial journey wouldn't have been so smooth. Back then, Chen Jiashu wasn't good at the business world's drinking culture, and he really owed a debt of gratitude to Zhang Shuang, who came from a 4S store sales background, for helping him attract business and close deals.
Because Chen Jiashu is night blind, but he is also the boss, he has to attend some social events. Zhang Shuang would help him out by drinking on his behalf, often drinking herself to the point of vomiting. Twice she even drank until she had a stomach hemorrhage.
Qin Qiao glanced sideways and her gaze met Chen Jiashu's as he turned away. She turned away first, casually picked up a grape from the fruit plate, peeled it, and put it in her mouth to chew. Forgetting that there was a seed inside, her teeth clenched, and her gums ached.
She took a napkin, covered her mouth, spat out the pill, and crumpled the napkin into a ball in her palm.
The trash can was at the corner of the sofa to Chen Jiashu's right. Qin Qiao estimated that she could throw the paper into it, so she leaned slightly towards Chen Jiashu and threw it in. The paper ball landed accurately in the trash can.
When the scent of hair mixed with a light perfume wafted into the man's nostrils, his throat felt hot and itchy, and he swallowed hard twice.
As the sun sets outside the window, its light streams into the room, creating a large, irregular patch of light on the marble floor.
It was about time to leave, so Qin Qiao got up to say goodbye, and Chen Jiashu actually came with her.
Qin Qiao and Chen Jiashu entered the elevator together, and she pressed the down button. On the 25th floor, the digital screen showed that both elevators were on the ground floor.
Two distorted and blurry figures were reflected in the tempered glass door, with the taller figure taking a step toward the shorter, thinner one.
The short, thin figure immediately moved two steps away, leaving a safe distance as if to avoid suspicion.
Chen Jiashu: "How have you been lately?"
"It's fine." Qin Qiao tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
"After you went back that day, I wondered if you would come tomorrow?" Chen Jiashu said sullenly, "but you didn't come."
Why is there still a hint of grievance?
But seeing the seriousness in his star-like eyes, Qin Qiao said truthfully, "I've been quite busy lately. I have to deal with inspections from higher-ups in the middle of the year, and I have to organize all kinds of reports and program summaries."
Chen Jiashu added, "I added you on WeChat, but you haven't accepted my request yet."
WeChat?
Qin Qiao took out her phone and swiped into WeChat. There was no notification in the new friends section, so she clicked on it and saw a request from someone with a sunset profile picture and the name CJS.
She realized she had overlooked it and immediately clicked "accept".
“It’s been added,” she said.
The elevator "dinged" to the floor. Qin Qiao stepped in first, followed by Chen Jiashu, who waved his white cane.
The elevator doors closed, and it began to descend with a hissing sound.
After a few days in the hospital, Chen Jiashu lost a lot of weight. The most obvious change was that his face was thinner, his cheekbones were more prominent, his eye sockets looked deeper, his eyes were more profound, and he even had an extra layer of double eyelid crease. But this was not healthy.
Qin Qiao glanced at Chen Jiashu out of the corner of her eye for a few seconds before getting down to business: "We have a program at our station that we're trying to boost the ratings. My colleague is in charge. We were talking about it when we had dinner the day before yesterday. She sent you an invitation. Did you see it?"
A note from the author:
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This isn't a story about raising children; the children don't have many scenes.
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