Huo Sihan’s lips thinned into a grim line. “Chi Wan, get back here. Now.” Chi Wan scoffed. “You think I’m just going to come running because you said so? We’re divorced. I’m done indulging you.” “The reason for divorce,” Huo Sihan said through gritted teeth. “I’m giving you one chance. Change it.” Chi Wan’s smile only widened. “Was I wrong? Huo Sihan, it’s been half a year since you woke up, and in all that time, you haven’t even held my hand. You were in a coma for three years, and while they say you’re perfectly healthy now, I have a reasonable suspicion that your… male functions are compromised. You can’t perform anymore! Go see a traditional doctor or something. My best wishes for your divorce? I hope you get your mojo back soon.” Huo Sihan was speechless. A vein throbbed at his temple. This woman was completely out of control. “Chi Wan, you’ll regret this.” “Too bad. You won’t get the chance.” “Chi Wan!” Two beeps sounded as she hung up on him. Before the wave of fury could even crest, Huo Sihan was met with the dial tone. He was, again, speechless. Chi Wan!!! ... Chi Wan was already at her best friend Su Xiaofu’s apartment. The moment she ended the call, Su Xiaofu burst out laughing and shot her a thumbs-up. “Wanwan, that was brilliant! Mr. Huo must be spitting blood right now.” Chi Wan reflected that it was her own desperate love that had allowed him to act so high and mighty. Love yourself before you love anyone else. Especially for a woman, you had to love yourself first. Su Xiaofu said, “Three years ago, that Chi Jiao ran off the second she heard Mr. Huo was in a car accident and had become a vegetable. I can’t believe he’s so desperate that he went right back to her after waking up. Good riddance to a man like that!” Chi Wan unwrapped a White Rabbit candy and popped it in her mouth, hoping the sweet flavor could mask the bitterness in her heart. “Xiaofu, I guess that’s the difference between being loved and not being loved.” The one who is loved is fearless. The one who isn’t, lives in constant anxiety. Su Xiaofu glanced at the growing pile of candy wrappers beside her friend. She pulled Chi Wan to her feet. “Come on, Wanwan, cheer up! When you give up on one tree, you discover you have an entire forest. Tonight, I’m hiring eight male models to throw you a divorce party!” Chi Wan chuckled, resting her forehead in her hand. Just then, Su Xiaofu reached out, plucked the black-rimmed glasses from Chi Wan’s face, and tossed them straight into the trash. Chi Wan started to retrieve them. “My glasses.” Su Xiaofu stopped her. “Wanwan, you spend so much time on your academic research that you’ve started to dress the part. You should learn from Chi Jiao and make yourself beautiful.” Chi Wan remembered her parents calling her the ugly duckling and Chi Jiao the white swan. It probably wasn't just her parents who thought that way. In Huo Sihan's eyes, she must have been an ugly duckling, too. Su Xiaofu dragged Chi Wan towards the door. “Let’s go! I’m taking you shopping. Hair, nails, new clothes—the works! I want Huo Sihan and the rest of them to see just how stunning you really are!” Then, something occurred to Su Xiaofu. “By the way, Wanwan, are you really not taking any of Mr. Huo's money in the divorce?” Chi Wan replied, “I have my own money.” “So you’re just going to let Chi Jiao spend it? I’m sure she’ll thank you for that.” “…” “What about the card Mr. Huo gave you?” Huo Sihan had always been extravagant and had given Chi Wan a gilded black card, though she had never used it. Chi Wan fished the card out of her purse. She winked playfully. “Then today, the shopping’s on me, and the bill’s on Mr. Huo.” ... That evening, at the 1996 Bar. The 1996 Bar had always been Haicheng’s den of extravagance, a place where the city's princelings and second-generation rich heirs burned through their fortunes. Tonight, the DJ was relentless, and the dance floor was a writhing mass of bodies. In a dimly lit luxury booth, Huo Sihan occupied the main seat on the plush sofa. He wore a black shirt and black trousers, his sleeves rolled up twice to reveal toned forearms and a multi-million-dollar steel watch. His handsome, aristocratic features acted like a magnet, drawing frequent glances from women all over the bar. Beside him was his best friend, Gu Beichen, the heir to the Gu family fortune, along with a few other wealthy socialites. Gu Beichen roared with laughter. “What did you say, brother? Chi Wan wants to divorce you?” The other men joined in. “Everyone knows Chi Wan is head over heels for Mr. Huo. She was desperate to marry him even after he became a vegetable. How could she possibly bear to leave him now?” “Let’s make a bet. See how many days Chi Wan can last before she comes crawling back to Mr. Huo.” Gu Beichen chimed in, “I bet she can't even last the day. She’s probably about to text my brother right now, hahaha.” The lines of Huo Sihan’s handsome face were sharp and grim; he was clearly in a foul mood. He pulled out his phone and opened his message thread with Chi Wan. Their last exchange was from the previous night. She had sent a picture of a bowl of bone broth with the text: *“Honey, I know your bone density is back to normal, but you should still drink lots of bone broth. Remember to come home early.”* He scrolled up. The entire history was filled with messages from her, one every single day. He had never replied. Not once. Today, it was quiet. She hadn't sent him a single text. Huo Sihan felt a knot of irritation tighten in his chest. *Ding.* A new text message arrived. Gu Beichen immediately crowed, “See? What did I tell you? Chi Wan’s texting my brother!” *Ding. Ding. Ding.* A series of messages came through in quick succession. The men around them erupted in laughter. “We knew she couldn’t hold out. We just didn’t think she’d break this fast.” Gu Beichen urged him on. “Come on, brother, open it. See what she sent. I bet she’s crying and begging to get back together.” A flicker of movement in Huo Sihan’s sharp eyes. *She texted him?* *Serves her right.* *She was so full of herself this morning, wasn’t she?* Huo Sihan tapped open the message, and then he froze. Gu Beichen read it over his shoulder. “Dear VVIP customer, your card ending in 0975 has been charged 800 dollars at Dazzle Nail Salon.” Confused expressions appeared on everyone’s faces. Huo Sihan scrolled up. A 2,000-dollar charge at Qianyi Hair Studio. An 86,000-dollar charge at Chanel. A 240,000-dollar charge at Louis Vuitton. … There was no begging, no pleading for reconciliation. Only a stream of spending notifications. The men fell silent. It was as if Chi Wan had slapped them all across the face from miles away. The silence was awkward. Huo Sihan’s face was ashen as he slammed his phone down on the coffee table. He didn’t care how much money she spent. What infuriated him was that she had gone on a shopping spree the very day of their divorce. This woman… she was something else. It was as if the woman who had spent three years fawning over him, clinging to him, had suddenly grown fangs. Gu Beichen broke the silence. “Brother, what is Chi Wan up to? She’s getting her hair and nails done, buying clothes… Is she trying to copy the way Jiao-sao dresses?” “Chi Jiao is the rose of Haicheng. Chi Wan is just some country bumpkin. No matter how much she tries, she’ll just be a poor imitation.” “A swan is a swan, and an ugly duckling is an ugly duckling. The ugly duckling can never become a swan.” They all laughed at Chi Wan’s expense. Just then, a commotion stirred through the bar. Everyone’s gaze was drawn to one spot, and someone gasped, “Hey, look over there… it’s a goddess!”