That house—with its cold father and subservient mother—was no home at all. She was done with it, long past done. His expression tight, Fu Xingchen followed her upstairs but made no move to stop her, his gaze cold as he watched Jiang Lili pack. It was four in the morning, the world outside pitch black, but the room was lit as bright as day. In the harsh light, Jiang Lili’s face was impossibly pale as she zipped her suitcase shut and emerged from the walk-in closet. Fu Xingchen stood there, and as she brushed past him, he spoke. “Jiang Lili, my patience is wearing thin. Don’t expect me to come asking you to return.” “See you at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Nine o'clock tomorrow morning.” His words sent another tremor through Jiang Lili’s heart. She heard the irritation in his voice, the anger, even disgust. “I’m busy lately,” he continued, turning to face her. “If you want a divorce, schedule an appointment with my assistant. And don’t say I’m not giving you a chance. If you change your mind before the appointment, I can pretend none of this ever happened.” He glanced at the suitcase, stuffed full. The photo of her from the nightstand, the two small figurines—she’d packed them all. He felt a prickle of annoyance, the same kind he got when a valued subordinate resigned. So unappreciative. What could Jiang Lili possibly want that he wouldn't give her? In their two years of marriage, he’d never restricted her spending and had trusted her completely with the household. He couldn’t fathom what this tantrum was about, but he was certain of one thing: she would be back. The Jiang family would never let her divorce him; they’d scold her and send her right back. As for her claims of being self-sufficient, he paid them no mind. Jiang Lili had been coddled her whole life. Could she really endure the nine-to-five grind? Even so, the sight of her back, so resolute as she walked away, soured his mood further. He left the bedroom and stood by the second-floor railing, watching her take the car keys from the hook in the entryway. His voice was low and heavy. “I bought you that car.” The car wasn’t expensive, just over two hundred thousand. Fu Xingchen had indeed paid for it. As a new driver, Jiang Lili had been afraid of scratching something more valuable, so she had deliberately picked a cheaper model. He could shower Lin Xiran with gifts worth hundreds of thousands, yet he begrudged her this. Late autumn was in full swing. A cold wind raged outside, sweeping withered yellow leaves across the ground, painting a scene of utter desolation. A chill spread through Jiang Lili’s heart. Her hand tightened on the keys for a moment before she steadied her breathing, tossed them onto the console table by the door, and walked out with her suitcase. The moment she stepped outside, the night wind whipped at her, scattering her long, dark hair. Her slender figure was slowly swallowed by the gloom. Fu Xingchen stared after her until the door clicked shut with a definitive *thud*. His eyes flickered. He turned back into the bedroom and stood before the French windows, watching the lonely silhouette of a woman under a distant streetlight. Their villa was in the suburbs; it was at least an hour’s drive to the city center. With no car and no public transport, she wasn't going anywhere. His certainty was unshakable. But as the seconds ticked by, that certainty began to crack, and then it shattered completely. Dragging her suitcase against the biting wind, Jiang Lili walked farther and farther, until she vanished from his sight. Fu Xingchen sneered, adding another label to Jiang Lili besides ‘unappreciative’: stubborn pride. — Jiang Lili only made the call to her best friend, Su Yunyou, once she was clear of the residential community. By the time Su Yunyou arrived to pick her up, she had been walking in the cold for an hour. A fine layer of white frost clung to her curled eyelashes. The hand dragging the suitcase was frozen red and raw. Su Yunyou leaped from the car, bundled Jiang Lili inside first, then tossed the suitcase into the trunk before getting back behind the wheel. On the phone, Jiang Lili had only said she was divorcing Fu Xingchen, and Su Yunyou was bursting with questions. But seeing her friend so utterly lost, she didn’t know where to begin. She cranked up the heat. The warm air instantly melted the frost on Jiang Lili’s lashes and brows. A mist clouded her vision, and in that moment, the heart she thought was unbreakable shattered. Tears streamed down her face. Fat droplets splashed onto her red hands, scalding hot, as if they could burn her skin. “Lili, did you two fight because he was celebrating Lin Xiran’s birthday?” The news was already trending, so of course Su Yunyou had seen it. “We didn't fight. We’re getting a divorce.” Jiang Lili’s eyes were vacant, but her tone was firm. Su Yunyou frowned, her voice dropping to a murmur. “Did you ask him what happened? Could it be a misunderstanding?” “You can see for yourself whether it’s a misunderstanding or not.” Jiang Lili pulled out her phone, cued up a video, and handed it to Su Yunyou. She hadn't even gotten to the point of confronting him about the affair; his attitude had already said it all. Su Yunyou glanced at the thumbnail and immediately pulled the car over. “Holy shit!” Su Yunyou’s temper was as fiery as her long, red hair. “That bastard Fu cheated, and he doesn’t even feel guilty? How dare he throw you out in the middle of the night? He’s the one who should be leaving with nothing!” Jiang Lili took her phone back. “I didn't bring it up.” Su Yunyou couldn't believe it. “But we’re in the right! What’s there to be afraid of?” “If I make a scene, I’m the only one who ends up humiliated.” What could Jiang Lili change by confronting him about the affair? Make Fu Xingchen leave with nothing? Impossible. The Jiang family couldn’t stand up to the Fu family, and her own parents wouldn’t side with her. After all, the Jiangs still relied on them. Su Yunyou opened her mouth, then closed it, swallowing the words she’d been about to say as she started driving again. The Su family was also prominent in Jiangcheng, and they had bought her a place after she graduated from college: a pricey studio apartment in the city center. By the time they arrived, the sky was already beginning to lighten. After dropping her suitcase, Jiang Lili sank onto the sofa, lost in a daze. Seeing her so dejected, Su Yunyou asked, “So what’s your plan now?” “First, I’ll call Fu Xingchen’s assistant to schedule a time to get the divorce finalized.” Jiang Lili paused. “Then I need to find a job. To support myself.” An allowance of five hundred thousand a month sounded like a lot; most people couldn’t spend that in two years. But between managing Fu Xingchen’s household with the very best of everything and buying gifts for the elders at the weekly Fu family dinners, there was never much left over. She only had fifty thousand to her name. “Well, before you find a job, how about you come and bail me out?” Su Yunyou didn’t want to leave her alone to wallow. “And I’m serious. The master pianist I booked just bailed on me!”