Chapter One: Five Years of Marriage, Defeated by the Sudden Appearance of His True Love

Morning.

Awakened by a faint sound, Pei Susu slowly opened her eyes and slipped out of bed, draped in a lace nightgown. She stepped into the living room to find the table already set with bread and milk. A man, wearing an apron, busied himself in the kitchen.

His broad shoulders tapered to a narrow waist, lips red and teeth gleaming white. Tousled hair, coupled with a hint of blush on his neck, lent him an air of sensuality.

Pei Susu gazed at him, lost in thought. Suddenly remembering something, she drew out a bank card and handed it to him.

“There’s two hundred thousand on here. Thank you for your company these past days. Let’s not see each other anymore.”

“What do you mean by this... Are you breaking up with me?”

Instead of joy at receiving such a sum, the man seemed shaken. His whole body trembled, and the bowl in his hand slipped to the floor, shattering with a crash.

“Darling.” Pei Susu reached out with a pale, slender hand, seizing Fu Zhichen’s face. With a condescending air, she said, “You’re just the pretty boy I keep. There’s no need to speak of breaking up.”

“Susu, I love you for who you are... I can give you back every cent, just don’t leave me, please?”

He propped himself up, leaning in for a kiss, his clear eyes brimming as if they might overflow.

“Did you think I’ve been so good to you that you can control me?”

Pei Susu took a step back, indifference glinting in her beautiful eyes.

“You’re nothing more than a gigolo. All you want is my money—so why pretend to be noble?”

Her words struck him like a thunderbolt, devastating in their cruelty.

Fu Zhichen stood frozen, his burning heart icing over, helplessly staring at her as his voice trembled, “Did I do something wrong?”

“No! You’re perfect—young, handsome, and your body is excellent.”

“Then why are you leaving me?”

“My darling, my cheating husband is back. He’s making a scene about divorce. Our arrangement could affect the division of assets. This is where it ends.”

As she spoke, Pei Susu rose, dressed herself, and strode out of the room.

Her face was calm, devoid of any sentimentality.

Just as she entered the elevator, she heard Fu Zhichen’s anguished, broken cries behind her.

Pei Susu managed a bitter smile, not looking back.

Two years spent together, day and night—she could not claim to feel nothing. But now, she had more important things to do.

Leaving the apartment complex, Pei Susu’s phone vibrated in her pocket.

It was Liang Wenru calling.

Pei Susu answered, her tone soft and alluring, with a deliberate hint of coquettishness.

“Husband, you finally remembered to call me. Did your beloved muse keep you company all night?”

“Susu, I just wanted to ask what you’ve decided about the divorce. Don’t be too quick to refuse—besides the previous compensation, I’m willing to give you twenty percent of the company’s shares.”

“Husband, I accept your terms. Let’s meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau at three this afternoon.”

“Susu, you really agreed! Qingzhu and I are both so grateful to you.”

She hung up, her expression returning to its usual composure, as if divorce were nothing of consequence. Yet the swelling around her eyes and her trembling shoulders betrayed inner turmoil.

From campus days to marriage, she and Liang Wenru had weathered ten years together.

In college, Pei Susu was always a topic of conversation. Her beauty was cool and delicate, her demeanor silent and reserved. Even so, suitors flocked to her, but she met them all with indifference.

The reason was simple: she was too beautiful.

Beauty is a passport to the world.

Her small, exquisitely sculpted face seemed as if it had been carefully carved by the goddess Nuwa herself.

Without the sweetness of romance, Pei Susu’s days were uneventful.

But as graduation approached, Liang Wenru entered her life and changed everything.

She had fallen for him at first sight.

Liang Wenru was handsome and exceptionally capable, always topping exams and collecting scholarships with ease. He was the undisputed heartthrob and academic star of the campus.

Faced with such perfection, Pei Susu’s heart was swept away, and she pursued him with all the passion of youth.

At such a tender age, who could refuse the advances of a cold, stunning beauty?

They were soon together.

After graduation, they married, joined forces in business, and their ventures flourished. At their peak, they owned more than eight companies and employed thousands—everything seemed charmed.

Two perfect people together, to the outside world, they were a match made in heaven.

Yet five years of shared days and nights could not overcome the shadow in Liang Wenru’s heart: the woman he could never forget.

The return of Chu Qingzhu shattered Pei Susu’s happiness.

Soon, Liang Wenru began spending nights away from home, unwilling even to answer his wife’s calls.

At first, Pei Susu still hoped that having a child might keep him by her side and save their marriage.

But reality was cold.

She could hardly even see him, let alone get pregnant.

The only conversation left between them was divorce.

Out of spite, Pei Susu kept Fu Zhichen as her boy toy.

Snapping back to the present, Pei Susu had reached the ground floor. She glanced at the time on her phone and hailed a ride.

Once inside, as the car set off toward the Civil Affairs Bureau, she felt her heart tremble, and tears began to fall uncontrollably.

Liang Wenru was about to divorce her and rush into the arms of his beloved. He must be thrilled.

Pei Susu finally arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau. As she looked up, she suddenly froze.

A champagne-colored Maybach stood quietly by the roadside.

The car door opened, and Liang Wenru stepped out from the driver’s seat. He was dressed in a black suit, just as on their wedding day—tall, handsome, and radiant.

“Husband, long time no see.”

Pei Susu greeted him warmly, her smile bright and dazzling.

Since his affair began, they had rarely met, sometimes going months without a single call.

Looking at his face now, she felt a mixture of familiarity and estrangement.

“Susu, since you’re here, let’s get the divorce certificate quickly,” Liang Wenru urged, barely able to contain himself.

“After all this time apart, don’t you have a single word of greeting for me?” Pei Susu’s brows knitted. “Is divorce all you can talk about?”

Noticing her swollen eyes and the traces of tears, Liang Wenru looked awkward and hastily searched for a topic.

“Susu, you seem to be in good spirits lately. What have you been up to?”

“Spending time with my boyfriend.”