Chapter Two: Forsaken by All

“Pei Susu, what do you mean by this? We’re still legally married—you and I are husband and wife.” Liang Wenru drew in a deep breath, his face flushing with anger, and could no longer suppress his questioning: “Now you dare to sneak around behind my back and find yourself another man? You really are fickle and unfaithful!”

As the scion of a wealthy family, he had always been domineering. In his world, only he was allowed to be unfaithful, while his wife had to be obedient and virtuous. He could indulge in debauchery as he pleased, but his wife must abide by the three obediences and the four virtues.

“How utterly ridiculous! You can spend every day with your old flame, but am I supposed to remain your chaste widow for life?” Pei Susu furrowed her brow and sneered coldly. “My boyfriend is a hundred times younger than you, a hundred times more handsome, and a hundred times better in every way!”

“You… you… your tongue really has grown sharper… It’s a good thing I’m divorcing you, or else if we had a child, I’d have to wonder if it was even mine!” Liang Wenru was left speechless by Pei Susu’s retort, stammering as he tried to recover.

“Divorce it is. But I have one condition.” Pei Susu fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.

At her words, Liang Wenru’s expression turned cold, a trace of disgust flickering in his eyes as he looked at her. “Pei Susu, I knew it. You’re just trying to extort me one last time,” he sneered. “Shameless woman.”

“I don’t want your filthy money! I’m just curious… I want to see with my own eyes this so-called ‘first love’ of yours, Chu Qingzhu—just how beautiful is she, that you’re so obsessed with her you abandon your own family?”

At this, a pang of pain shot through Pei Susu’s heart. Ten years of living side by side, yet she was no match for a woman from his past who reappeared out of nowhere. She truly wanted to see what Chu Qingzhu was really like.

“I won’t let you two meet! That’s an unreasonable request.” Liang Wenru was momentarily stunned, but when he came to his senses, his handsome face was so dark it seemed it could drip water. He spoke with icy finality.

But just as he finished speaking, the car door clicked open. A pale, slender woman stepped out from the back seat.

“It’s alright. I was the one who wronged Susu first, the one who destroyed your family. If she wishes to see me, let her,” the woman said softly.

So this was Liang Wenru’s beloved Chu Qingzhu?

The moment she got a good look at her face, Pei Susu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Chu Qingzhu was tall and delicately featured, her long black hair framing a pair of sweet, litchi-shaped eyes. Even the sickly pallor of her complexion couldn’t conceal her air of innocence.

Any ordinary beauty would not have surprised Pei Susu. After all, River City was a haven for internet celebrities and stars, and she’d seen more than her fair share of beautiful women. What truly shocked her was this: Chu Qingzhu looked almost exactly like her, as if they’d been cast from the same mold.

The only difference was that Pei Susu exuded a certain competence, a resilience born of long years working and building her business from the ground up. Chu Qingzhu, on the other hand, was frail from ill health—her delicate features tinged with a sense of fragility.

Only now did Pei Susu finally understand: to Liang Wenru, she had always been nothing more than a stand-in for his first love. Realizing this, a bitter smile appeared on her lips.

Liang Wenru’s love for her, his step-by-step march into marriage, had all been because she resembled another woman.

“You…”

Chu Qingzhu stared at Pei Susu in astonishment, equally stunned. She too hadn’t expected to find a face so uncannily similar to her own in this world.

“You’re not well. Don’t stand out here in the wind—get back in the car,” Liang Wenru said, quickly reaching out to gently ruffle Chu Qingzhu’s hair. His gaze was tender, brimming with affection.

In ten years of marriage, Pei Susu had never seen this side of him. So this was the difference between being loved and unloved.

Every gesture, every word, every look he gave Chu Qingzhu was careful, attentive, as if she were a priceless work of art.

In that instant, Pei Susu’s heart finally died.

“Well, you’ve met her. Let’s head to the Civil Affairs Bureau and get the divorce papers done,” Liang Wenru said, helping Chu Qingzhu back into the car as he spoke.

“Yes, let’s,” Pei Susu replied, her eyes red and swollen, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her shirt.

In the past, she had refused divorce out of resentment, unwilling to let her cheating husband go unpunished. But now, with Liang Wenru keeping a mistress openly, she too had found herself a handsome young lover on the side.

She had made no sacrifices for him; there was no need to drag out this twisted marriage any longer, no reason to waste her youth on a man who didn’t love her.

The two of them turned away from each other, sharing one last, deep look before walking together toward the Civil Affairs Bureau.

At the entrance, Liang Wenru’s phone began to vibrate violently, forcing him to stop in his tracks.

“Your grandfather heard you were divorcing Pei Susu and was so furious that he had a heart attack on the spot! No matter where you are, get home immediately!” As soon as the call was answered, a barrage of angry shouting erupted from the other end—it was his father.

Liang Wenru’s face darkened. His grandfather was the family patriarch, and without his approval, the consequences would be dire; he could lose everything, not even a penny of the billion-dollar estate.

In his panic, Liang Wenru turned and tried to leave, but in his haste, he missed a step and fell, landing in the mud—utterly disheveled.

“What have you done to charm Grandfather? I was gone for just a short while, and now he’s on your side?” Liang Wenru demanded, exasperated.

“Unlike someone who never comes home, I’ve only done what any dutiful granddaughter-in-law should,” Pei Susu replied without hesitation, straightening her back.

With that, the two of them went their separate ways, each getting into their own car. Pei Susu sat in the back seat, watching Liang Wenru’s retreating figure through the window, her feelings a tangled mess.

Suddenly, an exquisite face surfaced in her mind—sharp features, a strong jawline, striking brows—a face that could make countless women swoon.

Not even half a day after their breakup, Pei Susu found herself already missing her “puppy” from the other day.

Compared to Liang Wenru’s coldness, the “puppy’s” affection had been so warm and passionate.

She wondered what he was doing now. Was he missing her too?

Pei Susu stared dreamily out the window, a small, happy smile appearing on her lips.

Beep—

The vibration of her phone snapped her back to reality.

Could it be him?

She eagerly unlocked her phone, only to be disappointed when she saw it was her grandfather calling.

Wait—something was off. Wasn’t Grandfather supposed to be in bed after his heart attack, all thanks to Liang Wenru’s divorce? Why would he be calling her out of the blue?

Curious, Pei Susu answered the phone, and a voice, strong and full of energy, came through—hardly the voice of a sick man.

“Oh, my precious granddaughter-in-law! I’ve missed you terribly these past days! Luckily, I intervened in time and foiled that little vixen’s plot,” the old man declared.

“Grandfather, so you were just pretending to be ill,” Pei Susu realized.

“My clever girl!” Grandfather chuckled, then continued, “All these years, you’ve suffered for the sake of the company, and it hasn’t been easy. What’s even rarer is that you’re not only beautiful, but also capable, and above all, you bring good fortune to our family. You are the only granddaughter-in-law worthy of being part of the Liang family.”