SW - 42

Tang Yin pinched Lu Chi’s cheek.

Just as she thought her scheme had been discovered, Lu Chi suddenly spoke again: “Okay.”

Before she could react, Lu Chi leaned in and quickly kissed her on the cheek.

Then he pulled back, his eyes sparkling like stars as he looked at her, resembling an obedient first-grade student awaiting praise. His handsome face became even more appealing.

Tang Yin remained motionless for a long while.

After some time, she finally came to her senses, touching her chest where her heart felt like it was about to leap out. It was as if fireworks were exploding before her eyes.

She reached up to touch her cheek.

The warm sensation still lingered there. Tang Yin glanced at Lu Chi, who happened to be licking his lips, his tongue darting out seductively.

Tang Yin turned his head away.

Lu Chi was truly irresistible at every moment.

After a while, Lu Chi turned his head back toward her, looking pitifully adorable. He reached out again to lick her fingers.

Tang Yin extended her index finger, pressing it lightly against his soft lips.

Lu Chi’s eyes lit up as he gently took her fingertip into his mouth, his tongue lightly brushing against it without delving deeper, like a child tasting candy.

Sigh. Such moments were rare opportunities for her to initiate a kiss.

It was maddening.

A short while later, Tang Yin reluctantly withdrew her hand, cupping his face. “Be good. Let’s go back.”

Lu Chi didn’t speak or move, merely gazing at her.

They had only taken a few steps when someone emerged from the building.

“Boss, is Lu Chi…” Yu Chun asked nervously.

Lu Ye stared at Lu Chi for a moment, noticing something was off. Assuming he might have been emotionally shaken, he simply said, “Good that you found him.”

At the time, they hadn’t expected things to escalate, but fortunately, nothing serious had happened afterward.

Su Kexi, sobering up, heard from Yu Chun that Lu Chi was with Tang Yin and felt relieved. Lu Yu had left directly after she regained her senses, disappearing somewhere unknown.

She wasn’t sure how to face them either.

Tang Yin said, “You all go ahead. He’s drunk; I’ll take him home first.”

Su Kexi opened her mouth hesitantly: “Lu Chi, are you okay?”

When she was drunk, she didn’t know what had happened. After sobering up and learning the details, she felt terrible. She never imagined Lu Yu would do such a thing, but when she confronted him, he remained silent.

In the end, the incident was her fault. Tang Yin was her best friend, and she didn’t want their relationship to deteriorate because of this.

Su Kexi whispered, “Yinyin, is Lu Yu really…”

Lu Chi didn’t respond.

Tang Yin, in a good mood, reassured her: “It’s fine. You should thank Lu Yu for me. Though I initially wanted to hit him.”

Her hand behind her back tugged at the corner of Lu Chi’s jacket, prompting him to nod along.

Tang Yin said, “You all go ahead. I might be a bit late today.”

The sudden statement left Su Kexi confused, but she followed Tang Yin’s instructions and left with the others.

Once everyone was gone, Tang Yin pulled Lu Chi outside.

Lu Chi was taller than her by a head, yet he obediently let her lead him, drawing attention from passersby.

Tang Yin hailed a taxi.

She already knew where Lu Chi lived—his address was available in the homeroom teacher’s office, updated after the class reassignment. As his desk mate, she could easily access it.

During the ride, the driver glanced at them through the rearview mirror more than once.

This guy was too obedient. Were they a young couple? They both looked good together, though they appeared quite young.

They arrived at Lu Chi’s house soon.

Tang Yin tugged at Lu Chi: “Get out.”

Lu Chi followed behind her.

By now, the alcohol had mostly worn off. Although Tang Yin still found him a bit dazed, he was much better than before.

The lights were on in Lu Chi’s house, leading Tang Yin to assume his mother was home.

She didn’t want to run into her, given the deep impression their previous encounter had left. Perhaps they could meet another time.

Tang Yin pushed Lu Chi to the door, where he continued to stare at her.

“Why aren’t you going in? This is your house.” Tang Yin pinched his cheek. “Be good. Go inside.”

Before she could withdraw her finger, Lu Chi once again took it into his mouth, sucking gently.

Tang Yin: “… “ It caught her completely off guard.

Fortunately, it lasted only a brief moment. Lu Chi had already released her, blinking his eyes and waving goodbye before turning to go inside.

He appeared perfectly normal.

But who would have thought that a tipsy Lu Chi could be so adorable?

Tang Yin wiggled her fingers, covering her face as she giggled secretly. Oh, how could Lu Chi make her so obsessed? Even drunk, he was so cute.

Every side of him made her fall for him even more.

________________________________________

Wednesday morning.

The weather was pleasant, with warm sunlight streaming through the windows, dispelling much of the chill.

Qiu Hua styled her hair, checking herself in the mirror repeatedly. Seeing her transformed reflection, she broke into a wide smile.

Turning to the outside, she said, “Yueming, today marks the start of our new life.”

As long as the divorce proceedings went smoothly, she would soon become Lu Yueming’s legal wife, no longer labeled as the “other woman.”

She loathed that term deeply.

Lu Yueming sat on the couch, organizing documents. Hearing her words, he smiled faintly and casually asked, “Where’s Lu Yu? Did he not come home again last night?”

Qiu Hua paused, sighing mournfully. “Do you really need to ask?”

Lu Yu rarely came home these days. He either stayed at his grandmother’s house or in a small apartment his grandfather used to own near the school.

“I know,” Lu Yueming said, walking over to embrace her. “It won’t happen anymore.”

Qiu Hua sighed, picking up her bag as they headed out together.

Wang Ziyan sat at the table, sipping tea.

After her hospital visit, her son had kept a close eye on her. She herself realized something was wrong and went for a checkup.

Her nerves were frayed, and any further stress might send her back to the hospital.

She couldn’t afford to be hospitalized—she was still young, and her son was still in high school. Spending such precious years in the hospital was unbearable.

Moreover, her aging parents needed her care. If she collapsed, everything would fall apart. Back then, they had supported her unconditionally, and now she had to bear the consequences of her choices.

After such a long time, she had finally come to terms with it.

Initially, she wanted to take the matter to court, but her lawyer informed her that Lu Yueming’s infidelity came first. Regardless of how they married, she was the legal wife.

A man who had cheated for years and sought a divorce naturally had to pay a price.

If she could leverage this advantage, she might secure greater benefits.

After much deliberation, Wang Ziyan ultimately agreed to the lawyer’s proposal.

Her family had fallen from grace, losing its former arrogance. Without securing something for herself, how could she survive?

________________________________________

Before the New Year, several people sat at the same table.

Lu Yueming, looking refreshed, spoke directly: “Here’s the divorce agreement. All the terms are clearly written.”

Wang Ziyan picked it up to examine it. It was identical to the previous version.

She immediately tossed a stack of photos onto the table—all evidence she had gathered in the past, showing intimate moments between Lu Yueming and Qiu Hua during their dates. The house Qiu Hua currently lived in also belonged to Lu Yueming.

“Aside from this, you openly committed adultery during our marriage. After all these years, who knows who would be at fault if we went to court.”

Lu Yueming’s expression darkened. “I’ve already said the house you’re living in now belongs to Chichi, and I’ll provide child support. What more do you want? Are you trying to cause trouble again?”

Wang Ziyan merely sneered.

Beside her, Qiu Hua remained silent.

She had waited a long time for this day—it was just the final step.

The person she felt most sorry for was Lu Yu. He had believed in the illusion of a happy family, only to discover its true ugliness. But what could she do?

Back then, she was just an ordinary family, while Wang Ziyan came from wealth. Anyone could see which choice to make.

The lawyer, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke, presenting the pre-printed divorce agreement.

Though they still needed to obtain the divorce certificate later, signing it essentially sealed the deal.

Upstairs, Lu Chi remained unaware of the commotion below, not knowing how far along the process was.

His phone vibrated.

TangTangTang: Today’s weather is nice.

Lu Chi immediately guessed her meaning but pretended not to, replying with a simple “Mm.”

Tang Yin stared at her phone.

How could he be so cold! Though he was always like this before…

She tapped her screen and sent another message: “Want to come out and play? If you don’t, I’ll tell everyone what you did when you were drunk the other day.”

It was almost the New Year, and since the last time, he hadn’t come out. After the holiday, she would return to her hometown to visit relatives and wouldn’t have time to find him.

Speaking of which, she really liked a drunk Lu Chi.

He was obedient, adorable, and willing to be close to her.

But she didn’t know whether Lu Chi genuinely didn’t remember or was pretending not to.

If he truly didn’t remember, it would be a pity. If he was pretending, then he was probably just shy—he had always been shy.

Lu Chi frowned.

He barely remembered anything from that night. He only knew that Lu Yu had made him drink, and after finishing, he left the private room. When he regained consciousness, he was already home.

He had no idea what happened in between.

But judging by her tone, it seemed like something unpleasant occurred.

Had he done something shameful?

Just as Lu Chi was about to reply, he heard Wang Ziyan calling from downstairs: “Chichi.”

Perhaps the discussion downstairs was over. He glanced at the screen filled with pouting emojis, pursed his lips slightly, and typed a few words.

When Lu Chi descended, the living room was unusually quiet.

Wang Ziyan said, “Come with Mom to the Civil Affairs Bureau.”

Lu Chi glanced at the two visibly upset individuals across from him, remaining silent as he nodded faintly.

From a young age, he often knew his father was away. At the time, he thought it was for business trips or other work-related matters.

It wasn’t until last semester that he realized his father had never considered this place a home.

He had always assumed that a household where parents rarely spoke or where the mother talked and the father didn’t respond was a normal family dynamic. In reality, it was entirely different.

He had never been wanted.

Lu Chi gazed at the bright sky outside, suddenly recalling that perhaps only Tang Yin thought he was perfect in every way.

LuLuLu: Tomorrow.

Tang Yin burst into laughter, triumphant at last.

Jiang Qiuhuan entered her daughter’s room to find her curled up under the covers.

She smacked her. “You’ve already washed your face and brushed your teeth. Why are you still lying in bed? Get up and eat breakfast.”

Tang Yin popped her head out from under the blanket. “Hehehe.”

Jiang Qiuhuan: “You’re hopeless.”

“Go buy that scarf I saw yesterday.” Jiang Qiuhuan sat down. “Dear daughter, I really like that scarf.”

“You go.”

“You go. I won’t tell your dad about what happened last time.”

“…” Tang Yin pouted. “Now you’re threatening me?”

Jiang Qiuhuan smirked confidently. “Let me make one thing clear—you’re not allowed to cross the line. Though I know that boy seems decent, it’s still not acceptable.”

Tang Yin leapt out of bed. “Blah blah blah.”

Jiang Qiuhuan threw a pillow at her. “Watch how you talk to your mom.”

After changing clothes, Tang Yin left the house. Yesterday, while shopping with Jiang Qiuhuan, they had seen a scarf she liked but didn’t buy.

Now, regretting their decision, they decided to purchase it.

Fortunately, the scarf was still in the store. Tang Yin paid for it and stepped outside, spotting a familiar group of people exiting from across the street.

Across the road was the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Lu Chi happened to be among them.

After leaving the bureau, Lu Chi felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

Wang Ziyan’s mood inexplicably improved, especially after seeing the staff member’s glance at Qiu Hua.

Now that she was free, she only needed to focus on her son and aging parents. Everything else was irrelevant.

The lawyer had secured an additional storefront for her in a bustling downtown area. Though it wasn’t as valuable as the other properties, it was enough.

Enough to sustain her and her parents for life.

Outside the bureau, they parted ways. Suddenly, Wang Ziyan called out to Qiu Hua, smiling. “You’ve always thought I drugged and forced him to drink, but you don’t know—I only made him drink two glasses of wine that day.”

She emphasized: “Only two glasses.”

As expected, she watched Qiu Hua’s face change instantly.

Qiu Hua and Lu Yueming had been lovers for years, so she knew his tolerance well. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t get drunk unless he drank nearly ten glasses.

Lu Yueming gritted his teeth. “Ignore her. She’s just acting crazy.”

Qiu Hua’s expression darkened. She gave a perfunctory response, but her mind was in turmoil.

Wang Ziyan’s words unsettled her. Whether they were true or meant to provoke her discomfort, her goal had been achieved.

Wang Ziyan exhaled deeply, staring at their retreating figures.

Standing nearby, Lu Chi remained silent, his expression blank. Sometimes, it all felt so ironic.

At that moment, he glanced across the street and saw a familiar figure.

Across the road, their eyes met.

Lu Chi suddenly felt as if all his vulnerabilities were laid bare before her.

His phone vibrated abruptly.

He swiped to open it—a new message from Tang Yin, containing just a few short words.

TangTangTang: I have a secret to tell you.

Lu Chi hadn’t put his phone away when, seconds later, it vibrated again. Another message appeared.

TangTangTang: I really like you.