Chapter 1

"Let's get a divorce."

After three years of marriage, the man remained as reticent as ever, his three cold, emotionless words cutting through the air like a blade.

Nan Song stood behind Yu Jinwen, staring at his tall, straight figure, as unyielding as a pine tree. His reflection in the floor-to-ceiling windows revealed a face so cold and heartless that it sent her heart plummeting to the depths. Her hands, hanging by her sides, silently clenched into trembling fists.

The words she had feared most had finally come.

When the man turned around, his features became even clearer. His perfectly chiseled face, with its sharp angles and striking beauty, still made her heart race, even after seeing it every day for three years.

"Can we... not divorce?"

Nan Song forced the words out with difficulty, her voice hoarse. Her eyes shimmered with fragile hope, though the light in them was on the verge of extinguishing.

Yu Jinwen's brow furrowed slightly. His cool gaze swept over her bare face, devoid of makeup, before settling on her red-rimmed eyes. His frown deepened.

Even without makeup, Nan Song was still beautiful. She wasn't the type of stunning beauty that turned heads, but her fair, flawless complexion and gentle features made her pleasant to look at. Her large, clear eyes, filled with desperation, stared at him pleadingly. A tear mole beneath her right eye added a touch of vulnerability, and her long, straight black hair framed her face softly, giving her an unthreatening appearance.

But to the man, she was just a soft-spoken, unremarkable woman.

As a wife, she had no faults, but he simply didn't love her.

Three years ago, he had been in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors said he might never walk again. It was during that time that he was forced to part ways with the woman he truly loved. His mother pressured him to find a wife who could also be his caretaker, someone with a medical background. Among the many admirers, he chose a nurse—Lu Nan Song—because she had no connections and because she was quiet and unassuming.

"You've been with me for three years and taken care of me for three years. Ten million will be your compensation," the man said, his eyes devoid of any emotion. "Or, if there's something else you want..."

"Why?" Nan Song interrupted him for the first time, her red-rimmed eyes flashing with determination and... resentment. "Why now? Why bring up divorce now?"

Tomorrow was their third wedding anniversary. She had planned so much for it. She had even dared to hope that after three years, there would be another three, and then another, until twenty sets of three years had passed—a lifetime.

"You know I don't love you," the man said coldly, his tone devoid of any warmth. He didn't even leave her a sliver of hope. "Xuan Xuan is back. I'm going to marry her."

Nan Song felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Her frail frame swayed under the weight of his words.

The marriage she had desperately clung to for three years couldn't withstand a single sentence from someone else: "I'm back."

"Sir..."

The housekeeper rushed in, urgency in his voice. "Miss Zhuo just vomited what she ate and coughed up blood!"

The man's calm expression cracked slightly. He brushed past Nan Song and headed toward the guest room, his voice low. "Prepare the car. We're going to the hospital."

Moments later, Yu Jinwen emerged from the guest room carrying a frail woman in his arms. She was thin and sickly, wrapped in a delicate embroidered blanket that Nan Song had made herself. Her pale face bore a sickly pallor, as though she might vanish from this world at any moment. Nestled in Yu Jinwen's arms, she whispered weakly, "Jinwen, Miss Lu..."

Yu Jinwen paused at the top of the stairs and turned to Nan Song. "The lawyer will handle the divorce details. Please move out of the mansion within three days."

Then, he adjusted the woman in his arms and carried her downstairs without a backward glance.

Nan Song stood at the top of the stairs, watching as Zhuo Xuan, cradled in Yu Jinwen's arms, looked up at her with triumphant eyes.

Just an hour ago, this sickly woman had smiled at her and said, "I've already waltzed right into your home. Why don't you just give him back to me?"

When their figures finally disappeared from sight, Nan Song's strength gave out. She slid to the floor, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. She hugged herself, feeling an unbearable chill seep into her bones.

From the moment he had saved her from hell, she had silently watched him for ten years and loved him for ten years. How many decades does a person have in their lifetime?

But love cannot be forced. No matter how low she bowed, she could never make this man love her.

"Jinwen, this is the last time I'll cry for you."

Nan Song wiped away the cold tears and stood up. The once delicate and fragile woman now exuded an icy resolve, her eyes shining with determination.

It was time to leave.

The divorce papers lay on the nightstand in the master bedroom, impossible to miss.

Nan Song flipped directly to the last page and saw the familiar signature. Her gaze flickered as she gently traced the name "Yu Jinwen" with her finger, her nose tingling with unshed tears.

She sniffed, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill over. Without hesitation, she picked up a pen and signed her name beside his—Lu Nan Song.

Since this name had marked the beginning, it would also mark the end.

Nan Song placed a seal on the nightstand. From selecting the raw material to purchasing the jade and finally carving it, she had spent nearly a year crafting this gift for their third anniversary.

In truth, over the past three years, she had given him many carefully prepared gifts, but they all ended up forgotten in the closet or thrown in the trash—just like her sincere feelings for him.

As soon as she stepped out of the mansion, a sleek black luxury car pulled up to the curb. Nan Song got in and said calmly, "I'm divorced."

The man in the driver's seat, wearing tinted glasses, smirked. "Congratulations on regaining your freedom."

He handed her a laptop. "It's time to be yourself again. We've all been waiting for your return."