Chapter 4

I fumbled for the light.

When it came on, I found Ning Tianye sitting upright on the sofa.

His resentful gaze gave him the air of some gloomy, damp male ghost.

9

I jumped.

"W-why didn't you turn on the lights?"

He stood and slowly approached.

Same look.

Gold-rimmed glasses. Black shirt. Trousers taut over his thighs.

An indescribable appeal.

He stopped in front of me.

I was certain he'd seen the mark on my neck.

But he said nothing.

Instead, he avoided my eyes and took my bag with feigned ease.

"Have fun today?"

My tone cooled.

"Yes."

His gaze returned, slowly measuring every inch, finally settling on Cai Zhaozhao's clothes.

"That's not what you wore this morning. New?"

"Yes."

He went to hang up my bag, but lost his grip.

It tipped.

A piece of underwear fell out.

He stopped. His eyes dulled.

"...New underwear, too?"

I was starting to lose my nerve.

"Don't misunderstand—"

He suddenly cut me off again.

"Good timing. I'll soak it now. Wash it later."

The rest of my explanation stuck in my throat.

Seriously?

Did this make sense?!

Laundry! Laundry!

Every day, nothing but laundry!

I surrendered!

10

I felt sad.

And a little like laughing.

What did this prove?

He'd failed Cai Zhaozhao's test.

Worse than that.

This wasn't turning a blind eye anymore.

It was enabling me.

Was he so guilty himself that he didn't dare expose me?

I slept alone again that night.

Only, half asleep, I vaguely felt someone kissing away my tears.

I knew it had to be a dream.

Because Ning Tianye didn't love me anymore.

The next morning, I woke early.

After thinking all night, I asked Cai Zhaozhao to find a lawyer and draft a divorce agreement.

He was still treating me very well.

But I'd never accepted flaws in love.

I couldn't bear sharing a bed with someone whose heart was elsewhere.

And I couldn't accept this kind of platonic marriage.

She quickly sent an OK.

【Stop overthinking. Focus on your career. Men are just toys.】

【Next time, I'll get you a better script. We'll shoot straight to the top.】

Outside, he was still wearing the same three-piece combination.

I wanted to ask whether he'd changed clothes at all in three days.

Then I thought perhaps somebody else liked the look.

Why bother?

I ate breakfast with him in silence.

As though nothing had happened, he served me a full bowl of pork and century-egg congee.

I ate listlessly, spoonful by spoonful.

Several times, I wanted to mention divorce.

I couldn't get the words out.

If I said it to his face, I'd cry.

I didn't want that.

Losing me was his loss.

He ought to be the one crying.

Today was the last day of my break.

I'd booked a three o'clock flight.

I changed it to ten in the morning.

When he learned, he dropped a bowl.

I bent to pick it up, but his large hand caught my arm.

"I'll do it. Don't hurt yourself."

Silently, he finished all the housework and picked up his car keys.

"I'll drive you to the airport."

"No need."

My answer was irritable.

His gaze darkened.

"Right... perhaps that wouldn't be convenient for you..."

Suitcase in hand, I was already outside.

Suddenly, as though gathering all his courage, he caught the hem of my top.

"Sweetheart, when you've finished work... will you come back?"

Why would I?

To admire from close range how faithfully he saved himself for another woman?

I pulled my clothes free, my heart a miserable tangle.

"We'll see."

The door slammed.

The light in his eyes went out completely.

11

Cai Zhaozhao worked fast.

Just before I boarded, the finished divorce agreement arrived.

I skimmed it and forwarded it to Ning Tianye.

【Let's divorce. If everything's in order, print it and sign.】

Then I switched to airplane mode.

A two-hour flight passed quickly enough.

The moment we landed, my phone began vibrating furiously in my pocket.

WeChat notifications chimed one after another.

I was reaching for it when someone shoved hard into me from behind.

The phone fell.

Its screen went black, shattered.

A mother carrying a child apologized frantically.

"I'm so sorry! My daughter's feverish. I was in a hurry. I didn't mean to..."

I looked at the little girl and sighed.

"It's all right. Take her to a doctor."

Come to think of it, he'd bought me this phone.

Since I was about to cut ties with him, perhaps my time with the phone was over, too.

Luckily, I still had cash.

After taking a taxi to the set, I asked my assistant to tell Cai Zhaozhao I might be unreachable for a few days.

Puzzled, she offered to buy me a new phone.

I waved her off.

The director was strict. No phones at work.

Besides, my assistant was with me around the clock. Reaching her was as good as reaching me.

My scenes were almost finished anyway.

Two more days and I'd wrap.

I could buy one afterward.

For those last days, I concentrated on learning from Yan Zheng.

I gave every scene opposite him my full effort.

Though rather aloof, he was reasonably warm toward an eager junior like me and often coached me on set.

Consequently, the behind-the-scenes coverage contained plenty of photos of us together.

When Ning Tianye saw them, he nearly ground his back teeth to dust.

He called me countless times.

Not once did he get through.

Cai Zhaozhao was cold toward him, too. She no longer acknowledged him as her best friend's husband.

Huo Yangyan and Cui Ting both tried to comfort him.

"Maybe you're not copying him well enough. Don't worry. We'll think of something."

"Think, my ass!"

He was truly panicking now. In days, a large sore had appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"My wife's about to leave, and all you can say is don't worry!"