Chapter 54: Leaving

Love is not fake, intimacy is not fake, and the happiness of being together is not fake.

Jiang Nai deeply understood this, so she struggled painfully in her inner conflict. She didn’t want to show weakness or compromise with the Jiang family. She wanted to break free from their control and never again be a tool to be used in a family that wasn’t hers.

But Li Qingji needed a partner of equal social standing. Even if he didn’t need it now, he might in the future. She didn’t want him to make decisions based on intense emotions that would later backfire.

He would regret it…

He would definitely regret it. So, she gave him time to think. The end of Jiang Yuantao’s birthday party saw a huge uproar at home. Because Jiang Nai didn’t show up, and because news of her wanting to sever ties with the family spread, almost everyone present knew that his granddaughter, just like his former son, had fallen out with the family…

“Jiang Yao, is the rumor true? We’ve all heard that your sister had an argument with your grandfather and said she wanted to cut ties with the Jiang family?” A few people were sitting beside Jiang Yao at a club the next evening, asking curiously.

Jiang Yao took a sip of wine, “I spread it. Do you think it’s true?”

Her friends silently gave her a thumbs-up, “You really know how to stir things up.”

Jiang Yao said, “I’m just telling the truth. Jiang Nai doesn’t want to stay in the Jiang family. I’m just helping her spread the word, what’s the problem?”

“No problem, no problem. But your grandfather must be livid. Didn’t your family get so much connection with the Li family because of Jiang Nai? So now…” 

“What does that have to do with me?” Jiang Yao snorted, “Anyway, I didn’t marry him.”

“Your sister is something, huh? Without your family, she still has Li Qingji to rely on.”

Jiang Yao smiled, a trace of disdain in her eyes, “You think Li Qingji is something special? From what I know of him, those two won’t last.”

“Really…”

Jiang Yao replied, “Definitely. Without the Jiang family, Jiang Nai is nothing. Li Qingji isn’t into charity. Just wait and see, that cold-blooded guy won’t take long to give up on her.”

——

Yao Qi noticed that Jiang Nai kept zoning out during lunch. By the time everyone had finished and was nearly gone, Jiang Nai still hadn’t touched most of her meal.

Yao Qi could sense that something was bothering her, so she asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Jiang Nai snapped out of her daze, “Hmm?”

“You seem distracted,” Yao Qi said. Then she remembered that her mother had passed away recently and added, “Jiang Nai, no matter what, you should eat properly.”

Jiang Nai forced a smile and replied, “Hmm, okay.”

She took a couple of bites but then suddenly remembered something and asked, “Yao Qi, where are you renting now?”

“Huh? Me? I’m renting at Jinyang Apartments. Why?”

Jiang Nai hesitated for a moment, “Ah… I have a friend who might want to rent a place.”

“Rent a place? You came to the right person. I’ve got a really good agent,” Yao Qi said, then suddenly added, “But your friend isn’t some rich person, right? If she is, I don’t know if my agent has the resources for that, but I can refer her to you. You can recommend it to your friend and see if it works.”

Jiang Nai nodded, “Hmm… that’s fine.”

That day, Li Qingji didn’t come to Siningte. When Jiang Nai returned to her desk, she glanced at the closed door of his office. The night before last, after she told Li Qingji to think carefully, his face had looked bad. After she entered the master bedroom, he didn’t follow her in.

The next night, when he came home, it was very late.

She hadn’t fallen asleep, and he knew she was awake, but he only lay beside her without saying anything.

Maybe, he was really thinking it through. Jiang Nai felt a bit regretful. Regretful that even though she knew falling in love with him would have consequences, she still carelessly let herself fall for him not long ago. Now… she was indeed suffering the backlash.

[How’s this? Does it look good?] Just before work ended, Jiang Nai received a message from Xue Lin with a picture of herself trying on clothes at the store.

Jiang Nai looked at it and replied: [Hmm, looks good.]

Xue Lin: [I’m buying it then! I’m going out with my younger friend this weekend to watch a movie. So nervous.]

Jiang Nai: [When did you get a younger friend?]

Xue Lin: [Just met him. He’s super cute. My inner teenage girl is screaming…]

Jiang Nai understood. This “younger friend” was not the same as the one she had assumed.

She sent a congratulatory meme.

Xue Lin: [I’ll tell you how he really is when I get back from the weekend date. Stay tuned~]

Jiang Nai pressed her lips together, thought for a moment, and then sent: [I want to stay at your place for a few nights, is that okay?]

Xue Lin: [Ah! Of course, it’s okay! Really? Come over, come over! I’m so bored alone!]

Jiang Nai: [Mm]

Xue Lin: [But… why do you suddenly want to stay at my place? Did you have a fight with your husband?]

Jiang Nai: [No. I’ll explain when I get there.]

She wanted to give Li Qingji time to think, but couldn’t bear to face the process of him thinking. She thought that maybe giving them some space would be better. So, she planned to stay with Xue Lin for a few nights. If Li Qingji had made up his mind, she could quickly move out.

After work, Jiang Nai returned home. Li Qingji wasn’t there, so she packed a few sets of clothes and some daily essentials into her suitcase, then left the house. She took a taxi to Xue Lin’s place. It was close to her office, just a 30-minute commute, which saved her a lot of trouble.

As she stood downstairs at Xue Lin’s place, she even thought that she could rent here in the future.

“Nai Nai, you’re here!” Xue Lin came downstairs to meet her, taking her luggage. “We haven’t shared a room since we graduated from college. I’m a little excited.”

“Yeah.”

Xue Lin: “Have you eaten yet?”

Jiang Nai: “Not yet, you?”

“Me neither.”

“Then I’ll order takeout.”

“It’s your first time at my place, and I’m going to make you order?” Xue Lin led her out of the elevator. “This is my place, come in.”

Xue Lin lived in a loft. The upper level was the bedroom, and the lower level had the living room, dining area, and a small kitchen.

After settling Jiang Nai in the living room, Xue Lin took out her phone to order takeout. “I’m usually too busy, so there’s nothing to eat at home. Looks like we’ll have to settle for takeout.”

Jiang Nai: “It’s fine, anything works. Sorry for the trouble.”

Xue Lin paused. “Are you kidding me? You’re still saying that? Back in school, you were always the one helping me.”

Jiang Nai smiled faintly.

After Xue Lin finished ordering, she put down her phone and looked at Jiang Nai. “Alright, now it’s your turn. What’s really going on? It’s not because of a fight with Li Qingji, right?”

“It’s not. I just want us to calm down for a bit, so we can think better about the way forward,” Jiang Nai said. “If he decides he wants a divorce later, I’ll move out and rent a place—”

“What? Divorce? Are you serious?”

Jiang Nai was silent for a moment before saying, “I remember you asked before if he treats me well and likes me because I’m the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, or if he just likes me. At that time, I couldn’t answer, and now, I still can’t.”

“But hasn’t your relationship been getting better? How could it be like this?”

“My marriage to him was originally because of our families, but now there have been so many changes.”

Jiang Nai had never been someone who could easily talk about her feelings or past, but maybe because she had been holding everything in for so long, she finally found a way to let it all out in front of a friend who had no connection to these matters.

…

“No, your grandparents are going too far! Not letting you see your mother was bad enough, but knowing how much you wanted to see her, they didn’t tell you until she passed away?!”

“They just feared that if I knew, I would be as uncontrollable as I am now,” Jiang Nai said with a bitter smile. “It was right when I was supposed to get the marriage certificate with him. Why would they want to tell me?”

“Are they even family? You’re their granddaughter, they should have considered your feelings!”

Jiang Nai thought for a moment. “In the Jiang family, I’ve never needed to have my feelings considered.”

She continued, “Family… maybe neither of us ever thought of it that way. But it doesn’t matter now. We can live without each other. Without them, I can still live. And they will be fine too.”

“What about Li Qingji… Nai Nai, I think he might not be as cold-blooded as you think? You’ve been married for so long after all!”

Jiang Nai lowered her gaze, her chest tightening with sorrow. “But I really can’t be the bridge between them anymore. I don’t want to be involved with the Jiang family anymore. He… he needs a partner who can help him.”

Xue Lin couldn’t quite relate to the situation of a marriage in a wealthy family. But if the woman was no longer the person the man wanted, then in an ordinary marriage, divorce could be a possible outcome.

Seeing Jiang Nai’s obvious hesitation, Xue Lin said, “Let’s think positively, Nai Nai. I think you’re too scared right now… no matter what, you can’t let too many negative thoughts take over, okay?”

Jiang Nai had become too negative. The death of her mother had been a heavy blow. At that moment, she felt like the whole world was slipping away from her. She had no sense of security or trust, and it felt like everyone around her might leave her at any second.

Including Li Qingji.

So, instead of being passive, she decided to confront Li Qingji directly. If he wanted to leave, he could do so right under her nose. That way, she wouldn’t feel abandoned.

The two of them sat in the living room talking for a long time. After the takeout arrived, Xue Lin forced Jiang Nai to eat a little more, finally feeling relieved when she did.

“I’m going to take a shower. You can watch TV or do whatever you want,” Xue Lin said after dinner.

Jiang Nai nodded.

Xue Lin took her clothes to the bathroom, but Jiang Nai didn’t turn on the TV. She stared out of the window, lost in thought. Just then, her phone rang. When she saw who was calling, there was a moment when she hesitated to answer.

But the ringing didn’t stop. In the end, Jiang Nai pressed the answer button.

“Where are you?” Li Qingji’s deep, suppressed, and cold voice came through the phone.

Jiang Nai gripped her phone tightly and said, “I’m at my friend’s place. I… I want to stay here for a few days.”

“Jiang Nai!” Li Qingji said angrily, “I didn’t say I wanted a divorce. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

Li Qingji had just arrived home ten minutes ago. When he didn’t see her at home, he felt a bit uneasy. Soon, he noticed that some of her personal belongings were missing. In that moment, the sudden feeling of anxiety made it impossible for him to maintain his usual calm demeanor.

“I’m giving you space to think,” Jiang Nai said quietly.

“I don’t need it!” Li Qingji replied. “Give me the address.”

“……”

“I said, give me the address!”

Jiang Nai took a deep breath. “Li Qingji, let’s not meet for now…”

She hung up.

As soon as the call ended and the phone rang again, her heart felt like it was being squeezed in someone’s palm, beyond her control, as though it could be crushed and discarded any second. She muted the phone and didn’t answer.

Twenty minutes later, Xue Lin came out of the bathroom and told Jiang Nai to take a shower. Jiang Nai responded dully, grabbed her clothes, and went into the bathroom.

Xue Lin went upstairs to the bedroom, changed the bedspread, and then came downstairs with a small plate of fruit she had cut from the fruit she bought yesterday. Knowing Jiang Nai was probably feeling down, she sat in front of the TV and picked a movie, thinking they could watch it together later to distract her.

After choosing a movie, she placed the fruit on the coffee table, just as the doorbell rang.

It was late, and she hadn’t ordered takeout, so she was surprised to hear someone at the door. Xue Lin cautiously peeked through the peephole, and when she saw who it was, she gasped in shock. She quickly ran to the bathroom door and knocked.

“Nai Nai! Your… your husband is at the door! I’m sure it’s him, he’s really at the door!”

The sound of water stopped in the bathroom, and Jiang Nai opened the door, her wet eyes peering out. “What?”

“Your husband’s here! What should we do?”

Jiang Nai froze. She hadn’t expected Li Qingji to find her so quickly. After a brief silence, she said, “I’ll dry my hair and then go out.”

“Okay, okay! Hurry up!”

The bathroom door closed again. The doorbell rang again. Xue Lin, feeling nervous, didn’t want to make Li Qingji wait at the door. She steeled herself and opened it.

The hallway lights were on, so Xue Lin could clearly see that it was indeed Li Qingji—his face as handsome as ever.

She slipped off her heels and stood in front of him, feeling like he was even taller than usual.

Xue Lin bit her lip and let out a dry laugh. “Hi…”

“Sorry to bother you,” he said calmly, his expression composed and polite.

Xue Lin cleared her throat. “It’s… it’s no bother.”

“Is Jiang Nai here?”

Xue Lin didn’t dare lie. “She’s taking a shower.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for her.”

He slightly turned his body, not looking inside.

Xue Lin said, “How about you come in and wait?”

Li Qingji clearly had no intention of entering the woman’s house. “It’s fine, I’ll wait here.”

“…Okay.”

Xue Lin shut the door but left it slightly ajar.

She returned to the living room and paced back and forth, finally breathing a sigh of relief when the bathroom door opened again. She pointed toward the door. “Quick, go, go. You two can have a good talk.”

Jiang Nai had put on her pajamas, but her hair was still damp. She didn’t immediately go toward the door. Instead, she held a towel to her hair, drying it slowly, as if using the time to think, also dragging things out.

Xue Lin asked, “What’s wrong? Not brave enough to go?”

Jiang Nai took a deep breath and set the towel down. “No…”

She walked to the door, paused for a moment, and then opened it. The hallway was quiet. As soon as the door opened, Li Qingji turned around to look at her. The two of them stared at each other in silence.

“How did you know I was here?” Jiang Nai curled her fingers and asked the question first.

Li Qingji replied, “Finding you isn’t difficult.”

Jiang Nai lowered her gaze. If Li Qingji really wanted to find someone, how could he not succeed?

“I just want you to think this through rationally.”

“And what about you?” Li Qingji’s gaze turned cold as he stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “Jiang Nai, am I someone you can easily let go of, someone you can just casually talk about divorcing? Have you thought this through rationally?”

Jiang Nai’s eyes began to sting with tears, and the sourness at the tip of her nose made it hard for her to breathe, but she still said, “Of course I’ve thought it through.”

Li Qingji felt a sharp pain in his chest, as though something deep inside had been scratched, a feeling so unfamiliar to him that it almost hurt: “So what you’re saying is, you can so easily divorce me.”

Jiang Nai felt the tears rising, but she pushed them back with force. “You know exactly what you want, and so do I. I just don’t want you to make a decision now that you’ll regret later.”

“How do you know I’ll regret it?” he asked.

“You need business partners like the Jiang family, people who bring you profit, don’t you?” she replied.

Li Qingji didn’t deny it. He lowered his eyes and looked at her. “That used to be the case.”

Her chest tightened.

Then, Li Qingji’s voice deepened. “But not anymore.”

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