Chapter 87: A Candid Conversation |
On the afternoon of July 5th, An Yuanyao made a phone call to Li Wanran.
The moment Li Wanran heard An Yuanyao’s first sentence, she abruptly hung up.
She wasn’t sure why she had done so—was it guilt? Or fear?
She didn’t know.
What she did know was that she couldn’t sleep that night.
Afterward, she didn’t receive any more calls from An Yuanyao. On the other hand, after the call was cut off, An Yuanyao didn’t try again. Instead, she packed her belongings, arranged for movers, and left the house. She rented an apartment as a temporary place to stay.
Once everything was in order, An Yuanyao called Li Wanran again.
She couldn’t reach Li Chongming.
This time, Li Wanran didn’t hang up. During the call, An Yuanyao set up a meeting place, which led to the current scene.
An Yuanyao looked much healthier now.
The last time they met, An Yuanyao’s face had been bare of makeup, her eyes dim and lifeless—nothing like the brightness she exuded now.
Something must have happened to her...
Li Wanran steadied herself internally.
If she’s planning to make me let go, that’s absolutely impossible.
Unaware of what was going through Li Wanran’s mind, An Yuanyao paused briefly before continuing, “I want to divorce Li Chongming.”
“I won’t let you have him—”
Before Li Wanran could finish her rebuttal, she stopped, stunned, and stared at An Yuanyao in disbelief.
“What... What did you say?”
“I said I want to divorce him,” An Yuanyao replied calmly.
Impossible to comprehend.
Li Wanran shot to her feet, her hands slamming down on the table as she leaned forward. Her eyes were filled with confusion.
“What do you mean by that?!”
“You were the one who pushed me to divorce him in the first place. Now you’re asking me what I mean?”
An Yuanyao couldn’t hold up her facade anymore.
She couldn’t pretend that nothing had happened. She lifted her head and glared angrily at the standing Li Wanran.
“If you really loved him so much, you shouldn’t have given up on him. You shouldn’t have married Liu Changqing!”
Li Wanran froze.
She had never seen An Yuanyao speak so forcefully. At the same time, she was startled—why did Liu Changqing even come up?
Already feeling a twinge of guilt about how she’d treated Liu Changqing, that guilt had vanished after their last encounter, when he had coldly told her never to appear again.
She had always believed that Liu Changqing’s kindness toward her was something she deserved.
Now, exposed to her painful truths, Li Wanran could no longer maintain her composure. She clenched her teeth, her chest heaving with emotion.
“You!”
“So, as you wished.”
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, An Yuanyao looked directly at Li Wanran.
“Bring Li Chongming to me. Let’s finalize the divorce immediately.”
“...”
Li Wanran locked eyes with An Yuanyao.
She didn’t believe that An Yuanyao truly wanted a divorce.
For the past while, Li Chongming had spent almost all his time with her, seemingly making up for the years they’d missed. He rarely refused her requests. When she last asked when he would divorce, he had gone back to his home the very next day.
But when he returned, he told her that An Yuanyao wasn’t willing to divorce.
Recalling this, Li Wanran’s gaze firmed.
She removed her hands from the table and stood up straight, looking down at An Yuanyao.
“He loves me now. Even if you keep pestering him, it won’t change anything.”
“...”
An Yuanyao suddenly felt exhausted.
While packing her new home these past few days, she’d often found herself reflecting.
Had she ever been truly happy in her marriage with Li Chongming?
Sifting through her memories, she found no joy. Only pain.
In contrast, she preferred the time she spent with Liu Changqing.
He wasn’t conventionally handsome, his words could be sharp, and his comments sometimes made no sense, but he gave her a sense of comfort and happiness she had never felt before.
Liu Changqing would ask if she was cold, if she was hungry... Just thinking about it brought a soft smile to her lips.
Li Wanran noticed this fleeting expression clearly.
Collecting herself, An Yuanyao’s face returned to calm.
“I’m not joking. I really do want to divorce Li Chongming.”
“...”
Staring blankly, Li Wanran slowly sat back down, her gaze complicated.
“If you want a divorce, what does that have to do with me?”
“I can’t find him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I haven’t seen him since last month. He changed his phone number—when I call, it says the line is disconnected.”
“That... I don’t know.”
“None of that matters,” An Yuanyao said, ending the pointless conversation.
“Tomorrow, bring him to the civil affairs bureau. We’ll finalize the divorce as soon as it opens. I’ve prepared all the necessary documents. All that’s needed is his presence.”
“...”
Seeing Li Wanran’s silence, An Yuanyao pressed, “What’s wrong? Isn’t this exactly what you wanted? This way, the two of you can be together openly and legally.”
“...”
Li Wanran stared at her, gripping her hands tightly in her lap before finally releasing them.
Sixteen years late, her rightful title was finally within reach.
Looking at An Yuanyao, she nodded.
“Alright.”
“Where are we going today?”
Li Chongming asked as he gently held Li Wanran’s hand, his tone warm.
“Did you spot a bag you like? Just buy it,” he said with affection, oblivious to what was about to unfold.
“No,” Li Wanran replied softly, shaking her head as she looked into his eyes with an unreadable expression.
“Then what is it?”
“I need to take care of something today.”
“Is it about the family business?” Li Chongming asked, his tone shifting slightly.
“No...”
“That’s good to hear.”
Relieved, Li Chongming exhaled deeply before turning back to her with curiosity.
“Then what is it?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
With that, Li Wanran pulled her hand from his grasp and looked straight ahead.
Confused, Li Chongming couldn’t make sense of the situation.
The car slowed to a stop.
Peering out the window, he noticed the building in front of him.
The words on the facade struck him like a blow.
After a moment of stunned silence, he turned to Li Wanran, his voice rising.
“The Civil Affairs Bureau?!”