Chapter 4: I Want a Divorce

Ning Chu looked at Mrs. Zhou, puzzled. Her daughter had just awakened from illness, yet instead of showing concern for her health, Mrs. Zhou urged her to immediately win back her son-in-law’s favor.

“Mother, am I really your biological daughter?” Ning Chu asked earnestly.

Zhou Erqin was taken aback by the sudden question. “Of course you are. You’re my only daughter. After giving birth to you, my body could no longer endure pregnancy. So, Chu Chu, you should listen to me.”

“Mother has already booked a ticket to N City. I’ll send it to you shortly and arrange for someone to help you pack. You must leave for N City immediately.”

Ning Chu remained still. “I won’t go.” Not only did she refuse to go, she also wanted a divorce from Tantai Chao.

This arranged marriage brought her no benefit at all. Before awakening, she was like a robot, serving Tantai Chao daily—being the perfect wife and mother, engaging in elite social diplomacy, learning various skills, all to be an impeccable spouse.

Throughout her upbringing, her mother, Zhou Erqin, deprived her of many hobbies, controlled her friendships, dictated what she ate and did—her life was a living hell to outsiders. Yet Ning Chu never realized this before; she thought it was merely her mother’s concern, having been thoroughly manipulated.

Zhou Erqin constantly pressured her to conceive and warned her to be wary of the temptresses around Tantai Chao, yet also lectured her on tolerance: if Tantai Chao truly had affairs, the blame lay not with him but with the other woman.

Ning Chu had always been obedient, never questioning Tantai Chao about his rumored affairs, instead covertly asking her mother to investigate these women.

Now, however, Ning Chu believed that if Tantai Chao were unfaithful, the fault was more his than hers. A man who cannot control his desires is no better than trash.

Still, reflecting on Tantai Chao’s peculiar habits—meticulous, ritualistic, always limiting their intimacy to exactly one hour, never exceeding thirty seconds—Ning Chu trusted his fidelity.

She thought that if he were to be unfaithful, it would be to his work. To him, women were probably less appealing than his job.

Zhou Erqin assumed Ning Chu agreed to go because she had never disobeyed her before. In childhood, defiance earned her confinement, which she never dared repeat.

“Fine, hurry up. I still have to see how your father will handle that mother and daughter. They were supposed to leave Jingdu, but yesterday, after their talk, your father even considered funding that illegitimate daughter’s education!” Zhou Erqin gritted her teeth in anger.

Ning Chu spoke again, firm, “I said I won’t go.”

“What?” Zhou Erqin stared at her in shock. “You said no? Why won’t you go?” Her gaze was sharp and fierce.

Ning Chu immediately recalled those exact angry looks from her mother when she failed to meet expectations.

But now, Zhou Erqin could no longer impose confinement on her.

With an expression devoid of emotion, Ning Chu said, “I don’t want to go. No reason needed.”

Zhou Erqin frowned. “Chu Chu, are you crazy?”

Ning Chu nodded. “Almost. Just after recovering from illness, my mother doesn’t care about me at all and insists I rush to N City. Anyone would be driven mad.”

She was calm now.

Zhou Erqin sighed and reached to take Ning Chu’s hand, but Ning Chu pulled away. Zhou Erqin’s face stiffened before she feigned concern.

“Chu Chu, no matter what anyone’s told you, your mother cares deeply. You’re my only child. If I don’t care about you, who else would?”

“But now your father’s illegitimate daughter has appeared, and there are other women eyeing your son-in-law. We must fight separately—you handle the women bothering your son-in-law, and I will deal with the illegitimate daughter.”

Zhou Erqin patted Ning Chu’s hand. “You know what to do. If you can’t handle it, then you’re not my daughter.”

Ning Chu nodded. “Fine.”

Zhou Erqin assumed she had agreed to go to N City. “Good. I must return to see how your father deals with that mother and daughter. You should prepare quickly.”

Ning Chu watched her leave, thinking the “fine” was not about going to N City, but about not being her daughter.

After Zhou Erqin left, Ning Chu called her assistant, Zhang Yan. “Check with the doctor if I can be discharged.”

***

“Yes.”

Soon the doctor came to examine her. Ning Chu’s condition was fine. “If you’re worried about complications, madam, you can stay for a couple more days.”

Ning Chu said, “If there’s no problem, I don’t need to waste hospital resources. Please arrange my discharge.”

“Understood.”

Ning Chu was soon discharged and returned to the Chaoyang Villa where she and Tantai Chao lived—developed by Chaoyang Group, spreading across hundreds of acres.

The car stopped at the main building’s entrance. As Ning Chu entered, every servant she passed stopped to greet her. “Good afternoon, Madam.”

Ning Chu nodded and went upstairs to the room—the room designed entirely according to Tantai Chao’s tastes, in shades of black, gray, and white, none of which she liked.

Yet she had slept there for a year.

Meanwhile, after finishing a meeting, Tantai Chao suddenly remembered his wife was still unconscious. “Has Madam woken up?”

Assistant Zheng Cheng replied, “Yes. I’m calling Zhang Yan now.”

Zhang Yan quickly answered. “Hello?”

Zheng Cheng asked, “How is Madam? Has she awakened?”

Zhang Yan hesitated, recalling that the day before Ning Chu had said not to inform the family head of her awakening. But this was a call from the family head’s assistant, so it counted.

“Madam has awakened and returned to Chaoyang Villa.”

Zhang Yan relayed this to Zheng Cheng, who repeated it to Tantai Chao and asked, “How is she? What did the doctor say?”

“The doctor said there’s no issue, so Madam was discharged.”

“When did she wake?”

“Yesterday.”

Tantai Chao asked, “Why didn’t you call me then?”

Zheng Cheng repeated the question to Zhang Yan.

“Madam forbade it, probably to avoid disturbing the family head’s work,” Zhang Yan guessed.

Tantai Chao responded, “Understood. Take good care of Madam.”

“Of course.”

After ending the call, Tantai Chao prepared for his next meeting. At that moment, Ning Chu made a call.

“Zhou Ran, are you free today?”

Zhou Ran teased, “Why the sudden question? I’m a divorce lawyer—don’t tell me you want a divorce.”

She knew about Ning Chu’s arranged marriage to Tantai Chao. If they divorced, the repercussions would be huge. She never thought it likely.

Ning Chu had met Tantai Chao because her parents insisted on it and had married him out of obligation. Zhou Ran couldn’t fathom why Ning Chu would want a divorce—Tantai Chao was outstanding.

She even thought that if he had affairs, Ning Chu would still quietly serve him at home.

But to her surprise, Ning Chu said firmly, “You’re right. I want a divorce. I called to ask you to draft the divorce agreement.”

“What?!” Zhou Ran shouted in shock, standing up. “You’re joking, right? Where are you now?”

“At Chaoyang Villa. I’ll give you the address and have someone escort you in.”

“Okay, I’m coming immediately.” Her heart pounded. Ning Chu wanting a divorce? Was the sky falling or the earth splitting? She actually said the word.

Zhou Ran soon arrived at Chaoyang Villa. Zhang Yan, Ning Chu’s assistant, led her inside. It was Zhou Ran’s first time there, and she was truly stunned.

At the gate and along the drive, workers were busy. Nearby, a sea of flowers swayed in the breeze, filling the air with fragrance.

Inside the main building, Zhou Ran kept her eyes down, following Zhang Yan to Ning Chu’s room. Zhang knocked. “Madam, Miss Zhou has arrived.”

“Come in,” Ning Chu’s voice came from inside. Zhou Ran sensed something different in her tone—not the quality, but the feeling.

Entering, Zhou Ran saw Ning Chu seated by the floor-to-ceiling window, a table before her with flower tea and a book. Sunlight bathed her profile, giving her an almost divine beauty.

“Ning Chu?” Zhou Ran hadn’t seen her for a long time. She had always known Ning Chu was beautiful, but now even more so. Could Tantai Chao really have been unfaithful? Could he want a divorce?

“Please, sit,” Ning Chu invited, gesturing to the chair opposite.

Zhou Ran sat. “Is what you said on the phone true?”

Ning Chu looked at Zhang Yan. “Please leave and don’t let anyone disturb us.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Once Zhang Yan left, Ning Chu said, “It’s true. I’m not joking. I really want a divorce.”

Zhou Ran was puzzled. “But why? Has Tantai Chao wronged you? Does he want a divorce? Does he have an illegitimate child? That’s not like you. Even if he has someone else, I thought you wouldn’t want to divorce him.”

Ning Chu shook her head. “No, it’s not him, or at least not mainly. There are issues with him, but that’s not the core.”

Zhou Ran asked, “Then why? Are they pressuring you to have children? Is it about the child?”

Ning Chu shook her head again. “It’s unrelated to that. I just want to divorce. I don’t want to continue living with him. It’s not about him—it’s my problem. I want a divorce.”

Zhou Ran studied her carefully. “Are you feverish? Are you delirious?”

Ning Chu smiled faintly. “I understand why you wouldn’t believe me. I wouldn’t have either before I awakened.”

Zhou Ran asked, “What exactly happened? Will your mother agree?”