Su Qingning's heart felt as if it were being squeezed in a vise.

Divorcing Lin Xiao was, ostensibly, the one thing she'd wanted most lately. So why did it hurt so much?

Su Qingning looked at Lin Xiao in confusion.

He asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Su Qingning shook her head, burying the pain deep inside.

"That's good to hear, then," Lin Xiao said with a smile.

To be frank, Lin Xiao had told Su Qingning that Su Qingfeng was marrying a beggar tomorrow, but she had refused to believe him. No matter what he said, she wouldn't believe it, so Lin Xiao had no choice but to resort to this.

After all, there was no way he was going to divorce Su Qingning, not even if he recovered his cultivation. During the time they had spent together, Lin Xiao had genuinely started to develop feelings for her. If he had helped her out of guilt at first, his feelings now were real.

"After the divorce, I'll give you five million. Lin Xiao, you should leave this city then," Su Qingning said, her expression dim.

As she spoke the words, a sharp pain lanced through her heart again. But she had no other choice.

Lin Xiao, however, was stung by her words. "What will you do after I'm gone?"

Su Qingning's expression grew even darker. "Su Qingfeng and I are family, after all. Even if she's upset with me, she won't go so far as to ruin me completely. Don't worry about it!"

"And what if she does try to ruin you completely? After all, she hates you so much!" Lin Xiao pressed.

"She won't. Like I said, we're family. If she really did that, the entire Jinling City would laugh at her."

Su Qingning said this with conviction, but Lin Xiao could tell she didn't mean it. Clearly, she was only saying this to make him leave Jinling City without any worries. If Su Qingfeng was truly as magnanimous as she claimed, why would they need to divorce in the first place?

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Su Qingning, what if I said I'm willing to face everything that comes next with you? Would you still insist on a divorce?"

Su Qingning faltered. Her peach-blossom eyes instantly reddened as a current of warmth rushed through her heart.

It was a moving gesture. How could she not be moved? The saying goes that spouses are like birds in the same wood; when disaster strikes, they fly their separate ways. But Lin Xiao hadn't flown away. On the contrary, he was willing to face everything to come right alongside her.

But it was precisely because she was so moved that Su Qingning knew she had to divorce him. He was too good to be dragged down with her.

Su Qingning nodded, forcing out the word. "Yes."

Lin Xiao just smiled and couldn't resist stroking her fine hair.

For some reason, Su Qingning's nose began to prickle. She had originally planned to stay with Lin Xiao until their marriage contract ended, but now it seemed they had to part ways early. She clearly remembered that when they first got their marriage certificate, the one thing she wanted most was to divorce Lin Xiao. Yet now that the moment was here, she couldn't bear the thought of it. People really are so contradictory.

"What do you want for lunch?" Lin Xiao asked.

Su Qingning countered, "I don't know. What do you want to eat?"

"Not sure. How about I go home and cook for you?" Lin Xiao suggested.

Su Qingning's eyes lit up. She had tasted Lin Xiao's cooking once before, and to be honest, it was delicious.

"Could you?" she asked.

"You're my wife, why not?"

Su Qingning nodded. "Then let's go back!"

"Okay!"

The two of them got into the car.

"What do you want to eat?" Lin Xiao asked once they were inside.

Su Qingning thought for a moment before saying, "Anything is fine. As long as you're the one making it, I'll eat it."

"Understood."

Lin Xiao sent a text to He Yonghong. He was still the head butler of Hidden Dragon Villa, so arranging for some ingredients was a simple matter. After receiving Lin Xiao's text, He Yonghong wasted no time and immediately began preparing the ingredients.

By the time Lin Xiao drove Su Qingning back to Hidden Dragon Villa, He Yonghong had already been waiting at the entrance for some time, groceries in hand.

Seeing Lin Xiao, He Yonghong immediately said respectfully, "Mr. Lin, the ingredients you requested are all prepared!"

Lin Xiao took the groceries. He said calmly, "Thank you for your trouble."

He Yonghong was instantly thrilled. He quickly said, "Mr. Lin, you're too kind! It is my honor to serve you."

"Alright, you can go now."

He Yonghong hurriedly excused himself, leaving just Lin Xiao and Su Qingning in the vast villa.

Lin Xiao went to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients while Su Qingning admired the scenery in the villa's courtyard. Honestly, although she had been living here for a few days, Su Qingning had never taken the time to truly appreciate her surroundings. Today, finally having the chance, she took a proper look around.

The scenery in the courtyard was truly beautiful, as stunning as a famous historical site. But a faint sadness welled up in her heart, because she knew that after tomorrow, she would never have the chance to live here again. Probably not for the rest of her life.

When she first took over the bar, she had naively believed that as long as she worked hard enough, she would one day surpass her father. But after everything she had experienced, Su Qingning realized just how naive she had been. She no longer dreamed of reclaiming the Su Corporation; she didn't even dare hope she could keep the bar. Her only wish now was for Lin Xiao to leave Jinling City safely and for her mother to continue to live in peace. That was her greatest desire now.

When Lin Xiao called her to eat, Su Qingning was sitting by the fishpond, staring blankly at the beautiful goldfish in the water. For a moment, she actually envied them.

Entering the living room, Lin Xiao had just placed the last dish—a soup—on the table. After washing her hands, Su Qingning sat down.

"Would you like something to drink?" Lin Xiao asked.

Su Qingning didn't really want to, as she wasn't fond of alcohol, but she nodded anyway. She was in such a foul mood that perhaps a little wine would help.

Lin Xiao went down to the wine cellar in the basement. It housed a priceless collection of various liquors, with an entire wall stacked full of Maotai alone. However, Lin Xiao picked out a bottle of red wine. He figured red wine was a better choice for a woman.

He poured a glass for each of them and raised his. "Su Qingning, thank you."

"Thank me? For what?" Su Qingning asked, perplexed.

Lin Xiao smiled. "Thank you for being willing to marry me."

"There's nothing to thank me for. Besides, I should be the one thanking you. Even though we were forced to be together, I'm grateful that it was you. You might not be very capable, but you're not a bad person. In the time we've spent together, I've seen that you're diligent, disciplined, calm, passionate, and intelligent. Most importantly, you have a kind heart!"

"Why isn't 'handsome' on the list?"

Su Qingning gave Lin Xiao a flirtatious roll of her eyes, but her voice was tinged with a sob as she spoke. "Lin Xiao, thank you. Really. Thank you for being with me all this time. From now on, you'll have to walk your path alone."

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