He must not know how a woman whose world collapsed in an instant felt as she glared at the words of him flirting with someone else, and how she watched him look down on her with that sanctimonious attitude.
Qi Sui never thought of herself as gentle; she had simply been worn down by life and marriage. But Qian Jin forced her to become sharp.
On their wedding day, he held Qi Sui's shoulder, her face wet with tears. Through the white veil, Qi Sui saw the emotion and determination on that man's face.
But in the first year of marriage, Qi Sui lost ten jin. The weight she lost flowed away like the already scarce feelings.
It didn't matter that he didn't love her, it didn't matter that he had ulterior motives. As long as they could get through life together, as long as they treated each other politely, there was nothing she couldn't accept.
The third party in the marriage, her husband's cold arrogance, the trivialities of life... That blurry photo, her husband's harsh words in chat records—
"My wife? Don't worry about her." "She's no different from decoration. You really think I wanted to marry her if not for Professor Lu?" "We're in a tough spot now. Having her around is fine, just treat her as my shield."
Qi Sui's eyes suddenly stung. She grabbed Qian Jin's collar, her fingertips turning bloody as she clenched, and said through gritted teeth, "Qian Jin, you'd better explain yourself clearly."
Close at hand. Qi Sui saw that face first show anger and humiliation. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his voice carried a hint of helplessness, as if he still refused to give up: "Sui Sui, what are you talking about? Did you see something you shouldn't have again?"
Qi Sui said coldly, "Yes, I saw something I shouldn't have." She lowered her hand and patted lightly, as if brushing away something dirty, or as if slapping Qian Jin's face a few times, making his expression instantly turn ugly.
The woman's small figure stood on the step at the entrance, and standing straight, she was actually a bit taller than him. In her usually soft and beautiful eyes was a piercing coldness that made him feel extremely unfamiliar.
Qi Sui gave a light snort, unclear whether she was angry or amused. Her sharpness seemed unlike her. "You like him? Why didn't you say so earlier?" The woman's voice rose, thin and shrill. "So I could pack up and get out and make room for you." "And your parents? Qian Jin, do your parents know you like men? Do they know you tricked me into marriage? Do they know you're messing around outside while having a family?"
"Enough!" Qian Jin threw his luggage viciously onto the floor, adopting a reckless attitude. He took deep breaths, his chest heaving, and his expression was more ferocious and twisted.
Qi Sui didn't expect that even after she had said so much, Qian Jin could still force a few ingratiating smiles onto his face, which only seemed disgusting. "Sui Sui, let's talk nicely first, okay?" He stepped forward a few steps, as if to grab Qi Sui's hand. Qi Sui stepped back, and he stepped forward again.
"Don't act on impulse." Qi Sui sneered, "How long do I have to not act on impulse?" She reached out and poked directly at Qian Jin's shoulder, her voice like a sword piercing into his heart: "If I were acting on impulse, I would have spread your dirty secrets long ago." "Your superior, right? Let me see which good superior of yours would stoop to wrecking someone else's family."
Qian Jin hurried forward a few steps and stopped her loudly, "Qi Sui! That's enough. This matter—" He panted heavily before struggling to say the rest: "This matter has nothing to do with him! It's me—I'm the one who's being wishful." His face was ugly, as if he had to admit something he didn't want to, almost pleading: "Didn't you read the chat records? It was me! I'm the one who kept pestering him! I'm the one who said those inappropriate things. It was all me."
Qi Sui had almost never seen him so disheveled in all these years, but she didn't feel any satisfaction. He had never been like this with her. Rummaging through her memories, Qian Jin had never been so humble and groveling toward her. But this one time, it wasn't for her, but to defend a third party.
Qi Sui took a deep breath. She raised her hand and slapped him hard. With a "smack," the sound was as loud as the rumbling thunder outside. "You're disgusting." She turned around and walked away without stopping, as if delivering a verdict: "Move out tomorrow. After the cooling-off period, we'll get divorced. You have no claim to the house or the car."
"Sui Sui..." The man stood behind her, his voice almost pleading, as if hard to speak: "Next week is my dad's birthday. Can we—can we at least get through that day first?"
Qi Sui stopped. "You mean you still want me to put on an act in front of your parents?" She sneered, "Why don't you ask your precious darling to go with you? Do you think I'm too good-natured?" Qian Jin: "My dad..." He actually sniffled, his voice turning tearful: "My dad was hospitalized last month with high blood pressure. I don't want him to go back to the hospital because of this. Sui Sui, I'm begging you, can you—wait a little longer, until my dad is better, then we'll get a divorce."
Qi Sui... Qi Sui had no thoughts. She only felt a chill in her heart. She turned and left. "No later than next month." But Qian Jin didn't feel relieved, because the woman's voice came again: "Handle your messy relatives yourself. Your parents don't need to come over for meals; we'll eat out. As for you, get the hell out within two days."
This house belonged to Qi Sui alone; her name was the only one on the property deed. Before Professor Lu passed away, she said it was a wedding home, but she still had someone help her notarize it. That mother had thought through all her escape routes clearly. Unfortunately... Unfortunately, the original Qi Sui had fallen headlong into the pit of Qian Jin and never climbed out.
She was not the original Qi Sui. But to perfect the plot, she didn't need to become the original Qi Sui. She was just playing the role of a pitiful divorced woman. Once Xiang Yu and Qian Jin got together, there would be no more role for her in this world.
Qi Sui walked into her room, locked the door, and directly closed her eyes, lying down in the blanket, calmly falling asleep. There were some rustling sounds outside, but they quickly quieted down. By the time Qi Sui's alarm went off, there was no one outside the door.
Qi Sui's department had different working hours from the planning department. Moreover, the planning department, as the largest business scope department in the company, often worked overtime and had compensatory time off, making it more tiring and stressful than other departments. Qian Jin was very proactive at work. Whether in marriage or life, he was the kind of person who strived to climb up. Maybe he had been scared by poverty in the past, but anyway, his ambition was stronger than anyone else's. No wonder Professor Lu, Qi Sui's mother, had thought most highly of him among all the students.
But none of that mattered. Qi Sui paused, realizing she had prepared one extra bento box. She sighed and simply stuffed both into her backpack, planning to feed them to stray dogs and cats during a free time at the company, rather than warming a cold bench as before.
As soon as she sat down at her workstation, someone knocked on the door and asked softly, "Excuse me, is Qi Sui here?" Guan Guan looked up first, smiling energetically, "You're looking for Sui Sui? She's here." She patted Qi Sui's office chair. Qi Sui looked up, tidied the documents in hand, her expression calm and natural. "Let's go." The visitor was stunned for a moment: "Oh, okay, follow me."
She was still wondering: such an obscure female colleague was going to inspect alongside LEO, and it was Sister S who came. Others might not know Sister S, but the international department that had worked with her certainly did. Last year, a project was held up by Selina for half a year because of a small mistake; she kept nitpicking and filing complaints against them, scraping off a layer of skin. This time was even scarier: facing both LEO and Sister S, a double blow from internal and external troubles. The visitor sighed and looked back at Qi Sui, who followed calmly, seemingly thin and weak, but her composed and cool expression was surprisingly intimidating. She hoped this time would go smoothly.
Guan Guan watched Qi Sui's back. A colleague next to her patted her and asked what was happening. She just shook her head, her voice also puzzled: "I don't know. Maybe they need her help with something." Guan Guan smiled, "Sui Sui is always doing these random things. Let's just focus on work. I'll ask her when she gets back."
The female colleague from the international department led Qi Sui to a temporary workstation and said in a faultless manner, "Sit here for now? Sister S hasn't arrived yet. She's probably talking with Brother LEO upstairs. This afternoon, Sister S needs to go to the factory. You'll go with her. You'll probably need to help with note-taking." Qi Sui nodded, "Mm, okay." She patted the stool, tidied up the messy things on the desk, then put down her documents, ready to start on some of her own work first.
The morning passed quite quickly. When Qi Sui looked up, her colleagues were all chatting and laughing as they headed to the company cafeteria. The large office was left with only her. That's fine. She resignedly stood up, opened the window to let in some air, stood by the window, finished the leftover milk from the morning, then grabbed her bento and went to the break room to heat it up.
"Knock knock knock." A dull knock. Qi Sui looked up at the sound. The newcomer frowned, a thin layer of detachment still in his eyes. He stared directly at Qi Sui and asked, "Why didn't you go eat?" He paused, understanding: "Made it yourself?" "Mm." Qi Sui nodded. "Aren't you eating?" At that, a trace of embarrassment appeared on the man's face. "Too busy yesterday. Didn't have time to cook today."
A man in such a position actually cooked for himself—no, that wasn't quite right. But according to outsiders, LEO was at least a vice president, a promising employee at the company headquarters. This didn't match the "tycoon" image in Qi Sui's mind. Wasn't there a trope? Spending money like water, having a flock of maids at home—rainy nights, elevated roads, Maybachs. That was also a "boss," and this was also a "boss," but this one in front of her was just a bit too down-to-earth.
Thinking this, she took out a blue bear bento box from her backpack. She had bought it together with the couple cups at home, but Qian Jin had never used it. Today, while cooking distractedly, she had accidentally used it to pack food. "Why don't you—try this?" Qi Sui felt a little nervous as she held the bento in both hands and handed it over, not knowing what possessed her: "Uh... inside there are steamed eggs and stir-fried beef. Neither is spicy. You should be able to eat it, right?" "I can eat it."
The man's eyes inexplicably deepened a few shades. He looked down at the bento Qi Sui handed over, then looked up at her eyes. Willow-leaf eyes, but not amorous at all; instead, they were always calm and restrained. This version of Qi Sui seemed more like the one in his memory—not that submissive posture, nor that pitiful look in the rain. He asked, "One blue, one pink." His voice sounded like a deep affirmation. He was referring to the color of the bento boxes. One pink cat, one blue bear. Independently, they were ordinary bento boxes, but put together, anyone could tell they were a couple set. Qi Sui didn't know why, but she felt an urge to explain: "This one has never been used before." The implication was worth pondering.
But LEO in front of her stared at her for a long time, then reached out and took the bento box, asking softly, "What if I don't eat it?" "..." "Then I'll feed it to the dogs," Qi Sui replied. "Heh." The man in front of her smiled, the detachment in his eyes instantly dissipating. "The dogs downstairs are fed by the security guards. Better not waste food."
In the quiet break room, it was just so coincidental today that there was no one. The atmosphere was so awkward that Qi Sui wanted to slap herself twice. Why was she so talkative—couple bento, feeding dogs... This mouth really needed to go.
LEO got a cup of hot water, then stacked the bento boxes and put them in the microwave, pressing the heat button. The microwave hummed and started working. He spoke first: "Going to the factory with Sister S this afternoon, the international department told you, right?" Qi Sui nodded and hummed in agreement. "Just to take notes?" LEO's inflammation seemed to have mostly healed; anyway, today his voice was much thinner and not as muffled, but clear and bright. "And to check if there are any other issues." The man asked again, "When did you become a regular employee?" Qi Sui thought for a moment. "I think it was last year." LEO: "Any other plans?"
Qi Sui was stunned. The microwave stopped working. She watched LEO put on oven mitts—colorful, garish mitts on his hands, making him look a bit comical. Yet the calm and composed expression on his face made it seem perfectly natural. "Plans?" LEO said, "Don't you plan to move up?" Qi Sui... she really didn't plan to. Actually, once she divorced Qian Jin, she should exit this stage. Find a place to disappear and completely fulfill her mission. But how should she say that? Could she say it?
LEO frowned, turned around, placed the pink cat bento box by her hand, and warned her it was very hot and to let it cool first. Then he studied her expression. "Even lacking ambition, you can't be this unambitious, can you?" The capitalist's sharpness showed: "Can your salary cover your expenses?" Qi Sui's gaze went blank for a moment. A sudden surge of desire to speak welled up in her heart, but she didn't know where to start. The woman's fingers intertwined, seemingly conflicted, but her expression didn't show it.
LEO said bluntly: "I won't be here much longer." Qi Sui looked up. He frowned as if thinking how to put it, but finally gave up subtlety and got straight to the point: "This project is good. If it goes well, I can give you a promotion. If you don't want to stay here, you can also find a chance to transfer to headquarters." Qi Sui: "..." LEO continued: "My suggestion is that you transfer to headquarters. I'll help you with the proposal. I'll be leaving soon anyway."
The implication of his words made it hard to think. Not because there was too much information, but because it was too direct. Qi Sui understood a principle: people who are not related or familiar have no reason to help you, nor would they give selflessly. But what about the man before her? A colleague whose work was just a bit outstanding, described as "not bad" by him—was she worth this effort? If one more condition was added—that this colleague was female? If it were the original Qi Sui, she would never have crossed paths with someone like LEO in a lifetime. She couldn't speak, from tension and also fear—this was a small change, but if such a small change affected the entire world, then it was not small. Qi Sui had done many missions before. But this was her first time taking on such a main storyline of maintaining the world view. The "butterfly effect" was too famous; those in her line of work kept it in mind. Not doing anything out of line, not being the butterfly that disturbs the world—this was repeatedly emphasized.
"I—I need to think about it," Qi Sui finally answered him. This was different from proactively asking for a divorce from Qian Jin. In the end of the story, the original Qi Sui ended up abandoned by everyone, losing her job, her marriage broken, and not a single friend by her side. But Qi Sui remembered that later, Qian Jin had also transferred to headquarters through this method, and even thrived there. LEO nodded. "Opportunities don't come all the time. You have to fight for what you can." He was clearly talking about work. But his demeanor was calm as he took a bite of stir-fried beef, eating with restraint, and yet it sounded like he was talking about more than just work.
The ring on Qi Sui's left ring finger was a size too big. She unconsciously twisted it with her fingertip, turning it around and around, but didn't notice—the man across from her was looking at her diamond ring, watching her twist it in distress, but he said nothing, quietly eating all the food in his lunch box. Finally, he softly praised her: "Really delicious. Better than mine." Qi Sui pursed her lips, showing a hint of happiness. At least Qian Jin had never praised her like that. Sometimes she felt that feeding him was worse than feeding the dogs. But she still flattered him: "Still better than me. I don't like cooking when I'm alone." LEO hummed in agreement, "Then we should be fine together."
Qi Sui froze. She unconsciously observed LEO's actions. He lowered his eyes and carefully washed the lunch box. There was a bottle of company-issued dish soap nearby. Unafraid of the grease, he squeezed two pumps and cleaned the inside of the bento box thoroughly, then dried the bear pattern on the outside before clicking it shut and returning it to her. His expression was completely normal, as if saying the most ordinary thing. The small upward curve at the corner of his eye was just his usual look, but there was no detachment or coldness in his eyes—more like a kind of intimacy. He looked up and asked softly, "Do you want the bento box back?" He frowned, thought for a moment, then said, "I've used it already. It's better not to give it to anyone else, or—I'm afraid they might mind." No matter how she looked at those eyes, there was not a hint of embarrassment. He was so composed that Qi Sui wondered if she had misunderstood, or if her ears were playing tricks on her.
Just then. Someone knocked on the door, rescuing Qi Sui from the water and fire. A familiar voice sounded: "I'm not interrupting, am I?" Qi Sui breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the newcomer.
Author's note: Oh my god, big brother, you scared me. Brother Leo is just eager to get married, huh. Among all these brothers, I'm rooting for you. Qian Jin's role shouldn't be much longer. He who cuckolds others will forever be cuckolded.