The night was as dark as water, the dim yellow light in the room was ambiguous.
On the spacious double bed, Ning Yao was drenched in sweat, quietly held in the man's embrace.
The man was exceptionally handsome, with well-defined features, cold and stern eyes, a high bridged nose. This man, she had secretly liked for eight years, from sixteen to twenty-four years old.
But now, she didn't want him anymore.
"Ji Sishuai," she gently called out his name, her voice still slightly panting.
"Hmm?" His voice sounded deathly seductive at the moment.
"Let's get divorced," she said softly, and then clearly felt the body holding her tighten.
Ji Sishuai looked down at her, his deep eyes as calm as the sea before a storm, not showing the slightest ripple.
"Why?" He had regained his usual composure.
Ning Yao didn't look at him, "We were forced to be bound together because of the child initially, but that child had no fate with us, perhaps it was destined in the subtleties."
Her voice was gentle, and after saying this, she calmly raised her eyes to meet his gaze, "Separating is better for both of us."
For instance, after the divorce, she wouldn't have to face his mother's cold sarcasm and ridicule, and he wouldn't have to face her blood-sucking family.
Ji Sishuai didn't say a word, only looked at her calmly, his dark eyes growing more intense.
Just when Ning Yao thought he would say something, she heard him say, "Okay."
No questioning, no explanation.
Just like when they got married.
Indeed, he was still the Ji Sishuai she was familiar with.
Ning Yao suppressed the bitterness in her heart and smiled at him.
She felt her nose tingling, her eyes blurred with tears, and a persistent ache welled up in her chest, making it difficult to breathe.
All of this was her own proposal, but when things truly ended as cleanly and smoothly as she had imagined, she realized she was far from as calm as she had thought.
She gently buried her head in his chest, tightly embracing him.
Just one last indulgence.
Ji Sishuai didn't hug her back, but silently allowed her to embrace him.
Ning Yao only indulged for a moment, then let go, "I'm going to wash up."
As she got up to get out of bed, her slender wrist was suddenly gripped tightly, and with a forceful tug, she fell back onto the soft mattress. Immediately, a shadow loomed over her, and kisses poured down like a raging storm.
However, when Ji Sishuai saw the panic in her eyes, the intense emotion in his eyes gradually calmed, and his breath became steady.
"Sleep," he turned over and lay down beside her.
The next morning when Ning Yao woke up, Ji Sishuai was already gone, as if last night's events were merely a dream.
Home still looked the same, but she knew many things had changed.
When Ning Yao came downstairs, she found Ji Sishuai's mother, her mother-in-law Wang Danyang, sitting downstairs playing with a cat.
Seeing Ning Yao coming down, Wang Danyang said while playing with the cat, "Look at you, being waited on hand and foot for eating, drinking, and everything else. Not making money is one thing, but you're quite skilled at spending it."
"Not considerate at all, and the belly is useless too. Tell me, what use are you?" Wang Danyang's voice was pleasant and elegant.
Ning Yao pretended not to understand her veiled insults, giving her a faint smile and greeting before returning to her room.
Soon after, Wang Danyang's angry scolding could be heard from downstairs.
Ning Yao didn't need to look to know how ugly her expression must be, after all, Wang Danyang had always looked down on her.
Actually, she could understand. After all, she and Ji Sishuai were worlds apart.
Their coming together was purely accidental.
When they first got married, she didn't know Ji Sishuai's family status and thought he was just an ordinary person struggling to make a living, like her.
If she had known his identity in advance, she would never have agreed to marry him.
In the end, theirs was just a marriage without any emotional foundation, for the sake of a child.
But now that she had made her decision, she naturally didn't care about Wang Danyang's attitude anymore.
Soon, she would regain her freedom from before marriage, earning money to support herself, without any expectations of anyone, without having to be obsequious to anyone, and without caring about anyone's attitude.
Ning Yao let out a light sigh and began packing her things.
She didn't have many belongings, but she packed at a leisurely pace, and before she knew it, it was already noon.
Downstairs, Wang Danyang had finally left in a huff after Ning Yao's silence and indifference.
Without her scolding, the entire house instantly became quiet.
Ning Yao didn't feel like cooking, so she casually ordered takeout.
Ji Sishuai had been working overtime frequently lately, as the company was in an expansion period, often busy until late at night before returning home.
Ning Yao was already used to his state.
After eating, Ning Yao carried her luggage, ready to leave.
Before leaving, she scanned the house she had lived in for over two years one last time. Every corner was familiar, and now that she was truly leaving, her heart couldn't help but feel some loss and melancholy.
But she quickly calmed her emotions, placed the key and the signed divorce agreement on the coffee table.
Then she sent Ji Sishuai a message to notify him.
"I've signed the divorce agreement, it's on the coffee table. I've given Lawyer Zhao full authority to handle the divorce proceedings. Go through the formalities whenever you're free."
"I'm leaving, take care."
Ji Sishuai was in a meeting when his phone lit up twice in a row.
When he saw the messages, he paused for a moment, seeming a bit distracted.
"Mr. Ji?" Luo Ying called out to him gently, reminding him that he was in a meeting.
Luo Ying had known Ji Sishuai since high school but had never seen him look distracted before.
Ji Sishuai glanced at her, his face showing no obvious emotion.
Just when everyone thought he would continue, he suddenly said, "Meeting adjourned," and strode out of the conference room with his phone.
"What's up with Mr. Ji?"
Everyone at the meeting exchanged puzzled looks.
It was rare for Ji Sishuai to be distracted in meetings, and now he had abruptly adjourned the meeting and left, which was unprecedented.
Ji Sishuai went straight home.
This was also the first time he had returned home during work hours.
Upon arriving home, he stood at the entrance, looking at the spotless room, devoid of any trace of Ning Yao.
The divorce agreement was on the coffee table, weighed down by a tissue box.
He walked over, picked up the agreement, and scanned it. The contents were simple, with no division of property - as it was before the marriage, so it would be after the divorce.
She had already signed her name.
Her handwriting was as beautiful as she was, slender and graceful, yet clean and precise.
Ji Sishuai stared at her name, lost in thought, the darkness in his eyes deepening.
At that moment, footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
Ji Sishuai put down the divorce agreement and quickly turned towards the entrance.
Wang Danyang didn't expect Ji Sishuai to be home, and her motion of pushing the door open paused, a hint of panic flashing across her face. "Why are you back at this hour?"
Wang Danyang asked in confusion, as Ji Sishuai rarely appeared at home during this time.
Ji Sishuai's eyes flickered with anticipation before dimming. "Why are you here?"
Wang Danyang always felt a bit unnatural when facing Ji Sishuai. "I came to keep Ning Yao company, afraid she'd be bored alone."
Ji Sishuai seemed to be assessing the truth in her words. "Do you come here often?"
"Not really, just occasionally." Wang Danyang felt a bit guilty.
Ji Sishuai's brow furrowed slightly.
Wang Danyang noticed the document in Ji Sishuai's hand and changed the subject, "Are you back to get some documents?"
Ji Sishuai's brow creased slightly, instinctively hiding it behind his back. "It's nothing."
After saying that, he looked up at Wang Danyang. "Don't come here unless it's something important. Ning Yao has her own matters to attend to. When I have time, I'll take her to see you."
"What matters could she have..." Wang Danyang trailed off when she sensed Ji Sishuai's aura suddenly darken, and quickly changed her words, "Okay, I understand."
She still felt a bit reluctant and glanced at Ji Sishuai surreptitiously, kindly reminding him.
"You know, ever since Ning Yao lost that child and has been recuperating for over a year, there hasn't been any progress. You should take her to the hospital for a check-up, in case she can't have children."
Upon hearing this, Ji Sishuai's brow furrowed tightly.
Then he was heard saying in a deep voice, "It was me who didn't want children."
"You should head back." Ji Sishuai gave her a look, his meaning clear - he was asking her to leave.
Wang Danyang's lips moved, but in the end, she didn't say anything and left under Ji Sishuai's warning gaze.
After Wang Danyang left, Ji Sishuai scanned the empty house, devoid of any traces of Ning Yao's presence.
He couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
She had indeed left cleanly, even restoring the interior design to its original state.
Ji Sishuai rubbed his brow and called his assistant, Tong Yue. "Help me make an appointment with Lawyer Xu to handle the divorce proceedings."
Huh?
Tong Yue was a bit confused. Didn't the boss and Ning Yao have a good relationship? He had never even seen them argue.
How did they suddenly decide to get divorced?