Lu Yancheng walked out of the hospital room as calm and composed as ever—his steps steady, his face expressionless.
But the moment he closed the car door behind him, his knuckles on the steering wheel turned faintly white.
Shouldn't he feel relieved?
The five-year marriage was finally over.
That dull, silent woman who had always tried to get close to him had finally signed the papers and left.
So why did his chest feel... heavy?
His phone buzzed. It was a message from Shen Zhirou:
[Yancheng, free for dinner tonight? I brought you some new perfume from France. You'll love it.]
He stared at the screen for a few seconds, his thumb hovering over "Read." Then, he put the phone down without replying.
The next morning, his assistant Chen Ze arrived as usual to report.
"Miss Xu has been discharged."
Lu Yancheng flipped through some documents without looking up."Mm."
"It's just..." Chen Ze hesitated. "She didn't go back to the Lu residence. Or the Xu family. She… moved out."
Lu Yancheng's hand froze mid-turn."What do you mean, 'moved out'?"
"All of her belongings that were registered under the Lu family were cleared out this morning. According to the housekeeper, she left behind a note. It said thank you for the care… and asked not to be looked for."
Lu Yancheng frowned deeply.
She wasn't someone who acted so decisively. Even when they fought in the past, no matter how bad things got, she always stayed—quiet, patient, never making a scene.
But this time… not even a goodbye. She left like she'd never existed.
"Where did she go?"
Chen Ze lowered his voice."We haven't been able to track her. Her phone's been disconnected. She wiped her Moments clean too."
Lu Yancheng shut the file in his hands, his voice colder than ever:"Keep looking."
Two weeks later.
At a venture capital forum, seated in the VIP section, Lu Yancheng overheard chatter from a few guests below.
"Hey, isn't that the quiet Miss Xu from the Xu family? When did she start a business?"
"Yeah, that's her! Haven't you read the news? She partnered with Lin Xuzhi to launch a fashion brand. Just secured angel round funding recently."
"You're kidding. That pampered heiress knows how to run a business? She used to look like a housemaid stuck in the Lu household. But now… she's glowing."
Lu Yancheng abruptly turned his head.
The stage lights focused on the center of the circular platform.
There she was—wearing a crisp, deep green trench coat. She walked confidently onto the stage, her voice clear and composed:
"Hello everyone, I'm Xu Zhiyi, co-founder of the brand 'Zhixu'."
His pupils contracted sharply.
Her hair was shorter now, her makeup fresh, her eyes steady and shining with light.
He had never seen her like this.
In the past five years, she had never once appeared at a public event. Always cautious. Always carrying that quiet sense of grievance.
But now, she stood at the heart of the stage, radiant and commanding, with a sharpness in every movement that drew everyone's attention.
She smiled as she explained the brand's concept, working seamlessly with the man beside her in a tailored suit.
—Lin Xuzhi.
Lu Yancheng had heard of him before. A rising investor in Jiang City over the past two years, known for his gentle nature and clean background.
Also, Xu Zhiyi's business partner.
And suddenly, Lu Yancheng realized—
She truly didn't plan on coming back.
From the audience, his gaze darkened, a wave of anger inexplicably rising in his chest.
How could she change like this?
How could she be more radiant than ever… after leaving him?
Hadn't she always loved him?
Hadn't she always clung to their marriage?
Then he suddenly remembered something from their third year of marriage—a quiet night when she softly asked:
"Yancheng… if one day I leave, will you be sad?"
He had casually brushed it off."Don't be ridiculous."
But now… she was really gone.
And for the first time—
He panicked.