Volume One Chapter One Horsley, let's get a divorce.

“Are you going out?”
The rain of passion had just faded, and Ginger Qin, too weak to move, saw in a haze that Horsley was swiftly putting on his clothes.
She was surprised; besides being Horsley's secret wife, she was also his secretary. She knew for certain that Horsley had finished all his work today, and now it was already eleven at night.
Horsley fastened the top button of his shirt, gave a quiet acknowledgment, his gaze passing over Ginger Qin before quickly withdrawing.
“Clean yourself up.”
With that, he grabbed his coat and walked out, the door slamming shut behind him.
Ginger Qin stared at the closed door for a few seconds, then sat up from the bed, a bitter smile curling at her lips.
A marriage where doors and families do not match—this is probably what it looks like. Once the man has tasted the sweetness, he no longer cherishes it.
Yet, seeing the marks so easily visible in the mirror and her slightly swollen lips, Ginger Qin found herself unable to understand.
If Horsley’s heart had changed, why did he still kiss her like that, filled with possessiveness?
After tidying herself and the bed, it was already dawn when she lay back down.
Tonight, Horsley would not return home—she knew it as she lay down. But perhaps because it was the first time he stayed out for reasons other than work, she spent the night sleepless.
She did not know what hour it was when she finally drifted off.
Early the next morning, Ginger Qin was awakened by a rapid knocking at the door. When she opened it, she saw an unfamiliar face.
“Good morning, Madam! I made medicinal porridge for you! Please wash up and come down to eat!”
The woman at the door spoke with an odd tone, her expression clearly unfriendly.
Ginger Qin paused, then recalled that this must be Aunt Liu, the live-in housekeeper her mother-in-law Yuan Lianqing mentioned yesterday on the phone, who was coming to help.
Her mother-in-law disliked her and visited every month to find faults. Yunhai Mansion originally had Aunt Wang as the live-in housekeeper, but last time, Aunt Wang had been scolded by Horsley. This time, Yuan Lianqing probably didn’t want to come herself, so she sent someone instead, supposedly out of concern for their health.
But it was clear the visitor was not friendly. Still, with an elder’s status and such dignified reasons, Ginger Qin could only comply.
She calmly sized up the woman and agreed, then went inside to wash up.
As expected, when she came down, a bowl of dark, thick medicinal porridge was placed before her seat. Before she even approached, the bitter, foul, complex scent assaulted her nose.
Ginger Qin instinctively covered her nose, but it was too late—a wave of nausea surged.
Aunt Liu kept urging, “Madam, I boiled it for two hours this morning! Please eat it! It’s good for your health!”
Ginger Qin frowned, pressing harder on her nose with one hand, patting her chest with the other. Just as she felt a bit better and was about to speak, the nausea returned, and she hurried to the washroom.

Inside, Ginger Qin braced herself against the sink, unable to vomit, and perhaps due to sleeplessness, dizziness and blurred vision swept over her, making her feel utterly miserable.
“Madam, could it be that you’re… expecting?” came Aunt Liu’s small, uneasy voice from the door, her face showing guilt and fright.
Ginger Qin paused, glanced at Aunt Liu through the mirror, caught her breath and stood upright, without answering, washed her hands and left.
Outside, Uncle Yang the driver was already waiting. Ginger Qin opened the door and got in.
Uncle Yang handed her a bag. “Madam, Sister Wang went out to buy you breakfast. She said that new Aunt Liu took over the kitchen and she couldn’t cook, so she bought you something.”
Ginger Qin habitually thanked him, looked inside the bag—it was all her favorites. Yet after that olfactory assault, she had no appetite at all. And Aunt Liu’s words brought another thought to mind—
She hadn’t had her period this month. Counting the days, it was already a week late.
Usually, even if delayed, it was only for a day or two. This was unusual.
But pregnancy was impossible. Horsley always took precautions. And…
Ginger Qin’s lashes lowered. Horsley had said, they would never have children.
There were several major hospitals near Horsley Corporation’s headquarters. Shaking off her thoughts, Ginger Qin carefully chose one, planning to see a doctor after work.
The car stopped as usual by the side door of the Horsley Corporation. Ginger Qin took her things and went in; when she entered the office area, several employees were gossiping.
Seeing her, they greeted: “Good morning, Secretary Ginger!”
“Good morning.” Ginger Qin smiled.
They continued chatting; Ginger Qin wasn’t interested in gossip and was about to enter the president’s office when she overheard something and paused.
“It’s been six years, and as soon as Xue Xue returned, President Horsley went to the airport in the middle of the night. If this isn’t true love, what is!”
“Right? They’re so perfect together! He’s the crown prince of the capital, she’s a popular actress, domineering CEO and sweet girl—my goodness, shipping them is my blessing!”
“Shh, keep it down, President Horsley should be here soon.”
Ginger Qin tightened her grip on the breakfast bag, opened the door and sat at her desk. After hesitating a moment, she unlocked her phone.
Before she could search, her friend Su Lejia sent all the information she wanted.
Several voice messages, links, screenshots, photos—Su Lejia’s voice was filled with anger and heartbreak.
“Qin Qin, that Horsley is a bastard! He actually treats you—he treats you like…”
Like what? Ginger Qin’s heart pounded as she opened a photo.
Late last night, at the airport exit, Horsley was shielding a woman as they got into a car, their closeness obvious.

Seeing the woman’s face, Ginger Qin understood what Su Lejia meant, and her mind went blank.
The woman looked seventy or eighty percent like her.
Though her makeup and clothing were sweet and girlish, making her appear quite different at first glance, anyone familiar with Ginger Qin could tell—she and the woman were indeed very much alike.
In the fourth year of her secret marriage to Horsley, Ginger Qin finally realized that Horsley had always hidden a goddess in his heart, while she had been nothing but a stand-in.
A teardrop fell onto the breakfast bag. A knock sounded at the door.
Ginger Qin quickly wiped away her tears, turned off her phone. “Come in.”
An employee entered and set down a stack of documents. “Secretary Ginger, these are for President Horsley to sign.”
“All right, leave them there. I’ll let him know when he arrives,” Ginger Qin replied.
The employee soon left. But twenty minutes past the start of work, Horsley still hadn’t arrived.
Ginger Qin composed herself and called Horsley; twice, no answer.
Suddenly, she felt exhausted—marriage was tiring, work was tiring, heart and body both weary.
Having such a husband was the worst fatigue.
She dialed a third time, the ringtone still echoing, when the door suddenly opened.
A familiar figure appeared at the threshold—tall, long-legged, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, with cool pale skin, deep eyes, thin lips, and a prominent nose, strikingly handsome.
Ginger Qin put down her phone, ending the call, and somehow found herself standing.
She glanced at the stack of documents, looked at Horsley, wanting to say: President Horsley, these need your signature.
But what came out, in a voice barely holding steady, was: “Horsley, let’s… get a divorce.”
At the moment those words fell, Ginger Qin thought she saw Horsley’s body stiffen—but maybe it was just her imagination, for she quickly saw a smile appear on his lips.
“Ginger Qin, what did you say, divorce?”
He strode toward her, leaned forward, both hands braced on her desk, his tall and strong body blocking the sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Their eyes met, as if he wanted to see through her.
“Did I hear wrong? Qin Qin, or would you like to say it again?”