Volume 1, Chapter 2: Why Bother with Her

Jiang Qin didn't repeat herself. The alarm signaling the start of the meeting cut their conversation short.

It was a project meeting with a major partner, and it was highly important. Jiang Qin put aside the idea of discussing personal matters for now.

She forced herself back into a professional mindset. "President Huo, you need to head to the meeting. It's very important."

Huo Sili naturally knew the meeting was important. The executive suite at the Huo Corporation's headquarters was divided into two sections: Huo Sili's private office on the inside, and Jiang Qin's workspace on the outside. Huo Sili quickly went inside and emerged shortly after.

He held a thick stack of documents, a notebook, and a pen—quite different from his usual routine for meetings.

Jiang Qin didn't need to attend this meeting; Huo Sili was accompanied by his special assistant, He Xu.

Jiang Qin sat down and glanced at the breakfast bag. Having no appetite, she decided to get straight to work.

Reaching the door, Huo Sili suddenly stopped and turned back. Jiang Qin instinctively paused and met his gaze.

"Grandmother's condition has been fluctuating lately," Huo Sili said. "If you want a divorce, fine. But it will have to be postponed."

*If you want a divorce, fine.* No attempt to make her stay, no questions asked.

Jiang Qin hadn't expected such a response, yet she felt a wave of relief washing over her. After a brief pause, she asked, "Then, how long does President Huo wish to postpone it?"

Huo Sili pulled out his phone, seemingly checking the calendar. "At least until after Grandmother's seventy-fifth birthday banquet."

The old matriarch's birthday fell in mid-to-late September, and it was currently early September.

That meant a delay of about twenty days. Thinking of how well the elderly matriarch had treated her over the years, Jiang Qin nodded.

"Alright. Then after Grandmother's birthday banquet..." *we will divorce.*

Before she could finish her sentence, Huo Sili pulled the door open and vanished.

With a soft thud, the closing door cut off the rest of her words.

Jiang Qin took a deep breath, trying to compose herself, but it was no use. Perhaps because she hadn't eaten, a dull ache began to throb in her stomach.

She finally pulled the breakfast bag toward her. As she ate, her mind began to wander.

She suddenly thought of herself at twenty-three—just a year ago.

Back then, she had truly believed she married for love. Though theirs was an arranged marriage where love grew over time, she had felt genuinely happy with him.

Back then, when Huo Sili learned from Nanny Wang that she often skipped breakfast, he would wake up early to cook for her himself, no matter how busy his schedule was.

At first, his culinary skills left much to be desired. She only found out later that he had never set foot in a kitchen before.

He had learned to cook solely for her. At his private villa, he had nearly set the kitchen on fire several times before finally mastering how to fry a perfect, fully cooked egg in a cast-iron skillet.

Eventually, his cooking improved. He could whip up all kinds of delicious breakfasts, from noodles to Western pastries. But then, he stopped.

Jiang Qin had tried hard to forget the day he abandoned that habit, but the memory refused to fade.

She remembered it too clearly. The night before everything changed, they had been as intimate as ever. But the next morning—a Saturday—he was gone.

He had slipped away without a word, leaving her in the dark. She waited for him from dawn till dusk.

When he finally returned, he was a changed man.

From then on, he never made her breakfast again. Even the meals they shared grew fewer and fewer.

Often, the moment she walked into the dining room at home, he would leave for the office. Dinner together became non-existent.

Tossing the empty breakfast bag into the trash, it occurred to Jiang Qin that ever since that day, apart from sharing a bed, there was virtually nothing else left of their marriage.

It was a bitter irony. Fortunately, she was still young—only twenty-four.

Yet, reflecting on this chapter of her life still brought a dull ache to her chest. She had once truly believed they would grow old together. Now, she saw it was nothing but her own wishful thinking.

At six o'clock in the evening, after delivering a strictly professional status report to Huo Sili, Jiang Qin grabbed her bag and left. She hailed a ride on her phone as she walked toward the elevator.

Rush hour in the capital was notorious for its gridlock, but Jiang Qin didn't mind. There was no one waiting for her, and nothing left for her to worry about.

Her father had been an abusive man who died in a car accident when she was five. Her mother remarried when she was seven, starting a new family and leaving her behind. Jiang Qin had grown up relying solely on her grandmother. Then, when she was twenty—four years ago—the only person in the world who truly loved her and wished for her happiness, her grandmother, passed away from an illness.

Her life had been a series of departures. Huo Sili leaving now felt like just another predictable turn of events.

When the blood test results came back, the doctor confirmed she wasn't pregnant. The doctor advised her to rest, keep her spirits up, and said no medication was necessary for the time being. However, she added that if her period was still delayed after some time, she should return during the day for a more thorough examination.

Since early pregnancies sometimes don't show up immediately, the doctor said, "Just try to relax first and see how things go, alright?"

Jiang Qin thanked the doctor and left with her report. She still felt the chances of pregnancy were slim; it was likely just a hormonal imbalance brought on by stress and late nights.

It was already past eight o'clock. She had ordered takeout while waiting for the results, so her stomach was full.

After a moment's thought, she decided to wander around a nearby supermarket to walk off her dinner before heading back to Yunhai Heights.

Given their current situation, it was better to avoid each other. Any interaction would likely only leave her feeling worse.

What she hadn't expected, however, was to run into Huo Sili at the supermarket—accompanied by Li Xueqian, the popular young actress who bore a striking resemblance to her.

"Sili, won't your wife be angry that you're out shopping with me?"

Li Xueqian's voice was sugary sweet. She held a bag of snacks with cute packaging.

Huo Sili followed behind her, pushing the shopping cart. He naturally reached out, took the bag of snacks from her hand, and placed it inside. The gesture was practiced and familiar.

Seeing this, a faint smile touched Jiang Qin's lips—not out of bitterness, but sheer amusement.

It was strange how Huo Sili was the one betraying their marriage, yet she was the one who felt embarrassed.

As Jiang Qin steered her cart in the opposite direction, the man's familiar voice drifted over to her.

His tone was cold and dismissive. "Why concern yourself with her?"

Jiang Qin's grip on the handle of her cart tightened.

"Pick whatever you want, it's on me," Huo Sili continued. "Is this all you eat? Just snacks?"

Unable to listen to any more, Jiang Qin quickened her pace. She pushed her cart blindly through the aisles, paying no attention to the shelves around her until she finally stopped, out of breath.

Only when she came to a halt did she notice the odd looks she was receiving from several men nearby.

Following their gazes to the shelves, a flush of embarrassment hit her. The display was stacked high with men's underwear.

The young sales assistant, unphased, smiled. "Looking for some underwear for your boyfriend, miss?"

Jiang Qin shook her head and turned to leave. Just then, a warm, polite male voice called out to her from the side.

"Jiang Qin?" The voice sounded tentative, yet laced with surprise and delight.

Jiang Qin paused and turned around. Standing there was a young man whose face was unfamiliar, yet somehow struck a chord of recognition.