She Wants to Divorce Me

Chapter 27

Chang Yu assumed that Lu Yusheng, being a gourmand, would naturally know the answer. However, Cheng Henian was the first to speak up. Like an eager elementary school student raising her hand to answer in class, she said, "I know! Lantian Jade, it's planting jade in Lantian!"

Cheng Henian's habit of speaking nonsense seemed incurable. While "planting jade in Lantian" was indeed an auspicious saying, her exaggerated expression suggested she might have misunderstood its meaning. Planting jade? With what? Ji Yaoguang rubbed her forehead helplessly. She glanced at Chang Yu and explained, "Ancient people had a method of consuming jade. They once obtained seventy pieces of beautiful Lantian jade, ground them up and ate them, claiming it had miraculous effects. This dish uses bottle gourd, cut into squares and steamed until soft. It doesn't need to be refined like jade, but it's said to eliminate all worries and delusions. Over time, it refreshes the spirit, hence the name 'Lantian Jade.'"

Chang Yu glanced at Ji Yaoguang thoughtfully.

Lu Yusheng slowly picked up a piece and tasted it carefully. After a while, she chuckled softly and said, "Interesting." She was familiar with Chang Yu but knew only slightly more about Ji Yaoguang than the average fan. She had heard from various sources about Chang Yu and Ji Yaoguang's supposed divorce. Initially, she thought the two made a good match, but who knew they would reach such a point? The current situation seemed like a cooling-off period, and she wondered how Chang Yu and Ji Yaoguang would handle it.

Ji Yaoguang had glanced at the menu. Besides "Lantian Jade," there were other dishes like "Ice Pot Delicacy" and "Golden Chicken," all modern adaptations of ancient recipes. The saying "good wine needs no bush" is nonsense in modern society. If the owner doesn't use some ingenuity to promote these dishes, they're unlikely to become widely known, only to be tasted by the fortunate few who happen to pass by.

"It's very similar to my friend's place," Lu Yusheng said. "This location is too hard for people to discover. 'Hiding in plain sight' might work, but businesspeople always hope to make money. She didn't say it outright, but I could sense that my friend wanted me to help promote her place."

Chang Yu raised an eyebrow and asked, "How long have you known this friend?"

Lu Yusheng smiled slightly and said, "Less than half a month, I think. I feel she has potential to become an internet celebrity. Not only is her cooking good, but she's also quite attractive. Even in the entertainment industry, full of beautiful people, she wouldn't be considered the least attractive." After pondering for a moment, biting her chopsticks, she added, "To use a popular term, she's the 'gentle goddess' type."

Glancing through the window at the banner of the restaurant across the street, Chang Yu asked, "So you plan to give her a boost?"

"Yes," Lu Yusheng smiled and said, "My friend is called An Muyu. I suggested she become a food live streamer. When she shares her livestream link, I'll be counting on you all to repost it." Her tone was half-joking, and Lu Yusheng wasn't insistent on this matter. Chang Yu nodded seriously. Lu Yusheng's agreement to sing the theme song was a big favor, and reposting was a small gesture in return. She was certainly willing to do Lu Yusheng this favor.

What started as a date for two ended up as an outing for four. Chang Yu spent most of the time discussing work matters with Lu Yusheng, leaving Ji Yaoguang to sulk on the side, occasionally glaring at Cheng Henian. If it weren't for her, Ji Yaoguang and Chang Yu's intimate space wouldn't have been intruded upon by others. A candied haw stick was placed in her hand; Chang Yu was truly treating her like a child to be placated, knowing she was angry but offering no other gesture! By the time they returned to the hotel room, Ji Yaoguang's feet ached, her heart ached, every part of her body ached.

"Next time you go out with Lu Yusheng, you must tell me where."

"Don't curse me, I don't want there to be a next time."

"How come? Do you dislike Lu Yusheng? Isn't she good to you? She even plans to protect you."

"I don't want any emotional entanglements with others. I can't repay them."

"There's a story there."

"Yes, long, long ago, there was a little monk living on a mountain. He secretly snuck down the mountain. Before that, his master always said that women down the mountain were tigers. He finally saw the tigers with his own eyes, but he was also captivated by the alluring tigers. He decided to return to secular life..."

"Stop talking nonsense. Goodbye!"

Quickly ending the conversation with Cheng Henian, Ji Yaoguang tossed her phone aside and rolled over several times on the bed, feeling restless and irritated. She had a vague feeling that Chang Yu had asked her out intending to say something, but their plans were disrupted by the sudden appearance of Lu Yusheng and Cheng Henian. Should she ask about it? What did this intimacy mean? Had Chang Yu abandoned the idea of divorce? A thousand words eventually turned into a long sigh. Ji Yaoguang sprang up from the bed, about to wash her face, when she suddenly noticed Chang Yu leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed, not knowing when she had entered. Had all her undignified behavior been witnessed? Ji Yaoguang's face reddened as she sat back down cross-legged, muttering softly, "How did you get in?"

Chang Yu replied calmly, "The door wasn't closed." As she spoke, she approached Ji Yaoguang step by step, looking down at her face from above.

The shadow cast by the light almost enveloped her entire being. Chang Yu's face was hidden in the darkness, and Ji Yaoguang felt an inexplicable sense of pressure. She pursed her lips and shifted position, freeing herself from the shadow of Chang Yu. Chang Yu, in turn, smiled slightly and sat down beside Ji Yaoguang after smoothing her clothes. "I have something to tell you," she said. Her expression wasn't exactly serious; it even carried a hint of melancholy and bewilderment.

Ji Yaoguang's heart tightened suddenly. She looked up, gazing at Chang Yu's face, her hands at her sides clutching the bedding tightly, like someone awaiting judgment. She forced a smile, trying to sound casual as she said, "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"What do you think our future will be like? How much longer can we go on?"

Chang Yu's calm voice touched a nerve in Ji Yaoguang that shouldn't have been touched. All her fears, insecurities, and other chaotic emotions exploded the moment the words fell. Ji Yaoguang's vision suddenly blurred with black and white spots, and her ears buzzed, unable to hear any other sounds. Her throat felt blocked, wanting to cry but unable to. She rubbed her eyes hard, trying to see clearly the face of the person sitting beside her. "I—" She thought her voice was loud enough, but it sounded as faint as a mosquito's buzz to her ears.

Chang Yu certainly noticed Ji Yaoguang's unusual state. She grabbed Ji Yaoguang's hand, feeling it as cold as ice, even though the room's air conditioning had been turned up. Chang Yu's heart immediately clenched. She helplessly pulled the seemingly soul-lost Ji Yaoguang into her arms, her hand caressing her face, worriedly calling her name.

As if only a second had passed, yet also feeling as long as hundreds of years, Ji Yaoguang finally struggled out of that state. She found herself leaning in Chang Yu's embrace, her arms tightly around her waist. The emotional rollercoaster of the day had nearly stopped her heart. "Chang Yu, please, can we not bring up some things anymore?" No matter how many years passed, she couldn't bear it.

The current Ji Yaoguang was fragile enough to break one's heart. A complex emotion flashed through Chang Yu's eyes as she gently pushed the person in her arms slightly away. "I won't ask you anymore, just listen to me." Fearing that Ji Yaoguang might fall back into that state of emotional collapse, Chang Yu kept it brief, "We lack communication and trust between us. This is my fault. I shouldn't have kept everything to myself, which bred your intense insecurity. I never paid attention to where your insecurity came from; it was my negligence. In the future, if there's anything you don't understand or are curious about, will you tell me directly?"

She had never been a good confidant. To pour out everything to Ji Yaoguang at once, she herself didn't know where to begin. If a situation is difficult to break through alone, what about together? Her fingertips gently traced Ji Yaoguang's brows and eyes, wiping away the moisture at the corner of her eye. Chang Yu felt a pang in her heart. In her memory, Ji Yaoguang was a proud, willful, and capricious person—she had never been like this, curled up and trembling like a small animal about to be abandoned. Was all of this because of her?

Bright eyes gazed at Chang Yu, seemingly seeking the deeper meaning in her words. After a long while, Ji Yaoguang came to her senses and began to ponder Chang Yu's words. Did she want to continue on together? Had she abandoned the idea of divorce? After a moment's hesitation, she lowered her eyelashes, her voice soft but firm: "I will change my bad habits."

"Mm," Chang Yu responded softly, then added, "Tell me what's been troubling you."

"Do you remember Zhao Wen?" Ji Yaoguang's gaze was somewhat evasive.

Chang Yu nodded. Zhao Wen was her junior in school, but they weren't particularly close. Instead, she had become friends with Ji Yaoguang. Later, something happened, and the two ended their friendship. Some time after that, news spread of Zhao Wen's suicide by jumping from a building. During that period, Ji Yaoguang's emotions were unstable, often lashing out for inexplicable reasons, even denouncing the entire entertainment industry.

"She climbed the ladder by selling her body, so I ended our friendship. Afterward, her mental state remained unstable. She called me several times talking about the filth and corruption in this circle, even mentioning you." Ji Yaoguang glanced at Chang Yu, her expression complex. Of course, she wanted to believe in Chang Yu, but it wasn't just Zhao Wen's voice echoing in her mind. There were others, and the rumors that spread during filming gradually broke her down. She was clearly immersed in intense insecurity, but Chang Yu never explained. Sighing, Ji Yaoguang said, "You never said anything, and I chose a childish and ridiculous path. I always deliberately tried to anger you."