She Wants to Divorce Me

Chapter 28

Chang Yu's heart ached, as if tightly gripped. Ji Yaoguang was a favored child of heaven; she shouldn't have such a humble attitude. This was something Chang Yu had never noticed before her conversation with Ji Kaiyang. Who had made the biggest mistake in this relationship? Chang Yu blinked hard, forcing back all the bitterness. "What exhausts me are the repeated, inexplicable arguments. I must take some responsibility for your willfulness. Also, our relationship has gradually become unequal."

Ji Yaoguang suddenly became flustered, looking at Chang Yu with confusion.

Chang Yu took a deep breath and said, "You've placed yourself too low, while before, your mood swings were a sign of excessive pride."

Ji Yaoguang wanted to remove the thorn between herself and Chang Yu, but each attempt left her bleeding: "Is even this wrong?"

"Yes, it's wrong," Chang Yu gazed at Ji Yaoguang, steeling her heart to continue, "Your current demeanor is like that of my devoted fans, worshipping me like a deity, not daring to overstep at all. You're too cautious; this caution has made you forget your original position. Ji Yaoguang, who am I to you?"

Under Chang Yu's intense gaze, Ji Yaoguang felt disheveled and flustered, like a defeated soldier who had thrown away his armor and weapons. Seeing Chang Yu's suddenly cold expression, she bit her lower lip, not answering Chang Yu's question, but instead gathering courage to ask in return, "Who am I to you?" This was never a question for just one person to answer; wasn't it something for both of them to consider? Rather than asking the other, it was more like asking oneself.

As if all the fatigue had dissipated with this question, Chang Yu revealed a tender smile. She embraced Ji Yaoguang, having already made her choice in her heart at this moment, hadn't she? The blood that had boiled in moments of impulse had long since cooled. She blinked hard to hide the tears in her eyes. Her voice was soft but firm: "You are my most intimate person, my lover." This wasn't an ending, but the starting point of a new journey. "The focus of my life is on you, and also on my beloved career. And you? You were once a dazzling star; even now, you shouldn't shine only for me."

How much had changed from when they first met until now? Perhaps those in the midst of it didn't feel it, but Chang Yu had observed every detail. If Ji Yaoguang didn't start introspecting from within, how could she change? Perhaps the problems had already begun to show when they married, but they were immersed in the joy of moving from passionate love to marriage, believing that everything would truly be as beautiful as a fairy tale.

Ji Yaoguang knew what she was like, pushing the other to the brink of despair, doing everything to hurt both herself and others. Suddenly given another chance to choose, she repented and clung desperately to the other. Perhaps a life without her would be best, but she was unwilling to accept this possibility. People are ultimately selfish, and she was no exception. She knew that if it was just a fleeting passion, even the king of heaven couldn't save it.

Reluctantly releasing Chang Yu's waist, Ji Yaoguang gazed intently at her face. That long-lost tenderness made her barren heart bloom like spring grass in the wind. But she still had one question, and in this moment of honesty, she couldn't help but ask. "If, I'm saying if—" Ji Yaoguang's voice was hoarse, she hesitated, but finally poured out the question in her heart, "If I had signed that agreement back then, if we had completely parted ways, would you have fallen in love with someone else?" Given another chance, Ji Yaoguang wouldn't let this possibility arise. The images from her past life constantly floated before her eyes. Who was that person?

"No," Chang Yu answered quickly, shaking her head and saying decisively, "I would have gone to a place without you and lived alone." So, if she had signed, it would still mean she would leave the entertainment industry and disappear like in her previous life? But when she proposed divorce, she was clearly preparing her own studio. Did this mean that the final decision was entirely in her hands back then? Was it she herself who gave up on the person in front of her? Ji Yaoguang felt an urge to laugh, but tears flowed freely, instantly blurring her vision. She tugged at the corners of her mouth, wanting to put on a happy smile.

Chang Yu sighed, reaching out to wipe away the glistening tears from the corner of her eye. Laying everything out in the open was good for both of them. The youthful campus romance had a all-or-nothing passion, that person shining brightly in the crowd. Those living in ivory towers naturally couldn't imagine the intrigues of the entertainment industry. She had been rolling in it since childhood and had come to view everything with detachment, but Ji Yaoguang was different. When she had both feet in, she was still distracted by those things, her clear heart gradually becoming clouded with layers of gloom. "You weren't like this before." During arguments, Ji Yaoguang often brought up this phrase. So what was she like before? If she had asked this question back then, would it have been an epiphany, helping her struggle out of that chaotic state?

Ji Yaoguang cried until she was exhausted and fell asleep on Chang Yu's shoulder. Chang Yu had no trace of sleepiness, tossing and turning, entangled in chaotic thoughts. Ji Yaoguang's phone screen flickered, particularly eye-catching in the darkened room. Chang Yu reached out to unlock it, intending to turn it off, when her peripheral vision suddenly caught a familiar avatar. The unread messages in WeChat were too numerous to display, aside from the group notifications, there were only two or three from Cheng Henian and a long essay from Ji Kaiyang.

"Did you go on a date with Ah Yu today? How did it go? Have you two reconciled? I'm telling you, if you can't appease Ah Yu, don't come home."

"You know Ah Yu's temperament, it hasn't changed much in these years. As for you, your good habits are gone without a trace, and your bad habits have worsened. As your brother, I want you to do well, so I won't praise you, I'll just point out some issues in your character. If I say anything wrong, don't get angry."

"The family can provide you with everything, you've had it easy since childhood, but do you want to live such a muddled life? Apart from Chang Yu, can't you put your heart into other things? The family didn't object to you entering the industry back then, but this isn't what we wanted, don't make us feel that decision was a big mistake."

"Many things have been said time and again, just realizing your mistakes isn't enough, what you need to do is change yourself, make yourself better. Enjoy your time with Ah Yu, I've said all I can. I hope this new adjustment period goes as smoothly as before."

"By the way, don't think I'm being biased, I've spoken to Ah Yu too. You're both at fault, relationships are built by yourselves."

Brother Ji saw things very clearly, while the two of them had been acting like children.

Chang Yu placed the phone face down on the bedside table and sighed softly.

The new promotional poster featured Princess Pingyang sitting on Yun Yanhui's lap, her fierce gaze forming a stark contrast with Yun Yanhui's gentle eyes. In this confrontation and exchange, the first to fall was clearly the most aggressive Princess Pingyang. The poster was released along with the MV. Director Li Ou's films usually followed this practice, releasing something first to attract attention. Scenes from the play, behind-the-scenes footage, and about half of the theme song blended seamlessly together. During Cheng Henian's part, they playfully repeated her cameo as an extra, instantly capturing most people's attention.

—My goddess is beautiful! Cool! I'd bear children for my goddess!

—Hahaha, sugar hidden in knives both on and off screen, I only ship this couple.

—This time I'm going to betray, goddess forgive me, my eyes landed on Cheng Henian first.

—This beauty is just an extra? Let me calm down for a moment? Tsk, let those ordinary female leads calm down.

The speed and wisdom of the vast internet users should never be underestimated. They quickly dug up various corpse and extra roles Cheng Henian had played, edited them into videos, and set them to kitschy music. Some even cut out Cheng Henian's voice acting from radio dramas and paired it with her playing dead roles, creating an unexpected hit that instantly topped the trending searches.

One comment replied: "I met Cheng Henian while shopping, I thought it wasn't her, mustered up the courage to ask, and she denied it. But shortly after, a young lady came over, and she immediately admitted it, signed an autograph, and took a photo! Talk about differential treatment! [Crying] Oh, and I also saw the couple rumored to be divorcing on a date!!!"

Another person said: "I saw Teacher Lu in a small restaurant called 'Spring Banquet', and let me tell you, the food there is really delicious!"

"You're all weak compared to me, I was going to keep it private, but now, I've decided to show off to you all." The person saying this posted a clear photo with all four people mentioned in the topic. Chang Yu's face was turned towards Lu Yusheng, seemingly talking to her, while Ji Yaoguang had a dejected expression. The angle of this candid shot was perfect, capturing the moment Chang Yu handed a candied haw stick to Ji Yaoguang.

Ji "Poor Thing" Yaoguang: I don't want the candied haw, I just want you to look at me.

Soon, people added captions to the image, and a new round of memes spread like wildfire across the internet. Just this one photo, with the expressions of the four people, could inspire tens of thousands of words of love and hate stories.

"My goodness, is Teacher Ji really such a weak bottom? I don't believe it! Where are the Ji-top supporters? Quickly raise your hands and pull back the about-to-defect me."

The next morning, Ji Yaoguang, scrolling through Weibo after waking up, also saw the wildly circulating images online. She felt some disdain for Lu Yusheng and Cheng Henian but still secretly saved them and reposted the comment supporting the Ji-top faction. After posting, she glanced nervously at Chang Yu a few times. The so-called top and bottom distinctions were naturally unnecessary in reality. But online? She still had to shamelessly establish her position as a top supporter.