She Wants to Divorce Me

Chapter 43

The "pursuers" in the small alley had gone in another direction. Emerging from the courtyard of that gentle woman, Cheng Henian's mind was filled with doubts, to the extent that she didn't even hear what Lu Yusheng was saying. Why had the reporters flooded into this small alley? Their whereabouts had been quite secretive. The few unknowing children they met on the road certainly couldn't have been responsible—In fact, she was suspecting An Muyu, but Lu Yusheng clearly hadn't taken this matter to heart. Pursing her lips, she swallowed all her words. On the way back, she and Lu Yusheng didn't exchange a word.

Weibo was a source of much information, and equally a place she despised. Keyboard warriors, all wearing masks, pontificated and pointed fingers at others, never considering things from others' perspectives. After turning on her phone, a flood of messages poured in. Glancing at the missed calls, Cheng Henian's expression grew colder. She took a deep breath, suppressing her fluctuating thoughts, and indeed found today's events on Weibo. The names of Lu Yusheng, Heart at Peace restaurant, and Cheng Henian were strung together. Many naive fans in the comments talked about going to that alley, perhaps to chance upon their idol. However, what puzzled her was that the previously ubiquitous rumors now yielded no results when searched, and even the high-rise threads on some forums had been completely deleted.

Who was helping her? Lu Yusheng? Cheng Henian shook her head, quickly dismissing this possibility. Although Lu Yusheng held a high position in the music industry and was well-liked by many, in terms of real power, she might not be able to contend with Sheng Tang Era. Could it be Bian Yuting? As this name surfaced in her mind, she felt a surge of disgust. She opened WeChat and scrolled through the messages one by one. There were words of comfort, inquiries, and even schadenfreude from unrelated people. Fortunately, there were no messages from Bian Yuting, which made her breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"What happened? Do you need help?" This was the question Ji Yaoguang had sent, several hours ago. She hadn't replied, and Ji Yaoguang hadn't incessantly followed up like others.

"It's fine now, thank you," Cheng Henian replied. After a pause, she typed out another string of words, "Those rumors online, was it you who helped me?" Regarding rumors, one either produces evidence to clear one's name and slap faces, or pushes out another more attention-grabbing event to divert the disaster. But this method was more brutal, directly deleting all related information. Who wouldn't know the character of Sheng Tang Era's young master? A playboy constantly appearing in gossip news, people only feared Sheng Tang Era's influence. Now someone had stepped forward, clearly an existence even more formidable than Sheng Tang Era.

When Ji Yaoguang saw Cheng Henian's reply, it was already dusk. It was Chang Yu who brought her phone to tell her. Old books unearthed from the study were laid out in a row on the coffee table, her gaze quickly scanning over them, preparing for the upcoming New Year's Eve dinner. Many people had already grown indifferent to the so-called New Year atmosphere, including Chang Yu, but in Ji Yaoguang's heart, there existed an indelible sentiment.

"It wasn't me," Ji Yaoguang was very busy, not even having time to take the phone. "Can you reply for me?"

"Then who's behind this? Bian Yuting?" Chang Yu nodded slightly, sitting opposite Ji Yaoguang. Her gaze fell entirely on Ji Yaoguang, but now, it seemed she had lost her appeal. Ji Yaoguang didn't even look up when speaking to her. Lifting her eyelids slightly, she leaned forward. Most of the text was in vertical traditional characters, with circles and dots indicating punctuation. She too had been immersed in classical literature, but could never be as enthusiastic about it as Ji Yaoguang.

"It's Ji Kaiyang."

With these few words, Chang Yu understood. Ji Kaiyang wanted Cheng Henian to write original songs for the upcoming variety show, so naturally wouldn't let her be entangled in rumors. As a businessman, he sought maximum benefits, especially since he saw that this young woman had a good relationship with his sister, so he wouldn't stand idly by. After Cheng Henian's rumors were deleted, what emerged were some foolish deeds committed by Jiang Liu, as well as Jiang Shoufa's profligate and philandering ways. Like father, like son—this was the implication between the lines. Seeing the wind vane, the media spared no effort in digging up the stories behind, even exposing Jiang Huai's identity as an illegitimate child. Of course, Sheng Tang Era also took action, quickly deleting these messages until only fragments remained. For a short while, they probably wouldn't have the mood to bully others.

"I've already sent the lyrics to Ji Kaiyang's email. As for Cheng Henian, someone from the company will contact her. We don't need to say more," Ji Yaoguang suddenly raised her head, her eyes sparkling. She came around the coffee table and sat in Chang Yu's lap, wrapping her arms around her neck, smiling excitedly, "I know what to make!" Her mind wasn't on Cheng Henian's matter at all.

"You've gained weight," Chang Yu smiled lightly, her hand gently caressing Ji Yaoguang's waist. These past few days had indeed been enjoyable. Suddenly relaxing after high-intensity work, even her body was sending signals. For their profession, maintaining a good figure was particularly important. But Ji Yaoguang clearly didn't believe this—even if she indulged in eating, she wouldn't rapidly expand, probably what's called a naturally slim physique.

Ji Yaoguang's thoughts stirred. Chang Yu's tone carried a hint of jest, so she followed along, batting her eyelashes and putting on the act of a delicate, coquettish woman, asking, "Then does it feel good to touch, my lord?"

Chang Yu held back her laughter, shaking her head somewhat helplessly, and gently pushed Ji Yaoguang, saying, "Get down now." Her fingers lacked force, seeming more like a feigned resistance. Ji Yaoguang had originally just been playing around, but Chang Yu's demeanor ignited a small flame. Her fingers slowly traced from Chang Yu's slightly reddened ears down to the corner of her lips. She narrowed her eyes, feeling the person before her was as beautiful as Kunlun jade, immediately letting her imagination run wild. It was like a feather lightly tickling her heart—an itch that could only be satisfied by indulgence.

"Don't you want to try the dishes you've selected?" Chang Yu's eyes darkened. She caught Ji Yaoguang's hand, leaning back slightly to create some distance. Seeing a hint of dissatisfaction on Ji Yaoguang's face, she sighed almost inaudibly and placed a light kiss on her fingertips. "Alright, go on."

"Not enough," Ji Yaoguang shook her head.

"What else do you want—" Chang Yu's words were sealed by a kiss, a timid tongue seeking its way, and once familiar with this soft place, immediately began to show off. As this amorous and lingering kiss ended, both their faces were flushed red. Ji Yaoguang clutched Chang Yu's clothes, feeling as if all strength had been drained from her body. After a while, she slid down from Chang Yu's lap, beaming like a child who had received a candy reward.

While it sounded straightforward in theory, actually operating in the kitchen was another matter entirely. It often took several attempts before a new dish could be successfully experimented with. There wasn't much of a New Year atmosphere in the old residence. The housekeeper had gone home early, and even Butler Tao had packed some things to go see his children. The elderly couple who had gone traveling had clearly forgotten about the New Year in their excitement, and as for Ji Kaiyang, entangled in various matters, he said he would only return home on New Year's Eve.

Chang Yu returned to the study to write couplets and "Fu" characters. On the red gold-flecked paper, each character was written with a free and unrestrained style. Many things could be delivered with just a phone call, but Ji Yaoguang insisted on doing it herself, saying she wanted to experience the "New Year flavor." Chang Yu naturally indulged her. From these seemingly trivial things, one could often gain some subtle insights.

As the last stroke fell, Chang Yu bent down to blow on the ink on the paper. Just then, she heard hurried footsteps and turned to see Ji Yaoguang walking over with a small bowl, her face full of smiles. "What's this?" Chang Yu's voice carried a hint of curiosity. These past few days, she had tasted no small amount of new creations from Ji Yaoguang. Some had impressed her, while others, the failures, had naturally become—things that tormented the taste buds.

"At every year's beginning, one feels the splendor of things, new pears arrive at the homes of wild folk. Still carrying the sweet and sour taste of the Central Plains, heartbroken by the spring wind with no flowers in sight." Ji Yaoguang recited lightly, looking at Chang Yu with curved eyes and smiling, "Guess what it is. Ah, actually the line 'Clad in three inches of coarse cloth, storing a ball of ice in the belly' is more fitting."

"Pear?"

"Yes," Ji Yaoguang nodded, then added, "You should have seen this dish at Spring Banquet, it's called 'Orange Jade Birth.'" Large pears are cut into pieces and mashed. A little salt and sauce are mixed in with vinegar and served, suitable for accompanying wine. They had drunk countless bowls of rock sugar and snow pear soup, and most pear-related foods they ate were sweets. This mixture with salt and sauce was rarely heard of. Seeing ink stains still on Chang Yu's hands, Ji Yaoguang took a few steps forward, scooped up some with a spoon and brought it to her lips.

This dark-colored snow pear—didn't look very delicious. Chang Yu hesitated slightly in her heart. But seeing Ji Yaoguang's bright, expectant eyes, she couldn't bear to disappoint her. As soon as it entered her mouth, the sweet and salty flavors intermingled, and it wasn't as bad as expected. The fresh taste of snow pear hadn't been overpowered by those strange sauces. "Not bad," Chang Yu praised.

"Of course," Ji Yaoguang was a bit proud. She had tried no less than ten times, almost wasting all the snow pears in the house before finally producing this bowl. "Wait a moment, I'll go get some wine." The book said this bowl of "Orange Jade Birth" was suitable for accompanying alcohol, though she didn't know if it was true or not.

"You—" Before Chang Yu could finish speaking, Ji Yaoguang had run out of the study.