Chapter 34

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After dinner, they went downstairs, and Wang Ye did not dare to hold Mo Hanchen’s arm again.

As an actress, she knew that Mo Hanchen was suppressing his anger.

Why was he angry? Well, that was obvious.

Mo Hanchen had feelings for that married woman.

When they went downstairs, Mo Hanchen’s first looked toward the table where Meng Yue and Xiang Haoyu had been sitting.

It was empty.

He seethed. Meng Yue always knew how to push his buttons!

Wang Ye dug her nails into the palm of her hand as she followed Mo Hanchen’s gaze.

From the backseat of the car, Wang Ye silently assessed Mo Hanchen, who had his eyes closed. She clutched her handbag bitterly.

Couldn’t he see that she was the one for him? She had been by his side for almost three years, yet he showed no affection for her.

How was that woman, someone on the verge of a divorce, better than her? How could she occupy his mind so much that her physical absence could cause him to feel restless and lose his appetite?

–

Meanwhile, Meng Yue and Xiang Haoyu were on their way to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Since Xiang Haoyu had already made arrangements beforehand, they did not need to wait long when they arrived.

Meng Yue did not hesitate to sign on the dotted line. This total lack of hesitation reignited Xiang Haoyu’s anger, one which he had swallowed with great difficulty.

“Meng Yue, I can’t help but think that you and Mo Hanchen planned this!”

Meng Yue sneered, slamming the pen she used to sign the documents onto the table. The loud ‘PA’ sound it generated startled the civil servants all around.

She rolled her eyes, lacing her words in sarcasm, “Xiang Haoyu, need I remind you what you and your Xiang family have done to me?”

Xiang Haoyu’s eyes dimmed. He opened his mouth, but no words escaped his lips.

“You should be grateful that I’m not taking you or your father to court! If not for your relationship with my sister, I would have ensured you went to jail for what you did to Mo Hanchen and me!”

Xiang Haoyu paled. “Something like that will never happen again!”

Meng Yue could not keep the scepticism from her voice, “It won’t happen again, you say? Somehow, I can’t help but doubt you.”

She took a deep breath and continued, “Once the divorce goes through, we will have nothing to do with each other outside of business dealings.”

Meng Yue glanced at the documents that Xiang Haoyu had bunched into a ball and said, “Xiang Haoyu, you’d better keep your promise.”

Snatching their divorce papers from him, Meng Yue laid them flat on the tabletop. “Sign here. Act like a man and get it over with.”

Xiang Haoyu glared at her with an ashen face, the pen he held now deformed.

Seeing she was serious, he smashed the pen and tore the divorce papers in half. “If I were a man, I would drag you home and make it up to you. I wouldn’t sign for a divorce!”

Meng Yue gave him a tight slap for those dirty and shameless words he spouted.

“Trash!”

Xiang Haoyu’s burned red with anger. “Meng Yue, you’re looking to die!”

He raised his hand, preparing to slap her in turn.

Meng Yue did not move. From the beginning to the end, her eyes never left Xiang Haoyu. Her eyes showed no fear; she was prepared to receive his blow.

To her surprise, Xiang Haoyu’s palm stopped mid-air, and then he grabbed her collar and pulled her into a hug, twinning his arms around her waist.

His eyes flashed.

Meng Yue was so slim that it felt like he would snap her twain if he exerted even a little force.

As their eyes met, a strange look overcame his features. “Meng Yue, you’re just venting your frustrations on me – I understand. I’ve deserved that slap for doing you an injustice. Let’s start over, okay?”

Meng Yue’s gaze flickered to the hands holding her. He had not retaliated as she had expected he would.

“Only you would be so deluded to fool yourself into thinking I’m trying to make up with you,” she said, prying Xiang Haoyu’s hands off her, one finger at a time.

“That slap earlier was for your cheap mouth. A cheap mouth for a cheap man – that is who you are!”

Xiang Haoyu’s face burned. He was so angry he did not know what to say.

Meng Yue eyed him coldly and said, “I’ve waited three years for you to get your act together, but you continue to disappoint. It is a little late to try and salvage our marriage now that we’re getting a divorce. That isn’t how a real man would act; it is the wishy-washy flip-flopping of a coward!”

Storm clouds seemed to rumble behind Xiang Haoyu’s dark eyes.

Suddenly, he grabbed Meng Yue by the shoulder and pulled her into his arms.

“Yueyue, I’ll book us into a hotel right now…”

Meng Yue struggled to break free and slapped him again!

“Scumbag!”

She used far more strength this time, almost using up every ounce in that single strike, causing Xiang Haoyu’s face to turn aside.

Killing intent immediately spilt forth from Xiang Haoyu.

Just as Meng Yue thought he would kill her, he did the unexpected: he pulled her into his embrace.

“Yueyue, that’s enough about the divorce. Let’s shelve it, alright?”

Meng Yue struggled desperately in his arms.

No!

It was impossible!

Things had already come to this, and she did not want to turn back.

He could not break his promise!

The marriage was over; they needed a divorce!

She wanted a divorce at all costs!

Meng Yue did not want to stay with the Xiang family even a minute longer. If she stayed, she would suffer from depression and die!

Although she did not quite understand her present relationship with Mo Hanchen, the fact was it was there. She did not need her current marriage to complicate things further.

Meng Yue wriggled free from Xiang Haoyu’s grasp and pushed the divorce papers to him again.

“Xiang Haoyu, I’ll ask you one last time. Are you going to sign or not?”

Xiang Haoyu eyed the papers with fiery intent. If he could, he would have burned the documents and dumped the resulting ash in the bin. He wanted to rip, tear and utterly destroy that infuriating piece of paper that seemed to taunt him.

“No, I refuse to sign.”

Meng Yue jabbed a finger toward him and said, “I knew you couldn’t be trusted. Nothing that comes out of that mouth is the truth!”

She picked up her bad and prepared to leave. “That’s fine. I expect the penalty fee of 3 billion yuan to be paid up by 10 am tomorrow. Otherwise, the Xiang Group will be no more. From then on, the Xiang Group shall have its name changed to Meng!”

“I suggest you reconsider your decision, President Xiang. Good day.” With that, Meng Yue strode away.

Before she could make it far, Xiang Haoyu grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Meng Yue, don’t push me!”

He glared at Meng Yue, resolving to employ drastic measures. “I’ll do anything if you push me too hard!”

Meng Yue endured the painful vice clamping onto her wrist and hissed, “This is your last chance. Will you sign the divorce papers or not?”

Xiang Haoyu’s eyes were alight with anger. He held Meng Yue in a crushing grip, threatening to break her bones.

Meng Yue began to tear from the pain. If Xiang Haoyu did not let go soon, she would walk away with a broken wrist. “Xiang Haoyu, do you want to go to prison? Filing for divorce, then, would be much easier for me.”

At her words, Xiang Haoyu finally let go.

“Ah!”

“Meng Yue!”

“Good job!”

Xiang Haoyu shot her a sarcastic sneer.

“I won’t sign it!” With that, he turned and left.

Meng Yue, on the other hand, collapsed in a heap like a deflated ball. She was at a loss for words to describe him. Gingerly, she nursed her throbbing wrist, tears quietly streaming down her face.

Civil service personnel quickly arrived by her side. “Miss, are you alright? Would you like us to phone the police?”

Meng Yue wiped away her tears and shook her head. “No. I’m alright… thank you.”

After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Meng Yue thought of going to the hospital, but her mind was preoccupied with her need for a divorce. Eventually, she drove to Royal View Court, not knowing why she had done so.

To her surprise, a pair of jet-black eyes bore into her as soon as she stepped out of the elevator.

Mo Hanchen!

Mo Hanchen felt heartache when he met a familiar pair of puffy eyes.

“Why are you crying?”