Chapter 2 — Today, I’m Done Waiting

His expression instantly drained of all color. I refused to look at him any longer, standing up and walking back toward the bedroom. Inside the wardrobe, my belongings were sparse. Over the years, Wen Chuyen had showered me with countless garments, jewelry, and designer handbags. Yet, the item I used most frequently was merely an old suitcase. It was something we had purchased together before we were married. Back then, he had promised that once his company stabilized, he would take me to see the world. As the years passed, the company indeed flourished, and he traveled extensively to far-flung places. It was just that the person by his side was no longer necessarily me. I packed a few changes of clothes, gathered my personal documents, and retrieved the kit for restoring ancient books that I kept in the drawer. Wen Chuyen stood blocking the doorway.

Where are you planning to go?

Spring Pond.

The bookstore has been closed for five years.

The upper floor is still habitable.

It has been abandoned for too long; there is no telling whether the electricity and plumbing are even functional.

I will handle it myself.

He barred the exit, refusing to budge.

You cannot possibly live alone right now.

I had no intention of continuing to live here either.

Qing Xi. His voice finally cracked with a trace of desperation. I have already explained everything.

Shen Rou is in trouble; I could not simply ignore her.

It was my fault for not being by your side when you lost the baby.

I can make it up to you.

If you wish to reopen the bookstore, I can buy the entire street for you.

If you need rest, we can take Jia Mu and live abroad for a while.

As for Shen Rou, I will keep my distance from now on.

He spoke at great length, every single word uttered in a frantic bid to salvage what was left. Yet not a single phrase demonstrated any true understanding of my soul. I hauled my suitcase upward. Move aside. Wen Chuyen held his ground.

I do not consent to a divorce.

Whether you consent or not will not prevent me from moving out first.

Do you truly believe that moving out for a few days will prove anything? He suddenly grew eerily calm. The gaze he fixed upon me even carried a chilling sense of certainty that I could never comprehend. Qing Xi, you will never truly leave me.

My hand froze upon the retractable handle of the suitcase.

On what grounds are you so certain?

He did not answer, merely reaching out an arm to take the weight of my luggage.

Focus on recovering your health first.

We can discuss everything else later.

I sidestepped him, walking straight past his frame. As I descended the staircase, the housekeeper was busy clearing away the items Wen Chuyen had brought home. Aside from the traditional longevity lock, there were several boxes of specialty pastries from the southern city. Among them was a bag of osmanthus cakes. Shen Rou adored this particular delicacy. As for me, I was allergic to osmanthus flowers. It was not intensely severe, but consuming them invariably triggered a breakout of red hives. In the past, Wen Chuyen had always kept this detail firmly in mind. On one occasion during a grand banquet, a waiter had mistakenly added osmanthus nectar to my dessert, and he had immediately replaced the entire catering supplier for the gala right on the spot. That specific episode had once been immortalized in a novel. In the comment section below, everyone proclaimed that Wen Chuyen loved Lin Qing Xi down to her very bones. Ten days ago, when I awoke on the operating table, I suddenly remembered that book. I also remembered that I was its female protagonist. The novel began during our college years, chronicling how Wen Chuyen pursued me, how deeply he adored me, and how he always appeared in the nick of time whenever danger threatened. Eventually, the narrative concluded with our wedding day. The author had written: From this moment onward, Wen Chuyen will never again allow Lin Qing Xi to face any trial alone. Yet once the story ended, no one continued chronicling the chapters of our actual lives. Wen Chuyen also began running late. First it was half an hour. Then an entire night. A single day. Ten days. And now, even our own child had failed to wait for his return. I picked up the bag of osmanthus cakes and placed it directly into the hands of the housekeeper.

Throw this away.

Wen Chuyen stood frozen upon the stairs.

Shen Rou gave those to you as a gift.

She was unaware that I cannot consume osmanthus.

But I knew. Without another word, I grasped the handle of my suitcase and stepped out the door.