As dusk deepened, Yu Sheng returned to Jiuxi Bay, her steps slightly weary.
The fingerprint lock beeped softly as the door opened. She bent down out of habit to change her shoe,s but paused midway.
At the entrance, there was an extra pair of women's leather shoes that didn't belong to her.
Yu Sheng straightened, her gaze sweeping quickly across the quiet living room.
In the air lingered a faint trace of hospital disinfectant. At this hour, Shen Yunmian should have still been in a hospital bed. The doctor had clearly said she had internal injuries and a skull fracture—she needed at least another week of observation. How could she be back…
Yu Sheng frowned, suspicion rising in her heart.
She set down her briefcase and walked to Shen Yunmian's bedroom door, raising her hand to knock.
"Shen Yunmian?"
Silence answered her—no response from inside.
After hesitating briefly, she turned the doorknob and looked in. The room was empty, the bed perfectly made without a single wrinkle—clearly no one was there.
As if realizing something, Yu Sheng's heart suddenly sank, a deeply unsettling premonition gripping her.
She abruptly turned her head, her gaze locking onto the bedroom door at the end of the hallway, slightly ajar.
Her heartbeat skipped.
Almost instinctively, she softened her steps and walked toward it, one step at a time—as if afraid to disturb something, or as if confirming an absurd suspicion. The closer she got, the clearer Shen Yunmian's presence became.
Finally, she stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and suddenly pushed it open!
The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by faint streetlight filtering through the window.
And on the bed, covered with light beige sheets, a familiar figure was curled up, fast asleep.
It was Shen Yunmian.
She actually… really discharged herself without permission, and even came to sleep in her bed!
Yu Sheng felt an unnamed fury explode straight to her head. The irritability, helplessness, and suffocating pressure that had built up over the past days completely shattered the dam of her rationality.
"Shen Yunmian!" she shouted with almost all her strength, her voice trembling with anger. "Get up right now!"
The person on the bed flinched violently at the sudden roar, like a frightened animal, and scrambled to open her eyes. Shen Yunmian's gaze was initially dazed, misted with the fog of just waking, but when it met Yu Sheng's eyes, full of ice and anger, clarity struck immediately, replaced by panic.
"Sheng Sheng…" she instinctively tried to push herself up with her arms, the movement pulling on her wounds and causing her to wince in pain, yet she hurriedly tried to explain, "I just… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"Didn't mean to what?" Yu Sheng cut her off, her voice sharp, each word squeezed out between clenched teeth. "Not mean to discharge yourself? Not mean to come into my room? Or not mean to sleep in my bed? Shen Yunmian, what exactly do you want?"
"Can you stop haunting me like this?"
"Please, Shen Yunmian, just let me go, okay?"
Seeing Yu Sheng so agitated, even the corners of her eyes reddened, Shen Yunmian's heart ached so sharply she could barely breathe. She forgot everything else, hastily threw off the blanket, stumbled to Yu Sheng, and reached out to touch her, trying to calm her.
"Sheng Sheng, don't get angry, don't be mad… It's my fault, all my fault…"
Her words tumbled out chaotically, her pale face full of panic and worry. "I shouldn't have made you angry, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"
"Don't touch me!" Yu Sheng violently swatted her hand away, her eyes full of unmistakable resistance.
Shen Yunmian's hand froze mid-air, then finally fell limply to her side, her voice trembling: "I'm sorry, Sheng Sheng, I'm sorry… What should I do… tell me, what do I have to do for you to be happy? Whatever you say, I'll agree, okay? Don't do this… I beg you, don't do this to me…"
She begged humbly, as if she had lowered herself into the dust.
"I say?" Yu Sheng twisted the corner of her mouth into a bitter, mocking smile. "I've told you countless times—divorce! Shen Yunmian, I want a divorce! I've told you this answer so many times, will you agree?! Huh?!"
The last "huh" was almost a roar, full of a desperate, nothing-to-lose finality.
Shen Yunmian's whole body trembled at her words, her face instantly pale as paper. She stared at Yu Sheng, lips quivering, and after a long pause, managed to ask with difficulty:
"Divorce… will you be happy?"
"Of course I'll be happy!" Yu Sheng laughed exaggeratedly, as if hearing the world's biggest joke. Her laughter was full of bitterness and pain. "Why wouldn't I be happy? I can finally get rid of you! Free myself from this suffocating marriage! I can start a whole new life, never return to this oppressive home, never have to see your face again! Why wouldn't I be happy? I might as well set off fireworks to celebrate!"
She spoke quickly, each word a knife—cutting not only Shen Yunmian, but herself as well. These sharp words carried the grievances and anger she had suppressed over two lifetimes, finally finding an outlet.
Shen Yunmian listened silently, without argument, without anger.
She just stood there, taking it all, letting those heart-wrenching words slice through her again and again. She watched Yu Sheng's flushed cheeks from anger, the fire and pain burning in those beautiful eyes, and the dull ache in her chest intensified.
After a long while, Shen Yunmian finally found her voice: "…Okay, I agree with you."
Yu Sheng stared in disbelief, doubting what she had heard.
"What did you say?"
Shen Yunmian closed her eyes, her long lashes damp. She took a deep breath, as if gathering all her courage, but could not bring herself to say the words "divorce." Instead, she repeated:
"I agree… Sheng Sheng, I'll agree to anything you want."
Yu Sheng was completely stunned.
Her anger and sarcasm slowly faded, replaced by immense confusion and disbelief. She looked at Shen Yunmian as if seeing her for the first time.
"Why?" she asked instinctively. "Why… did you suddenly—"
Shen Yunmian opened her mouth, but thousands of words clogged in her throat.
She wanted to tell Yu Sheng that she had already tasted the pain of losing her—a long, hollow, walking-death-like journey toward destruction that had scared her to the bone. If given a second chance, she was truly afraid. She wouldn't force her anymore, wouldn't watch her suffer and break because of herself.
But the words never left her lips, crushed by fear.
She was afraid that once she confessed, their relationship would get worse.
Finally, Shen Yunmian just gazed at Yu Sheng deeply, forcing out a difficult, hesitant smile:
"Sheng Sheng, whether you believe me or not… I just want you to be happy."
Yu Sheng fell silent. Shen Yunmian's gaze was too complicated—she couldn't understand it, or perhaps didn't want to.
But the reason didn't matter; the result did.
"Fine." Yu Sheng quickly calmed down, as if afraid Shen Yunmian would change her mind, and asked, "Then when will we sign the divorce papers?"
The urgency in her tone pricked Shen Yunmian's heart like a needle.
She winced at the pain, but could only endure it, speaking slowly: "Sheng Sheng, you don't need to rush… Since I agreed, I won't go back on it."
Seeing Yu Sheng's face turn cold, she hurried to add, "After all, the Shen and Yu families are deeply entangled—assets, companies, shares… many details need time to sort out."
Yu Sheng frowned, about to mock her for trying to use Yu Group as leverage again.
Unexpectedly, Shen Yunmian's next words went far beyond her expectations.
"All my personal assets, including real estate, funds, stocks, and some liquid shares of Shen Group, can be divided as divorce property for you. I know Yu Group has a few projects under financial pressure lately; this should be enough to help you through the crisis and support your future development," Shen Yunmian's voice was calm, like stating a fact unrelated to herself. "Also, if you're worried about the divorce news affecting Yu Group's stock price, we can delay public announcement or find a suitable time to minimize impact."
She went through everything in detail, anticipating every potential question and problem Yu Sheng might have, offering terms astonishingly generous.
This wasn't just property division; it was nearly a complete voluntary clean break on Shen Yunmian's part.
The more Yu Sheng listened, the tighter her brows knit, the more unreal it felt.
Finally, she interrupted Shen Yunmian, looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze: "Shen Yunmian, doing all this… what exactly are you trying to achieve?"
Such a huge sacrifice, almost her entire wealth—what did she want?
Shen Yunmian met her gaze, those deep, unreadable eyes now only full of humility and cautious pleading.
"I want nothing." she said softly, her voice barely trembling. "Sheng Sheng, I ask just one thing: after we divorce… can you… stop hating me?"
"…" Yu Sheng was silent again.
Hate? Perhaps. But more than that, it was fatigue, a desire to truly leave the past behind and start a new life. Clinging to hate was exhausting.
After nearly a minute of silence, Yu Sheng finally spoke, her voice calm and flat: "As long as you can do what you say and the divorce proceeds smoothly, this… ends here between us. No hate, no forgiveness, just… each of us well."
That was already the best possible outcome. Shen Yunmian's heart ached numbingly, but she nodded with effort.
"Then… in the future…" she mustered her last courage, voice barely audible, "can we still… be friends?"
Yu Sheng didn't answer, only turned her gaze away.
The refusal was clear. Shen Yunmian gave a bitter smile and didn't push further.
"Divorce procedures… in three days, is that okay?" Shen Yunmian struggled to speak the time. "I need some time to have the lawyer prepare all the documents."
"Fine." Yu Sheng agreed curtly.
The topic seemed to end there; the room sank into an odd silence.
Finally, Yu Sheng broke it first. She pointed to the bed Shen Yunmian had slept on and said irritably: "Now, get off my bed."
Shen Yunmian seemed to realize she was still sitting on Yu Sheng's bed. A flicker of guilt and embarrassment crossed her face. She quickly murmured, "…Okay, you… rest early."
She left reluctantly, her figure strangely lonely and pitiful.
Just as she was about to leave, Yu Sheng suddenly called after her.
"Wait!"
Shen Yunmian almost instantly turned, eyes bright, like a little dog summoned by its owner.
However, Yu Sheng's next words sent her plummeting back to the bottom.
"Take the sheets and blanket you slept on, strip them all off and take them out!" Yu Sheng's tone was stiff, tinged with obvious disgust. "I don't want to use anything you've slept on!"
Shen Yunmian's face instantly dimmed. She quietly responded, "Okay."
She walked back to the bed, fumbling awkwardly as she started to take apart the duvet cover.
Miss Shen, raised in luxury, had never done this kind of work before. Her movements were clumsy; after pulling for a long time, she couldn't even get the corner out, and instead wore herself out, sweat forming on her forehead, her face looking even paler.
Yu Sheng crossed her arms and watched coldly from the side. The longer she looked, the more impatient she became. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore.
"Move!" She stepped forward and irritably pushed Shen Yunmian aside.
In just a few quick motions, she yanked the duvet cover and sheets off the bed, balled them up, and without another glance, tossed them out into the hallway.
"Out!" Yu Sheng issued a command to Shen Yunmian.
Shen Yunmian looked at the bedding tossed out, her lips moving slightly, but said nothing and quietly walked out.
Yu Sheng slammed the bedroom door shut with a bang, leaning against it as she exhaled long and heavily. Her mind was in chaos—Shen Yunmian's sudden change, the bizarrely generous divorce terms—all felt unreal, like a dream.
She shook her head, deciding not to think about it.
Taking fresh bedding from the wardrobe, she efficiently made the bed anew.
Having done all that, she was about to lie down to rest when a thought suddenly flashed through her mind—absurd, yet impossible to ignore—about Shen Yunmian sleeping in her bed tonight hugging her duvet.
Could Shen Yunmian… really…?
The more Yu Sheng thought about Shen Yunmian's recent abnormal behavior, the more she realized this was entirely possible.
She immediately got up and opened the door again.
Sure enough! The hallway was empty—the bedding she had tossed out was gone.
Yu Sheng hurried to Shen Yunmian's bedroom door. The door wasn't locked, so she pushed it open—
The scene before her made her blood boil! Her light beige duvet cover and sheets were now on Shen Yunmian's bed! And Shen Yunmian herself had her face buried deeply in it, as if absorbing some kind of essence!
"Shen Yunmian!" Yu Sheng's entire body trembled with anger, her voice shifting in pitch. "Are you out of your mind?"
Shen Yunmian jumped, suddenly raising her head. Seeing Yu Sheng return, panic and helplessness filled her face, like a thief caught in the act.
"Sheng Sheng… I…" She looked flustered, apologizing softly and humbly, "I'm sorry, I just…"
Yu Sheng didn't want to hear any explanations. She strode over, snatched the sheets from Shen Yunmian's arms, then without hesitation ripped the duvet and sheets off the bed, balled them up, and marched to the laundry room, stuffing everything into the washing machine and pressing the heavy-duty wash button.
The machine's roar sounded especially loud in the quiet night.
By now, Shen Yunmian had followed, standing at the doorway helplessly, wanting to explain but hesitating.
Yu Sheng turned her head, looking coldly at Shen Yunmian, asking the question that mattered most: "Three days from now… you won't back out of the divorce, right?"
Shen Yunmian nodded with difficulty: "…I won't."
"Good!" Yu Sheng, satisfied with the answer, didn't want to linger. "Remember what you said!"
She walked to the door, unable to hold back, and threw over her shoulder:
"Stay far away from me! Don't touch any of my things ever again!"
With that, she slammed the door shut with a bang, completely shutting Shen Yunmian out.
—
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