Chapter 257: Chapter 230.3

On that same evening, Jun Zishu had originally planned to return home for dinner. Then, she would bring up the divorce with Qiu Ziqian after dinner. However, she decided to change her plans when Xu Qinglin sent her a message asking her to attend a party.

Tang Qianqiu just happened to have a dinner event she couldn’t skip. So, between having dinner alone and accepting her good friend’s invitation, Jun Zishu chose the latter.

“Remember to send me a message once you’re done with your event, Mom. Also, make sure not to drink too much.”

“You, too. It’s best if you don’t drink any alcohol,” Tang Qianqiu said worriedly.

A party with many guests was the perfect place for someone with vile intentions to strike. They had yet to learn about Bai Yuwan’s plans and how far she was willing to go to secure Qiu Ziqian. Jun Zishu had yet to officially divorce Qiu Ziqian, either. So, there was no saying what Bai Yuwan might do.

“I promise I won’t.”

…

After leaving the company, Jun Zishu returned home and changed into a party dress. Then, she made her way to the event venue Xu Qinglin told her about.

“What’s the reason for this party?” Jun Zishu asked as she sat next to Xu Qinglin and straightened her dress. Xu Qinglin had only told her about the time and venue of the party, so she had no idea what this party was for.

“It’s my brother-in-law’s bachelor party,” Xu Qinglin said as she gently swirled her wine glass.

“Hm? Isn’t he going abroad?”

“The other side wanted to get the engagement done before he leaves. I’ve seen the girl already. She’s not bad, but it’s still a marriage of convenience nonetheless,” Xu Qinglin said, ending her words with an inaudible sigh.

“So, it’s over between you two now?”

“Of course.”

“Feeling sad?”

“Sad? Why would I? I’m not as fragile as you think, Qingqing,” Xu Qinglin said, chuckling and shaking her head.

Jun Zishu kept quiet. She naturally didn’t believe Xu Qinglin’s words. She knew why Xu Qinglin had called her here. She was here to keep Xu Qinglin in check and prevent her from drinking too much and losing control of her emotions.

“How’s your side? That Bai-what’s-her-name. Did she and Qiu Ziqian stop seeing each other?”

“How can that be? When I went out for lunch with my mother-in-law today, we just happened to run into them.”

“Wow. It must’ve been a very exciting scene, right?”

Xu Qinglin’s spirit instantly perked up when she heard Jun Zishu’s words. Immediately, she set aside her wine glass and looked at Jun Zishu with a face full of curiosity.

“It was so-so. My mother-in-law disparaged Bai Yuwan in public, but Bai Yuwan managed to hold it in and avoid creating a scene.”

“Thankfully, your mother-in-law is on your side. But you still need to be careful. That Bai Yuwan definitely isn’t an easy opponent.”

“It’s fine. It won’t be long before she will have nothing to do with me.”

“What?”

“I’m going to divorce Qiu Ziqian.”

“What? Are you going to walk away, just like that? Didn’t you tell me you were going to play with those adulterers to death back in the hospital? Why did you suddenly decide to give them a happy ending?”

“It’s because I found an even better way to mess with them.”

Find the original at h*sted novel.

Subsequently, Jun Zishu shared her plans with Xu Qianlin. She wasn’t worried that Xu Qianlin would leak her plans, either.

Xu Qianlin was a very tight-lipped person. She also trusted Jian Qing very much. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have told Jun Zishu about her secret affair with her brother-in-law.

Meanwhile, Xu Qinglin’s eyes grew wider and wider as she listened to Jun Zishu’s plans.

“You’ve become amazing, my dear Qingqing. Since when did you get so good at toying with people? That’s a great plan! Pull yourself out of the mess first, then let those two cheating dogs go at each other’s necks.”

Xu Qinglin felt that Jun Zishu’s new plan was much better than her initial plan of stubbornly holding onto her marriage and preventing Bai Yuwan from having her way.

However, Xu Qinglin quickly thought of a problem as she said, “But…they can also get a divorce.”

Marriages and divorces had become commonplace in modern times. Although a divorce between Bai Yuwan and Qiu Ziqian would be difficult since a conflict of interest would occur between the Bai family and the Tang family, it wasn’t exactly impossible for a divorce to happen if one side was intent on going through with it.

“I’m afraid they can’t get a divorce even if they want to,” Jun Zishu said confidently.

“How so?”

“Because of Tang Qianqiu.”

“What does your mother-in-law have to do with this?”

“She likes me.”

Xu Qinglin was momentarily dumbfounded.

Did she drink too much and mishear?

Or did she mishear because of the noise around them?

Tang Qianqiu? Jun Zishu?

Mother-in-law? Daughter-in-law?

Like???

“Don’t be so surprised. If you can get it together with your brother-in-law, why can’t I—”

“Stop, stop, stop! How are these two relationships similar in nature?”

“They are of the same nature.”

Xu Qinglin was at a loss for words. After a long while, she said:

“Incredible.”

Xu Qinglin had thought that she was plenty crazy when she had slept with her husband’s younger brother. However, it turned out that her friend was even crazier, going as far as to sleep with her husband’s mother.

“I never heard that she was a lesbian before.”

“Have you heard of me being one, then?”

“Have you two done it yet?”

“We are still in a pure relationship,” Jun Zishu stated. Although she and her lover have had sex countless times in their past lives, their relationship in this world remained pure.

Xu Qinglin picked up her wine glass, only to set it down immediately afterward. Then, she said, “I can’t think; it’s too noisy here. Whatever, let’s leave first. We’ll eat and talk at my place.”

“What about your brother-in-law’s bachelor party?”

“Screw him! Let’s go!” Xu Qinglin said as she dragged Jun Zishu out of the party venue. Compared to the bombshell news Jun Zishu dropped on her, her brother-in-law’s engagement was of no significance!

…

After leaving the party, Xu Qinglin brought Jun Zishu to a private residence under her name. Then, after getting the cook there to prepare them a meal and having the cook leave, Xu Qinglin hurriedly said, “Quick, quick, quick! Tell me what’s going on between you and your mother-in-law!”

“I meant exactly what I said,” Jun Zishu said, not bothering to go into details. After all, there were no details to speak of right now. Rather than her budding relationship with Tang Qianqiu, she’d rather talk about her subsequent plans to deal with Bai Yuwan and Qiu Ziqian.

“Wow. This situation really gives me the feeling of a tyrannical CEO keeping a lover.”

“What kind of metaphor is that…”

Xu Qianliu laughed maniacally as she pounded the table with her fist. Then, she gave Jun Zishu a thumbs-up and said, “You are truly the best, Qingqing! If you’re going to go for someone, go for the best, right? If Tang Qianqiu says she wants you, I bet Qiu Ziqian won’t even dare say a word!”

However, while laughing, Xu Qinglin inexplicably grew a little sentimental.

“It’d be great if I could do the same. But my father-in-law… I’ll pass. That’s too much even for me.”

Subsequently, Xu Qinglin tied up her long hair, rolled up her sleeves, and took out some wine.

Jun Zishu didn’t drink much and simply watched Xu Qianlin drink.

“How lucky of you to be able to get out of this sea of misery,” Xu Qinglin mumbled in a drunken state. “Honestly, my current situation is no different than being single, but I just can’t bring myself to feel happy! That bastard told me that he wouldn’t mind even if I fool around so long as I don’t go too far! Fuck him! Who would want such a life?!”

“Do you have someone you like?”

“Of course! That person is the most beautiful person under the sky! Me!”

Xu Qinglin burped and pointed at herself.

Jun Zishu simply let Xu Qinglin continue with her drunken rant. She was aware that Xu Qinglin wasn’t living a happy life. Unfortunately, such was life. Oftentimes, people would encounter situations where they had no choice but to live a life they didn’t want.

Sometime later, Jun Zishu’s phone started vibrating—it was a call from Tang Qianqiu.

While changing venues, Jun Zishu had messaged Tang Qianqiu, saying that she was going to Xu Qinglin’s house instead of remaining at the party, and Tang Qianqiu must’ve finally found the time to read her message.

“Are you still at your friend’s place?”

“Mhm. She’s drunk.”

“Did you drink?”

“I drank a little with her. Just a little bit.”

“Give me your address. I’ll go and pick you up.”

“Okay.”

After messaging her address to Tang Qianqiu, Jun Zishu set her phone aside. Then, when she saw that Xu Qinglin was trying to chug her wine like she was chugging down beer, she walked over and pulled the wine bottle out of her friend’s hand.

Xu Qinglin wasn’t so drunk that she would throw a tantrum at losing her wine bottle. Instead, she sat quietly in her seat and stared at the table with a blank look.

If Jun Zishu had come across Xu Qinglin’s behavior in the past, she might not have understood why the other party was reacting this way simply because of a broken love. Could love really have such a significant impact on a person? What was the point of obsessing over someone who didn’t even care whether you lived or died?

However, after experiencing true love herself, Jun Zishu realized that love wasn’t as simple as she thought it to be.

True love wasn’t something that a person could simply pick up and let go of whenever they liked.

“How old are you now, Xu Qinglin?”

“Thirty.”

Xu Qinglin looked at Jun Zishu in a daze, confused as to why Jun Zishu would ask this question.

“Are you happy with your current life?”

“Not at all. It’s annoying. Everything is annoying,” Xu Qinglin said, shaking her head. Her husband was annoying, the people urging her to have a child were annoying, the constant plotting and fighting were annoying, and the fact that she could already see the rest of her life play out was annoying.

“You are only 30 years old. It’s not too late to salvage the situation.”

“But they won’t let me. My mom told me that it was also the same for her…”

Jun Zishu looked at the drunken woman before her, pondering. What would she have done if she had transmigrated into Xu Qinglin’s body?

Perhaps she would take over her scumbag husband’s business and family. Then, she would kick the scumbag out of the picture and complete her reversal.

However, Xu Qinglin evidently wasn’t suited for this path. Hence, Xu Qinglin was struggling as she was right now.

“Try to live the way you want, then. If you don’t want to have a child, then don’t. Bring back one of the scumbag’s illegitimate sons and raise him as your own. Make sure to tell the kid the truth. So long as you put in the effort, you can live the way you want in the future,” Jun Zishu said, offering Xu Qinglin the best suggestion she could think of. Then, when she felt her phone vibrating again, she continued, “She’s here. She’s waiting for me downstairs, so I’ll be taking my leave first. Make sure to stop drinking and go to bed early.”

Xu Qinglin looked at Jun Zishu’s departing back and closed her eyes.

…

“You reek of alcohol,” Tang Qianqiu said, frowning when she got a whiff of the smell coming off Jun Zishu’s body.

Find the original at *hosted* novel.

“Aren’t you the same?” Jun Zishu said when she smelled a similar smell coming from Tang Qianqiu’s body.

“I didn’t drink much.”

“Neither did I.”

Their conversation sounded like an exchange between an old married couple, and they couldn’t help but laugh when they realized this.

Jerry, who was driving the car, pretended not to hear their conversation. Inwardly, though, he couldn’t help but find the conversation between his boss and his boss’s daughter-in-law strange. Rather than a conversation between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law, it sounded more like a conversation between lovers.

Jerry was honestly a little shaken by his conjecture. Hurriedly, he shook these thoughts out of his head and focused on driving.

…

When Jun Zishu and Tang Qianqiu returned to the villa, they were greeted by the servant on duty.

“Where’s Ziqian?” Jun Zishu asked.

“The young master is in the study,” the servant replied with a bow.

Jun Zishu didn’t want Qiu Ziqian to think that she was talking to him while drunk. So, after informing Tang Qianqiu of her intentions, she went to take a shower.

After Jun Zishu left the bathroom, Tang Qianqiu didn’t go in immediately. Instead, she remained in front of her laptop, typing away at the keyboard. Of course, she wasn’t actually doing any work. She simply pretended to be busy while peeking at Jun Zishu through the reflection on her laptop’s screen.

Meanwhile, Jun Zishu put on a dress, tied up her hair, and got ready to leave.

When Tang Qianqiu turned around and saw that Jun Zishu’s dress covered all the important parts, she breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Leave a gap in the door when you are talking to him. Make sure to shout if something happens.”

“Mom, we’re just talking about a divorce…” Jun Zishu said, amused by Tang Qianqiu’s words. With Tang Qianqiu here, there was no way Qiu Ziqian would dare to do anything unsightly.

“What if he does get physical, then?”

At this point, Tang Qianqiu no longer saw Qiu Ziqian as her son. She was doing her best to make Qiu Ziqian look bad so that Jun Zishu wouldn’t have any second thoughts.

“I’ll try my best to settle it peacefully.”

Their marriage must end no matter what. Not to mention, Qiu Ziqian was probably just as eager to get a divorce as she was.

When Jun Zishu knocked on the study’s door, Qiu Ziqian was staring at his computer with his glasses on. If one judged him solely based on appearances, he looked like an elegant gentleman who gave off a scholarly aura.

“Is something the matter?” Qiu Ziqian asked when he saw Jun Zishu entering the study.

“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” Jun Zishu formally said.

“Go on.”

Qiu Ziqian was a little stunned by Jun Zishu’s formal attitude. Ever since the accident, Jun Zishu’s attitude toward him kept worsening by the day. Although her current behavior was by no means friendly, it was still much more pleasant than before.

“Let’s discuss our divorce,” Jun Zishu said, getting straight to the point.

“Divorce? You want to divorce me?”

Qiu Ziqian subconsciously raised his voice, his eyes filled with disbelief as he looked at Jun Zishu.

“What are you being so loud for? Yes, I’m divorcing you.”

“Have you thought this through? You? Want to divorce me? You won’t have anything without me, Jian Qing. Moreover, why are you even trying to get a divorce? Because of a joke and a miscarriage?”

“I don’t want to debate this matter with you. Also, stop talking as if I am nothing without you.”

Qiu Ziqian was shocked. Not because of the divorce itself, but because Jian Qing had taken the initiative to bring up divorce with him.

In his mind, even if they were to get a divorce, it should be him bringing it up instead.

“I won’t agree to it. If you don’t give me a proper reason, I won’t agree to a divorce, Jian Qing.”

“Aren’t you aware of the reason? I doubt I need to remind you of what you’ve done ever since Bai Yuwan returned, right?”

“She and I are just—”

“Stop. Don’t give me that ‘friend’ nonsense. I’m not interested in hearing it. You might like being someone’s spare tire, but I don’t like it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Not everyone is a romantic and self-righteous saint like you, Qiu Ziqian. Did you think that just because you are always there for Bai Yuwan whenever she looks back, I’ll also be there for you when you look back? Sorry, but that’s not happening,” Jun Zishu said as she sat on a chair and rested her hands on her lap, her body exuding an imposing aura.

Qiu Ziqian’s expression turned a little ugly when she heard Jun Zishu’s words. Nobody liked having others dig up their old wounds. Meanwhile, the wound that had hurt him the most was the fact that he was Bai Yuwan’s “spare.”

“Stop hesitating, Qiu Ziqian. Just think about it. You’ll be single once we divorce, and nobody will say anything when they see you dining and watching movies together with Bai Yuwan. Bai Yuwan is by your side right now. Once you marry her, won’t you finally fulfill your lifelong wish? Why are you wasting time with me?” Jun Zishu said, patiently guiding Qiu Ziqian with temptations.

Qiu Ziqian couldn’t help but be fascinated by the future Jun Zishu described. But…he kept getting the feeling that there was something wrong with this situation.

“What will you do once we get divorced?” Qiu Ziqian asked.

“I’ve already found a job, so don’t you worry.”

“Huh? Since when? Where will you be working?”

“By Mom’s side. Or maybe I should call her Miss Tang from now on?”

“You’re going to work at Mom’s side?”

“Let’s not digress. If you agree to the divorce, we’ll sign the divorce papers tomorrow and head to the Civil Affairs Bureau to finalize it.”

“You’re willing to divorce me, just like that?”

Qiu Ziqian finally realized what felt strange. Jun Zishu was too calm, impatient even.

“Why? Think I’m being too much of a saint? Finding it strange that I’m not trying to get back at you and Bai Yuwan? Or are you surprised that everything is going so smoothly your way?” Jun Zishu asked with a contemptuous smile. “I just can’t be bothered to waste my time on you two. You can go to your childhood love, while I’ll go and search for someone who actually loves me. Honestly, it’s a good thing that child is gone. Rather than bring him to this world and let him watch the awful relationship between his parents, we might as well let him reincarnate early.”

“Does Mom know you want to divorce me?”

“What? Afraid she won’t agree?”

“I’m worried she’ll be unhappy.”

“You’re overthinking things. I’ll prepare the divorce papers, so make some time tomorrow.”

There was no way Tang Qianqiu would be unhappy. She was so happy over their divorce that she could probably grow wings and fly.