Chapter 33.1

Chen Jubai, unsure of what was happening, quickly stepped forward and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Tears streamed down Song Wei’s face as she choked out, “My parents are getting a divorce.”

Chen Jubai was startled.

He had lived here for half a month and had seen no signs of divorce. Yang Yingqiu and Song Gaoyi weren’t particularly intimate—they even slept in separate rooms. But at their age, lack of intimacy wasn’t uncommon, especially in front of their daughter and son-in-law. Separate rooms could simply mean not wanting to disturb each other’s routines.

Now that Song Wei mentioned it, however, details started to click into place: they never stayed alone in the same space, even when they were chatting, their conversations were always about their daughter.

Sometimes, they even used him as a go-between to ask each other whether they’d be home for dinner.

He recalled Song Wei’s remark when he once complimented their relationship: “It’s temporary.”

…

So much suddenly made sense. Chen Jubai looked at the woman before him, her eyes red and brimming with sadness. Feeling his heart ache, he pulled her into his arms.

Hearing the commotion, Song Gaoyi emerged from the bedroom, stunned. “Why are you back so early?”

As soon as Song Wei saw her father, she ran to him and threw her arms around him. “Dad…”

The clothes in Song Gaoyi’s hands fell to the floor. He sighed lightly, patting her head like she was a child. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Why are you crying?”

Song Wei didn’t care about appearances anymore, her voice trembling. “Are you and Mom getting a divorce?”

Song Gaoyi glanced at the approaching Chen Jubai and then back at his daughter, comforting her while calmly stating the truth. “Your mom and I separated after the New Year. The divorce cooling-off period ended a few days ago, and we officially finalized it then.”

Song Wei looked up at him in shock, her chest tightening with anguish.

Before getting married, she had slowly come to terms with the idea that her parents might separate. But the warmth of the past month had rekindled a fragile hope in her heart. The higher the expectations, the deeper the disappointment.

What’s more, preparing for it and confronting the reality were entirely different.

“Your mom didn’t want you two to be caught off guard, which is why she suggested you move out earlier. We thought you’d come back later, but here we are.” Song Gaoyi’s voice was gentle. “Dad’s just moving to an apartment near the research institute. It’s close to your company, too. You can come by in the evenings, and I’ll cook for you.”

Song Wei couldn’t hold it in any longer. She buried herself in his embrace, holding him tightly. “Dad…”

“Don’t be sad; nothing’s changed.”

But how could things remain the same? They’d no longer share meals as a family, there’d be no more New Year’s reunions, no trips together to visit Grandma in the countryside.

It would never be the same…

Chen Jubai took a moment to absorb this revelation. “Dad, where’s Mom?”

“She’s away on a business trip,” Song Gaoyi replied while continuing to console his daughter. Turning to Chen Jubai, he added, “You two should pack up and move out for a while. We’ll figure out the rest later.”

Song Wei immediately protested. “No, I’m not moving!”

Song Gaoyi sighed. “Weiwei, give your mom some space.”

Song Wei fell silent, eventually murmuring, “I’ll call her first.”

“Go ahead.”

She wiped her tears and headed to her room to make the call.

Left alone in the living room, father and son-in-law sat down on the sofa. Song Gaoyi seemed to have something to say, and Chen Jubai quietly waited.

“Xiao Chen,” Song Gaoyi began, “Weiwei’s taking this very hard. Take care of her these next couple of days.”

“Of course,” Chen Jubai replied.

“Your mom-in-law is also upset. If she comes back, she’ll have to put on a brave face to comfort Weiwei. That’s why it’s better for you two to move out temporarily. Later, you can decide as you wish.”

Chen Jubai nodded again. “Understood, Dad.”

“Is your place livable?”

“Yes, I’ve been staying there before this.”

“Good.”

Chen Jubai hesitated before speaking. “Dad, I don’t quite understand. Maybe your relationship wasn’t perfect, but was divorce the only solution?”

Seeing his confusion, Song Gaoyi gave a simple explanation. “Your mom is a strong-willed woman. Some past misunderstandings were my fault for not resolving properly. And now that Weiwei has her own family, your mom feels reassured about her. With that, we decided to move forward with this.”

He paused before continuing, “Xiao Chen, when you got married, I told you that marriage is for a lifetime. As a husband, it’s your responsibility to protect Weiwei, both outside and at home. Don’t let her suffer, not even a little.”

“Weiwei has had a relatively smooth life. She’s not as strong as she seems. During the New Year, when your mom and I argued, she comforted us both but hid away to cry alone. That’s on us.”

“Xiao Chen, remember this: though we’re divorced, we’ll always be her parents. If you ever fail to cherish her, we’ll take her back.”

Chen Jubai felt the weight of these words deeply. He repeated his earlier promise, “I understand. Don’t worry.”

Forcing a faint smile, Song Gaoyi added, “Alright, she’s probably still upset in her room. Go check on her while I continue packing.”

“Okay.” Yet Chen Jubai didn’t leave immediately. Sitting there, he said, “Dad, take care of yourself too. Get some rest and don’t overwork. If the research institute isn’t too pressing, take a short break.”

“And in the future… If you’d like to see Weiwei, just let me know. I’ll talk to Mom, and we can have a meal together.”

Caught off guard, Song Gaoyi was silent for a couple of seconds before smiling. “Sure.”

Chen Jubai entered the bedroom.

The sun had set, and the last rays of dusk filtered through the window, casting light on the figure sitting by the bed. The warm glow only made the loneliness in her posture more apparent.

She hugged her knees tightly, curling up completely in a protective posture.

Chen Jubai approached her.

Song Wei looked up, her eyes vacant. Then she forced a small smile. “I’m fine.”

He sat down beside her, letting her lean on his shoulder, just like in the car earlier, providing her a sense of support. “What did Mom say?”

“She said she’ll come back tomorrow.” Song Wei could roughly guess the reasoning behind Yang Yingqiu’s repeated suggestions for her to move out earlier. Her parents didn’t want her to witness the unraveling of their marriage. But she couldn’t be selfish. “I know Mom must be upset too, needing space to process everything on her own. But I can’t leave.”

She couldn’t imagine the loneliness her mother would feel, returning to an empty house where both her husband and only daughter had moved out. That double blow would be too cruel. Song Wei wanted to stay by her mother’s side and give her some time to adjust.

“Chen Jubai, even if we move out later, can we come back every weekend to stay or have dinner together?”

“Of course.” He kissed the top of her head, holding her even closer.

“During the week, we can visit my dad for meals. His research institute is only three or four kilometers from our office.”

“Sure.”

Having settled her thoughts, she fell into silence, resting against his shoulder without saying another word.

The sky turned completely dark, leaving the bedroom in pitch blackness.

Outside, the sound of Song Gaoyi moving things back and forth was unmistakable.

After a long time, Song Wei murmured softly, “I thought this day would never come, but here it is—they still chose to divorce.”

She couldn’t tell whether her marriage was a good thing or a bad one anymore.

Previously, she had believed that her getting married would reassure her parents, allowing them to pursue their own lives. But after experiencing a month of relatively harmonious family life, she began to wonder if her marriage was the trigger for their divorce. Maybe if she hadn’t gotten married, they wouldn’t have separated.

People always seem to believe that the path not taken would have been the better one.

“Chen Jubai, do you think love is more reliable, or marriage?”

He didn’t have an answer.

So she answered her own question. “Neither is reliable.” Otherwise, her parents wouldn’t have divorced.

Then she asked again, “Do you think we’ll get divorced one day?”

Chen Jubai said firmly, “No.”

Song Wei tilted her head to look at him. “Why not?”

“Because I won’t agree to it.”

She chuckled softly. “How can you make decisions now for yourself ten or twenty years down the line?”

He fell silent, pondering how to express himself in a way that would reassure her about their relationship.

Song Wei continued, “If something does happen in the future, or if our feelings fade, let’s part ways amicably, okay?”

Chen Jubai leaned down, gazing at her for a long moment before lifting her chin and kissing her.

It was a pure, desireless kiss that lasted only two seconds. When he pulled away, he lowered his voice and murmured by her ear, “Song Wei, give me some faith.”

She buried her face in his chest and responded in a barely audible voice, “Okay.”

…

Song Gaoyi had nearly finished packing. He only took books and daily necessities—about four or five boxes in total. His car couldn’t fit everything, so Chen Jubai helped transport the rest.

Song Wei didn’t go; she couldn’t bear it.

After the two men had moved the last box, Song Wei stood in the house she had lived in for over ten years. From the early days of “barely furnished walls” to the current “too full to step,” this house had grown into a home piece by piece.

Now, it seemed like nothing was missing, yet something clearly was.

She stood there dazed for a long time, letting out a resigned sigh before picking up her little dog, Snowflake, and sitting quietly on the sofa.

The silence was oppressive. The boisterous chatter of children and elderly from the downstairs neighborhood felt particularly grating, their noise seeping into the quiet house and stirring her agitation. With no TV to fill the void, she grabbed a book and flipped through it absentmindedly.

A few pages later, she drifted off again, staring at the bookshelf opposite her. About a fifth of the books were missing—the ones Song Gaoyi often used.

The empty spaces looked like deep, bottomless holes, ready to swallow her whole.

When Snowflake leapt out of her lap in a burst of energy, Song Wei snapped back to reality.