Chapter 25: She Really Wants a Divorce

She was just thinking when she saw Xie Yunshu riding a tricycle into the yard. She looked full of energy, not at all like an abandoned wife.

Naturally, Xie Yunshu also saw her and smiled as she passed by, greeting Sister-in-law Li: “Hi Li-jie, doing laundry?”

Sister-in-law Li responded and, noticing the smile on her face, tentatively asked, “Yunshu, you’re back?”

“I just came to grab some stuff.” Xie Yunshu took a key from her pocket and smiled. “Once I get my things, I’m leaving. I won’t be living here anymore.”

Sister-in-law Li was probably the only one in the compound who had ever been kind to her. In the dream, when she had been driven to desperation, only this woman had advised her, “If it doesn’t work out, get a divorce and start over. A man like that isn’t worth it.”

Everyone else had sided with Lu Zhixing, saying she was being unreasonable, but Sister-in-law Li had spoken up for her. Unfortunately, in the dream, she hadn’t listened. She insisted on clinging on until she wore herself out…

Chen Xue rolled her eyes. “Such a good act. Let’s see how long she can keep up the tough-girl routine!”

But when she saw Xie Yunshu carry out a television set from the house, her eyes widened. “Xie Yunshu, are you crazy? That TV is brand new!”

“Of course I know it’s new—it’s color too!” Xie Yunshu huffed and casually placed a blanket under the TV before covering it with a cloth.

By now, a crowd had gathered to watch the drama unfold.

Lu Zhixing’s wife had been causing a stir for a while now, and everyone was waiting to see her return humiliated. But instead, she had come back and was taking the TV?

Chen Xue quickly stepped in to stop her. “Xie Yunshu, it’s fine to be angry, but this is too much. That TV cost hundreds! You can’t just walk away with it! Even if Lu Zhixing is your husband, his parents won’t accept this!”

Xie Yunshu locked the door behind her, then threw the key into Chen Xue’s arms. “You’re so interested in our business, here—help me pass the key to Lu Zhixing. And while you’re at it, ask him when he plans to sign the divorce papers. As for the TV, I’m taking it as part of what he owes me—call it 800 yuan!”

She was really going through with the divorce?
Wait—what did she mean Lu Zhixing owed her money?
And how could she just take the TV?

Chen Xue stared at her, too stunned to know where to start. In the end, she blurted out, “You… you’re crazy…”

Xie Yunshu gave her a sidelong glance. “None of your damn business.”

Chen Xue was dumbfounded, standing there holding the key while Xie Yunshu rode away with the TV on her tricycle…

A minute later, she finally came to her senses and slapped her thigh. “Oh no! What now? She really took the TV!”

But Sister-in-law Li actually felt a strange satisfaction. A man messing around with another woman outside, no matter the excuse, left the wife humiliated.

“Chen Xue, let’s not meddle in a couple’s business. Didn’t they already say they’re getting divorced? Maybe they agreed that Yunshu could have the TV.” She smiled, then turned and went back into her house.

The onlookers started to pick up on the shift in tone too.

“Looks like Xie Yunshu really is divorcing him. Didn’t expect her to be so decisive!”

“She even drafted the divorce application—how’s that a joke?”

“She hasn’t been back for days. Yesterday she came and bumped into Zhou Xinyue bringing her kid to eat. Who wouldn’t be pissed off?”

“Zhou the nurse is kinda weird too. Always calling Zhixing ‘brother’ this and that… even I think it sounds off, let alone his wife.”

“Sure, Zhou’s pitiful, but that’s not Yunshu’s fault.”

When Xie Yunshu had been hysterical, everyone had waited to watch her crash and burn. But now that she was leaving with dignity, the wind was shifting.

All the people in the courtyard were women, and their husbands all worked at Haicheng Hospital.

Put yourself in her shoes: if your man was close to a nurse, gave her money, and even used the house fund—how could you stand it? Gratitude was fine. Help her find a job, give a little support—why did he have to get personally involved?

Even the Lu family was out of line. Knowing full well their daughter-in-law had gone back to her parents’ house because of Zhou Xinyue, they still brought that woman and her child over for dinner. Was that not deliberately stoking conflict?

Did they actually think a widow with a kid was a better match than their own daughter-in-law?

Chen Xue listened to the crowd’s comments, hesitating for a moment. In the end, she didn’t dare speak up for Zhou Xinyue again. She was always someone who followed the wind.

She used to look down on Xie Yunshu—that was real. Sucking up to Zhou Xinyue now was just to get Lu Zhixing to speak up for her own husband at work…

But if Zhou’s reputation went down and she kept cozying up to her, wouldn’t it hurt her husband’s career prospects too?

The staff housing complex was just behind the hospital, only separated by an alley. After thinking it over, Chen Xue locked her door and headed to the hospital to find Zhou Xinyue. She told her the whole story about Yunshu taking the TV and how the women in the courtyard were starting to take her side.

“Xinyue, that woman is so calculating! She did this on purpose to ruin your reputation!
Last time she slapped you in the hospital, lost her job, and argued with Lu Zhixing. Now she’s playing smart—pretending to be all cool and collected just to pressure Lu Zhixing to abandon you!”

Zhou Xinyue’s eyes flickered.

Of course she wanted to force Xie Yunshu out. When someone hits rock bottom and meets a savior, they cling tightly. To her, Lu Zhixing was the only way to start life over. She had to hold onto him no matter what.

Even though she had a job now, and the Lu family treated her well—Lu’s father even said he’d take her in as a goddaughter—so what?

She knew clearly that although Song Yuxiang didn’t like Xie Yunshu, she would never allow her son to marry a woman who had been trafficked and had a child.

Any decent family or man would feel the same. The kind of men people tried to set her up with were always divorced with kids or old enough to be her father!

She refused to accept that.

She used to be the most dazzling girl in the compound. She deserved the best marriage. Even someone like the dim-witted Lu Xueting had found a boyfriend from a high-ranking family—so why should she settle?

Don’t think she didn’t know: those who pitied her outwardly actually looked down on her. Even the matches they suggested were mocking—divorced, old, undesirable men.

She wouldn’t give in to fate.

Lu Zhixing pitied her—then she would cling to him with all her might. Once Xie Yunshu was gone, she had a thousand ways to get into his bed. At that point, even if Song Yuxiang disapproved, she would have to accept it.