Volume 1 Chapter 3: Not Divorcing Yet  

Shi Jianchuan held his phone in one hand, the light in his eyes flickering uncertainly.  

His condition had worsened. This hallucination was clearer than any before.  

His fingers curled slightly as he exerted all his strength to steady his hand.  

Then, he tossed the phone aside.  

“Continue,” he said coldly.  

The people in the room, who had been holding their breath, snapped out of their daze. “Yes.”  

The conference room buzzed with voices again.  

Shi Jianchuan’s gaze, uncontrollably, drifted back to the phone.  

His well-defined knuckles rapped impatiently on the desk twice.  

Again and again, he forced himself to look away, only to find his eyes drawn back against his will.  

Veins surfaced on his arm.  

He wanted to grasp something—or perhaps tear it apart violently. Reason and emotion warred within him.  

A commotion arose outside the door.  

“President Qin, I swear, President Shi is still in a meeting.”  

A voice, achingly familiar, drifted in. “Then I’ll wait here, alright?”  

“Of course, this is Qin Corporation, after all.”  

Qin Ya was satisfied. She picked up a magazine from the rack and flipped through it casually.  

She had barely turned the first page when the conference room door swung open, and Shi Jianchuan strode out first.  

Was it her imagination, or had his steps seemed hurried for a moment?  

Now, he appeared perfectly composed.  

Qin Ya stood up and looped her arm through his. “Husband, let’s go to your office.”  

She was counting on the crowd—at a time like this, Shi Jianchuan wouldn’t embarrass her.  

Sure enough, he didn’t refuse. A triumphant glint flashed in Qin Ya’s beautiful, doe-like eyes.  

“Am I… seeing things?”  

“Must’ve woken up wrong. Need to go back to sleep.”  

“Miss Qin and President Shi? Hiss…”  

Qin Ya shut the office door, cutting off all prying eyes and whispers outside.  

She took a leisurely stroll around Shi Jianchuan’s office. It was spartan—nothing beyond the bare essentials for work.  

Had she really been that stingy before? Not even bothering to buy him a single personal item?  

Or had she bought something, only for Shi Jianchuan to disdain it?  

As Qin Ya studied him, Shi Jianchuan’s deep gaze settled on her as well.  

Like obsidian veiled in mist, his eyes darkened further.  

His stare traveled from Qin Ya’s eyes, lingering briefly on her delicate nose, then pausing for two or three seconds on her soft lips before trailing down her slender neck.  

The intensity of his gaze was predatory, like a beast poised to strike.  

Irritated, he reached up to adjust his wristwatch, his long lashes lowering to conceal whatever lay beneath.  

“Shi Jianchuan, did you hear what I just said?”  

Qin Ya had been talking for a while with no response, and the young mistress was growing displeased.  

Shi Jianchuan replied lazily, “Hmm.”  

“So you agree?”  

Delighted, Qin Ya leaned forward on the desk, her eyes sparkling with a clarity Shi Jianchuan hadn’t seen in years.  

The faint, alluring scent of her perfume teased his senses.  

Shi Jianchuan’s brow furrowed in discomfort. He tugged at his tie and took a step back.  

Qin Ya kicked the nearby desk in frustration. “Do you really hate me that much?”  

It seemed he truly couldn’t stand her—even her proximity was unbearable.  

No doubt, if not for her leveraging past favors, they would never have married.

Qin Ya was only down for a moment before quickly pulling herself together. What did the old Qin Ya have to do with her current self anyway?

Qin Ya said, “Then it’s settled. We won’t get divorced for now.”

Shi Jianchuan’s fingers paused on his watch dial, his raven-feather-like lashes obscuring all emotion in his eyes. “No.”

His fingertips turned pale as waves of sharp pain throbbed in his head. His lips lost their color too.

Qin Ya: “?? You just agreed to it! Are you going back on your word now?”

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at him.

Shi Jianchuan replied, “I never agreed.”

Qin Ya crossed her arms and plopped down opposite him. “Why are you so insistent on divorce?”

Without looking up, he answered, “Incompatibility.”

“Feelings develop over time through interaction. That’s not a valid reason.”

Shi Jianchuan lifted his gaze slightly. Hidden within those obsidian eyes was a storm Qin Ya couldn’t comprehend.

“Qin Ya, are you still trying to force me?”

Somehow, Qin Ya felt that if she told him now that she’d lost her memory and forgotten everything, this man might actually devour her alive. She didn’t know why, but the intuition was strong.

Her voice softened. “Husband, I was wrong before. From now on, I’ll turn over a new leaf, I promise.”

“Let’s not get divorced, okay? Hubby?”

Timidly, she reached out to tug at Shi Jianchuan’s sleeve, offering him an ingratiating smile when he looked her way.

Miss Qin knew when to bend and when to stand firm. Besides, having such a husband wasn’t a bad deal at all. That face kept dancing right along her preferences.

Right now, she just wanted to applaud her past self—even when snatching someone, she’d grabbed the handsomest one. Just looking at him could make her eat two extra bowls of rice.

Shi Jianchuan stared at her hand for a long moment, his voice inexplicably hoarse when he finally spoke. “Get out.”

Qin Ya obediently said “Okay,” walked to the door, then turned back with an even brighter smile. “Then it’s settled.”

“Add me back first.”

Shi Jianchuan found himself unable to refuse that face again, even if this was all just an illusionary world.

With a quiet “Mm,” he removed Qin Ya from his blacklist right in front of her.

Delighted, Qin Ya chirped, “Hubby, you focus on work. I’m heading home now.”

She bombarded him with a string of emojis.

She couldn’t quite remember where home was, but her phone’s navigation showed a frequently visited address—that was probably the place.

Before she could call a ride, the hospital called first.

“Miss Qin! Where have you gone? You’re still under observation—you can’t just run off!”

The doctor and nurses sounded thoroughly exasperated on the other end.

Qin Ya felt slightly embarrassed. “I had something to take care of. I’ll come back right away.”

As they continued lecturing, the guilt-ridden Qin Ya could only listen meekly.

After returning to the hospital for some basic tests, she was herded back to her room.

Bored, Qin Ya picked up her phone to bother Shi Jianchuan.

[Husband, I miss you.]

[What are you up to?]

[Peeking cat emoji.jpg.]

She sent several messages, but Shi Jianchuan didn’t reply to a single one.

Qin Ya rolled around on the bed a couple times, mussing up her hair.

He really couldn’t stand her, could he?

It was all her fault for treating him so poorly before. But now she’d work hard to rebuild his goodwill toward her.

Qin Ya tried digging through her phone again for more clues.

But her connection with Shi Jianchuan was truly minimal, leaving her with little to work with.  

A truly plastic marriage.  

The messages she sent disappeared without a trace, and Qin Ya could only feel that the road ahead was long and arduous.  

Unbeknownst to her, Shi Jianchuan was at a psychiatric clinic not far from this very hospital.