Chapter 26 – Breaking Off the Engagement

The political commissar advised Lu Yanzhi to let the woman go. It’s a law-abiding society now—forced marriages are no longer acceptable.

Lu Yanzhi was forced to agree.

Zhou Yufeng said, “Yanzhi, Li Zhi said these receipts are all expenses she paid for your family. Is that true? If it is, you should return the money. I calculated it—it’s about 1,516 yuan.”

Lu Yanzhi’s face turned green and then pale. Shamed and angry, he snapped, “Li Zhi, you spent that money for my family willingly. Do you really have to be so ruthless now?”

It’s not like he said he wouldn’t pay it back.

She purposely brought this matter to the military unit—wasn’t that just to embarrass him?

Did she really hate him this much?

She was ruthless—when she loved, she loved to the bone; when she hated, she hated to the core.

Not even a shred of sentiment was left. Fine. If she wanted to break off the engagement, so be it. He just hoped she wouldn’t regret it.

Even if he begged her in the future, he would never forgive her.

Li Zhi said coldly, “You were the one who was heartless first. Now that we’ve broken up, isn’t it only fair you return my money? Or are you, a dignified company commander, hoping to live off a woman? If you’re not embarrassed by that, then by all means, don’t pay me back.”

In her past life, she had thought Lu Yanzhi had changed—that he had fallen out of love. She believed he had once loved her. But she was wrong.

He never loved her. It was all an act. And such a good act, too—what a waste he didn’t go into acting professionally.

Lu Yanzhi muttered, “I never said I wouldn’t pay you back!”

“Great! Then pay me back now.” Li Zhi stretched out her hand toward him.

A flash of awkwardness crossed Lu Yanzhi’s handsome face as he stammered, “I… I don’t have that much money on me right now. I’ll need some time.”

Most of his monthly salary went to support his family. He also had his own expenses. Even though the Li family had covered most of the wedding costs, he had still paid a third.

Part of that third had even been borrowed from relatives, and he hadn’t paid it back yet.

His parents were used to spending freely and had no savings.

He had relied solely on himself for the wedding, plus supporting his family. He didn’t have more than 500 yuan on him.

Li Zhi said, “Then go back and get it.”

She was certain he wouldn’t be able to.

Lu Yanzhi realized she was deliberately trying to humiliate him. Frustrated and defeated, he snapped, “I don’t have that much on me. Happy now?”

“Very happy. Why wouldn’t I be?” Li Zhi nodded. “If you don’t have enough, then borrow it. I don’t care how you do it, but I want the full amount paid back tomorrow. I don’t want anything more to do with you.”

Lu Yanzhi looked at her with pained eyes. “Li Zhi, can you tell me—what did I do so wrong that you hate me this much?”

It was just a wedding. Did it really warrant all this?

He couldn’t understand. He truly couldn’t.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. Everything you did was just right. Just give me back the money.”

Hearing her sarcasm, Lu Yanzhi’s face turned ashen, his chest heaving violently, but he couldn’t get a word out. He was so furious he was about to explode. “You—”

Zhou Yufeng quickly stepped in to divert the tension. “Company Commander Lu, how much money do you have on you?”

“About five hundred.”

Zhou Yufeng said, “If Li Zhi isn’t in a rush to get the money, I have a suggestion. Pay her 516 yuan now, and then set aside 100 yuan from your monthly salary to pay her back over the next ten months.

Li Zhi can leave your bank account info, and the finance department can deposit the money directly there.”

“I’m not in a rush to use the money. I accept that plan,” Li Zhi said.

Lu Yanzhi returned to his dorm to get the money.

In front of the political commissar and Zhou Yufeng, he handed the money over to Li Zhi.

Political Commissar Wu submitted the investigation results and the request to break off the engagement to higher authorities for approval. The approval came quickly.

A new document appeared on the political commissar’s desk: the signed agreement to terminate the engagement.

The previously stamped marriage application and consent documents were invalidated—ripped into pieces and tossed in the trash.

All their submitted marriage-related documents were returned.

A heavy kraft paper envelope was handed back, filled with various paperwork: photocopies of household registration booklets, application forms, medical examination reports, letters of introduction, departmental approval documents…

They had gone through countless hurdles to get to the final step of marriage, only for it all to end in failure.

The two of them left the political commissar’s office one after the other, separated by several meters.

As soon as Li Zhi stepped outside, she let out a slow breath. Her breathing finally felt smooth again, as if she had just removed a thousand-pound weight from her shoulders—utterly relieved.

In her past life, that miserable marriage had trapped her for sixteen years. She was terrified—truly terrified.

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