Chapter 18

“So, you really can’t trust a man’s sweet words. Look at Li Wangjin—he used to be so perfect in front of you, but now his true colors are showing. I don’t know what kind of taste he has to fall for a woman like that.”

“Don’t take it too hard. I’m sure he’s just fooling around outside and won’t actually divorce you.”  

Sun Mei spoke words of comfort, but the glee on her face was barely concealed. She had invited Fang Junrong out and couldn’t wait to show her the video.  

Growing thirsty from talking, she took another sip of her drink and glanced at Fang Junrong, who remained silent and composed. To her annoyance, Fang Junrong didn’t cry or make a scene—she just kept watching the video. It felt like punching cotton, utterly unsatisfying.  

“Don’t you have anything to say?”  

Fang Junrong finally looked up at her. “Actually, I had a vague sense that something was off with him lately, but I chose to trust him.”  

Sun Mei sneered. “If men’s words were trustworthy, pigs could climb trees.” As she spoke, her enthusiasm waned. She had long dreamed of exposing Li Wangjin’s hypocrisy and trampling Fang Junrong underfoot, but now that she’d done it, it wasn’t as thrilling as she’d imagined.  

“What shocks me more is that the woman he cheated with is actually Yage’s aunt.” Too bad Fang Junrong couldn’t cry—a few tears would have made her act more convincing.  

Although the Li family hadn’t formally introduced Jiang Yage and Zhong Yi to society, Li Wangjin doted on Jiang Yage and often took her out, so most in their circle knew she was the Li family’s adopted daughter.  

Sun Mei shook her head, playing the hindsight card. “Just look at her face—she’s the type who can’t stay faithful, a born ingrate. You’ve invited a wolf into your home. Who knows? Maybe Li Wangjin gave Jiang Yage that status just for his mistress.”  

The more she spoke, the more convinced she became, and the more she despised Li Wangjin.  

“Ah, you should just accept it. Men will always stray—what matters is holding onto the family’s finances. You trusted him too much!”  

Feeling that Fang Junrong was pitiable and having bonded over bashing men, Sun Mei no longer disliked her as much. Instead, she saw them as allies in this battle.  

Fang Junrong asked for a copy of the video, which Sun Mei was more than happy to provide.  

After receiving it, Fang Junrong stood up. “I should go now. Thank you for today.”  

Her tone was calm, but Sun Mei sensed an impending storm and perked up instantly. “Want me to go with you?” She was already imagining the couple’s explosive confrontation and couldn’t help feeling a little excited.  

Fang Junrong curled her lips slightly. “No need.”  

After thanking Sun Mei, she left. Watching her retreating figure, Sun Mei called her mahjong friends, eager to share the juicy story. She was the type to revel in others’ drama, and since Li Wangjin had crossed her, she was determined to make him pay.  

…

Fang Junrong went straight back to the Fang family. Her parents had passed away early, and she and her elder brother Fang Xuebo were raised by their grandmother. The siblings had a very close relationship. Since she was divorcing Li Wangjin, she naturally had to inform her brother first. In her previous life, her brother had stood up for her and was consequently suppressed by Li Wangjin and his son, ultimately leading to the bankruptcy of his company. She wasn’t clear about what happened afterward because she had been in a mental hospital, but she doubted the outcome was anything good.

The Fang family primarily dealt in the clothing industry, and her sister-in-law Yang Xi was a renowned fashion designer. Yang Xi had been Fang Junrong’s senior in a university club, and the two had always gotten along well.

Before returning, she called both her brother and sister-in-law. So when she arrived at the Fang residence, the couple were both at home.

Yang Xi had just returned from abroad a few days ago and couldn’t help but brighten upon seeing Fang Junrong. “Your complexion looks even better—did you start using some new skincare products?” As a woman, who wouldn’t want to look youthful and beautiful?

Fang Junrong replied, “I’ve been taking a Beauty Pill recently. I’ll give you some in a couple of days.” She had already made quite a few and stored them in the Jade Grotto.

Fang Xuebo resembled their grandfather more in appearance—plain and unremarkable, but his outstanding demeanor made up for it. He looked more like a scholar than a businessman when out in public. Smiling, he watched his sister and wife chat before asking, “What brings you home so suddenly?”

To Fang Xuebo, even if his sister had been married for twenty years, she was still family, and his concern for her hadn’t diminished in the slightest.

Fang Junrong’s expression remained calm. “Ah, I just wanted to talk to you both about my decision to divorce.”

Fang Xuebo’s face changed.

Without saying anything further, Fang Junrong directly played the video. The sounds that would have been embarrassing under normal circumstances now only incited fury in the couple.

After the initial anger, Fang Xuebo’s expression turned grave. “Have you made up your mind?”

Fang Junrong nodded. “The signs have been there for a long time. He never liked me interfering in company matters and has been increasingly dismissive of me. After Jiang Yage came, he treated her even better than Xin Yun, often belittling Xin Yun and prioritizing Jiang Yage in everything.”

As she listed each point, Fang Xuebo’s anger flared, and he wished he could beat up his brother-in-law—no, soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law.

“What about the two children?” Yang Xi was most worried about Fang Junrong’s son and daughter.

Fang Junrong replied coolly, “One’s in college, and the other just graduated high school. No need to worry about disrupting their studies.”

Hearing this, Fang Xuebo’s expression turned slightly odd—somehow, he got the feeling his sister had been waiting for this day for a long time. No, it must be his imagination! His sister was the most obedient; if she had changed, it was all Li Wangjin’s fault.

For the next half hour, Fang Junrong mainly discussed post-divorce matters with her brother. Fang Xuebo was most concerned about the division of assets—he didn’t want his sister to suffer any losses. But considering the video, he figured Li Wangjin, as the at-fault party, wouldn’t fight too hard over it unless he was willing to sacrifice his carefully cultivated reputation.

After the preliminary discussion, Fang Junrong and Fang Xuebo headed straight back to the Li family’s grand villa.

When they arrived, Li Wangjin and the others were just about to have dinner. Her Barbecue Pork Son, Li Shize, was also at home. The three of them sat around the dining table, the atmosphere appearing warm and peaceful.

Li Wangjin even wore a rare smile, speaking softly and gently to Jiang Yage. When he heard footsteps and looked up to see Fang Junrong, his smile stiffened for a moment before quickly returning to normal. “Jun Rong, you’re back. Have you eaten dinner yet? I thought you’d be dining out tonight.”

Fang Junrong scoffed coldly, “Dinner? I’m too angry to eat anything.”

Fang Xuebo also glared at Li Wangjin with disgust. In his mind, this brother-in-law had already been labeled as a hypocrite.

Li Wangjin wasn’t a fool either; he naturally sensed the anger directed at him. Frowning, he asked, “Who provoked you?”

Fang Junrong walked up to them, her gaze falling on the bottle of red wine on the table. She grabbed the bottle, her icy stare sweeping over Li Wangjin, sending a chill down his spine. He instinctively opened his mouth to say something, but the next second, the bottle tilted, and the red liquid poured out—directly onto Li Wangjin’s head.

Li Wangjin froze, almost convinced he was dreaming. In all their years of marriage, though they’d had arguments, they had never escalated beyond verbal clashes. Physical altercations were unheard of.

The wine dripped from his hair, staining his face and clothes, leaving him looking utterly disheveled. The cold sensation confirmed this wasn’t a dream. Just moments ago, his wife had drenched him in red wine.

After the initial shock, fury ignited in his chest, twisting his expression into something vicious. “H-how dare you?!”

Fang Junrong, however, smiled. With her actions, she made it clear to Li Wangjin that she not only dared—she dared to do it again.

Another bottle of red wine was flung straight at his face. The chilled liquid made him shiver involuntarily. Caught off guard by her second attack, he failed to dodge this time as well.

Li Shize’s sharp brows furrowed deeply, his tone laced with displeasure and reproach. “Mom, stop being unreasonable.”

Jiang Yage’s voice was weak and trembling. “Godmother, are you feeling unwell?”

Li Wangjin wiped his face furiously and roared, “If you’re in a bad mood, don’t take it out on me! What the hell is wrong with you today?”

Were it not for his concern about maintaining his image in front of his child and brother-in-law, Li Wangjin wouldn’t have let this slide so easily. His hands trembled with rage.

Fang Junrong opened her phone and pulled up the video, shoving the screen right into Li Wangjin’s face. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Wen Sixian’s skills must be quite impressive. You seemed to be enjoying yourself.”

Li Wangjin, who had been seething with anger, turned to stone the moment he saw the high-definition footage. His expression froze, and he looked like a quail with its neck wrung.

Jiang Yage’s face drained of color, her body swaying as if she might faint at any moment. “W-what are you talking about?”

Fang Junrong shot her a sharp glare. “Hah. Out of pity for your orphaned status, I kindly brought you into the Li family, only to invite a viper into my home. How impressive—to secure your own position by sending your aunt to his bed.”

“No wonder Li Wangjin spoils you even more than Xinjun. Your pillow talk must be quite effective.” Fang Junrong naturally knew the real reason Li Wangjin doted on Jiang Yage, but that didn’t stop her from saying this. Besides, Jiang Yage probably believed this herself—otherwise, why would she repeatedly cover for the two of them?

Li Shize stared in disbelief at Jiang Yage, whose face had turned deathly pale, and said with difficulty, “Isn’t there some misunderstanding here?” No matter how mature he appeared now, he was still just a nineteen-year-old boy, far from the strategic mastermind he would become in later memories.

Fang Junrong let out a light laugh, her smile devoid of warmth. She stepped forward and turned on the projector in the hall, transferring the video from her phone.

Li Wangjin’s pupils dilated as he tried to stop his wife, but Fang Xuebo blocked him.

Fang Xuebo’s expression was icy. “You had the guts to do it, but not the guts to face it?”

Helpless, Li Wangjin could only watch as the screen displayed an intimate film starring him and Wen Sixian. Despite the strong air conditioning in the room, his body was drenched in sweat, his mind blank, completely devoid of any ability to respond.

Jiang Yage could no longer stand, collapsing into a chair.

Fang Junrong’s face was expressionless. “Let’s get a divorce. You disgust me.”