"I don't believe it!" Chen Yutong glared at Zhan Yangyi.
Although she had been using him, after so long, she simply couldn't believe Zhan Yangyi was that kind of person.
But Zhan Yangyi sneered, "Believe it or not, what you see now is the truth."
Chen Yutong stared at Zhan Yangyi, a knot of frustration in her chest. She felt he had some ulterior motive, but couldn't fathom what it was.
"No, I don't care what you say. I only believe in my understanding of you. You wouldn't do that."
Chen Yutong shook her head as she spoke.
Zhan Yangyi looked at her, a pang of regret striking him. He hadn't expected her to be so steadfast in her perception of him.
Anyone witnessing this scene would undoubtedly consider him a complete scoundrel.
But Zhan Yangyi had already made up his mind; there was no turning back. No matter how reluctant he felt, things couldn't be changed.
"Yangyi, can we please stop this? I know you must have your reasons, but we could have had a wonderful family. Whatever we face, let's face it together, okay?"
Chen Yutong refused to give up, knowing this might be her last chance.
To her surprise, Zhan Yangyi stood up, looking down at her with disdain.
"You truly are a hopelessly stupid woman," Zhan Yangyi said with mockery. "I've explained this much, and you still don't understand? Do I have to spell everything out for you?"
Chen Yutong was startled by his attitude; she had never seen Zhan Yangyi like this before.
Yet, she wasn't entirely unaware that if Zhan Yangyi truly knew her past actions, his desire to divorce her would be understandable.
But the matter he was referring to wasn't that.
"You repeatedly claimed that the media reports had nothing to do with you, right?"
Chen Yutong immediately nodded. "I swear it wasn't me."
Zhan Yangyi pulled a document from his briefcase. "When these news first broke, I already investigated. Based on the clues provided by the media, we traced the email address used for submissions. And that email address, isn't it yours?"
Chen Yutong stared at the document in disbelief. "No, this is impossible."
She couldn't bring herself to believe it, yet the information on the document was indeed hers.
Zhan Yangyi seemed pained. "I didn't want to confront you with this. If you had been smarter, I wouldn't have had to be so open with you."
"No, Yangyi, I had nothing to do with this, and I don't know why this is happening."
Chen Yutong felt a surge of unspoken grievances, unable to comprehend how things had reached this point.
"You keep saying this has nothing to do with you, but how can you prove it? I have every clue pointing to you as the mastermind behind this."
"It wasn't me, it wasn't me..." Chen Yutong murmured, but she truly had no way to prove her innocence.
Tears began to stream down her face. She had intended to have the best conversation with Zhan Yangyi today, but why... why had it turned out this way?
Zhan Yangyi looked at Chen Yutong's trembling form, a flicker of sympathy returning.
But if he wasn't so resolute, Chen Yutong wouldn't agree to a divorce.
And for her, he absolutely had to divorce now.
He couldn't bear to be a substitute for Zhan Mohan for the rest of his life, constantly being compared to her past love.
Chen Yutong finally mustered the courage to look up at Zhan Yangyi. She moved her lips, but in the end, nothing came out.
She knew that perhaps, this time, they were truly beyond repair.
Zhan Yangyi no longer trusted her, and he even had another woman.
They sat facing each other, separated only by a table, yet it felt like an insurmountable chasm lay between them.
It was in this awkward silence that Zhan Yangyi's phone rang.
Zhan Yangyi glanced at the caller ID, a gentle smile appearing on his face. "What is it? Mmm, I'm at the business club on Fenghua Road, in the private room called 'Hong Dou'. Okay, I'll wait for you."
Chen Yutong was puzzled, wondering who Zhan Yangyi would be expecting at this hour.
However, after the call, Zhan Yangyi's mood noticeably improved.
"Forget it. I don't want to pursue that matter any further. As long as we divorce, your affairs will no longer concern me."
But Chen Yutong stubbornly looked at Zhan Yangyi. "I will not agree to a divorce. No matter what you say or do, I will not agree."
As soon as she finished speaking, a woman's voice came from the doorway.
"Yangyi."
It was the woman he had seen at the bar that day.
Seeing her, Zhan Yangyi's previously cold expression softened into a smile.
"I'm sorry, I have some unfinished business here. We'll go see a performance together another time."
With that, he pulled the woman into his embrace.
Zhan Yangyi didn't even bother with discretion, directly handing Chen Yutong another document: a divorce agreement.
"Take a look at these terms. Are there any issues? If not, please sign it."
He spoke without even looking at Chen Yutong, as if it were a trivial matter.
Chen Yutong's hands trembled as she picked up the divorce agreement. This action, in Zhan Yangyi's eyes, was still a painful sight.
The other woman glanced between Chen Yutong and Zhan Yangyi, sensing the tension in the air, and let out a sigh of sadness.
However, after reading the divorce agreement, Chen Yutong tore it into pieces right in front of Zhan Yangyi, scattering them carelessly.
Paper fragments fluttered down like snow.
Chen Yutong felt as though these falling scraps of paper were like her shattered heart, beyond repair.
Zhan Yangyi watched her coldly. "What, you think the compensation I offered isn't enough? We can discuss what you want..."
But before he could finish, Chen Yutong slapped him.
"Mr. Zhan!" The woman exclaimed in alarm, reaching out to gently touch Zhan Yangyi's face. "Does it hurt?"
Zhan Yangyi ignored her, his gaze fixed on Chen Yutong. "Do you hate me right now?"
Chen Yutong's emotions shifted from sadness to anger, and even a touch of hate.
She took a deep breath, tears uncontrollably streaming down her face. "If only it were just hate!"