"I really don't want to argue with you. Can't we just leave each other some dignity?"
The calmer and more composed he was, the more nonchalantly he expressed his desire to sever ties with her, the angrier Fang Shuya became.
She wasn't jealous to the point of madness, but to the point of death.
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Dignity? Why should I leave you any dignity?"
"You haven't fulfilled any of your responsibilities as a husband in our six months of marriage. You might not even be capable. You married me with the intention of deceiving me from the start. You've done all the bad things, so why can't I speak out? Why should I leave you any dignity?"
"I want to speak out. Lu Mingzhe, you are scum, a scoundrel, and in the future..."
Lu Mingzhe helped his mother up, deftly unlocked his phone, and held a photo in front of Fang Shuya.
"I wronged you before, but now we're even."
"Fang Shuya, I didn't want to say this."
Fang Shuya's gaze fell on his phone. Her pupils contracted sharply, but she tried to maintain her composure.
"What do you mean?"
"Still playing tough? You know exactly what I mean."
Fang Shuya believed that since the affair was short-lived and well-hidden, and the other person wasn't even in the country, Lu Mingzhe was trying to bluff her.
"I don't understand! Are you just showing me a random man's photo to smear me? You'd do anything to save money."
Lu Mingzhe was speechless. He stared at her contorted face for a few seconds before putting his phone away.
"Since you keep saying I want to save money, then I really won't compensate you."
"Let's go all the way with being the bad guys. Let's sue for divorce."
"Whether it's smearing or not, we'll see in court. Fang Shuya, you could have had a hundred million, but now you won't get a single cent."
With that, he opened the door, pulled his mother along, and left the house without looking back.
The night passed without incident.
The next day, Lu Mingzhe went downstairs for breakfast. His mother sat opposite him, hesitating to speak.
"If you have something to say, just say it. I'm your son, after all. Do you really plan to look down on me from now on? Do you want me to be struck by lightning?"
Lu Mama's nose stung, and she wiped her eyes.
"Fang Tai called me this morning. Ya Ya's situation was all her cousin-in-law's doing..."
"I'm sorry you were wronged, but I was in the wrong first anyway. Let's not go through legal procedures."
Lu Mingzhe lowered his head indifferently and ate. "You know you were wrong now, but why didn't you give her a chance yesterday?"
"She's still a woman, we can't ruin her, Ah Zhe..."
Lu Mingzhe put down his chopsticks and pinched his temples in annoyance.
"I know. You don't need to say more. You handle this."
Lu Mingzhe went to the company. When he returned in the evening, his mother told him that Fang Shuya had moved out her belongings and signed the papers. It was completely over.
Lu Mingzhe finally breathed a sigh of relief. He immediately checked his phone for flights, planning to surprise Xiang Wan the next day.
However, as he was leaving the complex the next morning, his car was hit on the road.
A medium-sized truck T-boned his car. His right scapula was fractured, and he was trapped in the vehicle for over an hour before being rescued.
Upon receiving the call about his car accident, Lu Mama almost fainted.
After regaining her senses, she rushed to call Xiang Wan and beg her to return.
On the phone, she expressed her apologies repeatedly for Lu Mingzhe's divorce, which also shocked Xiang Wan.
Thinking Lu Mingzhe was on his deathbed, she hurried back with Nian Nian and Lu Qingxu.
By the time they arrived at the hospital, his surgery was already completed.
The doctor said everything else was fine, but the comminuted fracture of his scapula meant that even with the best recovery, he would never be able to exert normal force with it again.
In other words, his right arm was almost useless.
Lu Mingzhe's reaction was very calm. He knew the car accident was not simple, but in the end, it was all him paying for his mistakes, a consequence of his own actions.
It was only when he opened his eyes and saw Xiang Wan with swollen eyes from crying that he felt a pang of heartache.
"Do you still want me?"
On the way back, Xiang Wan had heard from Lu Qingxu about how Lu Mingzhe had lived in the six months after she left, and how he had stabbed himself.
Besides heartache, she also regretted the entire year of their precious time together that they had wasted.
"Yes."
Lu Mingzhe wanted to raise his hand to touch her face, but he couldn't.
Xiang Wan then pressed her face into his palm.
He contentedly felt her warmth. "But I've become useless."
"It's okay, I'll be your right hand from now on. Think of it as you being Yang Guo and me being Xiaolongnü."
"Then it will be tough on you when we sleep."
Xiang Wan was truly exasperated with him. "You're still in the mood to make jokes at a time like this?"
"I have to ask clearly. This is a big deal for me."
Xiang Wan suddenly remembered what his mother had said. "Since you take this so seriously, then after being married for so long, you didn't..."
"Ow, my wound hurts again. It's all in the past. You know what happened, can you stop bringing this up to block me?"
Zhou Jinbei and Ah Zhong, along with Jiang Nanfang and Zhan Beijue, also rushed to the hospital upon hearing the news.
Seeing Lu Mingzhe so battered from getting married and divorced, Zhan Beijue couldn't help but tease him.
"You've been courting death quite a bit this past year. I was afraid you'd kick the bucket without any preparation, so I even got a coffin ready for you."
"Top-grade nanmu wood, guaranteed to send you off in style. Why aren't you dead yet?"
"Are you still going to court death? If not, then refund me the coffin money."
Lu Mingzhe lay pale on the hospital bed, but with Xiang Wan by his side, he was in good spirits.
"Don't worry, you'll need it sooner or later. Keep it for me. I won't keep you waiting too long, maybe fifty or sixty years. I'll come to get it myself then."
Everyone burst into laughter.
They said they were visiting him, but in reality, they were there for the gossip.
They heard that Xiang Wan had given birth to a daughter for him and had now reconciled with him, so they all wanted to see the future Mrs. Lu.
Xiang Wan knew this all too well.
Feeling Jiang Nanfang and Zhou Jinbei glancing at her from time to time, she could only try to make small talk.
"Long time no see, Miss Chen. She..."
This sounded a bit inappropriate.
Although Xiang Wan didn't dislike her, she was Lu Mingzhe's ex-wife, and it was best to avoid any awkwardness.
Zhou Jinbei eased her embarrassment with a joke.
"She recently went through a breakup and isn't in good shape. I was afraid to let her come. She and Old Lu are mortal enemies; if she came, she might upset him even more."
"Is that so..." Xiang Wan smiled.
Zhou Jinbei looked at Jiang Nanfang. "Speaking of which, it's strange. She usually shares even the smallest things with me, but how come her dating life was so secretive?"
"I hadn't even heard about 'Shadow' before it ended, and the aftermath was quite intense, just like back then..."
"She really doesn't consider me a friend. Did she tell you?"
Jiang Nanfang shook her head. "I was busy a while ago and neglected her."
"No, I have to interrogate her properly later. Who managed to capture our carefree Jiao Jiao?"
"If she's hurt this badly by someone, it must be a top-tier scumbag. Once I find out who it is, you'll go with me to get revenge."