After Eight Years Of Marriage, You're Asking Me For A Divorce - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Zhao Xiaotong brought news that Lu Jiancai’s post-surgery complications had recurred, and their scheduled meeting for Friday afternoon had to be postponed.

However, thanks to Lin Sinian’s coordination, the bank manager agreed to extend the loan repayment period.

Lin Sinian had no commitments on Friday evening, and he and Xiao Yanxiu spent the night intimately.

…

Lin Sinian became a mass of flesh strung together by pleasure. Xiao Yanxiu was both the steel fork that pierced him and the central pillar that stitched him back together.

The night went so late that he almost couldn’t get out of bed the next day.

Preparation work downstairs had already begun. The catering company arrived first, starting their setup before dawn. All food ingredients had to be the freshest. Lin Sinian woke up to see four servers carrying massive water tanks containing live lobsters and unknown varieties of fish. He never cared what the fish he ate actually looked like; the ones served to him would never be anything inferior. One variety seemed no different from another. For the first time, he curiously watched the large fish awaiting slaughter, finding everything fresh and interesting.

Xiao Yanxiu was changing in the dressing room. Reporters were about to arrive, and they had an exclusive interview scheduled before the formal dinner.

He was choosing a wristwatch. A fair, smooth hand reached from behind and picked out a Patek Philippe for him. The clasp slid into the buckle hole, just needing the rest of the strap to be pushed back into position, when Xiao Yanxiu suddenly grabbed the hand, pulled him in front of the full-length mirror, and pressed his lips onto him.

Lin Sinian was kissed until his head spun. He finally managed to push him back slightly, trying hard to maintain a stern face: “We’ll be late.”

Xiao Yanxiu was like a greedy child: “Mr. Lin, throw me a bone. I’ve been hungry all morning.”

Lin Sinian lightly pecked the corner of his mouth: “There, don’t keep the reporters waiting. They still have to write good things about you.”

In front of Mr. Lin, business was always the priority.

The reporters finally welcomed the couple, their eyes lighting up. Xiao Yanxiu was handsome and elegant, the most prominent leader in the tech sector; even young women completely unfamiliar with the tech world would glance twice at his photos in magazines and newspapers. His face was a guarantee of sales, no less effective than a professional model.

Lin Sinian had shed his prosecutor’s uniform, wearing a saffron-yellow patterned silk shirt, with two buttons undone at the collar. His collarbones, like two flying snow willows, beckoned subtly beneath the undulating fabric. He was originally a figure of cold refinement, generally presenting himself with stern propriety. This was the first time the reporters had seen him in a domestic, relaxed style, and they were stunned, their hearts pounding.

“Tell us how you two met?”

“At a university alumni banquet in 2005. He brought his assistant, and I brought my secretary. Neither of us knew the other. The cruise ship sailed to the center of the river to set off fireworks. I only had one thought at the time: I must kiss him under the fireworks. Later, my secretary told me that he was the youngest Class One Prosecutor at the Public Prosecution Office.”

“How is your married life? How does it compare to what you originally expected?”

“It’s better than I imagined. We get along well in terms of lifestyle habits. Hmm… neither of us snores.”

“How do you divide responsibilities at home?”

“Sinian mainly manages the finances. His financial experience is very rich. He basically controls the household accounts, including all procurement. He also makes the decisions on major purchases. I manage the personnel—the maid, housekeeper, and driver report to me.”

Lin Sinian occasionally nodded or said a few brief words. The interview was arranged for Xiao Yanxiu, and his role was merely to sit as the “Mrs. Xiao.” They needed a photo shoot in the courtyard, under the massive floral arch made of sixty thousand Larkspur, Begonia, and Delphinium. Xiao Yanxiu embraced his waist as requested. They kissed, then hugged and smiled, standing one in front of the other. Xiao Yanxiu plucked a begonia flower and pinned it to his chest. Lin Sinian’s face reflected the pink of the petals, making them look like a pair of young lovers just starting their romance in the photos.

…

Early guests began to arrive in the courtyard.

Lin Sinian had to attend to the guests, so he excused himself from the reporters, leaving the remainder of the interview to Xiao Yanxiu. The air outside the reception room was fresh and clear, and he realized his own tension. He and Xiao Yanxiu were only high-profile at the very beginning of their dating, during the passionate phase when he was lovesick and wanted the whole world to know this man was his. Later, as he pursued promotion, from the Public Prosecution Office to Deputy Chief Prosecutor, he had to be extremely careful about his private life and kept a low profile, not even inviting reporters to the wedding.

When Xiao Yanxiu mentioned accepting the interview, he almost blurted out, Don’t you have a spokesperson? He thought he had fully realized he was a man with a family now. This was his and Xiao Yanxiu’s home, not the Procuratorate. There was no spokesperson; his life had to be expressed by himself. When he chose to abandon his career and return to the family to assist his husband, he should have anticipated that his life would gradually be dissected for public viewing.

Elder Mr. and Mrs. Lin were seated at the main table. The elderly lady’s legs hadn’t been well recently, so Lin Sinian hired a maid specifically to attend to her. Also seated at the table was Xiao Yanping and his female companion. Lin Sinian didn’t recognize which family the young woman was from. The girl sweetly mentioned her high bl00d sugar, saying she couldn’t eat much, and asked if a dish of bran porridge could be added.

The menu hadn’t included bran products, so Lin Sinian had to personally go to the kitchen to inquire, where he was intercepted by Cheng Siyu in the corridor.

The two hadn’t spoken since their unpleasant parting after the meeting with Lu Jingyao. Cheng Siyu brought a generous gift, sincerely coming to apologize.

“I truly had no idea that man surnamed Lu was like that,” Cheng Siyu sighed. “I called him and gave him a piece of my mind. Anyway, my door will never be open to the Lu family again. If he dares to spill the beans, I, Cheng Siyu, will definitely stand by you. Don’t worry. I knew about that matter back then, too; it was just a female student, after all.”

Lin Sinian glared at him: “Do you have to shout it out here?”

Cheng Siyu closed his mouth. They passed through the long, breezy corridor, seeing more and more guests outside. Many were people Cheng Siyu knew. Lin Sinian said they were Xiao Yanxiu’s business partners. Xiao Yanxiu moved through the crowd, with reporters occasionally following him to snap a few pictures. Cheng Siyu checked his attire, taking off the jewelry on his neck, ears, and wrists and tucking it into his pocket.

“Don’t worry, there’s only one media outlet, mainly here to interview him, and we’ve already instructed that guests are not allowed to be photographed at the dinner,” Lin Sinian thought he was worried about being photographed by the reporter.

Cheng Siyu shook his head: “I know these people very well. That reporter accompanied Miss Yang shopping last month; I was there too. I lied to her and said that since my husband passed away, my heart is dead, and I have no interest in dressing up, only managing to come out for fresh air. She thinks I’m a lonely, pathetic, and heartbroken widower.” He chuckled and pouted at Lin Sinian: “Don’t contradict my story later.”

The friendship between him and Lin Sinian was sustained by secrets. He knew Lin Sinian’s secrets, and Lin Sinian knew his. As long as neither spoke, the friendship would remain unbreakable. As long as no one actively broke this rule, it would continue.

Lying to the reporter and pretending to be pathetic was a minor issue. Lin Sinian thought for a moment and asked: “When you contacted Lu Jingyao, what did he tell you?”

Cheng Siyu lowered his voice: “He apologized and said nice things to me, acting like he was so miserable. I told him, Could you be more miserable than me? But, according to him, their financial situation is genuinely worrying, not only because of the bank interest but mainly because Lu Jiancai is not well. Lu Jingyao, being the son, has never managed such a large group, only throwing his weight around in his small manufacturing company, so problems quickly arose.”

“Are you saying Lu Jiancai might not know about this?” Lin Sinian understood.

Cheng Siyu nodded: “So, you asking to meet his father will probably be very difficult. He will suppress the request and prevent you from meeting him.”

The reply about the recurrence of post-surgical complications was probably also false. Lu Jiancai had surgery two months ago, around the same time the environmental qualification was rejected. The Lu family truly had no one else, which is why they sent the junior Lu Jingyao to handle this crisis? Where were the professional managers? The Chief Financial Officer? If the CFO had been more assertive, the situation wouldn’t be like this.

Lin Sinian had reviewed Zhonglian’s financial data. Lu Jingyao’s small manufacturing company alone had over ten million in accounts payable, meaning the capital chain was completely broken. Fixed assets were listed at 70 million. How could a subsidiary manufacturing company, which doesn’t build rockets or spacecraft, have such a large asset value? A pile of scrap metal plus two imported machines—it was good that they hadn’t been cleared for bankruptcy yet. And this was just one of Zhonglian’s dozen or so subsidiaries.

“They’re employing a bunch of auditors who don’t know what they’re doing,” Lin Sinian said. “I talked to the bank, too. They’re failing on their own and are trying to drag others down with them.”

Cheng Siyu nodded: “I think you still need to communicate with Lu Jiancai. Why don’t you just take people and openly visit him at the nursing home? You haven’t officially resigned yet. He still has to cooperate with the Procuratorate’s work, right?”

Lin Sinian didn’t take his random suggestion seriously. Going directly to the nursing home was improper; he would need a formal reason to go. However, sending Zhao Xiaotong to represent him was an option.

He scanned the scene, intending to call Zhao Xiaotong, but Xiao Yanxiu pulled him away first. He realized he had been led to the center of the crowd, standing beside his husband under the guests’ earnest and enthusiastic gaze.

“Sinian, come. I have a gift for you,” Xiao Yanxiu said.

Lin Sinian hadn’t been informed that he had added this segment. The scene fell silent for a moment.

The housekeeper pushed in a small cart covered by a red cloth, concealing a person-height rectangular object.

Xiao Yanxiu put his arm around Lin Sinian: “The company is building a new postdoctoral workstation in the Entrepreneurship Park to house high-level research and development talent. We received the land approval three months ago. I plan to name the workstation after you—Sinian Tower. Construction is scheduled to start in July. I’ve had the cornerstone selected, and today, I’m asking you to tie the ribbon. From now on, every scientific research achievement of the Xiao Group in the country will originate from Sinian Tower, and every specialized achievement report will bear your name.”

Lin Sinian didn’t immediately grasp the full implication. The housekeeper lifted the red cloth, revealing a crab-shell green cornerstone. There were gasps from the crowd; many recognized its worth. This was Mount Tai Stone (Taishan Shi), sourced from the Mount Tai mountain range, made from a single, polished piece of raw stone carved into a one-meter-long, fifty-centimeter-wide stele shape. Its tone was steady, robust, and magnificent, with clear, beautiful veining. The pure crystalline particles sparkled brilliantly, winding through the stone like star bands crossing the clouds.

The value of Mount Tai Stone lies in its veining. High-quality pieces feature pictographic patterns, some resembling characters, others landscapes, and some embodying the spirit of people, birds, or beasts. As such, they are highly sought after in the country, which values expressive aesthetics, and it is normal for an unprocessed raw stone to sell for an astronomical price. Great importance is placed on Feng Shui during construction in China, and the cornerstone is the essential first step; Mount Tai Stone is the premier choice for a cornerstone.

There is a historical reference: ancient Yanhuang ancestors used Mount Tai Stone to arrange sacrificial ceremonies when worshiping on Mount Tai. Later, when Qin Shi Huang ascended the throne, he erected a stone on Mount Tai to make offerings to Heaven, establishing a tradition that evolved into a national ceremony. It wasn’t something ordinary people could use; only the Emperor could commission such a stone for a foundation.

Xiao Yanxiu’s gift of such a stone was expensive and profoundly symbolic.

Lin Sinian’s expression didn’t change, but he was deeply touched. He had never expected Xiao Yanxiu to value him this much. Setting aside how this stone was acquired—it was essentially priceless—Lin Sinian had dealt with law for most of his life, knew nothing about scientific research, and had made no major contribution to the Xiao Group. Naming a highly valuable research building after him was unreasonable and would certainly draw external criticism.

Xiao Yanxiu must have faced considerable pressure to make this decision. His hand holding the silk ribbon trembled slightly. He caught a glimpse of Xiao Yanping’s hostile expression out of the corner of his eye. A wave of apprehension hit him: Will Xiao Yanxiu regret giving me such a valuable gift later? But under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he couldn’t show any trace of unhappiness or reluctance. The red silk ribbon was gently tied onto the cornerstone and immediately sealed away, waiting to be buried underground as the very first foundation stone of Sinian Tower on the day construction began.

Lin Sinian had to give a speech, and he planned to keep it brief.

He said: “I’ll be brief. Whenever people hear me speak, they assume the Prosecutor is about to explain a case, which requires speaking carefully and slowly, often making everyone sleepy.” The crowd laughed.

“Legally speaking, marriage is a contract, representing the mutual consent of both parties. There are many types of contracts. Specifically, marriage is a contract of identity, meaning my husband and I agreed to transform from bachelors into each other’s partners. I married to become Axu’s partner, and this is my sole purpose. I will uphold the spirit of a good contract to maintain a free, equal, and trustworthy marriage. Thank you all for coming. I wish everyone a fun time and a happy life.”

When he finished, Xiao Yanxiu was the first to stand up and applaud. Lin Sinian initiated a kiss with Xiao Yanxiu.

Amidst the cheers, someone teased: “Mr. Lin, legally speaking, what is that action called?”

Lin Sinian thought for a moment: “That’s called asserting ownership.”