Divorce Application - Chapter 25
Chapter 25: Explanation
“Roses?” Liu Sinan looked confused. “Whose roses? What poison?”
Wu Haoxue folded her arms and said coolly, “The roses you planted. Lin Xia said they were poisonous.”
Only then did Liu Sinan remember her garden of withered roses.
She fell silent, clutching the cherry tomato in her hand, and said nothing.
“I know a Ph.D. who studies the medicinal value of roses, and she said everything Lin Xia said was bullshit,” Wu Haoxue pulled up the person’s profile on her phone. “See for yourself. She’s from the North China Institute of Science and Technology. She’s more of an authority than that Lin Xia, right?”
“Do Ph.D.s say ‘bullshit’?” Liu Sinan didn’t know what was wrong with her. She should have followed Wu Haoxue’s lead and moved on to the real topic, but for some reason, she couldn’t control her thoughts and focused on these strange details.
It was as if she wouldn’t have to face certain emotional upsets if she didn’t focus on whether the roses were poisonous or not.
Wu Haoxue looked exasperated. “I don’t know if Ph.D.s say ‘bullshit,’ but the question you just asked was definitely bullshit… Forget it, just know what you need to know.”
“First Lan Ling, then Lin Xia,” Wu Haoxue “tsk”ed, took a big bite of a beef skewer, and chewed it hard. “Ms. Li is really a bit more than I expected.”
“And you’re really as silly as you were when you were a child.”
Light red juice dripped through her fingers. Liu Sinan was dazed and raised her hand, throwing the cherry tomato she had accidentally crushed into the trash can.
Wu Haoxue handed her a wet wipe. “I asked someone. Lin Xia is indeed a medical professional and a top student from a foreign university. She used to work in a private hospital abroad, but she’s not a doctor. She’s a senior nurse. This makes sense, given that nursing is a high-paying job abroad.”
“I don’t want to know about her,” Liu Sinan said softly. “Don’t tell me.”
Liu Sinan suddenly felt very tired. She grabbed a tissue and wiped herself haphazardly a few times. “I don’t know why Li Jinping would have a person like that around her, but I don’t want to overthink things. It makes me sad, sad about why I have to put my attention and energy into a person who shouldn’t be between us in the first place.”
“It makes me feel like I’m not myself anymore, and I can’t be at ease with anything I do.”
Wu Haoxue thought for a moment, then said in a quiet voice, “I’m sorry.”
Liu Sinan shook her head, her eyes a little misty. “Xiao Xue, I should be thanking you. If you weren’t here with me, I don’t know how I would get through these days.”
“Don’t look at me like that,” Wu Haoxue sighed. “You’re making me feel sorry for you.”
After thinking about it, Wu Haoxue said bluntly, “Forget it. Whatever. It’s not like Li Jinping is the only one for us. I take back what I said earlier. Li Jinping might not be a good match after all.”
Wu Haoxue counted on her fingers for her. “First, her status is too high, and our necks will hurt from looking up at people too much. Second, she’s too old. She’s a full twelve years older than you. You can call her ‘older sister’ and then add an ‘auntie.’ Third… I guess her health isn’t great, and she needs a private nurse by her side all the time. That’s too much trouble.”
“Health isn’t great?” Liu Sinan heard the last sentence, sniffled, and instinctively wanted to object.
But as she opened her mouth, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
No, she might have missed some key details.
Maybe Lan Ling’s “fellow patient” remark didn’t mean Li Jinping was crazy. Was there another explanation? Maybe Lin Xia was indeed fulfilling her nursing duties by being by Li Jinping’s side?
This possibility wasn’t out of the question.
But if so, a question arises: what was wrong with Li Jinping?
As soon as Liu Sinan thought of the possibility, her heart began to beat violently and uncontrollably, causing a dull ache.
She reached for her phone, wanting to ask Li Jinping directly, but before she could touch it, she remembered the suffocating relationship between them right now, and her hand stopped in mid-air.
Wu Haoxue patted the back of her hand, took her hand, and put it down, saying earnestly, “That’s all I have to say to you. If you decide to start over, I’ll find you a new girlfriend tomorrow.”
Liu Sinan frowned and pulled her hand away. “Please don’t. I still have to work hard.”
“That’s the spirit,” Wu Haoxue yawned, got up, and walked out. “You think about it carefully, okay? No matter what you decide, I’ll support you.”
After Wu Haoxue went to sleep, Liu Sinan was left alone in the room.
Her mind was constantly filled with all sorts of worries. She tossed and turned all night, her eyes open until dawn.
The next morning, the outside was already bright. Liu Sinan, her body aching, crawled out of bed and opened her phone.
nan: Wife, do you know Lan Ling?
She decided to ask Li Jinping first.
An explanation from Li Jinping, even just one sentence, would be more acceptable to her than anything she heard from Lan Ling.
After asking, Liu Sinan began to wash and put on makeup. She had to post a selfie on Weibo today, and a team would be coming over to film her later.
Having not slept well the night before, Liu Sinan took the makeup artist’s advice for a “no-makeup makeup” look. She recorded a vlog wearing an apron for the studio to post and took a few photos with food.
By the time she finished, it was noon, and Liu Sinan received a reply from Li Jinping.
Li: You’ve met her?
Liu Sinan’s fingertips lingered on the text box. Faced with Li Jinping’s question that didn’t answer hers and changed the subject, she felt a little lost.
Perhaps Liu Sinan’s silence angered Li Jinping, who quickly sent another message.
Li: Stay away from her.
Li: This has nothing to do with you. It never did, and it never will.
Liu Sinan bit her lower lip and typed with difficulty.
nan: But… she’s wearing the PCRIO watch you designed.
This time, Li Jinping’s reply was much calmer, without the sharp words from before.
Li: I’ve already apologized for that matter back then, and I’ve also given you the right to seek compensation from me. Whatever you want, I can give you.
nan: I don’t want anything. I just want to hear an explanation.
nan: Wife… I really want to hear you explain, even just one sentence. Am I not even worthy of one explanation?
It took two minutes for Li Jinping’s reply to come.
Li: There is no need for an explanation for something like this.
The moment Liu Sinan saw this message, she could almost imagine Li Jinping’s composed and indifferent face, her straight lips calmly uttering cold words, her eyes showing no sorrow or joy, only her usual calmness and wisdom.
So calm that she wasn’t moved for even a second by Liu Sinan’s questioning and breakdown.
Liu Sinan fiercely wiped her eyes, took a deep breath, and closed the chat window with Li Jinping.
She threw her phone on the sofa, paced back and forth in the living room several times, and after taking more than a dozen deep breaths, she suddenly collapsed onto the sofa.
She felt that the anger that had just risen was gone the moment it gathered in her chest.
Maybe she was used to it, used to Li Jinping not explaining, ignoring, and being indifferent.
Or maybe it was as she expected. Li Jinping wouldn’t change anything because of her coming and going, so she wouldn’t allow herself to get angry and do something childish and pointless.
Liu Sinan lay on the sofa with her hands over her eyes for a while, then got up, put on her clothes, wrapped herself up completely, and went out to hail a cab.
“Driver, Hengyue Hotel.”