Divorce Is An Absolute Must! - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Getting Along

◎A story not told◎

Li Lan finished an entire bowl of rice.

As Zhu Qing was clearing the dishes, she remembered that Li Lan was a model, and it seemed she had overfed her.

Looking at Li Lan’s bowl, which didn’t have a single grain of rice left, Zhu Qing was worried that Li Lan would be too full late at night.

After all, all three dishes, especially the sweet and sour pork with pineapple in front of Li Lan, were completely finished.

Zhu Qing now fully believed what Qian Cancan had said: Li Lan wasn’t picky, she ate whatever was available, and she was very considerate, not a difficult person to get along with.

The dishes didn’t actually need to be cleaned up; an auntie would come tomorrow. But Zhu Qing was still not used to it, so she conscientiously cleaned the dining room and kitchen.

After washing the dishes, she went back to the refrigerator, took out the hawthorns she had just bought, and boiled a pot of hawthorn and chrysanthemum tea. She put it in the fridge so either of them could drink it directly if they had a hard time digesting.

After doing all that, Zhu Qing returned to her room.

When she “snatched” the divorce agreement from Li Lan, she noticed that Li Lan was staying in the second bedroom, which only had a single bed.

Zhu Qing pushed open the door to the master bedroom and saw their wedding photos on the table. She sighed, confirming that this was the room where they lived together.

The room’s decor was exactly as she remembered it, with her favorite oval bed and a very large adjustable desk.

The full-length wardrobe was painted with beautiful graffiti, and there was also her favorite book on the desk.

Zhu Qing pulled open the hidden drawer by the bed. All the important documents were categorized and placed inside, including her graduation certificate and marriage certificate.

In the marriage certificate, she and Li Lan were wearing matching Chinese-style long dresses, smiling gently at the camera, looking like a pair of lovers deeply in love.

Zhu Qing gently touched the words on it, her heart softening a little. A strange thought surfaced: she must have really liked Li Lan.

If she didn’t, how could a person who loves freedom and lives for the moment get married so quickly?

If she didn’t like her, why would she be smiling so happily?

With that thought, Zhu Qing looked at the divorce agreement she had casually tossed aside. As if by a strange impulse, she picked it up and looked through it again.

Two days ago at the law firm, she was nervous and hadn’t actually read the contents of the agreement carefully. She had only glanced at the part about asset division.

Now she turned to that page again. The house, an apartment on Xiyuan Road purchased after marriage, was registered under Zhu Qing’s name and would belong to Zhu Qing after the divorce. Three motor vehicles would belong to Zhu Qing after the divorce. Stocks, bonds, and securities would belong to Zhu Qing after the divorce…

The entire page was filled with “will belong to Zhu Qing after the divorce.”

Zhu Qing closed the agreement blankly.

This was almost saying that Li Lan would leave with nothing.

Li Lan didn’t want any of the assets acquired after marriage and was even giving a lot of extra money to Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing thought, It’s a good thing I didn’t sign the agreement. How could I take so much of Li Lan’s money when we should part amicably?

But then another unspeakable bitterness welled up in her heart.

Li Lan clearly didn’t care about these things and was willing to give them all to her just to get a divorce.

Zhu Qing remembered Li Lan’s expression when she refused to sign the agreement that day. It was a look of doubt mixed with scrutiny and surprise. Zhu Qing didn’t know what it meant before, but now, with this agreement, everything made sense.

That expression clearly meant, How else do you want to divide the assets? I’ve already given you everything, and it’s still not enough!

Zhu Qing covered her face and fell back onto the bed, her heart feeling an inexplicable mix of emotions.

Zhu Qing, Zhu Qing, what did you do in the past year…?

…

The next day, Zhu Qing woke up early to make breakfast. After she was done, she went to knock on Li Lan’s door.

“Good morning, I made breakfast. Do you want to eat?”

There was no sound from inside.

Zhu Qing waited for a while and then asked again in a low voice, but there was still no sound.

Just as Zhu Qing thought Li Lan was still sleeping, her phone suddenly rang.

Li Lan had sent her a WeChat message.

Her: “I’m in the shower. I’ll be out in a bit.”

Zhu Qing put her phone away, reassured.

After a while, the door to the second bedroom opened.

Li Lan was still wearing the same loungewear from yesterday, a soft, form-fitting cotton long-sleeved shirt and a pair of wide-leg pants that draped beautifully. This style of clothing could easily make a person look shorter, but it looked completely different on Li Lan, as if she could go out and walk a runway in it.

She had just finished washing up, and her hair was still damp as she walked towards Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing was stirring a vegetable salad. When she saw Li Lan’s face, she caught her breath.

Her fair and translucent skin after washing made Li Lan’s looks even more outstanding. Her facial features were clearly defined, like an ink painting drawn with a fine brush, concise and beautiful, with a breathtaking beauty.

“I only drink coffee in the morning.”

Li Lan’s voice rang out faintly.

Zhu Qing was stunned for a moment and immediately said, “Then I’ll go make you a cup.”

“No need, I’ll do it myself.”

Zhu Qing’s gaze followed her. Li Lan walked to the cabinet, took out a Moka pot, ground coffee beans into a powder and put them inside, and brewed two cups of coffee, which she then handed to Zhu Qing.

When brewing the coffee, Li Lan’s turning motion created a pleasing curve. Zhu Qing’s gaze unconsciously fell to her waist.

“Thank you,” Zhu Qing took the coffee and smelled it. The aroma of oil was very strong. “Don’t you eat anything else?”

Li Lan shook her head and said concisely, “To maintain my figure.”

After saying that, she paused, seeming a little annoyed. “I ate a bit too much yesterday.”

Thinking of the bowl of rice she had packed so tightly, Zhu Qing said apologetically, “I’ll remember that next time.”

Li Lan was quiet for a moment. “The food last night was actually very good.”

Zhu Qing was flattered by the praise. “I’m glad you liked it.”

Li Lan lowered her eyelids, thinking to herself that she had always liked it, but Zhu Qing rarely cooked for her.

Even when she cooked occasionally, she would remember the taste for a long time.

It was not yet eight o’clock, so Zhu Qing tried to make some small talk. “Do you have any plans today?”

Li Lan took a sip of coffee and thought for a moment with her eyes lowered. “I need to reply to comments from fans on social media and post a few lifestyle photos.”

Lifestyle photos?

Zhu Qing was eager and volunteered. “I can help.”

Her photography skills were pretty good, the kind that she could make a living from.

“You can take photos?” Li Lan was a little surprised.

Zhu Qing nodded. “In college, I joined the photography club and took photos for people every day. They even had me take photos at many of the school’s major events.”

Li Lan tried to imagine what Zhu Qing was like in college.

Zhu Qing’s looks were on the delicate and sweet side, with a youthful face that made her look very young. She usually wore a high ponytail and had the common “first love” face of a campus beauty in a youth drama.

In college, she must have been even more vibrant and radiant than she was now.

Li Lan’s gaze returned to Zhu Qing’s face.

In the past few days in the hospital, Zhu Qing had lost a lot of weight, and her hair wasn’t as shiny as before, but her mood was much better than before she lost her memory.

Li Lan hadn’t seen Zhu Qing so lively and cheerful in a long time, so much so that she couldn’t take her eyes off her.

…And it was also very hard not to get close to her.

A voice in her heart warned her not to get too close to Zhu Qing, to stay where she was, and not to repeat the same mistakes.

Li Lan closed her eyes and said calmly, “Okay, then I’ll trouble you.”

Zhu Qing was about to excitedly show off her photography skills when Li Lan suddenly said softly, “But, don’t you have to go to the kindergarten today?”

Zhu Qing was stunned, her expression puzzled.

Li Lan put down her coffee and was also a little confused. “Your job, a kindergarten teacher, did you forget?”

Zhu Qing frowned and shook her head. She had no memory of it at all.

Li Lan thought for a moment. It seemed that Zhu Qing had even forgotten her memories of being a kindergarten teacher.

“Then do you know how you fell and hit your head?” Li Lan asked.

Zhu Qing repeated what Qian Cancan had told her, summarizing, “To save the flowers of our country… Oh my god, isn’t it a kindergarten teacher’s job to protect the children!?”

Li Lan had a bit of a headache. She didn’t expect Zhu Qing to be so carefree that she didn’t even care about when and where she got injured.

The amnesiac Zhu Qing was truly as heartless as she was when they first met.

“You’re a kindergarten teacher at Xiyuan Kindergarten. Your specific job is a foreign teacher’s assistant, and you occasionally participate in teaching activities.”

“On the day you fell, a teacher took a temporary leave and asked you to lead the children in an exercise routine. On your way back to the office, you saw a child climbing on the handrail, and you lost your balance while saving them and fell down the stairs.”

Zhu Qing’s mouth fell open. A mix of confusion, shock, and bewilderment completely overwhelmed her.

The feeling was similar to when she woke up and heard that she was married.

A kindergarten teacher?

What did that have to do with her?

She majored in foreign trade, and her skills were in English and Japanese. She also had a double degree in finance. By all accounts, she was headed for a foreign company.

Even if she were to work for a domestic company, it shouldn’t be a job like a kindergarten teacher, which sounded like a very “fixed” position.

She was naturally playful. If she liked photography, she would join a club to learn the skills, save up to buy a camera, and become a minor photography blogger. If she liked crafts, she would apprentice with a village carpenter and make her own tables, chairs, benches, bowls, and spoons. If she liked skiing, hiking, and skating, she would spend money on equipment and find partners to go on wild trips. If she liked temples, she would travel to Thailand, Egypt, and Southeast Asia for inspiration and almost got a coffee-colored tan.

She loved a lively life, singing, dancing, partying, gaming, and traveling. Whatever was new and exciting, she would do.

How could she abandon her free and easy life to become a kindergarten teacher?

Zhu Qing found it difficult to understand. She imagined herself wearing a smart and elegant suit, chatting with a group of foreigners, landing major contracts for the company, and making a huge profit.

…Instead of wearing a tracksuit and leading children in a childish but cheerful exercise routine.

Li Lan saw her look of disbelief and couldn’t help but remind her, “I remember you have a lot of bilingual children’s songs saved on your WeChat.”

Zhu Qing took out her phone and clicked on her favorites.

A child’s voice rang out clearly, “Little pig, little pig, pig, pig, pig; honey bee, honey bee, bee…”

Zhu Qing: …

“Why would I want to be a kindergarten teacher?” Zhu Qing asked.

Li Lan took a sip of coffee, slowly wiped the milk foam from the corner of her lips, and frowned slightly. “I’m not exactly sure either.”

She had a vague answer in her mind and had tried to confirm it from multiple sources, but she wasn’t 100% sure.

“Maybe you just liked it,” Li Lan ultimately didn’t give her an answer.

Zhu Qing sighed. She could clearly state that she absolutely did not like children. “Alright, then how much do I make a month?”

During her senior year, she did freelance translations and made hundreds of yuan a day. If she was diligent, she could make almost ten thousand yuan a month.

Could it be that the salary of a kindergarten teacher was very high?

Zhu Qing looked at Li Lan expectantly.

Li Lan seemed to be a little reluctant to tell her. Her lips parted slightly, and she finally forced out two words.

“Three thousand.”

Zhu Qing was instantly struck by lightning: …