Divorced from the Cold CEO Who Lived by the Rules (GL, ABO) - Chapter 5

Xu Zhen pressed her lips together, their already pale color fading even more.

She tried to convince herself not to focus on Jiang Ruan’s every move or to guess what Xing Yan might be thinking, but she simply could not stop.

The pain felt like someone was scraping out her bones. Even breathing became unbearable. It was as if thousands of needles were piercing her skin at the same time, reaching deep into her nerves, leaving her with nowhere to hide.

Xu Zhen slowly closed her eyes. The negotiation had failed, and she had lost the endorsement deal. With no work scheduled for the next two weeks, she decided to return home for a while.

Her mother, Bai Zhen, had been calling often. Although the questions she asked seemed trivial, Xu Zhen knew they came from concern.

The scandal between Jiang Ruan and Xing Yan had erupted like wildfire. Even though Bai Zhen’s poor health kept her from closely following the news, she still received phone notifications while browsing occasionally.

Xu Zhen could already picture her mother’s disapproving frown.
“If I had known things would turn out like this, I would have stopped you no matter what.”

In Bai Zhen’s view, Betas should marry Betas. Couples with the same classification and social standing could relate to each other better.

As a group often ignored by Alphas and Omegas, Betas usually formed more stable and reliable relationships.

Xu Zhen opened her eyes and stood up, walking out of the Jiahua lounge. Her assistant was nowhere to be seen. She sent her a message asking where she was, and when no reply came, Xu Zhen waited in the car.

About ten minutes later, the assistant finally replied.
“Sister Zhenzhen, I was in Brother Lei’s office.”

Xu Zhen replied, “Did he make things difficult for you?”

“The usual. But I just ignored him. His words are nothing but hot air anyway.” She paused, then added awkwardly, “Sister Zhenzhen, I won’t be able to assist you anymore. The company transferred me to Xue Long’s team.”

She sounded uneasy.
“You know how it is. If I refuse, I’ll lose my job.”

“I understand.” Xu Zhen knew how the industry worked and did not want to make it harder for her.
“It’s probably a good thing. Xue Long’s career is going strong, and she has resources. You’ll have better benefits working with her.”

“Good luck with your new role.”

The assistant thanked her. Xu Zhen didn’t respond again. Instead, she opened her GPS, entered her home address, and started the car.

A call came in just then. It was Lao Li, Jiang Ruan’s driver.

“Madam, where would you like the item Mr. Jiang sent to be placed? I’m about to head out and deliver it.”

“I’ll send you the address.”

Bai Zhen now lived in a suburban villa that Xu Zhen had bought at a high price a few years ago. Surrounded by beautiful mountains and clear waters, the location was peaceful and ideal for someone recovering from illness.

Lao Li said, “I should arrive in about an hour and a half.”

That matched Xu Zhen’s timing, so she decided not to inform Bai Zhen ahead of time. Since marrying Jiang Ruan, Xu Zhen’s relationship with her mother had become distant and tense.

Bai Zhen disliked Jiang Ruan, and the Jiang family looked down on Xu Zhen. The two families treated each other like enemies.

Xu Zhen understood her mother’s concerns, but emotions were not something that could be controlled. Under the influence of hormones, all logic and careful decision-making had been pushed aside.

Only after crashing headfirst into disappointment and pain did she slowly begin to wake up and feel regret.

Soft music played in the car as she drove. She arrived a few minutes later than Lao Li. By the time she parked, he was already unloading the large, well-wrapped statue with the help of several workers. They were getting ready to move it into Xu Zhen’s study, following instructions from Xu Susu.

Seeing her arrive, Xu Susu quickly came over to greet her.

“Xiao Zhen, you’re just in time. Do you think this statue will look good in your study? If not, I can ask them to move it somewhere else.”

“It’s fine,” Xu Zhen replied after a brief glance. “Just put it in the study.”

Xu Susu smiled warmly.
“Alright. Sister Bai is having her meal now. Why don’t you go and keep her company?”

Xu Zhen nodded, changed into slippers at the entrance, and strode toward the bedroom on the second floor. Bai Zhen’s health was poor, she was bedridden year-round and rarely got up. Apart from attending school and working part-time, Xu Zhen spent all her time taking care of her.

Her biological father was a scumbag Alpha controlled by pheromones—promiscuous, unfaithful, and constantly fooling around outside, drowning in alcohol and cigarettes. He was utterly unreliable.

In Xu Zhen’s memory, the number of times she saw him each month could be counted on one hand. Even the frequency of his lovers showing up at their doorstep was higher than his own appearances.

Xu Susu was one of those many lovers.

Back then, Xu Zhen was barely ten years old, still in elementary school. Bai Zhen’s condition had already deteriorated severely, nearly to the point of passing away. It was during this terrifying and desperate time that Xu Susu showed up at their door, holding her recently weaned daughter, Xu Tingyuan.

Fury erupted in Xu Zhen. All her pent-up emotions finally pushed her to the brink, and she lashed out at Xu Susu with harsh insults.

But Xu Susu not only refused to hold a grudge against a child, she even paid out of her own pocket to send Bai Zhen to the hospital, using all her savings to cover the medical expenses.

Thanks to the power of money, Bai Zhen narrowly escaped death.

After Bai Zhen was discharged, Xu Susu and Xu Tingyuan moved in with them. The house had been a wedding gift from Bai Zhen’s mother—small, with only two bedrooms.

Bai Zhen, as the patient, took the master bedroom, while Xu Zhen, needing a quiet space to study, occupied the second bedroom. With no extra rooms left, Xu Susu sealed off the balcony next to the living room and squeezed into the cramped few square meters with her daughter.

When she was younger, Xu Zhen disliked both Xu Susu and Xu Tingyuan, who constantly babbled and trailed after her. She often tried to drive them out of the house.

To this end, she frequently picked fights with Xu Susu, but Xu Susu never retaliated.

As she grew older, Xu Zhen suddenly had a change of heart.

In this fatherless household, Xu Susu had willingly taken on the role of provider, caring for Bai Zhen and Xu Zhen. As Bai Zhen often said, Xu Susu was a good woman dealt a cruel hand in life.

Like Bai Zhen, she was just another victim, a pitiful soul deceived and toyed with by that scumbag Alpha. She had done nothing wrong.

And so, this unconventional family arrangement persisted to this day.

To Xu Zhen, the man who was supposed to be her father had long become irrelevant. Xu Susu had perfectly taken over his role and done far better at it.

“You’re back.” Xu Zhen appeared at the doorway of Bai Zhen’s room, where Bai Zhen set down her chopsticks. “Why didn’t you let me know you were coming?”

Xu Zhen walked in, pulled over a nearby chair, and sat down. “It was a last-minute decision.”

Bai Zhu didn’t respond immediately. Her gaze remained calm as she studied her celebrity daughter for a long moment before asking, “How long do you plan to stay home this time?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Xu Zhen shook her head. “I might take some time off first before deciding.”

“Is this because of the rumors about Jiang Ruan and Xing Yan? Or have the Jiang family and Xing Yan been secretly targeting you?” Bai Zhu, being an intelligent Beta, cut straight to the point. “What about Jiang Ruan? Is she just standing by doing nothing? I’ll call her over right now.”

Xu Zhen tried to intervene, “There’s no need, I can handle this myself!”

But Bai Zhu had already successfully made the call, and Jiang Ruan picked up. Bai Zhu didn’t mince words, “Director Jiang, you’d better come over immediately and explain your recent actions.”

“Just give us a straight answer—are you planning to divorce or what?”

“If it’s divorce you want, Qin Qin won’t cling to you.”