Marrying My Ex-Wife's Mortal Enemy (GL) - Chapter 9

After lunch, Jing Yu returned to her office and noticed the bracelet on her desk, which reminded her of Dou Huan. She casually asked, “Did Dou Huan come by looking for me?”

Jiang Shan checked the visitor logs. “Miss Dou hasn’t been here.”

“If she shows up this afternoon, just send her straight to my office.”

Jing Yu had originally thought of having Jiang Shan hold on to the bracelet and give it to Dou Huan when she arrived, but on second thought, she decided against it.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Jiang Shan—she just knew Dou Huan could be unreasonably difficult, and she’d rather avoid any unnecessary drama. Better to hand it over in person.

Jiang Shan wasn’t aware of any of this and simply nodded. “Okay.”

Seeing there was nothing else to handle, she quietly left and closed the door behind her.

******

Jing Yu had the habit of taking a short nap after lunch. Not long after eating, sleepiness crept in.

She opened the door at the back of her office, revealing a private room with everything she needed.

Lying down on the bed, she pulled out her phone. Her schedule was usually packed, so this was one of the rare times she had a moment to scroll through her WeChat Moments.

Most of her peers in high-level executive roles rarely posted anything.

In contrast, a few college classmates were posting food pics, high school friends were showing off their kids, and she had long lost contact with anyone from middle and elementary school.

As she scrolled down, Dou Huan’s bright, beautiful face suddenly appeared.

The first thing Jing Yu noticed was her radiant smile.

Bathed in sunlight, Dou Huan’s expression was full of joy, her face glowing with the youthful charm of someone in her early twenties. Her skin looked luminous in the sun, and she just radiated happiness—like she had something huge to celebrate.

Only then did Jing Yu read the accompanying text: “Happy divorce.”

She paused, her brow arching slightly. Divorced?

Didn’t Dou Huan like Chu Li quite a bit?

They hadn’t even been married that long—and now they were already divorced?

Jing Yu was skeptical. She looked closer at the photo Dou Huan posted. It was taken in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau, complete with location tagging. The smile didn’t look fake either.

She turned onto her side and paused again, suddenly realizing she was probably overthinking this. What did Dou Huan’s divorce have to do with her, anyway?

Meanwhile, Dou Huan had gone out for a celebratory feast with Qi Yue. They spent two hours eating, and by the time she remembered to retrieve the bracelet from Jing Yu, it was nearly 2 p.m.

When Qi Yue heard that the bracelet had been left at Jing Yu’s place, she eagerly tagged along to her company.

Jiang Shan had already informed the front desk, so when Dou Huan arrived, she was brought straight to Jing Yu’s office.

Jing Yu was on a call. When she turned around, the first thing she noticed was Dou Huan’s long, shapely legs.

She wore a waist-hugging short skirt today — those fair, slender legs were eye-catching and elegant, beautiful whether still or in motion.

It seemed like every time she saw Dou Huan, the woman was wearing a different skirt — sometimes sweet, sometimes sultry. With her natural beauty, even a little effort turned her into a full-blown enchantress.

Jing Yu’s gaze lingered for two seconds before she looked away and continued her call. “If Manager Zhang thinks the deal looks good, let’s move forward with this batch. I’ll have procurement contact you for the next steps.”

Dou Huan approached her desk with a grin. “Jing-jie, I came to get my bracelet.”

Jing Yu pushed the box on the table toward her.

She had even taken the time to put it in a box — Dou Huan raised her brows, clearly pleased.

She took out the bracelet and slid it onto her wrist, gently shaking her slender hand. “Thanks, Sister Jing.”

Jing Yu watched her cheerful expression, her own face as cold and impassive as always. “You’re welcome.”

Dou Huan turned to leave, but Qi Yue stopped her. The two whispered for a moment, and then Dou Huan looked at Jing Yu, slightly hesitant.

It was rare to see her like this. Jing Yu asked calmly, “Something else?”

“No, nothing.”

Dou Huan grabbed Qi Yue and practically went out of the office. Not until they were out of the building did she finally exhale in relief.

“What are you so afraid of? You were just going to ask her to refer you — not cut the line,” Qi Yue said.

“I felt awkward,” Dou Huan scratched her head. “Besides, Jing Yu and I aren’t exactly close.”

They’d seen a job posting for a jewelry designer outside the building. Dou Huan had learned jewelry design for Chu Li and was planning to work at her company.

Now that they were over, there was no way she’d go there.

There were plenty of jewelry companies out there — it wasn’t like she had to work at Jing Yu’s. But since they knew each other, and Jing Yu happened to be Chu Li’s rival, she figured… why not?

Qi Yue had encouraged her to ask Jing Yu for a referral, and she’d almost said it — but seeing Jing Yu’s cold, distant face, she backed out.

She had the skills. Asking for a referral would just make her look weak.

And truthfully, she couldn’t bring herself to ask. After all the dumb things she’d done in front of Jing Yu in the past… just thinking about it made her want to crawl into a hole.

Qi Yue, oblivious to her inner embarrassment, was still giddy from seeing Jing Yu’s aloof, glamorous look. She hugged Dou Huan’s arm and said excitedly, “You just need to spend more time around her — get close! There’s no one else in A City who looks like her. You seriously don’t want to sleep with her?”

Dou Huan’s eyes flew wide. “???!!!”

Qi Yue grinned. “Oops — I meant, get close to her. You don’t want to get close to her?”

“No, I don’t.” Dou Huan shot her a look and gently pulled her arm free. Before Qi Yue could say anything else, she added, “Look, I know Jing Yu is your goddess and you’re crazy about her. If you love her so much, go after her yourself. But please, stop daydreaming about me and her in broad daylight.”

“Too bad I’m not into women.”

Qi Yue quickly caught up and linked arms with her again. “If I were, I’d totally be into you. Jing Yu? She’s more of a look-but-don’t-touch type — a flower on a high mountain.”

“Tsk tsk, Qi Yue,” Dou Huan clicked her tongue, “I thought we were just sisters, but you secretly wanted to hit on me?”

“If I had feelings for you, I wouldn’t keep it a secret.” Qi Yue spread her arms wide. “I’d declare to the world: Dou Huan is my woman!”

“Oh please, I know you too well.” Dou Huan poked her in the forehead. “Weren’t you the one hiding from your senior crush back in the day, too shy to even say hi? Declare to the world, my ass.”

“C’mon, that’s ancient history,” Qi Yue coughed. “Anyway, now that you’re divorced from Chu Li, what’s your next move?”

“My next move?” Dou Huan thought about it. “Find a job, I guess.”

“Then send your résumé to Jing Yu’s company already! What are you waiting for?”

“What’s the rush?” Dou Huan said. “I’ll go back and put together a perfect résumé, include my design portfolio, and impress HR in one shot — wouldn’t it be better if Jing Yu sees my work and is genuinely impressed?”

“Right, right — Miss Dou’s design portfolio has won awards, after all.”

When Dou Huan got home, both Zhong Yunxin and Dou Changqing were there. She ran over, did a little twirl, and asked with a grin, “Mom, Dad — doesn’t your daughter look gorgeous today?”

She blinked expectantly, just like she had as a child.

The worried expressions on her parents’ faces softened instantly, and they couldn’t help but laugh.

“You little rascal,” Dou Changqing beckoned her over. “Come sit.”

Dou Huan plopped down beside him with a cheerful smile. “Dad, I’m really heartbroken after this divorce. You have to buy me a gift to soothe my poor, wounded soul.”

Her pitiful tone made Dou Changqing laugh. He reached out and flicked her nose, eyes filled with affection. “I told your mom earlier I was worried you’d be devastated. Seeing you like this — we’re relieved. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll get it for you.”

“I want…” Dou Huan’s eyes darted around. After a long pause, she grinned. “Haven’t decided yet!”

“Then we’ll wait until you do.”

“How about a family trip?” Zhong Yunxin suggested. “A little getaway to unwind.”

“Great idea,” Dou Changqing agreed. “It’s been a while since we traveled together.”

“No, no, no,” Dou Huan shook her head slowly. “I’m not about to tag along and watch you two be lovey-dovey the whole time.”

“You brat,” Zhong Yunxin chuckled. “You think your dad’s taking time off just to flaunt our affection?”

Of course Dou Huan knew they just wanted to cheer her up — but she didn’t need it. She wasn’t even upset.

Instead of wasting time on a trip, she figured she might as well get serious about finding a job and fulfilling the dream she never got to pursue in her last life.

She held Zhong Yunxin’s hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’m planning to apply for a designer role at Jingtian Jewelry tomorrow. It wasn’t all for Chu Li — I genuinely like this work.”

******

That night, Dou Huan stayed up late crafting her résumé. She reviewed Jingtian’s entire product line, wrote an analysis, and then designed two engagement rings tailored to their style.

By the time she finished, it was already 1 a.m. She hadn’t stayed up this late in ages, but somehow, it filled her with excitement.

She slept soundly that night and didn’t wake until 9 a.m. — only then realizing she’d forgotten to set an alarm.

Thankfully, she wasn’t in a rush. She quickly washed up, chose a simple but elegant outfit, tied her hair in a neat ponytail, applied light makeup, and grabbed her bag on the way out.

But after stepping outside, she glanced at the Hermès bag in her hand — too flashy. She went back in and swapped it for something more modest.

When she arrived at Jingtian Jewelry, she asked the receptionist where to go for the interview. Having just seen her the day before, the receptionist happily led her to the interview room.

Jingtian was a big company, and plenty of people were waiting. Since Dou Huan hadn’t been officially invited, she had to wait until the end.

The head of design, a woman in her thirties, greeted her with a calm smile. Her neat shoulder-length hair and gentle manner made her seem approachable — though she hadn’t been impressed by any of the candidates so far.

When she learned Dou Huan came on her own without being contacted, she hadn’t planned to interview her. But seeing her beauty and tasteful fashion sense, she figured it was worth a look — this girl likely had broad exposure and wasn’t stuck in narrow design patterns.

Besides, she’d come all this way — might as well hear her out.

Dou Huan handed over her portfolio and analysis — one copy to the design director, one to HR.

The director focused on the designs and the HR on the analysis.

After some time, the director looked up. “You designed these yourself?”

Dou Huan nodded. “Yes, I did.”

“What’s your design concept?”

“Continuation,” she replied.

The director folded her hands and waited for her to elaborate.

“People say love fades — that it becomes a routine, turns into a family, or eventually disappears altogether. But I believe love can continue.

An engagement ring is a symbol — it captures the best moment of a couple’s love, the beauty of their union. It’s precious and solemn.

So I designed this ring with a criss-cross setting, representing the giver’s wish to continue this love — to carry it forward, always.”