Chapter 47

Chapter 47

◎"If you want a divorce, you can come to me."◎

"What happened?"

"Is there a fire?"

"The sound came from over there!"

The piercing scream startled everyone at the evening banquet, causing couples on the dance floor to break their embrace.

Many rushed toward the source of the sound.

Most were genuinely worried, fearing that their newly embarked cruise might be ruined. But novelists and journalists were a different breed—they sensed something unusual in that woman’s scream. What could have frightened her so? Could it be a murder mystery like on an oriental cruise?

Inside the room,

Cheng Yan bit her lip hard, her eyes stinging and bloodshot, though no one could see in the dark.

Before her, her beloved husband, Meng Yi, his face dark, snatched up a few scattered clothes from the bed to cover his mistress.

From the disarray and torn state of the clothes, it was clear how passionate their earlier encounter had been.

Meng Yi soon realized the clothes were torn to shreds, and could only pull the blanket up further.

The mistress flushed and buried her face in Meng Yi’s arms. Her voice was soft and delicate, the kind that made you want to protect her: "I have no clothes left."

Cheng Yan glared hatefully at the woman in her husband’s bed—their recently hired housekeeper, a college student still in school. Normally, they wouldn’t employ someone so young, but Cui Wei had pleaded desperately, claiming her family was poor and she needed the summer job to support her studies. Out of pity, Cheng Yan had agreed, never expecting to let a fox into her henhouse.

Meng Yi couldn't stand gold-diggers, but what cut Cheng Yan deepest was her husband’s betrayal. "Meng Yi, don’t you have anything to say to me?"

Just as Meng Yi opened his mouth, a disturbance broke out outside the door.

"This door is open."

"The scream definitely came from here."

"..."

Before anyone in the room could react, the bedroom door swung open again. This time, the footsteps were chaotic. The next second, the lights flicked on, the harsh fluorescent glare illuminating the adulterous couple on the bed.

For a moment, the socialites who had crowded into the bedroom went dead quiet at the scene before them.

Meng Yi’s face turned stormy instantly.

He got out of bed, yanking on his wrinkled pants, and strode to Cheng Yan, smacked her across the face. "Why the hell are you screaming? Have you lost your mind?"

He hadn't held back, sending Cheng Yan’s head snapping to the side. Her face went numb. Clutching her face, she murmured in shock, "Husband, you hit me... Do you not love me anymore?"

She was still in shock. She hadn’t even processed the scene of infidelity before her husband struck her.

The onlookers understood immediately.

Meng Yi was not unknown—most people on the cruise knew him.

"I thought they were meant to be together since childhood? How did it come to this?"

"Please, that's just PR. Do you really think the wealthy have genuine feelings?"

"True, but the Meng family’s stock is going to plummet."

Some peers couldn't conceal their glee. "And of all days to get caught, with so many journalists here..."

He wasn’t wrong. Multiple cameras were now trained on Meng Yi’s face. They’d come to cover the lavish gala but had stumbled upon a much bigger scoop.

Cheng Yan heard none of the whispers. All she saw was the man who had held her tenderly not long ago now consoling that woman.

Rage burned through her. She thought bitterly, *He hit me because of you.* The flames burned hotter, searing her heart, driving her to the edge.

She lunged forward, aiming a slap at the woman’s face, but multiple people restrained her. "Calm down! Be rational!"

As she struggled, a familiar voice cut through the noise. Her best friend gripped her arm, face full of concern. "Yanyan, stop!"

Partly forced, partly convinced, she was led out of the room. The crowd gradually dispersed. Her friend stood before her, worry clear in her eyes. "Yanyan, are you okay?"

*How could I be okay?*

Cheng Yan felt like she was living a nightmare. The husband who doted on her had cheated, lied, and struck her for another woman...

Through her tears, she touched her stinging cheek. "Tell me... none of this is real?"

Her friend’s eyes filled with pity. "Yanyan, don’t take it too hard. Men are all like this—especially someone like him."

Though she shouldn’t, a twinge of satisfaction curled in her friend’s heart. She’d once been jealous of Cheng Yan, envying her for having a man like Meng Yi. In their circles, marriages were never about love but alliances. The idea of a wealthy heiress finding true love was ridiculous.

And now, reality had come crashing down.

Cheng Yan fell into her friend’s embrace, sobbing. "How could he do this to me? What am I supposed to do now?"

Her friend sighed. "Yanyan, at this point, you’ll just have to bear it. Men are all the same. It’s not like you can divorce him, right?"

The words were sincere. Even if Cheng Yan remarried, she’d likely end up with another cheater. And in their circles, divorce was never a personal choice. A wealthy heiress was little more than a trophy wife—meant to be beautiful, obedient, and pleasing to her husband.

"Divorce... Yes, I should—" Cheng Yan’s eyes suddenly lit up. The hurt was unbearable. She wanted to tear everything apart.

As the crowd dispersed, only Cheng Yan remained by the door, with Shen Ruzhen and Xiao Ai standing not far away.

Shen Ruzhen turned to Chao Wendao. "You go ahead."

Chao Wendao studied her for a moment, seemingly reluctant to leave.

Earlier, when everyone rushed toward the bedroom, he had instead sought out Shen Ruzhen and asked quietly, "Are you alright?"

Shen Ruzhen nodded. "I’m fine." She glanced at him. "Don’t you want to see what’s happening?"

Chao Wendao shook his head. He hadn’t even looked toward the room.

An awkward tension grew between them. Standing before her, he towered over her intimidatingly.

She explained, "That’s the male lead, female lead, and female supporting character of this world. The male lead was caught cheating with the female lead by the female supporting character."

Only then did Chao Wendao remember his role as the Second Male Lead in this world. His indifference to the plot was admittedly pretty odd.

Shen Ruzhen sighed. "Let’s go take a look."

Seeing Shen Ruzhen take the first step, he followed her inside.

He didn’t know that Shen Ruzhen was mentally complaining to the system: "This Second Male Lead is such a slacker. It’s bad enough that he relied on me to complete tasks every time before, but now he won't even bother learning the plot."

She narrowed her eyes, and hatched a plan—a way to keep Chao Wendao from slacking off any further.

Now, with the crowd dispersed, Shen Ruzhen, after multiple attempts, finally managed to send away the reluctant Chao Wendao.

"Xiao Ya, you should head back too."

Su Ya widened her eyes and stammered, "But I'm staying at Lawyer Gao's..."

Before she could finish, Shen Ruzhen understood.

The rooms for paralegals were rented by the lawyers. Since she had just said she was leaving that lawyer’s team, returning would be inappropriate.

Shen Ruzhen handed her a key. "Go to my room first. The room next to mine is still empty. I’ll arrange for you to stay there later."

Xiao Ya skipped off cheerfully.

Only Shen Ruzhen and Cheng Yan remained in the hallway.

Shen Ruzhen walked up to Cheng Yan.

Cheng Yan continued sobbing quietly, tears falling in steady drops onto the floor, until she saw shoes appear suddenly in front of her.

"Cheng Yan."

Hearing her name, Cheng Yan asked in confusion, "Who are you?"

She had never seen this woman before. She looked young, but her eyes were wiser than her years—instead, they were mature and sharp.

For some reason, though she had never met her, she found her oddly familiar.

A card was slid into her palm.

As she looked down, she heard the young woman say, "My name is Shen Ruzhen. If you want a divorce, I can help you."

"Author has something to say"

Posting early today!

This story arc is straightforward—we'll focus on the relationships.