Chapter 49

Chapter 49

◎"Women Have Property Rights."◎

Cheng Yan stood hesitantly at the door of the room she shared with Meng Yi.

From childhood, as a pampered young lady, she had never needed to make decisions for herself—nor had she ever been given the opportunity. Whether in daily life or matters of marriage, everything had always been orchestrated by her parents and family.

She stared intently at the doorknob, her feet rooted to the spot.

A voice inside her whispered—

*Just grasp that doorknob, press it lightly. It’s the simplest action, but it will return you to the familiar life you once knew, the gilded cage you called home.*

Just as she was about to press it, she heard a voice behind her: "Are you truly sure about this?"

Cheng Yan turned around. It was Shen Ruzhen.

The young female lawyer’s eyes held no smile. Seeing Cheng Yan’s prolonged silence, she repeated, "Are you truly sure?"

Cheng Yan’s throat tightened. She found herself unable to speak.

"Cheng Yan," Shen Ruzhen said, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "What do you hope to gain from your marriage? Or rather, what about this marriage did you most look forward to?"

Cheng Yan’s voice was hoarse. "Love."

After a moment’s thought, she corrected herself: "Dependence."

"Dependence." Shen Ruzhen sighed softly. She looked at Cheng Yan, her eyes tinged with pity and sorrow. "But Cheng Yan, the security that comes from dependence doesn’t necessarily have to be found in marriage."

Cheng Yan froze. "What?"

Shen Ruzhen gazed at her, her expression encouraging. "I own a law firm. I can defeat anyone who tries to bully me through litigation, so I fear nothing. But my weapon doesn’t come from a man."

"My weapon comes from myself. My dependence is also on myself."

Cheng Yan’s eyes widened slowly, her shocked expression like cracks spreading across thick ice.

"But... if I divorce, I’ll have nothing..."

Shen Ruzhen cut her off. "Why would you have nothing? He’s the one at fault. Once the divorce is finalized, the court will rule in your favor for a larger share of the assets."

"Assets?" Cheng Yan’s eyes gradually brightened. Assets, property—things that would belong solely to her?

Shen Ruzhen affirmed, "I know that overbearing CEOs usually don’t give their wives anything in a divorce. But you must believe me—that’s illegal. Women have property rights."

"Property rights..." Cheng Yan whispered the words softly, as if touching a delicate dream that could shatter with the slightest pressure.

Shen Ruzhen added, "I originally wanted to let you make this decision on your own. I didn’t want to interfere, because whether you divorce or not is ultimately your freedom."

"However, I believe that to make the right choice, you must first understand the weights on both sides of the scale. Don't just blindly follow inertia and make the wrong decision, only to regret it for the rest of your life."

"You can think about it a little longer before giving me your final answer."

Suddenly, Cheng Yan remembered that Shen Ruzhen had once faced a similar situation. She, too, had been through hardship, had been crushed by capital. Yet now, she was successful, free, and no longer had to defer to anyone.

Cheng Yan also wanted to take control of her own destiny.

"I don’t need to think anymore," Cheng Yan said abruptly. "I want the divorce. But... will I really get a share of the assets?"

Shen Ruzhen smiled faintly. "Of course."

---

Back in the cabin, Shen Ruzhen was having Su Ya help sort the evidence Cheng Yan had provided.

Su Ya’s sorting speed was somewhat slow, as most of her previous tasks under Lawyer Gao had been grunt work, leaving her with little understanding of legal procedures.

After a moment’s thought, Shen Ruzhen called Chao Wendao and asked him to come to her room.

Chao Wendao arrived quickly.

"You called?"

His tone was neutral, but only he knew how much he had missed her.

He had missed her, yet had no reason to seek her out.

So he could only let his heart burn with longing, with no clear path to act on it.

Shen Ruzhen smiled playfully. "Don’t you think there’s something off about us being the male and female supporting characters?"

Chao Wendao’s heart skipped a beat.

He could hardly meet Shen Ruzhen’s gaze, his voice tight as he asked, "What’s off?"

For a moment, he thought she had seen through him.

What would she do? Would she be angry?

Shen Ruzhen didn’t notice Chao Wendao’s unusual expression. She announced loudly, "It’s the workload that’s off!"

"The workload?"

Chao Wendao’s face went blank.

Shen Ruzhen said indignantly, "I’m the female supporting character, and you’re the male supporting character. We’re supposed to divide the work and complete missions together. But you—in the last two instances, I did almost all the work!"

Chao Wendao’s jaw dropped.

No matter how he looked at it, he hadn’t expected Shen Ruzhen to bring this up.

"Then I..."

Shen Ruzhen smiled. "No one gets to slack off under my watch!"

After explaining the tasks for organizing the evidence list, she had Chao Wendao and Su Ya divide the work between them.

Chao Wendao sat down, stunned, still reeling.

After all, he had never imagined that a god would be required to produce and contribute.

But as he began sorting through the documents, he suddenly realized—if he could help Shen Ruzhen with her work, did that mean he now had a reason to see her whenever he wanted?

Chao Wendao’s eyes suddenly brightened.

[Author’s Note] Back to daily updates! [Ears perked up bunny emoji]