Chapter 4: Must Divorce

That night, Jiang Hanyan slept quite soundly. What she didn't know was that while she was in a deep sleep, she was shrouded in white mist, and a thin layer of grime seeped out from the surface of her skin. When Jiang Hanyan woke up beautifully in the morning and stretched, she realized she was incredibly dirty.

Furthermore, her body felt much better than yesterday; her head no longer felt dizzy. Jiang Hanyan could clearly feel that her body and her soul had become more solidly integrated, which was certainly thanks to the Space.

After taking a bath, Jiang Hanyan felt refreshed. Looking in the mirror, she discovered that this body had become even more beautiful. Her skin was as white and tender as a freshly peeled egg, her eyes were bright and captivating, and her previous look of pitiable fragility had transformed into one of spirited grace.

Grinning at the mirror, Jiang Hanyan was in a great mood. She led Doudou out to eat breakfast. There were many rice noodle stalls on the street, and they weren't expensive—eight mao a bowl, and adding an egg only cost one yuan. The taste was quite good.

The people coming for breakfast were all neighbors. They couldn't stop staring at Jiang Hanyan and were whispering among themselves, but no one came up to talk to her. Jiang Hanyan ordered two bowls of rice noodles, paid after eating, and then took Doudou back home.

"Lu Chen is really something, staying away from home even with such a beautiful wife."

"It's not like he married her willingly. I heard that woman drugged Lu Chen; if it weren't for the pregnancy, Lu Chen wouldn't have married her."

"It seems they haven't even registered the marriage or held a banquet. If you ask me, once the child is born, Lu Chen will definitely kick that woman out!"

"That's not necessarily true. How could he bear to let go of such a beautiful wife? Feelings grow over time!"

Everyone chatted and gossiped with light, flippant tones, looking down on Jiang Hanyan.

Back at home, Jiang Hanyan let Doudou watch TV while she went out to buy some groceries and a bag of fresh chicken blood.

After lunch, Jiang Hanyan pulled off the cotton pad, spilled the chicken blood on the bed and her trousers, then lay down and covered herself with a quilt, letting out a few painful moans. Sure enough, the clever little Doudou ran over, looking at her nervously.

"Do you know Uncle Lu's phone number?" Jiang Hanyan asked weakly.

Doudou nodded.

"Call Uncle Lu and tell him to come home. Tell him Auntie Jiang is very sick." Jiang Hanyan handed Doudou a slip of paper with a note saying she was seriously ill and that Lu Chen needed to come home. She felt a bit guilty; it wasn't right to lie to a child.

Doudou dashed out like a streak of light, clutching the note tightly. He ran to the small convenience store in the alley and stood on his tiptoes to hand the note to the lady owner.

"Sick?"

The lady owner frowned. She had seen her out eating rice noodles this morning, and she had eaten a large bowl; she didn't look sick at all. This Jiang Hanyan was always playing tricks to swindle money from Lu Chen to buy things for herself, which she would then take back to her maiden home, but she never bought anything for Doudou or Lu Chen.

Doudou nodded earnestly and pointed at the telephone, urging the lady owner to make the call.

"I'll go take a look."

The lady owner didn't believe it, but she had received kindness from Lu Chen's grandfather in the past and was one of the few neighbors in this alley who was on good terms with Lu Chen. She led Doudou to the Lu residence. Hearing footsteps, Jiang Hanyan hurriedly let out a few moans and dabbed some water on her face.

"Hanyan, what's wrong?"

The lady owner asked as she entered the room. Seeing Jiang Hanyan on the bed, drenched in sweat, pale-faced and curled up in pain, she was startled. She hurried to the bedside and said concernedly, "I'll take you to the hospital."

Although she didn't like Jiang Hanyan, the woman was carrying Lu Chen's child after all, so the lady owner was very nervous, fearing something might happen to the baby.

"No... no need, Auntie. Just call Lu Chen home!"

Jiang Hanyan spoke as if her breath were a mere thread, her heart racing with guilt. If she went to the hospital, she would be exposed. She hadn't expected that a bully like Lu Chen would have such warm-hearted neighbors; she had miscalculated.

The lady owner tried to persuade her a few times, but since Jiang Hanyan insisted on seeing Lu Chen, she had no choice but to go back and call him. As soon as he picked up, she cried out, "Lu Chen, come back quickly! Hanyan is sick and refuses to go to the hospital. This time it seems real; I went to see her."

"I'll be back immediately."

Lu Chen hung up the phone and leaned against the windowsill in deep thought. His cold temperament made him look like an ice sculpture, making it so that no one dared to approach him.

What kind of trick was that woman Jiang Hanyan trying to play now?

Lu Chen massaged his temples wearily. There had been an accident at the coal mine these past few days, and he had already pulled several all-nighters. He was exhausted and wanted to nap for a bit. He really didn't want to go home; as soon as he returned, there would be arguments. Jiang Hanyan would either ask for money or complain about his lack of ability, which made him extremely irritable.

But since this woman was carrying his child, he couldn't just ignore it.

Lu Chen knitted his brows, feeling restless. He pulled out a cigarette, took a few puffs, and then stubbed it out. He didn't like smoking; he only did it when he was extremely frustrated.

The bitter taste of tobacco calmed him slightly. Lu Chen tossed the cigarette butt aside and called his boss to ask for leave.

"Third Brother, something came up at home, so I need to head back. Don't worry about the mine; I'll make arrangements."

"Is that woman causing trouble again? Xiao Lu, your methods are lacking. Listen to me, you can't be polite to women. A few slaps and they'll behave."

The man's voice on the phone was coarse. Everyone outside called him Third Brother, and he had influence in both the legal and underworld. This small county produced coal, with dozens of large and small mines, and anyone with a bit of power would run a mine to make money.

Lu Chen smiled and said, "I'll be back once I've handled things."

"Go on then. Stay home for a few more days and accompany your wife. I'll take five thousand yuan from the accounts for you to buy your wife a gold ring. Women just need a bit of coaxing; your brother has experience in this."

"Thanks, Third Brother."

Lu Chen hung up, his expression solemn. Although Third Brother was generous, he was short-sighted and disregarded the law. Lu Chen wouldn't work with him long-term. The only reason he had agreed to watch the place was that he owed Third Brother a favor, but he had only promised to stay until the end of summer.

Clearly, Third Brother didn't want to let anyone go, which was why he was so quick to give the money. But Lu Chen didn't feel guilty taking it; he had helped handle many troubles lately, and this was what he deserved.

After counting out five thousand yuan from his drawer, Lu Chen gave instructions to two of his brothers and then rode his motorcycle home.

Passing a jewelry store, he hesitated for a moment and stopped the bike.

Jiang Hanyan had already gotten up and changed the sheets. She had hidden the cotton pad in the storage room so Lu Chen wouldn't see it. Fortunately, this body was naturally sickly-looking, so she should be able to bluff her way through.

Hearing the *putt-putt* sound of a motorcycle at the door, Jiang Hanyan's heart skipped a beat, feeling a bit nervous.

Doudou ran out happily, opening his arms toward Lu Chen with a wide, beaming smile.

"Here!"

Lu Chen handed the little guy a stick of candied haws and then took a pinwheel off the motorcycle's handlebar—he had bought it on the way. With a pinwheel in one hand and candied haws in the other, Doudou ran back into the house like a little spinning top, wanting to show off to Jiang Hanyan.

"I won't eat them, Doudou eat them. The pinwheel is so pretty!"

Jiang Hanyan declined Doudou's attempt to feed her. The candied haws were too sour for her taste, but the pinwheel was quite interesting. She couldn't help herself and puffed out her cheeks to blow on it, making the pinwheel spin rapidly.

Doudou's eyes widened as if he had discovered a new continent. He also puffed out his little cheeks and blew hard, making the pinwheel spin so fast it became a blur.

"So impressive!"

Jiang Hanyan gave a thumbs up, not holding back her praise. Doudou smiled silently and blew even harder, completely forgetting about the candied haws.

As soon as Lu Chen entered the room, he saw this warm and harmonious scene. He was stunned, his foot pausing on the threshold as he hesitated whether to enter or not.

Had Jiang Hanyan's brain finally malfunctioned?

(End of Chapter)