Cloudbridge City was blanketed by a persistent drizzle that added a somber hue to the already tense atmosphere inside the Xu family residence. At the center of the spacious, elegantly furnished living room sat Wu Yuting, a woman of grace and strength, but currently, her eyes burned with frustration. Across from her stood Xu Haoran, the man she had married three years ago, a man her family had never truly accepted.
Zhao Ailin, Wu Yuting's mother, stood by the window, her arms crossed and her sharp eyes trained on Xu Haoran. "You've been living off my daughter's hard-earned money for years. You've brought nothing but shame to our family. How long do you think we'll tolerate your presence?"
Xu Haoran stood silently, neither defensive nor apologetic. He had heard these words too many times to count. The only difference today was the tone—there was a finality to Zhao Ailin's voice that hadn't been there before.
"Mother, please…" Wu Yuting said weakly from the sofa. Her tone lacked conviction, more out of exhaustion than disagreement.
Zhao Ailin turned to her daughter, her face softening only slightly. "Yuting, you're still young and capable. Why are you dragging yourself down with someone who has no ambition, no career, and no future?"
Xu Haoran's fists clenched at his sides, but he remained composed. He looked at Wu Yuting, who couldn't even meet his gaze anymore. That was the part that stung.
"I'll leave," he said at last, his voice calm, almost too calm. "But not because you threw me out. I'm leaving because I realize now—I was never wanted here."
He turned and walked toward the door. Zhao Ailin scoffed. "Don't think this is some noble act. You should've left years ago."
As the door shut behind him, the silence that followed was more oppressive than the rain outside. Wu Yuting didn't move. She couldn't. A strange ache twisted in her chest, one she didn't want to examine too closely.
Xu Haoran walked through the streets of Cloudbridge with no destination in mind. He had nothing on him but a phone and his wallet—he hadn't taken anything else from the house. For three years, he had tried to be a good husband. He cooked, cleaned, supported Wu Yuting's career, endured her mother's verbal assaults, and never once complained.
Yet, in the end, none of it mattered.
He ended up in a quiet coffee shop near the city park. It was almost empty, save for a few college students typing away at laptops. Xu Haoran ordered a cup of black coffee and sat near the window.
He stared out, lost in thought. If he were honest with himself, part of him had always known it would come to this. Wu Yuting had never loved him—not truly. Their marriage had been born of impulse, a decision made during a turbulent time in her life. He had hoped that, with time, they could build something real.
But reality had other plans.
He pulled out his phone and stared at the lock screen. A photo of him and Wu Yuting from happier days. He deleted it. Then he scrolled through his messages—nothing. No calls. No texts. It was as if the three years they had spent together meant nothing.
—
Back at the Xu residence, Zhao Ailin was in high spirits. "Finally, some peace in this house," she said, sipping her tea. "That man was like a parasite."
Wu Yuting didn't respond. She kept staring at her phone, half-expecting a message from Xu Haoran. But it never came.
That night, sleep eluded her. Her bed felt too large, too cold. She got up and went to the kitchen. Without thinking, she opened the fridge and pulled out the container of dumplings Xu Haoran had made just the night before. She heated them, sat at the table, and ate in silence.
Each bite felt like guilt chewing through her instead.
—
Three days passed.
Word of the split hadn't reached the public yet. Wu Yuting, a rising star in the real estate industry, continued to run Visionary Developments, the company she had built from the ground up. Her colleagues noticed she was more irritable, more distracted. But none dared to ask.
Then came a problem she couldn't ignore.
DragonCrest Logistics, one of their major suppliers, suddenly pulled out of their contract. The timing couldn't have been worse—Visionary was on the verge of launching a massive commercial project in the heart of Cloudbridge, and the materials DragonCrest was supposed to deliver were essential.
She tried contacting their CEO. No response.
The next day, she received a cryptic message:
> "Meet me in person at The Velvet Crown Lounge if you want to discuss the contract. —"
The Velvet Crown Lounge wasn't a place for casual business. It was a luxurious, members-only venue where deals were brokered under the veil of whiskey and jazz. She didn't want to go—but she had no choice.
—
That night, Wu Yuting arrived at the lounge in a sleek black dress, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She was escorted to the third-floor VIP room by a host who seemed to know exactly who she was.
Inside, Walter Li, the CEO of DragonCrest, was already waiting with a glass of scotch in hand.
"President Wu," he said with a smirk. "Glad you could make it."
"Let's not waste time. Why did your company breach the agreement?" Wu Yuting asked, sitting down across from him.
Walter shrugged. "We've had some... supply issues. But I'm a flexible man. I'm sure we can work something out."
"What do you want?"
Walter leaned forward, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. "A night with you."
Wu Yuting stood up immediately. "You're insane."
"Sit down," Walter said, his tone suddenly sharp. "You leave now, your project dies. You stay, and you save your company."
Before she could respond, the door burst open.
"Get your hands off my wife," a cold voice cut through the room.
Wu Yuting turned, stunned.
Xu Haoran?
Walter blinked in disbelief. "Who let you in?"
Haoran didn't answer. He walked in calmly, his eyes locked on Walter. The tension in the room thickened.
Walter sneered. "You're not in your little kitchen anymore. This is real business, not a soap opera. Leave now, or—"
He didn't get to finish.
In a blur of motion, Xu Haoran slammed Walter's head into the table. The glass shattered. Walter collapsed, groaning.
Wu Yuting's eyes widened. She had never seen Xu Haoran like this—calm, precise, and dangerous.
The lounge security arrived moments later, but Xu Haoran had already stepped away, hands raised. "I'm leaving," he said simply.
The guards hesitated, then let him go.
***
Outside the lounge, under the cold night sky, Wu Yuting caught up to him.
"Why did you come?"
Xu Haoran didn't look at her. "Because you needed help. Even if you don't want me, I won't let someone like Walter touch you."
Wu Yuting bit her lip. "You could've been arrested."
"I've been through worse."
Silence fell between them.
"I'm sorry," she said at last, her voice barely audible.
Xu Haoran turned to her. "For what?"
"For letting you go."
For the first time in days, he smiled—but it was a sad smile, tired and knowing.
"You never had me, Yuting. Not really."
Then he walked away, disappearing into the night.