Can't Take My Eyes Off You

C 76-77

When the siblings were in the county shopping, little did Jiang Yao expect that she would see Lu Yuqing sitting in a daze alone in a coffee shop next to the bookstore. She even looked as if her soul had left her body as she stared blankly at the open space.

Jiang Yao nudged Jiang Lei and ushered, "Hey, you go ahead, or you go home with my stuff first. I want to go and meet Sister Yuqing." Without further explanation, she pushed the coffee shop's door open. She took a stride forward, paused, and turned back to her brother. "In case my mother-in-law asks of my whereabouts, just tell her that I bumped into Yuqing and I'm with her."

Then, Jiang Yao walked straight in and stood beside Lu Yuqing quietly. She bent over and said gently, "Sister, it's me!"

Lu Yuqing was a little obtuse. She took a moment to respond to Jiang Yao's calling, but the minute she saw Jiang Yao, she raised to her feet abruptly, hugged Jiang Yao, and cried out loud with her head resting on Jiang Yao's shoulder.

"Xiaoyao, what should I do? Tell me, what should I do?" Lu Yuqing broke down and howled desperately. She had no one to express her frustrations to. She didn't dare tell her parents, for fear that her parents would worry about her. Her in-laws were worse.

"Yuqing, what's going on?" Jiang Yao was a little frantic as Lu Yuqing embraced her tightly, her hands hanging high in the sky, not knowing where to put them. Eventually, she gently patted Yuqing's shoulder, offering her comfort in the most primitive way.

"I hired a private investigator to follow Zhao Zhuangzong. I found out that oftentimes when he told me he had to work overtime till midnight, he was actually at that woman's house! And I, the silly me, waited for him until midnight like an idiot! I even made him supper! He came home with the joyful and happy disguise every time, but the fact is he just got out of the woman's embrace! Zhao Zhuangzong, that scum! How could he! How could he do this to me?" Lu Yuqing wailed, heartbroken and exasperated.

"Yesterday, I went back to my in-laws' place with him. My mother-in-law started talking about the baby again. That b*stard said that he had everything planned out, that he had asked someone about the adoption and that they would get the results in less than two months. You know what? My mother-in-law agreed! Less than two months, that's around the woman's due date! Is he planning to take the child he had with another woman home and expect me, the idiotic Lu Yuqing, to help him raise his son? Why do such cruel human beings exist? Did I offend him in any way? Why would he do this to me? Why!"

The more Lu Yuqing illustrated, the more heartbroken and sorrowful she was. "Clearly, my in-laws knew about it all along. They were all in this together. Perhaps they already know that the woman is carrying a son. I suspect that him bringing me to the in-laws yesterday is actually a decoy, a show where they've deliberately staged the baby adoption play and I was the main audience. They probably hoped that I'll care for the little b*stard for them, that I'll nurture the little b*stard for them, but the fact is that the baby has literally nothing to do with me! What role do they assume I play in the Zhao family? Their slave? Their nanny? Or perhaps they actually think I'm an easy target!"

"Yuqing, Zhao Zhuangzong is absolute scum," Jiang Yao swore agitatedly. "He isn't worth any of your tears and sorrow."

"Xiaoyao, I feel sorry for myself. What do you think I should do? Should I get a divorce? If I do, the d*mned couple's dream to be together will come true, won't it? That woman can officially come in and take my place, right? It's not fair! It's not fair!"

Lu Yuqing's whole face was covered with her tears. It was such a devastating sight to see such a strong and proud woman break down in tears right now.

"Yuqing, think about it. If you don't leave him, you're actually hurting yourself, am I right? Why do you want to make your life miserable and pathetic? Do you really think that staying with him and pretending like you don't know any of this is a good way of showing your fighting spirit? That you don't want them to win? If you do, then I must admit I'm very disappointed in you. You're actually giving up on your prime, your time, and most importantly, your life. Yuqing, you're such a wonderful woman. Without Zhao Zhuangzong, there are many men out there who are worth your effort," Jiang Yao persuaded.

She knew that it was normal for people to not give in because in their minds, they assumed it was a step of surrendering.

However, on second thought, taking a step back doesn't mean that you've surrendered to the situation, but rather, it's a chance to start anew.

Was it really necessary for this dysfunctional marriage to go on? Zhao Zhuangzong and his family were a group of evil monsters. No one in the Zhao family had the slightest trace of moral consciences and principles. What benefit would Lu Yuqing obtain if she wanted to stay married with this unfaithful man just because she thought it wasn't fair?

Lu Yuqing stared at Jiang Yao in a daze. Gradually, her wail reduced to sobbing. After a long while, she took a deep breath and nodded. "You're absolutely right. I shouldn't continue this miserable life, pretending to know nothing, letting them deceive and humiliate me. Who am I? I am Lu Yuqing. I am the daughter of the Lu family, who do they think they are to bully me like this?"

Slowly, Lu Yuqing regained her composure. "Zhao Zhuangzong is like a hundred dollar bill that has dropped into a puddle of sh*t. It's a pity not to pick it up, but it's nasty and disgusting if you do. Meanwhile, I, Lu Yuqing, have plenty of money. I don't need to waste my time with this stinky bill."

"Sister, make the decision that will make you happiest. Don't forget, you have Mom and Dad and also your brother. Although Xingzhi is just a National Guard, he has a group of very powerful and influential buddies. If you are upset, the Lu family would have all the ideas and contacts to make the Zhao family miserable."

Jiang Yao felt relieved after seeing Lu Yuqing determined and confident.

"I've already made my decision. I want to divorce the b*stard right now, immediately!" Lu Yuqing growled in great dismay, her wrath burning. "Xiaoyao, I'll forever be grateful to you for this matter. You can go home first. I'm going to the lawyer's office now, I want to make sure that Zhao Zhuangzong cannot stay in this town ever again!"

Jiang Yao headed home straightaway after seeing Lu Yuqing, thinking that she would not be seeing Lu Yuqing for several days. Surprisingly, Lu Yuqing suddenly returned home at dinnertime and informed her parents about her decision to divorce Zhao Zhuangzong. The parents recoiled in extreme shock and disbelief.

However, after listening to Lu Yuqing describing her findings as she adamantly held back her tears, both parents gaped in surprise but none of them objected to her decision, nor did they accuse Lu Yuqing of responding impulsively.

"Oh my god, it's so shocking! He has always been so polite and smart, but what do you know? He is such a monster! B*stard!" Mrs. Lu shivered furiously. "Yes, go ahead and divorce him! The Zhao family has gone too far! If it wasn't for our Lu family's financial help, what kind of life do they think they can lead now?"

"I'm calling Haixing right away! I want that b*stard fired!" Mr. Lu went to the phone, immediately called Lu Haixing, and told him all about Zhao Zhuangdong's wrongdoings.

Jiang Yao wasn't sure how Lu Yuqing and the Lu family would handle Zhao Zhuangzong, but she figured that the outcome would be similar to that of her previous life, with Zhao Zhuangzong ending up wretched and detestable. After all, the Lu family's influence and network were very powerful in the county and even the city.

Before rebirth, Zhao Zhuangzong and Lu Yuqing's had marriage lasted a lot longer and he had obtained a lot more benefits from the Lu family. In the end, the Lu family was still capable of cutting Zhao Zhuangzong off from marriage without a single cent and even made him bankrupt. As for this life, since the divorce had happened way earlier, it would be a piece of cake for the Lu family to mess Zhao Zhuangzong up.

Jiang Yao didn't follow up with the divorce procedure, but it was hard to miss such big news. On the very next day, Lu Yuqing officially divorced Zhao Zhuangzong. Just within the span of one night, Zhao Zhuangzong had lost his job and place to live. The house where they lived at was part of the dowry that the Lu family had presented to Lu Yuqing. After the divorce, they threw Zhao Zhuangzong's things out of the house, including the kitchen sink.