Mute Beauty

Chapter 77: Divorce

Yu Ting: "Just woke up, wait for me."

An hour later, Yu Ting arrived at the entrance to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The weather today was even colder than yesterday, with no sun in sight. The morning wind was icy and piercing, and the streets nearby were empty. In her car, parked by the curb outside, Ran Ling saw a familiar license plate. She knew it was Yu Ting and opened her door to step out.

She was wearing a long wool coat, her hair down, face bare of makeup, and looked visibly tired. She gave Yu Ting a quick glance, then looked away, lowering her head as she walked toward the entrance. Her delicate, gentle face looked distant and troubled, carrying a hint of coldness beneath her melancholy.

She walked in without waiting, barely noticing the warmth of the building's interior. She paused only to make sure Yu Ting had followed, casting a sidelong glance her way. Once she saw that Yu Ting was behind her, they both approached the registration desk.

Ran Ling sat down first on the chair across from the clerk, while Yu Ting stood behind her, frozen in place, until the clerk eventually had to ask if they were ready. Only then did Yu Ting look back.

Yu Ting locked eyes with her. Those usually expressive eyes were now dry, without any spark. Her eyes looked slightly red, as if she'd cried the night before.

She had cried, but it wasn't like before, where tears were meant to seek reassurance or ask for something. She showed no hesitation, as though her decision had long been made.

It was serious—perhaps the decision had been made a month ago when she had turned her back on Yu Ting after yet another unfulfilled promise to be together, left behind for work once more.

A pang tugged at Yu Ting's heart.

The clerk spoke up. "Have you both made up your minds?"

"You're serious?" Yu Ting's voice was cold. She asked one last time.

Ran Ling nodded.

Yu Ting finally sat down. "Fine, then."

Other than those few words, they said nothing to each other.

The procedure was swift; there had been no divorce waiting period in the country for years. With a signature and a stamp, they each held a divorce certificate. They were officially divorced.

Marriage, divorce. All of it in just six months.

Yu Ting felt a bit dazed as they left the Civil Affairs Bureau. The cold wind was relentless. Ahead of her, Ran Ling hunched her shoulders and pulled her coat tighter. She had always been so vulnerable to the cold.

She stopped, and Yu Ting halted a few steps behind. After a pause, Ran Ling turned around, holding her phone, and passed it to Yu Ting.

At that moment, seeing her turn, Yu Ting's heart missed a beat. She took the phone and glanced down. It was a message: "Give me back the ring."

The ring...

The one Yu Ting had designed herself.

She had stopped addressing Yu Ting by name.

The ring she'd still worn on her finger just yesterday was now missing from her left hand's ring finger. She had left it off out of spite.

"So, you actually want it back..." Yu Ting forced herself to sound indifferent, a bitter smile on her face. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I threw it away last night."

Ran Ling's expression dimmed, her face reflecting disappointment—no, not just disappointment. It was outright disillusionment. It was her hard work, her own efforts, thrown away. Yet she said nothing, only gave a slight nod and turned to leave.