"Chu Mian, don't delude yourself into thinking I could ever love you!"

The man tightened his grip on her neck, pressing her forcefully onto the sofa. His face was twisted in disgust as he swore at her, "My patience for you has reached its limit. I suggest you behave yourself. We're getting divorced in six months!"

"I didn't push Lu Jiao... she fell into the pool on her own!"

Chu Mian's voice was weak, her body soaked and shivering uncontrollably. She remained trembling, unable to extract herself from the fear of having fallen into the water.

"Don't bother arguing, you and Jiao Jiao have been close friends for years, you know she's terrified of water!" The man's grasp intensified, his unyielding demeanor implied “If anything happens to Lu Jiao, you will accompany her in death”.

That simple detail of being long-time friends was enough to convict her.

There was a misty haze in Chu Mian’s eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek, her shattered heart painfully audible.

It was hard to believe that the man who was chastising her for another woman was her husband!

She had loved Gu Wangchen for four years and been married to him for three.

Three years ago, when she found out she could marry Gu Wangchen, she was overjoyed.

Yet, only after marrying Gu Wangchen did she realise that she was merely a tool used to keep his beloved Lu Jiao close to him, since his mother absolutely refused to accept Lu Jiao into the family.

When Lu Jiao fell into the pool, everyone rushed to rescue her, everyone's attention was on her.

But when she, Chu Mian fell into the pool, no one paid any attention. She almost died in that cold pool.

He remembered that Lu Jiao was afraid of water, but didn't remember... she was too.

The thought that the marriage she had laboured so hard to maintain was merely a shell made Chu Mian burst into laughter.

Gu Wangchen sees her sitting on the couch, sneering, with an increasingly cold and disdainful look in her eyes, "Madwoman!"

Yes, she was nuts.

To marry Gu Wangchen, she went against her father time and again, stirring up chaos in the Chu family to the point of breaking ties, even to the extent of causing her father to fall ill and be hospitalized.

Her father told her, marrying a man who does not love you also leads to suffering, she could never win.

Yet, she naively thought that Gu Wangchen's willingness to marry her was the biggest validation, and that her love would eventually melt Gu Wangchen's heart.

She swore to her father, in this marriage, she was confident that, she wouldn't lose.

She was wrong...

To someone who doesn't love you, your very breathing is a mistake.

Whether she wins or loses, it isn't up to her to decide, but for Gu Wangchen to determine.

Ding——

Gu Wangchen's phone suddenly rang. Seeing the name displayed on the incoming call, the anger on his face faded.

In the quiet living room, Chu Mian could faintly hear the coquettish voice of a woman coming from the other end of the phone.

He lowered his gaze, picked up his suit jacket from the side, his safe-threatening demeanor was gone, leaving only gentleness, "Baby, don't be scared, I'm on my way."

Chu Mian's breath hitched.

He hung up the phone, cast a venomous glance at Chu Mian, and walked out without a backward glance.

"Gu Wangchen," Chu Mian's voice was hoarse, attempting to make him pause, "I'm afraid of water too."

Gu Wangchen did not halt his steps. He found Chu Mian ridiculous.

Lu Jiao was afraid of the water because of the trauma she suffered when he was kidnapped and she fell into the sea trying to save him.

Chu Mian even had a diver's license. She was afraid of water?

Did Chu Mian think that he would love her like this?

Delusion!

Chu Mian watched him push open the door, tears dripping down her face. The thought of how she was never chosen by Gu Wangchen over the years made her heart wrench in pain.

With all her strength, her eyes red and swollen, she asked, "Have you not loved me at all in these seven years?"

Her eyes were pitiful. Even now, she was still imagining about Gu Wangchen having even a tiny bit of affection for her.

He finally turned his head and gave a derisive laugh. What followed was endless humiliation for Chu Mian.

"Do you think you're worthy of mentioning love with me? Chu Mian, put away your cheap pity. It disgusts me!" Gu Wangchen's eyes were full of anger, every word like a knife, ruthlessly stabbing Chu Mian's heart.

Despite knowing he was engaged to someone else, she still went through great lengths to marry him, was this Chu Mian's love?

Chu Mian gripped her dress, her fingertips turned white. She couldn't help but recall her friend Shen Rao's words: 'Chu Mian, you're the pride and joy of the Chu family, why must you cling onto Gu Wangchen?'

She did not know either.

Perhaps it was because when she was bullied at the age of seventeen, he defended her fiercely and said: "Mianmian, don't be afraid."

Now Chu Mian knew that "Don't be afraid" is just a comforting phrase that anyone would say.

Chu Mian closed her eyes, tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. Her heart gradually became numb, to the point where she didn't even know what heartbreak felt like.

Over these three years, she had endured much pain, all from the person she loved most—Gu Wangchen!

In Gu Wangchen's eyes, she was a ruthlessly scheming woman, whose heart was venomous like a viper, desiring to eliminate the person he cherished!

Seven years, even a dog would have wagged its tail at her by now.

But she couldn't even gain a bit of Gu Wangchen's trust.

Rather than torturing each other, it would be better to end things sooner.

This marriage that disgusted him, she didn't want to continue any longer. Not a single second more.

Chu Mian dried her tears, her almond-shaped eyes looked at his silhouette, and she lightly spoke, "Gu Wangchen, let's get a divorce."

—Gu Wangchen, lets get a divorce.

Gu Wangchen's steps hesitated for a moment, he turned his head, his sight landing on Chu Mian, a flash of surprise was visible in his eyes.

His heart felt as if it was momentarily tugged by something, he found it hard to believe that these words had come from Chu Mian.

Throughout these three years, she had always been playing the role of a good wife, cautiously maintaining their marital relationship.

No matter how harsh his words were to her, she had never mentioned divorce.

What game was this?

Gu Wangchen's throat rolled slightly, and he warned with a cold voice, "Chu Mian, put away your nasty tricks and go to the hospital to apologize to Jiaojiao immediately!"

Chu Mian bit her lip, completely heartbroken.

She put away her weakness, and for the first time, she spoke to him with a sting, her voice extremely indifferent, "I said divorce, can you not understand?"

Gu Wangchen was stunned by the shout, his eyes darkened inadvertently.

She just stood by the sofa, although close at hand, it seemed like there was a huge gap between the two.

It seemed that it had been a long time since Gu Wangchen had taken a good look at Chu Mian.

She had lost a lot of weight, not as bright and beautiful as she was before their marriage. Now her whole person looked somewhat dim.

It had not officially entered summer in Yun City in May. She fell into the swimming pool and soaked in cold water, her body trembling at the moment, in a very miserable state.

In a daze, Gu Wangchen's thoughts were pulled back to his youthful days.

Chu Mian was the beloved young mistress of the Chu family. She played the piano well, and everyone in the city pursued her.

But Chu Mian only loved him and vowed to marry him.

At that time when his mom was sick, Chu Mian, a lady who never had to do any manual work, learned to make soup and give massages. She took care of his picky mother clearly and openly.

To be honest, he didn't dislike Chu Mian at that time, and he even accepted her as his wife.

When did things change?

It was when he insisted on marrying Lu Jiaojiao, and Chu Mian still painstakingly tried to marry him.

Gu Wangchen lightly pursed his thin lips, lowering his voice, "Chu Mian, I won't coax you."

In theory, he should be happy if Chu Mian wants to divorce.

But for some reason, looking at Chu Mian's face, he felt a blockage in his heart.

"Make sure you want to divorce," Gu Wangchen glanced at Chu Mian, for the first time feeling that Chu Mian was so foreign.

The marriage she had meticulously planned for, was she really willing to let it go?

The man was decked out in a sleek suit, tall and handsome. He was extremely good-looking, especially those narrow, deep and black eyes, the thin eyelids, aloof yet captivating.

It was this face that Chu Mian couldn't extract herself from.

In order to keep this marriage going, she had endured his cold gaze over and over again, endured the existence of Lu Jiao. She believed that she was worthy of this marriage.

But marriage is a double-edged arrow, one she couldn't hold on her own.

She didn't want to be a puppet in the marriage, nor did she want to be a spoiler any longer.

"I've made up my mind," Chu Mian smiled a warm smile, her face radiating tranquility.

Gu Wangchen's brows twitched slightly, his grip on his coat tightening, the strange and irritating feelings bubbling up from the bottom of his heart.

"I've loved you for seven years, Gu Wangchen. I've lost," Chu Mian swallowed her tears, bearing the pain in her heart, but her smile remained gentle.

She had lost, she hadn't won over Gu Wangchen, nor melted his heart.

She didn't want to admit her loss in the past, but now, she had no choice but to.

Gu Wangchen listened to her words, feeling exceptionally frustrated.

"Whatever."

Ever since Chu Mian has gotten used to her temper tantrums, ignoring her for a few days makes her act as if nothing happened.

Bang -

The door was slammed shut with force.

Chu Mian slumped onto the sofa, her laughter bitter.

The dream about Gu Wangchen for the past seven years, it's time to wake up.

Chu Mian took out her mobile phone and dialed a number...