Madam, Please Behave

Chapter 88: Divorce

Li Chongming sat in the car, stunned.

His eyes stared blankly out the window, his head tilted slightly back, exposing the curve of his neck. After a long pause, he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly. His lips felt dry as he forced himself to turn and look at the woman beside him.

“An Yuanyao doesn’t want a divorce right now... I can’t marry you!”

“Then go and get the divorce,” Li Wanran said flatly.

“...”

Her words left him speechless, and he stared at her in disbelief before asking hesitantly, “What do you mean by this?”

“I met with An Yuanyao yesterday,” she replied.

“What?”

“She called and arranged to meet me,” Li Wanran continued, her tone lowering as her gaze turned to the man beside her.

The way she looked at him made him uneasy, his heartbeat quickening as guilt crept into his chest.

“Why... why would she meet with you?”

“She wants a divorce.”

“Impossible!” Li Chongming’s voice rose sharply.

The exclamation made Li Wanran narrow her beautiful eyes. After a brief silence, she asked, “Didn’t you tell me before that she refused to divorce? Then why did she tell me that she hasn’t even seen you for nearly a month?”

“This...”

“I don’t want to hear any more excuses. You can get out now.”

With that, Li Wanran turned her head forward, fixing her gaze on the road ahead.

A heavy silence filled the car.

Lowering his head, Li Chongming hesitated for a moment before mumbling, “My ID card... I didn’t bring it. Maybe we can reschedu—”

Before he could finish, a hand holding his ID card appeared in front of him.

Stunned, he looked at Li Wanran, who hadn’t even turned her head.

“When did you get that?” he asked in shock.

“We can go now,” she said curtly, tossing the ID card onto his lap before leaning back against the seat, closing her eyes as if to rest. She massaged her temples and urged, “Hurry up.”

“...”

Speechless, Li Chongming shakily reached for the car door handle, slowly opening it.

After stepping out and gently closing the door behind him, he took a few steps forward before stopping. He glanced back at the car, trying to see the woman inside.

He lingered for a moment, deep in thought, before continuing forward.

It wasn’t long before he saw An Yuanyao waiting at the entrance.

Standing there, his nominal wife looked... different.

Something about her had changed, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Quickening his pace, he approached her and spoke softly, “Yuanyao...”

“...”

Without responding, An Yuanyao merely glanced at him and nodded slightly before heading inside.

Unprepared for such indifference, Li Chongming hesitated before reaching out to grab her arm.

“Wait!”

“Let go,” she said coldly, turning to face him.

Her tone was icy, making it hard for him to process.

Seeing he hadn’t let go, a flicker of disgust passed through her eyes as she shook off his hand and wiped her wrist.

“Don’t touch me,” she snapped.

“You...”

“Don’t say another word. I’ve brought everything we need. Let’s get this over with,” she said firmly.

“...”

The woman before him felt like a stranger.

From their high school days, An Yuanyao had always been gentle and soft-spoken, welcoming him home with a warm smile no matter what.

But today, she looked more stunning than ever, even more radiant than she had in high school.

Her simple outfit wasn’t designer, but on her, it stood out. She could be spotted in any crowd, just as she had the first time they met.

Summer, by the riverside, under the willow trees...

“An Yuanyao!” he called out, his voice filled with complex emotions.

She paused but didn’t turn back.

“Do you really want a divorce? Are we just going to end all these years of marriage like this? Don’t you love me anymore?”

“...”

She lowered her head for a moment before turning to face him.

At that moment, she felt as if she were seeing him for the first time—and a deep self-loathing welled up inside her.

Not hatred for him, but for herself.

Why had she made so many foolish sacrifices for this man? She’d given up her job, her friends, her family—everything for him.

An uncontrollable surge of emotion took hold of her. Clutching her bag tightly, she strode toward him.

Seeing her approach, a flicker of hope lit up his face. He reached out, wanting to take her hand.

“Yuanyao...”

Slap!

A crisp sound echoed as his head turned to the side. A red handprint quickly appeared on his cheek.

His eyes filled with disbelief as he raised a trembling hand to his face, staring at her as though she were a stranger.

“You...”

“Divorce!!”

---

Standing at the entrance of the civil affairs bureau, An Yuanyao exhaled deeply.

The streets outside were becoming livelier, mirroring the turmoil of her emotions. The sunlight was glaring.

“Yuanyao...”

Clutching the divorce certificate in his hand, Li Chongming followed her out, seemingly wanting to say something.

Without responding, she adjusted her bag and walked away, leaving him standing there, lost and bewildered.

He felt as though he’d lost something vital.

Staggering back to the waiting car, he took a deep breath to collect himself, then opened the door and climbed in.

The first thing Li Wanran noticed was the red certificate he placed between them. Her face lit up with joy, but her expression turned to concern when she saw the mark on his cheek.

“What happened to your face?”

“An Yuanyao slapped me.”

“She hit you?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding with a bitter smile.

“She wants to use my infidelity to demand a larger settlement from the divorce...”

“What?!” Li Wanran sat upright, clearly shocked.

“How could she do that?”

“It’s fine. Just consider it compensation for her,” he said nonchalantly, as though it didn’t bother him.

His lie was seamless.

Reaching out, he took the agitated Li Wanran’s hand in his own, gazing at her with apparent tenderness.

“As long as I have you, nothing else matters.”