Chapter 25: The Best Birthday Gift [5]

"Wen Xiaorou, do you know what you are saying? Are you truly willing to give up the Jing family?" Jing Nuo had never imagined that the birthday gift from this woman would be a demand for divorce on his very birthday. It was certainly a gift, but one with hidden, ulterior motives.

"I am," Wen Xiaorou replied, raising her head to meet his eyes with unwavering resolve.

"Wen Xiaorou, are you trying to burn everything down? Do you have no regard for what the Jing family has done for you, and are you trying to ensure I lose what is rightfully mine?" Jing Nuo was stunned by her ruthlessness—she had dared to break things off before he even had the chance.

"What is yours will remain yours. I have already spoken to your father; I am initiating this divorce unilaterally. It has nothing to do with you." As she spoke, she reached for Jing Nuo’s hand, pressing the ring back into his palm. Today, she felt a profound sense of triumph. Standing before Jing Nuo and Feng Jing, the weight that had long been crushing her heart finally lifted. She was finally leaving the Jing family; she was finally leaving Jing Nuo.

"Wen Xiaorou, I recall telling you that you do not have the right to ask for a divorce." Jing Nuo gripped her hand before she could pull it away, his tone sharp. Was this woman determined to ruin his birthday?

"Ha! Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts? If so, then what is she to you?" Wen Xiaorou pulled her hand away forcefully and glanced at Feng Jing. She felt a flicker of amusement; Jing Nuo constantly claimed Feng Jing was the love of his life, yet it was that woman, Lin Fei'er, who was carrying his child. In that moment, she felt a strange pity for Feng Jing—perhaps even more than for herself. After all, her own desperate persistence had at least secured a marriage, but what had Feng Jing gained?

"Don't be so self-important, Wen Xiaorou. Don't think for a second that I have any attachment to you. You know the purpose of this marriage better than anyone, and you know perfectly well who it is that I truly care about." Jing Nuo, shaken off, turned to look at Feng Jing, using the moment to warn Wen Xiaorou.

"Mhm, I know. But what about Lin Fei'er? What about the child she’s carrying?" Wen Xiaorou rubbed her wrist with a smile, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"Xiaorou, what are you talking about? Who is Lin Fei'er? What child?" Feng Jing, unsettled by the news, rushed forward to question her.

"Ask Jing Nuo yourself."

"Jing Nuo, I’ll see you at the Civil Affairs Bureau at nine tomorrow morning." With that, Wen Xiaorou brushed off her clothes, picked up the suitcase beside the sofa, and walked past them, exiting the bedroom.

Once she was gone, Feng Jing immediately turned on Jing Nuo. "Jing Nuo, what is this about Lin Fei'er?"

"I've only met her twice. The child is not mine." Jing Nuo had not expected that woman, Lin Fei'er, to be so disobedient. He had spared her reputation by not denying the child, yet she had gone to Wen Xiaorou instead. Was this the reason for the divorce? His mind was a chaotic mess—the wedding ring in his hand, the image of Wen Xiaorou leaving with her suitcase, and the presence of Feng Jing before him. It was all too sudden, catching him completely off guard. By the time he regained his composure, Wen Xiaorou had long since vanished.

Only the echo of her voice remained: "Jing Nuo, happy birthday. Jing Nuo, let's get a divorce." He had never truly believed she would leave. He had assumed she was too attached to the Jing family's wealth and the comfort of her life to ever walk away. He never expected her to leave so decisively, without a single look back.

*Slap!* The noise of Feng Jing’s accusations and Jing Nuo’s indifferent explanations was cut short by the sound of a strike. Jing Nuo touched his stinging cheek, glaring at the woman before him. Feng Jing did not believe him—she did not believe that he would never touch another woman but her. He wanted to explain, but the thought died in his throat as he watched her storm out in a fit of rage.