WBSGVS Chapter 264 Part 1

Chapter 264 – The End (Extra)

Qingli’s tenth birthday banquet ended rather hastily.

After sending the guests off, Grandpa Shao slammed his hand on the tea table, tossed a memory card reader onto it, and snapped furiously, “Who did this?”

Even though it sounded like a question, his sharp eyes were locked directly on Wei Xuwei—
as if he had already decided it was her.

Qingli quietly stepped forward and gave everyone a bright smile. “It was me.”

Grandpa Shao: “???”

Shao Mingxuan, sitting off to the side with his head lowered, muttered in defeat, “It was her.”

The Shao parents were completely dumbfounded. “Ali is only ten years old! Someone must have taught her!”

Wei Xuwei stayed silent. As a daughter-in-law, the only outsider in this household, she knew that in this situation—whether she did it or not—it was still her fault. So she simply acted invisible and let them handle it.

Qingli pulled Wei Xuwei to a seat and said lightly, “Grandpa, Grandma, don’t overthink it. Nobody taught me. I did it myself. I just wanted to share with everyone who my future stepmother might be. Isn’t that allowed?”

Mother Shao’s face instantly turned green, like she had swallowed a fly. “Stepmother? Don’t talk nonsense! Our Shao family would never accept a woman like that! And besides, you just aired our family’s dirty laundry in public! Shao Qingli, hasn’t Grandma taught you that whatever happens in the family stays in the family? That woman will never set foot into the Shao household!”

“Mom!” Shao Mingxuan blurted anxiously.

“Mom, what?! Don’t forget you’re still married!” Mother Shao shot back in anger.

Shao Mingxuan froze, his face flushing red as he glanced at Wei Xuwei.

She lowered her eyes, still silent, as if none of this mattered to her.

His guilt lessened a little, replaced by a stab of frustration. Why was she always so calm, so indifferent—like nothing touched her? If she made a scene, if she demanded a divorce, that would almost be easier than this.

But she stayed quiet. And with that silence, Shao Mingxuan had no face to say anything more. His parents glared at them both, equally at a loss, until finally they could only wave their hands in disgust: “Get out! All of you, get out!”

The three of them stood and left.

Once they got into the car, Wei Xuwei finally spoke. “Things have come this far. Let’s divorce. I don’t want anything else, just the restaurant I built with my own hands…”

Shao Mingxuan stared at her in shock.

He had never imagined that she would be the one to bring up divorce. She had tolerated so much before—he had always assumed divorcing her would be difficult.

But then he realized—now she had the restaurant. It was profitable. Leaving him no longer meant ending up with only scraps of the marital assets.

This should have been good news for him, exactly what he’d wanted. Yet the surge of joy he expected never came. Instead, his chest was filled with something heavy, complicated, hard to put into words.

Even so, he nodded. “Fine. I’ll also compensate you with something more. Most of the company’s money is tied up in projects right now, and I can’t move much cash. But I’ll give you an apartment in Blue Ocean.”

“Thank you.” Wei Xuwei smiled faintly, holding her daughter’s hand tight. “The house is up to you. But Ali stays with me.”

His face darkened instantly. “No! Ali needs to be with me to get the best education! You’ll be busy with your restaurant—you might not even have time to look after her. Leaving her with a nanny is worse than letting my parents help raise her!”

Wei Xuwei didn’t even blink. “I’ve consulted a lawyer. Once a child turns ten, the court prioritizes the child’s wishes. And I don’t think Ali would choose you.”

Shao Mingxuan’s expression grew grim. He turned to look at the little girl sitting between them.

Qingli beamed, her clear, ringing voice sweet as a bell. “Daddy, you couldn’t even keep your marriage vows. If I follow you, who knows if you’ll always treat me well? So I’ll stay with Mom instead. Of course, you’ll still need to pay child support, but you can come see me anytime. And when you’re old, I’ll take care of you too.”

A dull ache pressed on Shao Mingxuan’s chest. Facing this mother and daughter, he suddenly felt like an outsider. He had failed them, and he knew it. All he could do was give a bitter smile, look away, and whisper, “Alright.”

Hearing that, Wei Xuwei lowered her gaze as tears slipped down.

Even though she had been preparing for this moment, watching her ten-year marriage truly end still hurt more than she could bear.

Qingli couldn’t fully share her mother’s pain, but she leaned against her, offering what little comfort she could.

Wei Xuwei and Shao Mingxuan divorced just like that.

Quietly, without drama.

The very next day happened to be Monday. They made an appointment for the official divorce one month later—since the law required a “cooling-off period.” That same day, Wei Xuwei and Qingli packed up everything from the home they had lived in for ten years and moved into their new place, bags and all.

Meanwhile, the photos from Qingli’s birthday banquet spread quickly.

Some sharp-eyed guests had snapped pictures right on the spot.

By the next day, the rumors were already everywhere, and soon enough, the news reached Gu Junyi.

Though on the surface, the Gu family and Shao family didn’t interact much, their social circles overlapped more than a little. Gu Junyi noticed the odd looks people were giving him almost immediately. At the same time, Su Qiu suddenly came rushing to demand a divorce.

Originally, Gu Junyi had agreed. But thanks to the mandatory cooling-off period, they couldn’t finalize things right away. Even though the property division contract was already signed, the process wasn’t something that could be wrapped up overnight.

Su Qiu was frantic, plagued with nightmares every night, desperately trying to siphon off more assets. But barely a day later, Gu Junyi returned home and tossed a thick stack of photos in front of her.

They were the photos from the banquet projection, taken from every angle.

There was no denying the woman in them was her.

Even past thirty, Gu Junyi was still full of vigor, handsome and confident like a young man. His face carried a faint smile, no anger showing, as he asked casually, “This woman is you, isn’t it? Not bad—you look good on camera.”

Su Qiu had just returned from shopping. At the sight, her hands went slack and the bags hit the floor with a crash. Her face drained white as she stared at him in terror.

Gu Junyi arched a brow, his tone laced with meaning. “No wonder you’ve been so eager to divorce me. You were cheating on me, weren’t you?”

She shook her head frantically. “No! That time was an accident! Just an accident! It never happened again—we never even saw each other alone after that!”

Some of the darkness in his eyes faded, and he nodded in satisfaction. “Good.”

Su Qiu exhaled in relief.

After more than ten years of marriage, she knew him well enough. He had been furious earlier, but as always, he could cheat on her, but she was never allowed to cheat on him. That was his kind of domineering.

Once upon a time, she had found that domineering nature attractive. Now, it terrified her.

The next moment, he added lightly, “But I still don’t like the thought of my money ending up in your lover’s hands. Return what you took.”

Her face went pale again. “I… we’ve been married for years. You should at least leave me something to fall back on, shouldn’t you?”

His reply was cold. “Don’t worry. If you run out of money, Xuanxuan will still provide for his mother.”

Her lips trembled. She didn’t dare argue further.

She had no one to blame but herself. If those photos hadn’t been exposed, she might have held her ground. But now? She was leaving practically empty-handed.

Her chest felt tight.

If she’d known it would end like this, she would have divorced much earlier.

She had thought she could take more with her, that she could secure herself no matter what happened. But now that her secret was out, all her efforts were wasted.

That Shao girl really was too clever.

She never imagined she’d be brought down by a child.

“Still not leaving?” Gu Junyi’s voice cut through her daze, sharp with impatience.

Face burning, Su Qiu hurried upstairs.

She hadn’t moved out yet, only taken a few pieces of jewelry. But now it was clear—Gu Junyi wouldn’t let her walk away with much. All she could take with her were some clothes.

Dragging herself up the stairs, she suddenly saw a young boy standing at the landing, staring straight at her. Her scalp went numb. “Xuanxuan…”

“Shut up!” The boy snapped, eyes brimming with tears as he glared at her. “You’re divorcing Dad? You don’t want me anymore, is that it?!”

“No! I’m not abandoning you!” she cried. “It’s just better for you to stay with your father. But I’ll still come see you all the time, I promise!”

But he only heard one thing. “So you really don’t want me!” Wiping his tears angrily, he shouted, “You betrayed Dad, and now you don’t even want me! I hate you!”

With that, he bolted into his room and slammed the door.

Sweat broke out on Su Qiu’s forehead. Desperate, hurt, she shouted, “Didn’t your father betray me too? He was the first to betray me!”

But the door remained shut.

Only a mocking laugh drifted up from downstairs.

Tears poured down Su Qiu’s face. Packing her clothes, she was filled with crushing grievance. Why was her son treating her like this? Hadn’t she been betrayed, too? Gu Junyi had stirred up scandal after scandal—how many nights had she cried herself to sleep?

And yet…

A thought gnawed at the edge of her mind, one she didn’t want to face. Once, she had been the victim. But now, she was no different from those other women Gu Junyi fooled around with.

She had only wanted to test Shao Mingxuan’s feelings, never planning to cross the line before divorce.

But the atmosphere that day had been too perfect. They had lost control.

And just like that, one mistake had ruined everything.

Her regret was bone-deep.

The joy of divorcing and marrying Shao Mingxuan was now tainted by a heavy shadow she could not shake.