WBSGVS Chapter 170 V1

Shen Yanjun never thought the day would come when he’d no longer see himself in Huo Qingli’s eyes.

He thought asking for a divorce would be difficult—his parents would object, and Qingli would surely refuse. But to his surprise, the lawyer came back in just half an hour with the signed agreement.

He thought her coldness toward him was just an act, that she was avoiding him on purpose. Maybe she even came to this banquet because of him.

But she accepted other people’s invitations without hesitation.

When she stepped onto the dance floor in the center of the venue, her position shifted from having her back to him to showing her profile. Her lips curled in a smile, her eyes slightly upturned with amusement, and her graceful movements—

All of it seemed to prove she had completely let go of him.

And what shocked him the most was realizing that he actually cared, she no longer had him in her eyes.

That realization made Shen Yanjun feel physically unwell. Without thinking, he took two steps forward, wanting to pull her aside. But just as he stepped out of the hall, he heard a puzzled voice behind him:
“Yanjun?”

Snapping back to reality, Shen Yanjun froze in place, a frown forming on his face.

He was confused by his behavior.

Xu Yin hadn’t seen what was happening outside, but noticing his reaction, she smiled and said,
“What’s wrong? I thought you were coming to find me. Sorry—I got held up in the restroom for a bit.”

“Nothing,” Shen Yanjun shook his head, pinching the space between his brows. He still felt uneasy and said,
“I’m going to the restroom for a moment.”

“Alright,” Xu Yin nodded.

As soon as he walked away, she clenched her hand, feeling something sharp pressing into her palm.

Tonight was the perfect opportunity. But the time wasn’t quite right yet. She had to wait a bit longer.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and glanced around, trying to appear composed. Then she froze when she spotted someone—

So that’s why Shen Yanjun seemed so distracted. Huo Qingli was here.

Good thing she had been prepared for this.

Xu Yin casually grabbed a glass of champagne and drank it in one gulp. The cold liquid helped steady her nerves. It was her first time doing something like this, and with Qingli here, her emotions were especially unstable.

Meanwhile, Shen Yanjun washed his face in the restroom, composed himself, and returned to Xu Yin looking well put together.

“You don’t handle alcohol well. Take it easy,” he said softly.

Warmth bloomed in Xu Yin’s heart. She gave a small smile.
“Okay. I know. I won’t drink anymore.”

Shen Yanjun nodded and took her to socialize with a few business partners. For the rest of the evening, he didn’t spare another glance toward Huo Qingli on the dance floor.

When the music ended, Qingli returned to Huo Qingyu’s side, who remarked with a sarcastic tone,
“Your ex-husband was staring at you for quite a while just now.”

“Oh?” Qingli picked up a glass of wine and took a small sip.

“Don’t try to play dumb,” Huo Qingyu snapped. “I knew it! There’s no way you’d obediently come to this kind of event just because Dad told you to. Did you come because of him? I’m warning you—after everything he’s done, if you go back to him, don’t bother calling yourself a Huo anymore. It’d be a disgrace!”

Qingli smiled calmly.
“Relax. That’s not going to happen.”

Huo Qingyu still looked suspicious.

Qingli glanced in Xu Yin’s direction and asked softly,
“Then what about you? Do you still like Xu Yin?”

Huo Qingyu immediately looked away awkwardly and went silent. The only reason he noticed Shen Yanjun earlier was because he had instinctively been watching Xu Yin.

He just couldn’t reconcile the image of the scheming, manipulative girl in front of him with the gentle and intelligent woman he remembered. But it had been over two years since they last saw each other—who knew what she had gone through to become like this?

Huo Qingyu cleared his throat, refusing to admit he still cared about Xu Yin.
“Anyway,” he changed the subject hastily, grabbing Qingli’s hand, “come on, let me introduce you to a few people. They love investing in TV dramas—and they’ve got plenty of money. You can stop milking me dry all the time.”

Qingli followed him with a sweet smile, showing no nervousness. She successfully got the contact info of several high-profile investors interested in film and television.

As time passed and the guests all arrived, the venue buzzed with conversation. Eventually, Huo Qingyu was pulled away by his friends, leaving Qingli a bit tired. She found a spot at the bar and slowly sipped a drink.

Just then, a waiter approached her and said softly,
“Miss, a gentleman asked me to invite you to the front hall. He said he has something to discuss with you.”

Qingli looked over toward the entrance that led to the garden, but saw no one. She smiled.
“Alright, thank you.”

After finishing her drink, she casually made her way over.

On her way, she spotted Xu Yin among a group of girls. Her expression didn’t look great—probably someone had called her out—but she hadn’t left.

Qingli had just stepped into the front hall when Shen Yanjun raised his hand from the right side.
“Over here.”

His cigarette was almost burned out—he’d been waiting for a while.

As soon as she got close, his large hand reached out, trying to pull her toward him.

Qingli’s eyes went cold. She took the metal-studded clutch in her hand and smashed it into his wrist.

“Ah—!” Shen Yanjun hissed in pain, sharply inhaling. His wrist was scraped and bleeding. He glared at her.
“If I remember correctly, we’re still legally married. What, I can’t touch my wife?”

Qingli replied coldly,
“Marital rape is still illegal. Don’t act like a lawless thug. Besides, we’ve already signed the divorce papers. All that’s left is to finalize it.”

His expression darkened, the chill in his eyes deepening. He sneered,
“Funny. Weren’t you once so obsessed with me? And now you’re acting like a stranger. Got a new man already? That dance looked pretty intimate. Seems I was the one holding you back!”