Chapter 19: Refusing to Divorce?

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Xu Qian stood there in a beige dress, exuding youthful charm as she gently brushed her hair. This was the very outfit she'd worn when they first met at university—back then, she seemed like a celestial being; now, she only made him feel sick.

Lin Hao did not believe Xu Qian was nostalgic. Otherwise, why would she be intent on destroying him?

Betrayal comes in only two forms: zero times or countless times. He despised a woman like that—she was dirty, and he would never want her.

Before Xu Qian could speak, Yang Fen stepped forward with a smile that cracked her weathered face like a chrysanthemum blooming. "Good son-in-law, you really came here! Yesterday was just a joke. Look at you, taking it seriously—where’s your sense of humor?"

Though her face showed no sign of embarrassment, Yang Fen’s eyes continuously scanned Lin Hao, trying to catch any flicker of emotion.

Lin Hao instantly felt disgusted. This old woman was a master at feigning affection for the wealthy and shunning the poor. When had she ever shown him kindness?

Yesterday, she wished he’d been torn apart alive; today, she called it a joke. Did she think he was a three-year-old?

“Xu Qian, what trick are you trying to pull? We agreed to divorce today—are you trying to back out?” Lin Hao ignored Yang Fen and spoke coldly to Xu Qian.

Yang Fen’s eyes darted, then she immediately coaxed, “Good son-in-law, that was just angry words yesterday. We’re family. If you’re upset, your mother-in-law will apologize to you. That should be enough, right?”

“Son-in-law, Mom was wrong. Please forgive me! If that’s not enough, I’ll kowtow to you.” Yang Fen shouted loudly, drawing the attention of everyone nearby.

This old woman was still trying to manipulate him with guilt at this moment.

“Xu Qian, are you divorcing or not? I don’t have time to waste here. If not, we’ll see each other in court.” Lin Hao completely ignored Yang Fen and looked at Xu Qian.

Lin Hao’s ruthlessness and coldness extinguished all of Xu Qian’s hopes. She couldn’t accept such a drastic change in him.

“Lin Hao, must you be so heartless? Have you forgotten how you used to coax me? You said you’d only love me this lifetime, that you’d make me happy forever. Have you forgotten all that? I’ve changed—what more do you want from me? I’m just a girl; can’t you be a little gentler with me?”

She crouched on the ground, crying bitterly. A man nearby saw this and stepped forward.

“Brother, it’s not that big a deal. Crying over a woman like this, are you even a man? If you’re a real man, act like one. A beautiful girl like this, if you don’t want her, there are plenty who do.”

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“Fine, if you want her!” Lin Hao didn’t indulge the man for a second. There were always these self-righteous fools in society who thought themselves heroes saving damsels, but they were nothing but lecherous morons, thinking with their lower half. They deserved to be struck by lightning.

“Beauty, he doesn’t want you, but I do. Come on, let’s get a marriage license right now,” the man said confidently.

“Get lost!” Xu Qian glared fiercely at him. The man opened his mouth but didn’t dare say a word, leaving in a huff.

Seeing Xu Qian showed no sign of getting up, Lin Hao turned and walked away. He had a divorce agreement; suing would only be a bit more troublesome.

“Lin Hao, don’t be shameless! Haven’t my mother and I begged you humbly enough? What more do you want? Do you really think I can’t live without you?” Seeing Lin Hao about to leave, Xu Qian changed her tone immediately.

“Then divorce. I’m willing to let you find someone better,” Lin Hao said without hesitation, exposing her hypocrisy. “Whether it’s Minister Xu or Minister Zhou, go ahead, play with whoever you want.”

“Oh dear! Don’t quarrel, young couple!” Yang Fen quickly stepped in to smooth things over, coaxing Lin Hao. “Good son-in-law, calm down! Xu Qian is young and spoiled. Don’t worry, I’ll discipline her strictly from now on. She’s only made a mistake all women make. You men need to be broad-minded.”

After saying this, she lowered her voice and spoke seductively, trying to persuade him further: “Besides, you’re the chief secretary of the Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission now. Divorce at this critical moment? If word gets out, it won’t look good. If it affects your promotion, you won’t get a second chance in your life. Mom wouldn’t harm you—it’s all for your own good.”

Though she said this, in her heart she cursed Lin Hao’s entire lineage, calling him a lucky peasant who’d hit the jackpot. If he hadn’t climbed up to the Provincial Committee, she would have slapped him hard by now.

Lin Hao knew divorcing now would spark rumors, but he understood better: Xu Qian was already entangled in a corruption case. If he didn’t break free, once trapped, no one could save him. Who would believe a husband knew nothing in a couple?

Divorcing now would at least make Secretary Gu aware of the inside story, preventing him from wavering. As long as the leader’s mind stayed firm, no one below could do more than watch helplessly.

Though confused on the surface, Lin Hao was clear inside.

Seeing that no matter what she did today she couldn’t sway Lin Hao, Xu Qian finally dropped all pretenses.

“Lin Hao, I’ve suffered so much with you. Now that you’ve made it big, you want to kick me out? No way. I won’t divorce you—not in life, not in death! Don’t think that just because you’re a lowly secretary you’re someone special. If you sue me, I’ll go cry right at the gates of your Provincial Committee tomorrow!”

“I’ll let everyone see how the chief secretary’s secretary abandons his wife and family, how ungrateful and heartless he is! Let’s see which leader would still want someone like you!”

Xu Qian screamed like a madwoman, venting all her bitterness. To her, Lin Hao just needed to admit his mistake quietly. What was the big deal about sleeping with another man for one night?

She had been with him for years—what did one night with someone else matter?

Looking at her wild, unfamiliar face, Lin Hao’s last shred of tenderness vanished. He suppressed his fury and looked at Xu Qian coldly.

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This woman still refused to admit fault or humble herself. To trap him, she was willing to ruin his career—a shameless, venomous woman.

“Fine, Xu Qian. You’re ruthless—so be it,” Lin Hao said, calming himself, his voice icy. Without another word, he turned and left.

He couldn’t sue for now. Letting this madwoman make a scene at the Provincial Committee gates would be disastrous. It wouldn’t just damage his reputation but Secretary Gu’s as well.

He had to find a way to take down Xu Qian’s entire family so she’d have no chance to cause trouble.

Lin Hao thought of Xu Fei—maybe he could use him to throw all the dirt onto Xu Qian. Besides, they couldn’t arrest Xu Fei now.

If so, it would be a win-win: deal with Xu Qian, make Xu Fei believe he had leverage, and at the same time shake him loose. But during the process, Xu Fei would expose more clues, allowing Zhou Ya to track them down.

With this in mind, Lin Hao immediately called Zhou Ya to explain his plan and the stakes.

Zhou Ya was silent for a moment, then her voice grew excited: “Alright, kid, that’s a good plan. We can do it. I was wondering how to get Xu Fei to trust you more. If this works, he might even spill some secrets. If he wants to throw dirt, he’ll have to involve his cohorts—then I can investigate. It’s a perfect plan. Let’s do it.”

“Sister Zhou, I have personal reasons for this…” Lin Hao hesitated but decided to be honest.

Before he could finish, Zhou Ya interrupted, “Lin, you don’t need to explain. As long as you don’t break rules, it’s fine. Who in the Provincial Committee doesn’t have some self-interest, anyway?”

“Understood. Thank you, Sister Zhou.” Lin Hao finally felt relieved.

Since that was settled, he no longer needed to hold back against Xu Qian. She was ruthless, so he wouldn’t be righteous. All that talk of generosity was nonsense. People who preach generosity deserve to be struck by lightning.

He was sure if he got expelled from the Discipline Commission, Xu Qian wouldn’t shed a tear; she’d probably be popping champagne at home celebrating.

After planning briefly for tomorrow, Lin Hao headed toward the guesthouse.

But just as he arrived, he saw a familiar face.

“How come it’s you?”