Chapter 39: Cao Kun’s Surprise

An hour later.

Inside Room 1108 of the Blue Flag Hotel in Xia County, Cao Kun opened the door from the inside. Seeing Bai Jing standing there, carrying bags of food, he smiled and ushered her in immediately.

"You said you had a surprise for me. What is it?"

Earlier, when Cao Kun had called Bai Jing, she told him to book a hotel room, promising a surprise. But now that she was here, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. She looked exactly as she had when they parted that morning: a white blouse, a black pencil skirt, black silk stockings, and a pair of shiny black high heels. Where was the surprise? Surely she didn't mean she had gotten a facial and her skin felt softer? That hardly counted as a surprise.

Bai Jing placed the food on the small table with a mischievous smile. "Guess," she teased.

Guess? Cao Kun looked her up and down carefully, then shook his head. "I really can't tell. You look exactly the same as you did this morning."

"Oh, come on!" Bai Jing pouted playfully. She rolled up her sleeve and held out her arm. "Touch it."

Suspicious, Cao Kun reached out and touched her arm.

Hmm?

The moment his hand made contact, his expression shifted. To be perfectly honest, there wasn't a single inch of her he hadn't touched before, but today, he felt an immediate difference. Her skin felt smoother, more delicate than ever.

Seeing his look of surprise, Bai Jing grinned. "Noticed it yet?"

Cao Kun laughed and nodded. "It does feel smoother. Did you apply some kind of essential oil?"

"No!" Bai Jing laughed, half-amused and half-exasperated. "Who would slather themselves in oil? It would ruin my clothes. It’s hair removal. I went to the salon and had a full-body treatment. The whole thing!"

Seeing her emphasize the word "full-body," Cao Kun’s expression turned even more intrigued. "Wow, really? You mean the kind of full-body I’m imagining?"

Bai Jing bit her lip, smiling. "Exactly the kind you’re imagining. Is it a surprise?"

It certainly was.

"A surprise? Of course it's a surprise!" Cao Kun said excitedly. "Woman, you're playing with fire. Do you have any idea that this adds a 20% attack speed and 20% durability buff? You'd better be careful, or you might not be able to handle the consequences!"

Bai Jing giggled. "Is that so? Don't just talk big if you can't back it up."

"Impossible!" Cao Kun replied. "When I, Cao Kun, say something, it’s set in stone. This afternoon, you’d better be prepared to face the consequences!"

After some playful banter, they sat down at the small table to eat. As he nibbled on a grilled kidney skewer, Cao Kun asked, "How does it feel to be your own person?"

The question made Bai Jing pause mid-bite. A look of pure happiness washed over her face. "It’s wonderful. It’s amazing!"

She looked directly into Cao Kun’s eyes. "Truly, Xiao Kun, you don't understand. When I finished the treatment and walked out of the salon, feeling the sunlight on my skin, I felt as though I had been reborn."

"Do you know how many years I’ve wanted to go to a beauty salon? But every time I saw those prices—thousands of dollars—I’d convince myself, 'You're a mother now, why waste money on vanity? Better to spend it on food and clothes for the kids.'"

"For so many years, I’ve lived entirely for others. But today, I finally lived for myself. I realized that living for oneself feels so happy, so wonderful."

"So, Cao Kun, I never want to live for others again. I hate the person I used to be. I want to be the real me, living for myself!"

Seeing her eyes well up with emotion, Cao Kun reached out to wipe away a stray tear. "Keep going. I believe in you. Once you’ve taken this brave step and made a clean break from your past self, you’ll definitely find your way back to who you really are."

*Make a clean break from the past?*

Bai Jing caught the nuance in his words. "Xiao Kun, what do you mean by making a clean break?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Cao Kun said. "You don't really think you've become your own person yet, do you?"

"Don't forget, you are still Wang Yifu's legal wife. If you want to be truly free and live only for yourself, you have to cut ties with him first, don't you?"

Bai Jing realized he was right. That's true. She had almost forgotten she was still Wang Yifu's wife. Regardless of how his case turned out, she wasn't truly free yet. As his family, if anything happened to him, the police would come to her first. She would be the one forced to scramble, to clean up his messes, to bear the weight of his failures.

A sudden, intense feeling of disgust and exhaustion washed over her. Why? Why was it so hard to live for herself? Why were these people like leeches, clinging to her and draining her dry? She just wanted to be free and unburdened. Why wouldn't they let her go?

Noticing her internal struggle, Cao Kun took her soft hand. "Actually, I have another surprise for you today."

Bai Jing looked at him, the joy gone from her face, replaced by a forced smile. "What is it?"

Cao Kun smiled slightly. "An opportunity for you to make that clean break from your past."

"What?" Bai Jing was stunned. Her eyes lit up with sudden urgency. "What opportunity? How can I cut ties with the past?"

Cao Kun signaled for her to calm down. "Shanshan and I met with Huang Jianren’s parents today. The outcome is settled. They’ve agreed to sign a letter of forgiveness for Wang Yifu in exchange for 800,000 in compensation."

He gave her a brief summary of the negotiations, carefully omitting the more questionable backroom deals.

"Although that 800,000 is joint property between you and Wang Yifu—meaning half of it is yours—his current predicament is undeniably tied to you. My suggestion is this: just pay the 800,000 to secure the letter of forgiveness and save his life."

"By doing this, you will have done everything in your power, both out of duty as his wife and for the sake of the years you spent together. That will allow you to make a clean, official break from him."

"Besides, it fulfills Shanshan’s wish; you know how desperate she is to save her father. Once this is done, you can look both Wang Yifu and Wang Shanshan in the eye and know that you don't owe them anything anymore."

"And that," Cao Kun concluded, "will be the moment you finally leave the past behind and embrace your new life."