NOVPUBLiu Changqing stood downstairs, slightly tilting his head back as he exhaled a puff of smoke. He flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed the burning stub under his toe. Looking up at the sky, he lit another one.
He wasn’t sure why, but the news of An Yuanyao’s arrival had stirred a faint unease within him. It had been some time since he’d last seen her, though he couldn’t recall exactly how many days—it wasn’t something he wanted to think about.
He’d grown used to his current life, so what was the reason for her return now?
His thoughts were interrupted as a taxi slowly approached, stopping about ten meters away.
Holding his cigarette halfway to his lips, Liu Changqing froze. He watched as the car door opened, a leg stepping out first, followed by the rest of the person—An Yuanyao.
She stood there with a bag in her hand, her figure framed in his line of sight. Her face showed traces of exhaustion and faint anger.
As she took her first step, her pace quickened.
Liu Changqing, seeing her heading toward him, had an impulse to turn and run back upstairs. But he suppressed the urge, choosing instead to feign calmness as he stood his ground.
In no time, An Yuanyao was standing in front of him, slightly tilting her head to meet his gaze.
Her weary appearance and rapid blinking told him she hadn’t rested well. She stared at him intently, noting his thinner frame.
Has he been struggling too? Was it because of me?
A trace of joy flashed through her heart, but before it could reach her face, she noticed the cigarette between his fingers. Her brows furrowed, and she snatched it from his hand, tossing it to the ground and stomping it out.
"Who told you to smoke? It smells awful!" she said, her tone a mix of irritation and concern.
"..."
"Cut back on it. It’s bad for your health."
"Are you crazy?"
"Did you just insult me?"
An Yuanyao was stunned. She hadn’t expected his first words after their reunion to be an insult.
Liu Changqing, irritated by her reaction, frowned. "What do you want this time? I was clear last time we talked. Please, have some decency."
"You!"
"How many times do I have to say it? Don’t you care about your reputation? Aren’t you worried about what others will say behind your back?"
Liu Changqing couldn’t understand her intentions. What did she want from him? What was her goal?
His expression darkened, and his tone turned colder.
"Go back to where you came from. Stop looking for me. If you don’t, I’ll block your number when I get home."
Without waiting for a reply, Liu Changqing turned and walked toward the building. His steps quickened as he tried to shake off the encounter.
Just as he reached the entrance, a loud voice echoed behind him.
"I’m divorced!"
"..."
His foot, mid-step on the stair, froze. Liu Changqing stood there, his back to An Yuanyao, as if his body had rusted in place.
Slowly, he turned around to face her. Her shout had left him visibly stunned, his face a mix of disbelief and hesitation.
An Yuanyao opened her bag, pulled out a small booklet, and held it high in the air without saying a word.
Liu Changqing’s gaze was drawn to the booklet, and almost involuntarily, he found himself walking back toward her.
Standing in front of her, he could clearly read the words on the cover: Divorce Certificate.
He looked at the booklet in her hand, then at her face, and finally spoke after a long pause.
"You... you’re divorced?"
"Yes!"
An Yuanyao nodded firmly, breaking into the silly grin Liu Changqing was all too familiar with.
"Now... I can do whatever I want, can’t I?"
"..."
Liu Changqing was momentarily dumbfounded. Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed the booklet from her hand and flipped through it, examining it back and front. 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
He looked back at her, his voice laced with suspicion.
"Is this real?"
"Are you stupid? Of course, it’s real!"
An Yuanyao chuckled, then raised her hand in a mock oath.
"I swear to the heavens, it’s real."
Liu Changqing stared at her silently, his emotions turbulent. After a moment, he tossed the booklet back to her casually.
Startled, she quickly caught it and tucked it back into her bag.
"Why are you throwing it around?!" she scolded, clearly annoyed.
"I felt like it."
After saying this, Liu Changqing turned his head and covered his mouth as if stifling a sneeze. Hidden from her view, a smile crept across his face.
For a while, he maintained his composure. Then, pretending to sneeze, he let out a loud "Ah-choo!" and wiped his nose.
"It’s getting chilly lately. I might be catching a cold," he said nonchalantly.
"A cold?"
An Yuanyao’s concern was immediate as she reached out to check his forehead. Startled, Liu Changqing quickly stepped back.
"What are you doing?"
"Seeing if you have a fever. A cold can lead to one... Should we go to the hospital?"
"Are you nuts? It’s just a sneeze!"
He looked at her, exasperated. "Why couldn’t you just say all this on the phone? Why did you have to come in person?"
"Because I wanted to!"
Her swift reply left Liu Changqing momentarily speechless.
Shaking off his confusion, he asked, "Did you just get divorced?"
"Ten days ago."
"Ten days? What were you doing in the meantime?"
"Well..."
An Yuanyao hesitated. She didn’t want to explain her family matters and chose to deflect.
"I was relaxing and taking my mind off things. Someone was driving me crazy, after all!"
As she spoke, she playfully punched Liu Changqing’s chest, then followed up with two more hits.
"What’s that for?"
"For ignoring my calls earlier!"
"I didn’t know at the time!" Liu Changqing protested, raising his arms to block her punches.
"You should’ve explained right away!"
"You didn’t pick up, so how could I?"
"Do you know how angry I was?"
"Alright, alright, stop hitting me!"
Liu Changqing finally grabbed her wrists to stop her assault, leaning closer as he warned, "Don’t push it!"
"Hmph!"
Though she feigned indignation, her face lit up with a smile as she looked at him.
The atmosphere between them felt just right—until a round of applause snapped their attention toward the taxi driver.
Looking slightly embarrassed, he cleared his throat.
"Sorry to interrupt your... moment. But, miss, could you pay the fare first?"
"..."
"..."
An Yuanyao froze, her face flushing red.
