After Divorce: Why My Aloof Ex Starts Chasing Me?-Chapter 38 Unrequited Affection

Jiang Zhixun had just finished his task; those words were nothing more than a pretense to brush her off.

Shen Qingqing understood that.

As he turned to leave, she instinctively grabbed the man’s forearm.

"Don’t dodge the question."

Jiang Zhixun pressed his tongue against his cheek. "You came all the way to the Northwest just to divorce me?"

"What else?"

Jiang Zhixun’s expression turned unbelievably dark.

Gripping Shen Qingqing’s wrist tightly, he grit his teeth and asked, "Three years ago, you were the one insisting on getting married. And now, you’re also the one demanding a divorce. What exactly do you take me for?"

Shen Qingqing’s wrist hurt, but he held her so tightly that she couldn’t break free.

"At your beck and call, dismissed at will. Shen Qingqing, am I your dog?"

The corners of Jiang Zhixun’s eyes were tinged with red, a sign of his sheer fury.

Three years ago, she nonchalantly decided to marry him.

Now she was pulling the same stunt, bringing up divorce without giving him any kind of warning.

"Shen Qingqing, don’t push your luck."

Shen Qingqing laughed bitterly out of sheer frustration. "Who’s pushing whom? Don’t you have any sense left in your head?"

Taking advantage of his brief unguarded moment, she forcefully pulled her hand back.

Shen Qingqing’s skin was pale, and the struggle left a vivid red mark on her wrist.

She didn’t care about this minor injury and took out a bankbook from the hidden layer of her suitcase.

"Here’s all the money you’ve sent me over the past three years. I haven’t touched a single penny. I’m returning it to you now. Submit the divorce application as soon as possible, and we’ll settle everything before the year’s end."

As for what kind of impact the divorce might have on Jiang Zhixun, Shen Qingqing no longer cared to think about it.

After all, Jiang Zhixun had never cared about her feelings.

She had never expected Jiang Zhixun to promise her the stars or the moon.

But when others openly mocked her, he stood by silently, not speaking up for her, and didn’t even bother to comfort her afterward.

She couldn’t find a single reason to keep up this charade any longer.

Shen Qingqing chuckled lightly to herself—what was the point of thinking so much when they were already about to divorce?

She should have confronted Jiang Zhixun about this a long time ago.

What did the opinions of elders or his future prospects have to do with her?

Her gaze locked on the bankbook firmly.

Jiang Zhixun’s eyelid twitched slightly.

He had thought that giving all the money to Shen Qingqing was fulfilling his responsibilities.

But he hadn’t expected that she hadn’t spent any of it.

Not only had she not used his money, but she had even made a point of saving it.

Complicated emotions churned in Jiang Zhixun’s heart, ones he couldn’t quite put into words.

The discomfort in his chest made his tone even colder. "If you weren’t in it for the long haul, why did you even agree to get a marriage certificate in the first place?"

Shen Qingqing’s expression remained calm. "I didn’t expect that on the second day of our marriage, my husband would leave for the Northwest."

When they got married, she already knew Jiang Zhixun didn’t like her.

But at the time, his heart was empty, and there were no other women close to him either.

She had thought that over time, she could find her way into Jiang Zhixun’s heart.

Even if Jiang Zhixun didn’t love her, they could at least live a peaceful and harmonious life together for the rest of their days.

She never imagined that someone as mature and steady as him would do something so shocking.

Shen Qingqing hadn’t followed him to the Northwest right away, partly because she was afraid he’d get angry,

and partly to give them both time to think about how to resolve things.

In the first two years, she had thought about going to find Jiang Zhixun, thick-skinned and clinging to him, in an attempt to smooth over their marital relationship.

In the quiet of the night, that thought was especially overwhelming.

But by the next morning, when she was fully awake, she would lose the will to head to the Northwest.

And so, time dragged on and on.

By the third year, she’d already lost all hope in this marriage.

She could continue,

or she could end it.

Whichever outcome, she would accept it calmly.

But it dragged on until she was diagnosed with memory loss.

According to the doctor, it was caused by psychological factors.

That day, she sat in the hospital corridor, dazed and utterly drained of strength.

And suddenly, she didn’t want to drag things out with Jiang Zhixun any longer.

If she didn’t overcome the problems plaguing her, she might never recover.

Shen Qingqing’s calmness deeply stung Jiang Zhixun’s eyes.

After a long silence, he finally spoke in a firm tone, "I don’t agree to the divorce."

Shen Qingqing became anxious. "What right do you have to disagree?"

Jiang Zhixun gave a cold snort. "Since you chose to marry me, you should have prepared yourself for a lifetime without divorce."

Before coming to the Northwest, Shen Qingqing had never imagined that Jiang Zhixun would oppose the divorce.

If he had been willing to accept this marriage, would he have stayed away for three years?

Now that she was proactively setting him free, he should be happy about it.

This man was doing it on purpose.

Always determined to go against her!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, but the room had poor insulation, so she had to suppress her rage.

She threw the bankbook at Jiang Zhixun. "It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree; I’m determined to divorce you!"

Her stance was equally resolute.

The cold indifference in her gaze made Jiang Zhixun feel as if he were her enemy, rather than her husband.

Thinking of his previous assumptions, Jiang Zhixun felt like a fool.

Shen Qingqing was already set on divorce, yet he had been fantasizing about having children with her.

Even hoping to keep her here and live a better life together.

Wasn’t that the definition of pure foolishness?

Clutching the bankbook, Jiang Zhixun let out a mirthless laugh in his fury. "Want a divorce? Deal with your family first."

Shen Qingqing grew irritable. "Divorce is between you and me. What does it have to do with them? And they’re your family; you go talk to them."

"You’re the one asking for a divorce. You handle it yourself."

Calmly, Jiang Zhixun placed the bankbook back on the table.

Under the cover of his body, he slipped the brand-new snow cream into his coat pocket.

Since she didn’t appreciate it, there was no point in him doing these foolish things.

Better not let Shen Qingqing find out, or she’d mock him for being overly sentimental.

Seeing that he was about to leave again, Shen Qingqing quickly said, "If you don’t submit the application yourself, I’ll go to your superior to discuss this."

"Suit yourself."

Jiang Zhixun’s indifferent tone made Shen Qingqing feel a suffocating heaviness in her chest.

"I know you don’t want to see me, so I’ve stayed in Beijing these three years. For the sake of my understanding, could you cooperate with me just this once?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Shen Qingqing’s tone had a pleading edge to it now.

She truly wanted a divorce.

Previously, Jiang Zhixun had thought that if Shen Qingqing ever wanted a divorce, he’d never stop her.

He’d even made bold statements about it to his mother.

But when the moment actually came, he realized he didn’t want to divorce Shen Qingqing.

Even if there wasn’t love between them, he still didn’t want to separate.

Looking into Shen Qingqing’s eyes, Jiang Zhixun asked, "You’ve found someone else in Beijing, haven’t you?"

Shen Qingqing was stunned, utterly unprepared for such a question from him.

She muttered, "In your mind, am I truly such a shameless person?"

The hurt in her eyes filled Jiang Zhixun with deep regret.

"That’s not what I meant."

No matter what he meant, Shen Qingqing no longer cared.

Her tone became increasingly firm. "Submit the application today. I want this divorce finalized as soon as possible."

Round and round they went, and still, she insisted on divorce.

Jiang Zhixun didn’t believe that their problems had reached the point where divorce was necessary.

His face was tense as he struggled to control his emotions, afraid that he might say something else to hurt Shen Qingqing.

"Let me make it clear again—I do not agree to the divorce."

"If you bring up those two words again, I’ll go ask the Old Master whether he’s been feeding you any more terrible ideas!"

"Jiang Zhixun, you’re an asshole!"

Jiang Zhixun’s expression was taunting. "Fine, then I’ll gladly wear that title."