Divorced - Chapter 2

Chen Yuchuan did it on purpose. He knew it was because he’d drunk too much. Even though they’re already divorced, he still teased Lu Yang. But, he only had the courage to tease, and nothing more.

Lu Yang was lying on the soda, the blue veins on the side of his neck bulging. Finally, he exhaled heavily. Then he sat up with his legs spread a little and his arms resting on his knees.

The collar of his shirt had been wrinkled by Chen Yuchuan, and his tie was also a little loose and crooked. The strands of hair over his forehead were messy, and suddenly, the bluish black under his eyes made him look a lot less dignified.

The original desire and heat in Lu Yang’s eyes had now turned into pure fire. After a moment, he slowly adjusted his shirt collar and tie. Then, after buttoning his suit jacket, he crossed his fingers and rested his elbows on his knees. He stared straight at Chen Yuchuan, as if Chen Yuchuan’s face had a hole in it that he wanted to see through first before being willing to give up.

Chen Yichuan knew from Lu Yang’s expression that he’d made him a little angry, but he was quite frank with himself. He was still telling himself–

Chen Yuchuan, you are so fucking bad and dificient.

After complaining about himself in his heart, he smiled at Lu Yang and said, “Lu Yang, don’t look at me like that. If you look at me like that, I might think that you have other ideas. But now that we’re divorced, with your current identity, even if I stripped off today, stood in front of you, and rubbed myself off, you can only watch and not touch.”

After he’d finished speaking, he looked up at the clock on the wall, and added, “Have you finished packing your things? Just leave if you’re done. It’s already one o’clock, and it’s getting very late.”

Lu Yang stood up from the sofa, took a step with his long legs, and grabbed the handle of his rolling suitcase.

But he didn’t leave in a hurry. He stood there for two seconds, glanced around the house, adjusted his mood, and slowly said, “The day after tomorrow, I’ll ask my assistant to bring Chubby over. Chubby’s vaccine card is stored inside the second drawer of the bedside table in the bedroom. Next week, he needs to be dewormed. When I entered the house today, I smelled gas. If you’re not cooking at home, don’t turn on the fire. It isn’t safe to forget to turn off the gas stove…”

Lu Yang was still talking, but Chen Yuchuan’s eyes were pinned on the ring finger of Lu Yang’s left hand holding the suitcase handle.

Lu Yang’s fingers are very long, and the knuckles in the middle aren’t as obvious compared to the rest. The palm of his hand was always warm, even in winter, still giving a sense of security.

Chen Yuchuan’s fingers, which were hanging at his sides, curled up. His gaze was fixed on Lu Yang’s ring finger. Originally, Lu Yang wore a ring on the ring finger of his left hand.

It was part of their wedding rings, a pair of plain, silver rings.

Now, the ring was gone, leaving a circle of white marks that was the result of having worn the ring for many years. That circle of white was very obvious.

Chen Yuchuan frowned and looked down at his own left hand. At this moment, the ring still on his finger suddenly looked a little laughable. The reflection of light on it was even more dazzling than the circle of white on Lu Yang’s finger.

Chen Yuchuan silently put his hands behind his back, placed his left hand in his right, and tried to take off the ring.

Since the moment he’d put on the ring 12 years ago, Chen Yuchuan had not once taken the ring off. Now, the ring seemed to have become a part of his skin, and he couldn’t take it off no matter how much he tried.

He gritted his teeth, made one final effort, and the ring finally slipped off, leaving the back of his finger red and raw.

Lu Yang said something else, but Chen Yuchuan didn’t listen.

When Lu Yang stopped talking, Chen Yuchuan snorted lightly, laughing at Lu Yang, but also at himself.

Holding the ring tightly in his hand, Chen Yuchuan took two steps to the side, bent down and picked up the pants he had thrown onto the ground. He took out the cigarette case and lighter from the pants pocket.

Pulling out a cigarette, he placed it in his mouth and pressed the lighter to light the cigarette. He narrowed his eyes and sucked in a breath, letting the bitter and spicy nicotine penetrate his throat. When it finally reached his nose, the smell of cigarette smoke made his forehead throbbed painfully.

He thought, maybe it was because he’d been drinking.

Smoking, he leaned back against the sofa behind him, standing on one foot with the other resting on the sofa. His clenched right hand tightened over the ring even more, for fear that he might reveal a little joke to Lu Yang.

They were divorced now, so there was really no need to wear the ring anymore, he thought. Lu Yang probably took his off a long time ago, so if he was still wearing his, it might seem like he still had something in his heart.

Although he did have something in his heart before, he was reluctant to admit it now.

Lu Yang went silent for a few seconds, staring at Chen Yuchuan smoking. After the pause, he continued to speak more trivial things about domestic life.

How often the flowers on the balcony should be watered, the location of the medicine box and the umbrella, the winter clothes stored in the second bedroom…

Chen Yuchuan smoked while listening to Lu Yang talking about the little things in life, and finally, he snorted a little coldly through his nose and raised the corners of his mouth.

When he spoke again, his voice had the hoarseness that came with having smoked. “Lu Yang, we’re both already divorced. Don’t pretend to be a good husband in front of me. There’s no need.”

After he’d finished speaking, he held the cigarette to his mouth and sucked in a breath, making the red light burning on the cigarette end flickered forcefully. After two seconds, he blew out a puff of smoke in Lu Yang’s direction.

I’m being so fucking bad again, Chen Yuchuan complained about himself again in his heart.

But when he looked at Lu Yang’s darkening face through the lingering smoke, he felt relieved.

For an entire week, Chen Yuchuan had been holding back the fire burning inside him. He had to find an outlet. Otherwise, he wouldn’t sleep well. He hadn’t slept well at all this week.

“I just told you, don’t look at me like that. I don’t like that look on your face.”

Lu Yang hated Chen Yuchuan smoking. With the smoke between them, their appearance looked a little blurry in each other’s eyes.

He said, “You don’t have to be so angry with me. We can be considered as a peaceful breakup.”

“Then why are you being so long-winded? Hurry up and go,” Chen Yuchuan said, blowing a breath of smoke at Lu Yang’s face once more. “If there’s nothing else, then hurry and leave. Otherwise, I’ll blow up even more.”

Lu Yang tightened his fingers on the suitcase handle, stood still, and said coldly, “Put out the cigarette.”

“What if I don’t?” Chen Yuchuan straightened and said with a smile, “With your current status, you have no right to control me. Even if I blow up the roof tonight, there’s nothing you can do about it.”