Jiang Tingzhou's kept woman was in a mood again. He slid the divorce papers towards me. "Sign it. It'll just be for show, to appease the young woman he's interested in." Clutching the hem of my dress, I nodded silently and swiftly signed my name. As I was leaving, I overheard his friends joking. "Your wife is too easygoing. Would she really do anything you ask?" Jiang Tingzhou elegantly sipped his wine. "Care to place a bet?" They wagered that twenty days later at the civil affairs office, no matter how teary-eyed I might get, I would obediently finalize the divorce. When the marriage certificate was replaced with a divorce one, I rubbed my phone, calmly replying to the message I had just received: "Will you marry me?" "Yes." After sending the message, the conversation in the room continued. "We're all betting on a luxury car that she'll agree to the divorce." "I don't think she will. After all, Xu Zhiyuan loves Jiang so much. How could she agree to divorce?" "You don't know then, do you? Xu Zhiyuan is completely devoted to Jiang. He tells her to go east, and she wouldn't dare head west." "The losers each owe two luxury cars, " Jiang Tingzhou's cold voice echoed through the room, followed by a burst of laughter. I hurriedly fled the scene. Just then, my phone buzzed with a new message. "Really?" "Yes." Six months ago, Jiang Tingzhou became infatuated with a minor celebrity. He showered her with resources, bought her a house and a car in City A. The villa in the city center was filled with jewelry and trinkets that young girls love. Yet, she remained indifferent to him. Jiang Tingzhou patiently coaxed her for days, but the girl stubbornly declared she wouldn't be a third party. Dressed in limited edition designer clothes, her face flushed with anger, she said, "Mr. Jiang, I admit you're good to me, and I like you, but I won't be the other woman!" Jiang Tingzhou had been in the business world for years and had seen countless women. Most, upon seeing his wealth, would throw themselves at him. But this young actress was different. She had principles, and all the money in the world couldn't make her willingly become a kept woman. Jiang Tingzhou found her intriguing. He even abandoned me repeatedly for her. I remember the first time was on my birthday. Jiang Tingzhou rarely came home to celebrate with me. He dressed meticulously and bought my favorite small cake. Just as I was about to make a wish, his phone rang unexpectedly. He got up to take the call, promising to return. But after the call, he left me behind. He said he had something urgent, and I believed him. Ten minutes later, I received a friend request. The person didn't message me after adding me. Out of curiosity, I checked their social media. It was filled with photos of Jiang Tingzhou and her. It was then I realized Jiang Tingzhou was cheating. I confronted him with my phone. Jiang Tingzhou claimed they were just friends. I didn't believe him, but he dismissed my concerns. "No matter our relationship, you'll always be my wife. Isn't that enough?" I was shocked. So, in his mind, as long as I was his wife, it was enough? But he had always said I was his true love. How could he be with someone else? My heart felt blocked, stifled with discomfort. Yet, I couldn't even muster the strength to argue. Until he handed me a divorce agreement in public: "Sign it. It'll just be for show, to appease the young woman he's interested in." I silently signed my name, then turned and left. When Jiang Tingzhou came home, he was still reeking of alcohol. Seeing me on the sofa, he frowned and asked, "Why aren't you asleep?" I looked up at him and spoke our first words of the day: "I'm not sleepy." "Even if you're not sleepy, you still need to rest. The doctor said you need more sleep." I didn't look at him, just turned and went to my room to sleep. "Wait, " Jiang Tingzhou called out to me. "Tomorrow... I need to talk to you. "

The next day, Jiang Tingzhou woke me from my sleep: "Zhi Yuan, let's go get the divorce papers today." I was taken aback but then nodded: "Okay." On the way, Jiang Tingzhou kept talking about his plans for our fourth anniversary: "First, we'll visit the doctor for a follow-up. The last time, the doctor said your condition has stabilized a lot. In a little while, you'll be back to normal." "Then, I'll take you out for a walk. You haven't been anywhere these past few years due to your illness. I still remember how you loved to run around when you were a child. You said you wanted to travel the world when you grew up. Once you're better, shall we do that?" He looked at me, but I didn't respond. Jiang Tingzhou sighed: "She's just an actress. How could I fall for her? She's just so different. I'm only curious about when she'll finally lower her head." "Don't worry. I promised to take care of you, and I will keep that promise." I nodded, and Jiang Tingzhou, finding the conversation dull, drove in silence. When we arrived, Jiang Tingzhou opened the car door and helped me unbuckle my seatbelt. I followed him into the registry office, and everything went smoothly. The staff asked some routine questions. My autism made it difficult for me to express my emotions accurately, so I simply nodded along with Jiang Tingzhou. "If you confirm, please sign here, and you can collect the divorce decree in a month." Jiang Tingzhou happily accepted the receipt and immediately started texting. The smile on his face made it obvious who he was messaging. At the same time, my phone buzzed with a message: "I've bought the ticket to return home. See you tomorrow." I replied with a simple "okay" and left it at that. That night, I rarely dreamed of my childhood. As a child, Jiang Tingzhou used to stick close to me. "Zhi Yuan, your eyes are so beautiful!" "Zhi Yuan, will you play house with me? I'll be the prince, and you be the princess." "Princesses are supposed to marry princes. When I grow up, I want to marry you." Back then, I adored Jiang Tingzhou. We went to school together, left school together, and even skipped classes to watch a popular music concert... Until that day, amidst a pool of blood, I saw my parents and sister. I stood there, frozen, losing all my senses in an instant. My last memory was Jiang Tingzhou crying as he held me, asking me to come home with him. He said: "Brother's home is Zhi Yuan's home too. Don't be scared, dear friend. Brother is here with you." From then on, I shut myself off from the world, refusing to speak to anyone. Uncle and Aunt Jiang took me to countless hospitals, both in and out of the country. Every doctor said I had been traumatized and was struggling with autism. Mr. and Mrs. Jiang looked at me with eyes red from sorrow: "Zhi Yuan, you're the only child your parents left behind. You must take care of yourself." The Xu and Jiang families had been close friends, so after my parents' accident, I was taken into the Jiang family. Everyone in the Jiang family treated me well, and my childhood was saved from complete despair. Back then, Jiang Tingzhou wasn't like this. He would protect me. If anyone said something about me, he'd pounce on them like a little cat, ready to fight. He would quietly accompany me, watching me play with my plants, never saying I was wasting time. So, when he asked if I wanted to marry him, I nodded. Mr. and Mrs. Jiang happily started preparing for our wedding. As for me, I continued to tinker with my flowers and plants. As my condition improved, I was able to express my emotions a little better, but I still didn't understand what marriage meant. The doctor said marriage is when two people are together and never part. I thought, if it's with Jiang Tingzhou, maybe it's not so bad. Our wedding was grand, with all the prominent people in City A attending. Jiang Tingzhou held my hand, accepting everyone's blessings. That night, he held me in his arms and asked if he could kiss me. I didn't understand why he wanted to kiss now; I was very sleepy. But Jiang Tingzhou wanted a kiss, and I had never refused him before. That day, I sat on his lap, and he kissed me gently. He said we would be happy like this for a lifetime. But just four years later, everything changed. Jiang Tingzhou's parents passed away one after another, and I lost another set of loving parents. During that time, I locked myself in the greenhouse, only opening the door when Jiang Tingzhou came home. He held me and cried, begging me not to do this. Later, the Jiang family's business grew even larger. Jiang Tingzhou came home later and later. Everyone in City A knew that Jiang Tingzhou's wife was struggling with autism. So many people wanted to become the lady of the Jiang family. Jiang Tingzhou dismissed them all, except for this one aspiring actress. She didn't care about Jiang Tingzhou's money or any coercion. She just wanted to stand by Jiang Tingzhou's side openly. For a couple in love, that's the most normal thing. But Jiang Tingzhou was already married.

In the darkness, my phone buzzed with a message from that minor celebrity. I opened it and saw a picture of Jiang Tingzhou with disheveled hair heading to the shower. The bed beside him was a mess. "I almost forgot, you're autistic, you can't understand." "Let me be kind and tell you, I slept with your husband. And it was your husband who initiated it." "He really enjoys sleeping with me." I turned off the phone, feeling nauseous but unable to vomit. I may struggle with some things, but I'm not oblivious. When I used to be with Jiang Tingzhou, our bed would be messy too. I ignored her, turned over, and continued to sleep. The next day, I slept in late. Jiang Tingzhou was still not home; the maid said he was busy with work at the company and didn't have time. Yet, the minor celebrity's social media clearly showed pictures of them at the beach together. They're all lying to me, thinking I'm an idiot. While eating, my phone suddenly rang; it was Ji Qingxu's call. I answered, and his clear voice came through the line: "Zhi Yuan, I'm back." I was stunned for a long time before remembering I had promised to marry him. "I don't want to marry you, " I said. The person on the other end paused for a moment, then laughed: "Alright, then let's not get married. Since you've been going through a tough time, how about we visit the doctor first?" "No, I don't want to go to the hospital, " I stubbornly replied. The doctors there only make me relive things I don't want to remember. They call it desensitization therapy, a process to help me face difficult memories. I don't like it. "Then we won't go to the hospital. Haven't you divorced? Why not move in with me?" I fell silent, not wanting to engage with him. He's so annoying now, even more than those doctors. "No, I don't want to live with you. I disli—" "I've prepared a conservatory for you at home, with many exotic flowers flown in from abroad. You've never seen them. Are you sure you don't want to come?" He interrupted me. Ever since I lived with Jiang Tingzhou, he had used his pollen allergy and the notion that flowers attract bugs as reasons to send away all the plants I had nurtured. He said they would continue to bloom elsewhere. He said I shouldn't confine flowers to pots... So, all my plants were taken away. But Ji Qingxu said he has flowers at his place. If there are flowers, then maybe it's not so bad. "Alright, then get ready and come pick me up." He chuckled on the other end: "Okay." After hanging up, I went to pack my things; the maid had already left. Over the years, the maids at home would leave after finishing their work. The doctors said it's best not to have strangers at home. So, the maids became part-time workers. I packed my luggage and sat on the sofa waiting for Ji Qingxu. After a while, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Ji Qingxu standing there with a warm smile: "I'm here to bring you to your new home."