BSS CH 18

Divorce

Cheng Jing’s heart trembled violently, as if he had just glimpsed something truly terrifying. He whipped his head away, staring hard at the windshield. The ache in his chest surged, breaking through at the corners of his eyes as his lashes trembled uncontrollably.

Another collision jolted the car. Liang Yulin hissed sharply, sucking in a cold breath.

Perhaps he could gamble one more time, but deep down, he knew—the next crash would ensure tonight’s showdown ended in disaster.

High-speed driving left no room for contemplation. Liang Yulin had mere seconds to decide:

Stop, or keep pushing forward.

Liang Jingmin, that lunatic, seemed to have no regard for his own life. Liang Yulin glanced at him briefly and cursed under his breath.

But the stakes weren’t worth risking his life. He chose caution over confrontation, easing off the accelerator and slamming on the brakes.

Surprisingly, Liang Jingmin didn’t seize the moment to ram his car. He had the chance, but held back—as if something made him hesitate.

Liang Yulin, now at reduced speed, found an opening. He floored the gas, veered ahead, and skidded to a stop in the middle of the road, jumping out of the car.

The storm raged around him, the downpour and blinding headlights bathing him in a surreal glow. His dark pupils glimmered like amber as his anger flared.

Forced to a halt, Liang Yulin stepped out, but Cheng Jing quickly hit the lock button on the passenger door as Liang Jingmin tried to open it.

Lowering the window, Cheng Jing met Liang Jingmin’s gaze directly.

He said nothing, merely waiting. Maybe Liang Jingmin had no words to offer—or perhaps Cheng Jing was just curious to hear why this man, who had so dramatically fled his own wedding, had pursued him so desperately.

Liang Jingmin was soaked to the skin, his tailored suit clinging to him like a leaden weight. Rainwater streamed down his face, cold and merciless.

His voice was hoarse, laced with an indescribable emotion. “Cheng Jing, let me see your injuries…”

The words seemed absurd, coming from someone so commanding—the man who had driven recklessly to block Cheng Jing’s path, standing drenched and vulnerable.

Cheng Jing froze, staring at him. Complex emotions rippled through his eyes, tinged with a watery sheen.

But his expression softened for only a fleeting moment.

Beads of sweat clung to his forehead as though he were carefully weighing his words, readying some long tirade. Yet, in the end, he simply said, “Long time no see.”

His tone was calm, as if greeting a casual acquaintance after a few months apart. The raging storm and Liang Jingmin’s drenched appearance seemed to stir no emotion in him.

“Cheng Jing,” Liang Jingmin called his name again, his voice deeper now. “Get out of the car. I’ll take you home.”

Cheng Jing frowned slightly, taking a long moment before responding. “My injuries healed a long time ago. There’s no need for your concern. Besides, I don’t have a home in Xijing.”

Liang Jingmin looked momentarily stunned—a rare sight. His current disheveled state was equally unprecedented.

Seeing Cheng Jing’s unyielding demeanor, Liang Yulin felt reassured, pulling out his phone to snap a photo of Liang Jingmin. He couldn’t resist mocking him. “What a look you’ve got going on. Quite something for the wedding album.”

Liang Jingmin ignored him. Cheng Jing broke the silence once more. “Your wedding night, chasing me through a storm—just to check on my injuries?”

“We’ll talk once we’re back,” Liang Jingmin’s voice dropped. “Get out of his car. You don’t want to be associated with someone like Liang Yulin.”

His words were reasonable, but his ever-present intensity made them feel like an ultimatum, sharp and suffocating.

And if there was one thing Cheng Jing detested in life, it was being cornered.

“Congratulations on your marriage. I already wished you a happy engagement, and I didn’t linger at the wedding for long,” Cheng Jing said icily. “Of course, I never expected an invitation anyway.”

Liang Jingmin, a man who would never stoop to pleading, now stood there with rainwater streaming down his face. Yet, his drenched eyes all but screamed, Please, just hear me out.

But Cheng Jing gave him no chance. “We’ve been married for three years. I’ve done my duty. I never clung to you after we parted, but your repeated betrayals—those, I can no longer endure.”

“Whether your marriage to Miss Zhao is real or not, I don’t care. If not for your pursuit tonight, I wouldn’t have anticipated running into you. When I return home, the divorce papers will be sent to your office. Kindly sign them.”

His voice wavered slightly, betraying a rare vulnerability, but his eyes remained unfocused, as though someone else had delivered that long, cutting speech.

“Leave, Liang Jingmin. Let’s never meet again.”

Liang Jingmin seemed to stagger as if the rain had only just pierced his skin. It poured over his lashes, dripping steadily, reminiscent of the desolate night around them.

For the first time, Cheng Jing saw his own reflection in Liang Jingmin’s eyes—a glimpse of shared pain, like twisting a blade from his chest to stab Liang Jingmin’s. A cruel exchange of suffering.

Liang Yulin chimed in mockingly. “Racing on your wedding night? Imagine how the media would spin this. What would your bride think?”

Liang Jingmin’s gaze dimmed momentarily, his disbelief evident as he stared at Cheng Jing. In his moment of distraction, Cheng Jing pressed his palm firmly over Liang Yulin’s hand.

“Go!” Cheng Jing shouted urgently.

Liang Yulin, perfectly in sync, revved the engine and swerved past Liang Jingmin’s obstructing vehicle.

The maneuver grazed Liang Jingmin’s car, producing a loud scrape before they sped off into the storm, leaving him alone in the downpour.

This was practically a collision worth its weight in gold. Liang Yulin burst into laughter, exhilarated. Cheng Jing, on the other hand, turned his head away, gazing out of the window.

Reflected in the dark glass were his tear-filled eyes.

Far in the distance, a lone figure stood stiffly in the rain.

The long drive stretched in silence, with Cheng Jing not uttering another word.

Liang Yulin couldn’t stand the quiet, his driving sporadic as he spoke. “I have to say, that breakup speech of yours? Way beyond your usual level, Cheng Jing. Even I didn’t think you had it in you to be so decisive.”

Cheng Jing ignored him.

Liang Yulin tilted his head, smirking. “But then, if you were so determined, why the tears now? Should I call you foolish or naive? Can’t even save yourself, yet you’re still thinking about that bastard?”

At last, Cheng Jing turned to face him, his rain-dappled cheeks glistening. Some of the moisture came from the rain that had blown in when the window was down. His eyes blazed with a cold, burning anger as they met Liang Yulin’s.

To understand that expression, we’d need to rewind to a few minutes earlier—when Liang Jingmin had parked his car in the middle of the road and approached Liang Yulin’s car. In those fleeting seconds, everything changed.

When Liang Yulin stopped the car abruptly, adrenaline from the high-speed chase still coursed through their veins. Without wasting a second, he leaned toward Cheng Jing and said, “Maybe you didn’t plan to go with him anyway, but I’ll still warn you—don’t forget that article you just read.”

His tone was quiet, measured, but the words made Cheng Jing snap out of his shock at seeing Liang Jingmin. He stared at Liang Yulin in disbelief.

It was a threat.

Cheng Jing was stunned, not understanding why Liang Yulin was so confident he would cave to a threat for Liang Jingmin’s sake. Yet, in the end, he did.

With only a few seconds to react, Cheng Jing improvised that scathing breakup speech. Those words had been bottled up inside him for far too long, and at last, he had a chance to release them.

But Cheng Jing knew it wasn’t real.

Liang Yulin kept laughing, convinced he had once again seen through the core of who Cheng Jing was. Meanwhile, Cheng Jing sat silently, tears slipping down his face.

He wasn’t angry, nor was he heartbroken. He simply looked… wronged, like life had dealt him an unfair hand.

Because in that moment, Cheng Jing came to a crushing realization: no matter what Liang Jingmin had done to him, no matter how devastating the pain or damage, he still loved him.

He had loved him since they were young. Even when Liang Jingmin was cold and cruel, every time Cheng Jing saw his face, he couldn’t help but falter.

He didn’t want to feel this way.

But that’s the nature of love. It comes without reason, without choice, and offers no escape.

And Cheng Jing, powerless as always, could never control it.