C11 He Turned Hostile

"Lili, let me be straight with you. You know the deal. If you want the thirty grand, we can part ways amicably. If not, you get nothing, and that's that. We've known each other for a while, and I don't want things to end badly. It's up to you."

With those harsh words, Qin Guangjun turned and left without looking back, reminding Meng Lili to make sure the door was securely shut before she left.

Meng Lili sat on the couch for a long time, stunned, before she finally snapped. In a fit of rage, she screamed and smashed everything in the room, leaving a trail of destruction.

In the end, she had to leave this place. The house wasn't hers, after all. If only she had insisted on having the property in her name from the start. She was furious, grinding her teeth in anger. Qin Guangjun, this isn't over. She was used to playing others, and now she was the one being played. No way she was going to swallow this bitter pill easily.

After leaving, Qin Guangjun felt a tightness in his chest and went out drinking with some buddies.

Sunn Jiang was also feeling down, juggling between comforting his girlfriend and his wife. It was wearing him out.

"Hey, Qin, what's up? You seem troubled," Sunn Jiang said, patting his friend's shoulder before taking a sip of his drink.

Pann Minwei and Liu Junhai sat in their chairs, rubbing their temples. "Spill it, Qin. What's got you so down tonight?"

Qin Guangjun took a swig from his bottle of beer and wiped his mouth. "I broke up with Lili."

Sunn Jiang nearly jumped out of his seat. "What happened, man? Don't tell me you messed up too?"

"No way. If I had, would I be sitting here drinking with you guys? I ended it myself. I finally realized it wasn't worth it. I'm done with that scene. Lili wasn't all that, anyway. I gave her three grand, and she still wasn't satisfied."

"I told you she wasn't worth it. You're better off without her. Less stress. You can't expect someone like that to help you raise a kid. It's just not realistic. Look at me and Liu here. We keep it casual, no strings attached. It's way easier. There's plenty of options out there. Long-term stuff just gets stale and risky."

Sunn's a perfect example, right? Thankfully, they stayed together for the kid's sake. But still, turning a good girl into that mess—was it worth it?

That night, all four of them had a bit too much to drink. They stumbled home in their own ways. When Qin Guangjun walked through the door, Hsing Guizhen was still sitting in the living room, waiting for him.

"Why are you back so late, and why did you drink so much again? Didn't I tell you the doctor said you have liver issues and can't keep drinking like this? Why won't you listen? Honestly, what am I going to do with you..."

Listening to Guizhen's nagging, for the first time, Guangjun didn't feel annoyed. He heard genuine concern in every word. Suddenly, he felt a lump in his throat. He couldn't remember when he started getting tired of the monotonous routine and began looking for excitement elsewhere. Eventually, he met Lili, and the idea of a long-term affair crossed his mind. Even so, he knew his limits and understood that what happened outside shouldn't come home—just a fleeting thrill.

It wasn't until today that Guangjun realized nothing compares to the genuine care of a lifelong partner, someone who truly knows and cares for you, unlike those outside who only care about your money.

"Honey, my head hurts. Could you make me some ginger tea?"