The Crazy Son-In-Law

Yao Cen took a deep breath, finally speaking.

“It’s not just because of that incident. Many people might say I’m being dramatic when I say this, but it’s how I truly feel. Maybe it’s your changes that have left me at a loss, they came too quickly. You’re becoming better and better, and my sense of unreality grows stronger.”

“I can’t quite explain it. It’s like being in a dream. You’re not you, and I’m not me. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Looking back at the past few months, everything I have, the house, the car, everything in the company, you gave to me. But what about me? It seems like I’ve become your appendage. I don’t like this feeling. It’s like floating in the clouds, so unreal. I’m afraid that one day when I wake up it will all have been a dream, a joyous dream about nothing.”

“Perhaps the car accident was the beginning of the end of the dream. Compared to that, I’d rather you be like other people, going to work every day, nine to five. Even if you don’t earn much, at least it’s realistic.”

When she finished, she looked at Xiao Shun with complex emotions.

Her mind was in chaos. She herself felt dramatic saying these words. Many women long for a superhero like Xiao Shun, who is capable of everything. She was once infatuated too, but why should such a man belong to her alone?

Her former confidence and pride were crushed one by one in front of Xiao Shun. She was unwilling to share her husband with other women, yet she wasn’t sure she could keep him to herself.

This inner conflict had been tormenting her for the past few days.NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

In the end, Yao Cen chose to let go, at least to retain some dignity for herself.

Perhaps one day when she has enough confidence to hold on to him, she will stand in front of him again, or perhaps there will never be such an opportunity.

A woman’s mind is complicated, and Xiao Shun couldn’t understand.

When he was a nobody, everyone looked down on him. Now that he has become better than most men, he can’t understand why things have suddenly turned out this way.

From his perspective, Yao Cen said all this for one purpose: divorce.

He used to travel around with his master, or practice on the mountain, and never had a concept of home.

For the three years he lived with the Yao family, it was the same. He had thought about giving up this marriage, but because he unknowingly developed a bond, he persisted and gradually felt the warmth of home.

He never expected it would end so suddenly in this way.

“It seems you’ve made up your mind.”

Yao Cen nodded, took out a divorce agreement from her bag and a pen, and pushed them in front of him.

“This is the divorce agreement I drafted. Take a look.”

Xiao Shun picked it up and glanced at it. His brows gradually furrowed. He threw it on the table and looked at her, saying lightly, “I disagree.”

“Why?” Yao Cen asked expressionlessly.

“You can keep the house. Starline is what you built from scratch, and I don’t know how to run it. You should continue to run it. It’s your hard work.”

When Xiao Shun saw the part of the agreement about dividing the property, Yao Cen had given him the 2 billion she had and Starline, leaving only the villa at Pearl International for herself.

“The company is already on the right track, and Maiyaqin will assist you. She’s already capable of handling things on her own, so you don’t have to worry. The house is mainly for my mom…”

“If your mom knew you gave me the money and the company, she’d probably come fight me.”

“The company shares and that money are yours, she’s very clear about that…”

“Do we really need to divide things this clearly?” Xiao Shun said a bit angrily.

“Since we are divorcing, it’s better to divide things clearly, so we don’t owe each other anything in the future.” Yao Cen’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears beneath her long lashes, a sight that tugged at the heartstrings.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Shun’s brows furrowed deeply, and he picked up the pen: “Fine, I’ll sign.” He swiftly signed his name, the pen moving like a graceful dragon, and pushed the paper back in front of Yao Cen.

A single crystal-clear tear fell onto the paper, blooming a small pool of sorrow. At that moment, her phone rang sharply, breaking the atmosphere. She pulled it out and answered it.

“President, there’s an issue at the company, where are you right now?” Mai Yaqin’s anxious voice came through.

Yao Cen ended the call, wiped her tears, and tucked the divorce papers into her bag.

“What happened?” Xiao Shun asked, calling the waiter over to settle the bill.

He had faintly heard Mai Yaqin’s hurried words over the phone but didn’t catch the details.

“Let’s walk and talk.” Yao Cen quickly got up and headed for the door. Xiao Shun pulled out a couple of bills from his wallet and handed them to the waiter, quickly following her out of the café.

“The environmental protection department just arrived at the company and ordered us to cease production immediately for an investigation. They claim our wastewater has contaminated the groundwater, causing serious poisoning to the nearby villagers. About twenty to thirty people have been admitted to the hospital. I couldn’t explain everything over the phone, you’ll understand when we get back to the company.”

In the car back to the company, Yao Cen returned to her usual decisive and efficient manner, speaking quickly. Starline had ceased production two years ago, when environmental policies weren’t as strict as they are now, so they hadn’t installed a wastewater treatment system at the time.

But they had been producing for so many years and nothing like this had ever happened before. Why would there suddenly be cases of poisoning now? Xiao Shun was puzzled.

“Did our company treat the wastewater discharge?” Xiao Shun asked.

“We had installed a wastewater treatment system as per the environmental department’s requirements before we started operation. Our factory’s discharge volume wasn’t large to begin with, unlike some chemical factories. I’m not sure what happened, could it be that the wastewater discharged in the past accumulated and only now caused the illness?” Yao Cen was equally puzzled.

“We’ll know when we get back.”

The company wasn’t far from the cafe, and they soon arrived at the entrance. But by now, two to three hundred villagers had gathered at the entrance, making it impassable. Yao Cen had to park her car outside and walk to the company.

The villagers were filled with righteous indignation, shouting slogans haphazardly. Some even held banners, blocking the factory entrance completely.

“Heartless factory, profiting at the cost of lives!”

“Murderers must pay!”

White banners with blood-red letters held striking and disturbing messages. The company’s retractable gate was closed, and several security guards stood guard with serious expressions.

On the periphery of the crowd, several reporters could be seen, tirelessly clicking their cameras. A camera followed a well-dressed female reporter who was diligently recording the scene.