Chapter 394: Chapter 394: Yanxi 2
Tan You said, "There’s not much to say. It would be unbecoming of a gentleman to speak ill of others behind their back."
"Oh, but we’re women, not gentlemen! Teacher Xu, what are you going to do now? You were together for so long."
"To suddenly break up, you must be so devastated."
Tan You smiled. "It’s fine. Isn’t that just life? People can only walk with you for a part of the way, not for your entire life. It’s best if we can part amicably and not leave a huge mess behind."
Despite what she said, Tan You didn’t end up refusing her colleagues and went along with them to a barbecue restaurant near the school. Everyone was naturally curious about Xu Yanxi’s romantic troubles, but Tan You was tight-lipped. They gradually lost interest, and the conversation soon drifted to other topics.
Tan You wasn’t nearly as keen on an "amicable parting" as her words suggested. Although Xu Yanxi and Jin Taiyuan hadn’t registered their marriage, their relationship had been extremely close.
They had been living together since college, saving up for a down payment on a house, and sharing every aspect of their lives. All of that now had to be split up. In truth, Tan You was grateful she had returned at this specific juncture; at least she wouldn’t have the headache of a divorce.
Originally, Xu Yanxi hadn’t known about Jin Taiyuan’s cheating before their wedding and had gone ahead and married him. If she hadn’t found out from one of Jin Taiyuan’s colleagues later on, who knows how long she would have been kept in the dark.
And after Xu Yanxi found out, their marriage went through a series of dramatic ups and downs. Didn’t it just end in divorce anyway? Rather than let things get ugly and irreconcilable later, it was better to get out now.
With this in mind, Tan You didn’t return to the apartment she shared with Jin Taiyuan after work. Instead, she went straight to his company. Jin Taiyuan was, admittedly, very hardworking and exceptionally capable. Combined with his good looks, he had been promoted to supervisor of the marketing department after five years, with about ten employees reporting to him.
Xu Yanxi had visited Jin Taiyuan’s company before, so Tan You’s arrival wasn’t a surprise to anyone. One female colleague, however, looked at Tan You with a hint of pity. Tan You knew this was the woman who had originally told Xu Yanxi about Jin Taiyuan’s cheating.
The woman wasn’t doing it out of sympathy for Xu Yanxi; she just wanted to get ahead in her career. What soldier doesn’t dream of becoming a general? While his personal problems wouldn’t necessarily cause Jin Taiyuan’s career to crash and burn, if they dealt him even a small blow, all the better.
Tan You merely glanced at the female colleague before her eyes swept past Hong Xiazhen’s desk. Seeing that Jin Taiyuan’s desk was also empty, Tan You thought, ’Just how clueless was the original Xu Yanxi? How could she not have noticed this?’
’She had come here several times, and each time, both Jin Taiyuan and Hong Xiazhen were nowhere to be found. Even if it was a coincidence, how could you explain it happening over and over again?’
After waiting in the break area for five minutes, Tan You saw Jin Taiyuan and Hong Xiazhen walk over, one after the other. He was clearly startled to see Tan You, but he quickly plastered on a smile. "What are you doing here? I told you I had to work late tonight."
Tan You’s smile was distant. "I came looking for you. There’s something I need to talk to you about."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hong Xiazhen sitting at her desk, head lowered and completely silent. Then she looked back at Jin Taiyuan and noticed his gaze kept darting over to Hong Xiazhen.
Tan You’s smile faded slightly. "I won’t waste your time. I’ll leave as soon as I’m done."
Jin Taiyuan ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, let’s go to the coffee shop downstairs."
Tan You stood up and glanced at Hong Xiazhen one more time. "I’ll see you downstairs, then. I’ll give you five minutes."
’Five minutes. That should be enough time for Jin Taiyuan to console his mistress. There was no need to make a scene in public; she wasn’t the type to cause a drama. But some people could be dealt with later.’
In the coffee shop downstairs, while waiting for Jin Taiyuan, Tan You contacted the Beauty System. "Send me all the evidence of Jin Taiyuan and Hong Xiazhen’s intimate moments."
Tan You could have gathered it herself, but she had been at school all day, and teachers weren’t provided with computers, so she had the desire but lacked the means.
The Beauty System made a whirring animation, and a moment later, a flood of files arrived on Tan You’s phone. There were photos of Jin Taiyuan and Hong Xiazhen having tea together, taking walks, hugging, kissing, and more.
The timeline only spanned two months. ’Two months. That’s all it took to completely demolish the fortress of love that the original Xu Yanxi had spent so many years meticulously building. It was quite ironic, really.’
"If I weren’t personally involved, anyone looking at these two would call them a perfect match. Now it looks like I’m the one breaking up a happy couple." Tan You sneered, tapping the photo of them kissing on her screen.
After reviewing all the evidence, Tan You finally looked up at Jin Taiyuan, who had just arrived. In all fairness, Jin Taiyuan was quite good-looking—for a regular person, at least. He wouldn’t stand out in the entertainment industry.
"You came looking for me so suddenly. Was there something you wanted to say?" Jin Taiyuan paused, then glanced at his watch. "I have a meeting at seven..."
"Then I’ll get straight to the point." Tan You didn’t beat around the bush. She slid her phone across the table to him. "Let’s break up. I’ll pack my things soon. I’m moving out tonight."
Jin Taiyuan froze. He looked at the photo, then back at Tan You, unsure whether he was more panicked about being caught cheating or more shocked by how cleanly and decisively his girlfriend was breaking up with him.
Composing himself, Jin Taiyuan turned the phone facedown, unable to look at the photo of him and Hong Xiazhen kissing. "When... when did you find out?"
"Not long ago. Today, actually," Tan You admitted frankly, tracing the rim of her coffee cup. "You’ve found someone new. I wish you well. Let’s just part amicably."
"This is a list I put together this afternoon. Since we aren’t married and we’ve kept our finances separate since graduation, there are no assets to dispute. However, I purchased many of the things in the apartment, and I’ll be taking them with me."
"I don’t want to break up. I don’t agree," Jin Taiyuan said, catching his breath. "Yanxi, let’s not break up. We were supposed to get married next month... I’ll end things with her right now. Can we please not break up?"
Tan You looked up. "I’m not negotiating with you. I’m informing you."
"You hate being a child born out of wedlock. You resent the man who put you and your mother through such a humiliating experience, and you hate anyone who is unfaithful. I thought we shared the same values. I thought we would work hard to protect our family, to ensure our children would never suffer the way we did. That’s why we supported each other and made it this far."
"But look at what you’re doing now."
She chuckled. "You cheated three months before our wedding. And you even cheated with someone who shares your background. Why her? Is it because you both have the same past? Because you can better understand each other’s inner shame?"
