Three years into their marriage, Lin Wan had become the least troublesome entry in her husband Li Ming's ledger.
In the eyes of outsiders, Li Ming was perfect: a financial whiz, a philanthropist, and always radiant on social media. He would donate 200,000 yuan to an elementary school in the mountains, casually send 2,000-yuan red envelopes in his class group chat, and greet everyone with just the right smile.
Only with her did he insist on balancing the books at the end of the month over even 500 yuan in household expenses.
Lin Wan once thought this was what marriage was supposed to be: careful budgeting and steady days. Until her father was hospitalized with a serious illness, and she called one relative after another from the hospital corridor to borrow money, while her husband was at a restaurant outside, opening a bottle of wine that cost 3,000 yuan.
Until she accidentally opened his computer and saw a chat window named "Rou."
Until she discovered that the man who was generous to the whole world had reserved every last bit of his stinginess, calculation, and secrets just for her.
"It's my money. Why do I need your permission to spend it?"
When the words she had kept buried in her heart for three years finally escaped her lips, Lin Wan knew: it was time to settle the accounts of this marriage all over again.
