Zhu Jingxi and Chen Siwei are a celebrated young couple in the industry. They fell in love at university and weathered years of obscurity together, making them the couple everyone in their circle knew about and envied.
But just as their hard work finally paid off, their rented apartment was replaced by a spacious villa. When everything at last seemed to be falling into place, Zhu Jingxi looked back and suddenly realized that they had both lost the purest love they had once shared.
*
On the deepest, snowiest night of winter, Zhu Jingxi took Chen Siwei, dead drunk and barely able to stand, from his manager. She gently tucked the blanket back over the edge of the bed, then gazed into the familiar face etched into her very bones in the darkness.
After a long while, she got up to make Chen Siwei some hangover tea.
The warm liquid cleared Chen Siwei's head a little. He turned to look at the soft, snowy night outside, then turned back to his wife. His eyes were as gentle as still water.
Neither of them spoke. Their careers had become so hectic after their sudden rise to fame two years ago that they could barely catch their breath. He realized they had not sat quietly together like this in a long time.
"Chen Siwei," Zhu Jingxi said softly into the dark, unable to make out his expression. "There's something I've been thinking about for a long time, and I haven't known whether to tell you."
He said nothing.
She continued, "Let's get divorced."
*
Chen Siwei couldn't understand why his wife had said such a thing. He kept his eyes closed and stayed silent, pretending he was still drunk.
That night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, just as he had on that snowy night at the start of 2019 when Zhu Jingxi agreed to marry him.
Only now, four years later, she was asking him for a divorce.
He thought of countless possible reasons, staring into the dark until dawn. Then he realized that sometimes there was no reason for things. Perhaps she simply didn't love him anymore.
Reader's Guide:
Slow burn.
Theme: We may buy osmanthus wine and ride together, but it will never be like those carefree days of youth again.
