Chapter Fifty-Four: The Precipice Behind

Hong Chen was stunned. It wasn’t so much that the divorce hit him hard, but rather that it came so abruptly. The feelings that welled up inside him were complex and hard to describe—not heavy, certainly not joyful, but dominated by negative emotions.

“No wonder you were in such a good mood today, so lively and spirited. I’ve never seen you so playful before.” After a moment, a hint of self-mockery appeared at the corner of her lips. He had been surprised by Lin Yuxin’s sudden change in demeanor—at least in the two years since their wedding, he had never seen her indulge herself in such a carefree way. Now he understood: the afternoon’s merriment was their way of putting a period at the end of their marriage.

Truly, when something is out of the ordinary, there must be a reason.

Lin Yuxin quickly masked the emotions in her eyes and looked up at him. “I’ll give you some money as compensation, but I can’t—”

“No need.” Hong Chen interrupted her. “I respect your decision.” Then he glanced up at a forty-five degree angle. “I won’t go up. It’s just a few changes of clothes anyway. What time do you want to meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow? Send me a message an hour ahead on CloudChat; I’ll be there on time.”

Lin Yuxin pressed her lips together in silence for a moment, then nodded and murmured an assent, pushing open the car door.

Through the windshield, Hong Chen silently watched her somewhat heavy figure retreat. He wasn’t sure if it was his mood or the weight of the large stuffed worker in his arms.

“So this is what a peaceful breakup feels like,” he mused, only looking away a few minutes after Lin Yuxin’s figure disappeared. He smiled inexplicably and took out his phone to message Xu Le: “Fatty, I’m officially single again starting tomorrow. Let’s celebrate tonight.”

Then he called Gao Tianxiong. “Mr. Gao, please buy me a villa in the next few days, fully furnished. Yes, it’s for myself. Once I bring Su Ling back, there’s no need to arrange another place for her.”

After the call, Hong Chen lit a cigarette, started the car, and drove out of the neighborhood.

A quarter of an hour after Hong Chen left, Lin Yuxin emerged from the building again, hurrying with anxiety written all over her face. Had Hong Chen still been there, he would have immediately noticed that something beyond her control had happened. Otherwise, Lin Yuxin—always calm and composed—would never let her emotions show so plainly.

Earlier, Lin Yuxin had been at home discussing the cashing out of shares with Lin Yuangui when Lin Yufei’s phone call came in. But it was a strange woman who spoke, claiming Lin Yufei owed 880,000 yuan. The woman gave her two choices: either rush to Qing City University within an hour, or watch as they brought Lin Yufei to her doorstep to collect the debt.

First, there had been a three-million debt, forcing the family to sell shares and even the house to pay it off. Then Lin Feng Trading was mortgaged by the Lin family, shattering her greatest hope. Now, abruptly, another 880,000 threatened to break the camel’s back.

For the first time, Lin Yuxin felt as though there was a cliff behind her.

She dared not tell her parents, fearing they would collapse entirely. She hurriedly changed clothes, made up an excuse, and left the house, her heart burning with anxiety.

Lin Yuxin hailed a taxi and arrived at the university gates three-quarters of an hour later. She called Lin Yufei, followed the instructions she received, walked several hundred meters, and reached a patch of public green. There, beneath a plane tree, Lin Yufei stood with her head down. In front of her were three women. Although she couldn’t see their faces, Lin Yuxin immediately recognized the obese figure of the woman who had come collecting debts with the bald man that night.

“Yufei.” Lin Yuxin’s brows furrowed. Not bothering with pleasantries, she strode forward. The fat woman folded her arms across her chest and sneered, “If you hadn’t come, we’d be on our way to your house already.”

She handed Lin Yuxin a photocopy. “See for yourself. It’s all there in black and white, signature and fingerprint included.”

Though Lin Yuxin had mentally prepared herself, the sight of the number—880,000—still sent a shock through her mind. She glanced at it and then at Lin Yufei. “What happened?”

Lin Yufei’s expression was haggard, her once-bright eyes dulled and misty. After hesitating, she finally stammered out the truth—she had acted as guarantor for Li Yi.

On hearing this, Lin Yuxin immediately asked, “Where is he now?”

Lin Yufei shook her head, spiritless. “When I called him yesterday, he said he’d already repaid it. But today his phone is off. I called his family, and his father said he’s gone traveling for a week.”

Lin Yuxin fell silent. Clearly, Li Yi was evading responsibility. He must have known that once the lenders couldn’t find him, they’d go after his guarantor. And as a senior, he could be absent from school for a month without issue.

“We searched for Li Yi all day, even went to the address on his ID, but he’s moved. She says she doesn’t know where he lives now, so there’s nothing we can do. She’s the guarantor; she has to bear the debt. However you try to collect from Li Yi later, that’s your business, not ours.” The fat woman pointed at Lin Yufei and said to Lin Yuxin, “The guarantee spells it out clearly. Yesterday was the final payment deadline—880,000. Once the money’s in our account, we’ll leave. Otherwise, we’ll move into your home tonight.”

With the fat woman’s domineering, seasoned manner—and recalling the lesson from the bald man—Lin Yuxin had no patience for arguing. “880,000 isn’t a small sum. My sister is only the guarantor, and the borrower can’t be found right now. Give us at least a few days.”

The fat woman snorted. “I knew you’d try to stall.” She exchanged glances with the other two women; they nodded, moved to either side behind Lin Yufei, and suddenly pinned her arms. The fat woman raised her meaty hand and slapped Lin Yufei hard across the face.

A sharp smack overlapped with Lin Yufei’s scream. Lin Yuxin was horrified and was about to rush forward when the fat woman, as if performing a trick, pulled a glass bottle from behind her, pulled out the cork, and smirked, “Take one more step and I’ll throw this in her face.”

Lin Yuxin froze, her expression tense. The fat woman shook the bottle. “This is just a warning for overdue debts. We’ll give you one day. Tomorrow night, another debt is due as well—you can pay both at once. If you don’t, even I can’t predict the consequences.”

She added, “Oh, and a reminder: your family’s house is up for sale. We know all about it. Don’t even think about running—the whole family is being watched.”

With that, her hand flicked, and the liquid from the bottle splashed all over Lin Yufei’s face.

Lin Yufei’s scream was even shriller this time, full of terror. Lin Yuxin, too, was startled, her face going pale.

“This time it’s just water. Next time, who knows... Let’s go.” The fat woman seemed pleased with the sisters’ reactions, grunted twice through her nose, and strode away, her companions releasing Lin Yufei and trailing after her. Lin Yufei collapsed, hugging her knees, weeping. Lin Yuxin couldn’t bring herself to scold her and instead went to comfort her, then stayed silently by her side.

“Sis, what should we do now?” After a long time, Lin Yufei finally stopped crying and looked at Lin Yuxin in confusion. Lin Yuxin sighed and shook her head. “I’ll take you back to your dorm. Turn off your phone tonight, stop thinking about it, and get some sleep. I’ll take care of this.”

Lin Yufei hesitated, then nodded and whispered through gritted teeth, “Sis, I hate myself. I hate how blind I was to trust someone like Li Yi. If not for him, I wouldn’t have gone to that club, and none of this would have happened.”

Lin Yuxin shook her head. “Yufei, you were ruined by vanity. You ran up over forty thousand on your credit card in a month and didn’t learn your lesson. Even the hundred-thousand hotel bill didn’t make you change, and that’s why things have gotten out of hand. You need to reflect. I’ll find time to talk with you properly. Let’s go—I have something to do tonight.”

After dropping Lin Yufei off at her dorm, Lin Yuxin bought a bun for dinner at a convenience store, then took a taxi to Paradise Nightclub.

Earlier, around four, Chen Feiyang had called, saying there was a gathering tonight and asking her to meet him at Paradise Nightclub at half past eight. She needed his help, so despite her distaste for such places, she had to agree.

On arrival, she called Chen Feiyang, but he didn’t answer. She sent a message, and before long, a flamboyant woman emerged from the club.

Seeing the familiar figure and face, Lin Yuxin’s mouth opened in surprise. The woman was Lu Ke’er, wearing a low-cut dress, black fishnet stockings, holding a small purse, her high heels clacking against the pavement. Anyone who didn’t know her would have thought she was a hostess.

Lin Yuxin could hardly believe her eyes until Lu Ke’er came closer. “Ke’er, weren’t you supposed to go abroad a few days ago?”

“I had something to delay me. Since Feiyang organized another high school reunion tonight and I was free, I decided to come. That night was awkward, and you said not to call you, so I didn’t. Just now, Feiyang said you’d arrived and asked me to come get you—I almost didn’t believe it.”

A wry smile played at Lu Ke’er’s lips, a glint of mischief flashing in her eyes.