135: Julie's divorce, Xie Hui's companionship

At two o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, on the steps in front of the District Civil Affairs Bureau, Zhu Li clutched a crumpled divorce agreement, her fingertips turning white. Su Mingcheng stood opposite her, hands in his pockets, swaying nonchalantly: 'A divorce is fine, but you have to give me thirty thousand as compensation! I've been with you for so many years and never even asked for a decent gift. That's not too much, is it?'

Zhu Li's eyes reddened with anger: 'Su Mingcheng, how dare you ask for compensation? You still owe me twenty thousand for printing fees, and I never asked you to repay the fifty thousand I paid off your gambling debt. Now you want more money?'

'That was your choice!' Su Mingcheng took a step forward, trying to snatch the agreement from Zhu Li's hand. 'If you don't pay today, I won't sign! If you dare sue me in court, I'll go to your firm and make a scene, accuse you of cheating during the marriage, and get you fired!'

His words pierced Zhu Li's heart like needles. She stepped back, flustered, and pulled out her phone—Xie Hui had told her earlier to call him anytime if Su Mingcheng acted unreasonably. The call had just connected when she heard Xie Hui's voice: 'Zhu Li, is Su Mingcheng causing trouble again? I'm already at the Civil Affairs Bureau entrance, right behind you.'

Zhu Li turned around and saw Xie Hui holding a briefcase, with a lawyer in a suit behind him. Her heart instantly settled. Xie Hui walked up, placed the briefcase on the steps, and pulled out a stack of documents: 'Su Mingcheng, you say Zhu Li owes you compensation? Take a look at this first.'

The lawyer took the documents and began reading: 'Su Mingcheng, in March 2023, you borrowed 2,000 yuan from Zhu Li to pay for printing an audit report, which remains unpaid to this day. In June 2023, Zhu Li repaid a 50,000-yuan gambling debt on your behalf, with bank transfer records as proof. In September 2023, you misappropriated 10,000 yuan from Zhu Li's salary card for gambling. The total is 62,000 yuan. According to the law, Zhu Li has the right to demand repayment upon divorce. For you to demand compensation instead is purely unreasonable.'

Su Mingcheng's face instantly paled: 'You... how do you have this? This is a private matter between Zhu Li and me. Stay out of it!'

'A private matter? You threatened to go to her firm and cause trouble—that's not a private matter.' Xie Hui took out his phone from the briefcase and played a recording—recorded yesterday using 'Time Stop'—of Su Mingcheng telling a friend: 'If Zhu Li wants a divorce, I'll just accuse her of cheating, make her firm afraid to keep her, and she'll definitely have to give me money.'

As the recording played, passersby nearby turned to look. Su Mingcheng quickly lowered his head: 'I... I was just talking nonsense!'

'Even nonsense is unacceptable.' The lawyer stepped forward. 'If you dare harass Zhu Li at work or in her personal life, we will immediately sue you for defamation. Now, either sign the divorce papers, or come with us to court and let the judge decide. In that case, you'll not only have to repay the money but also bear the legal costs.'

Su Mingcheng looked at the surrounding stares, then at Xie Hui and the lawyer's stern expressions. Knowing he couldn't weasel out of it, he reluctantly took the pen, signed his name angrily, turned, and left without even taking the agreement.

Watching Su Mingcheng's retreating figure, Zhu Li breathed a sigh of relief, but tears welled up uncontrollably—in this marriage, she had given her heart, only for it to end like this. Xie Hui handed her a tissue: 'Don't be sad. You'll be better off without him.'

Zhu Li wiped her tears and nodded: 'Thank you, Mr. Xie. I really wouldn't have known what to do without you.'

'No need for formalities.' Xie Hui carefully put away the agreement. 'You mentioned earlier that you wanted to find an apartment near your firm. I've looked at two places for you, both in neighborhoods close to your company. Would you like to go see them now?'

Zhu Li was taken aback. She hadn't expected Xie Hui to have already considered her housing situation, and a wave of warmth washed over her: 'Okay, thank you for the trouble.'

In the afternoon, Xie Hui drove Zhu Li to see the apartments. The first one was a two-bedroom, just a ten-minute walk from Zhu Li's firm, with good natural light and fully furnished, though the rent was a bit high. Zhu Li hesitated: 'This place is nice, but the rent... I'm a bit tight on cash lately, having to repay the money I fronted for Su Mingcheng.'

'I've already negotiated with the landlord for you. The monthly rent can be reduced by five hundred, and you can pay one month's rent as deposit and one month upfront.' Xie Hui said with a smile. 'The landlord is a relative of a friend of mine. Knowing you're a reliable working professional, they're willing to make concessions.'

Zhu Li looked at Xie Hui in surprise: 'You even negotiated the rent for me?'

'Did you think I just picked a place at random?' Xie Hui opened the door. 'Look, the kitchen has a gas stove—you like cooking, so that's convenient. The bedroom faces south, so you get morning sun. The smaller room can be used as a study, perfect for when you work overtime.'

Zhu Li walked into the apartment, taking in the bright living room and clean kitchen. Suddenly, she felt a sense of clarity—the old apartment she'd shared with Su Mingcheng had been dark and messy, never this comfortable. She stepped onto the balcony, looked at the greenery below, and said softly, 'Thank you, Mr. Xie. I really like this place.'

'I'm glad you like it.' Xie Hui handed her a key. 'The landlord can sign the contract today. I've already paid the deposit for you. You can pay me back after you get your next paycheck.'

Zhu Li took the key, feeling its warmth against her fingertips. Tears nearly welled up again: 'You're always helping me. I don't know how to thank you enough.'

'Take your time. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to thank me in the future.' Xie Hui said half-jokingly, easing Zhu Li's embarrassment. 'I'll help you move tomorrow. You can start packing today. If Su Mingcheng dares to cause trouble, call me.'

The next morning, Xie Hui arrived with two movers to help Zhu Li pack. Sure enough, Su Mingcheng showed up, standing at the doorway trying to block them: 'Zhu Li, are you in such a hurry to leave? Let's talk again. Maybe we can still get back together...'

'Get back together?' Zhu Li looked at him, her eyes no longer hesitant but resolute. 'Su Mingcheng, I've had enough of being with you. Don't come looking for me again.'

Xie Hui stepped in front of Zhu Li, facing Su Mingcheng: 'Su Mingcheng, the divorce agreement is signed. Zhu Li has nothing to do with you now. If you keep harassing her, I'll do as I said before and have a chat with your company and the people at the gambling den.'

Su Mingcheng looked into Xie Hui's eyes, knowing he meant every word, and reluctantly left, filled with resentment.

After the move, Zhu Li began unpacking. From a box, she pulled out an old photo frame—a picture from her wedding with Su Mingcheng, where he was smiling with apparent sincerity. She stared at the photo, her mood slowly sinking, and sat on the sofa in a daze.

Xie Hui brought her a cup of warm milk and placed it in front of her: 'Don't dwell on it. Let go of the past. Think about it: now you don't have to repay his gambling debts, worry about him causing trouble, or deal with his issues. You can focus on your work, save up, and even buy your own place someday. Isn't that great?'

Zhu Li looked up at Xie Hui: 'But sometimes I wonder if I did something wrong that made the marriage turn out this way.'

'It's not your fault.' Xie Hui sat down beside her, analyzing rationally. 'Su Mingcheng never took responsibility for the marriage from the start—relying on his parents, gambling, disrespecting your work. Those are his problems. You worked hard, were tolerant of him—he didn't deserve you. Look at you now: you're a supervisor at the firm, handling the long-term audit project for 'Hengtong Electronics' (Hengtong Electronics). Your boss values you, and you have a bright future ahead. There's no need to be sad over someone who isn't worth it.'

Listening to Xie Hui's words, Zhu Li slowly nodded—Xie Hui was telling the truth. Her work had indeed been improving lately. If she'd stayed with Su Mingcheng, he would have dragged her down eventually. She picked up the photo and placed it at the very back of a drawer: 'You're right. I should look forward.'

'That's the spirit.' Xie Hui stood up with a smile. 'I'll treat you to dinner tonight to celebrate your new beginning. Oh, and you mentioned wanting to buy a new coffee maker. There's one at the supermarket downstairs. Shall we go take a look later?'

Looking at Xie Hui's genuine smile, the gloom in Zhu Li's heart gradually lifted. She stood up as well: 'Sure, but this time, it's my treat. Thank you for helping me so much.'

At the restaurant that evening, Zhu Li looked at the menu and, for the first time, didn't have to think, 'This is too expensive; Su Mingcheng would say I'm wasting money.' Instead, she ordered the dishes she loved. Seeing her relaxed demeanor, Xie Hui felt happy too: 'If you ever run into any problems in the future—whether Su Mingcheng bothers you again or you have work issues—you can always come to me.'

Zhu Li raised her glass and clinked it with Xie Hui's: 'Thank you, Mr. Xie. I used to think that once you're married, you just make do. Now I realize that only by leaving the wrong person can you find the right life.'

Xie Hui nodded with a smile: 'Exactly. Your best days are still ahead.'

When they parted, Xie Hui walked Zhu Li to her building. Standing at the apartment entrance, Zhu Li said to him: 'Thank you so much for today—not just for helping me move, but for guiding me through this. This... is a pen I bought for you yesterday. You might find it useful.'

She took out a simply yet elegantly wrapped pen gift box from her bag. Xie Hui accepted it, feeling a warm glow inside: 'I love it. Thank you.'

Watching Xie Hui walk away, Zhu Li entered her apartment, turned on the light, and looked around the clean, bright space. For the first time, she felt that the divorce wasn't an end but a new beginning. And this new beginning was thanks to Xie Hui's support—he was like a beam of light, pulling her out of a terrible marriage and helping her see hope in life again. She knew that no matter what difficulties she faced in the future, she wouldn't have to bear them alone anymore.