NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28 - Scumbag at the Crematorium (1)
(T/N: Crematorium = it’s a metaphor used to describe the physical and emotional double torture or painful price paid when chasing a wife/ chasing wife to death.)
***
As the sun rose, in the understated yet luxurious bedroom, the young man who had been sleeping suddenly opened his eyes. After a moment of confusion, he regained his composure, lifted the covers, got out of bed, and walked to the bathroom in familiar steps, wearing slippers.
He Dongchen looked at the man in the mirror. His features were rugged with a hint of coldness. With broad shoulders, narrow waist, and clearly defined eight-pack abs, it was evident that he exercised regularly.
Though dressed in pajamas, he exuded an aura of dominance that would intimidate ordinary people, making them hesitant to approach.
The system, arriving late as usual, complained, [Boss, why didn’t you wait for me?]
“Your slow speed is to blame,” He Dongchen said, eyeing the flickering light ball ahead and flicking it aside with a swipe of his hand.
The system seemed to whine as it stuck to the mirror. [Boss, you’ve changed.]
He Dongchen casually ran his fingers through his hair and said, “Stop complaining and quickly send over the plot mission.”
Because the system had appeared, He Dongchen couldn’t be bothered to return to that space and directly handed over the task of accepting missions to the system.
The system, not daring to be playful, immediately brought up the task page.
[Current Small World: “After Transmigrating, I Became a Wealthy Woman and Caught with My Brother-in-Law”]
[Synopsis: Eighteen-list minor celebrity Xiao Tang died unexpectedly and transmigrated into a book, becoming the vicious ex-wife of the male lead’s elder brother.
Not only did she force the male lead’s elder brother to marry her, but she also stubbornly refused to divorce, jumping around and becoming a laughingstock.
After transmigrating, Xiao Tang promptly divorced, received a hefty compensation, and relied on her foreknowledge to invest in various ventures, thriving in the entertainment industry and amassing wealth.
The ex-husband regretted it and wanted to remarry her. He changed from being aloof to being passionately affectionate, chasing after Xiao Tang every day.
Xiao Tang waved a golden orange: “Yesterday, you ignored me, and today, you can’t climb up to me!”
However, Xiao Tang gradually discovered a shadow following behind her.
During a celebration banquet, the male lead blocked her in the stairwell and spoke ambiguously, “Sister-in-law, why are you avoiding me?”]
He Dongchen’s mouth twitched after reading.
The love story between the younger brother and the former sister-in-law?
Without a doubt, He Dongchen was now in the role of the male lead’s elder brother, who, after divorcing, realized how wonderful his ex-wife was. He ended up lonely and miserable, spending his remaining days chasing after his ex-wife like a devoted dog, only to find out that she got together with his younger brother.
He lived a solitary life, enduring his pain, and had to work diligently for them, managing the conglomerate for the rest of his life. After all, without children, the assets belonged to the male and female leads.
He Dongchen continued reading down.
[Current Mission:]
[Basic Mission: Marriage and childbirth (Incomplete), Refusing to support the younger brother (Incomplete)]
[Mission Merit: 0]
After reading the tasks of this world, He Dongchen looked at the rewards from the previous world.
[Small World: “Beloved and Spoiled”
[Basic Mission: Become an Emperor (Complete), Locking up the dog-like couple (Complete)]
[Merit Mission: 136,300]
[Points Gained: 200 + Merit convertible to 136,300.]
***
[Boss, boss, do you want to exchange the merits for points?] The system floated around excitedly.
“No need,” He Dongchen refused. He still had points left in the mall, so there was no rush. In the previous world, He Dongchen didn’t do anything significant, just lived as the idle Prince Jing. However, he did contribute to the development of medicine, so his merits were still considerable.
“Okay,” the system’s voice sounded dejected. If it were still in the body of the yellow dog, it would definitely have sad puppy dog eyes.
After a moment of thought, He Dongchen generously asked, “What appearance do you want in this world?”
The system hesitated for a moment but still declined with reluctance, [It’s not necessary!]
Although purchasing an appearance would result in a significant increase in points, being confined to a puppet limited its actions. It preferred to roam freely, always accompanying the boss.
Other systems can stay in the host’s consciousness, but this poor little one, after being bound by the boss, can only float around the boss, pitiful and weak.
“Okay.”
Seeing the system’s reluctance, He Dongchen didn’t force it. He took out a new set of toiletries from the storage cabinet, and soon the sound of dripping water filled the bathroom.
****
Half an hour later, He Dongchen emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, with a stylish slicked-back hairstyle, looking like an elite CEO.
It was time for the divorce plot point.
To understand why the original owner married the original Xiao Tang, we need to go back to Mother He, who recently passed away.
A few years ago, the He parents had an accident while on a business trip. His father died on the spot, and his mother barely survived but was severely disabled, with multiple organ failures, and wouldn’t live long.
With Father He’s death, the company was in turmoil, and the original owner, who had just graduated, was forced to shoulder the responsibility, busy and overwhelmed. To make matters worse, his first love exacerbated the situation by breaking up and going abroad.
The original owner’s personality changed drastically, becoming cold and heartless, with no time for emotional entanglements, busy dealing with company affairs, and hiring a nurse to care for his mother, who became emotionally volatile and paranoid after the accident.
Xiao Tang was that nurse, who won Mother He’s favor with her gentle and sensible demeanor.
Sensing Xiao Tang’s affection for the original owner, Mother He desperately tried to matchmake them, using both soft and hard tactics, even threatening, “If you don’t get married, I won’t rest in peace!”
The original owner had a headache, considering Mother He’s poor health and the limited time she had left, he proposed a marriage agreement. Xiao Tang happily agreed. To prove her sincerity, not marrying the original owner for money, she resolutely signed a prenuptial agreement, refusing to take a penny from the original owner!
Xiao Tang was confident that she could win the original owner’s heart during their marriage.
However, the original owner felt that Xiao Tang was scheming and had climbed to her position by coaxing Mother He. So, during their marriage, he rarely returned home and lived outside for years, barely interacting with Xiao Tang. His only requirement was for her to please Mother He.
Over 3 years, Xiao Tang went from confidence to frustration to madness. Seeing Mother He’s health deteriorate day by day and the end approaching, she became desperate, attempting to bind the original owner with a child by drugging him.
The original owner had been wary of Xiao Tang from the start and wouldn’t let her succeed. Immediately after Mother He’s funeral, he eagerly divorced Xiao Tang.
Considering Xiao Tang’s efforts to please Mother He over the past 3 years, he generously gave her a divorce settlement of 100 million yuan and two houses.
It was indeed a generous offer.
But the original Xiao Tang wasn’t satisfied, causing quite a few scandals.
The eighteen-line artist who transmigrated, Xiao Tang, laughed happily. After understanding the situation, she learned that Mother He had just died. She changed her tactics, no longer pestering him, and quietly waited for the divorce settlement.
The original owner was puzzled by Xiao Tang’s change but still proceeded with the divorce as planned. Seeing Xiao Tang’s quiet demeanor, he gave her another house.
***
Today was the day to collect the divorce certificate.
He Dongchen opened the door and descended the stairs. He spotted the woman sitting in the living room at a glance. She was wearing a white dress, her long hair cascading down her shoulders. Her expression was complex, sometimes pained, sometimes secretly joyful.
Quite an exaggerated performance; He Dongchen evaluated in his mind.
Xiao Tang, who was extremely excited, heard the movement upstairs and quickly got up. She tried hard to portray a woman about to divorce, her expression a mix of pain and relief. With a stiff tone, she said, “Let’s go.”
He Dongchen nodded coldly and walked ahead. Xiao Tang pursed her lips, thinking that the original owner of her body must have been blind to fall for such a cold-hearted scumbag. After 3 years, even a dog would have grown feelings, yet He Dongchen didn’t spare a word when divorcing.
The two of them left the villa, one in front of the other.
The car was already prepared, and the driver promptly opened the door.
He Dongchen keenly noticed a document placed on the backseat. Xiao Tang on the other side also saw it, her eyes shining with excitement. She wished she could rush over and hug it. It was a divorce settlement of 100 million yuan and two houses!
Xiao Tang pinched her thigh discreetly, suppressing her excitement. She took a deep breath, averted her gaze, pretending not to have seen anything.
He Dongchen casually picked up the document and, while Xiao Tang was on tenterhooks, put it in the storage box for the system to destroy. Then, as if nothing had happened, he opened his laptop and got back to the original owner’s work.
As the CEO of the conglomerate, the original owner was very busy, extremely busy. He only had two hours of free time for the divorce, and after finishing up, he had to rush back to the company for a meeting.
The sound of typing on the keyboard occasionally echoed in the car.
An eerie silence enveloped the car.
The driver tried to make himself inconspicuous.
Divorce, well, it wasn’t going to have a pleasant atmosphere.
The driver secretly felt sorry for Xiao Tang. After 3 years of marriage, she still couldn’t warm President He’s heart; Feeling sympathetic.
Xiao Tang’s mind was now fully focused on getting divorced and then obtaining that document to start her wealthy life as a rich woman! Wasn’t getting a little wolf or little puppy sweeter?
(T/N: little wolf = an aggressive younger lover. // Little puppy = a spoiled, good at coaxing, younger lover.)
***
30 minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau.
He Dongchen got out of the car, exuding a cold aura, warning strangers to keep their distance.
Xiao Tang followed suit, practically unable to contain her excitement.
Thanks to their cooperation, 20 minutes later, two freshly stamped divorce certificates were in hand.
He Dongchen received the divorce certificate and, sparing no words, got directly into the car, instructing the driver to return to the company.
Xiao Tang was dumbfounded; This wasn’t right!
He should have given me a document!
A divorce settlement worth 100 million yuan and two houses!
It should have been in the storage box in the car!
Seeing the car slowly start, Xiao Tang couldn’t afford to think too much. She hurriedly grabbed the car door and frantically hinted, “Did you forget something?”
He Dongchen raised an eyebrow slightly, knowingly asking, “What did I forget?”
Xiao Tang stared, and her words blurted out, “The divorce settlement!”
“What divorce settlement?” He Dongchen’s expression turned cold. “Xiao Tang, you signed a prenuptial agreement yourself, stating that you wouldn’t take a penny from the He family. Are you having second thoughts now?”
Xiao Tang cursed inwardly. Was the original owner an idiot? With money on the table, why wouldn’t she take it?
She took a deep breath, forcing a smile, “Honorable President He, surely you wouldn’t take advantage for nothing. After all, I took care of your mother for 3 years. Even if there’s no credit, there’s still hard work.”
“Is that so?” He Dongchen retorted with a meaningful gaze. It was the original Xiao Tang who took care of Mother He. What did the current Xiao Tang have to do with it? Even if he had a lot of money to spare, he would choose to give it to Xiao Tang’s family.
Xiao Tang felt a chill down her spine, as if she had been exposed. In a daze, the car had already started and left behind a trail of exhaust fumes.
“Hey! He Dongchen!” Xiao Tang stomped her foot in frustration.
How could this happen? Clearly, the original owner received a hefty settlement in the book! Why did it change when it came to me?
Did the original owner have to suffer before there was compensation? Was she not entitled just because she was quiet and obedient?
What was the meaning of this!? Was he taking advantage of my easygoing nature?
Xiao Tang muttered curses to herself, regretting deeply. If she had known earlier, she would have caused a scene and flipped the roof off!
Her original plan was completely overturned, leaving Xiao Tang at a loss.
To make matters worse, she was shut out when she returned home.
***
The servants of the He family looked sympathetic but remained firm. “President He ordered that you cannot take anything from the He family.”
“What!?” Xiao Tang laughed bitterly. “Is He Dongchen so petty that he won’t even allow me to take my clothes and shoes? Is the He family going bankrupt or something?”
The servant’s expression was subtle as he reiterated He Dongchen’s words.
“Miss Xiao’s clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories are valuable. Even if disposed of, they’re worth millions. Since you boldly declared that you won’t take anything from the He family, then stick to your principles.”
After hearing that, Xiao Tang’s temples throbbed with rage. “He Dongchen!!!”