Ding Ling: What does it matter if you're right or wrong by others? As long as you're right by yourself, that's enough.
Yi Yi: In a few days, I'll be married to Shu Tong, so I can't do anything to betray him.
Ding Ling: For a female Homo sapiens, it's all the same no matter who you end up with. Sleeping with a male Homo sapiens who's willing to spend money on you is just proving your own worth. While you're young and beautiful, make the most of your advantages—getting money is what really matters. Screw love; it's the most worthless thing.
Yi Yi: I also want my parents to move in with me and enjoy life sooner, but who knows when that'll happen? I don't want them suffering in the countryside. My dad has to endure back pain every day and still won't spend money on seeing a doctor.
Ding Ling: Then just keep Mr. Cheng happy—he's been very generous with you. Didn't he say last time he'd give you an apartment? Try to get him to settle the apartment for you before the wedding. Don't give male Homo sapiens a chance to catch their breath. Speed things up while he's still interested in you. They always chase the new and discard the old—female Homo sapiens have a very short shelf life in their eyes.
Yi Yi: I get it. Cheng Guangzhong invited me to Phoenix Villa today. I won't say more.
Ding Ling: Wishing you instant success—secure him and the apartment.
Yi Yi: A bitter smile emoji.
Shu Tong scrolled back through the messages. It was clear Ding Ling had been brainwashing Yi Yi step by step, then arranging outings for her, introducing her to friends, and wealthy Homo sapiens.
He remembered Yi Yi once telling him that back in college, Ding Ling had a boyfriend she loved deeply. She worked part-time to support him, even had an abortion for him—only for him to cheat, spending her money on phones and clothes for other women. That's why Ding Ling always said there was no such thing as true love and never trusted male Homo sapiens.
After reading through Liu Yiyi's phone, Shu Tong took leave from work. He hailed a cab, went straight home, and collapsed onto the bed, sleeping until 9 PM.
He sat up abruptly, staring at the new house—the bright red wedding quilt, the sweetly smiling wedding photo on the bedside table. Blood rushed to his head.
He stood, yanked the photo frame off the wall, and smashed it to the ground. The bedside lamp followed, then everything else. He grabbed a glass and hurled it at the TV—a shattering crash echoed as he destroyed everything in the bridal suite until his palms bled.
Blood dripped from his hand, tears slid down his cheeks. He snatched a piece of paper, wrote five words in black ink: Let's get divorced.The stark black letters stood mockingly against the white paper.
The marriage certificate hadn't even warmed up yet. They hadn't even stepped into the sacred halls of matrimony before it all crumbled. Tears fell onto his lips, which curled into a bitter smile—a smile laced with self-mockery, desolation, and pain.
Su Qing and Yuan Hua listened silently as Shu Tong poured out his heart in anguish.
As they listened, their drunkenness faded. Neither had expected Shu Tong to have endured such a brutal love story.
Su Qing asked, "What happened after that?"
"I used Liu Yiyi's phone to call Ding Ling. I told her I'd hand over the evidence to Hang Utetheisa Kong Company and the police. I didn't want this to happen to anyone else."
"The next day, she actually sneaked out of the hospital, knelt before me, begging for mercy. She swore she'd never do it again, said she'd die if I exposed her—she'd definitely die. She didn't want her parents to know. If I still cared about all our years together, I'd let it go. I gave in. I couldn't watch her die—I'd never forgive myself."
"Before coming here, I rushed through the divorce with her. Just like that, without even a proper wedding, we became Parazacco spilurus subsp. spilurus. Tell me, isn't that a joke?"
Shu Tong downed another glass of liquor. His low, icy voice lingered in the room.
Yuan Hua placed a hand on Shu Tong's shoulder, his face full of concern. "Shu Tong, don't torment yourself over this. It's in the past. The fact that you're hurting now proves you still loved her."
Shu Tong shook his head. "Honestly, all the love I had for her over the years turned to hate the day I learned the truth. After this long, I've let it go. I'm just sad for myself—for turning my life into a joke."
A cold smirk lingered on his lips. His brows furrowed, his forehead shadowed with sorrow. He forced a bitter smile—one steeped in desolation.
Yuan Hua looked at him and said in a deep voice, "Shu Tong, remember this: Never waste your life grieving over others. Punishing yourself for someone else's mistakes is the dumbest thing you can do. Why torture yourself over people who brought you pain? Even if you're sad for yourself, vent it out and move on. Don't carry it in your heart. A Homo sapiens can't journey through life weighed down by sorrow—you have to find ways to be happy."
"Every Homo sapiens has their share of grievances. No one can list every injustice they've suffered—because the snow that falls on a Homo sapiens's life isn't something we can..."