Lin Waning pushed open the café door and stepped inside with grace. Her tailored white suit hugged her tall, slender figure, and her slightly curled long hair framed a cold and elegant face. She was no longer the manipulated Mrs. Shen, but the true President Lin — stunning and untouchable.
Shen Sihan was already seated in the corner, fingers tapping lightly on his coffee cup, eyes filled with mixed emotions. He hadn't expected her to agree to meet him — let alone appear with such a striking transformation. For a moment, she felt like a stranger to him.
"You've changed," he blurted out.
Lin Waning smiled faintly, her gaze calm. "So have you."
Tension instantly filled the air. Shen Sihan picked up his coffee but didn't drink. He simply stared at her. "Waning, I think there's still a lot we haven't talked through."
"Now you want to talk?" She gave a short laugh, her eyes sharp. "Three years ago, I signed that contract. You said 'Mrs. Shen,' and I played the part for three years. Then you said 'divorce,' and I packed my bags and left the Shen residence. Did it ever cross your mind whether I was willing or not?"
Shen Sihan's Adam's apple bobbed as if something was stuck in his throat — words he wanted to say but couldn't speak.
After a moment of silence, he said hoarsely, "I had my reasons…"
"Reasons?" Lin Waning's eyes flashed with ridicule. "I don't care. Who you marry, who you love — it's none of my business. Replace me if you want, but don't bother me again. That's my bottom line."
She stood to leave.
"Waning!" He rose to his feet, voice low but tinged with anger. "What do you want from me?"
She stopped, turning back slowly. Her voice was cold but resolute. "Let me go. That's enough."
At that moment, Shen Sihan realized — he had always believed that as long as he turned around, she would forgive him. That she would still be the gentle, compliant Lin Waning from before.
But now, she had truly changed.
She was no longer the woman who would lower her head, swallow her pride, and endure everything for him.
**
Back at the company, Lin Waning sat in her office, gazing out at the city's night lights, feeling slightly restless inside.
For a brief moment earlier, she had almost faltered.
But she reminded herself — she couldn't go back. She had given three years of her youth, love, and dignity. And what had she received in return? Betrayal, humiliation, and a heartless divorce without explanation.
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Lin Yue.
[Sis, Shen Sihan came to see me just now.]
Lin Waning frowned and immediately called.
"What did he say?" she asked.
On the other end, Lin Yue hesitated. "He… wanted to know how you're doing. He asked me to persuade you to go back. Said he regrets everything."
Lin Waning let out a cold laugh. "Regret? He thinks I'd be touched by that?"
"Sis, you're not actually going to forgive him, right? I still remember how you cried when you left the Shen house…"
"Don't worry," Lin Waning replied calmly. "I'll never walk that road again."
After hanging up, she rubbed her temples, her eyes flashing with determination.
She was no longer Shen Sihan's shadow. She had her own life now.
**
Meanwhile, at the Shen residence.
Shen Sihan stood on the terrace, looking out at the night sky, his expression dark.
He couldn't stop replaying the look in Lin Waning's eyes when she walked away — the desperation, the firmness. It cut through him like a blade.
"President Shen, Miss Lin has declined tonight's dinner invitation," his assistant reported quietly.
"Keep inviting her," he said coldly. "Schedule one for tomorrow."
"But Miss Lin clearly said she won't have any further dealings with Shen Corporation."
"Then invest in her company," Shen Sihan said, enunciating each word. "At all costs."
The assistant froze. "But… she'll be suspicious of our motives."
"I don't care," Shen Sihan said firmly. "I want her back, no matter what it takes."
The assistant nodded, not daring to argue further.
**
Two days later, Lin Waning's company suddenly received a huge investment — just in time to solve their cash flow issues.
But she immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Look into the investor's background," she instructed.
Not long after, her secretary returned with a report. "President Lin, the funds came from an overseas fund. But its major shareholder is… the Shen Corporation."
Lin Waning's face darkened instantly.
"Return the investment," she said coldly.
"But this money can solve our immediate liquidity crisis…"
"I'd rather take a loan than use his money," she interrupted. "Does he think I'll be grateful? No — this isn't help. It's charity. It's control."
She had never been someone others could manipulate.
**
That night, Lin Waning stood alone on the rooftop of her office building, the night wind brushing strands of hair across her face.
She looked down at the neon lights of the city, emotions churning inside.
She knew Shen Sihan wouldn't give up easily.
But she knew even more clearly—
She was no longer the kind of woman who'd be moved by a simple "I regret it."
Her voice was cold as she murmured:
"Shen Sihan, you really think… I can't live without you?"