The dashboard clock switched to 1:00 AM precisely, its digital numerals glowing a harsh green against the dashboard's black plastic as I guided my car into the dimly lit garage.
My tires rolled smoothly over the oil-stained concrete surface, producing a faint whispering sound, and the engine's persistent low rumble gradually faded into a complete and utter silence when I cut the ignition.
The night's chaotic events still sent adrenaline surging through my veins..
The lights were still on.
For a second, I stood at the door, hand resting on the handle.
I hadn't expected that.
Then I pushed it open.
She was there.
Li Bingqing.
Sitting on the couch.
A glass on the table beside her.
Phone in her hand.
And she was smiling.
Radiant. bathing her face in an unnatural, ethereal blue light that highlights her high cheekbones, now flushed with the rosy hue of alcohol and something more intimate.
A kind of glow that didn't belong to this house anymore. For a moment—
something in my chest tightened.
A reflex. A memory.
Because I had seen that expression before..
Many times. It used to be because of me.
Now it's not.
I looked at her again…
She looked content and happy for some reason, her lips curved in a soft, private smile while her thumbs danced rapidly across the keyboard, likely whispering sweet nothings to him.
The red dress from earlier clinged to her curves with silk that hugged her body tightly, and its hem rode high on her toned thighs, revealing a stray bra strap peeking from one shoulder, while faint smudges of lipstick marked the corner of her mouth.
For a moment—just a fleeting and treacherous heartbeat—the pang lanced through my chest with sharp intensity. The old Wuji stirred restlessly within me, and I remembered nights when she would wait like this specifically for me, her body warm and yielding as I claimed her slowly and deeply..
That thought lasted exactly one heartbeat.
Then it was gone.
Just like everything else.
vanished instantly, erased completely and replaced by a cold void that settled over me like frost. Clarity reclaimed its throne immediately, and loathing solidified into an unyielding foundation.
I walked past her without uttering a single word because nothing remained to say, and no accusations warranted the expenditure of breath.
She didn't look up.
Didn't speak.
Didn't acknowledge my presence.
As if I wasn't there.
As if I had never come home.
Good.
That made things easier.
I went straight to the bathroom.
Turned on the shower.
Let the water run over me. The hot shower blasted forth with forceful pressure, and steam quickly fogged the glass walls while water scalded the red welts on my knuckles, sending stinging sensations across my skin.
When I came out, I didn't go to the main bedroom. That space no longer serves as our marital sanctum, tainted irreparably by her betrayal and soon to be divided by legal decree.
Instead,I walked into the spare bedroom. Closed the door behind me.
I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment.
My mind drifted.
The PI.
No report yet.
A part of me wanted to call him. Demand an update. Push for answers.
But I didn't. Impatience ruins precision.
And tonight—
precision mattered more than anything.
I leaned back slowly.
Stared at the ceiling.
Through the thin door of the spare bedroom, noises filtered in faintly: the couch's leather creaked as she rose from it, followed by her footsteps padding unevenly with the click of heels toward the main bedroom.
Then—
the sound of the master bedroom door opening.
Then The latch shut with a definitive sound
No hesitation.
She didn't come looking for me.
Didn't ask why I wasn't there.
Didn't check.
Nothing.
I wasn't surprised.
If anything—
there was a strange certainty in it. I sensed a feeling of relief emanating from her in that silence.. She was happy with me not being in the bedroom with her…As if my absence made things easier for her.
I thought I heard her talking softly afterward, her voice a low murmur that must belong to a phone call with her lover, the words indistinct but the tone intimate and satisfied.
I closed my eyes.But Sleep wasn't coming tonight after all that chaos.
Time passed.
Slowly.
Then—
It was around 2 AM when my phone tinged with a sharp notification sound, and since I was not sleeping—I heard it right away.
My eyes opened instantly.
My phone.
I reached for it. I checked the phone and the screen seared my eyes with its brightness in the darkness.
It was an email from the PI…
my gut twisted into a tight knot of anticipation. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, feeling the air expand my chest slowly, and then I hardened my expression with deliberate resolve before opening the mail.
The subject line read "Full Surveillance Report," and the body unfolded in clinical detail:
17:00 - Pickup confirmed. Subject (Li Bingqing) and male companion (Sun Junfeng) departed residence in his black Audi A6. Affectionate hug observed upon entry.
17:30 - Arrived at Huangpu Riverside Park. Walked hand-in-hand along paths, engaged in intimate conversation. Sat on the bench from 18:00 to 19:105, subject resting her head on companion's shoulder, his arm around her waist. Laughter and close physical contact noted.
19:45 - subject and male companion entered an upscale restaurant izakaya (La Scala). Seated in a romantic booth with candlelight. Ordered wine, shared plates. Held hands across the table, subject feeding companion forkfuls of pasta. Prolonged eye contact and knee touches under tablecloth. Departed 21:00.
21:30 -Moved to Eclipse Lounge Bar. Cocktails (four rounds observed), transitioned to the dance floor. Held hands like lovers throughout. Alcohol and atmosphere emboldened intimacy—close grinding, hands roaming waists and hips.
Male companion initiated a kiss on the dance floor. Began soft and small, subject's eyes widening in surprise for 2 seconds, then full consent. Escalated to hungry, lustful, desperate kisses with visible tongue engagement. Bodies pressed fully against each other, hands roaming freely (his on her breasts, hers clutching his shirt). Video attached for verification.
00:00 - Left bar, arm-in-arm with ongoing affection. Companion suggested a hotel for overnight ("Stay with me tonight"). Subject declined, stating she "needed to return home." Took his car to residence.
00:30 - Arrived at the exterior of the subject's residence. Prolonged makeout session inside companion's car (5+ minutes). Hands roaming extensively—subject's blouse partially opened exposing bra covered breasts, companion's hand up her skirt. Subject exited, flushed and disheveled, and entered the house.
Attachments: 47 high-res photos, 3 HD videos.
The text report ended abruptly there, but the attachments began loading one by one with mechanical efficiency. First, the photos cascaded into view:
In one photo, Bingqing and Sun walking hand-in-hand along the park path, fallen autumn leaves crunching under their feet in frozen motion;
Another with them sitting intimately close on a wooden bench, her head resting tenderly on his shoulder while his arm encircles her waist possessively;
shots from the restaurant where they laughed animatedly across a candlelit table, their hands clasped tightly amid plates of delicacies and wine glasses half-empty with ruby liquid.
A video thumbnail caught my eyes next—the moment she removed her wedding ring. I tapped play, and the footage rolled silently at first:
Sun leans in with a playful pout, saying something while gesturing at her ring—and Bingqing's face softens into a pouty smile of her own. Her fingers twist the gold band deliberately from her ring finger, the metal catching the bar's low light as she slips it into her purse….
She removed her wedding ring because he was uncomfortable!!!!
my body began to shake uncontrollably ... .At this moment I wanted to let my anger and hate consume me… but I had to control myself… "soon" I told myself while trying to take deep breaths…
Another video loaded:
the dance floor of the bar, strobe lights pulsing in erratic flashes across their bodies. Bingqing presses her curves fully against him, her ass grinding deliberately into his crotch, and then he suddenly leant in, capturing her lips in a kiss. She appeared surprised, her eyes widening for a split second, but she did not pull back—instead, her hands slid up his chest, and the kiss started small and tentative before intensifying rapidly.
It turned hungry and predatory, their mouths devouring each other with visible tongues tangling in slick urgency, bodies pressing together so tightly that every curve molds to his frame. His hands roamed boldly over her breasts, squeezing through the fabric, while hers clutched at his shirt, pulling him deeper into the embrace.
Everything inside me stilled. There was no ambiguity.
No confusion. No denial left.
My thumb moved to the final video:
Bingqing and Sun inside his car, parked right outside my house under the street lamp's orange glow.
They exchanged deep, passionate kisses, lips crashing with wet smacks that the audio faintly captured, and hands roam freely once more—hers plunging into his shirt to claw at his back, his sliding up her thigh under the dress, They lost themselves completely in each other, oblivious to the world, her head thrown back in evident pleasure as his mouth trails down her neck. her blouse was opened, exposing bra covered breasts. sun biting them over the fabric...
The report concluded there, and although I knew something like this would inevitably happen, I still struggled to draw a full breath, my chest tightening with a vise-like pressure.
Although I had long accepted that my marriage was over and that she no longer cared in the slightest, her blatant disrespect towards me and towards our marriage suffocated me with its raw audacity.
An intense emotional battle raged within me for what felt like an eternity—revulsion rising like hot bile in my throat, betrayal twisting like a dull knife in my gut, fury clenching my fists until the knuckles turned white in the moonlight filtering through the blinds.
Sweat beaded on my forehead, cool against fevered skin, and my heart hammered erratically against my ribs.
Finally, after what seemed like hours of this internal storm, I calmed down with deliberate, measured breaths that expanded and contracted my lungs steadily.
Tomorrow—yes, tomorrow—I will bring all of this evidence to my lawyer without delay. I believed I no longer need to torture myself in this manner…
That this evidence proved more than sufficient to end everything cleanly….
And that- soon I will walk free into a life unburdened by her shadow.