CHAPTER 481: CHAPTER 481: FINALLY FREE!

Raising his wine glass and clinking it lightly with Chen Bin’s, Cheng Zhuang continued speaking.

"Lu Cailian’s younger brother fell gravely ill a few years ago. The operation cost 1.5 million, and Lu Cailian vouched for him to borrow the money from her husband. Now she can’t pay it back, and she endures his mistreatment every day."

"What’s Lu Cailian’s husband’s name? What does he do?"

"His name is You Bilin. He’s in the real estate business. I heard he’s pretty close with Feng Lei."

Upon hearing this, Chen Bin’s expression gradually turned icy cold.

In his opinion, Feng Lei was nothing but scum.

And since You Bilin was his friend, he was likely just as bad.

Given the circumstances, Chen Bin decided he had to step into this mess.

The next morning, Chen Bin drove to Lu Cailian’s apartment building.

With the photos Cheng Zhuang had provided, he waited for You Bilin to leave in his car before going upstairs.

Knocking on the door, Lu Cailian peeked through the peephole and saw Chen Bin.

Looking visibly surprised, she said, "Chen Tai, why are you here?"

"Open the door first. I want to talk to you."

"If you’re here to ask about my injuries, you might as well leave."

"Whatever needs to be said, open the door first."

"No, you’d better just go."

Lu Cailian’s tone was resolute.

Chen Bin, however, stood firm and replied bluntly.

"If I don’t see you today, I won’t leave. If it comes down to it, I’ll wait here until your husband gets off work and talk to him directly."

At this, panic overcame Lu Cailian.

She quickly opened the door, her face full of concern, and asked, "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Walking into the apartment, Chen Bin shut the door behind him.

Looking into her eyes, he asked seriously.

"I’ve got the full picture of what’s going on between you and your husband. I just have one question—do you want to keep living with him or not?"

Lu Cailian didn’t speak, instead turning around to sit down on the sofa.

Chen Bin continued, "If you genuinely want a divorce, I can help."

"How would you help?"

Chen Bin pulled a bank card from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"There’s 1.5 million here. You can repay him directly."

Without even glancing at the card, Lu Cailian shook her head.

"I don’t want your money because I can’t possibly repay it."

"It’s fine. Pay it back whenever you can. I won’t hassle you."

"I won’t borrow it, either."

Sitting down next to her, Chen Bin spoke to her without hesitation.

"So what, do you enjoy being beaten up or something?"

"Bullshit! Am I crazy? Why would I like getting beaten?"

"Then why won’t you take the money and divorce him?"

At this moment, Chen Bin suddenly noticed that her sorrowful expression held a quiet beauty, stirring a desire to comfort her.

"You Bilin doesn’t lack money. Even if I give him back the 1.5 million, he won’t let me go."

"Don’t worry about that. I have a way to make him willingly ask for a divorce."

This left Lu Cailian utterly shocked.

"What on earth are you planning?"

"How I handle it is my business. If you miss this chance, you might be stuck under You Bilin’s thumb for the rest of your life."

Hearing this, Lu Cailian thought about her bruised and battered self, and, after a long moment, gritted her teeth.

Finally, she pulled out some paper and a pen from under the coffee table and asked, "How should the IOU be written?"

Chen Bin smiled internally and promptly replied.

"Write that you’re borrowing money from me, include the exact amount and today’s date."

"What about the repayment date?"

"Didn’t I say? Pay it back whenever you have it. There’s no need to write a date."

Perhaps accustomed to being beaten, Lu Cailian felt a sting in her nose at Chen Bin’s concern. Tears started streaming down her face.

After finishing the IOU, she handed it over to Chen Bin.

Only after confirming everything did Chen Bin continue.

"Keep the money safe. Don’t stay at home for the next few days, and contact me if anything happens."

Leaving her apartment, Chen Bin immediately called Cheng Zhuang.

"Brother, it’s time to act!"

About a week later, in the evening, Lu Cailian was leaving the provincial TV station after work when she ran into You Bilin.

He spoke first, "How about we find a place to talk?"

Lu Cailian shook her head lightly, "I don’t think there’s anything for us to discuss."

"You’re always talking about wanting a divorce. At least find a place to sit and talk."

After a moment of hesitation, she followed You Bilin.

They went into a nearby café, and after ordering two coffees, he went straight to the point.

"You’re not even thirty yet, and I’m still young, too. Dragging this out is pointless—we should just get it over with."

As he spoke, he pulled a divorce agreement from his bag and placed it in front of her.

"I had a lawyer draft this. If you don’t have any issues, just sign it."

At this, Lu Cailian felt like she was dreaming.

Every time she’d previously brought up divorce, she’d been met with a brutal beating.

Now, not only was You Bilin bringing it up himself, but he’d even prepared the paperwork in advance.

At that moment, Chen Bin’s image flashed in her mind.

She couldn’t help but wonder how he’d managed it.

Picking up the divorce agreement, she carefully reviewed it. It hardly mentioned any property division.

The only clause was that You Bilin would give her the house they currently lived in.

Over the years, he’d made a lot of money; if they split it evenly, she could have gotten much more.

But it wasn’t something she cared about.

For her, getting away from You Bilin’s grasp was all that mattered.

As for the money, it wasn’t hers to begin with, and she had no desire for it.

Without hesitation, she pulled a pen from her bag and signed her name on the agreement.

"Did you bring the IOU? I’ll repay my brother’s debt to you right now."

This piqued You Bilin’s curiosity. "Where did you get that much money?"

"That’s not your concern. The point is, I can pay it."

Nodding slightly, he pulled a piece of paper from his wallet.

After reading it, she handed over Chen Bin’s bank card and, in front of him, tore the IOU into pieces before tossing it in the trash.

The next morning, Lu Cailian asked for a day off from Chen Bin.

She and You Bilin went to the civil affairs bureau to finalize their divorce.

They then visited the housing bureau to transfer ownership of their house near the provincial TV station to her name.

Once everything was done, You Bilin hired movers to take all his belongings out.

After getting the locks changed, Lu Cailian sat alone on the sofa, sobbing for a long time.

She knew she would never have to live in fear again.

She was finally free.

As soon as his belongings were settled, You Bilin made a phone call to the number that had been haunting him.

"Bro, I’ve finalized the divorce. The evidence you have..."

"Don’t worry. I won’t leak the evidence. As long as you leave Lu Cailian alone, I’ll stay out of your business. But if you provoke her, don’t expect me to show any mercy!"

"But..."

Before he could finish, the line went dead.

Slamming his fist on the table, his face was filled with rage.

Three days earlier, You Bilin had received a call from a mysterious person.

They had evidence of him bribing Feng Huzhou.

Even worse, they had videos of him forcing underage girls.

In that moment, You Bilin had been paralyzed with fear.

He’d even been prepared to pay for the evidence to disappear.

But the other person didn’t want money—they only wanted him to divorce Lu Cailian.

Now the divorce was finalized, but the evidence hadn’t been destroyed. To him, it was like a sword hanging over his head.

After thinking it over for a long time, he finally called Feng Lei...