“Cooling-off period for divorce?”
Mingzhu District, Linjiang City.
Civil Affairs Bureau, Marriage Registration Office.
To the left: the office for marriage certificates—empty.
To the right: the divorce office—packed.
Right now, a tall woman in a cap, sunglasses, and a mask, clearly someone with great style, frowned as she asked the staff at the counter.
Next to her stood a man in his mid-twenties, tall and well-built, his features sharp and striking.
They’d been waiting in line since the place opened that morning. Finally, it was their turn. They handed over the signed divorce papers and all the required documents—only to be told they couldn’t get the divorce right away. A waiting period?
"Under the updated Civil Code, there's a thirty-day cooling-off period before you can finalize a divorce. If either party changes their mind during this time, they can come back and cancel the request," the staff explained.
“But we both agree to split. Can’t we just get the certificate today?” the woman asked again, her tone tight with frustration.
The staff, following the procedure and trying to be kind, said, "Ma’am, maybe give it some more thought. Don’t let a moment of anger ruin your future."
The woman glanced at the man beside her—David Mills. Her expression hesitated for a split second before she shook her head and said firmly:
“Thanks, but we’re sure.”
A few minutes later, the two walked out of the bureau. The woman looked around cautiously, then got into a white Toyota Alphard parked nearby with David.
Inside, a short-haired middle-aged woman asked anxiously, “So? Is it done?”
As the young woman removed her sunglasses, her stunning face was revealed. Anyone outside would’ve instantly recognized her—it was Leisha Bennett, the nation’s latest sweetheart pop star.
But right now, the usually bubbly Leisha looked worn out. She rubbed her temples and muttered, “They said we have to wait thirty days before we can get the divorce finalized.”
“Thirty days?” the older woman—Angela Cooper, her manager—froze for a second, clearly disappointed.
She'd been encouraging Leisha to end her marriage with her plain, unambitious husband for a while.
Angela gave them both a rather helpless look and sighed, “Three years was enough to show this marriage wasn’t working. What’s the point of waiting another thirty days?”
The tension inside the car was heavy. David finally broke the silence.
“I’ll move out today. Let’s meet here again in a month to wrap this up.”
With that, he opened the door and got out.
Watching his tall figure walking away so calmly, Leisha suddenly called out: “David.”
He turned back, his face calm, eyes steady—there was none of the passion they once shared.
Leisha's lips parted, voice low and dry. “Are you really not taking the three hundred thousand?”
They had fallen for each other in college, dated for four years, and married not long after graduation. It had been three years since then.
She'd gone from a regular student to exploding overnight through a talent show, now a hot-tier singer.
David had always stayed by her side, playing assistant-slash-bodyguard… while she shone on stage, he stayed in the shadows, silently supporting her.
At first, they were madly in love. She even got pregnant once but chose to abort for her career.
The more successful she became, the more distant she felt David was.
Tiny cracks turned into long silences; they’d been sleeping in separate rooms for over six months now.
From that starry-eyed campus couple to two strangers under one roof, fame had quietly burned away their innocence.
A few days ago, Leisha asked for a divorce.
David didn’t say a word in protest. He signed the papers right away—no drama, no regrets.
He didn’t ask for a share of their assets.
The house, the car—everything was bought after she got famous. David didn’t seem to care about any of it.He even turned down the three million "confidentiality fee" Angela offered.
Angela was worried he might flip out after the divorce and spill stuff about his relationship with Leisha, which would totally wreck Leisha's sweet and innocent public image.
And now that Leisha brought it up again, it was obvious she had the same concern.
Hearing her, David glanced back with a calm smile.
"All these years together, and you still don't get me... what a shame."
With that, he walked away. The noon sun washed over him, clean and easygoing, just like the guy he used to be—no change at all.
Leisha stood there frozen, eyes getting misty. She squeezed them shut, forcing herself not to cry.
This man was good-looking, gentle, thoughtful, dependable—any ordinary woman would’ve held on tight.
But sadly, she wasn't just any woman. She had her eyes on the top of the music world, and she couldn’t afford to drag any baggage along the way.
Angela was still a bit uneasy. "What did he mean by that? You think he’ll keep quiet and not try to get back at you?"
Leisha let out a slow breath. "I know him. He won’t."
That settled Angela down. She smiled and said, "Got some great news—‘I Am a Singer’ season three invited you. You’re one of the starting acts!"
Leisha froze, the moisture in her eyes gone in a second, replaced by sheer excitement. "For real? That’s amazing!"
Landing a starting spot on a show like "I Am a Singer" meant she’d officially broken into the big leagues.
If she nailed it, she might finally climb to the top-tier of the industry.
Angela hesitated a bit, then added, "Melody Parker got invited too. Barring any surprise, she’s also a starting act."
"Melody Parker?"
At that name, Leisha's brows scrunched.
They’d debuted around the same time, signed with the same major label, Tianyun Entertainment. Their looks and voices were somewhat alike, too.
But the difference was, Melody was already a recognized pop queen and a national darling.
Leisha, on the other hand, was still grinding in the second tier—worse, people online even called her the "budget Melody Parker."
If Melody also appeared on the show, and they had similar styles but Melody had way more clout, that could get real awkward.
Angela went on, "But don’t stress too much. Melody’s been hit with some negative press lately, and I heard she’s not in top form. This could be your shot to outshine her."
"Take Melody’s spot? Become the next pop queen?"
Leisha’s eyes sharpened, ambition and desire lighting up her face, no longer hidden.
Now that what could’ve been a comforting marriage was over, it was time to level up her career.
...
David took a cab back to their apartment. He packed his stuff fast, glanced around the place they'd shared for three years, then walked out without looking back.
Dragging his suitcase out of the complex, he looked up at the burning sun overhead and let out a bitter laugh.
"Got divorced back on Earth, and now again on Blue Star. Figures."
He’d lived on Blue Star for 26 years. About a month ago, he got lightly sideswiped by a car, just a minor injury—but from then on, flashes of past-life memories from Earth started showing up in his head.
They were faint and patchy, but he remembered one thing clearly: he was divorced in that life, too. The rest? A blur.
After he and Leisha decided to split, strange strings of text started popping up in front of his eyes—only his eyes.
Just like now, four lines flickered into view:
"‘Too Bad It's Not You’ memory replication in progress, Earth origin, 1% complete..."
"‘The Ordinary Road’ memory replication in progress, Earth origin, 1% complete..."
"‘Encounter’ memory replication in progress, Earth origin, 1% complete..."
"‘Lone Brave’ memory replication in progress, Earth origin, 1% complete..."
