"Her surname is Qi, seven years younger than me. Letâs just call her Qi."
"I met Qi because of a business trip to the south."
"During that trip, after finishing business with the partner, I declined their arrangements and decided to drive out on my own."
"Unfortunately, the weather wasnât kind, and it suddenly started raining halfway."
"Just when I was about to drive back to the hotel, I saw a young girl running in the rain."
"There was nowhere nearby to take shelter, so I stopped the car beside her and offered her a ride to escape the rain..."
Recalling the past, Xu Jieâs face showed a hint of nostalgia.
Smiling, he continued, "Naturally, this young girl was Qi."
"Qi kept thanking me, saying she left in a rush and forgot to bring an umbrella."
"I told her there was no need to be polite, then asked where she was headed so I could give her a lift."
"At first, she said it wasnât necessary, sheâd get off when the rain stopped."
"However, the rain just kept getting heavier with no sign of stopping."
"Her face was quite red with embarrassment, I can still remember that moment vividly!"
"At that time, I asked her again where she was going, and she blushingly mentioned a place."
"But since I was in a strange city, I didnât know how to get there, so I asked her to guide me."
"When she found out it was my first time in the city, she told me about many famous spots and foods."
"Soon, our unfamiliarity vanished, and we chatted merrily, like old friends."
"During this time, I learned she wasnât a local either, but was studying at the university there."
"After I dropped her off at the university, we exchanged contact information, agreeing sheâd show me around the city the next day."
"During our time together, I felt truly happy, avoiding the usual awkwardness I felt with younger people."
At this point, Xu Jie paused habitually.
After taking a sip of water to soothe his throat, he continued, "The next day, she took me to many local attractions and we ate lots of local delicacies."
"On the third day, although I left the city, my connection with Qi remained unbroken."
"As time went on, not only did our feelings not fade, they grew stronger."
"At the start, I avoided it, since I was nearly twelve years older than her."
"But sheâs a determined person, never giving up easily, even knowing I had been divorced twice."
"Under her persistent efforts, my long-closed heart began to thaw."
"I accompanied her during her last two years of college, and she stood by me as my company went from thriving to decline."
"Despite the many events in those two years, our feelings for each other seemed unchanged."
"After her graduation, I proposed, and she was so excited she cried."
"Naturally, we got our marriage license, and I stepped into the grave of marriage for the third time..."
The audience listening to Xu Jieâs story was filled with emotions.
"Did he end up divorcing Qi too?"
"I bet this third marriage also ended in divorce."
"I predict that although this was an example of an older man courting a younger woman, it didnât end well."
"Such a wonderful girl, how did they end up divorced again?"
"What else could it be about? It must be because theyâre unable to have children!"
"I hate to say this, but I feel like Qi might have been after Brother Xuâs assets."
"Brother Xuâs overwhelming generosity would surely impress a naive college girl."
"Forget college girls, even Iâd get flustered meeting Brother Xu."
"Mind your gender!"
"Money isnât the issue here. Brother Xuâs charisma and looks alone could captivate a college girl."
"Thatâs true, Brother Xuâs rugged charm is hard for young girls to resist."
"Sadly, Qiâs best efforts couldnât overcome the issue of being unable to have children."
"Brother, youâre really obsessed with having kids!"
"Are children really that important? If you love kids, you could always adopt some!"
"Adopted children will never be the same as your own!"
"Then thereâs no solution! Brother Xu is healthy, the women he was with, except for his second wife, were all fine, so why couldnât they have kids?"
"Thatâs why Brother Xu adamantly wanted a child!"
"The more you lack something, the more you desire it; itâs human nature!"
"Damn it, if I had Brother Xuâs looks and charisma, Iâd never worry about finding a girlfriend!"
"If I had Brother Xuâs background and wealth, having children wouldnât matter..."
Xu Jie glanced at the comments briefly and smiled wryly, "Youâre all correct!"
"In the end, Qi and I divorced."
"Afterwards, I concluded that the failure of this third marriage mainly stemmed from two reasons."
"The first reason, as everyone knows, was the inability to have children."
"Qi said she was young and wanted to enjoy a couple more years, not wanting children so soon."
"Sheâs young and has time, but Iâm older and couldnât wait any longer."
"This became a point of contention between us."
"Every time we discussed having children, it would end in a quarrel."
"And quarreling like that, even the closest feelings would fade."
With a sigh, Xu Jie continued, "The second reason was because of her college friends."
"After our marriage, she remained close friends with two college classmates and kept in frequent contact."
"Those two classmates also got married within half a year of graduation."
"Yet, within a year, both of them got divorced."
"Under the influence of these two friends, Qi began to change."
"I could clearly feel her increasingly bringing up the issue of security."
"At the time, I was quite curious about her idea of security?"
"She told me that with my wealth, looks, and charisma, it was easy to attract other girls, making her feel insecure."
"So, she asked me to transfer the house, car, and assets under her name."
"This way, even if I wanted to go off with another woman, I couldnât afford to."
"After hearing her, I was puzzled as to why such an innocent girl had changed so much?"