"Did he agree to this?" asked Ling Yiran."Yes," said Zhuo Qianyun."Then... I wish you all the best,” said Ling Yiran."Thank you. I hope everything goes well too," said Zhuo Qianyun.Qin Lianyi was still immersed in the shock from earlier. She only came to her senses when Zhuo Qianyun waved her hand in front of her and called her."Then... Then I must prepare a wedding gift." Qin Lianyi realized she had spoken the wrong thing as soon as she said that. After all, Zhuo Qianyun and Ye Wenming were not marrying because of love.Sure enough, Zhuo Qianyun said, "No thanks. This marriage is meant to be expedient."With that said, she glanced at Qin Lianyi's belly again. "How are you these days? Does the baby kick as strongly as last time?”Qin Lianyi said, "No, but it's kinda unbelievable now that you mention it… Didn't my baby calm down when that little boy touched my belly last time? Then, the little boy said with absolute certainty that I'm carrying a girl."Ling Yiran and Zhuo
There was another person... who had helped her. They had helped her in that prison full of pain, but she had no idea when she could repay them for their kindness.Zhuo Qianyun's heart sank at the thought. After all, she did not even have the person's contact information.Besides, the hope of finding them had only gotten slimmer after so many years!...Zhuo Qianyun and Ye Wenming arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau a few days later.Zhuo Qianyun looked blankly at the signs hanging in front of the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau. She had once hoped that Ye Wenming would propose to her and they could come to this place.Then, she was imprisoned and she stopped thinking about it.She never expected she would ever set foot here to get married.Now, she came here to marry Ye Wenming."Are you not going to go in?" Ye Wenming's voice rang beside her."I'm going in," Zhuo Qianyun replied after taking a deep breath. However, her footsteps were so heavy that each step seemed to we
"What's the matter? Do you have to be all lovey-dovey to get married?" Ye Wenming asked unhappily."You two look like you have no feelings for each other. Even if you do get married, you’ll divorce sooner or later," the woman said.However, she quickly felt terrified as a chill shot up from the soles of her feet and crept up her spine. The man before her was staring at her with bloodthirst in his eyes.The woman dared not say anything, but Zhuo Qianyun knew Ye Wenming was angry."She's just an outsider," Zhuo Qianyun could not help saying. After all, this woman was also a victim in marriage, and they were only having a casual conversation.There was no need for Ye Wenming to be angry with this woman because of what she just said.Ye Wenming's eyes moved to Zhuo Qianyun. The rage in his eyes slowly subsided and eventually returned to normal.For a moment, he had flown into an uncontrollable rage. It was because this woman said... ‘You’ll divorce sooner or later".Even though he
Zhuo Qianyun's voice was indifferent without the slightest fluctuation. It was as if she was just reciting mechanically and these vows meant nothing to her.However, these vows meant everything to Ye Wenming!Ye Wenming stared at Zhuo Qianyun while he recited his vows.'Does Qianyun know how grateful I am that she's willing to keep the baby?'Does she know that today means the marriage of a lifetime to me? And even though we might get a divorce in the future, I can still tell myself that she used to be my wife when I’m old and lying in my coffin.'It's a great honor to have been married to her in this life.'This marriage is only nominal and a tool for her.'But... I should be content.'He told himself. ...Once they came out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Ye Wenming and Zhuo Qianyun each held a copy of their marriage license.Ye Wenming said, "Let me take you home.""No thanks, I can take the bus home myself." Zhuo Qianyun rejected him.Ye Wenming said bitterly, "Are you s
"Really? Forgive..." muttered Ye Wenming."Yes, women relent easily," the photographer said.Ye Wenming's eyes glimmered slightly, and he said nothing more.He knew the old Qianyun would relent easily. If she was angry with him, he had only had to coax her a little for everything to be fine.However, now she could relent to everyone but him.Ye Wenming walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau and looked down at the marriage license in his hand. No matter what, she was now his wife and he was her husband!...When Zhuo Qianyun returned to the store, Mrs. Zhuo saw that her daughter was alone and Ye Wenming was not with her. She asked, "Where's Ye Wenming? Have you gotten your marriage license?""Yes, we got it. We separated at the Civil Affairs Bureau's entrance, and I took the bus back myself," said Zhuo Qianyun.She did not tell anyone that she was getting the marriage license today. She only told her mother last night.Mrs. Zhuo asked, "He didn't bring you home?""Why should
The neighbors were beaming as they received the wedding candies. They all crowded to Zhuo Qianyun's store and congratulated her."Qianyun, you found a good husband. He's rich!""Congratulations! I heard your husband say that you two separated for years because of an accident, and he kept saying that he did you and Lil Yan wrong by letting you raise Lil Yan by yourself. After all that hard work, you're going to have a good life now.""This groom is so handsome. No wonder Lil Yan is so good-looking. He took after his father!"Zhuo Qianyun could only smile dryly as the neighbors congratulated her. Mrs. Zhuo smiled less reluctantly. After all, the neighbors would gossip less after Ye Wenming did this.Once the firecrackers finished sounding and they were done distributing the wedding candies, it was just about time for school to be over. As soon as Zhuo Yan left the school, he saw his father standing at the store’s entrance while their neighbors congratulated his parents.A classmat
"Okay," Ye Wenming replied respectfully.Mrs. Zhuo made dinner. She prepared four dishes and a soup, all of which were pretty good.The small square table seemed to be more crowded than usual because Ye Wenming was joining them.As they ate, Mrs. Zhuo said, "After what happened today, the whole neighborhood knows that you're married now, so don't do it again. Besides that, are you okay with the baby in Qianyun's belly taking the last name Zhuo?"Ye Wenming's eyes glimmered slightly as he clenched his hand holding the chopsticks. 'Taking the last name Zhuo...'"Yes," said Ye Wenming."And have you spoken to your family about your marriage?" Mrs. Zhuo asked again."I can decide my own marriage. I'll talk to my family about it when I have the chance," said Ye Wenming."Okay, I don't want your family to object and give my daughter trouble," said Mrs. Zhuo.Ye Wenming nodded. "I won't let my family members give Qianyun trouble, of course."After the meal, Ye Wenming took the initi
Life went on as usual. However, ever since Ye Wenming set off the firecrackers and distributed wedding candies, Zhuo Qianyun could distinctly feel the change in her neighbors' gaze.Perhaps that was the way people were. She would divorce Ye Wenming after the baby was one year old. Then, she would move to another place once Lil Yan went to junior high.A divorced woman with two children would have a better reputation than an unmarried woman with two children.It was ridiculous. She had never cared much about reputation.However, reality forced her to.While Zhuo Qianyun was contemplating what she could do after her son graduated from primary school, a black Maybach pulled up at the store’s entrance.A woman in a modified cheongsam stepped out.It was an elderly in her 60s. She also wore a fall-season cloak. Her hair was in an updo while she wore delicate makeup. She looked dignified and graceful.Zhuo Qianyun shuddered as she recognized her.She was the matriarch of the Ye fami
He clenched his jaw and felt his teeth ache. 'Yeah, she’s broken up with me. She has every right to find a new boyfriend, but... the thought of her smiling at another man, and kissing and hugging him makes me uncomfortable.’ Gu Lichen could not help feeling irritated."You can't find one! Do you think you can find another man like me to love when you love me so much?" he said.Zhong Keke retorted with a slightly red face, "You... You're too confident. Who are you to say I can't find one? I love you now, but I can slowly get over you. Besides, I don't need to find a man like you in the future. I just need to find an ordinary man with a good personality who treats me well! I’ll give him all my heart, and he’ll do the same!"It was more like she was telling herself that.'Yes, I can move on from him. I can do it!'However, her words seemed to have provoked him as he turned the steering wheel sharply, slammed on the brakes, and pulled over at the roadside.She was thrown forward and
The fact Zhong Keke accepted was that she feared she would love him more and more!When Yi Jinli and Gu Lichen returned to the ward, Ling Yiran was still chatting with Zhong Keke about the children, not only the new baby but also the triplets."Alright, Lichen and I are going home first. Yiran, have a good rest. I'll visit you and the baby again next time," Zhong Keke said and got up after seeing the exhaustion on Ling Yiran's face.Ling Yiran replied, "Okay. I'll let you meet my triplets next time.""Sure."After Zhong Keke and Gu Lichen left, Yi Jinli lay on Ling Yiran's bed and said, "If you're sleepy, sleep first. The doctor said you need more rest."Ling Yiran said, "I'm a little sleepy, but I had a nice chat with Keke today. Jin, you know what? I think it's great that Lichen has fallen in love with Keke. Keke's a wonderful woman, and Lichen has finally found his happily ever after."She said as she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.Looking at his wife's sleeping fac
"Thank you! It's a good painting, and I like it very much. I didn't expect you to draw my daughter like that.""I saw the baby when I came to the hospital that day, so I remembered," said Zhong Keke."I heard from Jin that you and Lichen both came to the hospital that day. I didn't scare you, did I?" said Ling Yiran.Zhong Keke smiled softly, "All that matters is that you're safe. Being alive is better than anything."The two women chatted while the two men looked at each other. Then, Yi Jinli said, "Lichen, let's go get some air."The two men got up and walked out of the ward.Zhong Keke looked uneasily at the ward door.Ling Yiran said, "They’ll be back soon. Don't worry. My Jin won't kidnap Lichen."Zhong Keke smiled, knowing that Yi Jinli probably had not told Ling Yiran about what happened that day."By the way, how are you and Lichen's relationship? Does he treat you well?" Ling Yiran asked."He treats me well." It was true. He treated her well. He would give her everyt
He and Song Qingyao were not even friends."You don't have to explain this to me," said Zhong Keke. They had broken up, and she did not need these explanations.Besides, she knew better than anyone that he had always been in love with Yiran.Thinking of Yiran, Zhong Keke said, "I want to go to the hospital to see Yiran. Can I?" The last time she visited Yiran, Yiran was still unconscious, so she wanted to check on her.Hesitation flashed across Gu Lichen's face."Don't worry. I won't say anything to trigger Yiran. I’ll still pretend to be your girlfriend in front of Yiran. If Yiran asks you, you can say we're doing quite well. When Yiran has recovered, I can make an excuse to say we've broken up. Of course, I can take all the blame. For example, I thought being with you attracted too much attention, or I couldn’t get used to being with you, or I had fallen for someone else—"Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into a wide embrace.His hands held her tightly
Zhou Xinmian: [I said you were living with Gu Lichen now. Then they said nothing and left readily.]"..."Zhou Xinmian: [Did you block their phone numbers? They said you're not answering your phone.]Zhong Keke: [Yeah.]She should have blocked her uncle's family's phone numbers long ago. Even blocking them now was considered late!Zhou Xinmian: [Well done! But didn’t they try calling you using another phone number?]Zhong Keke: [They did. But as soon as they spoke and I heard their voices, I hung up and blocked their phone numbers.]In other words, she did not give them a chance to talk.She did not want to listen to what they had to say anyway. They had worn out the last of her affection.Zhou Xinmian: [Have you made up your mind this time?]Zhong Keke: [I’ll just consider that my grandparents only gave birth to my father!]In other words, she no longer considered her uncle and his family her family!Zhou Xinmian: [You should have done that long ago! They told me Gu Lichen
It was why he had said such things at the time to keep the woman from leaving!"Maybe I've liked you since then." It probably started earlier than he thought.Zhong Keke's eyes watered as tears were about to pour out. She raised her hands and covered her eyes, "Gu Lichen, stop telling me such things!"Such things would only make her waver when her resolution was hard-won. Did he know how much determination and perseverance it took her to ask for a break-up and keep her distance from him to stop loving him when she loved him so much?Though her hands shielded her eyes, they could not stop the tears.His fingers pulled her hands away. "Alright, I'll stop. I'll stop talking. Don't cry."Her tears had always left him flustered.He hugged her and coaxed her. The indifference in his phoenix eyes had become affection.Zhong Keke finally stopped crying, but she still sniffled occasionally.Holding a tissue, Gu Lichen carefully wiped the tears from her face. After a moment, he said,
"Do you care about me?" She smiled bitterly. "That word isn’t only something you say but..." She did not continue speaking after a pause.However, he already knew what she was going to say.Gu Lichen turned pale. He knew that the incident at the comic fiesta was something that bothered her.He was the one who caused it!"Also, I think we'd better talk about the possibility of me getting pregnant!" she said."Okay, go ahead," he said as he asked the others in the living room to leave."Will you insist that I have the baby if I get pregnant?" she asked, looking at him."If you’re pregnant, I don't want to lose the baby," he said. He had never longed for children even though his parents had always wanted grandchildren, even if it was out of wedlock.However, such ideas had never occurred to him.Now, he wanted to have the baby because they would be... his baby with Keke!"Even if I don't want the baby, are you still going to stop me from having an abortion?" she asked.He was s
Even though he did not love her, she still thought she was a better candidate than Zhong Keke.However, to her disappointment, the way Gu Lichen looked at her was still icy."I'm not interested in you. The Song family you're so proud of will no longer exist in Shen City a year later. Perhaps the Song family can keep some things if you start planning now. Otherwise, you'll have nothing left."With that said, Gu Lichen left the ward, leaving Song Qingyao standing where she was in a daze.Other than reluctance, resentment, and jealousy, there was more shock and fear on her face.'Does Lichen intend to eradicate the Song family within a year? Is... Is he going that far for Zhong Keke? He doesn't love Zhong Keke, right? Why is he doing it? Why?' Unfortunately, no one could give her the answer.Gu Lichen walked out of the hospital and got into the car. He slowly closed his eyes as Song Qingyao's last words flashed through his mind.'It doesn't matter... even if I don't love her?'Kek
Song Qingyao's heart sank. Sure enough, he could find out anything he wanted to."Why did you do it?" Gu Lichen said coldly.Song Qingyao suddenly laughed. "You're asking me why? Gu Lichen, I’ve loved you for so many years. What do you think?""I wouldn't love you even if Zhong Keke didn't exist. If I wanted to fall for you, I would have done so from the beginning," said Gu Lichen.Song Qingyao's mouth was full of bitterness. She knew that!However, knowing was one thing. Her being reluctant and unwilling to accept it was a different matter!She shouted, "Why did you choose Zhong Keke? You love Ling Yiran because Ling Yiran saved your life when you were a child. What about Zhong Keke? Why her?"She accepted losing to Ling Yiran because she had never saved Lichen's life.However, how could she accept losing to Zhong Keke? "Because she's the one who saved me from the messy relationship," replied Gu Lichen."What do you mean?" Song Qingyao was puzzled.Instead of explaining, he