The 99th Divorce

Yu Lili reached out and knocked on the door gently. It was extremely quiet inside. For a moment, she thought that whatever she’d heard moments before had been a figment of her imagination.

She stood outside for a while. When no one answered, she turned to leave. Suddenly, there was a noise behind her. She turned her head and found that the door had been opened.

It was pitch dark inside. Shen Manting was barefoot and dressed in a thin nightgown. Her eyes were a little red. She looked as if she had just woken up.

When Shen Manting saw that it was Yu Lili, she paused in surprise and asked, “Is there a problem?”

Yu Lili stood outside the door. When she heard the question, she felt a little awkward. With a shake of her head, she replied, “No, I just heard some noise and felt that perhaps you weren’t too happy about something. So, I came by to take a look.”

Shen Manting stood at the door and looked at Yu Lili. She paused for a moment before replying, “Thank you.”

Yu Lili was stunned. She began to feel a little embarrassed and said, “Well, if everything’s fine… I’ll leave now.”

“Would you like to come in for a chat?” Shen Manting’s voice wasn’t loud. It was gentle.

Yu Lili could tell she was feeling a little down. All along, she had never really liked Shen Manting. In fact, there were times when her emotions toward her bordered on dislike. After a few days of interacting with her, she realized that Shen Manting didn’t really have many friends.

Shen Manting shuttled solely between the office and home every day. While Yu Lili had been keeping the old lady company, she had also heard many things about Shen Manting. This girl was very lonely.

Yu Lili thought for a moment before nodding her head. Shen Manting’s room was a little smaller than Old Mrs. Shen’s. It was still bigger than the guest room that Yu Lili was staying in.

What surprised Yu Lili the most was that in addition to Shen Manting’s belongings, the room contained some things that clearly belonged to a man. A man’s tie was on the bedside table. In a woman’s room, that sight was especially eye-catching.

Is it… Shen Luo’an’s?

Yu Lili kept her expression neutral and walked in. With a laugh, she remarked, “Your room is really big!”

Shen Manting laughed and sat on the bed. “When is your wedding?” she asked.

“On the eighth of next month,” Yu Lili replied. “It was supposed to be last month, but Ou Ming’s mother said that day wasn’t really auspicious. The eighth of next month is supposed to be the most auspicious day this year.”

“I see. Congratulations.” Shen Manting smiled. “Do you know that I really envy you? Ou Ming treats you really well.”

Well…

Yu Lili suddenly regretted stepping in. Sitting in the same room with her husband’s ex-fiancée and discussing such a topic was going to be awkward no matter how she framed it.

“Ha ha…” Yu Lili laughed dryly. “It’s not too bad, I guess. He’s always been this way.”

The smile on Shen Manting’s face was a little stiff and didn’t reach her eyes. She asked, “Do you need a bridesmaid for your wedding? Shall I go to Kingstown and be your bridesmaid?”

Yu Lili was stunned. She looked at Shen Manting in complete surprise. “You want to be my bridesmaid?”

“Yeah. May I?” Shen Manting looked at Yu Lili. Her eyes were almost pleading. “Since I can’t be Ou Ming’s bride, I’ll settle for being your bridesmaid. When you return to Kingstown, will you take me with you?”

Yu Lili found it bizarre. Why would Shen Manting make such a request out of the blue?

“I don’t have many friends, and I’ve never been a bridesmaid. If you don’t agree to it, I may never have the chance to be one ever.” Shen Manting laughed, “I couldn’t be a bride, and I couldn’t even be a bridesmaid either…”

–

Do you know what Shen Manting is up to?