The 99th Divorce

After all, they had been friends for so long, and Fang Tongtong had suffered such terrible misfortune…

But something still felt wrong. Mrs. Fang’s explanation had seemingly justified her actions.

Although Shen Zhilie hadn’t understood what the women had spoken about, he could roughly guess the gist of it.

On the way to the airport, he noticed Ye Qianqian staring at her phone in a daze. With a soft sigh, he said, “Just call her if you want to.”

Ye Qianqian glanced at Shen Zhilie and suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Shen Zhilie vehemently hated Fang Tongtong, and yet he was urging her to call her.

There were still over ten minutes left in their journey to the airport. Ye Qianqian gave it some thought and finally dialed Fang Tongtong’s number.

The phone rang for a while before someone answered. “Hello? Qianqian?”

It was Fang Tongtong’s voice.

However, it sounded different. Whereas in the past her voice was loud and lively, now it was hesitant and careful, and carried a hint of uncertainty and disbelief.

Ye Qianqian made a sound of acknowledgement and said, “Happy New Year, Tongtong.”

It had already been a few days since Fang Tongtong had landed in Thailand. There had been quite a number of people who had also wished her a Happy New Year. However, none of the well-wishers had been able to elicit such a tear-filled reaction from her.

Fang Tongtong felt her throat tighten, and she wasn’t able to speak for a long time. The line was silent for a long while before she finally replied, “Same to you.” There were no unnecessary words.

In that moment, Fang Tongtong’s face broke out in a wide grin.

“How wonderful this is,” she thought.

–

Upon hanging up the phone, Ye Qianqian looked out the window.

The weather this New Year’s wasn’t that great. It was drizzling outside, and everything was wet. However, she felt her mood significantly improve.

Shen Zhilie caught a glimpse of her, and his lips also turned up into a smile.

It was evening by the time they reached the capital. Mrs. Shen was already waiting for them at the Arrivals. When she noticed Shen Zhilie and Ye Qianqian cheerily coming out, a huge smile appeared on her face.

She rushed up to them and walked up to Ye Qianqian’s side. “Qianqian,” she said. “You’re finally here! I’ve missed you so much!”

Ye Qianqian was a little embarrassed. “Hello, Auntie,” she greeted her. “He told you I was coming today?”

The “he” in question undoubtedly referred to Shen Zhilie. That went without saying!

Mrs. Shen beamed and said, “Yeah. When he suddenly applied for leave from work ahead of time and went to Kingstown, I guessed that he was going to find you, so I made some inquiries of my own. Well, he had to come back eventually, and I knew he’d be bringing you along with him. Don’t feel anxious. I just missed you a lot and couldn’t wait to talk to you.”

Ye Qianqian was stunned by the favor showered upon her. She looked around and asked, “Are you here alone?”

“No. Shen Zhilie’s father is here, too.” Mrs. Shen turned away to look for him, and finally found him in the crowd. “There he is,” she said.

Shen Longyue was standing at the back, making a phone call. He walked over with the phone still to his ear. He was wearing a pair of shades and had a smile on his face. He looked amiable enough.

Ye Qianqian began to feel nervous, and she shot Shen Zhilie an accusatory look.

Hadn’t they agreed to come secretly? Hadn’t he agreed to give her some time to prepare herself and to smooth all the ruffled feathers with his family first before having her visit them for the New Year?

This wasn’t what they agreed upon!

Shen Zhilie felt maligned. “I had no idea, either! I’m innocent!”

Her anxiety increasing, Ye Qianqian had to work hard to suppress the intense urge to smack him.

Shen Zhilie’s parents weren’t hard to deal with, but what was she going to do about Shen Zhilie’s grandmother?