Chapter 40

"Enough!" Chen Li's face turned red and white as Li Chi'an spoke. He glanced around guiltily and found that many people were looking at him with a subtle look of contempt.

This made him want to lose his temper, but he knew he couldn't.

His image among the Chinese public is already quite bad; he can't afford to offend people any further this time he's back.

"You're not me, how do you know I don't love my son?" Chen Li controlled his emotions, hugged his son to his arms, and glared at Li Chi'an.

Li Chi'an was unfazed by his anger. He turned his head away, too lazy to look at him anymore, and squatted down to gently stroke his son's head. "Baby, you haven't seen your dad in a long time. Did you miss him?"

Chen, the youngest child, lifted his head from his father's shoulder, looked at his mother with red eyes, and remained silent for a long time.

Li Chi'an knew his son missed his father, but he also knew his father had done something that upset his mother, so he didn't dare to express his longing for his father in front of his mother.

Yu Shi patted his head and smiled gently at him, "What do you want to say? Tell Dad properly, okay? Mom will go sit over there for a while. After you and Dad are done talking, come find me, and we'll go home together."

What children fear most is a war between their biological parents, especially one that is caused by them.

To Li Chi'an, Chen Li was already an outsider, but to Chen Zui, he was just his father.

Li Chi'an understands his son's attachment to Chen Li. Although he feels slightly uncomfortable seeing his son's closeness to Chen Li, he is still willing to protect his son's feelings for his father.

Let the war between her and Chen Li end between them. Li Chi'an got up and sat down on a chair to the side, quietly waiting for her son.

Soon, the court issued its semi-final ruling: Li Chi'an and Chen Li agreed to a divorce. Li Chi'an would have custody of Chen Zui, while Chen Li would have visitation rights. The family property, including the car, would go to Chen Li, and the house would be divided according to their respective contributions. Chen Li and Li Chi'an would retain ownership of their personal property and debts.

For Li Chi'an, being able to gain custody of his son and successfully get a divorce was a huge relief.

What Li Chian didn't know was that Chen first told Chen Li, "Mom said you went to work in a very far place, which is why you can't come home."

Chen Li squatted down and looked his son in the eye. "Dad is indeed working, but Dad misses you every day."

“I know you’re not going to work.” Chen Zui was calmer than Chen Li had expected. “Dad, you and Mom are divorced, right?”

Chen Li paused for a moment, then asked Chen Zui, "Do you know what divorce means?"

In the six years he has been a father, he has not spent much time raising his child and did not know that six-year-olds today are much more precocious and knowledgeable than he had imagined.

"I know," Chen Zui said calmly. "It means you and my mother have separated. You will both have your own homes in the future. You won't be together anymore, and you won't live with us anymore."

Chen Li has been in the United States for so long and hasn't spoken to his son on the phone or made a video call. He misses him a little.

Hearing his son's answer, he was surprised for a moment, then quickly licked his palate with the tip of his tongue, "If you want, you can live with Dad."

Chen Zui didn't answer whether he was willing or not. Instead, he thought for a moment and asked, "Dad, aren't you with someone else?"

“Even if I’m with someone else, my home is still your home,” Chen Li said. “Aunt Lin Ying will be your mother in the future, and she will take care of you.”

Chen Zui shook his head, looking somewhat dejected. "She's not my mother."

“She’s your mother too. If you come with us, I can take you to America. The houses there are big, with swimming pools, and you can go to private schools.” Chen Li’s tone was a little urgent, and Chen Zui turned his head to the side.

Seeing that his son was unwilling to listen, Chen Li remained silent for a while, then changed the subject and told Chen Zui many things that he thought should be told before leading his son toward Li Chi'an.

“You’ve made us lose face and our jobs, and you’re smug and happy.” Facing Li Chi’an, Chen Li couldn’t control her resentment and anger. Even though he was holding their son in his hands, he still showed her his malice. “You’ve made us lose everything, what have you gained? How can you be so selfish, only thinking about yourself and not considering your son?”

Li Chi'an pulled his son into a tight embrace, covered his son's ears, lowered his voice, and looked at Chen Li without flinching, "Is anything that was originally rightfully yours? The official announcement has been issued; the country has only taken away what didn't belong to you! Blame yourselves instead of me. Of all the honors you have now, has any of them been earned through your own abilities?"

Chen Li was even angrier, his fists clenched tightly. "That's how it is in this industry. You can't get what you want, so you get jealous and can't stand seeing others do well, right?"

"Do I need to be jealous?" Li Chi'an sighed softly. "What you lose is not what I gain. However, you are right about one thing: seeing you not doing well makes me feel better."

"You!" Chen Li's forehead veins bulged with anger. "Was that anonymous account yours?"

Li Chian did not deny it, saying, "The law allows me to protect my rights."

"You ruined everything I had."

“You destroyed our family first,” Li Chian said. “You’re doing quite well in America, aren’t you? You’re carefree and healthy. I wish you all your dreams come true.”

She chuckled, released her hands from her son's ears, and her tone softened again, "Sweetie, say goodbye to Daddy, we're going home."

Goodbye, Dad.

Visitation rights are limited to once a month, for eight hours each time.

On the first visiting day, Chen Li took Chen Zui to the Guangzhou Zoo, whether to spite Li Chi'an or something else, no one knows.

That day, Chen Li actually brought Lin Ying with him to pick up Chen Zui downstairs in the community. As soon as Chen Zui saw Chen Li, he excitedly grabbed his hand and chattered non-stop. When he got into the car, he saw Lin Ying and shut up. He turned around and waved goodbye to Li Chi'an.

Lin Ying remained seated in the passenger seat. She looked much heavier and was wearing a hat, mask, and sunglasses. Although Li Chi'an couldn't see her expression or face, he knew from the direction she was looking that he was watching her.

Li Chi'an hadn't originally planned to greet the other person, but since she had come along, she couldn't help feeling worried.

He quickly called out, "Chen Li, wait a moment."

Then, she ran to the car and carefully told Chen Zui, "Baby, if you miss Mommy later, call Mommy anytime."

"I know," said Chen, the youngest child, as he peered out the car window at his mother.

Li Chi'an continued, "Baby, Mommy misses you and will call you anytime. You must answer."

"I will, Mom."

Lin Ying remained silent, but Chen Li sensed her impatience and quickly rolled up the car window. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him."

To be honest, Li Chi'an was still worried. So, she turned to Chen Li and looked at her seriously, "Zui Zui has been asking you to take him to the zoo since the day before yesterday. Spend some time with him today, be patient, and if there's anything you don't accept, tell me and I'll talk to her, okay?"

Chen Li frowned. "It's not like I haven't taken him out before."

The white Audi sped away into the traffic. Li Chi'an stood there, watching Chen Li drive Chen Zui away from his sight, his heart pounding with anxiety.

The following day, she called Chen Zui almost every hour.

My heart only calmed down a little when I heard my son's soft voice on the phone.

This kind of anxiety is a fear I have never experienced before in my life.

Fortunately, Chen Zui safely took Chen Zui home when it got dark.

When Li Chi'an saw his son get out of the car safely and run towards him, his eyes almost reddened.

Chen Zui threw himself into her arms, "Mom, Dad said today that he misses me a lot!"

Li Chi'an's expression softened for a moment, then returned to calm. "Okay, Mom understands. Let's go home."

"Hmm." Chen Zui, who had been playing outside all day, seemed to be in pretty good spirits.

Li Chi'an looked at Chen Li and said, "Thank you for your hard work."

Chen Zui, who had been turning his head to the side, frowned at her and said, "Same time next month."

Li Chian countered, "When are you going back to the United States?"

She desperately hoped that Chen Li and Lin Ying could settle abroad in the future, far away from her and her son.

After a day of torment, Li Chi'an regretted giving Chen Li visitation rights, but there was nothing he could do. If he didn't even grant her visitation rights, the divorce would be even more difficult.

She noticed that Chen Li's mood and temper had deteriorated significantly since returning from the United States, and his eyes were filled with hostility.

This is also why she is particularly worried today; a mother's worries continue even after her child has lived to a hundred.

"This is between Lin Ying and me, it's none of your business." Chen Li refused to answer and turned to leave.

...

Soon, Li Chian learned that Chen Li did not intend to return to the United States so quickly.

As time went on, Chen Li began trying to return to his job and find work in China.

However, he applied to several companies, but was rejected during the interviews. He was unemployed for a long time in China, which gave him a lot of free time.

Because of the evidence-gathering incident, Li Chian made many friends in the medical field afterward.

She was determined to find out where the other person was; there was always a way to find out.

At the same time, she also knew that the day after she and Chen Li divorced, Chen Li proposed to Lin Ying and asked her to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a marriage certificate. However, Lin Ying did not know why she refused. After that, the two continued to live together as unmarried, living in Lin Ying's large flat-style mansion in Xianghai City.

That's just how cruel reality is.

Even though Lin Ying's mother and aunt had problems at work, and Lin Ying broke down for a while, often crying and making a scene at home, Chen Li could still live in a mansion and drive a luxury car with her, and their lives seemed to be unaffected.

No wonder Lin Ying refused to register her marriage with Chen Li, and Chen Li was willing to humble himself in front of her and propose to her several times.

Whether it was intentional on Lin Ying's part or not, for a long time afterward, whenever Chen Zui and Chen Li met, Lin Ying would always be there.

Even though she had gained weight and her complexion and spirits were not good, Chen Li still treated her with great kindness.

To be honest, did this scene hurt Li Chi'an?

Yes, but not many.

What hurt Li Chi'an even more was another matter: seeing his son's happy expression after meeting his father every month, Li Chi'an's inner conflict intensified.

She knew the importance of a father to a child's growth, but she could not forgive Chen Li's betrayal.

Every time Chen Li and Lin Ying took Chen Zui home, she could see reluctance in her son's eyes, which made her feel both heartbroken and angry.

One night, Chen Zui developed a fever.

Li Chi'an held his son, feeling both heartache and helplessness.

At two in the morning, she carried her son to the hospital alone. In the busy emergency room, Li Chi'an watched as her son's delicate wrist was pricked with a needle, and his pink face was burned red. He couldn't stop crying silently, unable to sleep, and whispering "Dad."

After much hesitation, she still couldn't bring herself to dial Chen Li's number.

Chen Li arrived an hour later.

He skillfully took out a towel from his bundle, soaked it in warm water, and placed it on Chen Zui's forehead. He then picked Chen Zui up from the bed, held him in his arms, and gently coaxed him.

Chen Zui gradually calmed down and fell into a deep sleep.

Li Chi'an sat beside him, watching this scene, and suddenly felt a sense of disorientation and sadness.

Images from the past flashed through her mind. Back then, they were still a family. She hadn't yet found out about Chen Li's affair. Her son was sick, and she and the other man took care of him together.

"Thank you for coming," she said softly.

Chen Li gently placed her son on the bed, tucked him in, and turned to face Li Chi'an, "How did you take care of your child? He had such a high fever."

Chen Li's opening remarks were accusatory, which made Li Chi'an very uncomfortable. However, because he arrived in time and calmed her son down, she suppressed her emotions and explained in a low voice, "The doctor said it was a viral infection."

"This kind of weather is a high-incidence period for childhood viruses. Didn't you take any preventative measures in advance?" Chen Li pressed aggressively.

Li Chi'an closed his eyes and continued to endure, "Chen Li, I asked you to come here to show your son fatherly love, not to criticize me. He is also my son. If I can control him from getting sick, how could I not do it?!"

"Can you take good care of the child? If not, give me your son."

Li Chi'an, unable to bear it any longer, trembled with anger, "Chen Li, if you can shut up now, then shut up. If you can't shut up, then please get out."

Chen Liming paused for a moment, but still persisted, "The child had such a high fever, why didn't you take him to the hospital sooner? Do you know what the consequences would have been if his fever had gone up any higher?"

He was about to ramble on and on.

Li Chi'an took out his earphones from his bag, put them in his ears, and then turned on his music.

Chen Li glared at Li Chi'an and talked to himself for a while, but Li Chi'an didn't hear a word. Later, he simply closed his eyes and leaned against the wall to calm himself down.

I don't know how much time has passed.

Li Chi'an felt her arm being nudged. She opened her eyes and saw Chen Li with a stern face, coldly saying, "The IV drip is finished. I'm going to find the doctor. You stay here and watch over our son."

Li Chi'an nodded.