Chapter 14

Luo Mingxiu drove the car to the mall, parked it, and asked Shen Li, "Is there not enough food in the refrigerator? Should we buy some more?"

The person, who had been lost in thought the whole way, said blankly, "Okay, let's go."

After getting off the car, the two put on hats and masks and entered the mall.

Taking the elevator to the supermarket on the basement level, Shen Li walked aimlessly. Luo Mingxiu followed with a shopping cart, his gaze fixed on her. He could tell she was still feeling down. He said, "Don't think about anything else. Think about what to eat."

Shen Li then looked at the rows of shelves, picked out a few boxes of instant noodles and threw them in.

Luo Mingxiu picked up a box and asked, "I cook, why would I eat this?"

I won't be going back to the film set with you tonight. I need to hire a lawyer here and buy these things to prepare. I probably won't be in the mood to cook these days.

"I can wait for you..."

"No, I can finish my work quickly, but you can't be delayed for too long."

"Okay, I'll go back first." Luo Mingxiu complied with her, putting the instant noodles back on the shelf one by one, turning the cart around, and heading to the fresh produce section.

"Cook more meals and put them in the refrigerator. It's healthier than instant noodles if you heat them up and eat them."

Shen Li's eyes flickered slightly: "Thanks."

We had hairy crabs for lunch. The crab meat was delicious, but it was troublesome and time-consuming to eat. Chen Li lost patience after peeling two, pushed the plate aside, and went to pick up side dishes and scoop soup instead.

"Hmm, this soup is good. How did you make it?" Shen Li asked after taking a sip.

Luo Mingxiu raised his eyes and glanced at the messy shells on her plate.

"Wash the winter melon and pork ribs, put them in a pot to stew," he pushed a bowl of crab meat he had peeled onto her, "It's just ordinary winter melon and pork rib soup."

"I know." Shen Li picked up some crab meat and ate it without any qualms.

Luo Mingxiu stared at the curve of her lips and silently moved the finished products to her side.

.

The lawyer came from a law firm that collaborated with the company's legal department and specialized in handling divorce cases. Cheng Qingqing arranged a time for her to meet at the coffee shop downstairs from Qingli.

After Shen Li arrived and told the lawyer the whole story, she asked, "How long does it usually take to get a divorce in this situation?"

The lawyer, who looked to be about the same age as her, pushed up his glasses and said, "If the other party insists on dragging it out, it's possible that it could take a year or two to get a divorce. All I can say is to hurry up and prepare the case filing materials."

Cheng Qingqing, who was standing to the side, didn't quite understand: "The man cheated, and the relationship has already broken down. There are too many rumors outside that are bad for Shen Li. We want to get a result as soon as possible."

The lawyer replied, "If both parties agree, a divorce by mutual consent is the fastest solution."

"For a court to grant a divorce, there must be sufficient evidence to prove that the relationship has broken down, and infidelity is one of the grounds. Other evidence includes your cohabitation, how you got along, whether you had a hasty marriage before marriage, and whether there was domestic violence after marriage, etc."

I'll send you a list; the more and more serious the evidence, the higher the chance of a successful divorce.

How can you prove it?

"Your usual phone chat logs and recordings of comments from friends and family about your relationship problems."

To prove infidelity, one needs evidence of the other person kissing or hugging a third party, photos or recordings of them in bed together, or witnesses such as friends or neighbors who have seen the two in intimate contact.

Cheng Qingqing looked at Shen Li.

Shen Li frowned: "If we had arrived earlier that day, we probably could have taken a picture of the two of them in the same bed..."

“It’s generally not possible to catch them on camera,” the lawyer said. “Unless you know about the affair beforehand and plan to catch them in the act, when you suddenly discover it, you’re so emotionally distraught that you can’t care about any evidence.”

Shen Li: "I tried to find witnesses. The mistress is an employee of Fang Wei's company, and I know people in the company and among his clients."

"Send me everything you find out, whether it's useful or not, and I'll compile it into materials that can be used for the court's decision," the lawyer said, standing up. "I'll go talk to the other party first. If they want a divorce in one go, we can't give up on negotiation."

“Okay, then I’ll trouble you.” Cheng Qingqing also stood up. “Chen Li still has scenes to film, so she won’t have time to coordinate with me all the time. If she needs any documents or materials later, she can contact me. The company has her file.”

The two saw the lawyer off to his car. Before leaving, the lawyer said, "Regarding the rumors circulating outside about Ms. Shen's divorce, appropriately utilizing public opinion can also be beneficial to us."

After being reminded by her, Shen Li and Cheng Qingqing exchanged a glance and went back to call a meeting of the public relations department.

First, I'll sue a bunch of unscrupulous marketing accounts that spread rumors about her cheating.

Then release the truth to the media to fight back and turn the tide, without being specific or avoiding the topic, and wait until after the divorce to make an announcement.

Shen Li originally wanted to talk to one of Fang Wei's photographers, whom she had recommended to the company before, so they had some interaction.

However, after arriving at the company department, she learned that the person was on annual leave. She chatted with him on WeChat for a couple of minutes but couldn't get any useful information out of him, so she had no choice but to give up and not bother him any further.

That makes sense; Fang Wei must have made preparations beforehand, and the path of getting people in the company to testify wouldn't work.

She then contacted people among his recent business partners, including advertising agents, who said they often saw Fang Wei traveling with a pretty young girl and had also witnessed the two being intimate.

But when Shen Li went to visit them and asked them to be witnesses, or even just to allow her to record a conversation, no one wanted to meddle.

Three days have passed without any progress. The lawyer said on the phone, "Mr. Fang is avoiding us and dragging his feet, still refusing to negotiate."

People say that two people who laugh and smile at each other when they get married become enemies when they get divorced.

The party that is being unreasonable will try every means to secure its own interests.

She and Fang Wei had no children. He bought the house in Tianshui Garden, and she didn't intend to keep it, so there was no dispute over the division of property.

Even so, Fang Wei still refused to get a divorce.

After much thought, there's only one reason: he can't bear the consequences of cheating. He's been a good son to his parents for many years and has always been seen as a good man by outsiders.

When such a person does something morally reprehensible, their image instantly collapses in the eyes of their employees and customers.

The photography industry relies heavily on connections and resources. Moreover, she initially had connections throughout the fashion photography circle. If the affair were to become public, the impact on her company would be significant.

Shen Li was at a loss. Collecting evidence was a lot of trouble. If it was so complicated, she might as well go back to filming and wait for the prosecution process to be completed.

Thinking this, she took out her phone to check her tickets to Hengdian for tomorrow.

As soon as I opened the app, a message popped up on WeChat. It was from the photographer I had initially contacted, sending me the location of a tea restaurant.

Xiaoyan: Sister Shenli, I have something to say to you in person. Let's meet here tomorrow at noon.

Shen Li: Okay.

.

After finishing filming the night scene, Luo Mingxiu returned to his apartment, scrolling through his phone with a gloomy expression.

As Xiaowen went upstairs, she glanced at him. The man's dark eyelashes were lowered, and the weak signal in the elevator couldn't make him put down his phone.

He stared at the Weibo page without moving, the white light from the screen shining on his face, making him appear even colder.

Xiaowen mustered her courage and snatched his phone away: "Stop looking at it. If you keep doing this, I'm afraid you might accidentally do something."

Luo Mingxiu glanced at him sideways, and Xiao Wen handed over the phone with both hands.

“Brother Luo, if you’re really worried and want to see Teacher Shen soon, you can ask her on WeChat. Why are you always staring at Weibo? You’re just adding to your troubles by reading the gossip of the haters.”

“I reported them one by one.”

"You, me, sigh..."

"Alright then." Xiaowen looked at him, speechless.

Before going to bed, after taking a shower, Luo Mingxiu came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, his wet black hair still dripping with water. He hurriedly grabbed his phone from the bed.

The assistant's words echoed in my ears. I tapped WeChat, paused briefly on the pinned message, and finally opened the message interface.

The chat history was from two days ago when he arrived in Hengdian and sent a message saying he had received it. After that, Shen Li stopped sending messages.

Luo Mingxiu pursed his lips and pressed the voice call button.

"Hello, Mingxiu?"

Just hearing the sound made his heart race and filled him with joy.

"I'm hanging up if you're not going to say anything." The woman's tone was light and airy, revealing her exhaustion.

"Don't look at those things online."

There was a pause on the other end, then someone said, "Who's watching? You've already seen it, haven't you? Try to avoid reading negative comments; they affect your mindset."

"Is the lawyer's contact going smoothly? How long will it take... for him to be back?" Luo Mingxiu asked cautiously.

"I've found a lawyer, and I plan to go back tomorrow night or the day after tomorrow morning. Now there's a new lead, so who knows?"

Luo Mingxiu paused for a moment: "What clues do we need to find? Is it very troublesome?"

"If one party disagrees and there is insufficient evidence of infidelity, filing for divorce will be time-consuming. I have been trying to find witnesses these past two days, but no one is willing to testify."

"Can't I?"

"You went at the same time as me, how can you testify?"

"……sorry."

"What?"

“I shouldn’t have hit him that day. If we had calmed down, we could have recorded it.”

Shen Li laughed on the phone: "You're just like me. I also want to get there as soon as possible so I can take pictures. The lawyer is right, when you're angry, you can't control yourself."

"I want to thank you for standing up for me."

"Hmm." Luo Mingxiu's heart pounded.

"I hung up. I've made an appointment with Fang Wei's company employees tomorrow. I hope I can get some evidence." Shen Li yawned, her voice languid at the end.

Yes, goodnight.

After hanging up the phone, Luo Mingxiu jumped out of bed, completely unaware of the smile he couldn't suppress on his face. He paced back and forth in the bedroom for a few steps, and only when he saw the water stains on the floor did he remember that he needed to blow-dry his hair.

The tea restaurant is located outside the city center, in a relatively secluded location, which saves Shen Li from having to be fully disguised and worry about paparazzi.

Upon arrival, the waiter led her to the innermost private room. Xiaoyan was sitting facing the door, and she saw him as soon as she entered. He was wearing a mask and sunglasses, and was even more covered up than she was.

After the waiter served the tea and snacks and left, Xiaoyan took off her sunglasses and mask and said, "I'm sorry, I had no choice but to meet you so far away. I've been feeling like I'm being followed lately."

Shen Li frowned: "Following me? Should we call the police?"

Xiaoyan shook her head: "No need, I've had this kind of hallucination before."

Shen Li glanced at her hands, which were trembling slightly. Moreover, from the moment she entered the room until now, she had been shrinking back, her head bowed low, looking very frightened.

"You... like this," Shen Li hesitated, unsure how to begin asking about mental illness, before finally getting to the point, "is it related to Fang Wei?"

As she said this, the girl finally looked up at her, her eyes filled with tears, and nodded: "Yes, Sister Shen Li, please start recording."

Shen Li looked at her in surprise.

Xiaoyan: "What I said to you today can serve as your testimony."

Shen Li turned on her phone to record.

"Six months ago, the company organized a team building activity. On the last day, I accidentally bumped into Manager Zhuang in General Manager Fang's car, and the two of them..." She glanced at Shen Li.

"It's nothing," Shen Li gestured for her to continue.

“The two of them were doing that kind of thing,” Xiaoyan said, her voice trembling with tears. “I was terrified at the time, but thinking of you, I still secretly filmed it.”

But I was too nervous, and they found me when I left. Mr. Fang forced me to delete the video and threatened to fire me and give my spot in the international photography competition to someone else if I told anyone.

“Sister Shen Li, you know that when you first met me, I was just a guy doing set design and odd jobs. I finally got a job as a photographer, and now I have an even better opportunity. I don’t dare to take the risk.”

“I tolerated it, but ever since that incident, President Fang has been targeting me in every way, overturning my plans over and over again, interfering in my projects, and even scolding me in front of the whole team.”

Whether I was at the office or traveling for work, he was always watching me, doing everything I did. I was constantly on edge, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I resigned.

“He’s trying to force you to resign,” Shen Li said, handing the paper to Xiao Yan with mixed feelings. “Wipe your tears.”

Xiaoyan took the paper and smiled through her tears: "It feels so much better to talk about it. I've kept this in my heart for too long. The doctor said that if I didn't resolve it soon, it would become a lifelong regret."

“Thank you for telling me all this,” Shen Li said. “From your perspective at the time, it’s only natural to keep things to yourself, so there’s no need to feel guilty.”

"Take good care of your health. If you need any help, feel free to contact me. You're so young and capable; that's your confidence. You'll have plenty of opportunities ahead of you."

"Okay, thank you, sis."

“I thought about it for two nights after you asked me that day. I don’t know if I can help you, but I want to muster up the courage to give it a try.”

Xiaoyan pulled a black USB drive out of her bag. "Here, take this. Combined with the recording from earlier, it should help you get rid of that jerk quickly."

The USB drive can be used on both computers and mobile phones. Chen Li peeled it open, plugged it into her phone, opened a video, glanced at it, and immediately closed it.

"He thought deleting it would solve everything, but he didn't know my phone automatically syncs and uploads to the cloud," Xiaoyan whispered.

Shen Li hugged her: "Thank you, you've been a great help."

After lunch, Shen Li took Xiao Yan home. The two didn't talk much on the way. In fact, after she pushed Xiao Yan into Fang Wei's company, she hadn't had much contact with her, and they weren't very familiar with each other.

So when they arrived at their destination, she saw the thin girl preparing to get off the bus and couldn't help but call out to her.

"Xiaoyan, I've met with many people I've dealt with before these past few days to gather evidence, but none of them are willing to help me."

I know that helping others with this kind of thing is a favor, not an obligation, so thank you really. I only recommended a job to you a long time ago, which really doesn't count as helping you much.

“You’ve helped me with more than just this one thing,” Xiaoyan turned to her and said, “You may have forgotten, but once when I was on a business trip, I attended a high-society banquet, and you helped me avoid drinking a glass of wine.”

Shen Li tried hard to recall, but couldn't remember at all, and smiled apologetically.

“It’s okay. Over the years, I’ve shot for magazines and met many celebrities, but you are the gentlest I’ve ever met. Your habitual gesture can bring unexpected warmth to people.”

You are so kind and wonderful. As your fan, I don't want to live with guilt or be unable to watch you shine on the big screen with a clear conscience in the days to come..."

Xiao Yan choked up again as she spoke, and Shen Li hugged her, her gentle pat offering silent comfort.

The kindness you once showed unintentionally will one day be repaid to you in other ways.

Shen Li didn't know where she saw this sentence, but seeing that Xiao Yan had helped her and rescued her, she felt a sense of happiness.

.

After handing the evidence to her lawyer, Shen Li finally felt relieved. With this evidence, Fang Wei had no choice but to agree to the divorce.

Under the pressure of public opinion confirming his infidelity, delaying the divorce will only lead to continued public scrutiny and trials, which will not benefit him.

"Book a night flight! I need to fly back to Hengdian right away!" Shen Li shouted as soon as she entered Cheng Qingqing's office after finishing a meeting.

"Working so hard? You can take a short break," Cheng Qingqing said.

Shen Li shook her head: "No, I'm full of energy now, and I can finally focus on filming! Keeping my body busy will prevent me from feeling mentally exhausted."

"Yes, you need to go back soon." Cheng Qingqing held up her phone to show her three messages, all from the same person.

Luo Mingxiu: President Cheng, is President Shen going back to the film set tonight?

Luo Mingxiu: I saw some media reports, do you think you've obtained evidence?

Luo Mingxiu: Her phone is off, I can't reach her, sorry to bother you.

Shen Li took the phone and replied: My phone is dead. You know you're bothering me, but you still sent it.

On set, during a break from filming, Luo Mingxiu squatted on the edge of the steps, staring at the message replies.

During the few days that Shen Li was away from the film crew, whenever he had a break, he would ask Xiao Wen for his phone.

So Xiaowen got used to it and carried a separate phone case on her body, keeping it separate from other things. As soon as he came, she would quickly give it to him.

Just then, the stage manager urged them to prepare for the scene change. Xiao Wen turned around to retrieve his phone, but Luo Mingxiu handed it to him first.

"That's unexpected!" Xiaowen turned to look at him and asked with a smile, "Is Teacher Shen going back tonight?"

"Hmm." Luo Mingxiu's face remained expressionless, but his noticeably raised voice betrayed his amusement.