Chapter 108 Form

She dared not look at him again, and lowered her head to pretend to adjust her cuffs, but her fingertips were slightly burning.

The feeling came so suddenly that it caught her off guard.

Jiang Mengxi put the dishes and chopsticks into the dishwasher and looked up.

Seeing that Sheng Tingzhou was still there, she immediately moved closer to Song Zhiwei and whispered, "Why hasn't he left yet?"

The voice was very low, almost squeezed out from the throat.

She glanced warily toward the living room, afraid of being overheard.

Although he cooked the meal, it tasted good.

But every time I see him, I still get a chill down my spine.

It was a kind of oppressive feeling that was hard to describe.

When Sheng Tingzhou stood there, even the air seemed to thin out.

Song Zhiwei also lowered her voice: "I don't know either."

She actually hoped he would leave quickly so she could take the opportunity to find out what exactly happened to Mengxi that night.

Those intermittent sobs and complaints always weighed on her mind.

"No...we're really not going to stay here, are we?"

Jiang Mengxi's voice trembled.

Her lips trembled slightly as she spoke.

If he were really here, she wouldn't even dare to leave the house.

Song Zhiwei gently patted her arm: "What are you thinking about? He lives next door."

She tried to make her voice sound calm so as to reassure Jiang Mengxi.

Sheng Tingzhou glanced at them, said nothing, and turned to leave.

He didn't say another word, nor did he show any emotional fluctuation.

In the instant he turned around, his sleeve brushed against the door frame, making a very slight rubbing sound.

Then, the door closed gently, and the footsteps faded into the distance.

Only after the door closed did Jiang Mengxi dare to breathe heavily.

She went limp and leaned against the kitchen counter, one hand pressed against her chest, her face still a little pale.

"Oh my god... he's gone? He's really gone?"

Song Zhiwei quickly tidied up the small room and changed the bed sheets and duvet covers.

"You'll sleep here tonight, don't be afraid."

She moved swiftly, making the bed while reassuring you, "It's safe here. With me here, no one can bother you."

Jiang Mengxi made a heart shape with her hands: "That's great, thank you so much, baby!"

Finally, a slight smile appeared on his face, and the fear in his eyes subsided somewhat.

Looking at the neat little bed, she finally felt at ease.

——

On Monday, Song Zhiwei had just entered her office when she received a new case.

She hadn't even had a chance to sit down and have a sip of hot water.

The assistant handed over the folder, looking somewhat serious.

The person in question was a woman in her early thirties with eyes as red as peaches.

She sat on the sofa in the reception area, head down, her fingers gripping the bag strap tightly.

Tears continued to stream down her face, dripping onto her dark dress and leaving a small wet patch.

Her clothes were expensive, and her makeup was exquisite.

They look like people who are living a good life.

The Chanel jacket, the Tiffany earrings, and the Patek Philippe watch on her wrist were all incredibly valuable.

Her nails were neatly trimmed and painted with a subtle and elegant mauve nail polish.

It's clear that her lifestyle has been meticulously maintained over a long period of time.

He's just looking bluish and listless.

"Hello, Attorney Song."

"Hello, please have a seat."

Song Zhiwei smiled slightly, her tone gentle.

He then got up and walked to the water dispenser, carefully pouring her a glass of warm water.

She gently placed the cup on the edge of the coffee table, close to the other person's position, and then slowly pushed it towards them.

The woman lowered her head and accepted the cup with trembling hands.

Before she could even speak, large tears began to roll down her cheeks.

The water splashed against the rim of the glass with a soft thud, creating tiny droplets that slid down the side of the glass.

Seeing this, Song Zhiwei didn't say anything and silently pulled out a soft tissue from the tissue box.

"Wipe it off, no rush, speak slowly. I'm listening."

The woman hurriedly took the tissue, her fingers trembling as she haphazardly wiped her face, tears mixing with her makeup and spreading across the tissue.

She took a deep breath and choked out two words.

"Thanks……"

Song Zhiwei didn't urge her, but just sat quietly opposite her.

She knew that some pain needed time to be expressed.

Until the woman's breathing gradually calmed down and her shoulders stopped heaving violently.

"What's your name? What brings you here today?"

The woman lowered her eyes, her fingers unconsciously stroking the edge of the paper cup.

"My name is Zhao Xueran."

She paused, her Adam's apple bobbing.

"My husband and I... were college classmates."

She looked up, her gaze somewhat unfocused.

"Back then, I was the undisputed goddess of the department. There were so many boys pursuing me... I was practically getting flowers, love letters, and invitations to dinner every day."

She gave a wry smile and shook her head.

“Li Xianheng is one of them.”

"At first, I really looked down on him. It's not that I looked down on people, it's just... we really weren't from the same world."

Her voice lowered.

“I come from an ordinary family. My parents are both working-class and have lived on scholarships and part-time jobs since I was a child. But he… his father owns a large company, his family has assets of hundreds of millions, he lives in a luxury mansion in the city center, and drives a car worth millions.”

She paused, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"But he... he pursued me for two whole years."

"The night I was hospitalized with a fever, he skipped all his classes and stayed by my bedside without closing his eyes all night. Once, I had a fight with my roommate and was in a terrible mood. At 2 a.m., I casually sent a message saying 'I'm so tired.' Within ten seconds, he called me. His voice sounded sleepy but he was very awake. He asked me where I was and if I wanted him to come pick me up."

Her tears welled up again, and her voice trembled slightly.

"The most outrageous thing is that one day I casually mentioned that I wanted to eat the red bean soup from that dessert shop on the back street of the school that had been closed for a long time. The next morning at six o'clock, I saw him standing downstairs in my dormitory building, holding a bowl of steaming hot dessert soup in his hands. He said that he had run around three streets and finally found the recipe at an old shop in the west of the city, and made it himself..."

As she spoke, a bitter smile appeared on her lips.

"Back then... I was really moved by him. Little by little, my heart was softened by him."

"After graduation, I agreed to his proposal."

“We immediately went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get our marriage certificate. We didn’t have a wedding or notify too many people. He said that as long as I was by his side, the formalities didn’t matter.”

Song Zhiwei listened quietly.

Zhao Xueran continued, "After marriage, Li Xianheng was really... impeccable to me."

She sniffed, trying to keep her tone steady.

“He knew I worked hard and was worried that I would get tired, so he gave me a fixed allowance of 100,000 yuan every month, not a penny less. He said, ‘You don’t have to work or do housework. You can paint if you want, learn flower arranging if you want, raise cats, read books, travel, whatever you like.’”

She gave a wry smile.

“I really did live the ‘life of a rich lady’ in other people’s eyes. I painted every day, walked my cat, and attended tea ceremony classes. I lived like the heroine of an idol drama.”

"In the third year, my son was born."

She raised her hand and gently touched her chest.

"The child is very healthy, chubby and fair-skinned, just like him. Outsiders all say we are a model couple, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, with a wealthy family background, an adorable child, and a life that seems too perfect to be real."