Chapter 1
“You drank a lot of alcohol earlier, baby.” Li Chi’an said with a bitter face, hoping that this old lady in front of him would stop talking nonsense.
She's her cousin, doesn't she know her well?
I have to care about my image.
"Let her say it." Xu Zhuwen finally stopped acting like a statue, but her expression wasn't exactly pleasant. "I know she looks down on my boyfriend. Let me see just how much she dislikes him."
Li Chi'an's expression stiffened slightly. "It's not that bad, it's not that bad."
Xu Zhuwen glanced at her and said, "Aren't you the same? She doesn't like Qian Song, but you do?"
"Sister, haven't I suffered enough recently?" Li Chi'an looked up, staring blankly at the white ceiling. "Fine, let's not laugh at each other. Anyway, we're both picking men out of the trash."
Hahaha.
Hahaha.
She admitted it.
Let's all rot and stink together!
This time, it was Gao Yinxi, who refused to admit she was drunk, who broke the silence: "It seems so. None of these scoundrels are any good. It's better for the three of us to stand up and make our lives better than anything else."
She shouted, "I've made up my mind! I'm going to have a baby!"
Li Chi'an's head started to ache again. She looked at Gao Yinxi, who had suddenly become excited, with great confusion. "Why are you suddenly going to have a baby?"
Isn't this a public denunciation meeting for scumbags?
“It wasn’t a sudden decision to give birth.” Gao Yinxi sat up straight with a somersault. “I decided to give birth after seeing the doctor this morning.”
Is this...so sudden?
Li Chi'an scratched his head in anguish, "Do you want to be with Yuan Ergeng?"
Wasn't she just scolding Yuan Ergeng for spending time with his son instead of her? Should she just ignore him?
“Yes, that’s right.” Gao Yinxi became more and more excited as she spoke. “Look at Yuan Er, he’s pretty good, right? His IQ, financial EQ, and emotional EQ are all pretty good. He’s also young and his physical condition is still excellent. If I have a child with him, no matter if it’s a boy or a girl, it definitely won’t be ugly. And I can afford to raise it myself.”
Not only can she afford to raise her, but she also has a vast fortune waiting for her little princess to inherit.
"So, you're planning to just have kids and not get married?" Xu Zhuwen interjected.
“Yes,” Gao Yinxi said with a smile, “I want to have a daughter.”
Li Chi'an remained silent. Looking at Gao Yinxi's expectant expression, she felt that Gao Yinxi had probably imagined the happy life of leaving her father and son several times over that day.
"Have you made a decision?"
"It's decided." Gao Yinxi nodded. "I've already bought the folic acid, I'll take it in a bit."
What else could Li Chian and Xu Zhuwen say?
Wishing you a healthy pregnancy!
Gao Yinxi blinked; why did that sentence sound a little strange?
A long silence followed.
Li Chi'an looked intently at Gao Yinxi and said, "I think it's a good idea. Anyway, you can afford to support her, and it won't interfere with your work."
“Right, right.” Gao Yinxi and Li Chi’an were daydreaming about the wonderful life of leaving their father behind and having their child. “A man may not necessarily be yours, but a child definitely is. It just so happens that my projects have been developing steadily for the past two years, and I don’t have any new projects right now.”
With money, free time, and the right age, why not have children?
"Mmm." Li Chi'an was extremely excited about Gao Yinxi giving birth to a soft and cuddly daughter. "We can raise the child together as a group."
"Right, right? You've learned so much about childcare, and you're such a good parent, you can help me take care of the baby." Gao Yinxi was determined not to let go of any useful people around her.
"Would Yuan Er really agree to just having children without getting married?" Xu Zhuwen had reservations about the couple's optimistic view.
...
Li Chian and Gao Yinxi sat on a sofa in the corner of the coffee shop, the dim light shining on them and reflecting their serious faces.
Gao Yinxi turned on her computer and pulled up a detailed document. "Lin Ying's materials are all here with me. Her family does have some things."
The identities of three generations of the Lin family would be a dazzling honor on any resume.
Looking at the lines of text detailing the background of Lin Ying and her family members, Li Chi'an felt his limbs trembling uncontrollably. "Her family has such powerful connections."
“Her bloodline isn’t strong enough, and Chen Li wouldn’t even consider her.” Gao Yinxi scoffed. “Looks like we were right before.”
"I lost." Li Chian sniffed, his expression desolate. "I can't compare, I really can't compare."
“Honey, he’s a scumbag. He’s not worth you lowering your principles and becoming a competitor in the maglev train.” Gao Yinxi admitted that Gou San’er’s family really had the resources, but that was no reason for her friend to belittle herself. “Besides, this girl’s resume is like a gilded prop knife, sharp on the outside but empty inside.”
“You’re reading a list of undergraduate and master’s tuition fees, while she’s reading a manual for using family resources. You believe that diplomas are earned through merit, while she knows that they can actually be packaged, whitewashed, and authorized.”
“You’re right,” Li Chi’an sighed softly. “I just feel a little uneasy.”
“In the past, we were afraid of not being able to compete with others’ talent; now we are afraid of not being able to compete with others’ connections.”
"I just feel that I have never really opened my eyes to see the world or gazed into the abyss of humanity before."
But the abyss kept gazing at her.
"Sigh, that's true. You'll have to be more careful in the future. If you want to live a decent life, there's no escaping this." Gao Yinxi is an optimistic person, but that doesn't mean she'll turn a blind eye to her good friend's mistakes. "However, humans have their own way, and ghosts have theirs. Everyone's survival rules are different."
The essential difference between people lies in the different evolutions of self-awareness, the different qualities of their minds, and the different quality of their souls.
Judging from their actions and intentions, according to her observation, Li Chi'an and Chen Li are two completely different kinds of people.
People with different principles cannot work together.
It was only a matter of time before we separated.
“I understand. The problem with our relationship isn’t with me.” Li Chi’an gently smoothed the documents in his hand and smiled wistfully. “It’s just that this girl is so thick-skinned, I’m even a little jealous.”
But isn't it more satisfying to deal with it?
Gao Yinxi also sighed, "I have to say, although he's a jerk, he's smart."
Chen Li is a very shrewd and calculating person.
“It’s a pity that I don’t use it for the right things,” Li Chi’an replied calmly. “I believe in fate, I believe in cause and effect, and I believe even more that man’s plans are no match for God’s.”
A scheming mind can never compare to a serene and peaceful heart.
"It's just lust, so it's good that I'm ending this karmic ties with them."
Not involved in cause and effect, not entering the cycle of reincarnation.
From the moment she decided to break ties with him, she felt that she should have absolutely no connection with him anymore.
"It's best if you can see things clearly." Seeing her friend's insightful perspective, Gao Yinxi smiled broadly. "I once saw some data that said 99% of close relationships are for growth, not for a lifelong commitment. Because ultimately, only 1% of those relationships might last a lifetime."
“Everything is an experience, and I won’t cling to a false outcome.” Li Chi’an brought his thoughts back to the main topic. “This girl’s background is good, and good too.”
At least Chen Li wouldn't hesitate to get a divorce.
Therefore, the decision of whether or not to divorce is in her hands.
Isn't it always the impatient one who is more prone to making mistakes?
"I've already arranged for a private investigator to collect enough evidence. This is just part of it; there's much more juicy stuff waiting for them." Gao Yinxi was in charge of her best friend's intelligence gathering work, and she was truly dedicated to it.
“I can accept unfairness, but I cannot accept fate being fabricated.” Li Chi’an gently closed the file. “So, it’s time for Chen Li to return that scalpel to the person who truly deserves it.”
"He definitely wouldn't want to pay it."
"Oh, he doesn't have to hand it over; then let fate decide his fate."
...
Xu Zhuwen placed the last oil painting sunflower she had just bought into the vase, and casually adjusted the position of the thousand-layer gold in the vase to make the bouquet look more harmonious.
She is thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, but she is well-maintained and looks no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled shadows on her blue and white loungewear.
A click came from the door. She looked up at the corner above the right window, where a small, black camera, no bigger than a mahjong tile, blended seamlessly into the black window frame. It was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.
"You're back?" She gently moved the vase to its proper place before turning to the man who came in carrying a suitcase. "Tired?"
"It's alright." Qian Song changed into slippers, turned his suitcase down, and unzipped it. "Have you eaten?"
"Not yet." Xu Zhuwen picked up her phone, bent down, and took a few photos of the vase of flowers on the table. "The lighting is bad; the photos don't look as good as the real thing."
"I'll take a picture for you." Qian Song walked over to Xu Zhuwen, looked at her, and took the phone from her hand. "Did you go to the flower shop today?"
"I bought it because I was passing by," Xu Zhuwen said with a smile. "Isn't it pretty?"
"It's nothing special," Qian Song remarked. "Stand still."
"What do you mean 'it's just so-so'? It's clearly very beautiful."
Xu Zhuwen posed for a few photos and asked Qian Song to take some pictures.
After taking the picture, she looked closer and said, "It's too dark; the background doesn't look good."
"Just brighten it up a bit." Qian Song handed the phone back to Xu Zhuwen.
"You need enough natural light to take good photos of flowers and plants." Xu Zhuwen saved one of the photos, deleted the others, opened a photo editing app, edited the only one photo, but still wasn't satisfied. So she put her phone away, walked over to Qian Song, and started chatting about something else. "You know my colleague, Xiao Zheng, right?"
"What's wrong with her?" Qian Song was packing his suitcase and casually handed the clothes to Xu Zhuwen. "These clothes of mine need to be washed. Could you wash them for me later?"
"Put the clothes in the washing machine yourself, don't leave the dirty clothes on the floor." Xu Zhuwen crossed her arms and didn't take the dirty clothes from his hands. "She bought a new apartment in the High-tech Zone. She said the community has a great environment, nestled between mountains and the sea. Although it's a bit far, the transportation is convenient. There's a shopping mall downstairs, so it's convenient for both commuting and living there."
Qian Song smiled and put the clothes on the stool next to him. "She's really something, buying a house at this time."
“What’s wrong? People have money and they buy what they like.” Xu Zhuwen felt uncomfortable seeing Qian Song’s mocking expression. “Anyway, it’s a necessity, they have to buy it eventually.”
"Fine, as long as she's happy." Qian Song shrugged, looking indifferent, and then got up and took a stack of dirty clothes to the balcony.
A short while later, the sound of a washing machine spinning could be heard from the balcony.
Xu Zhuwen felt extremely frustrated seeing his unyielding attitude. When Qian Song returned, she stood in front of him and said, "You know what I mean, don't you?"
“I know.” Qian Song’s brows furrowed slightly, and he looked at Xu Zhuwen with tired eyes. “I told you a long time ago that I wouldn’t buy a house. It’s not like we don’t have a house. Why buy so many houses? Look at Japan now, and even twenty years from now, we will be facing a huge real estate bubble. Wouldn’t it be better to save that money for retirement? Why do we have to be so foolish as to buy houses? We’re both this age, and we can’t get much money in loans anyway. Why bother?”
"What do you mean by 'at our age'? You're making it sound like we're old." Xu Zhuwen's lips curled down slightly. She lowered her head, her heart filled with conflict. "We can't possibly rent a place even after we're married, can we?"
No one truly admits they're old, and Qian Song is no exception.
“Renting a house is great, so much freedom.” He straightened Xu Zhuwen’s body and looked down at her. “We have money, we can rent whatever house we want, and we can change houses whenever we get tired of it. Didn’t you want to live a nomadic life in the future? In a few years, when you have enough years of service, you can take early retirement. Then we can go wherever we want with our pensions. Chongqing, Dali, Guangxi, wherever you want to go, we’ll go.”
"Isn't that something that happens many years from now?" Xu Zhuwen looked up and frowned at Qian Song. "The environment is changing so fast now, what's the point of thinking about it for so long? Who knows if we'll still be together in a few years?"
"Don't you trust me?" Qian Song pulled Xu Zhuwen into his arms. "If I'm not with you, who else can I be with?"
"That's hard to say." Xu Zhuwen gently nudged Qian Song. "Relationships between men and women are so fragile these days. People can get divorced at any time after marriage, let alone people like us who have no legal relationship."
"So it all comes down to the heart. If hearts are together, people will be together," Qian Song said with a smile. "By the way, Wenwen, I went to see a new project with a friend this time. It's pretty good. We're planning to start a company together. I'm really busy."
Hearing Qian Song's words, Xu Zhuwen felt happy and asked, "What kind of project is it?"
"A brand that specializes in denim design." Qian Song released Xu Zhuwen, squatted down, and began reorganizing his suitcase. "You wouldn't understand this..."
...
When Li Chi'an saved the last photo to his cloud drive, his fingers trembled slightly. This wasn't nervousness, but a physiological reaction to the anger that had been suppressed for too long finally finding an outlet.
In her cloud drive, there was a newly created folder named "lh," which contained neatly arranged evidence she had collected during this period: hotel check-in records, photos of Chen Li intimately embracing several young girls in a shopping mall, receipts for luxury goods purchased for her lover...
The most glaring thing was the photo of the jewelry invoice—a diamond necklace worth 50,000 yuan, purchased on Valentine's Day.
This Valentine's Day, she only received a 520 yuan red envelope and a bouquet of flowers.
Looking back now, it's not that this person was incapable of putting in effort; it's just that he had other people to focus his attention on, and she didn't offer him any reason to do so.
Ah, a man, if he wants to improve himself, there's nothing he won't do.
To win over Lin Ying, he prepared all sorts of luxury goods and a candlelight dinner.
When Li Chi'an received these messages, he was so angry that he almost fainted. He also cried and cursed in frustration.
However, after crying, I still cheered myself up and went about my business.
A heartless scumbag has no right to be vulnerable.
"Mom, when is Dad coming to see us?" Six-year-old Zui Zui peeked his little head through the crack in the door, holding up a drawing he had just finished.
“Baby, what is this drawing? It looks a little scary.” Li Chi’an quickly closed the folder, forced a smile, and waved to his son.
Chen's youngest child came running from the door like a little pony, and squeezed into his mother's sweet and soft embrace. "It's a toilet person and a robot! You didn't know that?"
"Oh, it was a toilet person and a robot! Mommy knows now." Li Chi'an kissed her son's rosy cheek. "Here's a sticker as a reward. Thank you, baby, for telling Mommy what you knew."
After hugging and talking affectionately with his son for a while, Li Chi'an coaxed his son to go to sleep, saying, "Daddy has been very busy with work lately, baby, can you go to sleep first? You have to go to school tomorrow."
After putting his son to sleep, Li Chi'an sat at his desk in the study, his fingers unconsciously tapping the surface.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights resembled countless indifferent eyes.
She glanced at her watch—10:15, Chen Li should be back soon.
According to his recent habit, he would finish "overtime" at 10:30.
I stepped out of the study, poured myself a glass of water, and before I'd even finished half of it, the sound of the combination lock being opened rang out precisely on time.
Chen Li walked in, dressed in a suit and tie, his body slightly loose, and carrying a faint smell of alcohol and perfume.
"You, you're back?" Seeing Li Chi'an sitting on the sofa, his expression visibly stiffened, but he quickly unbuttoned his suit jacket, broadened his chest, and walked towards her. "Have you come to your senses?"
He only contacted Li Chi'an via WeChat yesterday.
Previously, he had been blocked on WeChat and by phone by the other party. If he wanted to contact her, he could only do so by phone and WeChat with his parents-in-law. Later, his parents-in-law also blocked him.
He lost contact with her.
Until yesterday, the other party suddenly removed him from the blacklist.
Thinking of Lin Ying's urging and Li Chi'an's inability to make progress, Chen Li felt anxious and annoyed.
"You're even more shameless than I imagined, Chen Li," Li Chi'an said calmly, looking at Chen Li who showed no remorse whatsoever.
"Whatever." Chen Li said indifferently, crossing his arms and sitting down on the other single sofa. "Have you looked at the divorce agreement I sent you?"
He was so certain he had a bright future that he stopped pretending.
"Since when can you drink alcohol at work?" Li Chian sneered.
"This is none of your business." Chen Li curled his lip, lowered his head slightly, and looked down at his knees. "I'm asking you, what are your thoughts on the divorce agreement?"
"Where do you get the audacity to be so self-righteous, Chen Li?" Li Chi'an asked. "You betrayed our marriage and more than ten years of relationship, leaving our son to grow up in a single-parent family. Don't you feel any remorse?"
"Stop with the nonsense." Chen Li's voice suddenly rose. "Just tell me, what do you want for a divorce?"
"First, transfer every penny of the money you transferred out to my account, then leave with nothing, and I'll get a divorce."
"Impossible!" Chen Li shouted, jumping up from the sofa in anger. "You're dreaming."
“You made a mistake,” Li Chi’an said calmly.
"So what?" Chen Li put his hands on his hips and sneered. "The law is very clear: divorce property is not divided like this."
“Fine.” Li Chi’an stood up. “Then let’s just drag this out, getting tired of each other and torturing each other.”
"What do you mean?" Chen Li asked angrily. "You don't want a divorce, do you?"
Li Chi'an ignored him and went straight to his son's room.
"Come back here right now." Chen Li caught up with Li Chi'an in a few steps, reached out and grabbed her fair wrist. "You're so shameless, Li Chi'an. I've gone this far, and you still won't divorce me."
"Get away from me, don't touch me!" Li Chian suddenly felt nauseous.
Chen Li naturally noticed her reaction and immediately fell silent, his expression complex and difficult to decipher.
He watched as Li Chi'an covered his mouth, glaring at him resentfully, and raised his hand, "Fine, I won't touch you."
Li Chi'an closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then sneered.
"You're a scumbag and I'm a cheapskate, we're a perfect match."
She made the right bet.
As expected, the other party was eager to get a divorce.
At the same time, I also think that a person's physiological reactions are always the most real... the trembling of a long-awaited reunion, the thrill of a first touch, the nausea of barely accepting it, the uncontrollable tears...
"You!" Chen Li glared at Li Chi'an, looking at him as if he were a monster, as if he were a piece of disgusting trash. He was furious and embarrassed. "You know we're in this situation now, why are you still clinging on like this?"
"Is it because you're afraid you won't find someone better if you leave me? Even if you stay with me, I won't change my mind."
Li Chi'an looked at the arrogant and confident Chen Li with cold eyes, "Don't mess with me, Chen Li, or I'll go crazy."
Chen Li saw the resolve in the other person's eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "We need to talk."
Chen Li got up, walked to the liquor cabinet, took out a bottle of whiskey, and then took out a glass from the side. Just as he was about to pour the whiskey into the glass, he noticed that the glass was covered in a layer of dust. "The glass is so dirty, didn't you see?"
Looking at the other person's self-righteous manner, Li Chi'an felt it was absurd and funny, and also felt sorry and pathetic for his past self.
Chen Li frowned as she held the cup, watching Li Chi'an laugh so hard he couldn't straighten his back for a while. Then, as if she had just realized something, she picked up the cup and went to the kitchen to wash it.
When she passed by Li Chi'an after washing up, she asked quickly, "Is your son asleep?"
Li Chian ignored him.
He went to his son's room, gently pushed open the door and looked inside. He found his son already asleep in bed, and then gently closed the door again.
He walked back into the living room and stood in front of Li Chi'an. "Leaving with nothing is impossible, but we can talk about other things."
His voice was deep and firm.
“Then there’s nothing to talk about.” Li Chi’an’s expression turned cold in an instant.
The glass slammed heavily onto the marble countertop.
Chen Li's thick eyebrows furrowed. "I still have a sliver of affection for you because you are the mother of my son. Think carefully about what you should want, and don't be too greedy."
"The last bit of affection you have for me... hahaha..." Li Chi'an couldn't stop laughing. "I never knew you were so funny."
"What are you laughing at?" Chen Li frowned. "Can you please be more polite?"
"The best attitude I can give you is to still be standing here discussing the divorce with you," Li Chi'an sneered. "What makes you think you, a scumbag like you, deserve my respect? Do you even deserve it?"
"I...you can curse me all you want." Chen Li angrily ripped open his collar, finally revealing his true intentions. "The son is mine, the car is yours, and we'll divide the house according to our investment ratio. We have no savings; all the money is invested in the project."
"Then let's just wait it out." Li Chi'an turned and left.
Chen Li smirked as if he'd heard a joke. "Li Chi'an, are you out of your mind? I earned the money, and my son's surname is Chen. Why should I give it to you?"
Li Chi'an opened his phone, which showed a picture of him and Lin Ying embracing. "The court will really like this evidence," he said.
I only regretted not destroying the video that was on my phone that day, but it doesn't really matter.
"You think you can threaten me with this?" He swept the wine glass off the table, scattering shards of glass everywhere.
Li Chi'an coldly watched Chen Li's burning anger. "This isn't a threat, it's a notification. If you don't agree, these will appear in court, along with evidence of you embezzling public funds to buy gifts for your mistress."
These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Chen Li's head.
His eyes widened. "You...how did you know..."
“You’re very smart; you changed all the passwords, including the computer password and the payment account password,” Li Chi’an said calmly. “But you forgot about the Baidu USB drive; the password is still my birthday.”
Chen Li's expression shifted from shock to rage. He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Li Chi'an's wrist, demanding, "Delete the evidence."
Li Chi'an couldn't break free, but his eyes remained unwavering. "I advise you to calm down and not touch me. Otherwise, what makes you think I dare to be here?"
Chen Li's face contorted with rage. "Where did you put those pieces of evidence?"
"Keep the backup in a place I think is safe." Li Chi'an calmly watched Chen Li's outburst. "If you touch me, these will be sent to your work email tomorrow."
Chen Li released his grip as if he had been burned and took two steps back.
He loosened his tie and paced back and forth in the living room. "Fine, very well... Li Chi'an, I underestimated you. You're trying to play tricks on me, aren't you?"
He suddenly stopped, revealing a sinister smile. "I see you don't want to live a peaceful life anymore."
“You’ve ruined my life, how can I be happy?” Li Chi’an laughed. “Only if you’re even more miserable will I be happy.”
She had originally planned to feign compliance with this scumbag for a while, but his sudden change of heart exceeded her expectations. So, there was no need to take the long way around.
"What good will it do you to ruin me?" Chen Li said angrily. "Don't forget about your son. If you don't think about me, you should at least think about your son, right?"
"Considering your son?" Li Chi'an sneered. "I'm taking care of myself, that's considering my own interests."
"Ha! Nonsense!" Chen Li leaned close to Li Chi'an, his breath reeking of alcohol in her face. "You're just a housewife, with no income and no future. Who will the court award custody of the child to? I have a job, a company, property, the best educational resources, and the connections I'll build for the future. You could never achieve this in several lifetimes. If our son stays with me, he can enjoy all of this. I can send him to the best schools and let him study abroad. If he stays with you, what can you give him? For our son's sake, use your brain and think carefully about whether you really want to go against me."
"How many days a week are you home? Do you know what Zui Zui is allergic to? Do you remember how high his fever was last time?" Li Chi'an's voice began to tremble. "You haven't even attended one of his parent-teacher conferences! As a father, you can't even show the most basic care for your son, so what gives you the audacity to think you can give him a better life?"
Chen Li waved his hand dismissively, "These nannies can do all that! What a child needs is a father who can give him his future, not a nanny who can only cook and do housework and has no other skills!"
A nanny who only knows how to do housework and has no worldly experience?
So this is how Chen Li views her role at home.
How pathetic, Li Chi'an, you gave away the best years of your youth to such a beast.
Li Chi'an stood up, finally losing his voice, "Who was it that said we both work, and that it wouldn't be right to leave our son with your mother, begging me to give up a promotion opportunity to stay home and take care of the child? Who was it that took out all their savings and sold the copyrights of several books to raise funds for you when you started your business? Who was it that worked so hard for this family, almost losing themselves? Now that there's a better option, am I just a useless nanny? Chen Li, have you forgotten that we graduated from the same university and received the same education?"
"So what? College graduates are the least valuable thing. What's valuable is the accumulation of skills and resources, and money," Chen Li said disdainfully. "You've been out of society for so many years. The knowledge and skills you used to be so proud of are long outdated. This is the AI era. If a business wants a short essay, software can scrape dozens or even hundreds of them in ten minutes. Your self-proclaimed talents and skills have no social competitiveness. Li Chi'an, be realistic. Don't fantasize about turning your life around by relying on your past experience. Life isn't your novel. Dreaming won't make you rich, nor will it make your life better."
Li Chi'an broke free and pointed at Chen Li's phone, "Do you want me to call and ask your rich and beautiful heiress if she knows the actual profitability of your company? Does she know how much debt you have?"
This statement struck Chen Li squarely at his weak point.
His face turned ashen. "How did you get her contact information?"
"What era are we living in? Chen Li, I've already seen her. Getting her information is a piece of cake, isn't it?"
"You contacted her?" Chen Li roared in anger.
"Ha." Li Chi'an laughed angrily. "Am I some kind of trash? When a man cheats, instead of looking for the man's responsibility, you go looking for the mistress."
Chen Li breathed a sigh of relief, but his eyes were filled with complicated emotions as he looked at Li Chi'an. "Don't go looking for her. To tell you the truth, being with her is my problem. I don't love you anymore. I have no feelings for you. I feel tired and exhausted when I'm with you. She's the one who makes me feel relaxed and comfortable. She's still young and doesn't understand anything. It's no use for you to go looking for her."
"Chen Li, has anyone ever told you that you're shameless?" Li Chi'an was genuinely amused. She stared at Chen Li as if he were a strange animal she had only met today. "It's clearly because you couldn't control your lower body, had no morals, and were morally corrupt that you cheated on me, but listen to what you're saying?"
"Every word you're saying is manipulating me, making me feel that the reason you cheated is because I'm not good enough, I'm not good enough for you, I have no value. If I had any self-awareness or shame, I should have backed down and gracefully given way to the woman you think is good enough for you now, and stopped bothering you, right?"
Whether it was because his true thoughts had been exposed or something else, Chen Li's eyes darted around, trying his best to avoid her gaze.
How could Li Chi'an allow him to evade?
She shouted, "Look me in the eye, Chen Li!"
She had known this man for so many years, but she had never had such a clear understanding of him as she did now.
I know what a despicable and selfish person he is.
Chen Li's expression finally changed, and he roared, "Li Chi'an, shut up!"
Are you training a dog?!
"You dare to do it, but you don't dare let people talk about it?" Li Chi'an continued to stare at Chen Li. "Are you so afraid that I'll go to your lover because there's something about this woman that I can't see?"
"Of course not... Why would you want to see her? We're getting a divorce anyway, what's the point of you looking for her?" Chen Li's flustered tone betrayed that he was lying, but he thought he was hiding it well. "Also, can you please not be so rude?"
"No," Li Chi'an said coldly. "Didn't I tell you before? From now on, your pain will be my happiness."
Chen Li wiped his face hard. "Li Chi'an, take my advice. Let's part ways amicably. Don't make yourself miserable anymore. What will you gain from cursing me?"
"How could you think that me going to see her would be making trouble for myself?" Li Chi'an asked, feigning confusion. "Shouldn't you be worried that I'm making her unhappy?"
"What harm could you possibly cause her, her family..."
Li Chi'an, who had already obtained Lin Ying's information, understood Chen Li's unfinished words.
She sneered. It seemed that the other party's family background gave him a lot of confidence, but so what?
"What happened to her family? Tell me."
"I'll tell you when you've figured out what you want." Chen Li turned and rushed towards the children's room.
Li Chi'an instantly understood his intention and strode forward to block the doorway. "What do you want?"
"Send my son to his grandparents'!" Chen Li roared. "I don't want him with an emotionally unstable mother!"
"Don't even think about it!" Li Chi'an gripped the doorframe tightly, his nails almost digging into the wood. "If you dare to arrange Xiao Gu's whereabouts without my permission, I'll ruin your reputation!"
Chen Li raised his hand, but froze in mid-air.
The two faced each other, their heavy breathing unusually clear in the quiet corridor.
The door to the children's room suddenly opened a crack.
Chen, the youngest child, rubbed his eyes, hugging a soft, large sheep in his arms, and said, "Mom and Dad, please don't fight!"
In an instant, the two adults' expressions changed simultaneously.
Li Chi'an quickly knelt down and hugged his son. "It's okay, baby. Your dad and I are discussing something. Go back to sleep, okay?"
Chen Zui looked up at her father's ashen face, then at her mother's reddened eyes, and pouted, "Don't fight... Zui Zui will be good..."
Li Chi'an felt as if her heart was torn in two. She kissed her son's forehead: "Mom and Dad were just discussing things, we weren't arguing. How about I take you to school tomorrow?"
After coaxing his son back to sleep, Li Chi'an gently closed the door. Turning to face Chen Li, his eyes turned cold again. "In front of the child, please maintain the last shred of dignity, if you're even a human being."
Chen loosened her collar, her voice lower but even more vicious, "What kind of good mother are you pretending to be? What good mother would stop her son from living a good life, from living a mediocre life, and suffering the hardships of being a lower-class person?"
"I'm not a good mother, and you're a good father, so you cheat on me, have affairs, and embezzle public funds to buy luxury goods for your mistress!" Li Chi'an covered his mouth and laughed, "This is hilarious, hahaha, I've never seen anyone as good at distorting the truth and as shameless as you."
"I'm shameless, ha, Li Chi'an, do you want to see how respectful and courteous people are to me when we go out together?" Chen Li's disdain and malice towards Li Chi'an reached the sky. "You have no ability yourself, and you blame me for being popular outside?"
"Chen Li, you're such a scumbag, so self-righteous!" Li Chi'an clapped his hands and laughed, walking back to the living room and taking a document out of his bag. "This is the divorce agreement. Sign it, and you can live like a human being from now on. Don't sign it... Ha!"
Chen Li believed he knew Li Chi'an better than anyone else. With her limited connections and resources, how could she possibly harm him?
The only reason he's willing to discuss things with her now is because of their years of friendship; otherwise, why would he waste his time on her?
"Only those who bluff loudly make a lot of noise." Chen Li grabbed the agreement, ready to tear it up.
Li Chi'an calmly added, "The lawyer has as many backups as he needs."
Chen Li's hand froze in mid-air, veins bulging on his forehead.
He stared intently at Li Chi'an, then suddenly laughed, "Li Chi'an, are you sure you want to fight me to the bitter end?"
Li Chi'an looked back calmly, "Thank you for being such a scumbag, for showing me how wicked humanity can be."
It also awakened me.
A flash of lightning streaked across the window, followed by a deafening clap of thunder, and the torrential rain that had been brewing all night poured down.
The two stood at opposite ends of the living room, like two strangers facing off.
Chen Li suddenly strode into the study, throwing down the words, "This isn't over!"
Hearing the sound of the study door slamming shut, Li Chi'an slowly followed.
Chen Li stood in front of the computer desk, frowning and coldly ordering, "Get out!"
"I'm here to inform you that I've thrown your clothes, shoes, and personal belongings into the garbage recycling station downstairs. From now on, this house is my and my son's home, and it has nothing to do with you. You're the one who should leave!"
"What did you say?" Chen Li, who had just turned on his computer, felt a wave of dizziness and was so angry that he almost fell backward.
"Oh dear, you slut, have you been drinking and womanizing too much? You've gone deaf at such a young age, haven't you?" Li Chi'an yawned in a sassy tone. "My son is sleeping, please keep your voice down!"
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