Chapter 290 Does love really exist in this world?
Zhang Haoyang was struck dumb, his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.
Little did he know that the powerful figure who caused Wang Kai's attitude towards him to change drastically that night at the class reunion would be Ning Jinli...
Wang Kai was furious and squeezed harder and harder, almost choking him to death.
"Brother Kai... have mercy..." Zhang Haoyang managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth.
A muffled thud.
Wang Kai let go and threw him heavily to the ground.
He clutched his chest, gasping for breath, and his face, which had turned purplish-red from holding his breath, quickly returned to normal.
Si Ya stared blankly at him, not going to help him up, but instead questioning him: "Zhang Haoyang...so you were lying to me?"
Feeling guilty, Zhang Haoyang, panting heavily, didn't dare to respond.
Si Ya was furious. "You bastard! I thought you really had some amazing connections! Turns out you were just using someone else's connections as a facade, putting on airs! What's even more ridiculous is that you didn't even know you were relying on Ning Jinli's influence! You kept me completely in the dark! Go to hell!"
After venting her anger, she looked at Wang Kai pitifully and said, "Brother Kai, this bastard lied to me. I...I still want to be with you..."
Wang Kai was so angry he laughed. He grabbed her hair and slapped her twice across the face. "You bitch! I admit I've been a bit harsh on you, but since I've been with you, I haven't dated any other girls! You treated me like a dog, and now you want to be with me? Do you think I'm stupid? Get lost!"
"Brother Kai... Waaaaah..."
"Get out!"
Wang Kai kicked Si Ya to the ground.
The thugs surrounded him, and someone asked him if he wanted to cripple Zhang Haoyang or just kill him.
Seeing this, Si Ya scrambled away.
Zhang Haoyang was terrified and knelt before Wang Kai, begging for mercy with tears streaming down his face.
Wang Kai's face was gloomy, and a murderous aura appeared in his eyes. After taking a few deep breaths, he waved his hand and said, "If we cripple or kill him... it would be illegal and a crime. Even if Third Master wants to leave me a way out, Miss Ning will not let me off the hook... Let's play by the rules, or we won't be able to stay in Xinghan City in the future."
Hearing these words, Zhang Haoyang felt as if he had been spared from the brink of death, and repeatedly kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Brother Kai, for sparing my life! Thank you, Brother Kai!"
"Fuck your mother!" Wang Kai slapped Zhang Haoyang hard across the face, then grabbed his collar and roared, "You think I don't want to kill you?! You should thank Miss Ning and Third Master for keeping me in check! Let me tell you, don't let me run into you again, otherwise, even if I don't kill you, I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead!"
"Yes, yes, yes! Brother Kai! I...I understand!" Zhang Haoyang hurriedly agreed, his face full of fear.
Wang Kai abandoned him, turned and climbed into the van, rubbed his temples, and said to the driver, "Take me to see Third Master... Damn it... I'll have to apologize to Third Master properly again..."
The driver started the car.
Wang Kai turned his head and saw Zhang Haoyang preparing to leave. He narrowed his eyes and said to his underlings, "You guys stay here and beat that kid up. Don't cripple him, but teach him a lesson. The rest of you come with me to see Third Master."
"Yes, Brother Kai!"
Several henchmen immediately pounced on Zhang Haoyang and dragged him into the alley.
Amid Zhang Haoyang's pig-like pleas for mercy, several vans sped away.
——
Half an hour later.
This side of the restaurant.
Xiao Qidi looked at the sumptuous dishes on the table in front of him, his expression somewhat solemn.
The restaurant owner walked over and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Xiao, is your girlfriend...?"
Xiao Qidi forced a smile, "She was delayed by something and will be coming later."
The owner said with some regret, "These dishes were all made with the best ingredients according to your request, and their optimal flavor is available in a relatively short time..."
Xiao Qidi understood what he meant. Seeing that the dishes were about to pass their best time, he thought for a moment and said to him, "Could you please go and see if the other guests want to eat these dishes?"
The restaurant owner said, "Mr. Xiao, these dishes are all our restaurant's top-of-the-line custom-made items. Although you haven't touched them before, there aren't many people who can afford them..."
“I’m not reselling it to someone else,” Xiao Qidi said. “You can treat it as a gift from me.”
The restaurant owner breathed a sigh of relief. "Mr. Xiao is very generous! I'll have someone go and ask right away."
Xiao Qidi added, "Also, you should continue to have the chef cook. My girlfriend may come over at any time, and I hope that she can eat when she comes."
"Yes, Mr. Xiao."
The restaurant owner nodded and immediately gave the instructions as requested.
——
At the same time, Ning Jinli arrived at Su Qinglan's house.
Ye Zhi Qiu was surprised by her appearance, but immediately realized that Su Qing Lan had informed her.
"Sister Qinglan, you..." Ye Zhiqiu's expression was complicated.
Su Qinglan took her hand and said, "If you want to blame me for acting on my own, then blame me. Anyway, I think Xiaoli needs to know about something this serious! And I think you and Ning Shan shouldn't have done this!"
Ning Jinli was completely confused. "Mom, godmother, what's wrong?"
Ye Zhi Qiu's expression was complicated, and he seemed to want to speak but hesitated.
Su Qinglan said, "Xiao Li, you're all grown up now, so I'll be frank—your parents are getting a divorce!"
Ning Jinli felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck her from head to toe, and her mind went completely blank for a moment.
divorce?
Mom and Dad...are getting a divorce?!
How is this possible?!
She doesn't believe it!
The air seemed to freeze at that moment.
Ning Jinli froze for several seconds, then forced a smile, took Ye Zhi Qiu and Su Qing Lan's arms, and said with a grin, "You two, stop joking with me. Are you trying to tease me? Where's my dad? Is he hiding next to me with his phone, trying to capture my reaction?"
Ye Zhi Qiu gently held Ning Jin Li's hand, "Xiao Li, what your godmother said... is true."
Ning Jinli still refused to believe it, looking around and saying, "Dad! Come out here! I can see you! You and Mom are playing a prank on me with my godmother, aren't you? I'm not that easy to fool!"
“Xiao Li…” Su Qinglan’s tears welled up instantly, “I know you can’t believe it right now, but… sigh…”
Ye Zhi Qiu's eyes reddened. "Daughter, your father is at the Ning family's ancestral home. I came here alone. He and I have indeed decided to divorce."
Ning Jinli carefully examined their expressions and finally realized that it was true.
Her vision went black, and she almost lost her balance.
"Mom...why?" She stared into Ye Zhi Qiu's eyes. "You and Dad had such a good relationship. I've never seen you two have any disagreements since I can remember. Then...you two went to another place because of an accident and were separated for ten whole years! Now you've finally reunited and come back here. The family matters have all been resolved satisfactorily, and our family has no problems. So...why do you two suddenly want a divorce? I don't understand!"
Tears welled up in Ye Zhi Qiu's eyes, but she did not answer immediately.
"Zhiqiu, you talk to Xiaoli properly. I... I'll go get you some fruit and drinks." Su Qinglan made an excuse to leave, giving the mother and daughter some private space.
Ye Zhi Qiu was silent for a few seconds, then took Ning Jin Li's hand and walked to the balcony.
The stars twinkled in the sky.
The villa area was quiet, and the bustling night view of the city center could be seen in the distance.
A gentle breeze blew by, and Ye Zhi Qiu let out a slow sigh.
Ning Jinli asked, "Mom, did you and Dad have a fight?"
Ye Zhi Qiu shook his head and said, "No."
“Then…” Ning Jinli gritted her teeth, “It can’t be that you or my dad… cheated on me, right?”
Ye Zhi Qiu chuckled inexplicably, "What are you talking about? Do you think he's that kind of person?"
Ning Jinli was even more baffled. "We didn't argue, and there was no cheating, so why are you talking about divorce?"
Ye Zhi Qiu looked up at the stars in the night sky and said softly, "It's not about getting a divorce. We're already going through the process. Actually... before this trip abroad, your father and I signed a divorce agreement. The cooling-off period is like us... having one last get-together. After a while, we'll go get our divorce certificates."
"What?!" Ning Jinli's head was buzzing, as if she had been struck by lightning again.
At first, she thought her parents and godmother were just teasing her. She had just finally accepted the fact that her parents were getting a divorce, but she never expected that her parents had not just started talking about divorce, but had actually made this decision a long time ago!
She tried hard to recall all her past experiences, from reuniting with her parents in the ancient world to bringing them back to the modern world, until now, but she couldn't find any trace of a breakdown in their relationship.
This was truly... hard for her to believe.
"Why?" Ning Jinli asked, trying to remain calm. "Why do you want a divorce? I really... don't understand."
Ye Zhi Qiu said, "If there has to be a reason, it is... we both feel that we are no longer suitable to live together. Perhaps it is because of the ten years we spent living separately in that world that our mindset has changed. He and I can continue to be friends, but we can no longer be husband and wife like before."
Tears welled up in Ning Jinli's eyes. "Mom, I... I still don't understand. In my eyes, you two are a match made in heaven, the most loving couple. And no matter what dangers or hardships you encounter, you always share joys and sorrows, your love stronger than gold. You even endured ten years of hardship after traveling back more than two thousand years... Why do you have to separate now that everything is getting better?"
Ye Zhi Qiu gently patted Ning Jin Li's head and said earnestly:
“Daughter, no matter what, I will always be your mother and Ningshan will always be your father. This relationship will never change, and we will always love you as before.”
"We tried to recapture the feeling we had when we were together, but... we tried our best, and ultimately we realized that we couldn't live together anymore. Separating is a good thing for both of us."
"Perhaps it was those ten years that made us accustomed to living alone while missing each other... Perhaps it was those ten years of experiences that made our thoughts and ideas no longer completely aligned..."
“We feel that everything has changed now, and our daughter is fully grown up. It is the best time for us to get a divorce so that we can part amicably.”
Ning Jinli listened to every single word he said.
But she couldn't digest it in a short time.
She still couldn't understand; she felt as if something inside her had collapsed, and her mind was a complete mess.
Even a relationship like that between parents can come to an end...
Does love still truly exist in this world?
What is the point of marriage?
“Daughter, although you have grown up in many ways and are capable of standing on your own, you still have too little experience when it comes to matters of the heart,” Ye Zhi Qiu said softly. “Your father and I don’t expect you to understand our choices right now, but we believe you will understand in the future. Humans are complex creatures. Sometimes, people who have no feelings for each other will be together, and sometimes, people who have feelings for each other… will have to separate. This is not something that can be explained in a few words.”
Ning Jinli lowered her eyes, tears silently streaming down her face.
After a few seconds of silence, she quietly wiped away her tears. "Mom, I really can't understand why you did this, but... I respect your choice."
Ye Zhi Qiu's nose tingled, and he hugged Ning Jin Li tightly. "Xiao Li, thank you..."
Ning Jinli hugged her and didn't say anything for a long time.
While the mother and daughter were talking, Su Qinglan was not idle. She called Ning Shan and tried to persuade him.
Su Qinglan only learned that the two were getting a divorce when Ye Zhiqiu came over tonight. In her opinion, it's better to destroy ten temples than to break up one marriage, which is why she immediately called Ning Jinli after learning about the situation.
She felt that with Xiao Li's intervention and her own words to Ning Shan, they could definitely stop the two from divorcing.
Moreover, precisely because Xiao Li's family treats her as their closest relative, she cannot stand idly by.
However, to her surprise, no matter how earnestly she tried to persuade him, Ning Shan remained resolute.
"Ning Shan, what are you thinking? Why do you have to get a divorce when you have a perfectly good life?" Su Qinglan was so anxious that she paced back and forth with her phone, trying to persuade her, "Zhi Qiu wants a divorce, can't you stop her? As a man, can't you put aside your pride and try to keep her?"
On the phone, Ning Shan's voice was calm, "Sister Qinglan, as I've told you before, the divorce was a mutual decision. There's no question of either of us trying to hold the other back. I know that from your perspective, you're doing this for our own good, and Zhi Qiu and I are very touched by how much you've worried about us. But... I also want to ask Sister Qinglan to understand us..."
"I just can't understand!" Su Qinglan became even more anxious. "The most important thing is for you two to be together and for your family to be reunited. Don't think I'm old-fashioned, but I just think that's what makes a complete family. How much would Xiaoli suffer if you two got divorced?"
Ning Shan paused for a few seconds, then said, "Sister Qinglan, I believe Xiao Li will understand us..."
“Sigh, you…” Su Qinglan was speechless.
At this moment, Ye Zhi Qiu and Ning Jin Li returned from the living room balcony.
Su Qinglan hung up the phone and looked at Ning Jinli with hopeful eyes, "How did your talk go, you two?"
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