Li Meilin vaguely thought she heard someone calling her, but she was too tired lately and hadn't slept well, so she thought it was a hallucination and didn't react quickly enough.
Until Nanman called out again, "Aunt Li!"
Li Meilin paused slightly, hesitantly turning her head to look in the direction the voice came from. When she saw Nan Yuanman sitting at the entrance of the breakfast shop, holding a large meat bun in one hand and waving at her with the other, her face lit up with joy: "Little Fairy!"
She walked quickly towards her, the gloom on her face seemingly dissipating: "What are you doing here?"
Feng Jingcheng scrutinized Li Meilin for a moment, then cast a questioning look at Nan Yuanman: "And who is this...?"
“This is the mother of one of the people I met before,” Nan Yuanman gave a brief introduction, then pointed to the empty seats in front of her: “Aunt Li, these are my brothers. Please come and sit down, don’t be shy.”
"Have you had breakfast? Would you like a big meat bun?"
Li Meilin sat awkwardly opposite Nan Yuanman. Feng and the others nodded slightly to her as a greeting.
Li Meilin tidied up the stray hairs that had fallen to her temples and gently shook her head: "No need, thank you, Little Fairy."
She just went out to buy breakfast and get some fresh air.
The oppressive atmosphere at home made her restless.
Nan Yuanman shrugged her little shoulders: "Alright then."
She continued her battle with the large meat bun. Li Meilin sat anxiously, watching Nan Yuanman's efforts to bite into the bun. Her previously somewhat agitated heart gradually calmed down.
Nan Yuanman quickly glanced at the gloom on her face, swallowed what was in her mouth, and asked a surprising question: "Aunt Li, haven't you divorced your husband yet?"
Feng Jingcheng: "Pfft!"
Wei Junchen: "Pfft!"
Xie Yifei: "Huh?"
Xiao Qidong: "Pfft, cough cough cough!!"
Nan Yuanman held the large meat bun in both hands, looking at them with an innocent expression: "What's wrong with you guys?"
Feng Jingcheng glanced quickly at Li Meilin, and after confirming that there was no anger on her face, he asked her through gritted teeth, "Where did you learn this from?"
“On TV!” Nan Yuanman tilted her head. “Aunt Qingwan watched a TV show that said when two adults live together and then separate, it’s called divorce.”
She just couldn't quite understand why the two adults, after their divorce, were still clinging to each other, with the man always hugging the woman and saying, "You're mine, you'll never escape," just like the fugitive her grandfather had described.
But it's okay, she'll probably understand when she's a little older.
Feng Jingcheng's lips twitched: "..." He knew it! Meng Qingwan was simply not cut out for taking care of children!!
Li Meilin looked somewhat embarrassed, but she quickly realized that Nan Yuanman wasn't doing it on purpose; she was asking the question very seriously.
She rubbed her hands together, gave a bitter smile, and said, "Little fairy, it's not that I don't want a divorce, it's just... my family won't allow it."
Looking at Nan Yuanman, Li Meilin felt a surge of urge to confide in him. She gently began to explain her current situation to Nan Yuanman.
Compared to the Luo family, the Li family was more ordinary. After she married Luo Gaoyuan, her family members used the Luo family's name to solicit business and gained considerable profits.
Therefore, after listening to Nan Yuanman's previous advice, she kept a close eye on Luo Gaoyuan's movements, caught him in bed with his mistress, and filed for divorce.
The most opposition came from her own family.
They said that no man is immune to infidelity, and Luo Gaoyuan had only made a mistake that all men make. They should forgive him this time, and he would settle down and live a good life with her from now on.
They said that if she divorced Luo Gaoyuan, her child would not have a complete family, so she should endure it for the sake of the child.
They said she was getting old, and if she divorced Luo Gaoyuan, who would want her in the future? It didn't matter who she lived with, so they told her to endure it.
Luo Gaoyuan also knelt in front of her, slapping himself and begging for her forgiveness. He said that he had only been bewitched and had done something wrong. He said that she was the person he loved most and that his feelings had never changed. He begged her to give him a chance.
Her parents also asked her to think about them. They said it would be so embarrassing and shameful for them to have a divorced daughter in front of their relatives.
Tell her not to be willful, tell her to be patient.
Li Meilin couldn't bear it at all. She couldn't stand it for even a second or a moment. As long as she was by Luo Gaoyuan's side, she would recall the moment she caught him cheating, and the sight of his white, intertwined bodies with his mistress.
It was so filthy it was disgusting.
But she was powerless to escape.
She quit her job to focus on taking care of her children and being a housewife. All her money came from Luo Gaoyuan. Her family didn't support her, so she had no financial resources to get a divorce.
She... had been out of touch with society for too long, and harbored a sense of timidity.
She was afraid that her already chaotic life would become even more chaotic after the divorce.
Add to that Luo Yang, who is going through a rebellious phase and doesn't obey her discipline... all these things combined have left Li Meilin extremely exhausted and her mind gradually becoming hazy.
When she woke up this morning, her mother-in-law was nagging her again.
Her mother said things like, "Aren't all men the same? My son works hard outside to earn money to support the family. I can't help him. What's wrong with him finding another woman who can help him?" These words made Li Meilin feel suffocated, and she couldn't help but escape from that family environment.
Unexpectedly, she met Nan Yuanman again here. It has to be said that there is indeed a connection between them.
After listening to what Li Meilin said, Wei Junchen rolled his eyes without giving her any face: "Once a man cheats, he'll do it again and again. A man like that will only behave if he's hung on the wall. How long can you tolerate him?"
Li Meilin hesitated for a moment: "But he seems to have really settled down lately. He comes home very early every night and even helps with the children's homework..."
"He's faking it." Xie Yifei stuffed a shumai into his mouth. "I know men best. He's just trying to lower your guard. Believe me, if you give him a chance, he'll do it again next time."
Li Meilin felt a tightness in her chest. She remained silent for a long time before smiling bitterly, "But he and I... have had a relationship for almost ten years. I... can't let go so easily."
Nan Yuanman stretched his neck and swallowed the bun, then mumbled, "But he's bad luck for you."
"You are currently plagued by bad luck and your fortunes are low. If you do not make a decision soon, you will die suddenly within three days."
The child's innocent words were like a sharp knife, piercing Li Meilin's confused mind, leaving her head blank, her hands and feet cold, and a chill creeping down her spine.
Nan Yuanman didn't let her off the hook, and continued, "Even if you manage to escape being killed, you will still be implicated by him and face up to five years in prison."
"Aunt Li, since you're not even afraid of death, why not be brave, break off all ties with him completely, and start a new life?"
“You have hands and feet. Like my grandfather said, you won’t starve if you sweep the streets. As long as you don’t starve, you can have a chance to get better. But if you continue to sink deeper into the mire, no one can save you.”
"Let me tell you again, are those relatives you're making you endure really your relatives? Are they really worth sacrificing your whole life, even your life, to tolerate for them?"
"Aunt Li, you are Luo Yang's mother, and your parents' daughter, but you are also yourself. You must learn to love yourself!"
Li Meilin stared blankly at Nan Yuanman, who was holding half a steamed bun and spouting profound truths in a childish voice. Suddenly, she realized that she herself was less clear-headed than a child.
She suddenly felt an urge to go all out and not care about anything, but after the impulse subsided, a hint of fear crept into her heart.
What if her life is worse after the divorce? Although she is feeling down now, she doesn't lack material things.
Can she really endure a life without enough money?
And Yangyang... Will he hate her, hate her for ruining his peaceful life?
Various assumptions in her mind collided with what Nan Yuanman had said, leaving Li Meilin's mind in a state of utter confusion. She pursed her lips.
How about... we give it a try?
She had to take the first step. In short... she really didn't want to live like this anymore.
Nan Yuanman watched the constantly changing expressions on Li Meilin's face, clicked her tongue, and couldn't quite understand why she hesitated, but she respected the choice of each person involved.
“Aunt Li, since we’re destined to meet, I’ll give you this amulet.” Nan Yuanman took out a talisman from his small handbag and handed it to her: “I hope you can get through this calamity safely, and please help me spread the word.”
Li Meilin forced a smile: "Okay."
She said goodbye to Nan Yuanman in a daze and went home with a heavy heart. When she came to her senses again, she was already standing at her door.
Just as Li Meilin was about to push open the door, Luo Gaoyuan's voice suddenly came from inside: "Mom, where's Meilin? Did she go out again?"
The mother-in-law's shrill voice rang out: "Who knows where she went to cause trouble so early in the morning? Honestly, she has to make everyone unhappy instead of enjoying a good day!"
"Son, why don't you just divorce her! That stupid woman can't help you at all!"
Li Meilin abruptly stopped pushing the door open. Luo Gaoyuan smiled and said, "Don't say that about her. Meilin has helped me a lot, she..."
Before he could finish speaking, Luo Yang's cheerful voice rang out: "Daddy, Daddy, are we going to Aunt Qianqian's again today? I want to eat Aunt Qianqian's braised chicken wings!"
Upon hearing the name Qianqian, Li Meilin's pupils contracted sharply, and her hand on the doorknob trembled.
Luo Gaoyuan patted Luo Yang on the shoulder and shushed him, saying, "Don't let your mom know that Dad took you to see Aunt Qianqian!"
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