Chapter Twenty-Four (Second Update)
Teng Zhi felt an itch in her nose, quickly turned her face away, covered her mouth, and sneezed.
A tissue box was pushed towards her, and she thanked him repeatedly, saying, "I'm sorry, Attorney Wang, I interrupted you. Please continue."
Attorney Wang Shan smiled and said, "It's alright. We've said everything that needed to be said. Ms. Teng just needs to double-check the divorce agreement to make sure there are no problems."
Teng Zhi wiped her nose, picked up the thin sheets of paper, and read them over again from beginning to end.
She and Li Tiancheng usually keep their finances separate. Their largest shared asset is the house they currently live in, which is registered in both their names.
A few years ago, when the young couple moved to this high-rise apartment, Teng Jie contributed a considerable sum of money, and Teng Zhi also contributed some of her savings, amounting to half of the total purchase price. The remaining half was funded by Li Tiancheng.
Teng Zhi doesn't want the house; her only clear demand is that Li Tiancheng return half of the house's value to the Teng family, approximately five million yuan, based on the current market value.
The other assets were initially proposed to be divided symbolically according to a certain proportion, and Li Tiancheng's debts would be borne by himself. However, Wang Shan told Teng Zhi to be prepared for a long battle, saying that the other party would definitely not agree so easily, and that Li Tiancheng would probably hire a lawyer to talk to Teng Zhi later.
The worst-case scenario is that it will lead to a complicated and cumbersome divorce litigation process.
Teng Zhi said she understood and was mentally prepared.
It was only 10:30 in the morning when Teng Zhi left the law firm. As she walked out of the building, it was raining lightly, just a light drizzle.
She remembered someone saying last night that the clothes should be put away.
She took a taxi back to the apartment and found that Ye Yin had actually folded his clothes, including his bra and underwear, and neatly arranged them on the bed.
My cheeks felt hot.
The man had large hands, and the lace bra landed in his hands, creating an indescribable erotic atmosphere in the scene.
With more than a week left on her lease for the small apartment, Teng Zhi planned to move in here after confronting Li Tiancheng.
—Even Li Tiancheng probably couldn't have guessed that she would move to such a nearby place.
When she got home, she pulled out her 30-inch suitcase, the kind she only used for long trips. It was covered with many baggage claim stickers, both domestic and international, some of which had yellowed, but now they all looked like a joke.
There wasn't much to bring: personal identification, a few sets of clothes, a toiletries bag... Teng Zhi didn't want many things in the house anymore because they all bore Li Tiancheng's mark.
She could buy new clothes and daily necessities, but Tengzhi couldn't bear to part with the cookware and tableware. She called SF Express to deliver several rare cast iron pots and vintage tableware from her collection, planning to send them back to her brother and sister-in-law's house for safekeeping.
She called Teng Jie to tell him about it, but to her surprise, Teng Jie said that they had already sent the child to his sister-in-law's parents' house and were planning to drive up after lunch. If things went smoothly, they would arrive in Guangzhou by evening.
Teng Jie said that he didn't want A-mei to feel like every day was an eternity by Li Tiancheng's side.
Tengzhi cried as she packed her things faster, and her suitcase gradually filled up.
She finally opened the safe, which contained the gold jewelry her brother and sister-in-law had prepared for her when she got married, as well as her wedding ring, which she rarely wore.
No matter how determined she was to break away from the past, those memories were still deeply ingrained in her mind. The scenes of Teng Jie leading her down the flower path at the wedding banquet, handing her hand to Li Tiancheng, and Li Tiancheng putting the wedding ring on her ring finger were still vivid in her mind.
With tears blurring her vision, Tengzhi took out a ring from the velvet box and tried to slip it onto her ring finger.
She has indeed gained a lot of weight in the past few years; the platinum ring around her knuckles has made them red and they can't go down to the base of her fingers.
She didn't insist anymore, put the ring in the velvet box, left it in the safe, and closed the door.
If it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. Wearing an ill-fitting ring will only cause your finger to rot.
Just like her marriage.
It was already two o'clock, and her stomach was growling with hunger. The rain had stopped outside, and Tengzhi didn't want to cook, so she simply went downstairs to find a restaurant to eat at.
When she passed by the wonton noodle shop, she stopped, went in, and ordered a bowl of thin wonton soup*.
It was the same as the one Ye Yin brought back that night.
While eating her noodles, she texted Ye Yin, telling him that they might have to confront each other tonight.
A while later, Ye Yin called. Teng Zhi still had half a wonton in her mouth, the filling of which had burned her tongue. She didn't want to spit it back into the spoon, so she answered the phone and mumbled, "Hello, wait a minute... I'm eating wonton noodles."
There was a chuckle on the other end, and someone asked, "Is it the same place?"
"Hmm..." Teng Zhi exhaled several breaths before swallowing the wonton. "Why did you call?"
Ye Yin laughed again: "Look what you've been doing. Why haven't you made a sound all morning?"
"It's what I mentioned in my message last night."
Teng Zhi looked around. She was the only customer in the small shop after lunchtime. She lowered her voice and said, "I went to the law firm, and when I came back I started packing. Oh, I sent away my expensive pots and pans. My brother and sister-in-law have already driven up here..."
She was more talkative than usual, and Ye Yin noticed it.
He was standing at the entrance of "Rongyehang" at that moment, looking up at the magnificent stone church not far away, interrupting Teng Zhi's incessant words: "Teng Zhi, are you nervous?"
Teng Zhi paused: "Me?"
"Hmm, I can tell you're very nervous."
Tengzhi stirred the alkaline water in the soup with her chopsticks, then lowered her head and after a long while whispered, "Of course I'm nervous, it's my first time getting a divorce..."
A slow smile crept across Ye Yin's face as he put his other hand on his hip and chuckled in a hoarse voice, "The first time? You want a second time? No way, Teng Zhi, one divorce is enough."
Teng Zhi's ears burned from his laughter, so she switched to the other ear to answer the phone and said, "I didn't want to do it a second time."
Ye Yin bit his lip.
Didn't you think about a second time? Didn't you think about a second divorce? Didn't you think about a second marriage?
Or is it that you don't want to date again?
He didn't ask her anything at that moment, but only said, "Tengzhi, don't be nervous."
The wonton wrappers were almost pierced to pieces by the sharp tips of the chopsticks. Tengzhi sniffed and replied, "Yes, I'll try my best."
At 5 p.m., Tengzhi returned to the small apartment, put her suitcase back in its original place, and the wardrobe was not much different. She adjusted the clothes hangers slightly and it was almost the same as before.
She worked up a sweat going back and forth, took a shower, and was finally able to rest for a while.
She didn't want to touch the sofa or bed at home if she could avoid it. She sat cross-legged by the coffee table, drank a sugary cola that she hadn't had in a long time, and then let out a loud burp.
Teng Zhi opened WeChat and went directly to Liu Ni's Moments.
Two hours ago, Liu Ni posted a nine-grid photo, which Teng Zhi had already seen when she was at the wonton noodle shop.
The accompanying text contained only one emoji: two small hearts, one large and one small.
The photos are ordinary and may not seem problematic to others, but Tengzhi can immediately spot the subtle clues about her home in them.
Like a sofa of the same color, like an empty cup of unsweetened tea in the refrigerator, like Li Tiancheng's shoulder.
Teng Zhi ignored it when she first saw it, but when she looked again, the post was still there and there were no likes from other mutual WeChat friends.
She guessed that Liu Ni's post on WeChat Moments was only visible to her.
Tengzhi couldn't muster any anger at all; instead, she felt sorry for the other party's aggressive and provocative demeanor.
Moreover, she was somewhat grateful for Liu Ni's move, which helped strengthen her evidence.
Teng Zhi had already taken a screenshot as evidence and tapped her finger to send Liu Ni a thumbs up.
Before leaving get off work, Liu Ni finally had a moment to turn on her phone after finishing her tasks.
Seeing the single like on that post on WeChat Moments sent my heart racing.
But she was utterly baffled. Was Teng Zhi an idiot? She had already made it so obvious, so why was she still foolishly liking her post?
Liu Ni sent Li Tiancheng a message, asking if he was coming home for dinner tonight and if he wanted to come to her rented apartment.
Li Tiancheng refused, saying he had a social engagement that evening and told Liu Ni to behave herself.
Liu Ni looked at the phrase "Only good kids get candy" and realized she had been too impulsive, so she quickly deleted the post from her WeChat Moments.
And I hope that Tengzhi really can't tell.
Li Tiancheng was somewhat distracted during tonight's social engagement, constantly checking his phone for new messages.
He had informed his wife in advance, and Tengzhi responded with "okay," then asked him when he would be home.
It was a perfectly normal conversation, but for some reason, Li Tiancheng still felt that something was amiss.
He couldn't describe the feeling; it was like being bitten by ants all over his body, feeling uncomfortable everywhere.
The client at the same table wanted to continue the business and suggested they go and try something unusual. Li Tiancheng asked the sales manager who was with him to arrange for him to accompany him, and then excused himself to leave first.
He called a designated driver to take him home, and in the car he kept thinking about what was wrong.
Even when he got to his doorstep, Li Tiancheng still couldn't figure it out.
"Honey, I'm home—"
With the last word stuck in his throat, Li Tiancheng saw a pair of men's leather shoes next to the shoe cabinet in the entryway.
He frowned, and without even changing his shoes, went straight to the living room.
Teng Zhi had been standing by the French windows. Hearing the sound, she turned around and quietly looked at the man she had shared a bed with for years.
A handsome stranger stood up from the sofa, handed over a business card, and said with a half-smile, "Mr. Li, hello."
Li Tiancheng frowned, took the document, glanced at it, and then looked up at the man in front of him: "...Lawyer?"
He turned his gaze to his wife, who was walking towards him step by step, and asked in a slightly urgent tone, "Tengzhi, what does this mean?"
Teng Zhi looked directly into Li Tiancheng's eyes and said each word firmly and forcefully, "Let me introduce you. This is the lawyer who is here on my behalf to discuss the divorce with you. He is Lawyer Wang Shan."
Li Tiancheng didn't react for a moment. When he came to his senses, his eyes widened instantly, and he shouted in disbelief, "Divorce?!"
Teng Zhi nodded: "Yes, Li Tiancheng, I want a divorce."
At that moment, Li Tiancheng realized what he felt was wrong.
Since last night, Tengzhi hasn't even looked at him properly.
Even though her face was full of smiles and her voice was sweet as honey, she never made eye contact with him.
At that moment, their eyes met.
But in her dark eyes, Li Tiancheng could no longer find a trace of the affection he once had.
————Author's ramblings————
Fine wonton noodles = small portion
It's almost the end of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, so I'll post it early if I can finish writing it sooner.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday in advance!
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