Chapter 44 [VIP]
Chapter Summary: "Let's pay it back together."
When he received the call, Xu Tianzhou was at a rice noodle shop.
The shop was bustling with activity, and steam rose from every table. Puffs of white mist, like tiny fish struggling upwards, eventually gathered on the ceiling, subtly lending a warm hue to the red lanterns used for decoration.
Xu Tianzhou answered the phone, and all he could hear was the laughter and chatter of the customers in the store. He had to listen very carefully to hear what the other person was saying.
"Let's get a divorce."
The laughter and chatter disappeared, and the person on the other end of the phone also vanished.
Ni Zhenzhen didn't explain why and quickly hung up the phone.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, with the sound of mountains rumbling from afar, much like the mournful cry of a wild beast.
Xu Tianzhou had considered this day coming, but why did it have to be at this particular time?
He had just decided to give up the new identity his parents had given him upon graduating from university, and from then on, he would only be Xu Tianzhou in Ni Zhenzhen's eyes, and spend the rest of his life with her. But she said, "Let's get a divorce."
Xu Tianzhou put down his phone and continued packing takeout. His movements were skillful and fluid, driven by instinct, but the staff still noticed something amiss.
"Manager, it seems you haven't put out any cutlery."
Xu Tianzhou didn't have time to check. He handed the takeout to the clerk, gave a few instructions on trivial matters such as cleaning carefully after closing and that someone would be inspecting the store tomorrow, and then left the rice noodle shop with his car keys.
It's rush hour now, and vehicles are moving slowly. Every time I step on the brakes, not only does the car come to a sudden stop, but my heart seems to stop as well.
Xu Tianzhou was extremely anxious when his lawyer called again, wanting to confirm some details with him. Xu Tianzhou said he was driving, and the lawyer tactfully said, "Let's talk later."
Back in his rented apartment complex, Xu Tianzhou parked his car and immediately went upstairs, completely unaware that he had forgotten to lock it.
As Xu Tianzhou was going upstairs, he happened to run into a neighbor taking their child for a walk. The child was standing at the highest point, learning to go down the stairs under the guidance of their parent.
The little girl was wearing a white top, a red polka-dot skirt, and a hair clip with a little rabbit holding a carrot on her head. She seemed a little scared, stretching her leg out several times before pulling it back in.
The child's parents stood below, protecting her while encouraging and clapping until she successfully took her first step.
"You're amazing!" The two were so excited that they hugged and kissed the child repeatedly. It wasn't until much later that they noticed Xu Tianzhou waiting on the side.
They quickly picked up the child and moved aside, saying "Excuse me."
"It's alright." Xu Tianzhou nodded, quickly walking past, then turning back to look at the child as he was about to turn the corner. "How old is the little one?"
"One and a half years old," the two said proudly, their faces beaming with happiness.
"So cute."
Xu Tianzhou continued upstairs. He wasn't a fantasist, but at that moment he couldn't help thinking that if they had had a child after getting married, she would be this big by now. Would she waddle into his arms like a little penguin, calling them "Daddy" and "Mommy"?
Xu Tianzhou returned to his rented room, which was completely silent. He looked around but couldn't find anyone, so he took out his phone and called Ni Zhenzhen.
The call was disconnected, so he called again, got disconnected, and called again...
This is something Xu Tianzhou would never do, because he firmly believes that if the other party doesn't answer the phone, it must be because something is wrong, and what's the point of calling repeatedly?
He still believes this now, but his body seems to have split into another person, obsessively repeating this action, regardless of whether there will be any results.
The call was finally connected.
Where are you?
In stark contrast to Xu Tianzhou's urgency, Ni Zhenzhen said calmly, "I'm downstairs, I'll be right up."
Footsteps sounded outside, and Ni Zhenzhen pushed open the door and came in. As usual, she was dressed in a business suit and looked exhausted, but she couldn't bring herself to say "I'm back" with a smile.
Ni Zhenzhen's eyes were a little red, as if she had just been crying. Before entering the room, she made sure to look behind her to make sure no one was following her before closing the door.
Instead of changing her shoes, she spread her suitcase on the ground and began packing things into it.
Most of her belongings were moved to the new home, leaving only some necessities here. She rushed into the bathroom to grab toiletries, only taking the ones that only she would use.
Ni Zhenzhen: "I checked. We got our marriage certificate abroad. If we get a divorce, we have to go through the litigation process. As long as we don't use it abroad, the mediation agreement and the judgment have the same effect. If we go through mediation, it should be quick."
Ni Zhenzhen came out of the restroom, holding something in her hand. She stopped in front of Xu Tianzhou and asked, "Are you going to sue me or am I going to sue you?"
Xu Tianzhou remained silent, but Ni Zhenzhen made a quick decision, "Okay, I'll sue you." This way, Xu Tianzhou wouldn't need to prepare a complaint, saving him some effort and a trip.
Ni Zhenzhen went to the bedroom and began packing her cosmetics.
Xu Tianzhou followed, "What's the reason? You should at least let me know why?" He carried a sliver of hope, wishing there was still a chance for things to turn around.
Ni Zhenzhen stopped packing her things. Her reflection in the mirror was flustered and embarrassed. She was silent for a moment, then exhaled and said as briefly as possible, "I saw my parents. They owe a lot of money."
Rumors about Ni Zhenzhen's parents had already spread among their classmates, and Xu Tianzhou had also heard a little about it. It turned out that Ni Zhenzhen's family wasn't as wealthy as everyone thought, but this was the first time he had heard that they were in debt.
How much is owed?
“Several million.” Ni Zhenzhen didn’t ask for the exact amount because the time span was long, the types of debts were numerous, and there were transfers of debts during that period. It was all a mess and no one could explain it clearly. But one thing was certain: “Most of it was spent on my studies abroad.”
Tears that had been held back for so long welled up and then suddenly fell. Ni Zhenzhen held the lipsticks she had bought during her studies abroad, filled with regret.
No wonder she didn't see her parents when she returned to her old place on New Year's Eve. It turned out they had moved away long ago. The thought of them hiding all day while she was living a carefree life, detached from worldly affairs, made her heart ache unbearably.
Ni Zhenzhen wiped away her tears and continued packing until Xu Tianzhou's voice came from the distant spring, "Let's return it together."
“…” Ni Zhenzhen looked up and easily fell into his firm gaze.
Tears blurred her vision once again, but Ni Zhenzhen suddenly smiled. Who said that husband and wife are like birds in the same forest, flying away separately when disaster strikes? Even just this one sentence from him was enough to make her content.
Ni Zhenzhen did hesitate, but reason prevailed.
“Don’t be naive. We don’t even earn enough to pay the interest. We might never be able to…” She took a deep breath and said in an extremely firm tone, “Let’s get a divorce.”
I disagree.
These four words were like a stirring melody, sweeping over her in an instant along with Xu Tianzhou.
This wasn't a kiss in the strict sense, because he wasn't fully engaged; he kissed haphazardly, like a child who only knew how to be unreasonable.
Ni Zhenzhen was quickly robbed of her breath, and then gradually her bones were robbed of her strength. Just as her barely holding on to her reason was about to collapse, she struggled and escaped from the vortex.
"Don't do this... I'm scared..." She pressed her hand against his chest, lowered her head, and gasped for breath, her expression one of utter pain.
"What are you afraid of?" Xu Tianzhou questioned.
Ni Zhenzhen did not answer.
"You can't bear to part with it, can you?"
Yes, she just couldn't bear to part with it.
Even knowing that it was a done deal, she couldn't help but wonder if he would leave a place for her, and if he would think of her occasionally in the future.
But she absolutely couldn't drag him down with her. Xu Tianzhou had just escaped from the mire; she couldn't let him be dragged back in.
"I'm sorry..." Ni Zhenzhen sobbed uncontrollably. Besides her parents, the person she felt most sorry for was Xu Tianzhou. She could spend the rest of her life making it up to her parents, and to him...
“I’m sorry, I’ve made you remarry without your knowledge. If you…” Ni Zhenzhen’s heart ached, then she forcefully said the word “remarriage,” “If you remarry, I can testify for you. You’re a good person, it’s all my fault…”
Xu Tianzhou's eyes were red, veins bulging on his forehead, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "You've certainly thought things through." He was like a drowning man grasping at a last straw. "I'm asking you, what about the house?"
Without a second thought, Ni Zhenzhen said, "Sell it."
Xu Tianzhou looked at her in surprise, as if he couldn't believe she would say such a thing so easily; that was their home. He said in a flustered manner, "Perhaps there are other ways."
Ni Zhenzhen smiled bitterly, "Buy lottery tickets? I've actually thought about it. I could give it a try. Maybe I'll win someday, and then..." She shook her head and smiled bitterly, not finishing her sentence.
Only Xu Tianzhou knew what the "other way" he was talking about was, but he simply didn't have the courage to say it.
"My dad is still waiting for me." While Xu Tianzhou was briefly lost in thought, Ni Zhenzhen wiped away her tears and escaped through the gap between him and the bed.
She neatly closed her suitcase and instructed before leaving, "If anyone comes looking for you, just say you're divorced and let them come find me."
Xu Tianzhou watched helplessly as she left with her suitcase, unable to convince himself that she simply had something to do and would return later.
He really didn't want to make things too ugly, so he remained as calm as a statue. However, it seemed that heaven heard his prayer, and Ni Zhenzhen's previously illusory outline gradually became clear.
She returned bathed in warm yellow light, like a dream she didn't want to wake from.
"I almost forgot." Ni Zhenzhen took off the bracelet she always wore. "Here, take this back."
After returning to her parents' side, Ni Zhenzhen spent a day sorting out her debts, then contacted a real estate agent to sell the house, and listed the piano online. She calculated the family's income, made a detailed repayment plan, and comforted her parents not to always think about money, "The money has to be paid off, but life has to go on. Tomorrow I'll buy some shrimp and cook you something delicious."
After thinking it over, Ni Zhenzhen decided to borrow money from a friend to pay back the loan with high interest.
She borrowed 100,000 yuan from Rong Xiaodan and some more from several classmates. When Zhang Wang heard that Ni Zhenzhen was borrowing money, he took the initiative to call her.
"Why don't you come to me when you're in trouble? We were classmates, don't you still consider me a friend?" After saying these polite words, Zhang Wang asked her to come to his company so they could "discuss things in detail."
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