Chapter 6: We Await Your Rise Once More

"Ya Ya," Ya Ya said, sounding aggrieved, "she's making a fuss, saying the honey bread was prepared by you. But you didn't make that bread at all—Uncle Liang did. She’s slandering you, Dad."

"I didn't! I didn't slander Dad, he made it, it wasn't Uncle Liang..."

Huan Huan’s wailing could be heard on the other end of the line.

"Shut up! You’re slandering Dad! Just you wait, I’m going to beat you..."

"Ahhh!"

Soon, Huan Huan’s shrill cries echoed through the phone. It was clear that Ya Ya was enforcing "family discipline" on her sister.

Chen Xing couldn't help but laugh despite himself. Even though his younger daughter, Ya Ya, was born half an hour after Huan Huan, she eclipsed her sister in maturity, intelligence, and sheer fighting spirit. Seeing that Ya Ya wasn't being bullied, he felt reassured.

"Teacher Sun..."

"Huan Huan and Ya Ya’s dad, you really need to do something. I’m starting to lose control of the situation here!" Teacher Sun’s complaining voice returned.

"Alright, I’ll reach out now, and someone will be over to handle it shortly." Chen Xing hung up the phone and dialed the housekeeper, Mother Xu.

"Mother Xu, I just got a call from the kindergarten. Teacher Sun said the honey bread Huan Huan brought is a big hit with the children, and she asked if you could send some more over to the school."

"What honey bread?" Mother Xu was completely bewildered.

"The lunchbox Huan Huan brought this morning! Mother Xu, please have someone send more over so they aren't kept waiting."

"Oh, oh, I see, I understand."

After hanging up, Mother Xu immediately thought of Liang Zhixin. The lady of the house certainly wouldn't pack honey bread for the little ones, and Mr. Chen hadn't either, so it was almost certainly prepared by Mr. Liang. Honestly, didn't he know the kindergarten didn't allow outside food? He was just looking for trouble.

With that thought, Mother Xu dialed Liang Zhixin.

"Mr. Liang, this is Mother Xu, the housekeeper for the Su family."

"Is something the matter?" Liang Zhixin’s voice sounded cold and indifferent.

"It’s like this: Miss Huan Huan brought a bag of honey bread to school this morning. The teacher just called to say it’s very popular with the children and asked if we could send some more."

"Really?" Liang Zhixin’s heart leaped with joy. He had indeed prepared the bread, intending to curry favor with Huan Huan, but he hadn't expected the results to be so significant. Not only did Huan Huan like it, but the other children did too. He could imagine Huan Huan being surrounded and celebrated by her classmates after handing out the bread. She must be overjoyed. And once she was happy, if she just whispered a few words in Su Qianxue’s ear, his marriage prospects with her would soon be on track.

"Fine, I understand. I’ll go buy some more and drop them off right now."

...

Back on Chen Xing’s side, he hung up the phone with a cold sneer. He wasn't going to take the blame for this. Since Liang Zhixin was so desperate to be Huan Huan’s new father, he could deal with the consequences himself.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

Just then, someone tapped gently on the car window. Chen Xing looked over, startled to see a blonde woman wearing sunglasses standing outside. He rolled down the window.

"Hello, may I help you?" Chen Xing felt the woman looked familiar, but he couldn't place her.

"Hi, Mr. Chen, don't you recognize me?" Li Moyan smiled, the corner of her lips curling up.

"You are..."

Chen Xing still couldn't recall. A flicker of disappointment crossed Li Moyan’s eyes, though she kept her expression neutral and smiled. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Li Moyan."

"Li Moyan? The top attorney from the Tianhua Law Firm in Shenzhen!"

Chen Xing remembered. No wonder she looked familiar. The Tianhua Law Firm was the largest in Shenzhen, and Li Moyan was their golden-standard lawyer. It was said that she had never lost a case since she began her practice.

"Hello, Attorney Li."

"Mr. Chen, I heard you are preparing to divorce your wife. If you need any assistance, feel free to contact me."

Chen Xing chuckled helplessly. "I never thought a top-tier lawyer would be out soliciting business herself. However, your fees are too high; I’m afraid I can’t afford you right now."

Li Moyan tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. "I can represent you for free."

Free? Chen Xing was stunned. "Ms. Li, have we met before?"

Li Moyan smiled again. "Mr. Chen, you really have a short memory. Don't you remember when you were pursuing your master's degree at Shenzhen University? Your advisor, Mr. Li Taiyi, is my grandfather."

"I’ve met you at my grandfather’s house more than once."

"It’s you!"

Chen Xing finally remembered. But Li Moyan had changed so much! Back then, she could only be described as a "slovenly" girl who didn't care about her appearance. Every time he saw her at his advisor's house, she was buried in a stack of textbooks, looking disheveled and unkempt. He hadn't seen her in years, and it wasn't just a simple transformation—it was a complete metamorphosis.

"You remembered!" Li Moyan took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of large, beautiful eyes. Without the glasses, her features were even more enchanting and alluring.

"My grandfather has retired and is living at home now. He talks about you whenever he has free time. His health has been failing lately, so I was wondering, if you have the time, would you be willing to go see him?"

"If you visit my grandfather, I will handle your divorce case for free."

Chen Xing fell silent. Li Taiyi, his grandfather, had been the Dean of the School of Mathematics at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and was an internationally renowned expert in the field. He had been a guiding light and an indispensable mentor during Chen Xing’s academic journey. When he first entered the gifted youth program, the old man had been one of his instructors. He remembered that when he was young and couldn't get used to the cafeteria food, the old man would often bring him home for a home-cooked meal. He could still taste the "saliva chicken" that Mrs. Li used to make. The image of the old man, whom he hadn't seen in years, instantly filled his mind.

Chen Xing slowly lowered his head. "I’m sorry, I can't agree to that. I... I don't have the face to see him."

Back then, when he chose to marry into the Su family and give up his studies, he could still remember the look in the old man’s eyes when he broke the news. It was a look of profound heartbreak.

Li Moyan stood outside the car, watching Chen Xing with his head bowed and a face full of shame. Her own heart ached.

"I know some of the inside story regarding your marriage back then. I know you didn't want it."

"What I want to say is, Chen Xing, you are a free man now. If you still have dreams, then go chase them boldly."

"From now on, no one will stand in your way."

"We are all looking forward to seeing you stand tall once again."