Chapter 7: Awakening, You Are Actually Serious, Aren't You?

"Thank you, Miss Li."

Chen Xing let out a long sigh, his face lighting up once more with a confident smile. "Miss Li, I promise you, if I have the time, I will go to visit our teacher."

"Yes, that would be good. I'll let my grandmother know so she can make your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs." Li Moyan offered a serene smile.

For a fleeting moment, Chen Xing was spellbound, but upon realizing it, he hurriedly looked away.

"Anyway, Miss Li, I’m heading to the Civil Affairs Bureau now. If everything goes smoothly, the divorce should be finalized today, so I likely won’t need to trouble you with a divorce lawsuit. Of course, if there are any complications, I’ll be sure to call you."

"OK, no problem. I’ll be off then. See you another time."

Putting on her sunglasses and tossing her long golden hair, Li Moyan returned to her sports car. A faint smile played on her lips. Ever since she heard from friends that Chen Xing and Su Qianxue were on the verge of divorce, she had been silently keeping track of him. Seeing the man she had secretly admired since childhood finally finding his footing again made her truly happy.

*Brother Xing, I look forward to you returning to the genius you once were—the boy who loved to pull on my ponytail. My boy, put on your armor and rise again!*

...

In the end, Su Qianxue never appeared at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Chen Xing waited in vain for the entire afternoon. Seeing that it was almost time to pick up his daughter from kindergarten, Chen Xing had no choice but to drive to the school to collect Ya Ya.

"Mommy, Mommy, do you know what happened?"

"Uncle Liang got beaten up!"

"A bunch of ladies pinned him to the ground and hit him!"

After getting into the car, his daughter, filled with excitement, vividly recounted the events of the afternoon. It turned out that when Liang Zhixin learned how popular the honey bread Huanhuan had brought was among the children, he had bought several large bags to hand out. The result was that the parents, upon discovering he was the one behind it, immediately launched a verbal assault on him and demanded compensation. Liang Zhixin, never having been treated with such disrespect, had gotten into an argument with them, which escalated into a physical brawl where he was soundly beaten by several of the parents.

"Are you and Huanhuan alright?" Chen Xing didn't care much about the state Liang Zhixin was in; in fact, after calling Auntie Xu, he had already anticipated Liang's fate.

"I'm fine. I protected Huanhuan, so she didn't get hurt," Ya Ya said sensibly.

"Good girl, Ya Ya!" He reached out to pat her little head before driving off to get some fried chicken for his daughter.

Children always have a soft spot for fried food, though it shouldn't be eaten too often. After their meal, Chen Xing took Ya Ya back to the Su residence, as he still had some belongings left there.

...

The drive was silent. Twenty minutes later, the car pulled into the parking space in front of the Su family villa.

"Mr. Chen is back." Auntie Xu, who was playing with Huanhuan in the courtyard, spotted him immediately.

Seeing the exhausted look on Auntie Xu’s face and the way his eldest daughter, Huanhuan, deliberately turned her head away to ignore him, Chen Xing just smiled. "Thank you for your hard work, Auntie Xu."

"Oh, Mr. Chen, it's good you're back. I felt like I had no backbone these past few days with you gone," Auntie Xu complained.

Chen Xing ignored her resentment and led Ya Ya by the hand into the villa.

"Ouch, Qianxue, be gentle! It hurts... those crazy women! If it weren't for the fact that they're women and I didn't want to lower myself to their level, I wouldn't be in this state. Ouch, ouch..."

Before they even entered, they could hear Liang Zhixin’s pig-like squeals coming from inside. Ya Ya covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. Chen Xing tapped her gently on the head before walking in.

In the living room, Liang Zhixin was sitting on the sofa, while Su Qianxue stood opposite him, carefully dabbing disinfectant on his wounds with a cotton swab. Seeing Chen Xing, a flicker of malice flashed in Liang Zhixin's eyes, and he immediately leaned closer into Su Qianxue’s embrace, putting on a show of intimacy.

"Oh, Brother Xing, you're back. I knew you couldn't bear to leave our Qianxue! It's good you're back. By the way, don't misunderstand—I'm just injured, so Qianxue is helping me disinfect my wounds. There’s nothing going on between us."

Faced with Liang Zhixin’s "tea-like" behavior, Chen Xing’s heart remained as still as stagnant water. When Su Qianxue saw Chen Xing return with their daughter, a sneer curled her lips. She lifted her chin, a look of triumphant pride flashing across her face. She had known all along that Chen Xing couldn't live without her. After making a scene and acting out, he would eventually crawl back to her side obediently.

"Since you're back, don't just stand there. Go to your room and get a new set of clothes for Brother Xin. His are dirty and unwearable."

Chen Xing ignored her, instead taking Ya Ya’s hand and heading upstairs.

"Hmph, Chen Xing, what kind of attitude is that? Who are you trying to impress with that sour face?" Su Qianxue demanded, incensed.

"Oh, Qianxue, don't blame Brother Xing. He must be jealous because he saw me by your side. Should I leave?" Liang Zhixin put on a wounded expression.

Su Qianxue was even more furious. "Hmph, ignore him. There's nothing between us! If he likes being angry so much, let him be! A man with such a narrow mind—I truly regret marrying someone like him!"

A strange glint flashed in Liang Zhixin’s eyes, and a barely perceptible smile played on his lips.

...

Chen Xing returned to the bedroom and packed his luggage. There wasn't much, really—a few changes of clothes, some materials on mathematics and racing that he had collected, and little Ya Ya’s necessities. Even when packed, it didn't fill a single suitcase.

When he walked downstairs, dragging the suitcase and holding Ya Ya’s hand, a look of intense fury flashed in Su Qianxue’s eyes. She didn't even bother to continue applying the medicinal oil to Liang Zhixin.

"Chen Xing, what exactly is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, exactly, Brother Xing, what are you doing? A young couple quarrels, and they usually make up by the end of the day. Why are you packing your luggage?" Liang Zhixin chimed in.

"It doesn't mean anything."

He looked at Su Qianxue’s face, which was slightly twisted with anger. Once, he had loved that face to the depths of his soul. But in this moment, he felt no emotional fluctuation at all.

"Don't misunderstand. Everything inside is my own personal property. As for the Su family’s things, or the items you've bought for me over the years, I haven't touched a single one."

"And me too. This Barbie doll was bought with money Daddy saved for me," Ya Ya poked her head out and said softly.

Su Qianxue was livid. "Chen Xing, are you playing for real now? Is it because of my close relationship with Brother Xin that you're jealous? You're a man—can you stop being so small-minded? Doing this only makes me look down on you even more!"

Chen Xing’s gaze fell upon their wrists. They were wearing matching A. Lange & Söhne couple’s watches.