Chapter 119: I Can’t Go On Without Yunshu

The loud chug of the three-wheeled motorcycle echoed through the alley. When Xie Yunshu slowly drove in, the entire tenement building stirred with commotion.

Lin Cuiping was about to die of envy. Xie Yunshu had just gotten divorced and supposedly hit rock bottom, so why did her life seem to be getting better and better? New clothes, a rented house in a big compound—fine, she could live with that. But now she had even bought a three-wheeled motorcycle! Tch! Show-off!

During dinner, Li Fenlan deliberately asked, “Yunshu, is Little Su from Haicheng too? What kind of work does he do at the construction site?”

Hearing “Little Su,” Xie Yunshu gave a shiver. She quickly responded, “Mom, his name is Shen Suyao. He’s the team leader at the site. I don’t think he’s from Haicheng. As for exactly what he does, I’m not really sure.”

She really didn’t know. At first, she thought he was just a security chief. Later, she assumed he was in charge of logistics. Now, she figured his position was even higher. After all, everyone called him “Captain Shen,” so she just followed suit.

Li Fenlan gave her a look. “Child, do you think I don’t know his full name? Little Su said I’m his elder, so there’s no need for formalities—it feels more affectionate this way.”

Still, when she heard that Shen Suyao wasn’t from Haicheng, a trace of disappointment flickered in Li Fenlan’s eyes. If her daughter remarried, it had to be to someone reliable. Not necessarily rich, but at least someone warm and caring. If he wasn’t local, how could she feel at ease?

How could Xie Yunshu have guessed that just one meeting would send her mother’s thoughts this far? But that serious and stoic face of Shen Suyao’s… how could it possibly match the name “Little Su”? That name sounded more like something you’d call a puppy…

Xie Mingcheng paused mid-bite, as if recalling something. “Is Captain Shen the guy we met that day at the securities center when we were selling food?”

Xie Yunshu was surprised he remembered and nodded. “Yes, that’s him. I signed the food delivery contract with him. He helped with the motorcycle too. And when Xiaowei was taken to the police station, he helped with that as well.”

Hearing Xiaowei’s name, Li Fenlan frowned. “Sigh, I wonder how that child is doing?”

Xie Yunshu’s expression cooled. “Mom, he’s not our child. We can’t manage everything.”

Li Fenlan shook her head. “That may be true…”

Zhou Yuetian was still locked up in the psychiatric ward, so at least the Lu family wouldn’t abuse Xiaowei. He wouldn’t starve to death—but expecting them to treat him well was unrealistic.

Xie Yunshu recalled those numb, vacant eyes and sighed in compromise. “In a few days, I’ll find a way to see him and check how he’s doing.”

But Li Fenlan still shook her head. “Forget it. If you go see Xiaowei, you’ll have to deal with the Lu family again.”

She had a kind heart and genuinely worried for the child. But everyone had their limits. As much as she cared, she didn’t want her daughter to face those people again.

Meanwhile, at the Lu household—

Lu Zhixing sat at the dinner table as Rong Yuxiang complained loudly, “What now? All those society ladies are just waiting to laugh at me! One of them insisted I come play mahjong yesterday, and I couldn’t decline. But the whole time, they were being sarcastic and passive-aggressive!”

Lu Jianshe slammed his bowl on the table with a sharp clack. “You still have the mood to play mahjong? Aren’t you just giving them more fuel to mock you?”

Little Xiaowei, who was eating quietly, instantly set down his bowl and froze, not daring to move. Since coming to the Lu household, this was the first time he’d been allowed to eat at the table. Usually, Rong Yuxiang just handed him a bowl with some food and buns. He would eat alone and quietly wash his dishes afterward.

He was like a fostered stray—submissive and fearful, never daring to speak or meet anyone’s eyes. But even so, to him, this life was happiness.

At least… Zhou Yuetian wasn’t there.

Lu Zhixing sat beside him, eating with a cold expression. “Director Lin asked me to bring Zhou Yuetian back soon. She can’t stay in there forever.”

Lu Xueting’s eyes lit up. “Brother, you’re finally willing to let Sister Yuetian come home? She must be so scared in there! You wouldn’t even let me visit her! Once she comes out—”

“When she comes out, I’ll divorce her,” Lu Zhixing cut her off, then glanced at Xiaowei. “I’ll keep the child for now. When she finds a job and stabilizes emotionally, he can go back.”

Lu Xueting gasped, “You’re divorcing Sister Yuetian? She doesn’t even have a job—how could you do this to her now?”

Lu Zhixing sneered, “Why not? When I divorced Yunshu, she didn’t have a job either, did she?”

Lu Xueting slammed her chopsticks down, furious. “That’s different! Xie Yunshu was low-class to begin with. People like her don’t starve easily! Sister Yuetian is different—she grew up in our compound and suffered so much. She finally married you and then got sent to a psych ward! You used to care about her so much—how can you turn on her like this?”

She had grown up idolizing Zhou Yuetian, who was beautiful and gentle. To her, Zhou Yuetian could do no wrong. So even when others said she abused Xiaowei, Lu Xueting refused to believe it.

She was convinced only someone like Xie Yunshu could be that cruel. Not her Sister Yuetian.

Rong Yuxiang groaned at the mention of Zhou Yuetian, her head aching. “If she hadn’t drugged your brother and thrown herself at him, she’d never have become our daughter-in-law in the first place! Even if you wanted to remarry Xie Yunshu, I’d prefer her a thousand times over that woman!”

When Lu Zhixing heard the word remarry, his eyes flickered. His fingers curled slightly as he whispered, “Mom, after I divorce Yuetian—if I can’t remarry Yunshu, I won’t marry again.”

Lu Jianshe’s face turned cold. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you threatening us?”

Lu Xueting panicked. “Brother, why are you so fixated on Xie Yunshu? She hit me last time—did you forget?”

“I wronged her,” Lu Zhixing said softly, a bitter smile forming. “And our family did too. I owe her the rest of my life.”

When she was around, he didn’t feel her importance. But once she was gone, even a minute felt like an eternity.

Rong Yuxiang paused. Her son had always been proud and aloof. Even when he married Xie Yunshu against the family’s wishes, he only said she was practical and good for everyday life. She’d never believed he truly loved her. Maybe a youthful impulse, sure—Xie Yunshu was pretty—but real love? She didn’t think so.

Lu Jianshe had lost his appetite. Glancing at Xiaowei, he muttered, “Take the kid back with you. Seeing him here every day just pisses us off.”