Chapter 6

After learning that Meng Yingying and Zhan Tingxu were having a divorce dispute, his mother Madam Lü immediately brought Li Fang to persuade her.

“Grandma, you came to see us?”

When the children saw Madam Lü, they happily ran over to greet her.

Madam Lü handed them a few White Rabbit toffees. “Be good, go play outside.”

The children hopped away with the candy.

When Zhan Tingxu had just returned earlier, he’d already gone to see Madam Lü.

This time, knowing that Madam Lü came to persuade Meng Yingying not to divorce, he also came into the living room.

Madam Lü held Meng Yingying’s hand and asked earnestly,
“Yingying, why do you want to divorce Axu? Has he treated you badly?”

Meng Yingying shook her head. “It’s just that I feel we’re not suitable.”

“What’s this about not being suitable? You’re not even good enough for him now!” Li Fang sneered.

Both Madam Lü and Zhan Tingxu glared at her, and she immediately fell silent.

Zhan Tingxu said coldly,
“Yingying has never been unworthy of me. Watch your words.”

Madam Lü scolded Li Fang,
“Look at you, sister-in-law, what kind of talk is that?”

Li Fang was displeased and felt she’d said nothing wrong, but didn’t dare speak up.

Madam Lü continued gently persuading Meng Yingying,
“You and Axu aren’t young anymore. If you divorce, it’ll be hard to find someone suitable again.”

Li Fang muttered under her breath,
“It’s only Yingying who’ll have trouble finding someone. The fourth brother can find someone easily — she just doesn’t know what’s good for her!”

Meng Yingying pretended not to hear Li Fang’s remark and explained to Madam Lü:

“I’m only twenty-two, but after divorcing I don’t plan to remarry. I’ll just take care of the kids myself.”

Hearing this, Zhan Tingxu even felt a little happy — this meant she probably didn’t like anyone else.

Earlier when she’d asked certain questions, he had suspected she’d fallen for another man.

Madam Lü tried again to persuade her,
“Raising kids alone is really hard. Have you really thought this through?”

Meng Yingying nodded firmly.
“I’ve thought it through. I’ve been the one taking care of the children all along anyway — it won’t be any different from now.”

“There’s a huge difference. People will gossip, and when the kids grow up they’ll need to go to school. Can you afford tuition for three children?”

Faced with this question, Meng Yingying stayed calm and answered fluently,
“I can earn money — enough to pay for their schooling.”

She thought of how the heroine in the novel she’d transmigrated into used her knowledge to start a business and make a fortune. If the heroine could do it, so could she.

But then a thought struck her: what she was doing now was almost identical to what the original novel’s heroine did. Wouldn’t that wreck the plot?

The idea made her break into a cold sweat.

Madam Lü couldn’t understand her reasoning.
“If you’re busy earning money, who’s going to look after the children?”

Right… who would take care of the kids?

This became a major dilemma for Meng Yingying.

After all, in the original novel, the transmigrated heroine left all the children with Zhan Tingxu before starting her business, so she never worried about childcare.

But if Meng Yingying really divorced, she couldn’t just dump all the kids on him — he was the type to wash his hands of everything.

Seeing that Meng Yingying was finally wavering, Zhan Tingxu felt both happy and sad.

Happy because she was no longer insisting on divorce.
Sad because it seemed she stayed only for the children’s sake, not for him at all.

Madam Lü finally said,
“Think it over carefully. If you have complaints about Axu, tell me — I’ll stand up for you.”

With that, she left with Li Fang.

Only Meng Yingying and Zhan Tingxu were left in the house.

Zhan Tingxu’s voice turned hoarse.
“Yingying, I’ll be a good husband and a good father. I’ll make sure you never regret marrying me.”

Meng Yingying stayed silent.

If Zhan Tingxu could always act like this, he really would be an exceptional husband.

But Meng Yingying worried it was just an act, and his true nature would show again over time.

After thinking it over, she laid down a condition:
“Unless you sign a written pledge — if you fail to treat the children well or keep your promises, you agree to divorce me.”

“Fine, I agree. I’ll sign as many pledges as you want!”

Hearing this, Zhan Tingxu was almost ecstatic. He suddenly grabbed Meng Yingying and held her tightly.

Startled, she instinctively tried to break free, but couldn’t.

With no choice, she let him keep holding her.

Inside, Meng Yingying felt a little depressed.
If he couldn’t manage this in their past life, could he really do it in this one?

After leaving Zhan Tingxu’s house, Li Fang was clearly displeased and said to Madam Lü,

“The fourth brother has such good conditions, and he’s only twenty-six. He could have any girl he wants — why cling to that half-dead invalid!?”

Madam Lü glared at her.
“Yingying is wonderful. I won’t let you talk about her like that.”

Li Fang immediately tried to sell her niece.

“I have a niece who’s never been married. She’s gorgeous — why don’t I introduce her to the fourth brother?”

Madam Lü shook her head firmly.
“No need. Yingying is just fine.”

However, the very next day Li Fang brought her niece over as a guest.

The niece’s name was Li Yanhong. Li Fang even brought her directly to Zhan Tingxu’s home to introduce them.

“Come on, fourth brother, this is my niece Yanhong. You’ve never met her, right? Get to know each other!”

But Zhan Tingxu, who was washing vegetables, wasn’t interested at all. He glanced at her once, then lowered his head and kept washing.

Li Yanhong’s eyes darted around curiously as she looked everywhere.

Li Fang pinched her arm.
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and greet him!”

Li Yanhong immediately called out sweetly,
“Brother Zhan!”

But Zhan Tingxu didn’t respond — he simply finished washing the vegetables and went to the kitchen to cook.

Meanwhile, Meng Yingying was inside playing with the children and wasn’t interested in them either.

To everyone’s surprise, Li Yanhong suddenly became interested in her instead. She pointed at Meng Yingying and asked,
“Auntie, who’s that?”

Li Fang replied impatiently,
“The fourth brother’s wife — a sickly one. Probably won’t live long!”

“Is she critically ill?” Li Yanhong kept asking.

“Why do you care about her? Go talk to the fourth brother more!” Li Fang grew even more annoyed.

But Li Yanhong seemed completely uninterested in Zhan Tingxu and full of curiosity about Meng Yingying. She even ran over to greet her.

“Hello, Sister Meng, what are you doing here?”

Meng Yingying was a little surprised and looked up at her.

If she remembered correctly, Li Fang was trying to set her niece up with Zhan Tingxu — so why was the girl coming over to chat with her?

Just then, a robotic voice sounded in Meng Yingying’s mind:

“She’s the transmigrated heroine from the original novel. Be on alert!”