Xu Wan didn’t really know what she was thinking when she said it.

After seeing her husband’s shocked and fearful expression, she felt an unexpected sense of satisfaction, as though she were taking revenge.

She knew she was being impulsive—this was the first time in her life she had acted so impulsively.

Normally, even if the previous day had been miserable, she would tidy herself up for any public event the next day.

She would link arms with her husband and face the cameras, playing the role of the perfect couple without flaw.

Her children, her life, her family—everything had to come second to the appearance of grandeur in front of others.

How many people envied her, just like the wealthy ladies who hadn’t seen her in a long time, yet would rush to flatter her the moment she set foot in Linjiang, as if they were close friends.

But she couldn’t help but think, again and again, of her husband’s indifferent personality, which mirrored her own, yet how he instinctively blocked her son from standing in front of Jin Yaotiao.

She thought about the Jin family, about how Mr. and Mrs. Jin would often bicker behind closed doors.

In their house, there were no outsiders watching, no cameras.

Mr. Jin, a man of authority, would naturally help his wife with her bag and even cook for her.

Their family squeezed into the kitchen, bustling with life.

Some people, even at their age, could live such a life.

Occasionally being impulsive felt good.

---

There had been rumors about the Shen family’s possible marriage issues, and Mrs. Jin was incredulous when she mentioned it to her husband: “How could that be? Their relationship has always been great. Last year, they even celebrated their wedding anniversary abroad and invited us. You were busy, so I went alone. The governor of the state where they were living even attended. And that was just a short while ago.”

When Mr. Jin heard this, he felt a headache coming on.

Mrs. Jin had been complaining about it for so long that it filled his mind for half a month, thinking about “other people’s husbands.”

He knew his wife wanted romance, but he had a simpler way of celebrating their anniversary—cooking a big meal for her, a lot of effort, but it was old-fashioned.

He couldn’t pull off the romantic gestures with cameras and strangers like the Shen’s.

However, Mr. Jin had never doubted their relationship.

He simply laughed, “It’s probably just gossip. You know how those people like to twist things.”

Mrs. Jin agreed.

Even if couples around the world were getting divorced, the Shen’s wouldn’t be among them.

But she didn’t plan to dwell on it.

The chance encounter that day was just an unexpected interruption.

Once it passed, there was no need for further interaction.

However, when she went to work at Mingde the next day, she found Mrs. Shen waiting in the lobby.

Upon seeing her, Mrs. Shen smiled gently.

“Yaotiao.” Xu Wan handed over the items she was holding. “I only found out recently that your father had surgery. This is wild ginseng I had someone get for him. It’s a bit old, but it’s perfect for his recovery. I’m sorry it took me so long to find this. I was overseas at the time and couldn’t help you.”

Jin Yaotiao glanced at it.

The ginseng was large, with thick, beard-like roots.

Mrs. Jin had been searching for health supplements for her husband for a while, spending a lot of money, but nothing had been as good as this one.

Some things couldn’t be bought with money.

She took a step back, “Aunt Xu, I can’t accept this. It’s too valuable. I appreciate the thought. But as for my relationship with Mr. Shen…”

After all, the relationship between her and Shen Qiming’s parents was no more than a brief dinner together.

Xu Wan shook her head. “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not here for Qiming. He told me not to trouble you over the marriage.”

Trouble?

How could a mother and son use such a word?

And Shen Qiming, the quiet type, actually told his parents not to interfere with him?

It was unbelievable.

Xu Wan, seeing her insistence, smiled helplessly, “This is just something I wanted to give you. Not just you, but for your parents too, as a thank-you gift.”

Jin Yaotiao paused for a moment, “But… we didn’t really help you with anything.”

“No,” Xu Wan shook her head gently but firmly, “You’ve helped me a great deal. Because of you, I found the courage to ask for a divorce.”

Jin Yaotiao: “…”

Jin Yaotiao: “???”

What’s going on?

Did Mr. Shen’s parents really get a divorce?

What does she mean, “because of you, I had the courage”?

I didn’t—I wasn’t trying to ruin their family.

My breakup with Shen Qiming was perfectly rational. I never thought about anything so drastic.

But Xu Wan wasn’t making this up.

Jin Yaotiao looked at her for half a minute, unable to hold back from glancing down at herself—

“Where’s this ‘100% divorce plus breakup’ buff coming from?”

Herself, Back then Luna, and now Shen Qiming’s mother—three.

---

Xu Wan actually wanted someone to talk to.

She had held her head high for so many years, maintaining an enviable dignity, but the behind-the-scenes bitterness was something she never let anyone see.

Being deep in conversation wasn’t her style.

She hadn’t interacted much with the Jin family before, but somehow, after that dinner, their position in her heart had changed.

The “Scented Banquet” wasn’t near meal time, and the shop was quiet.

On the table were several cups of sugarcane herbal tea that Jin Yaotiao was promoting, with a faint fragrance drifting into the air.

Jin’s mother, being of a soft nature, couldn’t hold back her tears after hearing her speak so casually about the past.

She cried uncontrollably, patting her hand and saying, “It’s been so hard for you. I never imagined you had been living like that behind the scenes. Why would you put yourself through that? Xiao Shen is so grown up, and you’re not in bad circumstances. Why make yourself suffer like that?”

Xu Wan smiled faintly when her son was mentioned. “Qiming… I’ve let him down. I followed his father around so much that I hardly ever raised him. When we met, I even let him witness those things…”

Xu Wan spoke with some regret, almost on the verge of tears, shaking her head. “It’s for the best that he’s not close to either his father or me.”

Jin’s mother asked, “What will you do next?”

Xu Wan replied, “I’ll find a lawyer first. Divorce isn’t something that can be done easily. I need to find a lawyer who specializes in these kinds of cases. My connections in the country are limited, and my family is retired. I don’t want to trouble them, so I’m still looking around.”

Just then, her assistant called. “Madam, are you at the Scented Banquet? I heard that Mr. Shen went to find you!”

Xu Wan had just stood up when she heard the screech of brakes at the door, followed by a flurry of footsteps.

In no time, Shen’s father arrived with a group of people.

His hair had started to turn gray, but his demeanor was still commanding.

His face, very similar to Shen Qiming’s, showed no expression.

He exuded a powerful aura without saying a word.

As expected, the internationally renowned industry leader had a presence that stunned everyone, even the Jin family.

Jin Yaotiao, who had been silently listening, instinctively stepped forward and stood with her mother to block Shen’s mother.

Jin’s father had avoided the women’s gossip and had retreated to the kitchen earlier.

Now, hearing the commotion, he hurried out to advise, “Mr. Shen, we can’t do this.”

Shen’s father, restrained because of the presence of others, suppressed his anger.

He looked at his wife, who was being shielded by Jin Yaotiao and her mother, and asked, “Did you leak this news?”

He had strictly forbidden anyone from leaking information.

Even his uncontrollable son wouldn’t be the one spreading rumors, but the news about his possible marriage troubles had somehow spread.

Xu Wan bit her lip, her face pale, but she still said firmly, “Yes.”

Shen’s father took a deep breath. “What are you trying to do? Humiliate me? Don’t you know that I was asked about this at the closing ceremony of the conference?”

Xu Wan gave a bitter smile. “I have too few cards to play, and in order not to be controlled by you, I had to use everything I had.”

Shen’s father’s expression darkened. “I won’t agree to the divorce. I have no reason to put on this act for others. You’re underestimating yourself if you think you can use such cheap tricks to manipulate me.”

Xu Wan’s expression flickered with a moment of despair. “What are you going to do?”

Shen’s father sneered. “Do you think now that Jingmao is in Qiming’s hands, I’m helpless? Don’t tell me you think Qiming would be willing to mess around with you?”

Xu Wan couldn’t even imagine that.

Her son hadn’t even reacted when he heard her mention divorce that day, as though the whole situation had nothing to do with him.

She understood in her heart that her child had no emotional attachment to either her or her husband. “No attachment” might even be an understatement.

If it were her, just considering the few interactions they had and the cold, hypocritical family environment, she would have been repulsed.

When Shen’s father saw his wife’s silence, his face softened.

He extended his hand, saying, “Alright, now that we’ve talked, come with me. Let’s meet with the media and clear up the rumors.”

The hand resting on his shoulder trembled, and the breath coming from behind became hurried.

Jin Yaotiao looked incredulously at Shen’s father, who was naturally reaching out for his wife.

She hadn’t intended to intervene, as the Shen family was no longer her concern, but now she hesitated, feeling the urge to support the woman who had no one else to rely on.

Jin Yaotiao grasped her hand, feeling its temperature quickly drop.

She bit her lip, but just then, Shen’s father, who had been standing before them, suddenly shouted in rage, “Who?”

She quickly turned around, startled.

Shen Qiming had arrived without anyone noticing.

He grabbed his father by the collar and was dragging him outside.

Shen’s father, though tall, was still slightly shorter than his son.

He had seemed imposing earlier, but now, dragged by Shen Qiming, he was completely powerless.

In his struggle, when he looked back and saw his son, his face turned from shock to anger. “Qiming! Are you crazy? You dare to lay hands on me!”

Shen Qiming’s face darkened with anger.

He gripped his father’s collar so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He didn’t hesitate at all and dragged him straight out the door, throwing him into the car.

The people who had come with Shen’s father didn’t even dare to stop him.

They knew exactly what was happening.

The driver, who had been standing by the car, instinctively opened the door.

Shen’s father struggled to sit up in the back seat, preparing to glare at his son, but then he heard a loud bang.

Shen Qiming, leaning against the car door, looked down at him with dark, menacing eyes. “We leave now, or I’ll force you to go.”

Shen’s father froze as he adjusted his collar, stunned. “What did you say? Say that again? Who are you going to beat?”

Shen Qiming lowered his gaze, his voice cold. “Do you think I won’t do it?”

The two men stared at each other for five seconds.

Shen’s father showed a trace of fear, and Shen Qiming gave a cold laugh, then closed the car door with a slam.

He shot a glance at the driver.

The driver straightened up, started the car, and sped off.

Shen Qiming watched them leave.

After a long while, he finally heard his mother’s voice behind him: “Qiming…”

He turned around, his gaze meeting his mother’s.

He locked eyes with Jin Yaotiao for a moment before turning away.

Unlike before, he didn’t step forward to separate them.

Xu Wan watched her tall son, unable to believe he had appeared to stand up for her here. Her emotions were a mix of sorrow and joy, almost like a dream. “Qiming, your father and I…”

She suddenly realized that she hadn’t discussed the divorce with her son beforehand.

Or maybe, there had never been a tradition of communication between them.

This was undoubtedly her fault as a mother.

Shen Qiming interrupted her, his voice emotionless. “I’ll have someone find a lawyer. You don’t need to say anything or meet with him. Just wait for the news.”

Xu Wan’s tears, which she had held back for so long, finally fell. “Thank you, and… I’m sorry.”

Shen Qiming, seeing her cry, pursed his lips but didn’t say anything more. After Jin Yaotiao arranged for her parents to send Xu Wan off, he finally spoke again. “Sorry.”

Jin Yaotiao turned her gaze from Xu Wan and looked at him. “What?”

Shen Qiming looked down at her. “I frightened you, didn’t I? I didn’t control them properly.”

She remembered what Xu Wan had said about Shen Qiming forbidding his parents from bothering her and shook her head. “It’s fine. I’m not that fragile.”

Her emotions were complicated. “Mr. Shen, you… never really talked to me about these things before.”

Realizing the truth of the situation, she realized that many of the questions she had asked before had been completely clueless.

Shen Qiming became quiet.

Jin Yaotiao waited for a response but didn’t get one. She looked at him curiously.

He stood straight, his gaze focused on her, his profile sharp and smooth.

After a moment, Shen Qiming finally spoke. He looked away, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“If I could, I would never want you to see these dirty things.”

---

At Mingde, not far from the “Scented Banquet,” Xu Wan wiped her tears, her eyes still red but her beauty and composure restored. She held Jin’s mother’s hand and said, “Thank you.”

Jin’s mother had accepted the wild ginseng Xu Wan brought, laughing and saying, “No need to thank me. You’re so polite, Shen’s wife…”

She paused. It no longer felt right to call her “Mrs. Shen” at this moment.