Chapter 3: The Years When My Ex-Husband Couldn't Cut It

When she had just given birth, a fire broke out in the hospital, and the two children cried loudly, choking on the smoke. She fought desperately to save them!

Later, when the children grew up and became sensible, deep down she still hoped to bring them back to their homeland. Plus, she recently received a call from the nursing home; Mrs. Ning's condition was getting more serious, and as a family member, it was best for her to come to visit. With no choice left, she had to bring the children back to the country.

Today's book-signing event is in the form of a live broadcast.

Chen Bao's little face is almost an exact copy of Li Lingyang's. She originally didn't want the little guy to come, but they insisted on not missing the big day and resolutely followed her. But now, in the blink of an eye, where did he run off to?

"Sister Ning, the signing event is about to start, please hurry to the hall with me..." The host found her in a hurry and urged.

Ning Yichu asked anxiously, "Did you see two children here just now?"

"It seems that all the participants today are adults, I didn't see any children..."

"Strange, where did they run off to?" Ning Yichu couldn't think about starting the live broadcast without finding the children, "Wait for me a moment, I need to make a phone call! Will five minutes be okay, just five minutes?"

On the corridor outside the restroom, Ning Yichu dialed Chen Bao's phone, her mind filled with thoughts of the unreliable little guy.

Thankfully, after a few calls, it finally connected!

As soon as it connected, she couldn't wait to ask, "Where did you two run off to? Mommy's live broadcast is about to start, you're almost driving me mad..."

"Mommy, you do your thing, don't worry about Ningning and me, we're at the restroom." A childish voice came from the receiver, gasping for breath as if someone was chasing him.

Ning Yichu became puzzled, "I am right outside the restroom, and I didn't see you. Also, why do you sound so out of breath?"

"That's because we were playing in the playground downstairs for a long time, now it's very hot!" The little one smartly replied.

The host kept urging Ning Yichu, who whispered sternly, "Take good care of your sister and come back quickly," then hung up the phone and appeared on the live book-signing event.

She wore a blue, intellectual-looking long dress today, slowly appearing in front of the camera, shedding the naiveté of five years ago, looking more confident and composed.

"Lady Ning, hello, I never imagined you'd be so young in person..."

"Thank you."

The host held a white-covered book in one hand and a microphone in the other and said, "What I have here is your breakout work, 'My Husband's Useless Years,' which vividly paints the story of a scumbag husband ditching his wife and children for a mistress, and ultimately dying in a car crash. It sounds melodramatic, but rumors say that it's adapted from real events in your life?"

"Yes, the character Mo Ran in the book is based on myself." Ning Yichu faced the camera unflinchingly.

The journalist, taken aback by her frank admission, asked even more eagerly, "The depiction of high society scenes in the book is very realistic, and the internet is rife with speculation that your ex-husband must be from a wealthy family. Aren't you afraid of retaliation by publicly saying he is not capable?"

Ning Yichu replied with a light smile, "I believe, with his lover by his side, he won't be too bored to target an ex-wife who can be spared."

"May I ask what was your initial inspiration to write this book? Was it to refute them?"

"No, a divorcee is a stranger. I was bored at home and casually wrote a few fragments online, and later the readers clamored for more. I thought it might be a warning sign, and it could also serve as a wake-up call for many single women, so I finished the story."

Ning Yichu spoke confidently to the camera, unaware that this segment of the live interview was being simultaneously broadcast on the large LED screen outside the Guangpu Building.

A sleek black Maybach pulled up discreetly.

Li Lingyang got out of the car and saw the live interview as he looked up.

That beautiful face, unseen for five years, burst into his vision unexpectedly.

And that classic quote, "My Husband's Useless Years."

He was visibly stunned for a moment, followed by a surge of immense anger.

"It really is her!" After dropping that grinding remark, Li Lingyang's long legs moved in strides, heading towards the building with a terrifying intensity as if ready to devour someone.

...

The interview segment ended, and the book signing event began.

The atmosphere at the venue was very enthusiastic, and Ning Yichu was interacting earnestly with her fans.

Just as one fan with starry eyes looked at her, hoping to take a photo together, there was a loud "clang," and the doors of the hall were suddenly slammed open from the outside.

A group of well-trained bodyguards filed in, interrupting the live broadcast. Everyone at the scene was startled.

"The book signing is over, please all readers leave immediately!" the leader announced with an icy reminder.

There was a strong oppressive feeling that uninvited guests were not welcome.

"What's this? There's still such a long queue behind us, why has it ended? Who are you?" someone protested.

The bodyguards did not respond, but respectfully and automatically stepped aside, creating a half-meter-wide corridor.

Ning Yichu had not even reacted to what was happening before she saw the crowd dispersing and a tall and lofty figure slowly emerging from the backlight.

He had a dangerous thin smile on his lips, like a beast that had firmly set its sights on its prey.

Ning Yichu looked at the approaching man, and her brain buzzed for a moment as if it had exploded!

Five years, almost two thousand days and nights, and he still looked as handsome and frosty as she remembered.

She knew that returning to Imperial City she would inevitably meet him, but she hadn't expected it would be this soon.

"Ning Yichu, we haven't seen each other in five years, and you've become braver, huh? Mocking that I'm not up to par? Hm?" Li Lingyang's cold voice contained a bit of vicious provocation.

In full view of everyone, Ning Yichu's face flushed red in an instant; she felt like she had been slapped in the face. She had just thought he wouldn't bother about her, yet within five minutes of the live broadcast, he had shown up.

Taking a deep breath, she replied with a forced smile, "Hi, President Li, long time no see. Should we count, in the two and a half years of our marriage, how many times did you touch me? Women have needs too. If that's not being 'unable,' then what is it?"

Li Lingyang's forehead vein throbbed, and he narrowed his eyes. He never imagined that his reunion with Ning Yichu would be in such a setting.

Even less did he expect that the woman who once admired and loved him so deeply would slander him in such a way!

He pinched her chin, "A man reluctant to touch a woman might not necessarily mean the man is incapable; perhaps the woman just turns his stomach. Maybe I should also write a book titled 'The Years My Wife was Promiscuous.'"

Ning Yichu tried to break free, but she couldn't, so she could only glare at him furiously.

Who was promiscuous!

This dog of a man, he thought just because he cheated, everyone in the world was like him?

Disgusting!

"Where's the child?" he suddenly asked sharply.

Ning Yichu's heart jumped to her throat; why did he suddenly ask about the child? Did he know something?

She feigned ignorance, "What child?"

"Stop playing dumb. He extorted a billion from someone and then headed straight to you, could it be such a coincidence? Hand the person over!" Li Lingyang glared at her with an icy gaze. His pure black suit made him look even more noble and chilly.

Ning Yichu's eyes widened in astonishment; he had been swindled by a child, and was he now following that child here?

How old was that child? Was it Chen Bao? Or some other child?

In that moment, countless thoughts flashed through Ning Yichu's mind, all converging into one sentence, "I don't know what you're talking about! We're divorced, you were scammed by a child and you come asking me, your ex-wife?"