73

At exactly 2 p.m., Beiting walked into Nainai's sitting room, which was filled with the scent of incense. She was accompanied by Sen Wen's mother, Mochen, and her close friend Suixu. When Nainai came out of her room and saw them, she beamed and said, "Ah, welcome, everyone."

Mochen and her friend sat down and greeted Nainai, who returned the greeting with a smile. She fetched them some water and turned to Beiting, asking, "Have you called everyone yet?"

Beiting stood and went into the room. Not long after, she came back out. Nainai laid down a mat and sat. Beiting also found a seat. Zihan entered the sitting room first, followed by Yuting. They all exchanged greetings with Sen Wen's mother.

Ever since Zong told Yichen to come to Nainai's side of the house, her heart hadn't stopped racing. Could it be that today was the day? The conversation she had convinced herself might never happen was suddenly within reach. She took a deep breath and headed there, recalling Xulin's advice to stay calm.

When she arrived, her face was tight with tension. She had never felt her chest pound this hard before. Her legs suddenly felt weak, and she froze at the entrance of the sitting room, her eyes locked on Mochen, who didn't even blink.

Nainai looked at her and said, "Welcome, Yichen. Please come in."

Yichen glanced at Nainai, then at Zong and Quentin, who were also in the sitting room. Still, she didn't move. Nainai frowned and said, "Yichen, come on now. You're standing there like a child. We've been waiting for you. Please, just come in."

With that, Yichen hardened her expression and stepped into the room. She chose a quiet corner and sat, keeping her eyes fixed on the doorway.

Nainai turned to Zong and said, "Shall we call Zhan in? I want him to witness everything himself."

Quentin replied, "No, there's no need to call him."

Nainai nodded. "Alright then."

Mochen looked intently at Yichen and said, "Before I begin, I hope you recognize me?"

Yichen glanced at her briefly and replied, "How would I recognize you? There are too many people around the world."

Mochen smiled faintly. "It's alright if you don't. Maybe when I explain why I'm here, you'll remember me." She then looked at Nainai and continued, "About two months ago, this woman you see here came to my home with her daughter-in-law and a friend. She brought up a matter I want everyone to hear now."

Everyone in the sitting room turned toward Mochen with interest. Even Nainai's eyes were wide with anticipation.

Mochen went on, "She came to my house with her daughter-in-law and her friend to talk about a marriage proposal between my son, Sen Wen, and the young man here, Yibo. From her own mouth, I heard that Yibo was sickly and not healthy. She even disclosed how much his father spends every month on his condition."

"I won't go into every ugly detail, but let me just say...this woman insulted the boy's mother behind her back. Without shame, she told me that if I allowed my son to marry Yibo, they would take him away from me just as they had taken the boy's father. She spent over twenty minutes defaming Yibo and his mother right there in my sitting room. Her friend joined in, supporting her every word. In the end, I simply told them thank you, and that I would consider it."

Mochen paused, her tone growing sharper. "Two things became clear to me that day, first....this woman is full of envy, and she harbors deep hatred. She is capable of doing anything to destroy Yibo and his mother. She would go to any length. She has no conscience, no fear of consequences. She is dangerous."

She continued, "When they left my house, I decided to proceed with Yibo's wedding arrangements. Seeing that she didn't succeed with me, she turned to dark means. She sought out spiritual manipulation to make my son reject the marriage. She tried to separate him from Yibo out of her own selfish desires."

The entire room was silent, all eyes on Yichen, who sat frozen with shock. Quentin hadn't looked at her again after that first glance. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Yuting forced a smile through tear-filled eyes, her head shaking in disbelief.

Sen Wen's mother looked directly at Yichen and said coldly, "Listen to me carefully. You only see me, but you know nothing about who I truly am. Before anything else, I want someone to ask her....what exactly did Sen Wen do to her?"

The sitting room fell into a heavy silence. Beiting slowly shook her head, her gaze moving to Yichen, whose expression was stone cold as she stared at Sen Wen's mother. After a tense moment, Yichen stood, eyes locked with the older woman, and said, "Are you seriously accusing me in my own house? Me, Yichen? Me??"

"Do you even understand what you're saying? What reason would I have to go to your house when I don't even know where it is? I swear, Zong, she's lying on my name! I don't know this woman, I've never seen her before in my life. I swear I don't know her! Why would she want to tarnish my name like this?!"

Mochen's mouth fell open in disbelief as she stared at Yichen. Zihan smirked and shook her head. Tears burst from Yichen's eyes as she cried out, "If I accept this wicked lie you've followed me with into my home, then may I be cursed. But I swear, I'll fight for my name no matter what it costs me. I won't let you stain me with this evil rumor and disgrace!"

Nainai's mouth dropped as she watched Yichen crying, visibly shaking. Yichen stepped forward, raising her voice, "I swear I won't accept this. You say I....Yichen, went to your house to destroy Sen Wen's image in front of my mother-in-law, my husband and his siblings? I swear, even on this earth, we'll take this to court. I don't care if you're married to Mr. Wen Yo Lee or the richest man alive...I will get justice. What did I ever do to you that you would humiliate me like this in front of my husband and his family? What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Mochen only smiled and said calmly, "In all my life, I've never seen someone so fake, so manipulative, so brazenly dishonest and godless like you. You're nothing but a devil in human form, a walking disaster in society…"

Before she could finish, Yichen pointed her finger directly at her forehead and shouted, "Your mother is the devil and the disaster, not me!"

Mochen slowly stood up, eyes narrowed. "You pointed at me and insulted my mother?"

Still fuming, Yichen answered, "Yes, I did. Do what you want if you have the guts! How dare you come into my house and throw this kind of wickedness at me?" Mochen merely smiled again and said, "First, I'll let you finish all your swearing, because I need to remind you that my house is under CCTV surveillance. And second, you'll soon regret pointing that filthy finger at my forehead."

Nainai stood up in horror, her voice rising. "Yichen! You've brought a calamity upon yourself that none of us can predict! The moment you raised that cursed finger to poke this woman's forehead, you drew boiling trouble to your head. Not even Zong would dare to rescue you from this situation."

Zong stood up and quietly walked out of the sitting room. Yichen turned toward Nainai, furious, and said, "I will not face any calamity, not for standing up for myself. Why should I stay quiet when a woman barges into my home and throws this filthy accusation at me? I swear I won't let it go....wherever this ends, I'll follow it through."

Mochen stood tall and said with finality, "You'll see. I'll show you that even among liars, you're a small fish. I'll make sure your end begins in this world. And you'll learn that no one messes with Sen Wen. I'd rather suffer than let anyone hurt him." With that, she stormed out, followed closely by her friend.

Nainai let out a bitter laugh, glaring at Yichen who stood flushed and heaving. "So now we see the truth....an oppressor, daughter of the devil. I've long suspected you did something terrible to my grandson, and karma has brought it back to your door, through your own son, that precious boy. But I thank the heavens this ugly truth didn't come from my mouth. If you wronged someone and slept peacefully, then tonight you won't even rest. Let me tell you something....may heaven separate you from this woman peacefully, you're already doomed. You've lost both this world and the next, because you chose to rely on charms and false prophets instead of the fate and destiny…"

Just then, Zong entered the room, causing Nainai to fall silent. He stared at Yichen and handed her a folded document. "I don't want you to spend another night in this house, Yichen."

Yichen stared at him in disbelief, heart pounding, then snatched the paper and read its contents. She broke into a wail, turning toward Quentin in shock. "He divorced me, Quentin… He really did… He divorced me!"

Quentin didn't say a word. He just kept staring at Yichen, while Nainai blinked rapidly, waiting to hear him speak. But instead, he stood up and walked out of the sitting room.

Yichen broke down in uncontrollable sobs and collapsed to the floor. "Oh no... I'm doomed. I'm ruined!"

Nainai quickly flung the door open and snapped, "No! Don't bring your bad luck into my sitting room, especially not when it's filled with blessings. Get up and leave. Go destroy yourself elsewhere. May heaven protect us from people like you! May justice be done for my son Zong, whose money you spent chasing after fortune tellers and fake spiritualists."

"Poor Zhan," she continued with a heavy sigh. "He never had the blessing of a good mother in this world. Thankfully, he has a god-fearing grandmother to guide him. As for Yibo....may justice be done between him and you for what you've done. I pray more karma comes for you. I pray it does."

Yichen said nothing. She just cried and looked at Nainai helplessly.

Nainai turned to Beiting and said with a bitter smile, "You see? Even those who truly held on to faith and goodness can be destroyed in this world. What hope is there for someone who chooses darkness?"

Yuting stood up quietly and left the sitting room, wiping away her tears. Yichen buried her face in the chair, her sobs deepening.

"I'm doomed... I'm ruined..." she repeated, her voice breaking.

Nainai's tone grew sharper. "Yichen, I'm asking you to leave my sitting room. Don't bring misfortune into this house. Don't provoke the wrath of heaven. Get up and leave."

Yichen slowly got up and walked out, crying as though her soul were being torn apart. Zihan sat in stunned silence, her arms wrapped around herself, trying to keep from crying. Even Beiting was speechless. Despite everything she knew about Yichen, she still hadn't expected Quentin to e suchtak a drastic step. She thought he might have simply told her to leave for a few days....not this.

But her greatest pity was for Zhan. After all, Yichen was still his mother.

Yichen rushed straight to Quentin's private sitting room after leaving Nainai's. He was still sitting there, lost in thought, struggling to believe what he'd just heard from Sen Wen's mother. He knew deep down she wouldn't come all the way to their home to make false accusations.....especially since she said she had evidence, thanks to CCTV footage.

Still, Quentin was trying not to let hatred for Yichen overwhelm his heart.

Yuting had quietly entered the room without saying a word and gone straight to her bedroom. Despite trying to hold herself together, she couldn't stop crying. She kept asking herself what she had done to deserve Yichen's hatred...hatred so intense it extended to her only child.

She swore to herself: she never once asked Zong to divorce Yichen in the past. From childhood, she and Zihan had been close, and their friendship didn't just begin recently. Yichen had always envied her....ever since she married Quentin. Because even though she had never conceived, Quentin never deprived her of anything. Despite being childless, and enduring Nainai's occasional cold remarks, he never treated her less.

Meanwhile, Yichen had children....children in expensive schools....and still, she wasn't satisfied. When she and Yichen fought, he ended up divorcing her for the first time. That only made things worse between her and Yichen.

Then Yichen was convinced she and Zihan were plotting against her. After all, Zihan frequently visited Yuting back when she was in their old house.

Yuting shook her head, tears sliding down her cheeks. She wondered if such people truly existed in the world, or if Yichen was just one of a kind. The hatred, the bitterness.....it was too much. And now, to make matters worse, her only son had married Yichen's son. Even though Zhan had never once supported his mother's behavior, he was still obedient to her. She was his mother, after all.

Now Yichen had been divorced a second time...because of her son Yibo. The first time had been because of her. That alone would guarantee she'd never let Yibo live in peace under Zhan's roof. The mere thought of it made Yuting break down into fresh tears.

The moment Yichen stepped into the sitting room, Quentin gave her a brief glance and then looked away. She knelt beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks, and in a trembling voice, said, "Please, for the love of everything, save me, Quentin. Look into your heart....speak to your brother and ask him to withdraw this divorce. I swear I have nowhere else to go, no place that could bring me the peace this home does. I beg you, Quentin, don't separate me from my children. Everything that happened was the devil's deceit, and I admit I was wrong. Please forgive me.....not for my sake, but for theirs. Help me, Quentin."

He rested his head back on the chair, saying nothing. She continued crying, watching him intently, and when he still didn't respond, her voice broke again, "Please, don't judge me by my flaws, Quentin. Consider the children I bore in this house.....do it for their sake, I beg you..."

Her sobs grew louder. Finally, Quentin glanced at her but couldn't bring himself to speak. He simply stood up, walked slowly to the door, and left the sitting room. Yichen broke down, crying even harder. She stood as well, eyes fixed on the door to Yuting's room, and headed there. She opened it and went in.

Yuting was sitting at the edge of the bed, unable to stop her tears. She looked up at Yichen, who came in and sat beside her, wiping her tears while more flowed. In a shaking voice, Yichen pleaded, "Please, Yuting, talk to Zong. Ask him to intervene. Help me. Don't let this marriage end. I swear it was all just a moment of weakness. At least for the sake of the marriage they arranged between Yibo and Zhan, don't let my actions ruin everything."

Yuting couldn't bring herself to respond..... she just quietly wiped her own tears.

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Meanwhile, Quentin left his part of the house and walked over to Zong's sitting room. He opened the door gently and saw his younger brother sitting silently. Zhan was crouched beside him, head in his hands. Zong had his head leaning back against the chair, staring at the ceiling.

Quentin sat down and looked at Zong. After a few moments, he spoke softly, "I'm sorry about what happened, Barrister. But decisions shouldn't be made in anger. This is wrong. And the punishment… it's too harsh. If your wife made a mistake, she's still family. We have the right to forgive. Every human makes mistakes.... none of us are perfect. What's done is done; may God protect us from worse and guide her. At least it happened within our home and not in public. We should solve this as a family, without outsiders getting involved."

He paused briefly, then continued, "This situation doesn't deserve the judgment you've passed, Barrister. I'm truly unhappy about it. No matter what, Yichen deserves to be respected for the sake of her children in this house. That's why I came to plead.... don't end this marriage. It's all a result of emotional impulse and confusion, nothing more. I've already forgiven her, and I know Yibo won't hold a grudge.... she is his mother-in-law. And I believe Yuting will also let go, eventually. In the end, may we all be guided and freed from selfish pride that leads to regret. Yichen deserves a second chance.... for the sake of her children."

Zong gave a bitter smile and replied, "There's no marriage between us anymore. She must leave before dusk."

Quentin fell silent, unable to say a word. No one spoke for nearly five minutes. Then Zhan slowly stood up and walked out. Quentin shook his head, deeply saddened. "I'm not happy about this, Barrister. Are you really divorcing your wife because of my son? Why?"

He looked at his brother with disbelief. "Is this what our bond as a family has become? No matter what Yichen did, doesn't she deserve to be treated with respect for the sake of her children? Yes, she wronged Yibo....but in the end, didn't Zhan still marry him? Please reconsider, Barrister…"

Zong shook his head and replied, "You know we already had a separation once. This is the second time....I'm ending it for good. Let her go. If I wronged her during our nearly thirty years of marriage, may heaven repay her. And if she wronged me, I forgive her....for the sake of the children we raised together."

Quentin couldn't say a word. He was completely disheartened.

Then Nainai opened the door to the sitting room and walked in. "Zong, should I go out now and get a large vehicle to start moving Yichen's things out of the house? We shouldn't wait until nightfall and cause unnecessary commotion."

Zong just stared at her, not saying a word. Quentin didn't even look her way.

Nainai glanced between them and said, "You're both quiet now?"

Quentin stood up and walked out without a word. She shot him a contemptuous look as he left, then muttered, "Foolish man. If he didn't come here to beg, I wouldn't even believe he had any sense left. Since the day I was born, I've never seen anyone like Quentin. One child, just one.....and he's letting her destroy his peace like this. But he keeps acting like nothing matters because he's afraid of conflict. That's been his problem since the beginning. He forgives everything out of pity. And now, look where it's gotten him."

She shook her head. "As for me, I'll never forgive someone who wrongs me. Even heaven doesn't ask that of us. If I don't seek justice, then heaven will be angry with me too..."

Zong didn't say a word, but Nainai clicked her tongue and said, "Honestly, if it had been anyone but Yibo who got hurt today, maybe I could've forgiven her. Maybe even Zong would've let it go. But Yibo? The only child Quentin ever had?"

"Now, even if she forget what kind of heart Quentin has, did Yichen really have to betray him with the one precious thing he was given by heaven? What did Yibo ever do to her? Hasn't he always been kind to her, stood by her, and treated her with nothing but respect? Even if she's upset with Yuting, that still doesn't give her the right to hurt Yibo.... Quentin's son, a genuinely good man…"

Nainai broke down in tears, sobbing as she spoke. "Zhan is the real victim here. That poor boy never got the mother he deserved. He's such a good kid, raised right, respectful and kind....and now he has to hear all this? I don't even know how he'll handle it."

"As for me, I leave everything between me and Yichen to heaven. The bitterness I've felt for distroying my every year traveling to abroad… I won't forgive her. What right does she have to do that? Who else will ever took me abroad every year except for Sen Wen?"

With that, she left the sitting room, wiping her tears.

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Yuting was in Yibo's room, sitting silently ever since Yichen left. Yibo, meanwhile, couldn't stop crying....his sobs were raw and heavy. Yuting just sat there, lost in thought, unable to find the right words. Finally, through shaky breaths, Yibo said, "Gege, even if it was for his sake, Bobo shouldn't have done this. I don't know how he'll take it. Why did all of this have to happen… just because of me?"

Yuting didn't say a word.

Yibo wanted to tell her what had really happened that Thursday in Tianjin....the reason they had to come back home.....but he couldn't. He'd promised never to speak of it at home. And the moment he remembered that he was the reason Yichen's marriage fell apart, fresh tears streamed down his face.

Quietly, Yuting shook her head and muttered, "This is truly heartbreaking…"

She stood and walked out of the room. Even though she knew there was no marriage left between Yichen and Zong, she headed to the sitting room to see him.

At exactly ten minutes to five, as Zong had brought the large vehicle meant to take away Yichen's belongings arrived at the house. Yichen was still in her room, crying with Mengxi, Xinyi, and Meiling....all of them sobbing as if their hearts were breaking. Yu was also there, sitting quietly, unable to say a word, her face wet with tears. Zihan stood silently by the mirror, arms crossed, deep in thought.

In the sitting room, Zhan knelt in front of his father and said quietly, "Papa, I was thinking....maybe we could leave her things for now. I'll come pick them up myself later."

Zong was silent, just watching him. After a while, he nodded slowly and asked, "Alright. But do you have any idea where she's going now?"

Zhan bowed his head. "I'm taking her to Tianjin."

"To your house?" Zong asked.

Zhan nodded.

"And what about Yibo? Where will he stay?"

Softly, Zhan answered, "Here in Beijing."

After a few seconds, Zong sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Zhan. I didn't see this coming either, but maybe it's for the best. After what you told me happened in your house... how it got so bad you had to send Ning Li away....and now this… Yes, I was angry. But I've kept quiet about the things your mother has done to me for years. I let her talk down to me, out of respect for all of you. But today? Today was too much. Maybe this is what's best. And may it turn out for the better, God willing. I'm sorry, because I know how sad this is for you."

"And the reason I said she should leave today is because of Sen Wen's mother. That woman. If she returns and sees Yichen here, things will only get worse. This way, maybe we can avoid further damage. We'll just apologize to her, and maybe she'll let it go…"

Zhan couldn't say anything. Tears welled up in his eyes. Zong stood, went into his room, and came back with some money. He handed it to Zhan and said, "Give this to her. Let her hold onto it herself. May blessings follow you."

Zhan stood up with his head lowered. "Thank you, Papa," he said softly, then walked out of the sitting room.

Zhanxianyibo❤️💚💛