The 99th Divorce

When Ye Qianqian heard that, the nerves she had managed to suppress before coming resurfaced. “At your place?” she asked.

“Otherwise?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Won’t your whole family be there?”

“Where else do you intend to stay?” Shen Zhilie glanced at her out the corner of his eye and quietly asked, “Do you expect me to have my woman stay in a hotel when she has come to meet my parents?”

When Ye Qianqian heard that, she suddenly felt powerless to refute him.

Shen Zhilie pulled her close and walked out with a swagger.

The doctors and nurses who were coming and going stopped by to say hello. They looked at Ye Qianqian as if she were a zoo exhibit.

The girls came up to the couple and shook Ye Qianqian’s hand. All of them looked surprised.

“Oh my god, what a pretty girl! Old Shen, is this your girlfriend?”

“Ha-ha! Old Shen has finally matured! Look at how beautiful his girlfriend is!”

Of all the compliments thrown their way, some were genuine while others weren’t.

Ye Qianqian didn’t call them out for it. Hearing compliments still made her feel happy.

The corners of her lips turned up in a smile. Ye Qianqian looked every individual in the eye and greeted, “Hello, my name is Ye Qianqian.”

“Wow! Even her name sounds so nice! How is it written? Is it the same word for ‘thousand’[1]”

“No, it’s written with three strokes on top and the word for ‘west’ at the bottom.”

“Isn’t that word pronounced as ‘xi’?”

“Well, yes. But it can also be pronounced as ‘qian.’ Ha-ha…”

By the time she was done being introduced around, Ye Qianqian began to feel like a circus monkey. Even her face was feeling stiff from all the smiling. She made her way down from the Psychiatric Department to the first floor.

“You have way too many colleagues! Oh my god! Why are you on such good terms with everyone? I had to smile so much that my whole face is aching!” Ye Qianqian rubbed her cheeks and followed Shen Zhilie to the parking garage in the basement.

Shen Zhilie took out his keys and smiled. “Oh, come on,” he said, “stop complaining. I know how happy you’re feeling inside.”

Ye Qianqian pressed her lips together and ran forward to hug his arm. “That’s not true at all! But seriously, how can you be on such friendly terms with everyone? You’re like a social butterfly.”

“I am indeed a social butterfly! How else could I have gotten so many people to compliment you on your beauty?” Shen Zhilie walked toward his car. The logo on the key was that of a Buick. It looked very understated.

Shen Zhilie put her luggage in the trunk of the car as Ye Qianqian opened the door to the passenger seat in front and got in. She asked, “Is this your car?”

“It’s my grandma’s. I’m just using it for the time being.”

“Your grandma still drives? That’s formidable!”

“Of course. My grandma is very advanced when it comes to technology. When she heard that you were coming today, she prepared a lot of things for you.”

Ye Qianqian couldn’t help but feel even more nervous when she heard that. She looked at Shen Zhilie and couldn’t resist asking, “What did she prepare?”

“Food to eat, stuff to play with, and a room for you, among other things. All the activities for this evening have been arranged for you.” Shen Zhilie smiled. He seemed to be in a very good mood. He glanced at Ye Qianqian and started the car. “I’m sure you’ll like my grandmother when you meet her.”

Ye Qianqian did not say anything.

She knew exactly what the old matriarch of the Shen family was like.

When Ye Youyou had been part of the Shen’s household, she had been bullied frequently by the old lady.

Now that Ye Qianqian’s turn had come, how much could the old lady have changed?

At that thought, Ye Qianqian grew terrified and asked, “Shen Zhilie, why don’t we go tomorrow instead? I’ll return to Kingstown after that…”

“Got cold feet?” Shen Zhilie teased with faux disdain. “How are you going to survive in the future?”

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[1] The Chinese word for thousand is also pronounced qian.

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