The 99th Divorce

“I heard that she’s Youyou’s sister.” Shen Longyue glanced at his wife and said, “They do resemble each other a little, but Qianqian’s face is just a bit rounder.”

“Yeah. I think Mom seems to like her very much, too. She looked so happy chatting with her in the room just now.”

Shen Longue nodded his head with a smile when he heard that and looked at Ye Qianqian and Shen Zhilie, who were, at that moment, washing their hands in the kitchen. “It’s rare for Mom to take a liking to such a young lady.”

“Very rare indeed.” Mrs. Shen beamed at her husband and remarked, “Let’s wash our hands and get ready for dinner, too.”

With a smile, Shen Longyue stood up and offered his wife his hand. Mrs. Shen blushed a little, but reached out nonetheless and took the hand her husband offered.

Ye Qianqian and Shen Zhilie were soon done washing their hands and sat at the dining table. The more Nanny He watched the girl, the more she liked her. She said, “Qianqian, these are my signature dishes from my hometown. Do try them.”

The smile on Ye Qianqian’s face reached her eyes as she replied, “Sure. Thank you, Auntie He.”

“Nanny He, why don’t you sit and join us for dinner?” Shen Zhilie patted a stool beside him.

Nanny He looked overwhelmed by Shen Zhilie’s suggestion and quickly shook her head as she replied, “Oh no no no! Please don’t! Old Mrs. Shen won’t be happy if she sees that.”

Shen Zhilie understood her predicament and didn’t insist.

Ye Qianqian witnessed the exchange and began to feel that the old lady was becoming scarier by the moment. The old lady… did indeed look scary. Ye Qianqian recalled when the old lady had mentioned her having the sign of a short life, and she felt very unsettled.

When Nanny He served a bowl of rice to Ye Qianqian, Ye Qianqian felt a little ill at ease and said, “Grandma isn’t back yet. Are we not going to wait for her?”

“That won’t be necessary. Just go ahead first.” Mrs. Shen waved her hands. “Zhilie’s grandma does that often. She’s always disappearing as she pleases. Sometimes she’ll even settle her own dinner at her friend’s place. We don’t have to worry about her.”

Ye Qianqian nodded her head in response, but a nagging doubt kept replaying in her mind. If the old lady came back when they were in the midst of their meal, would she accuse Ye Qianqian of not having proper upbringing for not displaying the appropriate etiquette toward her elders?

The more she thought about it, the more likely that possibility seemed. But when she saw that the entire family thought nothing of it, Ye Qianqian slowly followed suit and started eating as well.

Since Shen Zhilie was around, Ye Qianqian unconsciously let her guard down while she ate, but, all of a sudden, she felt a heat on her leg, and Ye Qianqian jerked upright in shock. Her heart began to beat wildly, and she turned to look at Shen Zhilie. Shen Zhilie’s expression remained calm as he continued eating normally.

As Ye Qianqian pushed his hand off, she sensed someone’s eyes on her. She looked up and met Mrs. Shen’s gaze. With her face burning up, Ye Qianqian quickly looked down again, but the next moment, the spot between her legs began to feel ticklish. Ye Qianqian clamped her legs together immediately, and her whole body went numb.

She turned her head and glared at Shen Zhilie, but his expression remained calm and collected. When he noticed her glare, he turned toward her and grinned. Ye Qianqian couldn’t say a word, and continued to stare daggers at him.

Mrs. Shen noticed it and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Zhilie beamed at his mother and replied, “She loves me too much.”

Ye Qianqian fixed a death glare on him but quickly looked down with a reddened face. However, she reached out and pinched Shen Zhilie hard on his thigh.

Shen Zhilie howled in pain, and Mrs. Shen asked again, “What’s wrong?”

Shen Zhilie smiled back dazzlingly at her. “It’s fine, Mom. Just continue eating.”

Mrs. Shen wasn’t born yesterday. When she heard that, she knew right away that he was lying through his teeth.

…