The 99th Divorce

Both Shen Zhilie and Shen Luo’an stared unblinkingly at her.

Shen Manting recoiled slightly from their unflinching gaze and asked softly, “What’s the matter?”

“Have you been identifying yourself by that name all along?” Shen Zhilie questioned. He studied Shen Manting’s expression and added, “I demand the truth.”

Shen Manting furrowed her brow and answered, “This is my name, not Shen Manting. I was abandoned on the streets as a child. I never knew my date of birth. An old garbage collector picked me up and sent me to an orphanage.”

Shen Luo’an fell silent, while Shen Zhilie nodded and pressed on, “What happened next?”

“The old garbage collector wondered why I even deserved to be born since my parents didn’t bother to raise me, so the head warden named me as such.”

He Yuncun.

A sobering name for a child.

The name was a reminder that she didn’t deserve to exist.

Shen Luo’an felt his heart ache for her. He now realized that he knew next to nothing about her… the story of her life.

“Do you know Zhang Meifang?” Shen Zhilie wrote in his notebook and looked up at Shen Manting.

“Yes, I do.” Shen Manting nodded. “She’s my close friend. The head warden is fond of her. She’s beautiful and sensible.”

Shen Zhilie and Shen Luo’an looked at each other.

Both noticed traces of puzzlement in the other’s eyes.

“What’s the matter?” Shen Manting looked at them. Then, she asked softly with a sad look in her eyes, “You… you haven’t gotten the wrong person, have you? Is Meifang the person you’re looking for?”

“Not at all. You’re the one we’re looking for.” Shen Zhilie tapped the back of his hand with his pen and asked softly, “Have you seen me before?”

“No.”

“Have you seen him before?”

“No.”

“What’s your favorite food?”

She rubbed her hands over her stomach and replied, “I’m not picky about food. I eat everything that’s edible.”

Shen Luo’an suddenly asked, “Do you eat scallions?”

“Ugh…” Shen Manting’s expression changed to one of displeasure. “No.”

“Do you eat coriander?”

“No…”

Shen Luo’an smiled snidely. “Didn’t you claim to eat everything?”

Shen Manting was speechless.

He asked her a few more questions. Shen Manting answered them smoothly without hesitation.

However, several questions left her stumped.

“Who is Shen Yuexiao?”

“Who is Shen Luo’an?”

“Who is Shen Zhilie?”

“I don’t know any of them,” she replied, baffled.

“That’s all for now.” Shen Zhilie set his notebook aside. “Now I have a better understanding of the situation. I’ll tell you something, but don’t be shocked.”

“What is it?” Shen Manting’s curiosity was piqued.

She looked gullible – a stark contrast to the Shen Manting he knew.

After a pause, Shen Zhilie stood up and said, “Give me a moment.”

He left the room for a few minutes and returned with a mirror in hand.

He passed the mirror to Shen Manting and said, “Take a look at yourself.”

Shen Manting was flustered.

She took the mirror from him and gazed into it.

She was shocked to the core.

She gasped.

Shen Manting flung the mirror aside, mortified by her reflection. She asked in a horrified voice, “Who is this?”

Her reaction was startling.

Shen Luo’an had never expected her to react this way. He could no longer sit still.

On the other hand, Shen Zhilie seemed to have seen this coming. He picked up the mirror and elaborated in detail, “You’re Shen Manting, my sister-in-law, the mother of my nephew. You’re thirty-one years old. You hail from the capital. You’re an orphan since childhood.”

Shen Manting couldn’t believe her ears. She stared at them in horror and protested, “This is impossible! I’m He Yuncun. I have to go to school tomorrow to sit for my final exam. I’m looking forward to the summer break after the exam. Stop fooling me!”