The 99th Divorce

Shen Manting looked over too and when she saw Shen Zhilie standing there, she wiped her eyes and tried to quieten down.

However, she couldn’t control her tears and ending up wailing, “Zhilie…”

Shen Zhilie looked at Shen Manting, and then turned to look at Shen Luo’an.

He found Shen Luo’an looking as befuddled as he was.

Shen Luo’an turned back to face Shen Manting ad he gently patted her back to soothe her as he cooed, “You’re fine now. Don’t cry.”

Shen Manting’s wailing slowly ebbed off. She planted her bum down and sat embracing Shen Luo’an’s as she sobbed, “Hubby…”

Shen Luo’an simply looked at her and said nothing.

Staring into Shen Manting’s eyes, Shen Luo’an found them clear but tinged with a hint of confusion as she stared back at him with tears streaming down her face.

She looked like a child who had gotten up in the middle of the night, looking around helplessly to find her parents.

Shen Zhilie saw it clearly, and called out, “Sister-in-law.”

Shen Manting looked over at him as she tried to wipe her tears as she continued to weep.

Engulfed by a myriad of complicated emotions, Shen Luo’an simply passed her a piece of tissue paper, still dumbfounded.

Shen Manting accepted it. She wiped her tears and blew her nose before stating, “Did I wake you up? You should go back to sleep. I was just having a nightmare.”

“Yeah,” Shen Zhilie replied, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he stepped forward and asked, “What did you dream of?”

Shen Zhilie wasn’t the only one curious about the answer.

Shen Luo’an turned his head to look at her in anticipation too, eager to hear her reply.

Shen Manting choked back her sobs as she replied, “I dreamed that I drove my husband away.”

As she spoke, her voice trembled, and tears came pouring down her face again. “My heart hurt so, so badly. I didn’t want to… chase my husband away, but I… couldn’t control myself. I feel… so sad.”

Her words were intermittent and were drowned out by her own sobbing.

Shen Luo’an remained silent as he patted her back gently.

When he looked up at Shen Zhilie, he found his expression to be solemn.

“What’s going on?” Ye Qianqian’s voice rang out.

Dressed in a nightgown, Ye Qianqian walked over. Upon seeing Shen Manting hiccupping in tears, she nudged Shen Zhilie and asked, “They had a fight?”

“It’s nothing,” Shen Zhilie squeezed Ye Qianqian’s hand and turned to look at Shen Luo’an. His words laden with meaning, he said, “Older Brother, why don’t you take Sister-in-law back into the room?”

“Alright,” Shen Luo’an replied. She got up and gently led Shen Manting back to the room while holding her hand. “Let’s go in,” he said.

Still sniffling, Shen Manting followed him obediently.

When they were cocooned in the privacy of the room, she clung on to Shen Luo’an neck tightly and asked in a whisper, “Hubby, do you love me?”

Shen Luo’an felt as if his heart was hanging by a thread. He pulled her into his arms, and lowered his voice to reply, “Yes, of course, I do.”

“Will you promise me something?” Shen Manting looked up at him with a sense of grievance in her eyes. “If I were to chase you away in future, it’ll definitely not be sincere. I don’t want to chase you off. If I’m not dreaming, and I really chase you away, don’t leave. I don’t want to you go! Don’t leave!”

Shen Luo’an’s heart softened upon hearing that.

He couldn’t resist kissing her. He threaded his fingers through her hair and gently asked, “What if you’re serious about driving me away?”

“That’s impossible,” Shen Manting said solemnly. “That won’t be me. So, don’t leave, Hubby.”

“What if I take it seriously…” Shen Luo’an tone was ethereal; it was unnaturally light and gentle.

Shen Manting choked on her words as she stared at him, still in a daze. After a long moment, she finally said, “Well… I will go after you and get you back when I wake up from my dream.”

–

Ye Qianqian felt that something was amiss.

Why would Shen Manting start crying out of the blue and in the living room of all places?

Nudging Shen Zhilie, she asked, “Old Shen, given that Older Brother has such a horrible temper, will he get angry at Manting?”

“…No, he won’t,” Shen Zhilie replied.