Chapter 44: Collected the Divorce Certificate

In Wenlüxiaozhen, he, in a fit of rage, gave Meng Shutang a hard pull, and she instantly vomited.

He was gripping tightly, yet he hadn't exerted much force.

At that moment doubts arose in his mind; after hanging up Qin Zheng's call, he went to Fanxing Studio to find Meng Shutang.

Ruan An told him, "Sister Tang's health isn't good, she didn't come today."

Gu Yunci felt a tightening in his chest.

That drunken night he took no precautions; Meng Shutang had been hoping for a child and wouldn't take medicine.

She must be lying to him—could she… be pregnant?

With that thought, he immediately called Meng Shutang.

Meng Shutang was eating at a small restaurant near the Civil Affairs Bureau; she had eaten little in the morning and had vomited many times earlier.

Now starving, she saw a decent noodle shop and went in, but when the food arrived she couldn't eat it.

Gu Yunci called her; she thought he was asking if she had arrived, didn't think much, and answered at once.

"Where are you?"

Meng Shutang: "I'm at the little noodle shop next to the Civil Affairs Bureau."

Gu Yunci: "Don't run off, wait for me."

Meng Shutang hung up and gave a wry smile.

"Not letting you run, huh? Are you afraid you won't come to get the divorce?!"

Twenty minutes later, the man came over.

His gaze at her seemed off, much more affectionate; he sat opposite her, his deep eyes fixed on her for a moment.

Meng Shutang thought something was on her face and asked, "What's wrong?"

While speaking, she began to gently stroke her face.

But nothing came off.

The man, seeing this, raised his hand and pinched her cheek, "I've been watching, you've gotten thinner these past days."

It was like a fleeting reflection before death.

Meng Shutang dodged his hand, "Are you hungry? If you are, order something."

If you're not hungry, we can go to the Civil Affairs Bureau right now.

"When I just came, I went inside to ask; they don't take a lunch break, you can collect the certificate anytime."

The man's bone‑defined hand froze mid‑air, twitched slightly, then rested on the table.

"Qin Zheng said he saw you at the prenatal diagnosis center."

She hadn't felt any morning sickness earlier, but ever since Gu Yunci arrived, nausea kept gnawing at her.

She subtly placed her left hand on her lower abdomen, silently thinking, "Baby, don't make Mom vomit."

The baby in her womb truly was a good kid, being restrained by her several times.

Otherwise, with the man's insight and vigilance, he would have noticed.

"Right, I told him to get the test results for Chen Man."

Man: "I called her; after the bidding meeting, she never went there for the check."

Chen Man must be on her side; he used some trick to extract Chen Man's words.

At that moment, Chen Man's call came in, probably to inform her.

Meng Shutang glanced at it and hung up.

Chen Man didn't call again.

"How come President Gu thinks I'm pregnant?"

Meng Shutang replied calmly.

Gu Yunci walked over, squatted in front of her, glanced at her lower belly, held her hand, "Is it… really?"

Meng Shutang pulled her hand out of his, stood up, "We've been together three years and I've never been pregnant; how could it happen all at once?"

"I just went in to consult about something; I wasn't pregnant at all."

Going to the prenatal diagnosis center to consult must be about pregnancy.

They haven't collected the divorce certificate yet, and she's already so impatient.

But recalling what Qin Zheng said, Meng Shutang hurriedly stuffed the test results into her bag, and he felt something was off.

"What's in your bag…"

"Shutang, when are we leaving?"

Lu Shenyang suddenly pulled the curtain and came in, seeing him standing there, politely greeted, "President Gu is also here!"

Meng Shutang walked to Lu Shenyang's side, "It's not over here yet."

Lu Shenyang looked at her, "Alright, I'll wait for you in the car."

After Lu Shenyang left, Meng Shutang turned to Gu Yunci, "President Gu, it's about time, let's go in!"

She grabbed her bag and left first; he stood for a while before entering.

They had previously filed a divorce registration; this time they just came to collect the divorce certificate.

It went smoothly; the staff confirmed there was no possibility of reconciliation and handed them the little green book.

Gu Yunci held the divorce certificate, not as happy as he had imagined.

But it's not exactly a feeling of loss either.

He silently observed Meng Shutang the whole time, from entering the Civil Affairs Bureau to exiting; she was cold and indifferent, showing no emotion toward him, and his presence didn't occupy her thoughts at all.

Since she didn't care, he should be indifferent as well.

But in the office, he, who is usually highly efficient, ended the afternoon with zero achievements.

He could only think of the two of them walking out of the civil affairs bureau; at the doorway, she politely faced him, standing there.

As if dealing with an ordinary business partner, "President Gu, best wishes."

Seeing that in her eyes there was no affection for this marriage, only a weary, settled fatigue and relief, the usually dignified and refined him lost his composure this time.

He gave her a stiff glance, didn't shake hands, and turned away.

So how she finally left, whether she stood there watching him, he has no way of knowing.

Thinking of that, Gu Yunci felt suffocated.

He was a bit thirsty, wanted water, but his flask was empty.

He called Qin Zheng, but Qin Zheng didn't answer.

He called out to someone in the secretary office, but no one responded.

Staying in the office was dull, so he simply took his coat and left.

Passing the pantry, he heard Junior Zhou and Wang Jiaojiao from the secretary department whispering.

Junior Zhou: "Supervisor Bai is gentle as water in front of President Gu, can speak reasonably to us, but toward the cleaning aunties and the guard in the company, she's too harsh."

"Either she turns her face away or hurls insults; if I hadn't seen it that day, I wouldn't have known she's so hot‑tempered."

Wang Jiaojiao: "I saw it early; she appears pure and harmless on the outside, but she's sharp to the core."

"That time in the secretary office, she pretended to fall and lunged into President Gu's arms."

Junior Zhou: "The most disgusting thing is that she publicly and secretly says Teacher Meng has a bad temper, …"

"Teacher Meng is gentle and capable, really helped our secretary department a lot."

Wang Jiaojiao: "When President Gu someday learns that he's protecting a poisonous snake …"

Gu Yunci stopped listening and entered the elevator.

He went to the underground parking lot, intending to drive back to Qian Shui Wan.

Just as he got into the car, Gu Yeheng's call came: "Yunci, I've booked a private room at Junyan; come over after you're done!"

Gu Yunci politely declined, "No need, just tell me whatever it is over the phone!"

Gu Yeheng: "Come over; we'll talk after we meet."

Twenty minutes later, Junyan Camellia Hall.

Gu Yunci pushed the door open and saw Gu Yeheng with a cold expression seated at the head seat; Bai Cixian wore plain white clothes, her face pallid as she leaned against Bai Lianyue's chest.

Seeing Bai Lianyue, he felt sorry, having expected she would argue for her beloved daughter and blame him.

But instead, her eyes were blood‑red, "Yunci, Aunt really is sorry for you; our family's Cixian has no luck, couldn't keep your child."

Gu Yunci stood there, silent.

Gu Yeheng, after hearing that, suddenly barked, "Lianyue, how can this be blamed on Cixian!"

"Cixian is such a sensible child; it's all because of Meng Shutang's meddling. If she hadn't gone to Wenlüxiaozhen, nothing would have happened."

After that, he coldly turned his gaze to Gu Yunci, "And you're to blame for naming her to go."

Gu Yunci heard the harsh words, "Dad, you called me here, what's the matter?"

The waiter came to serve the dishes.

Gu Yeheng said irritably, "Eat first; we'll talk after the meal."

Gu Yunci had no appetite; his chopsticks never moved.

Bai Cixian looked at his despondent state, set down her chopsticks, about to speak.

Under the table, Bai Lianyue grabbed her collar, her eyes signaling her not to move.

She understood, picked up her chopsticks and ate again.

Gu Yeheng, seeing Gu Yunci not eating, asked, "Why aren't you eating? This was all ordered by Cixian, all …"

Gu Yunci: "I'm not hungry."

He paused, "What do you want to say?"

Gu Yeheng: "Your marriage with Cixian should be …"