Chapter 290: Does Love Really Exist in This World?

Zhang Haoyang felt as if struck by lightning, his eyeballs nearly bulging out of their sockets.

He could never have imagined that the person who caused Wang Kai's attitude toward him to change drastically at the class reunion night would turn out to be Ning Jingli...

Wang Kai, unable to contain his anger, squeezed tighter and tighter with his fingers, nearly cutting off his breath.

"Ka… Ka-ge… spare me…" Zhang Haoyang forced out a few words through his clenched teeth.

Boom—

Wang Kai let go and slammed him heavily onto the ground.

He clutched his chest, gasping, his face flushed purple‑red before it quickly returned to normal.

Si Ya stared at him blankly, did not go to help him, but instead questioned, "Zhang Haoyang... so you were lying to me?"

Zhang Haoyang, feeling guilty, panted heavily and dared not reply.

Si Ya erupted, "You bastard! I thought you really had some impressive connections! All this time you were just waving a tiger skin as a banner, putting on airs! Even more ridiculous is that you didn't even realize you were borrowing Ning Jingli's influence! You fooled me completely! Go die!"

After the tirade, she pitifully said to Wang Kai, "Ka-ge, that scumbag fooled me, I... I still want to be with you..."

Wang Kai, laughing with anger, grabbed her hair and slapped both ears, "Bitch! I admit I was harsher to you before, but after being with you I never chased any other girl! You treat me like a dog, now you want to be with me again? Do you think I'm an idiot? Get lost!"

"Ka-ge... sob sob sob..."

"Get out!"

Wang Kai kicked Si Ya, sending her sprawling.

The henchmen gathered around; someone asked whether to cripple Zhang Haoyang or just kill him outright.

Seeing the situation, Si Ya scrambled away, crawling if she had to.

Zhang Haoyang, terrified to the extreme, knelt before Wang Kai, sniffling and tearful, begging for mercy.

Wang Kai's face darkened, murderous intent flashing in his eyes; after a few deep breaths he waved his hand and said, "If we cripple or kill him... that's illegal, and even if Third Uncle wanted to give me a way out, Miss Ning wouldn't let me off... Let's stick to the rules, otherwise you won't be able to stay in Xinghan City any longer."

Hearing that, Zhang Haoyang felt as if he had snatched his life back from the Ghost Gate, kowtowing repeatedly, "Thank you, Ka-ge, for sparing my dog life! Thank you, Ka-ge!"

"Damn it!" Wang Kai slapped Zhang Haoyang hard across the face, then grabbed his collar and roared, "You think I don't want to kill you?! You should thank Miss Ning and Third Uncle for restraining me! I'm telling you, don't let me see you again, otherwise even if I don't kill you, I have plenty of ways to make your life worse than death!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Ka-ge! I... I understand!" Zhang Haoyang, his face full of fear, hurriedly agreed.

Wang Kai dropped him, turned and slipped into the van, massaged his temples, and told the driver, "Take me to see Third Uncle... damn... I have to apologize to Third Uncle properly again..."

The driver started the vehicle.

Wang Kai turned his head, saw Zhang Haoyang about to leave, narrowed his eyes and said to a few underlings, "You stay here, beat that kid up, don't cripple him, but give him a lesson; the others come with me to see Third Uncle."

"Yes, Ka-ge!"

The underlings immediately lunged at Zhang Haoyang, dragging him into an alley.

Amid Zhang Haoyang's pig‑like pleas for mercy, several vans sped away.

——

Half an hour later.

Over at the restaurant.

Xiao Qidi looked at the lavish spread before him, his expression somewhat solemn.

The restaurant owner approached, whispering, "Mr. Xiao, your girlfriend..."

Xiao Qidi forced a smile, "She got held up, she'll come later."

The owner said regretfully, "These dishes were prepared per your request, using the finest ingredients, but their peak flavor only lasts a short time..."

Xiao Qidi understood, seeing the dishes nearing the end of their optimal window, thought for a moment and said, "Please check if other customers want these dishes."

The owner replied, "Mr. Xiao, these are our top custom dishes; although you haven't tried them, not many can afford them..."

"I'm not reselling them," Xiao Qidi said, "just consider them a gift from me."

The owner sighed, "Generous, Mr. Xiao! I'll have someone ask around right away."

Xiao Qidi added, "Also, keep the chef cooking; my girlfriend could arrive at any moment, and I want her to be able to eat these as well."

"Yes, Mr. Xiao."

The owner nodded and immediately gave orders according to his request.

——

Meanwhile, Ning Jingli arrived at Su Qinglan's Home.

Ye Zhiqiu was surprised by her arrival, but quickly realized Su Qinglan had informed her.

"Qing Lan Jie, you..." Ye Zhiqiu's expression was complicated.

Su Qinglan held her hand and said, "If you want to blame me for acting on my own, blame me; in any case I think such a serious matter must be told to Xiao Li! And I think you and Ning Shan shouldn't have done this!"

Ning Jingli, confused, "Mom, godmother, what's going on?"

Ye Zhiqiu's expression remained complicated, about to speak but held back.

Su Qinglan said, "Xiao Li, you're grown now, so I'll be blunt—your parents are getting divorced!"

Ning Jingli felt as if a bolt of lightning struck her from head to toe, her mind freezing at that moment.

Divorce?

Dad and Mom... getting divorced?!

How could this be possible?!

She doesn't believe it!

The air seemed to solidify at that instant.

Ning Jingli stared blankly for several seconds, forced a smile, linked arms with Ye Zhiqiu and Su Qinglan, and said cheerfully, "You two stop kidding me, are you teasing me on purpose? My dad— is he hiding nearby with a phone, filming my reaction?"

Ye Zhiqiu gently grasped Ning Jingli's hand, "Xiao Li, what your godmother said... is true."

Ning Jingli still refused to believe, looking around and shouting, "Dad! Come out quickly! I can see you! You and Mom teamed up with my godmother to prank me, right? I'm not that easy to fall for!"

"Xiao Li..." Su Qinglan's tears welled up instantly, "I know it's hard for you to believe right now, but... sigh..."

Ye Zhiqiu's eyes reddened, "Daughter, your father is at the Ning Family Ancestral House. I came here alone. He and I have definitively decided to divorce."

Ning Jinli looked carefully at their expressions and finally realized this was real.

She went black before her eyes and almost lost her balance.

"Mom… why?" she stared into Ye Zhiqiu's eyes, "You and dad's relationship was so good; ever since I can remember, I never saw any trouble between you two. Later… because of an accident you went to another place and were apart for a full ten years! Now, after finally reuniting, returning here, the family matters have been fully resolved, there are no problems in our family. So… why are you both suddenly divorcing? I don't understand!"

Ye Zhiqiu's eyes glimmered with tears, but she did not answer immediately.

"Zhiqiu, you talk calmly with Xiao Li; I… I'll go get some fruit and drinks for you." Su Qinglan found an excuse to leave, giving the mother and daughter some private space.

Ye Zhiqiu was silent for a few seconds, then took Ning Jinli's hand and walked to the balcony.

The stars glittered across the sky.

The villa area was quiet, and in the distance the bustling night view of the city center could be seen.

A gentle breeze blew, and Ye Zhiqiu let out a slow sigh.

Ning Jinli asked, "Mom, did you and dad argue?"

Ye Zhiqiu shook her head and said, "No."

"Then…" Ning Jinli clenched her teeth inwardly, "It can't be that you or dad… cheated, right?"

Ye Zhiqiu gave an inexplicable smile, "What are you saying? Are we that kind of people?"

Ning Jinli was even more baffled, "No arguing, no cheating—why are you making a fuss about divorce?"

Ye Zhiqiu looked at the stars, speaking softly, "It's not a mock divorce; we're already in the process. In fact… before this overseas trip, your dad and I signed a Divorce Agreement, and the Divorce Cooling-off Period is essentially us… meeting one last time. After a while, we'll go collect the Divorce Certificate."

"What?!" Ning Jinli's head buzzed, as if struck by lightning again.

At first, she thought her parents and godmother were just teasing her, and she had barely come to accept the fact they were divorcing, but she didn't expect that they weren't just now starting the divorce—they had already made that decision long ago!

She tried to recall meeting her mother and father again in the ancient world, then bringing them back to the modern world, and through all those experiences she still found no trace of their relationship breaking.

This really… makes it hard for her to believe.

"Why," Ning Jinli tried to stay calm, asking, "Why divorce? I really… don't understand."

Ye Zhiqiu said, "If there must be a reason, it's that we both feel it's no longer suitable to live together. Perhaps the ten years each spent living in that world changed our mindsets. He and I can remain friends, but we can no longer be husband and wife as before."

Ning Jinli's eyes filled with tears, "Mom, I… still don't get it. To me, you two were a perfect match, the most loving couple, and even through any danger or hardship you always shared joys and sorrows, your love stronger than gold. You even crossed back two thousand years, endured ten hard years, and overcame it… why separate now that everything has improved?"

Ye Zhiqiu gently patted Ning Jinli's head, speaking earnestly:

"Daughter, no matter what, I am still your mother, Ning Shan is still your father; that relationship will never change, and we will still love you as before."

"He and I also tried to recapture the feeling of being together, but… we tried, and finally realized we can no longer live together. Separating is good for both of us."

"Perhaps those ten years made us used to living alone even when we miss each other… perhaps those ten years made our thoughts no longer fully aligned…"

"We think everything is better now, our daughter is fully grown, and this is actually the best time for us to divorce, so we can part on good terms."

Ning Jinli took every word of that speech to heart.

But she could not digest it for a while.

She still couldn't understand; she just felt something in her heart collapse, her mind a tangled mess.

Even a parents' love can reach its end…

So, does love truly still exist in this world?

Marriage… what meaning does it have?

"Daughter, you have grown in many ways and can handle things on your own, but you still have little experience with love," Ye Zhiqiu said softly, "Your dad and I don't expect you to understand our choice now, but we believe you will understand later. Humans are complex beings; sometimes people without feelings stay together, sometimes those with feelings… must part. It's not something that can be explained in a few words."

Ning Jinli lowered her gaze, tears silently sliding down.

After a few seconds of silence, she quietly wiped away her tears, "Mom, I truly can't understand why you both are doing this, but… I respect your choice."

Ye Zhiqiu's nose twitched with sourness, and she pulled Ning Jinli into her arms, "Xiao Li, thank you…"

Ning Jinli hugged her, and for a long time said nothing.

During the mother‑daughter conversation, Su Qinglan was not idle; she called Ning Shan, trying to do some persuasion.

Su Qinglan only learned that the two were divorcing when Ye Zhiqiu came over tonight; in her view, Ning would destroy ten temples before tearing a marriage, so she immediately called Ning Jinli after learning the situation.

She thought that if Xiao Li intervened and she also spoke to Ning Shan, they could surely stop the divorce.

And because Xiao Li's family treats her as their closest kin, she could not stand by.

However, what she didn't expect was that no matter how earnestly she pleaded, Ning Shan's attitude remained resolute.

"Ning Shan, what are you thinking? We have good days ahead, why insist on divorce?" Su Qinglan, flustered, spun her phone in her hands, trying to persuade further, "If Zhiqiu wants to leave, can't you hold on a bit? As a man, can't you set aside some pride and keep her?"

"Sister Qinglan, I've already told you, the divorce is our joint decision; there's no one to be begged to stay, and none is needed. I know, from your perspective, you care for us, you worry about us, and Zhiqiu and I are both moved, but… I also ask you, Sister Qinglan, to understand us…"

"I can't understand!" Su Qinglan grew more anxious, "You two staying together, a whole family reunion, is the most important. Don't think I'm old‑fashioned; I just think that's a complete family. Your divorce would hurt Xiao Li a lot, right?"

Ning Shan was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Sister Qinglan, I believe Xiao Li will understand us…"

"Sigh, you…" Su Qinglan was speechless.

At that moment, Ye Zhiqiu and Ning Jinli returned from the living‑room balcony.

Su Qinglan hung up the phone, looking at Ning Jinli with hopeful eyes, "How did the talk between you two go?"