Chapter 20: Xie Wantang, after finishing her work, came to the study to find me

Xie Wantang was so calm, Xu Yanqiu was truly shocked.

"No, Tangtang, can you teach me how you can be so calm facing those intimate photos of the man you once deeply loved with another woman?"

"Teach you what?" Xie Wantang asked lightly.

"That's only natural, my close friend, you'll soon be falling in love too, and I want to be like you—not living or dying for love, for a so-called man, right?"

"I also want to be the female lead together with my close friend."

"Could it be that I'm just calm on the surface, but inside I'm already a vast ocean?" Xie Wantang countered.

"Still talking about being the female lead, you really think life is a novel?"

"That can't be, my treasure, you won't be that hopeless."

"……"

Xie Wantang didn't speak, her head bowed low, the corners of her eyes warm.

Actually, she really is sometimes quite hopeless.

Ding—

At that moment, the sound of the electronic lock opening came from the main door.

Xie Wantang quickly gathered her melancholy emotions.

It's really unexpected; the photos had just been sent over, and Lu Yanshen actually arrived home.

She had thought that outside, the fragile sister who had just gone through a life-and-death ordeal needed his care, and also First Love Xia Meng needed his companionship—two important women both needed him, so he should have no time to come back.

But she never expected he would come back, and come back this early.

"President Lu, fresh-out-of-the-oven egg tarts, baked by your wife herself—would you like to try one?"

"No thanks, take your time enjoying them, Xie Wantang—when you're done, come to the study to find me."

Having said that, Lu Yanshen strode upstairs with his long legs.

"……"

Xu Yanqiu sized up Lu Yanshen's figure with her gaze and made a tsking sound.

Her gaze was so clear it held only an onlooker's appreciation, with no improper intentions.

After Lu Yanshen went upstairs, Xu Yanqiu stroked her chin, leaned close to Xie Wantang, and said, "Treasure, I have to say, your husband's physique and looks are really quite suitable for mixing into the male model circle."

"Of course, the premise is that you're willing to let go."

"Heh—"

Xie Wantang snorted a laugh—what does she have to be reluctant about?

After they divorce and completely go their separate ways, she'll be too lazy to care whether Lu Yanshen goes into the male model circle, becomes a gigolo, or immediately remarries and brings home First Love to keep—those are all his own affairs.

What does it have to do with her?

"Do you know who I invited this time when I went to Haishi?" Xie Wantang said, sipping her homemade fruit tea and eating a fresh-out-of-the-oven egg tart, rarely keeping Xu Yanqiu in suspense.

"Who? Don't tell me you brought in a lawyer?"

Bingo!

Her best friend really is a clever little sprite.

She guessed it right away.

"Yeah, I hired a lawyer, and it's Attorney Qin Muyang."

"Qin Muyang? No way, you managed to get him? I've heard he's extremely formidable in lawsuits, but his conditions are also very strict—either you pay enough money, or you offer something that can replace that money; in short, it must be profitable."

"Treasure, you hired him—what did you give him in exchange?"

Xu Yanqiu was genuinely worried about her best friend.

In her view, she and Xie Wantang are both ordinary people; one was kidnapped as a child, taken away from her birth parents, now found, but with her birth parents she lacks feelings despite blood ties, and isn't favored.

As for her, her parents are both alive, she wasn't kidnapped, she was raised by her birth parents—but the old couple favors sons over daughters; her brother needs to marry, and the bride's family demands a 660,000 dowry and a house worth over a million.

All of that damn well became her responsibility.

She was lucky to have met Xie Wantang, become best friends, and after they teamed up, she quickly earned the money her parents wanted—but she told her parents it was a loan.

These loans don't need to be repaid by her family; she will repay them herself, but from now on she has no money left to send home.

That also counts as her having been idle for over a year.

"It's nothing much—just the sachets, essential oils, and homemade laundry detergent I make for your livestream."

Xu Yanqiu: "……"

So even the big shot is under pressure?

Enough to cause insomnia?

"Or maybe my best friend is just amazing." Xu Yanqiu gave a thumbs-up.

Thinking that Lu Yanshen was waiting for Xie Wantang, Xu Yanqiu stood up and said, "Alright, treasure, I've packed up the remaining egg tarts—I'm heading back now; you go upstairs to find your husband and properly communicate your issues."

"If the mountaintop fireworks are really a misunderstanding, then for your husband's godlike looks, it's fine to just sleep with him a while longer; failing that, we could steal his seed, borrow sperm to have a child—our combined offspring would definitely be a handsome son and a pretty daughter."

"……"

Should she tell Autumn that this baby is already in her belly?

Forget it, with that big mouth of hers, better wait a while before telling her.

Otherwise, if this gets to Lu Yanshen's ears, given his traditional, conservative nature, his many principles and ethics, he'd be even less likely to sign the divorce papers.

After Xie Wantang set the oven timer, she went upstairs.

The study door on the second floor was wide open, but Xie Wantang still knocked; Lu Yanshen put down his documents and said, "Come in, close the door."

"……"

Xie Wantang entered; she hadn't wanted to close the door, but Lu Yanshen kept staring at her with a scorching gaze, so she had to shut it casually.

"What do you want from me?"

"Sit, I have something for you to hear." Lu Yanshen raised his head, gesturing for her to sit in the chair opposite him.

Xie Wantang sat down as instructed, and Lu Yanshen took out his phone, playing the recording of his earlier conversation with Xia Meng in the car.

There was nothing about Qin Muyang in the later part; only the earlier part about the mountaintop fireworks.

"Can this recording prove my innocence?"

Seeing Xie Wantang still silent, Lu Yanshen frowned and asked again: "Or do you want to confront Xia Meng in person?"

"Is nothing important anymore, Lu Yanshen? This doesn't affect my decision to divorce you."

"So, any spiritual infidelity is just an excuse; you just want to divorce me, right?"

Xie Wantang raised her eyebrows: "You can understand it that way if you like."

"No wonder you're so willing to leave with nothing; you've basically changed your heart, right?"

"Ha, President Lu, who said we were just an arranged marriage? Since there's no feeling, how can there be talk of a change of heart?"

"The change of heart I spoke of is based on loyalty to the arranged marriage, not a shift of affection."

"Tonight I've invited Qin Lawyer to dinner; President Lu, are you free to join us?" Xie Wantang admired his eloquence, but he simply didn't understand her.

Whatever Xie Wantang has decided, any further explanation is just pale.

Those brows and eyes are none other than his—Lu Yanshen's.

Unless there is evidence proving that person is Lu Yanze; Lu Yanze's brows and eyes are seventy or eighty percent similar to his, and if photographed from the right angle, they might even look completely alike.

But Lu Yanze's relationship with his wife is very harmonious.

Most importantly, the brothers' relationship is good, so close that they couldn't possibly share a woman, right?

So what exactly is Lu Yanshen quibbling about?

"All right." Lu Yanshen agreed.