Lin Xin and Lu Taobao were Zheng Wei's best friends, growing up together like brothers. Lin Xin was a brilliant lawyer that even the imperial capital couldn't afford, while Lu Taobao was a man of few words, a CEO.
Hearing Lin Xin speak so directly in front of Shen Xiaoyan, Lu Taobao, who was already taciturn, still managed to cast a glance at Shen Xiaoyan before uttering faintly, "She indeed is not worthy of you."
Compared to Lin Xin's words, Lu Taobao's seemed more hurtful. This was because Lu Taobao's gaze towards Shen Xiaoyan was scrutinizing, and he, being a person of aloof demeanor, had actually taken the initiative to interfere in Zheng Wei's affairs. Thus, what he said sounded truly painful.
Despite her detachment, Shen Xiaoyan, when Zheng Wei's two best friends spoke, felt an urge to evade their gazes. This suffocating, drowning sensation made her feel as though the air around her was thinning.
She wasn't one to fight for anything, and moreover, the initiative was in Zheng Wei's hands. If he truly wanted a divorce, she... wouldn't cling.
Therefore, after changing her slippers, Shen Xiaoyan nodded at the three men looking at her and prepared to take her bag upstairs to her room. Her face remained expressionless throughout.
But she didn't know that if someone wanted to cause you trouble, even if you did nothing, you would still provoke their dislike. At this moment, before Shen Xiaoyan could even reach her room, as she was still going upstairs, Zheng Wei suddenly called out, "Shen Xiaoyan, go to the independent kitchen and make a few dishes."
"Heh." After Zheng Wei finished speaking, Shen Xiaoyan even heard a sarcastic chuckle from Lin Xin.
"En," Shen Xiaoyan replied. She first went upstairs to put down her bag, then came downstairs and returned to the independent kitchen.
Given how large the house was, the place where she felt most at ease was actually the independent kitchen. Zheng Wei never used the independent kitchen, and there were no housekeepers, so the independent kitchen was always used by Shen Xiaoyan.
The freezer was packed full of ingredients. Shen Xiaoyan knew they were drinking, and making snacks to go with the drinks wasn't difficult for her. She put on her apron and quickly made three dishes and a soup.
Braised pork, spicy beef slices, stir-fried bamboo shoots, and a vegetable soup.
Since no one was there to help at home, she didn't even have time to take off her apron when she carried the dishes out. As she brought the dishes up, the three men smelled the aroma of food. Upon smelling it, Lin Xin couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, looking at Zheng Wei with a hint of amusement in his eyes, "You really know how to enjoy yourself."
"I'll go up now if there's nothing else," Shen Xiaoyan said, putting down her apron and tidying up the independent kitchen before speaking in a calm voice.
It was almost 11 o'clock, and she was truly exhausted. Moreover, she didn't want to talk to these men at all.
As Zheng Wei turned his head to look at the stairs, he could vaguely see Shen Xiaoyan's silhouette, appearing somewhat tired. He furrowed his brows slightly, and just as he retracted his gaze, he heard Lin Xin's rather loud teasing, "What? Feeling sympathetic?"
"Are you sick? Sympathetic towards her? What is there to be sympathetic about?" Zheng Wei scoffed. This sarcasm also reached Shen Xiaoyan's ears.
Shen Xiaoyan rubbed her eyes, pushed open her door. She was utterly exhausted, both in spirit and body.
Seeing the guest room door upstairs close, Lu Taobao suddenly sat up straight, looking at Zheng Wei with a thoughtful expression. "Since you've already decided, be decisive. Didn't Lin Xin say she went to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor? If she really is pregnant, then you truly won't be able to break free."
"The divorce agreement is already being drafted by Old Lin. As soon as it's agreed upon, I will divorce her. For these three years, the Zheng family has treated her well. As long as she behaves herself, she won't be poor in the second half of her life," Zheng Wei said with a cool tone as he ate a mouthful of food.
"That's good," Lu Taobao nodded. The alcohol seemed to be stimulating him. "We no longer need marriage to gain anything, so after this is resolved, you can find someone you truly like!"
"Finding someone you like? We'll see if we even meet someone. If not, wouldn't it be better to be single?" Lin Xin pointed to himself and Lu Taobao, then looked at Zheng Wei. "Brother, look how carefree we are. Naturally, you're also very carefree, but this woman is like a stain on your life. Since your parents are already traveling the world, you can do as you please!"
"I was thinking the same thing," Zheng Wei took a sip of wine and nodded.
"To help you escape this sea of suffering sooner, I'll help you get the agreement out in the next few days," Lin Xin thought to himself. He would stay up all night tomorrow if he had to, to help Old Zheng finalize the divorce agreement. Keeping a woman in the house who couldn't even bring him honor was truly vexing. Although the dishes seemed to be made well, this couldn't change anything.
They couldn't be blamed for looking down on her, but rather... someone like Old Zheng was indeed beyond Shen Xiaoyan's reach.
...
They drank until past one o'clock. Shen Xiaoyan was a light sleeper. There was noise downstairs, and she couldn't sleep. She even heard the sound of a wine bottle falling. Not to mention her body wasn't feeling well right now, but even if she were, Zheng Wei wouldn't want her help. He had been dominant in the business world for so many years; how could he not have some alcohol tolerance?
...
Shen Xiaoyan was a very responsible person. Even though her head was still groggy that morning, she didn't take leave. Instead, she forced herself to head to the academy.
The academy parking lot was situated by the sports field. Because she arrived very early, Shen Xiaoyan saw many boys playing basketball on the field as she got out of the car. Seeing these vibrant faces made Shen Xiaoyan feel younger. At this moment, she didn't realize that she was only 26 years old, not much older than these students.
"Teacher Shen?" As Shen Xiaoyan was about to walk towards the administrative building with her bag, a voice stopped her.
Shen Xiaoyan turned her head in confusion and saw a tall, sturdy figure walking towards her. He was wearing a white jersey and holding a basketball. His face was surprisingly handsome, and sweat was dripping from his forehead. His voice was clear. As Shen Xiaoyan turned, he smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth.
"Student, is there something you need?" Shen Xiaoyan asked. She didn't understand why this boy had stopped her. He must be a student at the academy, right?
"Teacher Shen, I attended your class. There's something I don't understand, can I ask you about it?" The boy smiled very gently and spoke very politely. Shen Xiaoyan didn't think much of it; she was a teacher, and it was her duty to answer students' questions.
So she nodded and asked, "What do you want to ask?"
"The class on Wednesday, what you mentioned in class..."
Shen Xiaoyan only thought it was a normal student's question, so she didn't consider anything else. And she certainly didn't expect that someone was already taking pictures of them from the bushes outside.
That afternoon, the Peking University forum was in an uproar. A very eye-catching title post caused a stir in the academy.
"Beautiful Fashion Department Teacher Hooking Up with Financial Department Talented Student in Public?"
Shen Xiaoyan had always been slow to catch on to online matters. Therefore, it wasn't until the dean of students found her that she realized the situation had escalated.
"Shen Xiaoyan, give me an explanation! You were actually explaining a problem to Yi Zhixie? Yi Zhixie isn't even from our department. He's a senior in the finance department. How did you get involved with him, and you were pulling him over to explain things?" The dean of students was truly exasperated with Shen Xiaoyan. He knew Shen Xiaoyan's temperament, but he couldn't reveal the underlying reasons to Shen Xiaoyan. After all, some things are better left unsaid when understood.
Shen Xiaoyan didn't know what the dean of students was thinking. She shook her head, "Dean, it wasn't me who asked him to explain; this student actively sought me out for questions. If you don't believe me, you can summon this student, and we can confront each other!"
Shen Xiaoyan had no idea how things had escalated to this point. The posts online were all saying she was seducing the campus hunk, which was too much.
As soon as Shen Xiaoyan finished speaking, the office door was pushed open forcefully. Le Meijun, in a pair of pointed high heels, walked towards Shen Xiaoyan, followed by a school board member, a group of school leaders, and Yi Zhixie at the very back.
The boy followed behind. But when he stood in the office, he stood next to the school board member. His expression was not as clear and bright as it was that morning; instead, it carried a hint of indifference. When his gaze met hers, he even smirked.
Seeing him like this, Shen Xiaoyan suddenly understood.
Although she had always been somewhat slow, she was by no means foolish. Therefore, no matter how much she demanded a confrontation, the other party wouldn't tell the truth.
"Shen Xiaoyan, didn't you want a confrontation? We're satisfying you now. Yi Zhixie is here. Didn't you want to confront him? Let's hear what Yi Zhixie has to say now? You're truly interesting. If your own marriage is not going well, you start targeting the academy's students? But your taste is quite good. The Yi family and the Zheng family are prominent families. This is purely an embarrassment to the Zheng family!" Shen Xiaoyan's relationship with the Zheng family was no secret, and Le Meijun's words were all aimed at Shen Xiaoyan.
Regardless of the high status of the people standing in the room today, Shen Xiaoyan stood in the center, her expression always calm. Only when Le Meijun mentioned that the Yi family and the Zheng family were prominent families did she raise her head and glance at Yi Zhixie.
Yi Zhixie, suddenly looked at by Shen Xiaoyan, felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. Was this person too slow or too numb? Her eyes were calm and unruffled, but this composure was too bizarre. With so many people waiting for her to speak, and being pushed to this point, shouldn't she be a little flustered?
"School board member, dean, you can all see how she's still looking at Yi Zhixie like that! Such a person truly disgraces her teaching ethics!" Le Meijun's accusations rained down on Shen Xiaoyan. But Shen Xiaoyan didn't say a word in response to Le Meijun's accusations. Instead, she calmly asked Yi Zhixie, who was looking rather nonchalant, "Are you Lawyer Yi's younger brother?"
As soon as she spoke, not only Yi Zhixie himself, but even the dean of students looked at Shen Xiaoyan with surprise.
It seemed she wasn't stupid after all!
Under the gaze of those calm eyes, Yi Zhixie was stunned for a moment, then nodded. The smile that was neither righteous nor evil never faded from his lips.
"School board member, I have nothing to say. Please dismiss me," Shen Xiaoyan's words were very straightforward. After speaking, she ignored the expressions of the people around her and walked out of the office.
Kong Huangwei had been stopped outside, unable to enter. Just as she was about to move a stool to climb through the window, she saw Shen Xiaoyan emerge from the office, her face a little pale.
"Xiaoyan, don't be upset. What's on that post is clearly nonsense. We've known each other for so long; I know what kind of person you are!" Kong Huangwei's eyes were red with anxiety. She grabbed Shen Xiaoyan's arm and said anxiously.
"Jiaojiao, let's keep in touch. I'll come back to see you." Shen Xiaoyan didn't say anything else, but these few words were enough for Kong Huangwei to understand.
"You're leaving?" Kong Huangwei followed Shen Xiaoyan all the way to their department office and watched as Shen Xiaoyan methodically packed her desk.
"Xiaoyan, aren't you going to explain? If you don't explain, this accusation will follow you, and it will affect your future job prospects." Kong Huangwei was so anxious she was about to cry.
"Maybe I'll open a food cart in the future." Shen Xiaoyan actually smiled. The more Kong Huangwei looked at her, the more peculiar she found it. She reached out and touched Shen Xiaoyan's forehead. "Xiaoyan, are you confused? Are you really going to open a food cart?"
The two of them had known each other since high school. Qi's family conditions were very poor back then, and Shen Xiaoyan brought her own lunch. Kong Huangwei still remembered that Shen Xiaoyan had told her back then that she wanted to open a food cart outside the academy to sell good food.
At that time, Kong Huangwei had just laughed. Who knew that the biggest dream of the top student in the entire school was to open a food cart?
"I'll notify you when I change my number. I'm leaving now." After Shen Xiaoyan packed her things, she suddenly placed the cabinet aside and reached out to hug Kong Huangwei.
Kong Huangwei was a bit shorter than Shen Xiaoyan. Shen Xiaoyan was a person who... how to say it, Shen Xiaoyan was someone who never liked to hug, but facing her embrace, Kong Huangwei couldn't help but tear up.
"From what you're saying, do you intend to leave the imperial capital?" Kong Huangwei asked, hugging Shen Xiaoyan tightly.
Shen Xiaoyan nodded. "Everything should come to an end."
Kong Huangwei knew that her words held other meanings, likely related to the Zheng family.
"But with the way your parents and younger brother are, don't go back to Huadu!" Kong Huangwei had always known that Shen Xiaoyan's parents were indifferent and heartless.
"Don't worry, they took money from the Zheng family back then, so we're no longer related. I won't go back to Huadu either. I'll tell you after I've settled down, okay?" Shen Xiaoyan hugged her again, then picked up the cabinet and left.
Kong Huangwei stood at the foot of the administrative building, looking at her distant figure, her heart aching uncontrollably.
"All trash, truly picking on the weak." Her gaze turned to the dean's office on the second floor, and she scoffed.
...
When Shen Xiaoyan carried her things back to the Zheng family mansion, she was surprised to see the three men in the living room again when she opened the door.
As soon as she walked in, a stack of photos was thrown at her head.
"What? You know you can't stay in the Zheng family? So you're preparing to go to the Yi family? Do you think Xu Lao Er would take a liking to you? Look in the mirror and see what a mess you look like!" Zheng Wei said angrily, his gaze as cold as if it could pierce through her.
Shen Xiaoyan ignored him. She didn't even change her shoes, but walked directly towards the three men in the living room.
"You still have the nerve to come back? What, were you fired from the academy?" Zheng Wei was furious seeing Shen Xiaoyan's impassive face.
"Yes, I was fired." Shen Xiaoyan sat down opposite Zheng Wei and calmly accepted his words.
Her reply caused the three men in the living room to look stunned.
"Aren't you very proud? Why aren't you explaining yourself?" Zheng Wei hooked his lips, leaned back on the sofa, and watched her leisurely.
"Did Lawyer Yi come today to have me sign the divorce agreement?" Shen Xiaoyan didn't answer Zheng Wei's question, she even completely ignored it. Turning her head, she saw two divorce agreements lying in front of Lin Xin.
Lin Xin, seeing her suddenly mention him, nodded.
"Before you sign the divorce agreement, I believe Miss Qi should understand one thing. Because you've done something that brings shame to the Zheng family, you have no right to any portion of Old Zheng's assets. However, you're not leaving empty-handed. Here is a divorce consolation payment and a house in the West District." Lin Xin didn't waste words with Shen Xiaoyan, but clearly demarcated the boundaries between Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei.