Chapter 218: This Divorce is Happening

With that, he turned and strode away.

He Wei stood rooted to the spot, stomping her foot. THUD. THUD. Each impact was heavier than the last.

She roughly wiped her face before turning and heading for the factory.

Once inside the workshop, she went straight to her team leader and asked for the afternoon off.

She didn’t say much, just nodded and stated her name and reason.

Outside the factory gates, she headed straight for her parents’ home with a grim expression, never stopping or even glancing to the side.

The moment she got in the door, she burst out at Wu Xin, “Yang Lei came to the factory to find me!”

Wu Xin had just had a spat with her daughter that morning and was still stewing.

She didn’t smile when her daughter showed up; her mouth was set in a firm line.

But when she heard that, she frowned and asked.

“What did he want?”

“He was pushing for us to go to the hospital!”

“Oh. Then let’s go.”

Wu Xin’s tone was nonchalant, without a hint of hesitation. She casually folded a towel that had been drying on the windowsill and placed it in a basin.

Without another word, the mother-daughter pair got up and hurried to the family apartment building.

Yang Lei had returned long ago; he hadn’t gone back to his unit at all.

Having failed his task, he knew he’d get a chewing out from his superior if he went back, so he was just holed up at home, laying low.

So when He Wei and Wu Xin pushed the door open, they saw him sprawled in a chair.

Wu Xin, not realizing they’d had another falling out, assumed her son-in-law was waiting for her to discuss matters. She immediately put on a smile, placed her cloth bag on the table, and straightened her collar.

“Should we eat first, or just head out now?”

“Maybe we should eat before we leave? When I went over this morning, she was in the middle of a meal, and she said my timing was bad luck. I knelt and everything, but she wouldn’t even look at me. Her heart’s made of stone.”

Yang Lei’s brow furrowed into a knot.

“Who told your mother to kneel?!”

“Is this your idea of an apology? Or were you just trying to get a favor and thought you’d pray to a random god while you were at it?”

Wu Xin remembered that just yesterday, Yang Lei had spoken up for her, so she had been trying to remain polite to him.

But his first words were so cold and sarcastic that the smile vanished from her face.

She slammed the insulated container she was carrying onto the coffee table, the plastic lid letting out a sharp CRACK.

“If I’m not here to apologize, then what am I doing here? Do you think I came because the food is so good at your place?”

She paused, pressing her fingertips hard against her brow. Her voice was hoarse.

“I’m an old woman. Do you really think I’m just a pawn for you to move around wherever you please?”

Her words were too piercing. Yang Lei, at a loss for a reply, collapsed heavily onto the sofa.

The sofa springs groaned. He threw his arms out to the sides, his head lolling back against the cushions.

Wu Xin didn’t back down either. She put her hands on her hips and continued to shout.

“I’ve run myself ragged, talked myself hoarse, and knelt until my knees ached for you two, and now suddenly it’s all my fault?”

She took a step forward, her heel clicking on the tile floor.

Yang Lei had resolved not to take the bait.

But at her words, blood rushed to his head. A vein on his forehead throbbed.

“For whose sake?!”

He shot bolt upright, the veins on the back of his hands standing out.

“Who ran themselves ragged?!”

He raised his voice, enunciating every word.

“Why not say that I’m the one running around for you, so busy my feet don’t touch the ground?”

“You can come or not—no one’s holding a gun to your head! If someone had to take the fall, who’s to say who it would be? But here we are. I get dragged into this for no reason, and somehow it’s turned into me running around for you?”

Wu Xin was stunned into silence, unable to utter a single word.

He Wei, however, lunged forward and grabbed Yang Lei’s arm.

“What’s with that foul mouth? Did you forget to brush your teeth or just finish off some stinky tofu?”

Yang Lei had regretted the crude words the moment they left his mouth.

But with He Wei grabbing his arm and glaring at him, his temper flared again, and he shoved her away.

“Are you going or not? I need a straight answer today! If not, don’t expect me to keep running around in circles for you!”

He panted, his chest heaving.

“And another thing—”

He whipped his head around, his eyes bloodshot.

“We’re getting a divorce! It’s final!”

He Wei stumbled, steadying herself against the wall.

Wu Xin quickly stepped forward to play peacemaker.

“Whoa now, calm down, calm down! You’re just saying things you don’t mean because you’re angry. There’s no need to get physical, is there?”

She placed one hand on He Wei’s shoulder and reached for Yang Lei’s sleeve with the other, but he sidestepped her.

“You two aren’t kids anymore, your own child is almost in middle school. Why are you acting like this? Are you trying to copy the youngsters, fighting and storming off?”

“Divorce? That’s a serious matter, officially recorded. It’s not like haggling for vegetables at the market.”

“When your child goes out and people ask about their parents, what are they going to say? They’ll be too ashamed to even look up!”

Yang Lei slammed back into the sofa and violently twisted his shoulders, turning his face away.

Wu Xin sidled up to He Wei, gave her wrist a little squeeze, then turned to Yang Lei, putting on a huge smile and giving him a knowing look.

“So… when should we go to the hospital?”

“Can we leave right now?”

“If we wait any longer, the food in the cafeteria will be cold…”

She muttered, sneaking glances at Yang Lei’s face.

Though she was talking, her eyes were glued to Yang Lei’s face!

Yang Lei cracked his neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was stiff.

“We’ll go after lunch. I have to go find Director Cheng.”

“The Director is coming with us?”

Wu Xin feigned surprise.

“Having another witness will make the whole thing more official.”

Wu Xin and He Wei exchanged a quick glance, a grimace flashing across both their faces.

In the end, they could only grit their teeth and say nothing more.

「Afternoon.」

Song Yao was dozing, propped up in her hospital bed, when there were three soft knocks on the door.

Director Cheng led Yang Lei in, followed by Wu Xin and He Wei, carrying a fruit basket.

Director Cheng spoke the moment he stepped inside.

“Mr. Yang was very insistent. He dragged me along, saying he had to apologize to you in person.”

The words were clearly meant for Song Yao.

‘So, he came voluntarily, he wasn’t dragged here.’

‘But was he truly sincere?’

‘Only he knew the truth of it.’

Song Yao pushed herself up, leaning against her pillow.

‘In the end, they were all just strangers. His sincerity didn’t matter.’

‘The important thing was making him lower his head and open his mouth.’

Yang Lei stepped forward with the fruit basket, intending to place it on the bedside table.

“I picked up some fruit on the way…”

Leaning back against her pillow, Song Yao watched his hand extend halfway before she spoke calmly.

“I don’t need the fruit. I have plenty to eat here.”

Yang Lei’s hand froze in midair.

He instinctively looked to Director Cheng, his eyes pleading for help.

Director Cheng could only shrug helplessly.

“Song Yao doesn’t want it. You should take it back with you.”

Yang Lei had no choice but to take the bag of apples back.

Director Cheng cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Song Yao,” he began, “Mr. Yang made a special trip today. He wanted to bring his wife to apologize to you in person!”

Song Yao’s gaze slowly swept over the three of them. Her voice was tinged with mockery.

“Weren’t they just here this morning? What with the kneeling and the slapping their own faces… how could I possibly accept an apology like that?”

Wu Xin and He Wei immediately flushed with shame.

Even Yang Lei lowered his head, his neck stiff with humiliation.

‘Song Yao was gloating inside.’

‘This is so satisfying. It would be even better with a bigger audience!’

‘Heaven has eyes. It keeps a tally of everyone’s deeds.’

‘They’re usually so high and mighty, aren’t they?’

‘Always making fun of people, always finding fault?’

‘Cat got their tongues now?’

“About this morning… I did give them a talking-to. It was completely out of line…”

Song Yao looked up and cut him off.

“Director Cheng, are you here to lead this delegation, or just to be their mouthpiece?”