Chapter 42 - 41: Your Mother-in-Law’s Phone Call

Chapter 42: Chapter 41: Your Mother-in-Law’s Phone Call

Hearing the phone ring, the girl quickly craned her neck toward Xiao Ran’s cell on the coffee table. Seeing the caller ID was "Mother-in-law," her pupils constricted, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

’My intuition tells me this must have something to do with my sister’s visit today!’

’Don’t tell me my sister asked Mom to call and tell me to leave, right?’

At the thought, the girl’s heart leaped into her throat!

Having finished washing his hands, Xiao Ran still hadn’t heard the girl’s voice. Wiping his hands with a towel, he walked out and looked at her. "Whose call is it?"

The girl swallowed, her eyes dazed. "Your... your mother-in-law."

Xiao Ran: "..."

He walked over, reached out to pick up the phone from the table, and answered the call under the girl’s watchful gaze.

"Hello, Mom."

"Oh, Xiao Ran, Lili tells me you two got divorced?"

To be honest, Mrs. Yan still had some doubts about the truth of the matter. It was all just so sudden.

"Yeah," Xiao Ran nodded.

"But why?" Mrs. Yan couldn’t understand at all.

’Haven’t things been fine all this time? Divorce is a huge deal, how could they just end it on a whim?’

To be fair, Mrs. Yan had always been good to him over the years, and he didn’t want to make her worry and fret.

Xiao Ran’s tone was calm. "We just didn’t have feelings for each other anymore. When you can’t go on, you naturally get a divorce."

Mrs. Yan pressed, "But... but there must be a reason, right?"

’A reason?’

’There really wasn’t any major reason. People who don’t love each other can’t keep going. Does that need a reason?’

He didn’t know how to answer in a way that would make her understand.

"You should probably ask Yan Li about that."

From Xiao Ran’s attitude, Mrs. Yan finally understood completely. It seemed they really were divorced!

’Over the years, Xiao Ran had always been very good, not just to Yan Li, but to their whole family.’

So, Mrs. Yan thought that maybe, if she mediated a little, she could get them to remarry. After all, divorce was no joke.

Her tone became persuasive. "I think you two are probably just acting out of anger. Why don’t you listen to Mom? Go and undo the divorce. After this lesson, Lili will have definitely learned her lesson!"

At some point, the girl on the sofa had drawn her slender legs up onto the cushions. Now, she was curled up, hugging her legs with her thin arms, her ears pricked as she listened intently.

But because she was too far away, she couldn’t hear what was being said on the other end of the line. The less she could hear, the more nervous she became.

Especially after hearing Xiao Ran’s line, "You should probably ask Yan Li about that."

’What did that mean?’

’Ask my sister what?’

’Did Mom ask him why he’s siding with me instead of my sister?’

As the saying goes, a girl with a guilty conscience will always overthink things.

Watching her brother-in-law’s serious expression, the girl grew incredibly tense. It felt like every nerve in her brain was stretched taut, and her ears strained even harder to hear.

’What on earth did Mom say? This is killing me!’

Perhaps because she knew her daughter so well, Mrs. Yan’s tone was placating.

"Um, you know Lili’s personality. I’ll be sure to give her a good talking-to this time. Once your anger has cooled, you two can go and get remarried, what do you think?"

Xiao Ran’s tone was indifferent. "Let’s just drop it, Mom. Yan Li and I are already divorced. Some things you just can’t go back to."

As one of the people involved, he knew better than anyone that their marriage had reached an irreversible end.

’It was like a shattered cup that could never be put back together again.’

Seeing his reluctance, Mrs. Yan’s voice grew anxious.

"How can you just drop it? Xiao Ran, listen to Mom. Your father and I know you’re a good kid, and we’re both truly fond of you. This thing called love... to be frank, it’s bound to fade sooner or later."

"Just like your father and I—what love is there now? What’s left is companionship. It’s been seven years since you and Lili started dating. The novelty wore off a long time ago. Listen to Mom, go and get remarried in a couple of days, okay?"

She really couldn’t bear to let such an excellent son-in-law go.

Besides, even pots and pans clash sometimes. What couple doesn’t argue?

Listening to her sincere words, Xiao Ran felt a little helpless. "Mom, I think our fate together has just run its course. The way things are now is actually pretty good."

’To be honest, he didn’t want to remarry. In fact, the more time passed, the more he felt that getting divorced was the most correct decision he had ever made.’

’He was much happier now than he was before.’

’He felt that this life, now, might be what real life was supposed to feel like.’

On the other end of the line, Mrs. Yan still refused to give up. "How can that be okay? Mom likes you so much! Look, we’ve gotten along so well all these years. I truly can’t bear to lose you as a son-in-law."

Xiao Ran remained calm and composed. "Mom, some things really can’t be forced. But don’t you worry. If you and Dad ever run into any trouble in the future, just give me a call anytime. I’ll definitely do my best to help you."

He wasn’t the type of person to burn his bridges.

Besides, even though he had divorced Yan Li, he had seen and appreciated how well Mrs. Yan had treated him over the years.

As a BEEP BEEP sounded from the phone, Xiao Ran knew another call was coming in. He glanced at the screen and saw that it was, indeed, Liu Min.

’She must have arrived.’

He said hurriedly, "I have to go, Mom. Something’s come up here."

With that, he quickly hung up the phone.

Seeing Xiao Ran hang up, the girl turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with nervousness and curiosity.

He pursed his lips. "Don’t worry, she didn’t mention you. Anyway, I have something to do, so I’m heading out for a bit. You just stay here and be good."

After speaking, he walked toward the shoe cabinet.

Hearing it had nothing to do with her, the girl let out a huge sigh of relief, and her posture relaxed.

’I’ve dodged another bullet, I guess.’

’She really didn’t mention me. Does this mean my sister didn’t tell her I’m still living at Brother Xiao Ran’s place?’

’Or maybe... Mom doesn’t think it’s a big deal?’

She didn’t know what the reason was.

’But anyway, I made it through unscathed!’

’This day has been so incredibly nerve-wracking from the very start!’

...

Meanwhile, the more Mrs. Yan thought about it, the more anxious she became.

She could clearly tell from Xiao Ran’s words that he had no intention of reconciling with Yan Li. No mother wishes for her children to divorce, especially when it’s with a man like Xiao Ran.

’Divorcing him was an absolutely foolish choice!’

At this thought, her pupils contracted.

’Wait, didn’t Yan Li just say that Xici was still living at Xiao Ran’s place?’

’Maybe I can get Xici to help talk some sense into Xiao Ran.’

’Yes!’

Mrs. Yan decisively picked up her phone and called Yan Xici.

The girl was spacing out when the phone beside her leg started to ring. She picked it up and saw it was from her mother.

The heart that had just settled in her chest immediately leaped back into her throat.

’All my previous thoughts must have been wrong. She probably just forgot to mention me, or... she wanted to lecture me personally.’

She sniffled and answered the phone guiltily. "Mom."

"Xici, let me ask you, did you know about your sister and brother-in-law’s divorce?" Mrs. Yan asked.