Chapter 817 - 281: Qin Mei, Let’s Talk

Lin Yaru and Jie Jingwei’s married life was far from harmonious. If something were to happen to Jie Jingwei, she would only clap and cheer. She wanted to divorce him, but it probably wouldn’t be easy unless Jie Jingwei suddenly grew a conscience and let her go.

Good and evil hinged on a single thought. Would Jie Jingwei choose kindness or cruelty? It was quite something to look forward to.

Qin Mei’s mocking words made Lin Yaru feel incredibly guilty. "What dirty deeds? Who am I disgusting?"

"You’re a married woman pining after a married man. How is that not dirty?" Qin Mei retorted. As for who she was disgusting, there was no need to spell it out.

Lin Yaru gritted her back teeth. "I’m going to be divorced soon."

"You might be getting a divorce, but Jie Jingchen and I aren’t. Even if you succeed and become single again, Jie Jingchen is still taken. Do you think seducing a married man is something to be proud of?" Qin Mei had applied too much pressure and snapped one of her nails. Looking at the broken piece, her almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly.

Suddenly, Lin Yaru stood up and lunged forward.

Qin Mei froze for a second. "Is she flying into a rage out of humiliation and trying to attack me?" she wondered. She immediately raised her guard. As long as Lin Yaru dared to lay a hand on her, she would strike first.

Instead, Lin Yaru rushed right in front of Qin Mei and dropped to her knees. Qin Mei was a little dumbfounded. She hadn’t even made a move yet; why was Lin Yaru kneeling?

"Mr. Qin, I’m begging you. Please let Jing Si and me be together. I can’t live without Jing Si!" Lin Yaru wept beautifully, tears streaming down her face as she tugged at Qin Mei’s pant leg and pleaded bitterly.

A question mark practically appeared over Qin Mei’s head. Since the carrot and the stick hadn’t worked, Lin Yaru was resorting to begging.

"Mr. Qin, Jing Si and I grew up together. We are deeply in love. If it weren’t for you, we would definitely have a happy marriage! Mr. Qin, you are a good person, and good people get rewarded. You will surely have both sons and daughters, and enjoy your twilight years surrounded by grandchildren. Jing Si can’t have children; staying with him will only leave you with regrets. As long as you’re willing to let go, you will absolutely meet your true Mr. Right. When that time comes, the two of you—"

"Stop, stop, stop," Qin Mei interrupted, unable to listen to another word.

"Mr. Qin, neither Jing Si nor I can have children. I’m begging you, please let go! Let us support each other and grow old together." Lin Yaru humbled herself into the dust.

She had wanted to maintain her dignity too. But for Jing Si, she threw all her pride and decency out the window. As long as she could convince Qin Mei to let go, as long as they divorced, Jing Si certainly wouldn’t reject her. The moment she agreed to abort the child in her womb, there was no turning back.

Qin Mei raised a hand and massaged her temples. "Teacher Lin, you are the one who can’t have children, not Jie Jingchen."

"What did you say?" Lin Yaru’s voice tightened, choked with genuine sobs from her crying fit just moments ago.

"Jie Jingchen can have children," Qin Mei enunciated, every single word crystal clear.

Hearing that Jing Si could have children was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for Lin Yaru. "That’s impossible. Everyone knows that Jing Si injured his back and was left with complications that cost him his fertility!"

"Teacher Lin, I will say it again in all seriousness. Jie Jingchen can have children," Qin Mei said.

Lin Yaru stiffened all over, overwhelmed by shock and disbelief. "No, that’s not right. You and Jing Si have been married for over a year, and you still haven’t gotten pregnant..."

"Haven’t I?" Qin Mei asked, her tone laden with implication.

Lin Yaru let go of Qin Mei’s pant leg and collapsed onto the floor as if all the bones had been sucked out of her body. Qin Mei had suffered a miscarriage. How could she have forgotten about that?

Qin Mei raised an eyebrow, a profound and unfathomable smile playing on her lips. Her fake miscarriage last time was the perfect excuse to mislead Lin Yaru now. Deciding that wasn’t enough, Qin Mei delivered another heavy blow. "Jie Jingchen and I simply don’t want children right now. It’s not that Jie Jingchen can’t have them."

"Don’t want children right now," Lin Yaru repeated dejectedly, her gaze losing its focus.

Watching Lin Yaru wither in an instant like a plucked, delicate flower, a sliver of pity rose in Qin Mei’s heart. They were both women—why must women make life so difficult for one another?

If Lin Yaru and Jie Jingchen were truly in love, she would have stepped aside for them before falling for him herself, treating it as accumulating good karma. But that wasn’t the case here. The woman was willing, but the man had no interest. How could she step aside for that?

"Why? Why?!" Lin Yaru suddenly demanded like a madwoman, her bloodshot eyes brimming with monstrous hatred.

"Because I’m not even twenty yet..." Qin Mei blurted out. Then she remembered that people married early in this era; at her age, she could already have children running all over the place.

"Jing Si is almost thirty!" Lin Yaru roared. She refused to accept this excuse. If Jing Si was fertile, then the problem lay with Qin Mei. Then she remembered Qin Mei’s miscarriage—which meant her body was fine initially. Therefore, the miscarriage must have damaged Qin Mei’s health, leaving her in the exact same boat: unable to have children.

Yet the rumors claimed that Jing Si was the infertile one. Jing Si had pushed himself into the crosshairs of public gossip just to protect Qin Mei! This realization drove Lin Yaru utterly insane with jealousy.