A few seconds after Wen Zhi sent a voice message, Meng Fan called her back in a rush with a video call.
After connecting, the video angle was weird, so Wen Zhi turned her phone around and saw Meng Fan kneeling on the bed.
"I'm beaten."
Wen Zhi was caught between laughter and tears.
Meng Fan first confirmed from the video that Wen Zhi's background was at the Shang family's place, and then asked cautiously, "Do you know everything?"
Wen Zhi, "During the family banquet, he sat next to me."
Meng Fan widened her eyes, "That coincidental?"
Wen Zhi helplessly, "Just that coincidental, so I didn't get enough to eat."
She had thought she would enjoy a feast, but ever since Shang Hexing arrived, she felt like sitting on pins and needles, hardly eating enough and guessing she'd be hungry before dinner time.
Next time, no matter how nervous, she had to eat her fill.
Meng Fan, upon hearing Wen Zhi hadn't eaten enough, changed from kneeling to sitting cross-legged on the bed, leaned very close to the camera and asked anxiously, "Why didn't you eat enough? With so many people at the family banquet, did your uncle scold you right in front of everyone?"
Wen Zhi didn't elaborate on the mishap at the banquet, "Nothing like that, it was just me feeling nervous and unable to eat."
Meng Fan sighed in relief, "I knew my uncle is magnanimous and wouldn't mind our little gossip about him."
Wen Zhi, "Then you spilled everything."
Meng Fan, "He heard us talking about him in the next room."
Wen Zhi complained, "Please use your brain, the soundproofing in the private hot spring pool can't be bad."
Meng Fan found that logical but soon shook her head, "Not right! If the soundproofing is really good, how would my uncle have asked me about sleep paralysis?"
Wen Zhi, "..."
The air froze for a moment.
Meng Fan sensed something was off, moved even closer to the screen, and when her face was infinitely magnified in the video, Wen Zhi chose to close her eyes.
"..." Meng Fan cracked a forced smile, "Zhizhi, don't worry, I didn't mention a word in front of my uncle about your dream of a lustful ghost."
Wen Zhi suddenly opened her eyes, "Really didn't mention it?"
"Really didn't mention it, rest assured," Meng Fan assured as she raised her hand, "It's about your reputation, how could I casually talk about it, even if my uncle were a woman."
Wen Zhi's tense nerves relaxed.
Truth be told, she really had been scared by Meng Fan just now.
After all, she had sat with Shang Hexing at dinner just a few minutes ago, and if he knew about the dream she had, with him being the figure in it, she couldn't stay in this family anymore, better pack her bags and move to another planet.
"Zhizhi," Meng Fan changed the subject, "You left in such a hurry today, I didn't get a chance to tell you I've taken the day after tomorrow off; I'll accompany you then."
Just as Wen Zhi was about to respond, she suddenly remembered something, silently calculated the time, and asked, "Isn't your husband coming back the day after tomorrow?"
Meng Fan was visibly confused in the video, "What? My husband is coming back the day after tomorrow?"
"..." Wen Zhi was silent.
A few nights ago, while video chatting with Meng Fan, she casually mentioned her estranged husband, usually away, was coming back on the fourteenth.
It was indeed mentioned casually, and Meng Fan herself didn't take it seriously.
Now reminded by Wen Zhi, Meng Fan nodded in the video, "Seems like he is coming back."
Seems like…
Meng Fan's tone was indifferent, "I reckon the bastard's going to ask for a divorce."
"..."
Divorce, such a serious matter, was spoken of by Meng Fan as if it were nothing.
It was just as well, she never cared about this political marriage.
At that moment, the video started to shake.
Meng Fan fixed her phone on a stand and began to do yoga, chatting with Wen Zhi while practicing, "If I really get divorced this time, I'm going to throw a three-day singles party at Star Sea and announce it to the world."
Wen Zhi rested her chin in her hand, "You two were bound together by a marriage of convenience. Can you really get divorced?"
Meng Fan, as she stretched, replied, "Since I brought it up, of course we can't get divorced. How many times have I mentioned divorce in these three years? When has it ever taken effect? But if he's the one who brings it up, I think it'll definitely happen."
Wen Zhi asked, "What makes you so sure he'll ask for a divorce?"
Meng Fan excitedly straightened up, took the phone off the stand, and excitedly gossiped to Wen Zhi, "I heard his old flame has come back. Back then, he couldn't stand up to his family and had to marry me under pressure. Living separately after our marriage was also because he felt guilty towards his old flame. Now that he controls all the family assets, the first thing he'll do with his new power is definitely to rekindle the old romance."
Wen Zhi realized, "Your husband is about to cheat, but you seem excited."
Meng Fan, hands and feet dancing with excitement, said, "Of course I'm excited. I'm about to go back to single life!"
Wen Zhi thought for a moment and said, "But these three years of your marriage, it hasn't been any different from being single."
Meng Fan agreed with Wen Zhi, "Indeed, it's like he's never even existed."
Having said that, Meng Fan laughed as well.
The prospect of divorce genuinely made her happy.
As for her husband coming back the day after tomorrow, she didn't care at all and insisted on keeping her plans to accompany Wen Zhi in paying respects at her mother's gravesite.
Wen Zhi and Meng Fan agreed on the time to go out the day after tomorrow before ending their call.
After putting down her phone, Wen Zhi took an afternoon nap, undisturbed throughout, and didn't leave her room even after waking up.
That evening,
The entire old house was brightly lit.
Wen Zhi rubbed her growling stomach with a bitter expression. Since moving in, Zhao Qin had always brought her meals on time. Today, Zhao Qin didn't show up, nor did she send someone else, which meant Zhao Qin hadn't had dinner either and couldn't look after her.
As expected, in the Shang residence, if Chong Wanyin did not care for her, no one would remember that there was such an outsider in this grand old house.
Wen Zhi wondered how Shang Jing was getting on.
Never mind, it was better to take care of her growling stomach first.
Around 7:30 p.m., Wen Zhi reluctantly stepped out of her room.
Although the house was brightly lit at night, it always felt different from the daytime. Wen Zhi, who had a poor sense of direction, had to carefully remember her way every few steps, fearing she might take a wrong turn.
After walking for a while, Wen Zhi found herself in a completely unfamiliar Green Plant Garden.
With no one around, she didn't dare to go further, afraid of getting lost.
Just as she was about to turn around and leave, two hushed voices came from the Green Plant Garden.
"I still can't believe you actually brought someone in to live here, what were you thinking? What if she finds out…"
"Enough! This was my decision, and you better not interfere."
"Are you still hung up on…"
The voice suddenly stopped.
Wen Zhi hid behind a palm tree, the dense palm leaves shielding her body. In that moment of quiet, she thought they had spotted her and her heart jumped to her throat.
Fortunately, the woman just lowered her voice further, "You don't need to meddle in my matters."
The other person snorted, "It'll lead to trouble sooner or later."
Wen Zhi recognized the woman's voice as Chong Wanyin's, but this late at night, who was Chong Wanyin talking to?
Wen Zhi clutched her skirt, debating whether to part the palm leaves for a glimpse of the man. But then her rational mind told her that no matter who Chong Wanyin was talking to, she should leave immediately to avoid being caught and inviting trouble.
The indecisive thoughts tormented Wen Zhi like a demon, urging her to reach out. She was about to part the palm leaves blocking her view—
But just then,
a hand reached from behind and covered her mouth and nose.