"Send it to Gu Mian?" Yin Luoxue immediately denied vehemently, "Tingshen, I never sent this photo to Gu Mian, not even once!"
"Gu Mian's phone definitely received this photo. That night I happened to not return home all night, so she misunderstood and thought there was something between us; that's why she left home."
Li Tingshen's eyes grew colder, "She moved to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hall, which led her into those encounters with the two thugs, so the person who sent the photo is also one of the culprits behind my injuries..."
If he hadn't been injured, Gu Mian wouldn't have proposed a divorce.
Yin Luoxue trembled violently in fear, and hurriedly cried out, "Tingshen, it really wasn't me. You have to believe me!"
"The photo was sent to Gu Mian from an unregistered number; indeed, there is no evidence to prove it was you. But even if it wasn't you, it proves that the photo had leaked from you." Li Tingshen stared at her, "Luoxue, you can't escape responsibility."
"Tingshen, it was my fault, I shouldn't have taken this photo, but I really didn't send it to anyone, much less to Gu Mian!" Yin Luoxue's mind raced, "I suspect that someone hacked into my phone, found this photo, and then used it to cause all this trouble, Tingshen, please forgive me..."
Li Tingshen grew even more irritated by her crying, "Delete the photo thoroughly, I don't want to ever see this photo exist again."
"Yes, I'll delete it right now!"
Yin Luoxue hurriedly took out her phone to operate it.
"You can go now."
"Tingshen, I want to stay to take care of you..."
"I don't need it." Li Tingshen rejected coldly.
Yin Luoxue dared not insist, "Then my phone is on 24 hours a day. Call me if you need anything, I'll be there whenever you call."
Li Tingshen closed his eyes, no longer responding.
Yin Luoxue could only leave dejectedly.
After a while, Li Tingshen finally picked up the phone again, "Where did they go?"
"In response to President Li, they went to the hospital. It seems his wife wasn't feeling well."
Li Tingshen subconsciously wanted to get out of bed, but the movement was too sudden and pulled at the wounds on his lower back.
The sharp pain made him snap back to reality and he couldn't help but scoff at himself.
They had already registered for divorce, what was he doing going to the hospital now?
Not to mention, Pei Jinchuan was there by her side...
...
When Gu Mian woke up again, she found herself lying on a hospital bed, and it was already bright outside.
Pei Jinchuan, sitting in the chair beside her, hurriedly asked, "You're finally awake, how do you feel now?"
"Much better..."
Perhaps due to a fever, Gu Mian's throat was severely hoarse.
"Have some water." Pei Jinchuan poured some warm water and fed it to her with a straw.
Gu Mian sipped a few mouthfuls of warm water and found relief for her parched throat, "Mr. Pei, thank you for bringing me to the hospital, I'm fine now, you should go to work."
"Gu Mian, do you really not want to see me that much?" Pei Jinchuan asked with a smile.
"That's not what I meant." Gu Mian explained, "It's just too wasteful of your time to be here."
She expected that he must have stayed the whole night.
In Gu Mian's eyes, they were friends, but their relationship was definitely not close enough to warrant staying overnight.
"You had a high fever of 40 degrees Celsius last night, the doctor said your body is very weak. Even if the fever has subsided, you still need to rest," Pei Jinchuan said, "Gu Mian, you can't be without someone to look after you."
Gu Mian thought for a moment and then said, "I'll call Ms. Yang to look after me. You go take care of your own affairs."
"Alright." Pei Jinchuan did not insist any longer, "I'll leave once Ms. Yang arrives. I had someone prepare porridge for you. Would you like to eat some now?"
"I'm not hungry, I'll eat later."
When Ms. Yang hurried to the hospital after receiving the call, Pei Jinchuan left.
"Madam, why does your face look so pale?" Ms. Yang was distressed, "I was scared to death when Mr. Pei called me."
"It's nothing now, don't worry."
"Mr. Pei just told me to feed you something."
Gu Mian was actually quite hungry by then, but she didn't feel right letting Pei Jinchuan tend to her meal.
After drinking a bowl of porridge, Gu Mian lay down again.
"Madam," Ms. Yang couldn't help but speak up, "Shall I call Mr. Li to come and keep you company?"
"I've told you, we're already divorced." Gu Mian turned her face away, "I'm tired and want to sleep."
Ms. Yang felt her heart chill by half, "Alright, you should rest more. That's the quickest way to recover."
Ms. Yang covered her with the blanket and tiptoed out of the room, then pulled out her phone to call Li Tingshen, "Sir, madam is ill and in the hospital. Would you like to come over to see her?"
The man on the other end of the phone answered coldly, "Didn't she tell you we're already divorced? From now on, her affairs are none of my business. Don't tell me."
Ms. Yang's chilled heart finally died.
"Sir, madam is alone in the hospital, I want to stay and take care of her..."
"Suit yourself."
Li Tingshen dropped two words and hung up the phone directly.
Mrs. Yang sighed helplessly, her heart full of worries.
Until now, no matter how much they fought, they had never really come to the point of divorce.
But now that they were suddenly divorcing, the Li Family's sky was probably about to change.
...
Gu Mian stayed in the hospital for two days before she was discharged.
Mrs. Yang accompanied her back to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hall, and couldn't help saying, "Madam, the living conditions here are incomparable to Yunyue Bay."
"Yunyue Bay is the Capital's top residential area, naturally, it's different." Gu Mian smiled, "But I think this place is very good, I am an ordinary person after all, not so delicate."
She was very clear about the difficulty of going from luxury to simplicity, so during the years she was married to Li Tingshen, she had never indulged in the Li Family's luxurious life.
So now, leaving him, she wouldn't feel a material loss either.
"But living here is after all not convenient, look, there isn't even a kitchen, eating takeout is not good for the health."
Gu Mian nodded, "That's true, it's not feasible to live here indefinitely, I'll look around later for a suitable house to buy nearby."
"That's a good idea, you need a place to settle down."
While they were speaking, Gu Mian's cellphone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the screen, and her expression instantly tensed.
It was a call from the Li Family's landline.
Gu Mian swiped to answer, "Hello?"
"Madam, please come back quickly."
"Is something wrong?"
"Old Madam Li already knows about your divorce and almost fainted from anger, please come back quickly!"
Gu Mian hurried to the Li Family where Old Madam Li was sitting up in her bed, with Li Hongxuan and Yin Luoxue both present.
"Mian dear, come here."
Gu Mian walked to the bedside, "Grandma, are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Old Madam Li looked at her, "Grandma is asking you, your father said, you and Tingshen have divorced, is it true?"
Gu Mian nodded, "Yes."
"Why?" Old Madam Li asked, puzzled, "Why would you suddenly divorce?"
"It's my fault." Gu Mian lowered her eyes, speaking calmly, "I am ungrateful, I can't accept that Tingshen is incapacitated."
Old Madam Li was startled but then stated with conviction, "No, that can't be it, Grandma understands you, you are not that kind of person."
Gu Mian shook her head, "Grandma, you don't really know the real me, everyone is selfish after all, I just want to think more for myself."
"No, you must have some unavoidable hardship..." Old Madam Li suddenly reacted, "Is someone forcing you? Who is it? Confide in Grandma, with Grandma here, no one can force you!"
Yin Luoxue became flustered.
She knew that Gu Mian's divorce was orchestrated by Li Hongxuan, and she couldn't be sure whether Gu Mian would reveal the truth.
If she did, her plans to marry Li Tingshen could change.
After all, they were only registered divorced; there was a month of the cooling-off period during which they could reconsider at any time.
While Yin Luoxue was worrying, she suddenly saw Gu Mian kneel down directly in front of Old Madam Li.
Yin Luoxue thought she would reveal the truth and instinctively turned to look at Li Hongxuan.
But Li Hongxuan was unusually composed, merely looking down at Gu Mian kneeling on the floor with disinterest.
Tears were withheld as Gu Mian spoke, "Grandma, no one is forcing me, I want the divorce myself."
"I don't believe it. This isn't something Gu Mian I know would do, I absolutely can't believe you would do this!" Old Madam Li's face was tight, "Tingshen risked his safety to save you, knowing your character, how could you possibly abandon him?"
Tears streamed down Gu Mian's face, "But Grandma, I want a child of my own."
Old Madam Li was taken aback, yet still shook her head, "Grandma knows you value family, but that shouldn't make you abandon Tingshen!"
"Grandma, grandmother's last wish was for me to have a happy family, to have my own children, I don't want to let down grandmother's expectations, I don't want her to worry about me in heaven," Gu Mian wiped the tears from her face and spoke resolutely, "What's wrong with being ungrateful, if Tingshen simply can't give what I want, why should I hang myself on one tree?"
Yin Luoxue breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Hongxuan faintly curved his lips.
Only Old Madam Li was still unwilling to believe, "Mian dear, you..."
"Grandma."
An icy, distant voice from the doorway interrupted Old Madam Li's words.
The crowd turned their heads, seeing a stern-faced Li Tingshen, not knowing when he had appeared at the door.