The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

Chen Zhi's grip wasn't strong, but it firmly stopped Liu Yi's attack. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Liu Yi and Pei Ningxue.

"Auntie, you're quite different from the characters on TV!"

Liu Yi was taken aback by the sudden obstruction. She tried to pull her wrist back, but couldn't budge it. Her delicate face was filled with astonishment; she clearly hadn't expected this thug to dare to lay a hand on her.

"What are you doing? Let go!" Liu Yi shouted sternly.

Chen Zhifei didn't let go; instead, he shook his head seriously, his tone mocking, "This plot isn't right. According to the tropes of TV dramas, shouldn't you next hand me a check and ask me to leave your daughter? Or perhaps…"

He paused, then suddenly raised his voice so that everyone around him could hear him clearly.

"Aren't you the legendary wicked stepmother who wanted to kick the first wife's daughter out of the house so she could take all the family property?"

The air seemed to freeze for three seconds after those words were spoken.

It's pointless to reason with people who consider themselves part of high society; what they care about most is their dignity.

So Chen Zhi directly adopted the old-fashioned approach, ignoring all the nuances and just throwing out a label first.

Liu Yi's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red. She trembled all over and pointed at Chen Zhi's nose, cursing him.

"What...what nonsense are you spouting! You ill-mannered wretch!"

"Did I hit the nail on the head?" Chen Zhi feigned surprise, releasing his grip and taking a step back. "It seems the old saying 'the rich family is a deep, dark sea' is absolutely true. Pei, is this the kind of life you usually lead at home? If you're ever abused, remember to call the Women's Federation, or come to me, and I'll call the police for you."

This combination of elimination and attack directly caused Liu Yi's CPU to overheat.

She had prepared a whole host of words to scold Pei Ningxue, but now it felt like she had punched cotton. Not only did she not vent her anger, but she was also so angry at this arrogant brat that her chest felt tight.

"Pei Ningxue!" Liu Yi didn't bother to waste words on a low-level thug like Chen Zhi. She turned around and vented all her anger on her stepdaughter. "Look at the kind of scoundrels you've befriended! They spew filth everywhere. These are the friends you made at school. I guess I should have had your dad send you abroad to study earlier."

Pei Ningxue kept her head down.

But the moment Chen Zhi stood in front of her, a hint of panic, unlike anything she had ever seen, flashed in her usually calm eyes.

She wasn't afraid of Liu Yi scolding her; she had long been used to it over the years.

But she was afraid that Chen Zhi would be implicated.

The Pei family's situation was far more complicated than Chen Zhi had imagined. Liu Yi was a narrow-minded and vindictive woman. Chen Zhi was just an ordinary student; if this woman held a grudge against him, he would face endless trouble in the future.

Pei Ningxue reached out and gently tugged at Chen Zhi's sleeve, her voice tinged with pleading.

"You should go back now."

Her voice was very soft.

Chen Zhi turned around and met the girl's cool, clear eyes. The liveliness he had shown in the internet cafe was gone, replaced by a deep worry hidden in her eyes.

"Okay." Chen Zhi understood what she meant and didn't intend to pester her any further.

Anyway, we've already achieved our goal for today.

"See you tomorrow, deskmate." Chen Zhi grinned and waved.

Pei Ningxue pursed her lips and remained silent. She walked past Chen Zhi, opened the door of the black Mercedes, and silently got in.

Liu Yi glared fiercely at Chen Zhi, her gaze seeming as if she wanted to tear a piece of flesh from him. She snorted coldly and went around to the other side to get into the car.

With a loud bang, the car door slammed shut.

The Mercedes started and quickly disappeared at the end of the street.

Chen Zhi stood there, watching the two red taillights merge into the traffic.

"Every family has its own problems."

……

When I got back to the neighborhood, it was already 8:30 p.m.

He hummed an off-key tune as he took out his keys to open his own door.

Just then, a soft creaking sound came from behind.

The sound was very soft, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet hallway.

Chen Zhi subconsciously turned around.

The security door to Lin Wanwan's house was opened with a gap about two fingers wide.

The lights were off, and it was pitch black through the crack in the door.

By the moonlight streaming through the stairwell window, Chen Zhi saw an eye pressed against the crack in the door, staring intently at him.

His eyes held a resentful, indignant look, tinged with a hint of grievance.

Holy crap!

Chen Zhi was startled, nearly dropping the keys in his hand. "What are you doing cosplaying Ju-on here so late at night?"

The gap in the door widened instantly.

A pale arm reached out from the darkness, grabbed Chen Zhi by the collar, and pulled him away without saying a word.

"Hey, a gentleman uses words, not fists; men and women should not touch each other..."

Chen Zhi shouted, but his feet were obediently pulled over.

Lin Wanwan was wearing a pink bear-patterned pajama set, her hair casually tied in a bun with a few stray strands falling beside her ears. She pulled Chen Zhi into her entryway, closed the door behind her, and did so in one swift motion, clearly having planned it all along.

The main lights in the living room weren't on; only the television screen flickered on and off, playing a boring soap opera.

Lin Wanwan pinned Chen Zhi against the wall, but she couldn't hold him down with her strength; it was entirely due to Chen Zhi's cooperation.

By the light of the television, Chen Zhi could see the girl's expression.

Her cheeks were puffed out, her lips were pressed tightly into a line, and there seemed to be watery mist welling up in her beautiful big eyes.

"So you finally decided to come back?"

Lin Wanwan gritted her teeth and kept her voice very low, afraid of disturbing Zhang Guifang next door, but this only made her sound more like a wronged wife.

"What are you saying? I didn't run away from home." Chen Zhi raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "What's wrong? Who made Wanwan angry?"

"you!"

Lin Wanwan stomped her foot in anger, and her slipper made a crisp "smack" sound on the floor.

"Do you know how much I sacrificed to cover for you!" She stuck out a finger and poked Chen Zhi's chest hard. "Aunt Zhang asked me where you went, and I forced myself to make up a lie, saying you were cleaning and making bulletin boards at school, and that the teacher kept you after school for a talk!"

Chen Zhi looked down at her aggressive yet harmless finger, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

He felt a little guilty for Lin Wanwan's loyalty.

"To avoid arousing Aunt Zhang's suspicion, I didn't even dare to eat dinner at your house!" Lin Wanwan said, sounding increasingly aggrieved, and her stomach cooperated by letting out a long "grumble".

In the quiet entryway, the noise was deafening.

Lin Wanwan's face instantly turned red to the roots of her neck, and her previous accusatory tone collapsed in an instant. She clutched her stomach, turned her head to the side, and wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"I'm starving..." she muttered softly. "There's no one home, and we've finished all the frozen dumplings."

Chen Zhi couldn't help but laugh when he saw her embarrassed yet adorable appearance.

"What are you laughing at! Laugh again and I'll knock your teeth out!" Lin Wanwan was furious and raised her little fist as if to hit him.

Chen Zhi grabbed her fist.

The girl's hands were soft and a little cold.

"Walk."

Chen Zhi stopped joking with her and took her hand, leading her outside.

"Where...where to?" Lin Wanwan was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously tried to break free. "I don't want to go out to eat, all the restaurants are closed."

"Go back to my home."

Chen Zhi opened the door and pulled her out without saying a word.

"I'm not going!" Lin Wanwan protested in a low voice, her heels pressing against the floor. "I already told Aunt Zhang you were at school. If I go back with you now, wouldn't that be like walking into a trap? Aunt Zhang will definitely ask why we came back together. How are we going to explain that? What if we get caught?"

This girl still has such a strong imagination.

Chen Zhi stopped and looked back at her, squeezing Lin Wanwan's palm; the touch was delicate and soft.

"Even if the sky falls, we can't let Wanwan go hungry. Come on, I'll get you something delicious to eat."

Looking at Chen Zhi's broad back, Lin Wanwan, as if possessed, stopped struggling and let him lead her through the door.

Chen Zhi took out the key, skillfully inserted it into the lock, and turned it.

"Click".

The door opened.

A rich aroma of braised pork ribs wafted over, making Lin Wanwan's stomach rumble once again.

In the living room, Zhang Guifang was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, eating sunflower seeds and watching TV. Hearing the door open, she didn't even turn her head: "You finally decided to come back? I thought you'd been eaten by the blackboard eraser."

Chen Zhi changed into slippers and casually took out a pair of pink guest slippers from the shoe cabinet and threw them next to Lin Wanwan's feet.

"Mom, you don't understand. I'm contributing to the class." Chen Zhi said, pushing Lin Wanwan in front of him. "Besides, I not only came back myself, but I also picked up a refugee in the hallway."

When Zhang Guifang turned around, she saw Lin Wanwan standing timidly at the door, and her originally stern face instantly broke into a smile.

This ability to change faces so quickly is comparable to that of a Sichuan opera master.

"Oh, Wanwan's here!" Zhang Guifang tossed the melon seeds in her hand onto the plate, clapped her hands, and came over to greet her. "You said you weren't hungry when I asked you to come eat earlier, are you hungry now? I knew you were shy."

Lin Wanwan nervously clutched the hem of her clothes, secretly glancing at Chen Zhi, her eyes filled with "What should I do?"

Chen Zhichong blinked, then turned to her mother and said, "She was memorizing vocabulary in the hallway when I came home. Mom, don't just be happy, hurry up and get her something to eat. She's our family's darling."

"Memorizing vocabulary? In the hallway?" Zhang Guifang looked at the two of them suspiciously.

The reason was so flimsy that even Chen Zhi himself didn't believe it.

But Zhang Guifang clearly didn't care about logic; she only cared about the result.

"Alright, alright, memorizing vocabulary is good, you love learning." Zhang Guifang cheerfully pulled Lin Wanwan's hand. "The ribs in the pot are still hot, I'll go make you a bowl of noodles. Chen Zhi, go get Wanwan a glass of water, you have no sense at all."

After saying that, Zhang Guifang rushed into the kitchen.

Lin Wanwan let out a long sigh of relief, her whole body slumping down like a deflated balloon.

"You scared me to death..." She patted her chest and glared at Chen Zhi. "It's all your fault! What a lame excuse you came up with! Who memorizes vocabulary in the hallway late at night?"

Chen Zhi shrugged, walked to the water dispenser, filled two glasses with water, and handed one to her.

"The reason is not important; what matters is the attitude."

He leaned against the cabinet, watching Lin Wanwan sip water from her glass, as if some frightened little animal was trying to soothe itself.

"Moreover," Chen Zhi's lips curled up slightly, "my mother would believe me even if I told her you were an alien sent to Earth to investigate, as long as she sees you."

Lin Wanwan blushed and didn't reply. She just lowered her head to drink water, trying to hide the smile on her lips.

The sound of the range hood and Zhang Guifang chopping scallions came from the kitchen.

This lively, bustling atmosphere made the farcical scene at the school gate seem incredibly distant.

"Hey, Chen Zhi."

Lin Wanwan suddenly put down her water glass, leaned closer, and whispered, "What have you been doing all day? How can you play games this late?"

Looking into her big eyes, which were full of gossip and curiosity, Chen Zhi couldn't help but reach out and flick her forehead.

"collapse!"

"Ouch! It hurts!" Lin Wanwan cried out, clutching her forehead and her eyes brimming with tears.

"Children shouldn't pry into adults' affairs."

Chen Zhi smiled and turned to walk towards the kitchen. "Mom, add more cilantro! Wanwan loves it!"

"Okay, okay! You talk too much!"

Lin Wanwan watched his retreating figure, rubbing her forehead, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily curled up.