Five years without pregnancy means you're too weak; I remarried a powerful man and had triplets

On several previous occasions, Shen Zhiyi had been hinting to Xu Zhesheng that he should handle the property issue himself.

But the truth is, despite her hints several times, he never once took the initiative to tidy up.

Faced with someone who wouldn't admit defeat until the very end, she had no choice but to sever the relationship.

Since things have already come to this point, and she's offering him some face but he doesn't want it, then so be it.

The harsh white light from the incandescent bulb stung his eyes, causing Xu Zhesheng's pupils to contract sharply as if burned. He blurted out, "You investigated me?"

"Shouldn't one be more cautious when dealing with an unfaithful husband?"

Shen Zhiyi remained expressionless, without even raising her eyelids. She simply tapped the documents on the table with her fingertip. "I originally thought you just couldn't control your lower body, but I didn't expect such a pleasant surprise."

She looked up, her gaze piercing straight into his heart: "Xu Zhesheng, you acted this role so well."

Xu Zhesheng's face drained of color, then quickly flushed red, alternating between pale and bluish, as if he had been stripped naked in public.

His eyes darted around, first scanning the light yet heavy receipt in his hand, then looking down at a speck of dust on his shoes—evidence of his disheveled state from his hurried journey.

He stared at the speck of dust for a long time before finally shifting his gaze with great difficulty to Shen Zhiyi's spotless shoe tips, but he dared not meet her eyes.

"I...it's not that I don't trust you..."

His throat tightened, and his voice was so low it was almost inaudible, tinged with the embarrassment of someone caught out, as he tried to explain, "It was my mom... my mom said it's safer this way..."

"Heh." Shen Zhiyi gave a short, mocking laugh, interrupting him.

There was no warmth in that laughter, only utter disgust.

"Don't use your mother as a shield."

She leaned forward slightly, her clear eyes locking onto his evasive gaze, as if she could see through all the calculations hidden beneath his cowardice: "Xu Zhesheng, we've known each other for so many years, I know your character better than you do. If you really don't want to, your mother's nagging a hundred times won't change anything. It was like this when the house was transferred, and it was like this when Su Manman was pregnant. The reason you went along with it was simply because you already tacitly approved of it in your heart."

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a knife, stripping away all his hypocritical pretenses: "Stop always pushing the blame onto others. See yourself clearly, and understand yourself."

Having said that, she gave him no chance to refute her and turned away swiftly.

The crisp, resolute sound of high heels striking the ground shattered the stagnant air in the Civil Affairs Bureau with each step.

She didn't know if Xu Zhesheng would suddenly realize his mistakes in these thirty days, or continue to play dead.

But none of that matters anymore.

She was determined to get back her 50 percent, even if it meant going to court.

It has nothing to do with ambition; she just needs fairness—fairness for her years of hard work and dedication at home, and fairness for her quiet guidance behind the scenes in Hsu Che-sheng's films.

Even if others don't approve of her and think she's just a worthless woman who lives off Xu Zhesheng, she won't deny herself.

Her sacrifices were far greater than these people imagined.

After leaving the Civil Affairs Bureau, Shen Zhiyi, having nothing else to do, decided to go home.

Just as she waved to hail a taxi, a black Ferrari stopped in front of her.

The passenger window slowly rolled down, revealing Lu Zichuan's sharply defined face.

The sunlight cast a shadow on his high, straight nose, making his deep eyes look even more unfathomable.

"Is it all done?"

He glanced at her sideways, his voice low and unreadable.

Upon seeing it was him, Shen Zhiyi was taken aback for a moment, then relaxed.

She curved the corners of her mouth into a smile, a genuine ease emanating from her eyes: "Yes, it's done."

As soon as he finished speaking, it seemed as if even the air itself became a little lighter.

A faint smile flickered in Lu Zichuan's eyes. He raised his chin slightly toward the passenger seat and said succinctly, "Get in."

Shen Zhiyi unconsciously picked at her fingertips, and that faint defense mechanism in her heart jumped out again.

I seem to have gotten a little too close to him lately.

But then she changed her mind and laughed self-deprecatingly.

Now that he is all alone, apart from his decent editing skills, there is really nothing that the second young master of the Lu family would covet.

Thinking about it this way, the tension dissipated.

Without further hesitation, she opened the passenger door and got in.

The leather seats, with their slightly cool feel, enveloped my entire body.

Having resolved Xu Zhesheng's troubles, she felt much easier to breathe, and her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness, like the clarity that comes after washing away all artifice.

Lu Zichuan stepped on the gas, and the car smoothly merged into the traffic.

"Mr. Lu, where are we going?"

Looking at the scenery rushing past the window, Shen Zhiyi tossed her hair and asked curiously.

Lu Zichuan looked straight ahead and casually uttered two words: "Eat."

Shen Zhiyi was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to say "No need to trouble yourself", but at this moment her stomach started to growl.

It would have been better if she hadn't said that word, because as soon as she did, she felt her stomach was empty. From yesterday when Su Manman had her accident until today, she hadn't eaten a single meal or even drunk a drop of water.

"Okay," she replied softly, without further ado.

The Ferrari eventually stopped at a private restaurant located halfway up the mountain.

Far from the hustle and bustle, the environment here is tranquil, and every window frames a view of the city.

Lu Zichuan clearly knew the place well and led her straight into a private room by the window.

The waiter respectfully presented the menu, but he didn't take it, simply saying to the waiter, "The usual."

As the dishes were served one by one, they were all light and nourishing, just the kind of flavors she preferred.

Shen Zhiyi looked at the steaming soup on the table, then at Lu Zichuan across from her, who had calmly arranged everything. A corner of her heart was gently touched.

Shen Zhiyi held the porcelain bowl, the rising steam blurring the inquiry in her eyes.

She scooped up a spoonful of soup, but didn't put it in her mouth. Instead, she looked up and her gaze met Lu Zichuan's eyes, which were so pale they were almost colorless.

"What's wrong?" Lu Zichuan's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. He shifted his gaze from her face back to the bone plate in front of him, his tone completely calm.

"Mr. Lu," Shen Zhiyi pursed her lips, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the warm rim of the bowl, a hint of genuine surprise in her voice, "Why...why did you come to pick me up today?"

Lu Zichuan's hand, holding chopsticks and picking up food, paused very subtly in mid-air.

The pause was so short it was almost nonexistent, so fast it felt like an illusion.

He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing the fleeting emotions in them. When he looked up again, his expression had returned to its usual cold indifference, even more so than usual, with a businesslike detachment.

"The accident that happened to you and Su Manman at the Star Field yesterday was a security lapse in our company, and I bear responsibility."

He spoke, his voice flat and even, without any inflection, as if he were reading an accident report.

"Fortunately, the backup surveillance covered the blind spots; otherwise, not only would you have been wronged, but once the police intervened and public opinion took hold, the general's reputation would have been affected."