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

As Su Manman spoke, she actually knelt down and clung tightly to Shen Zhiyi's trouser leg, her nails digging into his flesh through the fabric, her stockings rubbing against the cold tiles, creating long, drawn-out runs: "Yes! Call him! He's been avoiding me these past few days, not answering my calls, not answering my mom's calls, not even answering his own mother Zhang Feng's calls! But he only listens to you, I know deep down he only recognizes you!"

As she spoke, she suddenly straightened up, her forehead slamming heavily against the tiles with a dull thud that made the onlookers shrink back.

Her makeup was smeared black by tears, and her eyeliner mixed with tears ran down her cheeks. She looked up at him, pleading, her expression both pathetic and humble: "Please, Shen Zhiyi, I'm sorry for what I did to you before. I swear, if you find him this time, I'll never come to your way again! Really! Please help me, okay? He only recognizes you now!"

Shen Zhiyi looked down at her, feeling only absurdity.

If Xu Zhesheng had truly listened to her, they wouldn't have ended up in a divorce cooling-off period a few years ago, and this woman wouldn't have climbed to the top by stepping on her.

She doesn't even want to mention Xu Zhesheng's name anymore. She just hopes to get a clean divorce in ten days, take the money she gets, move into a new home, and completely cut ties with the past. She has no desire to get involved in this mess anymore.

But Su Manman, as if afraid of being overheard, suddenly lowered her voice and leaned closer, her voice so low it was like a mosquito's buzz, yet every word pierced her heart: "Isn't your cooling-off period only ten days left? If you can't find him now, what if the divorce proceedings can't be completed? Don't you want a clean break?"

These words really struck a chord with her.

Shen Zhiyi frowned slightly; she really didn't want the divorce to go wrong.

After thinking for a moment, she tapped her fingertip on her trouser leg, signaling Su Manman to let go. Her voice was cold and flat: "You can make a phone call. But the rumors you spread today have ruined my reputation, so you have to apologize to me publicly."

Su Manman froze, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, and asked tremulously, "Public...public? You want me to post it on Weibo?"

Shen Zhiyi twitched her lips, her smile devoid of warmth: "You're a public figure, I don't need to force you into the limelight and have you exposed. I'll draft an apology statement, which will only be released internally by Jiangxing, not to the public, and only visible to company employees."

Su Manman bit her lip, her nails digging into her palms. She knew that although OA was not open to the public, who knew how tight-lipped the people of Jiangxing were? If it was leaked sooner or later, what difference would it make from being public?

She hesitated for a long time, refusing to give a straight answer.

Shen Zhiyi didn't press her. She simply raised her hand to put the phone back in her pocket, her tone as indifferent as if she were talking about someone else: "If you don't want to, then forget it. The security team is already at the elevator. You'd better watch yourself."

Su Manman was unwilling to let her go. This was her only connection to Xu Zhesheng. She scrambled and clung to her leg, her stockings worn through and her knees red, her voice trembling with tears: "I'll sign! I'll sign! I'll agree to anything you say! But you have to promise to call Xu Zhesheng over after you make the call! Otherwise, I'd rather die than sign!"

Just as Shen Zhiyi was about to speak, a deep male voice suddenly came from behind her. It wasn't loud, but it was like a stabilizing force that calmed the entire scene: "Let's fight."

She looked up and met Lu Zichuan's very light amber eyes.

He appeared behind her without her noticing, his suit jacket draped over his arm, his white shirt collar loose, his eyebrows slightly raised, giving her a very steady look, as if to say, "I'm here, don't be afraid."

The two didn't exchange a single word, but Shen Zhiyi suddenly felt at ease. The sense of security of having someone supporting her from behind made her even relax her fingertips.

She looked away and nodded: "Okay, I'll do it."

She swiped her finger across the screen, scrolling through the blacklist to find the number she knew by heart but had deliberately blocked for a long time. After a pause, she pressed the dial button.

The receiver emitted a busy tone, and Su Manman held her breath, her face pressed against Shen Zhiyi's trouser leg, her eyes fixed on the lit screen as if it were her last lifeline.

After two busy tones, the screen suddenly went black.

A cold, mechanical female voice announced, "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently busy. Please try again later..."

The call was disconnected.

Shen Zhiyi shrugged, her expression as indifferent as if she were watching someone else's business: "See? I told you we might not be able to get in touch."

There was no dissatisfaction on her face, as if she had expected this outcome, and even seemed relieved. Xu Zhesheng hung up on her, which saved her from getting involved in this mess.

Su Manman was stunned. She was first bewildered, then her eyes filled with immense disappointment, but hidden within that disappointment was a secret joy that she herself dared not admit.

So it turns out that Xu Zhesheng doesn't necessarily have to be Shen Zhiyi?

She was worried that Xu Zhesheng only had Shen Zhiyi in his heart, but now that he even hung up on Shen Zhiyi's call, it means that he has completely let go of her. Wouldn't it be much easier for her to control Xu Zhesheng in the future?

Her smugness lasted only two seconds before she panicked again.

Even Shen Zhiyi couldn't contact Xu Zhesheng, so where else could she look for him?

She slumped to her knees, her earlier arrogance largely gone, but she remained defiant, tilting her head back at Shen Zhiyi and saying, "You haven't even been able to contact him, so I won't sign the apology statement! Anyway, you haven't done what you said you would!"

Shen Zhiyi subconsciously looked at Lu Zichuan, who was sitting on the guest sofa next to her with his legs crossed, watching her leisurely. When he saw her looking over, he gave her a very faint smile and mouthed two words: "Wait a little longer."

Whether it was Lu Zichuan's calm demeanor or his reassuring gaze, Shen Zhiyi, Yang Chun'er, and even Su Manman, who was still sobbing, all quieted down. Even the gossiping colleagues nearby didn't dare to make a sound, and the entire corridor was so quiet that only the low hum of the central air conditioning could be heard.

ten seconds.

Just as she counted to ten, Shen Zhiyi's phone screen suddenly lit up.

The caller ID showed an unmarked number, but both Shen Zhiyi and Su Manman, who was staring intently at her phone, instantly recognized the number as Xu Zhesheng's.

Before Shen Zhiyi could react, Su Manman pounced on her like a madwoman. She snatched the phone from Shen Zhiyi's hand, her fingers trembling as she swiped to answer. A piercing sob burst from the receiver: "A-Zhe! Where have you been? Why didn't you answer my calls? You only answer when Shen Zhiyi calls? Are you still thinking about her? I'm your fiancée! We're getting married soon! Do you even care about me?"

A barrage of questions came crashing down on her like a machine gun. She had been trying to act gentle and understanding, but as soon as she received Xu Zhesheng's call, all her pretense shattered.

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the line. Xu Zhesheng's voice came through the signal, carrying obvious fatigue and annoyance, as well as a hint of...softness. He lowered his voice a few decibels as he spoke to the person on the other end of the line: "Su Manman, give the phone to Zhizhi."

The way he pronounced "Zhizhi" was so familiar and natural, a stark contrast to his coldness towards Su Manman just moments before.

Su Manman's face turned pale instantly, and she almost dropped her phone.