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

"What do you mean by 'help me'?"

That incident was indeed very urgent, and Shen Zhiyi remembers it clearly.

The rain that day was terrifyingly heavy, and it was impossible to hail a taxi on the street.

Zhang Feng thought she was making a fuss over nothing; she didn't even leave the house, let alone offer a helping hand.

Fearing that Xu Zhi's health would deteriorate if left untreated, she disregarded the fact that she had only recently obtained her driver's license and insisted on driving him to the hospital in the rain.

She wasn't very strong, and when they got to the parking lot, she had to carry Xu Zhi on her back to walk inside. Several times she slipped and almost fell, but she gritted her teeth and persevered all the way to the emergency room.

But thankfully she persisted.

Otherwise, Xu Zhi probably wouldn't have made it through that night.

So much time has passed that Shen Zhiyi has long since stopped caring about it.

Besides, even if it wasn't Xu Zhi who was sick that day, but a complete stranger she didn't know, she would still have taken the person to the hospital.

She waved her hand dismissively, saying, "It's not that serious. I just did what anyone would do. You don't need to take it to heart."

Despite saying that, her originally straight back unconsciously relaxed slightly.

Xu Zhi noticed her subtle changes, a barely perceptible glint flashing in his eyes, before he sighed heavily again:

"I want to apologize for what happened before. That girl, Su Manman, really deceived our whole family and caused you so much suffering. I understand that you want to divorce A Zhe because of this, although his mother and I are reluctant to let you go."

He speaks slowly, word by word, with the honest and unhurried manner characteristic of country folk. His words are easy to understand and listen to.

But Shen Zhiyi didn't want to dwell on this topic.

She picked up the serving chopsticks, placed a piece of food on Xu Zhi's plate, and said indifferently, "Eat your food, it won't taste good if it gets cold. Let's not talk about the past. Anyway, Xu Zhesheng and I will be officially divorced in nine days, and it will be difficult for us to sit at the same table again in the future."

Xu Zhi sighed softly.

He had spent so much time laying the groundwork, but Shen Zhiyi had unexpectedly brought up the topic herself first.

That's good, it saves him from beating around the bush anymore.

"I'm here today to talk to you about this."

He put down his chopsticks and looked at her earnestly. "Zhe has been very sad these past few days. He spends all his time at home either drinking or lying around, doing nothing and having no energy for anything. Last night, he hugged his mother and cried his heart out, saying that he really knew he was wrong, that he was a jerk before, and that he was sorry to you..."

Shen Zhiyi paused slightly in her hand as she picked up some food.

She vaguely sensed that after all that Xu Zhi had said before, what he was about to say was the real key point.

"You know, people always have to go through certain things before they understand how precious some things are."

Xu Zhi's voice softened further, as if he were having a casual chat, or as if he were pouring his heart out, "When you were here, A Zhe thought it was only natural for you to be good to him, and that what you did was effortless. Now that you're gone, he realizes that he really can't live without you."

"His mother and I have been reflecting on this a lot lately. Over the years, you've taken such good care of me, his mother, and A-Zhe. We were blinded by greed before, and we're so sorry."

He paused, then finally revealed his true request: "But we've both decided to sincerely repent. They say it's a blessing from a past life for two people to become husband and wife, and you and A-Zhe have been very happy these past few years. It would be such a pity to break up like this. Zhi-Zhi, how about this... could you reconsider and give A-Zhe another chance?"

He looked at Shen Zhiyi, his tone tentative and cautious: "You two shouldn't get a divorce yet. Spend another three months together. Just three months. If after three months you still can't stand it, then you can divorce A-Zhe. I'll be the first to stand up for you and won't stop you. What do you think?"

If Shen Zhiyi didn't know that Xu Zhi wasn't very educated, she would have suspected that he had studied psychology.

These words, though seemingly casual, were in fact carefully crafted.

From initially using a strategy of retreat to advance, to later showing concern and care to lower her guard, to then mentioning the life-saving grace from years ago to completely disarm her, and finally naturally revealing the key point.

Moreover, every word he spoke was gentle and polite, without a trace of coercion, making it seem as if he was genuinely there to discuss things with her, entirely for her own good.

This is completely different from Xu Zhesheng's arrogant and self-righteous attitude when he came to beg her.

If Shen Zhiyi's attitude hadn't been so firm, if she had even the slightest wavering in her heart, she might have actually been swayed by Xu Zhi's painstaking words.

However, if you think carefully about what Xu Zhi meant, you'll find that something is not right.

They don't cherish her at all; they just want her to go back to how she used to be, taking meticulous care of the three of them so that they can just live their own lives while she does everything else.

To put it bluntly, what they want is not a wife or a daughter-in-law, but a free, hardworking nanny.

Xu Zhesheng's regret is the same.

He wasn't even aware of his feelings for her, or that he couldn't live without her. It was simply because she was useful, able to help him with the trivialities of life, protect his dreams, and be his free labor at his beck and call.

Shen Zhiyi listened quietly as he finished speaking, leaving her chopsticks untouched on the edge of her bowl.

The noise in the shop seemed to be shut out at that moment, and all that remained in her world was Xu Zhi's dark face, which was filled with sincerity and caution.

She looked at him, a complex emotion welling up inside her. Perhaps he wasn't as wicked as she thought, but he was certainly not innocent. At least in the matter of Su Manman, he had sided with her and tacitly condoned the harm done to her.

She remained silent for about ten seconds.

For those ten seconds or so, Xu Zhi held his breath, anxiously awaiting her answer, not daring to even blink.

"Uncle," Shen Zhiyi called him for the first time now that they had known each other for so long. Before, she had never known what form of address would be more appropriate, but now she felt more comfortable with this one.

Her voice was soft, yet steady and calm: "I have taken to heart what you have said today."

Xu Zhi's heart sank when he heard her address him, but his eyes lit up when he heard her say that. However, Shen Zhiyi gently raised her hand to stop him.

"You are a good person, I have never doubted it."

She continued, her tone as calm as if chatting with an old friend, "When I took you to the hospital back then, I really didn't expect anything in return, nor was I trying to bind anyone. I just felt that you were my elder, and I should do it. Now that you remember, I'm happy, but that's all."

She paused, looking directly at Xu Zhi without flinching: "I know everything you said just now, from your feigned retreat to your words of concern, and then to bringing up that matter... You don't need to feel embarrassed. You did it for your son. As parents, I don't blame you."

Xu Zhi's expression changed, as if his cards had been suddenly revealed. He felt somewhat embarrassed, yet also relieved.

"But do you know what?" Shen Zhiyi picked up the teacup in front of her, took a sip to moisten her throat, "You, A-Zhe, and Mom, still haven't figured out one thing."

"What is it?" Xu Zhi asked instinctively.