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

"Oh dear, in-laws, what's with all this talk about 'stepping stones'? That's too much of a fuss."

Xu Zhi waved his hand, a gentle smile on his face, his tone carrying the kind of kindness that comes with being an elder.

"It was true that Zhe made a mistake back then, and we will not take sides in this matter. His mother and I have talked to him a lot at home about it, and he promised us that he would never do anything foolish again or anything that would hurt Zhizhi. He came to apologize, and whatever he does is the least he should do!"

He paused slightly at this point, then turned his gaze to Shen Zhiyi, his expression earnest:

"Zhizhi, whatever punishment you want to give him, our family will accept it. Hitting him or scolding him is fine, as long as you can calm down. But divorce is indeed a big deal, so think it over carefully."

"You and A-Zhe have been by his side since his student days, watching him go from nothing to where he is today. Although it's mostly due to his own hard work, without your support at home, how could he have achieved such success?"

"This movie is an opportunity he has waited so many years for. This honor belongs to both of you. It is hard-won and should not be given up like this."

He picked up his thermos and took a sip, his tone softening, as if he were gently bringing the persuasion to a close:

"What couple doesn't have their disagreements? What's past is past, look forward, and life goes on. You're a sensible child, and I think you understand this better than any of us, right?"

Zhang Feng also stepped forward, her eyes red, as if she had truly fallen in love: "Yes, Zhizhi, A-Zhe has completely repented, and our family also feels that we owe you too much, so we have decided to put all our assets in your name."

She patted Xu Zhesheng's hand, her voice choked with emotion, "We promise that if he does anything like this again, we won't say a word against you if you want a divorce. This time, look... let's give him another chance."

Xu Zhesheng took two steps toward her, his gaze so sincere it was almost overflowing with tears. He pulled a neatly bound document from his pocket and handed it to her: "Zhizhi, this is a detailed list of my assets. It includes multiple properties, cars, and some savings. The transfer agreement has been reviewed by a lawyer and is valid."

He paused, his voice low and almost pleading, "If you're willing to make up with me, and you sign the papers, we'll end the cooling-off period for the divorce tomorrow, go home, and live a good life together, okay?"

Shen Ji also walked over, his gaze falling on the agreement: "I've read this agreement too, there's no problem. Zhizhi, take a look, sign it, and we'll still be family from now on."

Shen Zhiyi stood still, her gaze shifting from Xu Zhi's face to Zhang Feng's face, then to the agreement in Xu Zhesheng's hand, and finally landing on Shen Ji and Xu Jing.

Everyone was looking at her, waiting for her to nod.

They waited for her to swallow her grievances, accept the agreement, sign her name, and continue being the Xu family's daughter-in-law, just like she had done every time in the past five years.

She suddenly smiled.

It wasn't a sneer, nor a bitter smile, but a very light, faint smile, like a feather falling on water, causing no ripples, yet making everyone present inexplicably anxious.

Shen Zhiyi reached out and took the property details from Xu Zhesheng, pursing her lips as she looked at them one by one.

Over the years, she had never paid attention to Xu Zhesheng's assets, nor had she ever coveted them. But in the past, they guarded against her like a thief, and even though she had never coveted them, they would secretly transfer assets. Now, all those assets that had been transferred out have been transferred back, totaling a staggering one billion yuan.

She looked at each one carefully and realized that Xu Zhesheng wasn't just making movies; he had invested the money and managed his finances, which led to the accumulation of so much money through compound interest.

As she watched, she couldn't help but laugh to herself. It turned out that without her noticing, the Xu family had long since broken away from their original rural roots. They weren't even considered well-off; they were quite wealthy. Yet, when she lived with the Xu family, she was so frugal that she couldn't even afford a new piece of clothing for a whole month.

They, however, are quietly making a fortune.

The more she looked, the more alarmed she became; the more she looked, the colder she felt; the more she looked... Shen Zhiyi felt as if there was a fire burning in her chest, making her want to tear the details in her hand to shreds and throw them at Xu Zhesheng's face.

In the end, however, she did nothing.

He simply placed the paper back on the table, then looked up at Shen Ji and Xu Jing, and asked, "You called me here today because you had already discussed it with Xu Zhesheng, right?"

It was clearly a question, but when she said it, it sounded like a statement.

It seemed she wasn't asking for an answer, but rather hoping her parents could lie to her. After all, they clearly saw how Xu Zhesheng treated her back then, but she couldn't understand why they could still advise her to care about him.

Is their daughter's happiness really less important than all the rules and regulations in their minds?

Xu Jing met her eyes, felt a moment of guilt, looked away, and said nothing.

Shen Ji didn't answer directly, but said, "Zhizhi, don't be so stubborn. Your parents have been through it all and have seen too many people. Zhe just made a mistake that all men make. You don't need to make such a fuss."

There was no answer, but that hurt Shen Zhiyi's heart even more than a reply.

She clenched her fist. "A mistake that all men in the world make?"

"Dad, do you make the same mistake?"

Shen Ji immediately straightened his back, as if to prove his innocence, and said in a firm voice, "Of course not! I'm different from them!"

Shen Zhiyi tugged at the corners of her lips: "Then why don't you let your daughter find someone like you, instead of making me continue to make do with this?"

"You chose it yourself..."

"Every prisoner has the right to reform!" Before Shen Ji could finish speaking, Shen Zhiyi interrupted him loudly, her eyes red-rimmed: "Why can't I change my choice once I've made it?"

"Am I even worse than a criminal?"

"Zhizhi...that's not what Dad meant..."

Seeing her agitated, Shen Ji was also a little annoyed, but he still suppressed his temper and patiently coaxed her.

"Does your brother know about what happened today?" Shen Zhiyi didn't want to communicate with her old-fashioned parents anymore, so she asked again.

"Zhizhi..."

Shen Zhiyi already understood what Xu Jing wanted to say.

They discussed with the Xu family today about bringing her to the hospital, trying to use family ties, past feelings, and moral blackmail to force her to reconcile with Xu Zhesheng. Shen Haozhi, on the other hand, was completely unaware of the whole thing.

Her cold heart finally felt a little warmer; at least in the Shen family, her brother still cared about her.

Shen Zhiyi took a step back, tears welling up in her eyes, but she bit her lip tightly, refusing to let the tears fall. "Don't say anymore."

Her voice was hoarse, as if she had made an extremely difficult decision: "Today is the last time I will come to see you. Take care of yourselves from now on."

"As for you," she said, her gaze shifting to Xu Zhesheng's face, devoid of any warmth, "we'll complete the divorce proceedings at the Civil Affairs Bureau in four days."