The 99th Divorce

Shen Manting rubbed her sore joints to relieve the fatigue.

When Shen Luo’an noticed her, he stood up and dusted the soil off his hands. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

“My arms are sore,” Shen Manting lamented as she continued rubbing her arms. She glanced at Little Moon, who had crouched down on the ground and was tugging at blades of grass. “He’s rather heavy.”

“Don’t carry for him for too long at a stretch next time.” Shen Luo’an reached out to hold her arms and rubbed them slowly. “Your hands had been injured before. Carrying heavy loads for long periods might cause discomfort.”

“Oh,” Shen Manting bit her lip and smiled, “I see.”

“Let’s take our son inside for breakfast.”

“I want to go for a walk.” Shen Manting looked at him. “Take me for a walk, honey. I haven’t been around here much.”

In the few days she had been back, Shen Luo’an drove her to wherever she needed to go.

She had yet to walk around the neighborhood.

Sometimes, she felt a familiar affinity to the neighborhood, yet at the same time, she was struck by how alien her surroundings seemed to her.

Shen Luo’an glanced at her and cautiously considered her request.

Taking a walk around the neighborhood…

This meant she would inevitably pass by the park and the basketball court.

Shen Manting’s despairing, hysterical voice from that night two years ago still seemed to ring in his ears.

He would never forget the look on her face.

Shen Luo’an was intimidated by the hopeful look in her eyes.

He quickly shifted his gaze away.

He looked at his son, who was now squatting on the ground, digging the soil and pulling blades of grass, and said softly, “Let’s have breakfast first. There’s nothing much to see around here anyway.”

“All right…” Shen Manting looked disappointed. “Let’s go back in then.”

Shen Luo’an didn’t dare to look into her eyes. He simply answered in a low voice.

Shen Zhilie and Ye Qianqian had almost finished their breakfast.

Shen Zhilie stood up and prepared to leave the dining table when he suddenly recalled something. “Big Brother, I’m going back to Yun Town with Ye Qianqian tomorrow. Instead of going back to work at the lab, why don’t you stay at home with the child and Sister-in-law these few days?”

Sister-in-law.

The way Shen Zhilie addressed Shen Manting sounded surprisingly pleasant to Shen Luo’an’s ears.

Shen Luo’an glanced at Shen Zhilie and responded, “I know what to do. Go ahead with your trip. You’ve only been looking after my child from time to time. Don’t think you know better than me.”

“Hey!” Shen Zhilie teased as he wiped his mouth, “Don’t burn bridges too soon. I had a part in looking after your child together with Father, Mother and Qianqian before Sister-in-law awoke from her coma. Little Moon nearly couldn’t recognize his father anymore because you stayed in the lab all the time.”

Little Moon looked up when he heard his name. He glanced at Shen Zhilie and Shen Luo’an.

He was eating a bowl of rice porridge with a plastic spoon in his small hand. A few grains of rice were sticking to the corners of his mouth.

Shen Zhilie clicked his tongue in disapproval when he saw the mess the boy made and teased, “Eat properly. Look at the mess you made of yourself.”

Little Moon ignored him and lowered his head to continue eating.

“Come on, move along now.” Shen Luo’an urged impatiently. “You’re interfering with my son’s meal.”

Shen Zhilie mumbled, “Ungrateful brat.”

He turned to leave. Ye Qianqian was packing her clothes when Shen Zhilie entered the room.

Ye Qianqian noticed Shen Zhilie entering the room, but didn’t look up and simply said, “It shouldn’t be too cold in Yun Town. By the way, Tongtong is getting married next month. She wants us to attend her wedding together.”

“No, I’m not going,” Shen Zhilie replied without even thinking. “What does her marriage have to do with me?”