Chapter 170: Only He Is the Exception

Lu Yan paused for a moment, unable to suppress his curiosity. "Then tell me, what kind of person is Xia Xiyue?"

Why did the Xia family seem like an unattainable dream in his wife's eyes?

In truth, Shen Qingyi only wanted to express with modesty that there was never any possibility between her and him.

Yet she clearly had not expected Lu Yan to be so adept at seizing the core of the matter. With a chuckle, she continued, "His standards are remarkably high. He wouldn't even give the young heiresses in Pengcheng a second glance; how could he possibly fancy me? Besides, before I got married, I spent two whole years in his constant company. If he had genuinely liked me, he would have confessed long ago."

A surge of sourness washed over Lu Yan. His wife had spent two whole years in constant company with another man?

Rationality, however, told him otherwise. His wife had been utterly candid with him, and he ought to trust her.

Still, sounding rather petty and grievance-laden, he murmured, "I'm a little envious of him."

Confused, Shen Qingyi asked, "What are you envious of him for?"

"For spending two whole years in constant company with you." Lu Yan wanted his wife to feel how deeply she mattered to him.

Shen Qingyi was taken aback. Was Lu Yan truly this childish? He was practically no different from An'an. Whenever she took An'an out to play in the past and encountered children his age, if she showered them with praise or gave them a hug and a pat, the little fellow would droop his head and weakly express, "I'm so envious. Why am I not as cute as him?"

Recalling how she usually handled it, she would invariably pick An'an up and lavish him with kisses: "He's only cute for a fleeting moment; you will always be cute."

And An'an would instantly cheer up, his mind set at ease.

"It's just like you spending four years in constant company with your college classmates—nothing special at all," Shen Qingyi said softly.

With that, she took Lu Yan's hand. "Let's head back quickly. An'an is still waiting for you to coax him to sleep."

A gentle curve touched the corners of Lu Yan's lips as he followed his wife out. Once she locked the apartment door, they descended the stairs together.

Inside the car, he asked, "Would you like to move to the villa district over here?"

Shen Qingyi pondered for a moment. "Let's talk about it after I return. An'an is attending kindergarten over there, so living here would be inconvenient."

In high spirits, Lu Yan did not press further. He pressed down on the accelerator, started the engine, and drove out of the residential compound.

Night had fallen completely, leaving the streets serene and largely devoid of pedestrians.

From time to time, he glanced at his wife through the rearview mirror.

After a short silence, Shen Qingyi spoke up, "I've asked Caiqing to look around for a storefront. If she finds a suitable one, could we purchase it?"

Lu Yan replied, "You have the final say."

***

Shen Qingyi cast a deep, lingering look at Lu Yan. Hesitating for a moment, she added, "After we remarry, you can hand this money back over to me. From the savings passbook, I withdrew twenty thousand to buy the house we just saw. I've placed the passbook in the third compartment of the wardrobe on your left. If Caiqing sets her eyes on a proper storefront, you can withdraw the funds for her to buy it."

A faint wave of discomfort rippled through Lu Yan; he disliked the sense of rigid boundaries his wife was drawing between them. Nonetheless, he responded with a soft "Mn," taking it as agreement.

The car came to a halt by the front entrance, where the lights in the foyer were still ablaze. Entering the quiet house, Shen Qingyi assumed An'an must already be asleep.

Just as she took her first step toward the kitchen to wash up, the door to Shen Qingyi's room creaked open, and An'an emerged.

Surprised, Shen Qingyi caught her son as he ran into her arms. "Why are you still awake so late?"

An'an rubbed his eyes. "I wanted to wait for Mommy."

Shen Qingyi pressed a kiss to her son's cheek. "Mommy was going to come back anyway."

"But you're leaving for a very far place tomorrow, and I'm worried." An'an blinked his heavy, drowsy eyelids, his tone steeped in reluctance to part.

Her heart completely melting, Shen Qingyi offered a gentle reassurance, "Mommy isn't going away for long; I'll be back very soon. Go on to sleep now."

"How long?" When her son posed the question, Lu Yan's heart tightened as well.

After a brief thought, Shen Qingyi answered, "About a week or so."

Hearing a timeframe that roughly matched his own estimation, Lu Yan finally set his mind at ease. He reached out to take An'an into his arms. "You can continue sleeping with Dad tonight. Mommy needs to rest well so she'll have the energy for the long journey."

Nodding obediently, An'an followed Lu Yan into his bedroom.

Early the next morning, Lu Yan rose promptly to prepare breakfast: lean pork congee, boiled eggs, and the egg-fried rice his son adored.

Knowing she had a long journey ahead, Shen Qingyi dared not oversleep. Up at the crack of dawn, she meticulously checked her documents and luggage before stepping out to breakfast. Catching sight of the lean pork congee upon entering the living room, her eyes lit up, and she praised Lu Caiqing, "To whip up so many varieties in such a short time early in the morning—you've worked hard."

Lu Caiqing smiled and replied, "Second Brother made them!"

Shen Qingyi glanced at Lu Yan, who was sitting nearby peeling an egg for An'an, a wave of emotion stirring within her chest. Restraining the impulse to express her gratitude right then and there with Lu Caiqing and An'an present, she scooped herself a bowl of congee.

Breakfast finished, Lu Caiqing headed out, while Shen Qingyi and Lu Yan walked An'an off.

Upon their return, Lu Yan crouched down to help arrange Shen Qingyi's luggage, only to be caught completely off guard as she planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

The moment he turned around, he caught sight of his wife's smiling eyes as she said, "Thank you for the breakfast."

Lu Yan pressed his lips together, suppressing the urge to pull her in for a return kiss. "If you like it, I'll make it for you every day when you get back."

"Alright!"

***

After being dropped off at the railway station, Shen Qingyi bid Lu Yan farewell.

Dragging a suitcase and carrying a black leather handbag, she located her carriage and berth number, finally squeezing onto the train with the greatest of efforts.

Lu Yan had purchased a sleeper ticket for her—specifically a lower berth—making the journey relatively comfortable.

She arrived at her destination at two in the morning. Having called Xia Xiyuan the previous day to inform her of the arrival time, she had arranged for her to come pick her up the following morning.

Hearing that railway stations could be unsafe during the small hours, she planned to rent a small inn nearby and wait until daybreak.

Dragging her luggage out of the railway station, she was greeted by the outdoor lights and instantly spotted two familiar yet entirely unexpected figures holding up a large sign bearing her name.

It was Han Lanzhi and Xia Xiyue.

Because the sign was conspicuously eye-catching, Shen Qingyi saw them first. She hurried forward, calling out, "Mom, Xia Xiyue!"

Upon spotting Shen Qingyi, both of them beamed with joy and rushed over.

Xia Xiyue took the luggage from Shen Qingyi's hands. "Did you eat on the train?"

"Yes!"

Without a trace of self-consciousness, Xia Xiyue scanned her over. Her palm-sized face wore a warm, polite smile, and beneath the lights, her eyes sparkled like stars—brighter than before, completely devoid of the desolation and despair one might expect after a divorce.

Had she really let Lu Yan go just like that?

Or had they perhaps never divorced at all?

Han Lanzhi took hold of the smaller cloth bag from her hand. "How are Lu Yan's divorce proceedings coming along?"

"They've been submitted, though given his sensitive status, the review process will likely take a bit longer," Shen Qingyi explained.

Xia Xiyue paused in his tracks as a whirlwind of complex emotions welled up inside him. A thousand times he had longed for confirmation, yet terrified lest Shen Qingyi discover his sordid intentions, he had forcefully reined himself in. Hearing her acknowledge it with her own lips brought a sudden sense of release.

Everyone who knew Lu Yan and Shen Qingyi wished only the best for their marriage; he alone was the exception.