Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I stared at my phone screen, unable to wrap my head around it for a long time.

Why did he say *he* was the one being cheated on?

Clearly, I was the one who had been cuckolded.

Maybe the old man made a typo.

After all, who wouldn’t have shaking hands upon finding out their daughter was out there acting as a mistress?

I patiently corrected him: “Sir, I’m the one who’s been cheated on. Your daughter and my husband are in a secret relationship.”

After a moment’s thought, I added, “Typing is inconvenient. We can talk over the phone.”

The other party replied with only four words.

“Let’s meet and talk.”

Before this, I had assumed Ran Ning’s father must be at least fifty years old.

I didn’t expect him to look so young.

Even if wealthy people maintain themselves well, he shouldn’t look like the man sitting across from me.

He was dressed in a sharp suit, with deep-set eyes and thick hair.

But this was my first time doing something like this, so how should I start the conversation?

“I didn’t expect you to look so young. You look like you’re not even forty.”

He lifted his eyes slightly and stared at me. “Thirty-three.”

I was stunned. “Huh?”

“Thirty-three years old,” he said, pursing his lips.

“…Oh.” I hurriedly took a sip of coffee. When the awkwardness reached an unbearable peak, I blurted out something possessed, “Then you really had a child quite early.”

He fell silent for a long while, his fingertip resting on the rim of his cup. “Actually, I’m not her… biological father.”

Belatedly, it clicked. “You’re her stepfather?”

“Something like that.” He lowered his head to drink some water.

I nodded. “No wonder you’re so young.”

He took a deep breath, glanced at me, and pulled a business card from his breast pocket, placing it between us.

“My name is Shen Zhihan. Let’s get straight to the point.”

He withdrew his hand.

“Regarding Ran Ning and your husband, I want to hear every detail.”

I gripped my coffee cup tight.

“Fine.”

My husband, Chen Yu, ran a somewhat well-known piano training center.

Ran Ning was his student and had been taking lessons for over a year.

I didn’t know exactly when they had started their affair. It was just that one day, three months ago, I went to find him and caught them embracing and kissing on the piano.

My heart stopped in that moment.

I desperately wanted to step forward and push that door open, but my pride and rationality weighed me down, making it hard to breathe or even move.

Even though my vision was blurred, my mind was calm.

I memorized the girl’s face, went to the office, checked the student files, and found her name: Ran Ning.

She was young and beautiful, tall, and was enrolled in a premium course that cost five thousand per lesson. She had paid for thirty-two lessons upfront.

A total of one hundred and sixty thousand yuan.

“For a girl her age, that’s not a small sum.”

Shen Zhihan listened to my words without expression.

“Yes, I remember she asked me for two hundred thousand.”

Tch, looks like she pocketed forty thousand for herself.

I couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. It must be nice to have a father willing to throw money around.

Because I had only caught them once, I wasn’t sure if it was a temporary fling or a long-term relationship, so I started following her.

I didn’t expect Ran Ning’s life to be so glamorous.

She didn’t work. She would sleep until the afternoon before heading out. She drove a million-dollar luxury car and lived in a villa in a wealthy district. Aside from meeting friends for afternoon tea, she spent her time playing golf and tennis.

After following her for half a month, I felt a bit depressed.

“To be honest, I’m surprised. Her circumstances are so good that I don’t understand why she’d set her sights on my husband.”

Shen Zhihan’s expression soured, and he pursed his lips tightly.

“Would it be convenient to learn about your husband’s financial situation?”

I told him openly.

“He has a PhD in music. He resigned from a university a few years ago to start his own business. His annual income just reached seven figures.”

“One million?”

Shen Zhihan seemed to find this answer unbelievable.

His lips curled slightly, and he looked me up and down before asking with a sense of certainty, “So, is he very handsome?”

I held out my phone to show him a photo of Chen Yu.

“Actually, he’s just okay… He’s not as good-looking as you.”

He instinctively looked up at me, narrowing his eyes with a subtle tone. “You think I’m better looking than your husband?”

I froze for a second.

Was that what I meant?

“No, I mean… we’re just ordinary people. We don’t have superior looks like you and your daughter.”

He stared at me for a while, then suddenly grabbed my phone. His fingertip pressed against the screen, tapping it lightly.

“He looks very ordinary. You don’t.”

My heart skipped a beat. I gripped my phone and pulled my hand back.

“Mr. Shen, I came to you because I want you to keep your daughter in check.”

“Of course I will,” he nodded, looking up to meet my eyes with a lukewarm tone. “But I don’t understand. Do you think that by doing this, you can win back your partner?”

His words were like a heavy hammer smashing into my most painful spot.

“Of course not.”

I put away Shen Zhihan’s business card and stood up. Taking a deep breath, I looked down at him.

“I just don’t want my ex-husband to have the chance to latch onto a rich woman after I divorce him.”

Shen Zhihan remained seated, tilting his head back to look at me with interest.

“What is your name?”

I slowly extended my hand toward him.

“Xu Ting.”