Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Perhaps because the matter was so significant, my parents actually rushed back that very evening.

Following behind them was my younger sister, who was away at university. When our eyes met, she didn’t even have time to hide the schadenfreude gleaming in her gaze.

I hadn’t seen my parents in over two years. They looked much older; the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes were prominent even when they weren’t smiling, and their nasolabial folds had deepened significantly. My mother’s features, in particular, had taken on a somewhat harsh, bitter cast.

Ignoring Grandma’s cheerful greeting, Mother shot a cold glance in my direction. Before she had even sat down, she barked, “Li Ruge, do you think you’re so grown up now? How could you not consult us about something as big as a divorce?”

Grandma was shocked by the news. She looked from my mother to me, her lips trembling, but in the end, she said nothing.

Knowing full well how shallow our familial bonds were, I felt no ripple of emotion. I simply stroked the tabby cat in my lap and remained silent.

Mother always loathed this side of me. Her voice suddenly turned shrill. “Li Ruge, is this how you treat your own mother? You have absolutely no upbringing. No wonder your marriage failed. You-”

Seeing that she was becoming increasingly out of line, Father suddenly reached out and pulled at her. He clicked his tongue, looking displeased. “You’ve truly let your temper get the better of you. How can you talk to the child like that?”

Mother realized she had overstepped, but she couldn’t bring herself to apologize to me. She gave a cold snort and turned her head away.

Father looked at me with a conflicted expression, as if he expected me to be the one to apologize to her.

Ha! I was the one being insulted, yet I was expected to apologize?

On what grounds? Are children born owing their parents a debt that can never be repaid?

Grandma brought over some tea and whispered to my parents, “Whatever it is, you should speak to the child properly.”

Mother looked at her with disdain. “What do you know? If you ask me, Li Ruge’s audacity was cultivated by your pampering!”

She was used to using Grandma as a punching bag. For the sake of family harmony, Grandma had always endured it in silence.

I set the tabby cat on the floor and watched it trot away with dainty steps before turning to my father. I asked him, “How did you find out I got a divorce?”

Father gave a sheepish smile. “Xiao Zhou called your mother and me. He said he couldn’t get in touch with you lately and was worried…”

I pursed my lips, suddenly finding it hilarious.

He was the one who cheated. He was the one who first brought up the divorce. He was the one who said our fate had run its course and we should part on good terms.

I didn’t cling to him. Since we were divorced and had no children to tie us together, I fully intended to make a clean break. So what kind of game was he playing now?

Mother continued to ramble on about how wonderful Zhou Yisheng was. With every virtue she praised, she made pointed remarks about my poor personality, saying I was lucky Zhou Yisheng was willing to put up with me, and so on.

I held my cup, taking small sips of water. By the time I finished the cup, she had finished dredging up most of my past faults and reached the conclusion that there was something wrong with my head.

And she was right. If my head were on straight, I wouldn’t have spent five years suffering alongside Zhou Yisheng, only to agree to a divorce just as he finally reached the finish line.