The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 691 - 690: Shen Baolan and Zhou Shuhuan Divorce

Chapter 691: Chapter 690: Shen Baolan and Zhou Shuhuan Divorce

"Jingshu, I can understand your feelings, but the report against you has nothing to do with Liwen..."

Ren Jingshu interrupted, "Ms. Wan, you misunderstand; I simply wanted to apologize to Sun Liwen."

Relieved to learn she wasn’t seeking trouble with Sun Liwen, Wan Ying let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, in that case, I will accompany you."

Verbally convinced, but still uneasy at heart.

"Liwen, take a break. Jingshu wants to have a few words with you, you two have a good chat."

"It wasn’t me who reported you."

No sooner had Wan Ying left the dance studio than Sun Liwen took the initiative to explain herself to Ren Jingshu.

In her view, Ren Jingshu’s search for her was nothing more than an accusatory confrontation over the report.

Ren Jingshu dismissed it with indifference, "It doesn’t matter whether it was you, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for having replaced your competition spot using disgraceful means."

Sun Liwen frowned at her, "You can’t just say that, if I didn’t do it, nobody can make me take the blame. To be honest, the thought did cross my mind after learning you had won the runner-up."

"I believe my dancing is not inferior to yours, and if I had gone, maybe I could have been the champion. But after seeing your performance on TV, I realized how ridiculous and naïve my thoughts were. Your runner-up title was well-deserved, and I am ashamed of myself."

"Speaking of which, I should thank you. The money your family gave healed my father’s illness, and he has already started working again. Compared to my father’s health, losing an opportunity to compete means nothing."

Having made things clear, Ren Jingshu was ready to leave when Sun Liwen called out to her.

"Pay more attention to your sister. It was she who went out of her way to tell me about your award."

...

On the weekend.

Ren Yingying, dressed up nicely, stepped out to meet with her friends. Barely a few steps out of the residence complex, she saw Ren Jingshu standing under the green trees.

She let out a cold laugh and stepped forward to mock, "Some people, so accustomed to backdoor dealings, really believe they have talent. Now that they’ve been exposed, it’s truly a cause for celebration; justice prevails."

Ren Jingshu curled her lip, "Are you done?"

Ren Yingying huffed, "Not yet! Mom said, you are not to set foot in the house again, so you’d better scram and not come back shamelessly making a spectacle of yourself."

"Was it you who reported me?"

A flash of guilt crossed Ren Yingying’s face, "Don’t wrong me..."

Ren Jingshu didn’t bother with further words and directly grabbed Yingying’s hair, shoving her to the ground.

Having lived under the same roof for over a decade, Jingshu could discern through minute expressions and hesitations in tone that it was indeed Ren Yingying’s doing.

"Ah!"

"What are you doing?"

"She’s hitting someone! Help!"

Ren Jingshu, unconcerned with the strange glances from the passersby, pinched Ren Yingying’s chin and fiercely slapped her, "Didn’t I tell you not to provoke me? I don’t know what I’m capable of when I lose my temper."

After saying that, she slapped her again with her other hand before letting go, standing tall and mocking, "Go home and tattle to mom and dad, and while you’re at it, you can tell them why I hit you."

As she prepared to leave, Ren Yingying called after her:

"I won’t tell mom and dad you hit me, but you can’t tell them that I reported you!"

Ren Jingshu looked back, "It depends on my mood. From now on, steer clear when you see me, don’t provoke me, or I can’t promise to control myself from slapping you again!"

Ren Yingying trembled with fear at her icy gaze.

Only after Ren Jingshu had walked away did Ren Yingying, in a panic, scramble up from the ground.

It’s done, what should I do now?

If the family finds out she was the informer, she will undoubtedly be severely reprimanded.

Ren Jingshu too was aware that by simply telling the family, Ren Yingying would not have an easy time.

Her decision to keep silent was not out of compassion but rather a strategy to slowly twist the knife; letting Ren Yingying live every day in fear and unrest was far more tormenting than a one-time beating or scolding.

...

"Qiao Ya, come and drink the bird’s nest soup."

When she heard her mother’s call, Qiao Ya stretched lazily, caressed her still flat stomach, and whined, "I don’t feel like drinking. I have no appetite."

Her mother walked over to persuade her, "You can’t not drink it. You’re not alone now; you can’t just do whatever you want. How will the baby get nutrients if you don’t eat?"

"Fine then."

In consideration of the child, Qiao Ya reluctantly got up and walked to the dining table.

Her mother joined her and at the same time inquired about Zhou Shuhuan’s divorce, "Your aunt has already checked out the hotel for you, you should fix the date early so we can draft the menu and the seating plan..."

While they were talking, the doorbell rang.

Her mother called for the nanny to open the door.

The nanny returned shortly, "Madam, it’s registered mail for the master."

Upon hearing this, Qiao Ya took the letter from the nanny, and her eyelids twitched violently when she saw the postmark on the sender’s address.

After reading the contents of the envelope, her complexion turned extremely unsightly.

"Qiao Ya, what’s wrong? What happened?"

Qiao Ya didn’t bother explaining to her mother, instead, she handed over the letter and rushed to make a phone call.

"Gao Hualiang, what have you done? Shen Baolan has filed for divorce in court? The subpoena has been mailed to our house!"

As soon as the call connected, Qiao Ya started berating fiercely.

However, the response on the other end of the line made Qiao Ya’s face turn pale, "Qiao Ya, you slut, feeling proud seducing someone else’s man, huh? Tell Zhou Shuhuan, he better cough up every penny he owes me, or I won’t let you two off the hook!"

Staring at the disconnected phone, Qiao Ya was both shocked and angry.

Damn Gao Hualiang, he had actually turned against her!

Over in Fengcheng,

Shen Baolan had just hung up when Gao Hualiang picked her up in his arms and spun her half a turn on the spot.

The reason it was only half a turn was that Shen Baolan was heavier than he expected, which overwhelmed him.

"Sister Shen, you were so captivating when you were scolding someone. I really like that."

With that, he initiated a passionate kiss.

He was handsome, had a good physique, and his kissing skills far outstripped Zhou Shuhuan’s – it easily aroused Shen Baolan, turning her into a pliant mess.

"Xiaogao, I’m in pain. Give it to me..."

"Not yet, Sister Shen. You are the best woman in the world, and I don’t want to wrong you. I want our first time to be on our wedding night," he said with smooth and seductive words.

Under Gao Hualiang’s honeyed talk, Shen Baolan could only suppress her physical desires and focus on planning the divorce.

She had to hurry up and get divorced. Once it’s done, she could be happy. She was almost mad with desire for a man!

...

In Fucheng,

After reading the divorce petition, the lawyer suggested that Zhou Shuhuan should negotiate a settlement.

"Mr. Zhou, looking at Mrs. Zhou’s litigation demands, it’s clear that she’s already aware of your personal finances and has evidence of your affair. In court, you would have almost no chance of winning, and you might even face charges for bigamy," the lawyer explained.

Listening to the lawyer’s analysis, Zhou Shuhuan’s already unhappy expression grew even more sullen.

He had been too careless and had let Shen Baolan catch him out.

As a man himself, the lawyer could empathize with Zhou Shuhuan’s situation.

Zhou Shuhuan had made a mistake, but Shen Baolan’s demands were also quite substantial; she actually wanted to take 80% of Zhou Shuhuan’s assets.

"Mr. Zhou, there’s a saying that goes well, ’As long as the green mountains last, there will be wood to burn.’ With Mr. Zhou’s skills and abilities, money can always be earned back," the lawyer advised.

With the lawyer’s counselling, Zhou Shuhuan agreed to negotiate with Shen Baolan.