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Chapter 15 - Chapter 14: Divorce?

Of course, the ring had to be worn.

The platinum band, held between Mingzhu's fingertips, was discreetly tried on.

The ring, sized for a man's finger, fell loosely onto the base of her index finger, leaving ample room to move.

She knew Shang Chi was tall with broad shoulders and a substantial frame.

But even his finger bones were much larger than hers.

No wonder... he could easily envelop her entire hand in his palm.

An indescribable warmth rose within Mingzhuo, spreading faintly from her ears.

"...Xiaozhu?"

His low, magnetic voice called softly, unhurried.

Mingzhuo's lashes fluttered, and she quickly murmured a soft "mhm."

A warm, broad palm settled over her open left hand.

His slender fingers relaxed into a gentle curve, fingertips pressing against the soft mound of her palm.

He didn't keep his nails long.

The thought suddenly popped into Mingzhuo's mind.

No hard, sharp sensation from long nails—only the warm pads of his fingers touched her skin.

Occasionally, when they flexed and straightened, they would brush against her soft palm like a dragonfly skimming water, stirring a faint, feather-like tickle.

"..."

Mingzhe pressed her lips together, yet the corners of her eyes curved upward without her realizing it.

It was quite nice.

If Shang Chi had always had this habit, she could have been bolder when drawing near.

Shortly after she lost her sight to illness, Qi Lan brought her husband and daughter to visit in the hospital ward. They happened upon Mingzhu practicing walking. When her knee bumped something and she began to fall, her master's husband caught her in a panic.

The blunt edge of his nail left a long red scratch on his arm, which immediately swelled.

From that day on, Qi Lan would occasionally grab her husband and daughter to trim their nails.

By now, Mingzhu had grown accustomed to navigating the darkness, rarely stumbling with her cane.

Yet trimming her nails into smooth, rounded tips had become a habit in the Qi household.

Her mind drifted for a moment before snapping back. Mingzhu swiftly gathered her focus, cupping Shang Chi's right hand as her fingertips pinched the wedding band and drew it closer.

From the palm side, she slid it up past the pinky finger, aiming for the ring finger.

The platinum band, warmed slightly by her fingertips, slid onto the slender finger, settling snugly at the base.

Mingzhu exhaled softly.

The hand that had been resting obediently in hers lifted slightly, wiggling as if admiring itself, then turned to grasp hers.

A crisp breath brushed close as the man's smiling voice murmured softly in her ear.

A quiet whisper of laughter only they could hear.

"Well then, congratulations to the newlyweds on exchanging rings."

Shang Chi announced, "From this day forward, they belong to each other."

-

Shang Chi briefly took over the officiant's duties before returning to his role as driver.

His hands resting on the steering wheel, his gaze kept drifting from the road ahead to the wedding band nestled at his knuckle.

In the passenger seat, Mingzhe sat upright, still quietly calculating.

"If you're moving in, just bring your clothes. We have spares for slippers, toothbrushes, and other toiletries..."

"Not sure if there are any open spots left in the underground garage. I'll ask the security guard later. If there is one, we'll register your license plate in the system so the gate won't block you..."

"I usually just boil noodles or dumplings at home. If you want to cook, you'll need to buy some seasonings and vegetables at the supermarket... Oh, there's a fresh produce supermarket right across from the community entrance. They have a pretty good selection—you can get anything you need there."

Her clear, soft voice flowed like a babbling brook, sketching out vivid details of daily life in just a few sentences.

Shang Chi only responded occasionally.

"Alright, I'll head back and pack up."

"Fine, but this isn't the car I usually drive. We'll register it next time."

"I can cook. Let me know what you'd like, and I'll make it for you."

"..."

Shang Chi shot a quick glance at Mingzhu beside him.

Amidst the details being settled one by one, he suddenly felt an illusion—as if they were a newlywed couple who had loved each other for years, discussing their post-marriage life arrangements.

Illusions could become reality.

Shang Chi lowered his gaze, smiling silently.

Something else occurred to him, and he murmured, "There's something I want to talk to you about later."

Mingzhu looked puzzled. "What is it?"

Shang Chi tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, feeling a sudden headache.

What should he say?

Of course, he needed to clear up all the nonsense he'd spouted during that blind date.

But he hadn't figured out where to start.

After all, blurting out something like, "Actually, I'm not a contract worker at Yueshen Group—on the contrary, Yueshen Group belongs to my family," would feel a bit too much like a bking moment.

Way too pretentious.

Shang Chi cleared his throat lightly. "It's nothing major."

Mingzhu tilted her head slightly, curiosity evident, but nodded in agreement.

"Okay."

As the van crossed the intersection, Shang Chi caught sight of a flower shop by the roadside. He turned the wheel and pulled into a curb-side parking spot.

"Wait here, I'll be right back."

Seeing Mingzhu nod, Shang Chi closed the door and strode into the shop.

The welcome doll hanging from the glass door handle emitted a mechanical greeting.

The owner, trimming flower stems behind the counter, looked up. "Welcome. What flowers might you like?"

As Shang Chi stepped past the overly bright light at the entrance and fully into the shop's center, the florist caught sight of his strikingly handsome, boldly defined features. His eyes lit up, and he promptly set down his shears, stepping around the counter.

"Handsome, are these for yourself or someone else?"

Shang Chi's gaze casually swept over the clusters of flowers in the shop. "For someone else."

Shopkeeper: "An elder, a classmate, or a girlfriend?"

Shang Chi withdrew his hand from his pocket and gestured casually.

"What kind of flowers?"

As he moved, a ring at the base of his long fingers caught the light streaming in, glinting brightly.

The florist glanced at it before replying, "Jasmine. Just arrived. Fresh as can be."

"And the symbolism is lovely too—'Jasmine for you, may you never leave.' Lots of folks buy jasmine and rose bouquets for their sweethearts."

"..."

Shang Chi raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on the tightly clustered snow-white jasmine blossoms. A slow curve lifted the corners of his mouth.

"Alright," he said in a light tone, "I'll take that bouquet you mentioned. It's for my wife."...

While waiting for the shopkeeper to select and wrap the flowers, Shang Chi's phone rang.

Shang Chi glanced at the screen and answered casually.

The moment the call connected, earth-shattering wails erupted in his ear.

Startled, Shang Chi's temples throbbed. He double-checked the caller ID before frowning and speaking.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Waaah... Shang... Shang Chi, come out drinking... Waaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Amidst the clatter of bottles smashing in the background and a chorus of "Ouch!" and "Damn it!",

The scene on the other end was undoubtedly chaotic.

Shang Chi frowned. "How did she dump him?"

The last time they met at the club, Liang Yuda had gushed about Yuan Zhenglang and Meng Yue's upcoming engagement, but he'd also eagerly flaunted his own sweet relationship with his girlfriend.

He'd even taken the opportunity to mock Shang Chi for being the only single one.

How long had it been? Had they already broken up?

Hearing the key words, Liang Yuda suddenly wrenched free from Zhong Yun's grip and lunged toward the phone, wailing, "I'm such an idiot, really! She said 'truth brings relief,' and I believed her. I stupidly spilled everything, and then she slapped me and blocked me... waaah..."

Zhong Yun kicked him hard in the butt in anger.

"You brought this on yourself! You never told the truth from the start, pretending to be a college student to deceive her. Don't you know happiness built on lies will collapse sooner or later?!"

Shang Chi: "?"

Liang Yuda wailed loudly: "She said she didn't care that I lied to her, she only cared about me as a person!!"

Zhong Yun: "Of course she'll coax you into confessing first, get you to spill everything, then decide how harshly to punish you based on the severity!"

Liang Yuda: "Waaaaaah—"

Shang Chi: "??"

Shang Chi's expression darkened. When he lifted his eyelids, he met the florist's curious gaze.

The other person expertly tied a silk ribbon bow while gossiping, "Your friend got dumped, huh?"

"When it comes to dating, breakups and reconciliations are perfectly normal. As long as it's not a deal-breaker, if you still like them, just win them back."

The boss tidied up the bouquet and chuckled, "But if it's a deal-breaker, there's nothing you can do. Like my ex-husband—cheating and lying constantly. When I caught him, he even got down on his knees begging me. I wasn't having any of it. I dragged him straight to the divorce court."

...Divorce?

On the other end of the line, Liang Yuda let out a sob and mumbled gloomily, "I should've kept my mouth shut. I'll just keep lying until I can't anymore—"

The florist interrupted, "Hey, handsome, your flowers. Wishing you and your wife a lifetime of happiness!"

Shang Chi paused slightly before accepting the bouquet.

Light green wrapping paper layered with semi-transparent gauze, white roses and jasmine clustered together, sprinkled with glistening dewdrops, exuding a faint fragrance.

"..."

Shang Chi turned and walked toward the door.

The florist hummed as he swept up fallen petals. When he looked up again, he let out a soft "hmm."

Was it just his imagination?

Why did the man who'd entered so full of spirit moments ago now seem so... dark and lonely, walking away with those flowers?

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