The trial was finally over. In the courtroom gallery, Zhou Xiangping watched Duan Zhibin being taken away by the police and only then could she process what had happened. She grabbed Lin Jiajia beside her, disbelief written all over her face. “What… what happened to all our money? It’s all gone? Zhao Panpan that… that wretch took it all?”
Lin Jiajia shoved her away. “It’s all your fault, your ‘brilliant’ nephew! What a stupid plan—money that was ours had to be paid out because of him!”
Zhou Xiangping slammed her hands on her knees and cried loudly. Lin Jiajia frowned and gently moved away to give her space.
Outside the courthouse, Zhang Jun threw a punch at Zhang Liang. Zhang Liang’s nose immediately started bleeding. He raised his fists to fight back, but Zhou Xiangping jumped in and blocked him. “You’re the eldest! How dare you hit your brother? Don’t you have any sense of decency?”
Zhang Liang felt a pang in his chest. No matter what happened, Zhou Xiangping always seemed to favor Zhang Jun. Even now, it was like her eyes could only see Zhang Jun, not him.
He stepped back, giving them space. For the first time, the family bonds he had always valued so highly felt strange and distant.
He turned to watch Zhao Panpan walking down the courthouse steps. He thought about all the cruel words he had once said to her, words that suggested she deserved to be hurt by her own family. Now, they felt like boomerangs, striking him back where it hurt the most.
Gu Chen gave Lu Yanqing a signal. They flanked Zhao Panpan on either side as they guided her to the car and left the courthouse. They’d seen too many men lash out at women outside court after losing a case, so their caution was natural.
It wasn’t until they reached the law firm that Zhao Panpan finally relaxed.
She checked her bank account and saw 1.01 million yuan. She couldn’t help but smile—she felt lighter than she had in a long time.
“Gu Lawyer, how much should I pay you for the legal fees?”
Gu Chen chuckled. “Let’s call it a friend’s discount—one thousand yuan.”
Lu Yanqing froze for a moment, then laughed and went to pour them some water. If all of Gu Chen’s services were this cheap, the firm would probably be booked for the next ten years.
Zhao Panpan raised an eyebrow. Curious, she checked online how much a famous lawyer like Gu Chen usually charged. Seeing that it would normally be calculated as a percentage of the winnings, she didn’t hesitate to transfer 51,000 yuan. “Fair and open. I can’t just throw money at someone because we’re acquainted.”
Gu Chen smiled. “You and Xiaoya, Zhang Yanyan… really don’t like owing anyone, do you?”
He refunded the transfer over WeChat. “Alright, let Yanqing handle the payment. We’ll give you a discount.”
This time, Zhao Panpan didn’t try to haggle. Transparent and straightforward—this is what real friendship looked like.
Gu Chen sent a message: “It’s over. Total victory.”
A reply from “Ya Bao” came almost instantly: “Bring Panpan home for lunch. Yanzi’s been cooking all morning.”
Gu Chen’s lips lifted in a faint smile. “I won’t go back. You two probably have things to talk about. I’ll pick up An An from school tonight—won’t disturb you.”
Ya Bao sent a heart emoji. Gu Chen put his phone down and told Lu Yanqing to escort Zhao Panpan home.
Shuya and the others knew this case was a guaranteed win, so they didn’t accompany Zhao Panpan. Instead, they stayed home to prepare a small celebration—celebrating her freedom from that marriage, her victory, and her new beginning.
Still, Shuya knew deep down that in love ended by divorce, there’s no real winner.
Anyone who sacrifices themselves in a marriage—man or woman—emerges scarred.
Zhang Yanyan asked, “So, what’s next?”
Zhao Panpan decided to have her child first. Her work as a makeup artist came with many limitations.
Certain wedding customs forbade the bride from interacting with pregnant women. Some corporate events required hours of makeup for group performances. Film crews often demanded overnight shifts on call. Even if her makeup skills were excellent, not everyone would trust a pregnant woman to handle these jobs.
And once the child was born, expenses would rise. Sitting on her 1 million yuan and doing nothing was impossible.
Shuya suggested she could become a makeup influencer, like herself. She was planning a mythological character series, thinking of starting a studio with a few assistants.
Zhao Panpan politely declined. “That myth series requires a lot of time and travel. I’d just be a burden.”
Zhang Yanyan had never really thought beyond makeup. If she ever stopped doing weddings, she wondered what else she could do.
Zhao Panpan, however, was braver than they imagined. “When I was a child, I was kicked out of the house. That’s why I always had this attachment to property. But now I understand—even the nicest house can’t make a child without a home feel safe. I want to rent a place, live on my own for a while, and save money.”
She knew people were eyeing her money, but she also knew that as long as she was strong, no one could take it from her.
People without limits will always try every trick to get what they want.
“Also… I want to find a job.”
Shuya and Zhang Yanyan were stunned.
“Now?”
“While pregnant?”
In this environment, even unmarried women weren’t always welcomed at work. Pregnant women, married or not, faced discrimination. Some companies would outright fire them or pressure them to resign quietly. Promotions and raises were also skewed toward men.
So trying to go to interviews while pregnant seemed impossible.
But Zhao Panpan remained optimistic. “Some industries have different hiring standards. They might be more reasonable.”
Before Shuya or Zhang Yanyan could say anything, Zhao Panpan held up her phone.
It displayed a job posting from Ai Baby Maternity Center: administrative HR, customer service, cleaning staff, meal delivery, postnatal care specialists…
They both looked at her, bewildered. “Which one do you want to apply for?”
None seemed suitable to them. If she had to choose, administrative HR might be safest for a pregnant woman.
Zhao Panpan smiled mysteriously. “Customer service.”
They blinked, confused. She explained, “From my research over the past ten days, Ai Baby is a reputable brand. Their customer service role is mostly sales and welcoming expectant mothers for visits. Once they check in, as long as there are no complaints, other departments handle them. It’s not physically demanding, and the follow-up work is minimal.”
Zhao Panpan wanted to keep herself busy. If she stayed idle, anxiety about becoming a mother could consume her.
Even after escaping the trauma of her family and failed marriage, she chose to look forward. No nostalgia, no hypotheticals, no wallowing—just forward motion.