Gu Chen took Shu Ya’s hand and laced their fingers together. “Looks like I still haven’t treated you well enough. I haven’t managed to help you forget all the unhappy things from the past.”
Shu Ya gently shook their joined hands and gave him a playful look, as if telling him not to make a fuss.
Zhang Yanyan cleared her throat lightly. “Hey, hey, feeding me this much couple sweetness in the middle of the night? Go back and get some rest already. Anyway, thank you. I’ll treat you both to dinner another day.”
Shu Ya waved at her. “Call anytime if something comes up.”
Zhang Yanyan waved back. As she watched their figures disappear into the distance, she couldn’t help thinking about how Shu Ya had once been deeply hurt by her ex-husband, how she had fallen into despair more than once. Thankfully, things were different now. With Gu Chen by her side, she was happy.
But Zhang Yanyan believed that even without Gu Chen, Shu Ya would still find happiness.
Just like Zhao Panpan now.
After Zhao Panpan posted a clarification on her account, a flood of keyboard warriors rushed in, leaving all kinds of insults.
Even when she explained in writing that she had once suffered from depression, that Snowball had been the light that helped heal her, people still mocked her for being overly dramatic.
For those who had never experienced depression themselves, their comments were always the same: “too idle,” “too sensitive,” “just pretending.”
A child threw a dog to its death?
“How strong can a kid even be? That dog must’ve been dying already!”
“Don’t exaggerate it into animal abuse. The kid probably just liked the dog and wanted to play with it. He just didn’t know how to control his strength.”
“I really don’t get people who call their dogs their sons and daughters. Something must be wrong with their brains.”
“Animals give birth to animals~”
As for Zhang Liang helping Zhou Xiangping beat her, that too became “slander,” “a setup,” even “well deserved.”
“If he hit you while you were pregnant with his child, then you must’ve cheated on him. Haha, you deserved it.”
“Women nowadays love making a big deal out of nothing. He probably just pushed her once or said a few harsh words, and now she’s calling it domestic violence.”
“Some women just need a beating. Otherwise they won’t behave.”
“Drivers better be careful in the future. If this woman’s walking on the street, whoever bumps into her is going to have bad luck.”
“Professional scammer!”
At first, Zhao Panpan was furious when she read the comments.
But after a while, she just felt numb.
Before, whenever she saw other people being attacked online, it always seemed exaggerated and terrifying. Now that it was happening to her, the only thing she regretted was that she hadn’t spoken up more for others when they were the ones being targeted.
Her second post was a selfie.
Her face was bruised and swollen—clearly not something that could happen from “just a light touch.”
She was still on an IV, lying in a hospital bed, looking as if she might fall apart at any moment.
Some of the attacking voices disappeared. Others still stubbornly continued.
The mindset of blaming the victim gave those self-righteous keyboard warriors the illusion of standing on moral high ground while they spat out the cruelest words imaginable.
In that moment, the ugliness of human nature seemed endlessly magnified.
Zhao Panpan then posted the police report receipt. She also shared proof that she had asked the Women’s Federation for help, along with warnings and legal letters sent to those who had slandered her.
Only then did the insults and accusations finally quiet down.
The people who had been stirring up the flames quickly backed away once they realized the fire might reach them too. Not only did they distance themselves, they suddenly became very good at reading the situation.
“Wow, she’s really standing her ground. Looks like she’s truly been hurt so badly she doesn’t care anymore.”
“Hitting your pregnant wife? That’s not a man at all!”
“The kid might not understand, but what about the parents? Is it really such an achievement to snatch something from someone else’s home?”
“Depression isn’t being dramatic. Stay strong, sis!”
“As long as you’re not eating dog feces, toxoplasmosis from dogs won’t affect pregnant women.”
“Anyone with even a bit of common sense wouldn’t do something that stupid.”
Zhang Yanyan looked at the comment section and sighed helplessly. “Alright. Time to sleep. At least you can get a good night’s rest now.”
Early the next morning, Gu Chen’s assistant arrived. He ran around handling all the discharge procedures.
At Zhao Panpan’s insistence, he also drove them to a pet funeral home so they could bury Snowball.
Zhao Panpan gently touched Snowball’s paw one last time. It was no longer soft.
“In your next life… don’t meet me again.”
Just as efficient and decisive was Gu Chen.
After Zhao Panpan had been in the hospital for five days and her condition improved a little, Gu Chen completed all the preliminary preparations. Following the proper procedure, he arranged a meeting between her and Zhang Liang for their first mediation.
“What?”
“You’re selling the house? And you want to take eighty percent of the money?”
“On what grounds?!”
Zhang Liang’s voice grew louder with every shout until it cracked.
Zhao Panpan didn’t even need to speak. Gu Chen calmly placed the evidence one piece at a time in front of him.
“During your marriage with my client, you deliberately transferred marital assets. Here is the evidence.”
When Zhao Panpan saw the bank transaction records, she almost laughed from anger.
She had always believed Zhang Liang’s salary was split in half—half given to Zhou Xiangping, half used for his own living expenses.
But the records clearly showed that every time his salary was deposited, the entire amount was withdrawn immediately, and the destination was unknown.
Meanwhile, the living allowance Zhou Xiangping gave him each month was only five hundred yuan.
No wonder he had never given her gifts during holidays all these years.
He didn’t even have money in his hands!
And she had foolishly believed they were working toward a shared goal—saving up to buy a house.
Now that she calculated everything carefully, this marriage had really been a huge loss for her.
Zhang Liang raised his chin stubbornly and shouted, “My mom paid for my education. What’s wrong with me repaying her?”
He hadn’t expected that the precautions he once took to guard against Zhao Panpan would now become proof that he had transferred marital assets.
Zhao Panpan only hated herself for being so blind. “If you want to repay your mom, then don’t get married. Stay by her side and take care of her for the rest of her life. Be a good son. But why should I repay her with you? Did I grow up drinking water from your family’s house?”
All these years, he had used their marital assets to support his mother, while she worked her heart out to support the household.
What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that?
Gu Chen sat there calmly. He had seen scenes like this countless times. By now, he was used to it.
Only after the two of them argued themselves hoarse did he continue the mediation.
“Mr. Zhang, if you don’t agree to mediation, we will submit the evidence to the court and proceed with a divorce through litigation.”
Zhang Liang glared hatefully at Zhao Panpan. “Just as expected from someone raised without a mother. So heartless!”
Zhao Panpan grabbed the ashtray from the table and was about to throw it at him. “You had a mother teaching you, didn’t you? And look what she raised—a complete bastard!”
Gu Chen instinctively raised his hand and stopped her. He looked straight into her eyes. “If you hit him, that becomes another lawsuit.”
Zhao Panpan sat back down reluctantly. She could still tell the difference between a moment of satisfaction and true freedom.
Seeing that she had already hired a lawyer and gathered all the evidence, Zhang Liang finally realized she truly intended to divorce him. He was filled with anger and resentment, but he had no choice but to face reality.
To settle the domestic violence case before, he had already been forced to write a letter of self-criticism so Zhao Panpan would withdraw the report. Now he didn’t have the courage to lay a hand on her again.
After being detained for five days, he really didn’t want to end up there again.
Then he remembered Zhao Panpan’s stubborn personality—once she made up her mind, there was no changing it. He knew the divorce itself was unavoidable.
But when it came to the house, he didn’t want to give in.
“I… I need to go home and think about it.”
Zhao Panpan could guess easily that he was going home to discuss it with Zhou Xiangping and Zhang Jun.
Just like a child who hadn’t been weaned yet.
Now that the glow of love had completely faded from Zhang Liang, everything about him irritated her.
What she couldn’t understand the most was how she had once been so blind to fall in love with such a scumbag.