The toy train was a birthday gift Chi Wei had bought for Yan Zhilang last year.
It was a custom-made set, with tracks that could be assembled into hundreds of different configurations according to one’s imagination, and it was Yan Zhilang’s favorite toy.
The last time Yan Zhilang had clashed with Qiao Shiyue, it was also over this toy train.
Yan Jingheng also knew how much Yan Zhilang loved this train set, yet as a father, he had twice taken Qiao Shiyue’s side.
“It’s no good for the young master to keep crying like this, Madam. Please think of a way to comfort him,” Aunt Liu reminded Chi Wei, seeing her lost in thought.
Chi Wei said, “Leave this to me. You can go attend to your tasks.”
She walked over to Yan Zhilang’s side. “Zhi Lang, don’t cry anymore. How about Mommy buys you another train set just like this one?”
Yan Zhilang shook his head and buried himself in Chi Wei’s arms. “No, Mommy, it’s Dad.
Dad is bad. He only cares about Qiao Shiyue, not about Zhi Lang.”
Hearing his tearful accusation, Chi Wei finally understood that what mattered more to Yan Zhilang than the toy train was Yan Jingheng’s paternal love.
The fact that her husband had abandoned his own son to comfort someone else’s daughter weighed heavily on Chi Wei’s heart, but she couldn’t show it in front of Yan Zhilang. She had to soothe him as if nothing were wrong.
In the end, Yan Zhilang cried himself to exhaustion and fell asleep in Chi Wei’s arms, bringing the matter to a temporary close.
Just as Chi Wei had carried Yan Zhilang back to his bedroom, Yan Jingheng returned with Qiao Mingfei and her daughter.
He was carrying several bags, most of which were toys he had bought for Qiao Shiyue.
Seeing Chi Wei at home, Yan Jingheng looked surprised. “Wei Wei, why are you back so soon? I was just about to drop these off and come pick you up.”
Yan Jingheng had left the event early, leaving Chi Wei alone at the cocktail party to socialize with others. Inevitably, she had ended up drinking quite a bit.
Now, seeing Yan Jingheng acting as if nothing had happened, she couldn’t hold back her anger. “So the urgent matter that made you abandon a room full of investors was to come back and go shopping with them?”
Just as Yan Jingheng was about to explain, Qiao Mingfei pulled Qiao Shiyue forward. “Madam, please don’t blame Jingheng. It’s all Yueyue’s fault for being so unreasonable and clinging to him. I’ve already scolded her harshly.
Yueyue, kneel down quickly and apologize to Madam and the young master.”
It was almost the same script as that day, but this time, Chi Wei felt not an ounce of pity.
She simply watched coldly as Qiao Mingfei performed in front of her.
It was Yan Jingheng who couldn’t hold back first. Before Qiao Shiyue could kneel, he walked over to Chi Wei and said with a hint of helplessness, “Wei Wei, Yueyue is just a child. Why must you hold it against her?”
“What am I holding against her? I’m asking you.
It was Sister Fei who insisted on taking the blame, and it was Sister Fei who forced her to apologize. From start to finish, I haven’t said a word, have I?” Chi Wei replied.
The man stood before her, defending the mother and daughter across from him.
This scene was not the first of its kind.
Chi Wei didn’t know how she had been so foolish before, truly believing that Yan Jingheng and Qiao Mingfei had a purely innocent relationship and firmly convinced that Yan Jingheng had always loved her.
Now, it seemed her conviction was nothing but a joke.
If Yan Jingheng truly loved her, how could he defend someone else right in front of her?
Even being extremely cautious, not wanting the person opposite to bear the slightest bit of grievance.
Chi Wei's disappointed gaze made Yan Jingheng feel somewhat guilty as well.
But with a glance, seeing Qiao Shiyue hunching her shoulders and wiping away tears in grievance, he stiffened his voice and said, "Sister Fei was also being kind-hearted. Yueyue is still so young—do you really want to watch her kneel before you?"
"It was her mother who forced her to kneel, not me. Why shouldn't I watch?" Chi Wei retorted. "Or is the apology she spoke of just for show?"
From the moment she clearly realized that Yan Jingheng had changed, Chi Wei no longer intended to hold back.
Allowing a nanny to live in their home and overshadow the host, she had already shown the utmost tolerance.
It was Yan Jingheng who, time and again, indulged the situation and tarnished their marital relationship.
The expression on Qiao Mingfei's face stiffened almost imperceptibly, but she quickly put on a smile again. "Of course not. I sincerely want to apologize to you, Madam. As long as you don’t drive us away, I’m willing to kneel before you too."
As she spoke, she pulled Qiao Shiyue down with her, making as if to kneel.
Yan Jingheng’s brow furrowed deeply. He reached out to support Qiao Mingfei’s arm, positioning himself in front of her. "Enough, Wei Wei. Today was my fault for not informing you in advance and making you feel wronged.
If you have any grievances, you can tell me. There’s no need to involve Sister Fei and the others."
With that, he turned to Qiao Mingfei to reassure her. "Sister Fei, take Yueyue back to rest first."
"Madam, please don’t blame Jingheng. If you really can’t calm your anger, you can hit Yueyue." She reached out to push Qiao Shiyue forward, but Qiao Shiyue seemed frightened and burst into loud sobs.
A flicker of pity flashed in Yan Jingheng’s eyes. He added, "Wei Wei, Sister Fei has already gone this far. Can’t you stop making a scene?
You must be tired today. I’ll have Aunt Liu make you some sobering soup. Drink it and go rest."
He intended to downplay the matter, and while comforting Chi Wei, he shot another meaningful glance at Qiao Mingfei.
This time, Qiao Mingfei didn’t linger any longer. Holding Qiao Shiyue’s hand, she looked back repeatedly as they returned to their room.
Aunt Liu was busy in the kitchen.
In the blink of an eye, only Yan Jingheng and Chi Wei remained in the living room.
Chi Wei asked, "Yan Jingheng, in your heart, is Qiao Shiyue more important than Zhi Lang?"
The answer was already laid bare, but Chi Wei still found it hard to believe that someone could love another’s child more than their own.
Yan Jingheng’s gaze wavered. He evaded the question, saying, "How could that be? Yueyue is a girl and has just lost her father. Even if it’s just to repay Sister Fei for raising me, I can offer this small gesture of care.
Zhi Lang is our son. How could I not care about him? Why bother making such a fuss over such a trivial matter?"
No matter how eloquently he spoke at that moment, his words held little credibility in Chi Wei’s ears.
She had always believed that Yan Jingheng was simply unaccustomed to interacting with children, which was why he was indifferent to Zhi Lang and never played with him. Chi Wei had never said anything about it.
But now, seeing how he interacted with Qiao Shiyue, Chi Wei understood all too clearly—it wasn’t that he disliked children; he just disliked Zhi Lang.
Aunt Liu soon finished preparing the sobering soup, and Yan Jingheng personally brought it over.
As usual, he carefully stirred the soup to cool it, then brought a spoonful to Chi Wei's lips.
The warm broth slid down her throat, yet Chi Wei felt only a piercing chill.
She mechanically finished the bowl of soup. Yan Jingheng set the bowl aside and casually inquired about what had happened at the cocktail party.
Chi Wei was somewhat tired and unwilling to argue with him further, so she briefly outlined the progress of her negotiations with the investors.
Yan Jingheng said, "I always knew Wei Wei was my capable partner. You can definitely handle such occasions on your own."
As usual, he did not hold back on verbal praise.
To Chi Wei's ears at this moment, these compliments felt utterly hypocritical. She replied, "If you really think I did well, how about something more practical, like cash?"
Chi Wei had been married to Yan Jingheng for four years. On the surface, she was the glamorous Mrs. Yan, but in reality, she had very little money of her own.
Over the years, her mother's medical expenses had all been covered by Yan Jingheng. The company she ran was registered under his name, and the profits it earned also went to him.
She was merely the executive director—with authority in the company but no financial control.
Yan Jingheng had always said they were husband and wife, so there was no need to split things too clearly, and Chi Wei had never paid much attention to it.
But now, that wouldn't do.
She planned to divorce.
She knew very well that when they married, she had come with nothing, already mismatched in status. Even if Yan Jingheng agreed to a divorce now, the assets she could claim would be minimal.
She had to seize this time to secure more money.
Only then could she properly care for Zhi Lang and her mother.
Chi Wei had never brought up money with Yan Jingheng before. Although her request now struck him as somewhat sudden, he didn’t dwell on it too much.
He simply assumed it was because he had left her alone at the cocktail party today, making her feel unbalanced.
With the intention of keeping the peace, Yan Jingheng pulled a bank card from his wallet. "There’s 500,000 yuan here. Use it to buy yourself a bag. If there’s anything else you want in the future, just let me know anytime."
Chi Wei didn’t hesitate. She took the bank card and went upstairs, though inwardly she couldn’t help but grumble. How had she never noticed before that Yan Jingheng was quite generous with material things but rather stingy when it came to money?
For instance, today she had helped him maintain client relationships, which would bring in profits far exceeding tens of millions. Yet, what he casually tossed her was a mere 500,000 yuan.
But it didn’t matter. Over the years, she had accumulated a closet full of bags and jewelry. After the divorce, she could sell them for some money.
Early the next morning, Chi Wei didn’t go to the company. Instead, she met with a lawyer to inquire about divorce procedures and how to secure custody of her son.
As she had expected, given her circumstances, trying to claim half of Yan Jingheng’s assets through normal means would be nearly impossible.
Unless she succeeded in a lawsuit.
If she wanted a quick divorce, she would have to make concessions.
By the time she left the law firm, it was almost noon. Before heading home, Chi Wei stopped by a toy store to buy new toys for Zhi Lang.
When she returned home, Yan Jingheng was there, talking to Qiao Mingfei in the living room.
Though called a nanny, the most strenuous work Qiao Mingfei had done since arriving at this house was probably tidying up Qiao Shiyue’s toys.
Seeing Chi Wei, Qiao Mingfei immediately stood up nervously and greeted her as "Madam."
Yan Jingheng asked, "I heard you didn’t go to the company today. Was there something going on?"
"Nothing major. I just picked out a couple of toys for Zhi Lang," Chi Wei replied.
Yan Jingheng glanced at what Chi Wei was holding and also remembered that he had bought a whole pile of things for Qiao Shiyue yesterday, but nothing for Zhi Lang. A hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.
Chi Wei didn’t say much to him and went upstairs carrying the items.