Fang Yuming’s face flushed crimson at Su Minzhi’s cutting remark—“Are you trying to play the rogue?”
His ears burned, his throat tightened as if someone were choking him. Only after a long moment did he force out a breath, slump into the chair, and speak in a low, pleading voice:
“Minzhi… this child… just let him register a household here. My parents already agreed—they’ll take care of him. I promise you, he will never interfere with our life. Alright?”
His tone was heavy, almost desperate.
Su Minzhi’s expression remained cold, but her eyes brimmed with biting ridicule.
“Fang Yuming, this is the result of your family’s so-called ‘discussion’? Did you not understand a single word I said today? Whether that child stays or goes has nothing to do with me. He belongs to the Fang family—you deal with it.”
A sharp pang went through Fang Yuming’s chest. His fingers curled anxiously on his knees.
He suddenly lifted his head, panic in his eyes.
“Minzhi, you know how I feel about you. All these years—have I ever wronged you? Haven’t I treated you well? You can’t keep fixating on the past forever!”
Su Minzhi gave a cold laugh, the curve of her lips razor sharp.
“All that so-called goodness was built on lies. As for the divorce—I’ve already made up my mind. Fang Yuming, you’re a grown man. Can’t we separate with dignity?”
Fang Yuming shot to his feet, his face flushing again, eyes full of stubborn unwillingness.
“I won’t divorce you! If you insist on divorcing, then we’ll go to court! I want custody of Niannian!”
“Custody?” Su Minzhi let out a sharp, icy laugh. “You’re shameless. Just to stop this divorce, you’d even use Niannian as a bargaining chip?”
Her voice rose, each word like a blade:
“Go to court? Fine! First of all, custody is usually granted to the mother. Second, you already have another child. Third, Niannian’s own wishes matter. From every angle possible—you cannot win.”
Fang Yuming’s face alternated between pale and dark. His lips trembled; his chest heaved violently as though he still wanted to argue.
But Su Minzhi had reached the end of her patience.
She strode forward, yanked open the door with a snap, and said coldly:
“Please leave. And from now on, you are not welcome here.”
“Minzhi—” Fang Yuming’s voice cracked. “We’re not even divorced yet! This is still my home! What right do you have to throw me out?!”
Her gaze was sharp as a blade.
“You wouldn’t want the entire neighborhood to learn about your glorious deeds, would you?”
Fang Yuming froze instantly, all anger snuffed out at once. His lips twitched soundlessly.
He stood at the doorway, suddenly hollow, shoulders slumped.
Before leaving, he turned sharply and forced out,
“Anyway, I will never agree to a divorce!”
With that, he strode off, footsteps filled with humiliation and defeat.
The room finally fell silent.
Su Minzhi leaned against the door, her fingers pale from gripping too tightly. She closed her eyes—beneath the cold exterior, soreness and exhaustion surged through her.
But the next moment, she inhaled deeply, and her expression steadied once more.
This marriage—she would end it.
Her thoughts churned.
Her parents were far away in Guangzhou. Her eldest brother lived in Beijing. Her two younger brothers were still in university.
In Shanghai, she had very few relatives to rely on, while the Fang family had deep roots and a wide web of connections.
If Fang Yuming truly refused to let go, the lawsuit would be long and grueling.
Her chest tightened, pressure weighing heavily on her lungs.
Just then, the door creaked softly.
Su Niannian appeared barefoot, running out from her room. Her eyes were red—clearly she had been listening from the inside.
“Mama…”
A tremor ran through Su Minzhi’s heart. The hard shell she had been forcing on herself shattered instantly. She knelt down and wrapped her daughter tightly in her arms.
The coldness, the steel-like resolve—all melted into silent tears.
“Niannian…” her voice trembled as she stroked her daughter’s small, thin shoulders, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.
But the little girl raised a tiny hand and patted her head—clumsy, serious, trying to comfort an adult who had been hurt.
“Mama, you still have me.”
Her childish voice was soft but firm. “I will always support you.”
Those words pierced straight through the darkest place in Su Minzhi’s heart—like a beam of light.
A watery smile broke through her tears. She looked at her daughter, strength slowly returning to her eyes.
Yes—if not for herself, then for her daughter, she must not fall.
She hugged Niannian closer. Her voice was low but resolute:
“Niannian, Mama promises you—no matter what happens, I will protect you. The two of us will be alright.”
“Niannian will protect Mama too!” the little girl declared with childlike determination.
Warmth surged fiercely in Su Minzhi’s chest.
Under the dim light, their shadows overlapped on the wall—two small but stubborn figures, clinging to each other, growing through the storm.
A divorce was no small matter. Su Minzhi had no intention of hiding it from her parents.
Night deepened. The streetlamp at the alleyway glowed faintly. The phone booth was chilly inside.
She gripped the receiver tightly. After a long inhale, she dialed the number to her family home in Guangzhou.
“Beep—beep—”
A familiar voice answered.
“Minzhi? Why are you calling at this hour?”
Her mother, Yunshu, sounded concerned and surprised.
Su Minzhi’s eyes stung. Forcing her emotions under control, she recounted everything clearly, step by step.
Silence followed. Only faint breathing came through the line.
After a long pause, her mother finally spoke—steady, unwavering:
“Minzhi, Mama supports you. Remember—you’re not alone. Your family will always stand behind you.”
Those simple words washed warmth straight into her heart.
Her tense nerves loosened. Tearful, she whispered an “Mm,” tears falling soundlessly onto her hand.
After hanging up, in faraway Guangzhou, Madam Yunshu sat motionless, unable to calm her turmoil.
She sat on the sofa, grief and fury boiling within her.
Years ago, when the marriage was arranged, they had investigated—but the Fang family hid everything flawlessly.
And her former colleague at Jiaotong University—Lin Pingping, Fang Yuming’s second aunt—had pushed hard for the match, praising him endlessly:
“Honest, reliable, respectable job, clean family background.”
Now, thinking back—every word had been false. Deceptive. Malicious.
The night grew heavier. The door lock clicked—Su Junfeng returned home.
The moment he entered, he sensed something wrong.
“What happened?” he asked sternly.
Yunshu lifted her reddened eyes and repeated everything their daughter had told her.
Su Junfeng’s brows furrowed deeply. His face darkened, but his tone carried no hesitation:
“Minzhi is right. Not divorcing would be foolish. This marriage must end.”
He paused, then lowered his voice.
“But… will she really manage everything alone in Shanghai, with a child?”
Yunshu sighed and wiped her eyes.
“That’s why I need to go to Shanghai.”
Her tone was firm—firmer than ever before.
“I’m worried. Niannian has only just started primary school. Minzhi said she wants to transfer her… There’s too much for her to handle alone. And the Fang family only dares bully her because she’s by herself in Shanghai!”
A cold gleam flashed in Yunshu’s eyes.
“No. I have to go. My daughter, my granddaughter— I won’t let them suffer even a little.”