"Sun Meng?!"
"What are you doing here?!"
Xia Ranran was the first to notice us, shouting in panic.
I looked at them coldly, not saying a word.
Xie Zhong heard Xia Ranran's voice and turned to look at me.
He was clearly startled when he saw me.
"Sun Meng... you..."
Xie Zhong's reaction was even more intense than Xia Ranran's; he instinctively shielded Xia Ranran behind him.
This instinctive action made me fully understand.
His feelings for me were nowhere near a fraction of what he felt for Xia Ranran.
Facing me, he finally stopped hiding.
"When did you find out?" Xie Zhong finally spoke.
He tried to maintain his composure, but his voice still trembled slightly.
"Meng, so you knew all along?"
Lizi observed me from the side, her tone filled with surprise.
"No wonder you seemed so calm; that's not like you."
I didn't answer Xie Zhong's question; I just looked at him indifferently.
"Xie Zhong, do you remember what you said when you proposed to me?"
Xie Zhong's face turned pale, yet he still forced himself to stay calm.
"I said I would treat you well; I never thought about divorcing you."
Xia Ranran, upon hearing Xie Zhong's words, became displeased.
"What do you mean, Xie Zhong?"
"Are you planning to have me follow you around without any name or status for the rest of my life?"
"Don't forget, you have a child to raise!"
Child.
Xia Ranran's words reminded me of that innocent little life.
Xie Zhong looked at Xia Ranran, then at me, and finally his gaze settled on the baby stroller.
"Sun Meng, things have come to this. Let's each take a step back."
"I will take care of Ranran's child; we will raise him together."
"As for Ranran, I can guarantee that I won't contact her again."
Xie Zhong's words left me utterly disappointed in him.
"Xie Zhong, why do you think I would help you raise a child?"
"You betrayed me and still expect me to accept your child?"
"On what grounds do you think I would agree to such an arrangement?"
Xie Zhong looked at me helplessly, his tone carrying a hint of justification.
"The child is mine; I can't just ignore him."
"If you're willing, we can continue having children."
"Sun Meng, at this point, let's both take a step back."
"Take a step back?"
I laughed, tears streaming down my face.
"Xie Zhong, have you ever considered that from the very beginning, I never intended to take a step back?"
"When we got married, you promised me that you wouldn't betray me."
"I told you I have a cleanliness obsession when it comes to relationships."
"If you couldn't uphold that promise, why did you marry me?"
"Xie Zhong, you don't deserve to say that you love me."
Xie Zhong was left speechless by my questioning.
He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking up.
"Sun Meng, I've already made concessions."
"The child is mine; I acknowledge him."
"In the future, I will hand over my salary card to you and let you handle everything at home."
"Isn't that enough?"
Xie Zhong's words made me feel utterly ridiculous. Does he think he is the emperor? Embracing others while expecting me to help him raise children? I looked coldly at Xie Zhong and mocked, "Are the children really yours?"
Xie Zhong's expression changed upon hearing my words. "What do you mean?"
I let out a cold laugh and opened my phone. On the screen was a screenshot of the paternity test results sent by Lizi's friend. "Xie Zhong, you'll know once you look."
Xie Zhong took the phone, glanced at it, and his face turned pale. "Impossible! This can't be!"
"How could the child not be mine?"
"I was so careful; how could the child not be mine?!"
Xia Ranran immediately snatched the phone when she heard this. Upon seeing it, she was stunned as well. "Xie Zhong, you lied to me!"
"Weren't you the one who said the child must be yours?!"
Xia Ranran cried out in anger, throwing her phone to the ground.
Seeing Xia Ranran cry like this, Xie Zhong panicked. He hurriedly embraced her and kept comforting her. "Ranran, don't cry."
"Even if the child isn't mine, I can still take care of it."
"Trust me, I will treat you well."
Looking at the two people before me, I felt an overwhelming sense of irony. This is the man I have loved for so many years.
This is the place I consider home. Now, it has all changed beyond recognition. Lizi walked up to me and gently took my hand.
"Mo, let's go."
I nodded and took one last look at Xie Zhong and Xia Ranran before turning to leave. After that day, I never saw Xie Zhong again. When we finalized the divorce, only my lawyer met with him. It was said that he had lost a lot of weight and was in poor spirits. However, that no longer mattered to me. My marriage with Xie Zhong had come to an end.
Later, Lizi asked me if I regretted it. I smiled and shook my head.
"What is there to regret?"
"Even if I hadn't initiated the divorce, Xie Zhong would have."
"Since we were going to divorce anyway, why not escape from the suffering sooner?"
Lizi looked at me with a sense of emotion.
"Mo, you've grown up."
"And become stronger."
"I believe you will live better in the future."
I smiled and gently held Lizi's hand.
"Of course."
"I left the scumbag; how could I possibly live worse than him?"
"In the days to come, I will definitely be happier than he is."
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