The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 884 - 883: It Would Be Rude to Persist Further

In the airport VIP lounge.

Zhong Qing reluctantly hugged her two sons goodbye, as they were about to go to San Francisco with Yan Yi to study.

"Once you’re there, listen to Dad, eat well, and make sure to tell us right away if there’s anything you can’t resolve on your own."

Yan Ruili: "Don’t worry, Mom, we’ll take good care of ourselves."

Yan Ruize: "Mom, you need to come to San Francisco to see us soon, or we’ll miss you a lot."

Zhong Qing touched her younger son’s face, smiling, "I know."

There was still time, so she took the two children to the buffet area for some food, giving space to Zhong Qing and Yan Yi.

"An’an and Kangkang will be quite a handful; I’ll come over when I have time to spend more time with them."

Yan Yi nodded, "They’re sensible and disciplined children, they won’t need too much worrying over."

Zhong Qing turned her head to look at her sons choosing food in the dining area, her face expressing melancholy, "Time flies. Just like that, An’an and Kangkang have grown up so much."

"I probably won’t be coming back anytime soon. If you run into any trouble back home, call me anytime, and I’ll help as much as I can."

"Actually... I do have a request, and I hope you can fulfill it for me."

"Go ahead."

Zhong Qing took out a document from her purse and handed it over with a smile, "This is my only wish; I hope you can grant it."

After reading the document, Yan Yi looked at her with a complex expression, "May I ask why?"

"I’m tired. This marriage has always been a huge pressure for me, and being Mrs. Yan has been a shackle and chains. We both know that our relationship was a transaction from the start, and now that we’ve both achieved our goals, I think it’s time to end it."

"I respect your wishes. Even though ours was just a partnership, you will always be An’an and Kangkang’s mother, and my earlier offer will always stand."

"Thank you."

After watching the plane carrying the father and sons take off, Zhong Qing took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Do you have time now? Let’s meet; I have something to say."

An hour later.

As soon as Zhong Qing parked her car, a tall and graceful young man approached the passenger door.

She unlocked the car to let the young man in.

"Sorry, I got held up a bit on the road, made you wait."

"That’s okay, I wasn’t waiting long."

The young man replied amiably, buckling his seatbelt.

If Shen Mingzhu were there, she would recognize the young man as the "young man" who previously appeared at the villa.

After starting the car, Zhong Qing asked the young man, "What would you like to eat?"

"You decide."

Zhong Qing smiled at him and said, "Today, you decide."

The young man chose a Japanese restaurant that Zhong Qing loved.

Zhong Qing ordered a lot of dishes, so many that the young man was surprised, though Zhong Qing was always generous.

"Sister Qing, that’s enough, it’s too much."

"That’s okay, today is worth celebrating."

She then ordered a bottle of fine white wine and with a smile, explained.

The young man looked at her with tender, deer-like eyes, "You seem very happy today; is it something good?"

Zhong Qing rested her cheek on her hand, her tone light, "Celebrating my divorce, is that something good?"

The young man was stunned, his expression changing complexly, torn between saying something comforting or congratulatory.

Zhong Qing could see right through him and laughed, "Just enjoy this meal with me. We can talk about the rest later."

"Okay."

Though she spoke of celebration, facing a table full of top-notch cuisine, Zhong Qing barely ate, casually sipping wine from her glass.

In contrast, the young man ate a lot, following her lead.

"Have you had enough?"

"Mhm."

The young man accidentally let out a burp and embarrassedly picked up his wine glass to cover it.

Zhong Qing chuckled and took an envelope from her purse and handed it to him.

Inside the envelope was a check, and the young man was shocked by the amount, "Sister Qing, did you make a mistake?"

"No mistake, this is your fee for your hard work."

The young man shyly responded, "You didn’t have to give so much."

Zhong Qing smiled softly, "Today is our last meeting, and this meal is also a farewell."

The smile on the young man’s face vanished, "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

Zhong Qing shook her head, "It’s not you."

The young man put the check back into the envelope and gave it back to her, his young handsome face full of pleading, "Sister Qing, I don’t want your money. I just hope that if you ever need someone in the future, you’ll think of me first. Can you?"

Zhong Qing smiled, "No need."

The young man looked at her, his eyes filled with defiance and reluctance.

"We’ve met twenty-seven times, and twenty-one of those times were overnight stays in hotels, but you never touched me. You just had me accompany you for drinks and chats. I don’t know your intentions, but I want to tell you, from the first time I met you, I liked you."

"I didn’t meet with you for money; I just wanted to see you. I didn’t refuse the money because I knew if I did, you would not contact me again. Sister Qing, I genuinely like you. Now that you are divorced, can we..."

Zhong Qing gently interrupted him, "Our relationship was a transaction; that money is your rightful payment. Use it to do things you like, live the life you want."

The young man still wanted to say something, but Zhong Qing smiled again, "Any further and it would be impolite."

That phrase held him motionless, unable to speak anymore. freёwebnoѵel.com

After a long while, the young man gave in, stood up, and bowed deeply, tears in his eyes, "Sister Qing, thank you for your care and help over the years. I will always remember it, and I wish you all the best for the rest of your life."

Zhong Qing nodded, "Goodbye."

After the young man left, she picked up the bottle of wine to pour herself another, drinking alone.

The young man was one of the college students she had sponsored, named Qi Ming.

Qi Ming had never been her kept "young man" but an "actor" she had hired.

Now that the audience had left, the play should draw to a close.

Even though she knew clearly that her marriage with Yan Yi was just a mutually beneficial trade, she still couldn’t control her feelings.

Family background, character, talent, commitment, and unswerving devotion to love, such a man fulfilled every woman’s fantasy. It was too hard not to fall for him.

Yet she was aware that she didn’t deserve him.

A woman as contaminated in both body and soul as she was, even she despised herself, how could she dare sully the moon atop the high mountain?

She knew even clearer that if one day Yan Yi discovered her feelings, he would surely take the initiative to end their marriage.

Rather than waiting to lose it all, it was better to exit gracefully and preserve some dignity for herself.