Chapter 38: Chapter 38 - 38: Affection Cools Down, For Whom

Translator: 549690339 n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Divorce! What do you need a man who doesn’t support his family, doesn’t make money, is stingy and doesn’t care about others, messes around with men and women, and often beats you for?”

Xiao Qian bluntly pointed out her mother’s problem after seeing her mother talking in circles.

“What nonsense are you talking about!” Jia Xiufang was startled. At her age and with a child so big, how could she still get a divorce?

“What good is he to you? Has he made money for you? Who built up this dry cleaning shop? It’s you! Has he given you a stable life? Do you really not know what’s going on between him and Chu Xue? He’s so good to that woman but so bad to you. You put in all the effort while Chu Xue enjoys the benefits. Are you really psychologically balanced?”

“You, child, how can you say such things? This family can’t break apart! If 1 get a divorce, what will happen to you and your brother!”

Jia Xiufang was angry when she heard her daughter’s rational analysis.

She had also complained to her relatives, but her elder brothers had all advised her to endure for the sake of the children, which was more in line with Jia Xiufang’s dependent personality.

“I’m already of age, and your playboy son is also a big kid. We won’t necessarily go astray because of our parents’ divorce – of course, your playboy son hasn’t learned well even without your divorce.”

In such a nominal family, they insisted on not getting a divorce to save face, but the children still learned bad things by seeing their parents like this.

Chen Lin neglected his family, played around with women outside, and ignored his two children. Jia Xiufang was eager to please her husband and worked tirelessly, so she had no time to care for the children.

Playboy Chen Zilong’s addiction to online games had nothing to do with this? Xiao Qian’s vague marriage in her past life had nothing to do with this?

Unhealthy family relationships are more terrifying to children than their parents’ divorce.

Xiao Qian’s words left Jia Xiufang at a loss for how to respond, and her heart still rejected what her daughter had said.

For a woman of her age, marriage is more important than life itself. A place with a man is a complete family, even if the man is worthless.

“When you are alone at night, think carefully: what would be different in your life with or without him? If you get a divorce, what would be different from your current life? Don’t be afraid, dare to think! The future is unknown, but it won’t be worse than it is now.”

“If you keep talking, 1’11 hit you! Your father is the backbone of this family, and it can’t break apart!”

“There are 12 criteria for judging a dependent personality, and you meet at least four of them. One more, and you’ll need to see a psychologist.”

A dependent personality is characterized by an extreme lack of self-confidence, an inability to determine their own direction, an instinctive search for help from others, an unconditional acceptance of what others say, trust in others, but not self-confidence.

“What are you muttering about?”

“I said, you gave birth to a good daughter. There’s no need to see a doctor. Mom, your blessed days are still ahead of you.” Xiao Qian patted Jia Xiufang’s shoulder.

“Go mind your own business, child. Don’t talk like an adult!”

Xiao Qian didn’t expect to get through to her mother, who had a dependent personality, with just a few words. But she had already planted the seed of divorce in her mother’s heart and given her some psychological cues. Next, she would take action to push her mother towards independence and crush her trash dad.

That night, Chen Lin didn’t return home.

Jia Xiufang went to several of the places where he usually played cards but didn’t find him.

“Qian’er, do you think something happened to your dad?” Jia Xiufang was worried.

“What could happen to him? An old man running away with money, having food, drink, and women – you don’t have to worry about him.”

“Don’t talk nonsense, what woman!” Jia Xiufang was upset by Xiao Qian’s words.

At night, Jia Xiufang lay on the double bed with room for only one person, the spot beside her empty.

In fact, this was the norm. Even if they don’t quarrel, Chen Lin often comes home very late, and the two sometimes don’t speak to each other all day.

On closer thought, when he was at home, he actually talked more with Chu Xue than with her.

She closed her eyes, and Xiao Qian’s words echoed in her mind: what would be different in her life with or without him?

What’s the difference? If they got divorced, she would still get up early and go to bed late, busy with the shop’s business, not seeing Chen Lin – but isn’t that the same as now?

If there’s no man, what’s the difference from now? She wouldn’t have to get beaten anymore, and the money she earned wouldn’t be taken away. It seemed not bad…

No, no, she couldn’t think like that. The children need their father – Jia Xiufang tried hard to persuade herself, but found that every reason she could think of not to divorce was pale.

It turned out that with or without Chen Lin, this family was really the same…

But no matter what, this family cannot break apart, it cannot!

Jia Xiufang couldn’t sleep.

Behind a wall, Xiao Qian stood by the window in her room, listening to the crickets outside.

Her trash dad must not have left Qiang City, and with his personality, he would most likely look for Chu Xue. She had to find a way to locate him, gather evidence of his infidelity in secret, and find a way to set him up, forcing him to divorce. When the time came, her mother would have to accept the situation, and she’d find a way to keep pushing her mother forward. There were plenty of ways.

She looked up at the stars in the sky and asked herself.

Is it tiring to be so calculating?

It’s tiring.

But is it not tiring if you don’t calculate?

It’s still tiring. Not being calculating would only result in being calculated by others.

If she lived as carelessly as her mother, “not tired, not thinking,” the only outcome would be a miserable death.

There are too many unreliable men in this world.

Yu Minglang is very strong and reliable, but Xiao Qian never thought of relying on him, not in her past life, and not in this one.

He’s very busy with work. When she was with him in her previous life, the relationship was so precious that she couldn’t bear to use trivial matters to disturb him. In this life, the two of them…

The neighbors were watching TV series again, and the ending song of the series drifted in with the wind.

“If someone has to shed tears, who do you think it would be?

If someone has to admit right or wrong, who would it be that’s wrong?

You, so carefree, don’t need anyone by your side, but what 1 fear the most is having no one to accompany me.

Waiting for your comfort, waiting till night falls, waiting for love to grow cold.

Love grows cold, for whose sake-”

The corner of her eye caught a glimpse of the pile of things in her room.

All bought for her by Yu Minglang.

This dummy, what’s he doing now? Is he still troubled that she’s only 18?

The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder she didn’t have all afternoon came back. Xiao Qian used the hand sanitizer he bought for her to wash her hands, washing away her irritation but not the shadow of Ming Lang in her heart.

Love grows cold, for whose sake.

Sky and earth share this moment; tonight, no one sleeps.

Yu Minglang was not at the office. He stood by the window, looking at the moon, seeing the girl’s face in it. The shadows on the moon resembled the beauty mark on her forehead, which stabbed into his heart and wouldn’t leave..