Divorce Application - Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Coincidence
“Of course I can,” Wu Haoxue said, then she sized her up, her tone critical as she retorted, “Can’t you?”
Liu Sinan took several deep breaths, gritting her teeth. “I. Can. Cook.”
“Oh,” Wu Haoxue raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing her, and said dismissively, “I believe you.” Not.
Perhaps the disgust in Liu Sinan’s expression was too obvious, and Wu Haoxue’s arrogance was slightly dimmed. She probed, “Did our little Sinan, during those seven years of being pampered, get up before dawn to make breakfast, brew coffee for Ms. Li to wake up to, and bake little cookies in the afternoon, waiting for Ms. Li to come home?”
Liu Sinan let out a long sigh, feeling very depressed. “Never mind, there’s no talking to you.”
Wu Haoxue had been a pampered young lady since she was a child. If Liu Sinan hadn’t suffered her family’s downfall at the age of 14, she might have been just like Wu Haoxue, still clueless about how to use oil, salt, vinegar, and soy sauce.
But after moving to the US at 14, she quickly taught herself how to take care of everything. In those tough days of fending for herself, she could not only cook but also climb on the roof to fix a water pipe.
Li Jinping never allowed her in the kitchen, nor would she ever let her bake “little cookies.” Instead, Li Jinping herself would often get a whim and personally prepare gifts for her, sometimes a delicate fondant cake, other times a pair of hand-knitted gloves.
Li Jinping had great hands-on skills and was always passionate about making something for Liu Sinan herself. From the initial design in her mind to the selection of materials, the carving process, and finally personally presenting the gift to her—she was hands-on every step of the way, never letting anyone else interfere.
If she had met Li Jinping earlier and moved seamlessly from one life of luxury to another golden cage, she might not have suffered such a terrible trauma or developed such severe PTSD. But she would have also lost the opportunity to face the cruel truth of life. She would have lived in a greenhouse forever, with zero survival skills, forever innocent, forever naive.
Liu Sinan couldn’t quite figure out what those four years from the age of 14 to 18 had taken from her and what they had left behind.
“Ding dong—”
The doorbell rang again.
Aunt Sun was busy in the kitchen, having already prepared four dishes and a soup, with only the last medicinal dish left.
Wu Haoxue opened the door and froze for a few seconds. “Why are you here?”
Lan Qi, like Aunt Sun, was also carrying a shopping bag. “I came to see if you two had starved to death at home.”
She didn’t know what got into her, but yesterday Wu Haoxue had sent her a dozen murder emojis, claiming that the kitchen would explode if she went in and that sending her a meal plan was murder.
She actually dreamed last night that the kitchen exploded, a bloody and grand scene. To protect her heart, Lan Qi thought about it and decided to come over herself.
However… Lan Qi looked at Aunt Sun, who was walking out in an apron with a bowl of soup, and slowly raised an eyebrow.
Lan Qi said with a knowing look, “But it looks like I came at a bad time.”
The young lady had someone to serve her, yet she was rushing to make food for her.
Liu Sinan helped bring out the last dish. When she saw Lan Qi, she gestured for her to come in and eat.
“Come and try Aunt Sun’s cooking,” Liu Sinan, who had no idea what the two of them had been talking about, enthusiastically handed a pair of chopsticks to Lan Qi. “Xiao Xue specifically invited Aunt Sun, who is the best cook in her family. You’re in for a treat today.”
Wu Haoxue, under Lan Qi’s meaningful gaze, gritted her teeth and walked inside. After a few steps, she stopped and snatched the bag from Lan Qi’s hand. “It’s enough that you came. You didn’t have to bring gifts.”
What a load of crap about gifts.
Lan Qi was so amused she laughed. “Two cabbages for you. You better keep this gift safe and make sure it doesn’t rot.”
Wu Haoxue: …Is she never going to let this go? How was she supposed to know Lan Qi would personally come to cook?
At the dinner table, Liu Sinan bit the tip of her chopsticks, glanced at Wu Haoxue, and then at Lan Qi.
“You two know each other…”
“No, we don’t!”
“Of course we do.”
Three voices sounded almost one after another.
Wu Haoxue’s eagerness to distance herself from Lan Qi made it seem unnatural.
Liu Sinan said with great interest and a meaningful tone, “Oh—”
Wu Haoxue’s face turned red, and she stammered, “We don’t exactly know each other. We’ve just met a few times.”
Lan Qi couldn’t help but laugh. “The first time we met, she left her research papers at my house; the second time, she lost her computer; the third time…”
Wu Haoxue argued, “I was doing it to take care of Lan Ling, okay?”
A question mark seemed to float above Liu Sinan’s head. She looked confused. “Who is Lan Ling?”
Lan Qi said, “My younger sister.”
Liu Sinan was stunned, staring at the dishes in front of her, and fell silent.
She had no idea Lan Qi had a younger sister.
Lan Qi slowly ate the food in front of her. After she swallowed, she continued, “My sister has been in poor health since she was a child. The medical care abroad is more advanced than it is here, so she’s lived overseas since she was very young. When Xiao Xue was studying abroad, my sister fainted on the street, and Xiao Xue saved her. They got to know each other after that.”
Liu Sinan nodded, not expecting them to have such a connection. “Then the three of us are really fated!”
After she said this, the expressions of the two people at the dinner table were different.
“So where is your sister now? Is she still abroad?” Liu Sinan asked.
Lan Qi smiled and shook her head. “After so many years of treatment, her condition didn’t get worse. Once it stabilized, she came back. She’s living in the suburbs now, studying and recovering.”
Wu Haoxue suddenly remembered. “Speaking of which, I haven’t gone to see Lan Ling since I came back.”
“You can remember her?” Lan Qi glanced at her, speechless at her carefree nature. “Miss Wu.”
Even if Liu Sinan was slow, she could read the strange atmosphere between the two of them. She thought for a moment, deciding to play the peacemaker and ease the tension. “Since you’re all acquaintances, why not strike while the iron is hot? Why don’t we call your sister now and have dinner together?”
The two of them looked at her in unison.
Wu Haoxue had a blank look of anger. “Sure.”
Lan Qi had a nonchalant, teasing look. “Oh, sure.”
Liu Sinan clapped her hands. “That’s great then!”
After preparing lunch, Aunt Sun started planning dinner. Because she had been informed that someone else was coming, she was excited to go to the supermarket. Wu Haoxue stopped her at the door.
She didn’t know why, but she said awkwardly, “Aunt Sun, don’t prepare anything. I’m taking them out to eat.”
“It’s not as sanitary to eat out,” Aunt Sun’s belief was that home-cooked meals were the cleanest. “I’ll make whatever you want!”
“Oh, Aunt Sun, you’ve been busy all morning,” Wu Haoxue pushed her back inside and closed the door. “We’re going out to have fun. We won’t be back tonight. You get some rest!”
In reality, Wu Haoxue and Lan Ling weren’t that close. She hesitated and discussed with Liu Sinan, “Maybe we shouldn’t get together after all. Lan Ling… isn’t in good health, and she has a very strange personality. I’m not even as close to her as I am to Lan Qi.”
Liu Sinan had originally wanted to get closer to Lan Qi. Ever since her divorce, Lan Qi had been working tirelessly for her. Lan Qi could have easily left her. With Lan Qi’s reputation as a top manager, she would have certainly found better opportunities. But Lan Qi had stayed.
It would be a lie to say she wasn’t grateful.
Liu Sinan thought about it. She couldn’t force her friend. “Okay, I’ll tell Lan Qi. I’ll invite them to dinner some other time when you’re not here.”
“…Forget it,” Wu Haoxue twisted herself into a knot. “If you tell her, she’ll definitely figure it out, and I’ll look petty.”
Liu Sinan was helpless. “…So are we going or not?”
Wu Haoxue gritted her teeth. “We’re going!”