It’s Okay to Divorce - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Zou Tingshen watched her for a moment before silently starting to pack their luggage.

Seeing him take her words seriously, Mu Mian felt a touch of smugness. She fiddled with her phone while directing Zou Tingshen, “Hey, don’t forget to pack my red leather shoes. Oh, and my hairdryer and comb—these things aren’t easy to replace, so don’t miss them!”

Why did he get the feeling that a certain award-winning actress was pushing her luck?

He glanced at Mu Mian. The esteemed actress had turned away, clutching her phone, her shoulders trembling.

Was she crying? Sobbing quietly and wiping tears? Good heavens, what right did she have to cry? Was she that heartbroken over not bringing an assistant?

Zou Tingshen marveled at his own resilience. 

To think he could tolerate a pampered, overgrown princess with zero life skills?

A princess like her wasn’t to be trifled with, so he could only grit his teeth and keep working.

Mu Mian, still holding her phone, was shaking with laughter. She sent a WeChat message to Ming Wei, venting, “Without an assistant, I’ve become so lazy I can’t even function. I don’t even want to wash my underwear… Oh, guess what? The award-winning actor is actually packing my clothes for me. It’s weirdly satisfying.”

To her smugness, Ming Wei replied with a single line: “Take care, we don’t do PDA!”

Was she showing off affection? Did she even have affection with him? Ha, as if…

Zou Tingshen crouched down, neatly folding her clothes one by one. Once the luggage was packed, he went to the bathroom to check for forgotten items.

The things Mu Mian planned to throw away were still on the shelf. He hesitated for a few minutes before taking a travel bag, packing them carefully, and stuffing them into the suitcase.

Mu Mian’s 35-inch suitcase was massive, stuffed to the brim with no room to spare. Zou Tingshen struggled to zip it shut.

***

The two bought bullet train tickets to Fukadan Island.

At the train station, Mu Mian played the role of a carefree boss, hands empty, strutting confidently. She wore a floral chiffon dress, sunglasses, and a beach hat, earphones in, skipping lightly ahead.

Zou Tingshen, meanwhile, wore sunglasses and a mask, a black backpack slung over his shoulders, a red women’s crossbody bag hanging diagonally, and both hands pushing two large suitcases, jogging to keep up.

His movie star image? Completely ruined.

Mu Mian, with her pregnant belly, quickened her pace. Zou Tingshen called out to stop her, “Mu Mian!”

But Mu Mian, earphones blasting Guardians Inferno, was caught up in the high-energy rhythm, her body buzzing with excitement.

Filming had been grueling, and now, finally on vacation, she felt utterly liberated. Being abroad meant she didn’t have to maintain her icy queen persona—she could be herself, carefree and elated, like a prisoner freed after years of confinement.

She’d never been to Fukadan Island. Zou Tingshen had shown her photos of the seaside—gorgeous sunsets, the vast, majestic ocean. She was brimming with anticipation.

Mu Mian moved like the wind, breezing through the station. Only when she remembered Zou Tingshen did she turn back.

—Huh? Where’s the baby daddy?

She took off her earphones, scanning the crowd in confusion for Zou Tingshen. White people, Black people… but no matching Asian face.

Just as she was about to call him, Chen Sheng’s call came through. “Mianmian, where are you?” he asked.

“I’m abroad. What’s up?” Mu Mian replied.

“When did you leave? Why didn’t you tell me?” Chen Sheng sighed. “I thought you went home, so I visited your dad. He said he hasn’t seen you in six months. You…”

Mu Mian cut him off. “Not now, I’m rushing for a train. Talk later.”

Chen Sheng wanted to say more, but the call ended with a busy tone. He had a gut feeling Mu Mian was hiding something.

He sent her a WeChat message asking which country she was in. Mu Mian saw it but played dead, ignoring it.

She couldn’t give Chen Sheng any false hope. She was a mother-to-be now; she had to have some dignity. Yup.

When Zou Tingshen finally caught up with the luggage, he was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked. He stood behind Mu Mian, who was obliviously scrolling through her contacts.

Just as she was about to dial his number, a hand landed on her shoulder. Instinctively, she moved to throw the person over her shoulder, but Zou Tingshen firmly stopped her reflex, his tone exasperated. “Can you please make my life a little easier?”

Hearing his voice, Mu Mian relaxed.

She spun around, indignant. “Where were you? Trying to scare a pregnant woman to death?”

The man’s face was stern. “Miss Mu, I’m the one who nearly had a heart attack. Can you behave yourself?”

Mu Mian curled her fingers into a fist and tapped his forehead. “Me not behaving? Do you have some misunderstanding about the word ‘behaving’? I was walking perfectly fine, following station rules. And you? Can you behave? How do you get lost just following me? Zou Tingshen, are you a child?”

That lecturing tone—like she was scolding a kid. Ha… who was the real child here?

Her tap left his forehead stinging. 

He checked the time, pushed the luggage forward, and turned to her. “The train’s about to leave. Please, Miss Mu, walk side by side with me so I don’t get lost again, okay?”

“Fine, fine,” Mu Mian took a big step to match his pace, walking beside him. “Zou Tingshen, so you’re finally admitting you’re a kid?”

“…”

This woman was really pushing it. Was there any saving her? 

Heh… one day, she’d pay for all the grievances he was enduring today.

On the bullet train, Mu Mian sat by the window, pulling out a compact mirror to touch up her makeup. A swipe of lipstick and blush, and her complexion brightened.

Zou Tingshen reached over, took the lipstick from her hand, and studied it closely before saying, “This lipstick isn’t suitable for pregnant women. Stop using it while you’re pregnant.”

“…” Mu Mian reached to snatch it back, but he raised his hand, and she grabbed air. Fuming, she said, “Zou Tingshen, who are you to stop me from using lipstick? You’re restricting a young lady’s freedom!”

“Young lady?” Zou Tingshen gave her a cold look, his tone laced with warning. “You can eat lipstick if you want, but my child can’t. I want our baby to be born healthy, and as the mother, you should want that too, right?”

Mu Mian hadn’t even considered this. She touched her swollen belly, her defiance softening, and asked cautiously, “Will it really harm the baby? But Ming Wei said this lipstick is all-natural, totally safe.”

Zou Tingshen raised an eyebrow. “Would you dare eat it?”

Mu Mian shook her head. No way—that’d be like eating soap.

He held out his hand. “Give me your bag.”

“Oh…” Mu Mian handed it over.

He rummaged through her bag, pulling out every cosmetic that could conflict with pregnancy health.

Mu Mian: “…Old Zou, if you keep taking stuff out, I’ll have nothing left to use!”

“Beauty or the baby—which is more important?”

Mu Mian wanted to say “beauty,” but she swallowed the word and, against her conscience, muttered, “The baby…”

At five in the afternoon, they arrived at the small town on Kafdan Island. 

White buildings stood in neat rows, some ancient, some weathered, built along the seaside, full of charm.

They took a car from the station into the town. 

The streets weren’t wide but were bright and clean, the air carrying a salty tang.

They entered a narrow alley where laundry-hanging women and playful children in small groups filled the scene. The children had golden hair, striking features, and blue eyes that Mu Mian couldn’t forget. The old, weathered walls on either side were draped with vibrant wisteria, like endless purple waterfalls.

Mu Mian stuck her head out, gazing at the cascading wisteria, and sighed, “So beautiful…”

At their so-called destination, Mu Mian, cradling her belly, stood dumbfounded.

This… was Zou Tingshen’s home? This was where she’d be staying?

Before her was a wooden house by the sea. Through the fence, she couldn’t see its full structure, but the roof alone suggested it was pitifully small.

Was it even bigger than her living room?

A group of children and women surrounded Zou Tingshen. The kids stuffed candy into his hands, and the women pressed freshly baked bread into his arms, warm and fragrant.

Zou Tingshen patted one golden-haired child’s head, pinched another’s chubby cheek, leaving Mu Mian standing alone by the luggage, staring blankly at the tiny wooden house.

The neighbors helped carry the luggage inside, and Mu Mian followed, her eyes lighting up at the interior.

The courtyard was filled with colorful flowers, and the wooden house was nearly enveloped in wisteria, transforming it into a purple haven.

In front of the house was a terrace with a small Chinese-style tea table, adorned with a purple clay tea set.

On the west side of the courtyard, a blue sofa swing matched the sky and sea perfectly.

The small house was fully equipped, well-decorated. It had one bedroom, one bathroom, and one living area. The bedroom featured floor-to-ceiling glass windows, and opening the curtains revealed the distant black rocky cliffs and the white-capped waves of the sea.

Mu Mian took a shower and came out to find Zou Tingshen washing clothes in the courtyard, hanging them to dry.

The man wore a white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows. Against the red clothes he was hanging, his exposed forearms looked strikingly fair. Behind him were the sea, the blue sky, and the flowers—a scene so picturesque it could’ve been a painting.

Wait… red clothes? 

Was that… her underwear?! What?!

Mu Mian watched, wide-eyed, as Zou Tingshen carefully unfolded her underwear and hung it in the courtyard…

This ethereal, otherworldly courtyard suddenly felt a bit more grounded. 

Heh…