At thirty, I started my comeback from the intelligence system.

Su Qingqing looked up at Chen Geng's calm face, then at the angry but clear-eyed girl behind him, and then at her own exasperated state. An unprecedented sense of panic and shame surged up.

Is Zhou Peng going to fall? Really?

What will she do then? Everything she just boasted about to her best friend, the wealth and future she thought were within her grasp... could it all vanish in the blink of an eye?

Chen Geng stopped looking at her and turned to Lin Xiaoxiao, who was filled with shock and anger, saying gently, "Nurse Lin, I'm sorry you had to see this. It's too noisy here, shall we go somewhere else?"

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded quickly and picked up her bag.

Her gaze toward Su Qingqing was filled with disdain and pity. She shook her head, said nothing, and followed Chen Geng toward the door.

Su Qingqing stood frozen in place, wanting to say something, but unable to utter a single word. She could only watch helplessly as Chen Geng and Lin Xiaoxiao left the coffee shop side by side.

The pointing glances and whispers from the surrounding guests felt like needles pricking her.

The two best friends fled in a panic, almost under the disdainful or curious gazes of all the customers in the coffee shop.

They ran until they reached the street corner, and only after confirming that Chen Geng and Lin Xiaoxiao were long gone did they stop and lean against the wall, panting heavily.

Su Qingqing's carefully styled hair was a little disheveled, her expensive bag was hanging crookedly on her arm, and her makeup was smudged by the tears she had shed earlier, making her look rather disheveled.

"Ugh... I'm so angry!"

Niu Dan recovered first, patting his chest, his face still showing the disappointment of being interrupted from watching the show. Then, his gossip fire turned into a raging fire, and he grabbed Su Qingqing's arm.

"Qingqing, what exactly happened? Tell me in detail!"

"Who was that woman just now? Chen Gengzhen has already found someone new? How exactly did your divorce go?"

Su Qingqing was in a state of utter confusion. On one hand, Chen Geng's words about the investigation of "Longwan International" were like a thorn in her heart, making her extremely uncertain and panicked about Zhou Peng's promises; on the other hand, being caught in the act of "loud conversation" with her best friend by Chen Geng, and being looked at with that cold and mocking gaze, made her feel as if she had been stripped naked and displayed in public.

When Niu Dan pressed her for answers, she impatiently flung her hand away.

"How else can we get a divorce? A negotiated divorce, of course! The house goes to him, the car to me, we're even!"

"The house goes to him?" Niu Dan shrieked, her eyes wide. "Qingqing, are you stupid?! Didn't you two pay the mortgage together? Why should he get it? You're just going to drive away in a beat-up car? That's such a rip-off!"

"Chen Geng has you cornered! Do you have some kind of leverage over him?"

Su Qingqing was furious when asked the question, but she couldn't tell the truth. Should she tell Niu Dan that she was the one who cheated first and was caught red-handed by Chen Geng, and that she hadn't dared to tell him about her pregnancy? If she did, the consequences of having to do a paternity test might be even worse.

In the end, they had to pay 200,000 yuan in hush money to "buy" a peaceful divorce.

She could never bring herself to say those words, even if it meant death.

That 200,000 yuan was her last fig leaf, and also a shame she couldn't bring herself to talk about. Moreover, most of the money came from men with whom she had ambiguous relationships, which was something she couldn't tell outsiders.

"What...what could I possibly have against me?"

Su Qingqing forced herself to stay upright, her eyes flickering.

"I'm just fed up and don't want to waste my time with him anymore. Let him have the house then, anyway... Hmph! To tell you the truth, I already secretly bought a small apartment on Chengdong Road a long time ago, a one-bedroom apartment, fully furnished, and it's in my own name."

As she said this, a hint of pride and relief unconsciously crept into her tone.

"Luckily, I had the foresight to scrape together a considerable amount of money from Chen Geng over the years, under various pretexts such as buying bags, cosmetics, gifts for my mother, and weddings for classmates. Combined with my own savings, I made a small down payment on a house. He had no idea!"

"Now that dilapidated house is his, this little nest of mine is truly mine!"

She deliberately omitted the fact that other men had "gifted" her the down payment for this "small apartment."

Upon hearing this, Niu Dan was taken aback at first, then his expression became complicated. He was somewhat envious of Su Qingqing's "shrewdness," but also felt that something was amiss. However, he still went along with it and said:

"Well...that's a bit better. But Qingqing, you're still at a huge disadvantage! If you ask me, you should have made a scene! Make him leave with nothing! A man with no ability like that, trying to take advantage after the divorce? No way!"

She became increasingly agitated as she spoke: "If you ask me, we women are always at a disadvantage in marriage!"

"Youth, the cost of raising children, housework—aren't we the ones who sacrifice the most? And what's the result? Men throw tantrums at the slightest dissatisfaction, and they think they're so great even though they can't earn money!"

"Someone like Chen Geng, who has no money, no romance, and can't even keep his own wife, deserves to be dumped! Qingqing, leaving him is cutting your losses and taking the first step towards a new life!"

Su Qingqing was deeply moved by Niu Dan's words, and her earlier panic and shame found an outlet. She nodded vigorously:

"That's right! I gave him three years of my youth, the best years of my life, and what did I get in return? A spineless, unambitious good-for-nothing! I should have left him a long time ago!"

Seeing that Su Qingqing was getting emotional, Niu Dan added fuel to the fire, making his words increasingly intense and extreme:

"Exactly! Sister, let me tell you, what Little Blue Book says is absolutely right! Men shouldn't be spoiled!"

"What do we women get out of marriage? Either money or emotional value! Chen Geng offers neither, and he's hindering your search for happiness—that's a crime! He's wasting your life!"

"So what if you cheated? Oh, so men are allowed to keep their wives at home and have affairs on the side, but we women can't seek some emotional comfort and warmth?"

"This is blatant double standards! It's oppression of us!"

She spat as she spoke, waving her arms: "If you ask me, even if you really have someone else outside, it's because Chen Geng is incompetent, he didn't take good care of you, and he couldn't satisfy you!"

"A qualified man should satisfy his wife both physically and mentally, making her feel secure and happy! If he can't do that, and his wife goes out to find someone else, that's his problem! It's a major fault on his part in the marriage! As long as the children are ultimately his and the family doesn't fall apart, then he's done right by her!"

Su Qingqing's heart skipped a beat when she heard this, and her hand instinctively went to her lower abdomen, which was still flat, but it was indeed carrying a life whose father she did not know.

Niu Dan's words lessened the lingering guilt in her heart.

Of course, she would never tell Niu Dan that she was pregnant; it was too complicated and couldn't be explained clearly.

"Niu Dan, don't say that... it won't be good if word gets out."

Su Qingqing pretended to advise him, but in her heart she felt very relieved.

"What's there to be afraid of? What's wrong with us sisters talking about it privately?"

Niu Dan didn't take it seriously. Her eyes darted around, and she came up with another idea, "But Qingqing, Chen Geng was so arrogant today, showing off with that vixen in front of you. We can't just swallow this! Otherwise, he'll think you're easy to bully!"

"Then... what else can we do?"

Su Qingqing hesitated.

She actually wanted to get revenge on Chen Geng, especially after what happened at the coffee shop today, which made her feel like a clown.

"Go find his boss! Make a scene at his company! Tell them he abused you emotionally during your marriage, manipulated you, causing your depression, and that he was having an affair before the divorce, and then immediately brought his mistress out to show off after the divorce. He's a despicable person! Let all his colleagues see his true colors!"

Niu Dan spoke with great enthusiasm: "Or, go find his mother! Isn't that old hag always biased towards her son? Go to her and cry, telling her how her son wronged you, how he tricked you into a divorce, leaving you penniless and heartbroken! Make her feel guilty!"