After Divorce, My Ex-Wife Became My Creditor - Chapter 3 - Confession

Han Qian sighed and sat down on the chair, speaking softly.

“Mom, my marriage with Wen Nuan was just a transaction. Back then, I was in trouble, and my mom needed 400,000 yuan for surgery. I had no choice but to make a mistake. It was I who begged Wen Nuan to save me. We got married because she had leverage over me… I helped her deal with you and dad. Now that the contract period is over, I can’t delay Wen Nuan’s youth any longer.”

There was no way around it; trying to be clever in front of Li Jinhe would only lead to a worse outcome. Han Qian had to confess honestly, though he took all the blame upon himself.

But Li Jinhe’s attention seemed not to be on their agreement marriage but rather on questioning Han Qian if she looked old.

“No, no, no! You’re not old at all.”

Li Jinhe replied calmly, “You missed a word.”

“Mom! You’re not old at all. People say you and Wen Nuan look like sisters when you go out.”

Li Jinhe was satisfied and then spoke.

“Agreement marriage… I can consider that you two have been in love for these three years. Wen Nuan does have many flaws. She claims to have a cleanliness obsession but is actually quite messy, has no life skills, and besides her education and looks, she doesn’t have many other advantages. Are you saying you don’t like Wen Nuan at all? After three years, even if there was a dog by your side, you’d have feelings for it. Oh! I’m not saying you’re a dog; I’m talking about Wen Nuan.”

What a formidable mother-in-law!

Han Qian’s forehead was constantly sweating. Wiping it, he whispered,

“Mom! You know my background. If it weren’t for the leverage, I wouldn’t have had a girl like Wen Nuan talk to me in this lifetime. Isn’t this about matching families? Even if I liked Wen Nuan, it wouldn’t matter; she likes someone else.”

“You mean that little brat from the Lin Family? There’s not a decent man in the Lin Family. Lin Zongheng is just after the 27% shares of Changxiang Group that Wen Nuan holds. Only a fool like Wen Nuan would believe her Zongheng-Ge genuinely likes her. And you, getting divorced without telling me first, now what? Lin Zongheng is back, and Wen Nuan, this fool, is going to throw herself into the fire. Are we supposed to hand over Mr. Wen’s lifetime of hard work to the Lin Family? I just regret not having a son.”

Han Qian truly didn’t dare respond to this. Nodding wasn’t right, and shaking his head wasn’t either.

Fortunately, Li Jinhe didn’t make things too difficult for him. She pulled out ten thousand yuan from her bag and tossed it to Han Qian.

“Divorce is divorce. I’m not some old-fashioned person. For the past three years, you’ve called me ‘Mom,’ and now you’re not my son-in-law, but you’re still like half a son to me. Wen Nuan can be petty, and if you have more than ten thousand yuan in your pocket, it means I’ve lived in vain. Take it and use it. Don’t think about leaving this city. In the future, if anything happens to me or Mr. Wen, we’ll need you to help out. If you dare refuse, I’ll…”

“Get someone from the army to take care of me? No refusal, no refusal.”

It’s hard to refuse such a large sum of money, especially when it’s from someone as formidable as his mother-in-law, whose toughness he’s come to understand over time. During dinner, Li Jinhe suddenly asked, “Is Wen Nuan holding her own at Changxiang?”

Han Qian, who was shoveling food into his mouth, nodded and replied seriously, “The initial planning proposal has been completed. The department store has been renamed Patriot Bazaar, and we’ve canceled the leasing of shops. The company is now selling directly, offering prices that seniors can accept. The social response has been positive, providing a place for middle-aged and elderly people to shop. Daily revenue is around tens of thousands, not a huge profit, but the social impact is significant. Compared to Rongyao Department Store, our place is livelier. Wen Nuan has been responsible for these later stages and has been recognized for her efforts. I’ve given her some other proposals, which have also been well-received, though they’re not significant enough to mention.”

Li Jinhe looked at her son-in-law with approval. He was handsome and matched well with Wen Nuan, and he had talent. She squinted at Han Qian and smiled, “Do you want to return to Changxiang Group? I can have Mr. Wen arrange for you to be a leader in the Planning Department.”

Han Qian gave a wry smile and shook his head. “Mom, don’t tease me. If I go back to Changxiang, Wen Nuan will think I’m still chasing after her. We’ve divorced, so it’s better to keep some distance. Besides, the employees at Changxiang don’t know about my relationship with Wen Nuan, but the higher-ups do. I can’t go back to Changxiang. Also… that person is coming back. As Wen Nuan’s ex-husband, seeing her with another man would be uncomfortable. So, could you spare this little dog’s life?”

Li Jinhe’s expression showed some disappointment, and she sighed softly. “You, with that bit of pride in your bones, use it all on us and not a bit on that little ingrate Wen Nuan. She foolishly thinks all your abilities were taught by her. Since you’re determined, I won’t force you. Han Qian, you’re only twenty-five, right?”

Han Qian was slightly taken aback at the mention of his age, then smiled and nodded. “Yeah, twenty-five.”

“Twenty-five is still young. Don’t rush into marriage. If you meet a girl you like, tell me. If soft words don’t work, we’ll use money to win her over. If that doesn’t work, I’ll…”

“If that doesn’t work, you’ll call in the army, right? I’m not planning to date anytime soon. I want to sort out my troubles first, then buy a house in this city before considering relationships. Mom, you should go play mahjong. This is Aunt Zhao’s fourth call.”

As they spoke, Li Jinhe’s phone rang. It was the latest iPhone 4S, costing seven to eight thousand yuan, a price Han Qian couldn’t afford. Li Jinhe answered the call and scolded, “Rush, rush, rush, you’re rushing me to my grave! I’m having a meal with my son-in-law, and you’re rushing me. Wait for me to come and win your money?”

“Hey? Is Qian with you? Bring him over, let his sister dote on him. Qian makes excellent dishes, and your brother-in-law isn’t home tonight.”

“Bah! Shameless, don’t seduce my son-in-law. There are plenty of stray dogs outside. Han Qian! Aunt Zhao is asking if you’re going. Are you going?”

Han Qian quickly shook his head. “No, no, Aunt Zhao, I have things to do this afternoon. I need to buy groceries for Wen Nuan.”

As he spoke, Han Qian suddenly froze. Life really does become a habit.

The mature voice on the phone gritted her teeth and said, “Call me sister! Li Jinhe, come here and meet your fate!”

The formidable mother-in-law left, driving away in a low-profile Audi A6. Back on the street, Han Qian’s face was filled with bitterness, but then he clenched his fist.

“A new life begins! Time to buy some cigarettes!”