The Old Madam felt somewhat helpless. She felt that Rong Ci simply wasn't assertive enough, being far too submissive and indulgent toward Feng Tingshen. She had let so many opportunities slip away, which was why they had made so little progress after all these years.
But since Rong Ci had put it that way, she didn't push the matter.
The feast officially began. Everyone chatted while they ate, and the atmosphere was actually quite pleasant.
Rong Ci rarely spoke, keeping her head down and eating quietly.
It had been over ten minutes since Feng Tingshen had walked through the door, yet the husband and wife hadn't exchanged a single word. In fact, there was no communication between them at all.
This was the norm for their marriage.
The rest of the family was used to it, seeing nothing unusual in their behavior.
Whenever Feng Jingxin wanted something to eat, Rong Ci used to take care of her. Now, the girl was accustomed to asking Feng Tingshen to get food for her instead.
However, when she wanted the large prawns, she turned her gaze toward Rong Ci. In the past, whenever they had shrimp, Rong Ci would proactively peel them for both her and Feng Tingshen.
"Mom, I want a big prawn."
Rong Ci wanted a divorce, and she had no intention of fighting Feng Tingshen for custody of Feng Jingxin. Even so, Feng Jingxin was still her daughter. She had an obligation and a responsibility to be good to her and satisfy her needs as much as possible.
So, when Feng Jingxin asked for help, Rong Ci simply replied, "Alright."
She put down her chopsticks and began to peel the shrimp. As the Old Madam watched her hands, she suddenly paused. "Xiao Ci, where is your ring?"
As soon as she spoke, everyone including Feng Tingshen looked at Rong Ci's hands.
Since the wedding, despite their marriage being as cold as ice, Rong Ci had always worn the wedding ring the Old Madam had prepared for them. In contrast, Feng Tingshen had never worn his once. No one even knew where he had thrown it.
Over the years, Rong Ci wore that ring everywhere, reluctant to ever take it off. Everyone had grown used to seeing it on her finger. Feng Tinglin had frequently used it as an excuse to mock her.
Because she wasn't wearing it today, no one had noticed at first. After all, they didn't make a habit of staring at her hands. If the Old Madam hadn't mentioned it, the others truly wouldn't have realized.
Rong Ci's hands faltered almost imperceptibly for a second before she replied with a composed expression, "I was in a hurry leaving this morning and left it at home."
In truth, she had taken the ring off the moment she prepared the divorce agreement. It was currently tucked inside the same envelope. However, she wasn't officially divorced yet, and she knew the Old Madam would never agree to it. If she brought up the divorce now, the Old Madam would likely find a way to stall it indefinitely.
Thus, Rong Ci did not tell the truth.
The Old Madam smiled upon hearing this. "Oh, so that's how it is."
After that, the meal continued as usual.
Once dinner was finished, everyone moved to the living room to chat over fruit and desserts. The Old Madam was still determined to play matchmaker, insisting that Rong Ci and Feng Tingshen sit together.
Feng Tingshen still refused to give Rong Ci even a passing glance.
Rong Ci didn't want to sit there either, but she couldn't keep rejecting the Old Madam's wishes, so she sat down beside him. It was the first time in months they had sat so close to one another.
Rong Ci could clearly smell the faint, familiar scent of his cologne. However, her heart remained as still as stagnant water. She merely took small bites of her fruit pudding, showing no intention of initiating a conversation with him.
The Old Madam was satisfied, looking at them with a smile. "They look so well-matched."
One was tall and handsome, while the other was quiet, gentle, and exceptionally beautiful. On the surface, they certainly appeared to be a perfect pair.
But it was only on the surface. In terms of everything else, Rong Ci was worlds apart from him.
Still, seeing the Old Madam so happy, Feng Tinglin and Sang Qian kept their disapproval to themselves, reluctant to spoil her mood.
That night, they followed the Old Madam's wishes and stayed overnight at the ancestral home.
Around eight o'clock, while Feng Tingshen and the Old Madam went to the study to discuss business, Feng Jingxin took Rong Ci's hand and said she wanted to bathe and go to sleep.
Rong Ci followed her upstairs to help her wash.
Sitting in the small bathtub, Feng Jingxin looked at Rong Ci and asked tentatively, "Mom, are you... busy tomorrow morning?"
Even though she could make a concession and let her mother accompany her to school, in her heart, she still hoped it would be Auntie Wuwu instead. It would be better if her mother were busy.
Rong Ci shook her head. "I'm not busy. Why do you ask?"
Hearing this, Feng Jingxin pursed her lips in disappointment. "It's nothing."
Since she didn't elaborate, Rong Ci didn't press her.
After the bath, Rong Ci gently blow-dried the girl's hair. As soon as it was dry, Feng Jingxin claimed she was ready for bed. Rong Ci noticed her eyes were fixed on her phone, knowing she wanted to play games. "Watch it for a little bit, then go to sleep. You can't stay on it too long, okay?"
"I know."
Since her mother was free tomorrow, she had to tell Auntie Wuwu about it. Feng Jingxin was worried Lin Wu would be sad or disappointed, so she kept mulling over how to break the news.
She was already annoyed, and hearing Rong Ci nag her only made her more impatient. She pushed Rong Ci toward the door. "Mom, you can go now. I'll turn off the phone and sleep after nine-thirty."
Feng Jingxin was indeed very disciplined in that regard.
Rong Ci told her goodnight and left the room. Feng Jingxin immediately closed the door and turned the lock.
Rong Ci had barely taken a step when she heard the sound of the deadbolt. She didn't think for a second that her daughter was guarding against anyone else. She was only guarding against her.
She was likely being shut out so the girl could discuss something with Lin Wu. And that was exactly the case. As soon as the door was locked, Feng Jingxin ran back to her phone, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Lin Wu: Auntie Wuwu...
Rong Ci had no way of knowing what they talked about. She didn't dwell on it; she didn't even have the energy to care.
She turned and went back to her own room.
Because the Old Madam liked her, she was often invited back for dinner. Over the years, she had kept many of her daily necessities here. She found a pair of pajamas and went into the bathroom to shower.
After washing up, she sat on her usual side of the bed. Seeing that it was still early, she took out the book she had packed in her bag and began to read quietly.
Time passed unknowingly until her eyes began to ache. She closed the book and checked the clock, only to realize it was already eleven-thirty.
But Feng Tingshen hadn't returned.
In truth, even though he had initially believed she had trapped him into the marriage, their relationship had actually improved slightly by the third year. While they weren't close, the atmosphere between them had been better than before.
But then, Lin Wu had appeared.
He fell in love with Lin Wu and immediately began to distance himself from her again. Since then, he had hardly touched her.
Rong Ci didn't know if he was staying out because he had no intention of coming back to the room, or if he was simply busy with work.
Lost in these thoughts, Rong Ci unconsciously left the bedroom and headed downstairs.
At that moment, a voice drifted from nearby.
"Everyone is asleep. It's so late and you still haven't returned to your room. Is it because Rong Ci is there that you don't want to go back?"
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