"Changbai? Are you busy?" he asked.
"No," He Changbai replied.
"Oh... right, you're back on Tuesday?"
He Changbai paused. "Yes."
Before Qi Yuming could say more, He Changbai cut in. "Let's leave it at that for now."
"Alright. Let me know when you're back, I'll pick you up and we can go see Lin Wu."
"…Alright."
The next day.
Rong Ci woke up, went for a half-hour run, came back for breakfast, and then headed out. When she arrived at the law firm, Yu Moxun was already waiting. He waved to her as soon as he saw her.
Rong Ci sat down, and the assistant to Lawyer Pei Xuchen brought over some tea. She then handed the divorce agreement to Pei Xuchen. He took it and began to read.
Yu Moxun and Pei Xuchen had been close friends for years, so he leaned in to look as well. When he saw the first clause regarding the custody of Feng Jingxin, he glanced at Rong Ci.
A few years ago, he had met Feng Jingxin several times. Back then, Rong Ci had treated the girl like her very lifeblood. Every time they spoke, she couldn't go two sentences without mentioning her daughter.
Yet, ever since she decided to divorce Feng Tingshen and return to Changmo, she hadn't mentioned Xinxin once. Seeing this, he guessed that during the year or so Xinxin lived abroad with Feng Tingshen, she had likely bonded with Lin Wu and perhaps even done something to break Rong Ci's heart.
Seeing that she only wanted the lawyer to look for property loopholes and didn't care about custody, Yu Moxun knew she intended to let the girl go. He didn't ask further. To him, Rong Ci was a gentle and deeply emotional person. If she was willing to cut ties with even her own daughter, it meant she had reached the absolute limit of her cold disappointment.
Yu Moxun turned his attention to the rest of the document. After a while, he raised an eyebrow. "This much real estate? Tsk. Say what you want, but Feng Tingshen is being quite generous."
Rong Ci sipped her tea without responding.
Yu Moxun flipped through a few more pages before deciding to stop bothering Pei Xuchen. He sat next to Rong Ci and began discussing their thesis. They spoke in academic shorthand that only the two of them understood, leaving Lawyer Pei's assistant completely baffled.
Pei Xuchen, meanwhile, was meticulously reviewing every word of the agreement. Over an hour later, he spoke up.
"I've confirmed it multiple times. There are no issues with the agreement. In fact, one could say this agreement is absolutely beneficial to you."
Rong Ci paused. "What do you mean?"
"The cash is straightforward, and the real estate is explicitly marked as free of any title disputes," Pei Xuchen explained. "Regarding the shares of his company that Mr. Feng Tingshen is giving you,
the document states very clearly that you are only entitled to the annual dividends. Should the company face any accidents or issues, all legal liabilities, compensations, and obligations will be borne solely by Mr. Feng Tingshen. They will have nothing to do with you."
Rong Ci blinked.
Yu Moxun's eyes widened. "Are you sure you didn't misread that? Does Feng Tingshen actually have a conscience?"
Pei Xuchen laughed. "Moxun, are you questioning my professional ability?"
"…Not exactly," Yu Moxun muttered. He was just too shocked.
Rong Ci was surprised, but not entirely so. Throughout their years of marriage, Feng Tingshen had been cold and rarely helped her. But knowing him, if he was going to give her something, it was indeed like him to ensure there were no lingering worries attached to it.
Her reason for having a lawyer look over the contract wasn't because she suspected him of foul play, but rather because she was worried about accidental oversights.
"As long as there are no problems," she said calmly. She picked up a nearby pen and, without a moment's hesitation, signed her name.
She looked at Pei Xuchen. "I'll leave the rest of the divorce matters in your hands, Lawyer Pei."
Pei Xuchen nodded. "I have a meeting to attend shortly. This afternoon, I'll contact Mr. Feng Tingshen's side to follow up on the subsequent proceedings."
"Alright."
It was nearing lunchtime. After a quick meal with Pei Xuchen, Rong Ci and Yu Moxun headed back to her place to continue working on their paper.
While they were busy, over at the Feng Group, Feng Tingshen had just returned to his office and started looking over documents when his phone rang.
"Hello, who is this?" he answered casually.
"Hello, Mr. Feng Tingshen. I am Lawyer Pei, representing Ms. Rong Ci. Ms. Rong Ci has signed the divorce agreement, and she has entrusted me with the follow-up procedures. I would like to ask if you are free to discuss them."
Feng Tingshen paused for a moment, then lowered his gaze. "I have two video conferences this afternoon and won't be able to get away. You can come to the Feng Group to see me tomorrow morning around ten."
"Understood. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Feng. Goodbye."
After hanging up, Feng Tingshen went back to his files.
Night had fallen.
Yu Moxun had other things to do and took his leave. Rong Ci planned to head back to the Rong family home for dinner, so she grabbed her bag and headed out.
Just as she got into her car, Feng Jingxin's call came through. It wasn't hard to guess why she was calling. Rong Ci had no desire to deal with her and didn't answer. Jingxin called two or three times in a row, but seeing as no one was picking up, she eventually stopped.
When Rong Ci arrived at the Rong family's villa complex, it was the peak hour for residents entering and exiting. She stopped her car and waited behind the other owners for the gate recognition system.
Suddenly, someone tapped on her window. Rong Ci turned her head and saw He Changbai. She paused, surprised to see him here. She slowly rolled down the window. "Mr. He."
He Changbai's gaze fell on her face. Seeing her expression was calm, with none of the haggardness he had imagined, he hesitated for a moment.
"Is something the matter, Mr. He?" she asked.
"I was in the area for some business and happened to see your car, so I thought I'd come over to say hello."
Given their level of familiarity, he could have easily ignored her in such a situation. Rong Ci thought as much, but because he had helped her before, she didn't say it aloud. Furthermore, since she was still going to visit Dandan, they were bound to keep seeing each other. They weren't friends, but making things awkward wasn't in her best interest either.
Rong Ci nodded. "Then I won't keep you from your business, I"
"I heard there was a very famous pastry shop around here," He Changbai interrupted. "I haven't visited this area much before and couldn't find it after looking around. Do you know where the bakery is located?"
Rong Ci didn't suspect anything. "There is indeed a famous bakery nearby, but it's not in this direction. It's on a different street about a kilometer away." She proceeded to give him directions.
"Alright, thank you," He Changbai said.
"You're welcome." It was her turn for the gate recognition. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye," He Changbai replied.
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