Chapter 10 — Nine Months Post-Divorce

Phuong Thuc Hoa still wanted to say something, but was grabbed by the wrist and dragged away by him. After the doorway fell quiet, the nurse helped me lie back comfortably. While checking my vitals, she offered some gentle comfort in a hushed tone.

Do not look at your phone.

During the postpartum month of recovery, emotional turmoil is the most damaging thing of all.

I nodded. Yet, the screen of my phone lit up regardless. This time, it was a message from an unknown number. The content was nothing more than a single photograph. In the picture, Jiang Rui stood at the entrance of the hotel banquet hall. She was dressed in a white evening gown, a massive welcome board looming behind her. On that welcome board, her name and Qin Nian were still prominently displayed. Beneath the image was a single sentence. Wen Lan, do you dare to come to the venue and clarify whose child this really is? I gazed at the words, entirely unmoved. Her intention was not to seek clarity. She wanted to drag me into the midst of the crowd, exposing me at my most vulnerable postpartum moment to be scrutinized and judged by a mob of onlookers. I forwarded the photograph to Shao Ting. Then, I turned off the screen. Ten minutes later, Shao Ting replied. Do not go. I answered. Of course I would not go. My battlefield was not her wedding. Since she craved an audience, I would provide her with a far more suitable one. By afternoon, the police returned to the hospital to take my formal statement. I handed over all the audio recordings, text messages, screenshots of the forged declaration, and the leads regarding the receipt. Once the questioning concluded, I was so exhausted that I could barely keep my eyes open. Zhi Yi stirred awake once. Her tiny hand wrapped around my finger. At that precise moment, I felt a sudden jolt of clarity. I whispered softly to the child.

Do not be afraid.

Mother will never allow anyone to use you as their bargaining chip.

Early the following morning, the hospital arranged for blood collection. DNA paternity testing had to follow strict legal procedures. Qin Nian had also arrived. He stood outside the sampling room, keeping his distance from me. His chin was covered in dark stubble, making him look as though he had not slept a wink all night. As the technician verified identities, his gaze remained fixed on Zhi Yi. I cradled the baby tightly in my arms, not allowing his eyes to linger for long. Once the procedure was complete, he suddenly called out to me.

Wen Lan.

I came to a halt. He stepped forward and handed over a document file.

This is what I signed last night.

I refused to take it. Shao Ting stepped in, took the file, and glanced through its contents. His expression shifted slightly.

Mr. Qin, are you certain about this?

Qin Nian's voice was hoarse.

I am certain.

The wedding is canceled.

As for any funds associated with the house registered under Jiang Rui's name, I have already frozen them.

And regarding the bank transfers made under my mother's name, I will fully cooperate with the investigation.

I raised my eyes to look at him. He finally seemed to have learned the futility of offering explanations. Yet at that very moment, a commotion erupted from the far end of the corridor. His assistant came running over, his face completely drained of color.

Boss Qin, Jiang Rui has started a livestream from the hotel.

She is claiming she will reveal the truth about the child's biological lineage today.

As soon as the assistant finished speaking, the expressions of everyone in the corridor shifted dramatically. Qin Nian snatched the phone away from him. On the screen, Jiang Rui stood right in the middle of the wedding banquet hall. The hall was elaborately decorated. Fresh flowers, lighting, and photo backdrops were all still in place. The only difference was that the space, which should have been overflowing with celebratory joy, was now packed tight with curious onlookers. Jiang Rui's eyelids were red and swollen, and she clutched a stack of papers in her trembling hands. She choked back sobs before the camera.

I never wanted to hurt anyone.

I simply want people to know that I am not a homewrecker.

Qin Nian and Wen Lan parted ways long ago.

They divorced nine months ago, yet she suddenly gave birth to a child, deliberately reappearing right on the eve of our wedding.

Comments scrolled endlessly across the screen. Some viewers expressed sympathy for her. Others hurled abuses at me. Still, others demanded proof. Jiang Rui had chosen her timing impeccably. She knew the DNA test results were not yet available. By striking first before the truth came to light, she planted the seed of doubt. Once suspicion took root, whatever truth emerged later would simply be dismissed as a malicious cover-up. Qin Nian's face turned ashen. He said in a low, grim voice.

Shut it down.

The assistant was sweating profusely.

We have already contacted the platform to file a complaint.

But there are too many guests at the scene recording and broadcasting it themselves.

Jiang Rui held the forged declaration directly up to the camera lens.

This is the document that Wen Lan once signed.

She acknowledged that the child should be raised by the Qin family.

Yet now she goes back on her word, trying to throw all this filth onto me.

I truly do not understand what I did wrong.

I watched her theatrical performance with cold detachment. She was undeniably clever. She did not outright state that the child did not belong to Qin Nian. Instead, she painted me as greedy, fickle, and weaponizing an infant to disrupt her life. That way, even if future DNA tests proved the child was linked to Qin Nian, she could still gracefully retreat and claim she had been deceived by forged paperwork. Shao Ting took out his phone, rapidly contacting a colleague.

Save the livestream.

Record the number of live viewers and the sharing links.

And simultaneously dispatch a formal lawyer's warning letter.