The Husband From the Original Pairing is Now Divorced - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Meeting — “I feel my mission is to love him.”

“Is it really okay for me to go like this?”

Sheng Jia sat in the passenger seat, repeatedly checking his clothes. The car hadn’t even started yet, but he was already sweating from nervousness.

“It’s fine, no problem at all. Teacher Sheng looks good in anything.”

Seeing that Sheng Jia had forgotten to fasten his seatbelt again, Zhou Zifei smiled and leaned over.

“Baby, it’s just a casual meeting for lunch. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone bully you.”

A faint scent of perfume drifted into his breath. Sheng Jia pressed his fingers against the seam of his trousers, still not quite used to Zhou Zifei’s sudden proximity.

At the mention of the word “bully,” Sheng Jia let out a startled “Ah.”

His mind involuntarily began to conjure scenes of Zhou Zifei’s parents sitting in the living room with darkened faces, or his sister looking at him with a cold gaze.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t experienced this before.

Before marrying Yu Xianghang, Sheng Jia had visited the Yu family, and they had been disdainful toward him to the extreme. The memory of sitting at that table being criticized from head to toe for hours left a lasting shadow on him.

Even though Yu Xianghang eventually cut ties with his family, Sheng Jia could never forget the exhausted and slightly disappointed look Yu Xianghang gave him afterward.

When Yu Xianghang said, “I’ve cut ties with my family for you, so you better treat me well in the future,” it burdened Sheng Jia with immense psychological pressure for years to come.

“Relax. Since I love you so much, my family is bound to love you too.”

Zhou Zifei buckled the seatbelt for Sheng Jia, then ruffled his hair, speaking with absolute certainty.

Sheng Jia met Zhou Zifei’s gaze. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “But if… if they really don’t like me, what should I do to make them…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Zifei tilted his chin up and kissed Sheng Jia’s furrowed brow.

He lightly pinched the soft flesh of Sheng Jia’s cheek and said jokingly, “Baby, you’ve only just started dating me. Why are you so anxious to make my family like you? Are you that impatient to marry into my family?”

“W-What are you talking about? That’s not what I meant—”

Sheng Jia’s face flushed. He pursed his lips and pushed the man away in a mix of shame and annoyance.

Zhou Zifei raised an eyebrow playfully. While asking “Then what did you mean?”, he pulled Sheng Jia into his arms. Sheng Jia struggled briefly but couldn’t break free; instead, he felt Zhou Zifei’s palm stroke from the back of his neck down to his spine.

That broad palm was like someone smoothing a cat’s fur—gentle, rhythmic strokes that made Sheng Jia slowly melt into Zhou Zifei’s embrace.

“Teacher Sheng, I haven’t even cherished you enough myself. I won’t let anyone else break your heart.”

“To me, you are a little princess who needs pampering, a precious treasure to be held in my hands and kept in my heart. So please, don’t force yourself to do things that make you feel wronged.”

“Their attitude toward you is a problem for me to solve. It has nothing to do with you. Don’t worry.”

Zhou Zifei’s deep voice vibrated near Sheng Jia’s ear. His embrace was always so warm and solid, making Sheng Jia feel safe.

Sheng Jia huddled against Zhou Zifei’s sweater collar, his face warmed by the body heat of the other man’s neck. For a moment, he felt like crying again.

“That won’t do… I can’t let you solve it alone.”

Gripping the hem of Zhou Zifei’s sweater, Sheng Jia spoke softly.

Zhou Zifei held him for a long while without saying anything. Finally, he pulled him back just enough to look him in the eye, his hands resting on Sheng Jia’s shoulders.

“Teacher Sheng, you are with me to enjoy the happiness of being loved. If being with me brings you more worries than before, then I have failed as your partner.”

“Those things that worry you should be left to me, because that is the responsibility I need to shoulder.”

Sheng Jia stared blankly at Zhou Zifei. The sunlight outside the car window illuminated his eyes; his dark pupils reflected the light, revealing a light brown hue filled with the warmth of a clear autumn day.

“But… didn’t you say before that if you shielded me from everything, it would be irresponsible?”

Hearing this, the seriousness in Zhou Zifei’s eyes softened. The intensity dissolved into a layer of relieved tenderness that filled his sharp-featured eyes.

“Yes, but I was referring to problems outside of our relationship.”

“But now, we are lovers…”

Zhou Zifei took Sheng Jia’s hand and planted a light kiss on the pale back of it. “In this relationship, I am willing to be the one who steps forward to shield you from the wind and rain.”

Sheng Jia tried to say something in response, but he found that in this moment, aside from gripping Zhou Zifei’s hand tightly, he couldn’t utter a single word. His throat felt as if it were blocked by a large stone, leaving him only able to watch Zhou Zifei with trembling breath.

“Alright, alright. I know my Baby is moved.”

Zhou Zifei laughed and pulled Sheng Jia back into his arms, stroking his hair and kissing the tip of his ear until Sheng Jia stopped whimpering.

“It’s time to go. Don’t be afraid. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

Zhou Zifei used his knuckle to wipe the moisture from the corner of Sheng Jia’s eye, but Sheng Jia still wouldn’t let go of the warm hand in his.

It wasn’t until Zhou Zifei pressed him against the passenger seat and gave him a deep, thorough kiss that Sheng Jia finally let go, gasping for air.

His cheeks were flushed and his eyes shimmered as he leaned back in his seat. His tongue would occasionally lick his hot lips. All along the drive, he kept stealing glances at Zhou Zifei—thinking he was being subtle—as if to confirm that this person was truly by his side.

Zhou Zifei was very intuitive; at every red light, he would hold Sheng Jia’s hand and smile at the person with the swollen lips.

That smile held a hint of irrepressible pride and mischief, which Sheng Jia found himself enjoying. So, whenever the light turned red, he would obediently reach his hand toward Zhou Zifei’s leg to be held tightly.

But when the light turned green, his gaze would involuntarily turn disappointed, lingering on Zhou Zifei’s long fingers on the steering wheel, secretly hoping the next red light would last a bit longer.

…

By the time the two arrived at the Zhou residence after a lingering drive, Zhou Zifei’s sister had already lost her patience.

“Zhou Zifei, did you take him for a tour out of the city? Why are you just getting here?”

As soon as Sheng Jia got out of the car, he saw a familiar woman at the door. Even the voice was familiar.

“You…”

Just as Sheng Jia let out a sound of surprise, Zhou Zihuan’s gaze shifted over.

Her face didn’t look particularly similar to Zhou Zifei’s, save for the identical sharp brow and eyes that hinted at their shared bloodline. No wonder Zhou Zihuan had worn sunglasses on the day of the race; he hadn’t realized their relationship.

“Hello, Teacher Sheng. My name is Zhou Zihuan. I’m Zhou Zifei’s older sister and Zhou Jiayi’s mother.”

A faint smile appeared on Zhou Zihuan’s face as she reached out her hand to Sheng Jia.

“Jiayi is a handful; thank you for taking care of him. And as for Zifei, he was a bit abrupt at the race last time. I hope he didn’t scare you?”

Sheng Jia quickly shook her hand. “No, no. Yiyi is a very good child. And Zifei… uh, no, I mean… Mr. Zhou didn’t scare me back then…”

The more he spoke, the more flustered he became. His face turned red; he hadn’t expected Zhou Zihuan, who looked so cold, to be this friendly.

“I’m very good too. Why does Teacher Sheng only praise Zhou Jiayi and not me?”

Zhou Zifei threw an arm around Sheng Jia’s shoulder, separating their joined hands. He leaned down and lightly rubbed his chin against the top of Sheng Jia’s head to show his dissatisfaction.

“You? ‘Good’?”

Zhou Zihuan looked at her brother, let out a scoff, and then pulled Sheng Jia away to lead him inside.

“You’re a grown man, stop leaning on Teacher Sheng. Let go. Teacher Sheng, come in, lunch is ready—”

Sheng Jia was led forward by Zhou Zihuan. He looked back at Zhou Zifei helplessly. Zhou Zifei mouthed “It’s okay” and followed with large strides.

The three entered the house. Walking through the luxuriously decorated villa made Sheng Jia feel a bit out of place, but Zhou Zihuan was observant and called out for Zhou Jiayi.

As soon as Sheng Jia saw Zhou Jiayi’s bouncing figure, his eyes curved into a smile. Talking with the child made him feel much more at ease.

The meal was lively.

Zhou Zifei sat beside Sheng Jia and constantly put food on his plate. Conscious of Zhou Zihuan’s presence, Sheng Jia tried to stop him, but Zhou Zifei answered honestly: “What’s wrong with taking care of my boyfriend? My sister is old enough to have seen everything; she won’t mind.”

This prompted Zhou Zihuan to spend the meal mocking him—criticizing everything from his hair to his clothes. It made Sheng Jia feel like he was sitting on pins and needles.

However, she remained warm and respectful toward Sheng Jia.

“Teacher Sheng is too thin. You need to eat more.”

Zhou Zihuan used chopsticks to place a chicken drumstick in Sheng Jia’s bowl. This time, Zhou Jiayi had an objection.

“Mom, don’t give Teacher Sheng the drumstick. He only likes chicken wings.”

Having eaten lunch with Sheng Jia every day at kindergarten, Zhou Jiayi knew his tastes perfectly.

“Then you should give Teacher Sheng more vegetables. You’re only eating for yourself; where is your respect for your teacher?”

Zhou Zihuan took the opportunity to lecture her son.

For a while, all three members of the Zhou family were competing to put food on Sheng Jia’s plate. By the end of the meal, Sheng Jia was so full he couldn’t stop hiccuping.

…

“Baby, are you feeling uncomfortably full?”

After lunch, Zhou Zifei took Sheng Jia to the small garden for a stroll to aid digestion. He touched Sheng Jia’s soft, slightly rounded belly, thinking he felt like a cat who had just eaten its fill—the round tummy felt exceptionally good to the touch.

But hearing Sheng Jia cover his mouth and let out small hiccups, he felt worried despite finding it cute.

“I’ll get some digestive tablets. Zhou Jiayi gets indigestion often, so we always have them at home.”

Worried, he turned to get the medicine, but Sheng Jia pulled him back.

“It’s okay. It’ll be… better in a bit.”

Zhou Zifei almost laughed at the muffled hiccup in the middle of that sentence. He tried to control his expression, took Sheng Jia’s hand, and massaged the acupressure points on his hand to relieve the discomfort.

“Alright, then let’s walk slowly. Baby, watch your step.”

Listening to these words and seeing Zhou Zifei with one hand behind his back and the other gently rubbing his stomach, a strange feeling welled up in Sheng Jia’s heart.

“You… are you treating me like a pregnant woman?”

Sheng Jia asked directly, looking at Zhou Zifei with a pout.

“Aren’t you? The baby’s belly is so round. Isn’t it full of little babies named ‘Braised Wing,’ ‘Cabbage,’ and ‘Egg’?”

Zhou Zifei spoke nonsense with a straight face. Sheng Jia’s face heated up, and he was about to retort when a figure appeared at the garden exit.

It was Zhou Zihuan, standing there watching them as if she had something to say.

Sheng Jia quickly pushed Zhou Zifei’s hand away and stood up straight. Having been discarded after being used, Zhou Zifei pinched the back of Sheng Jia’s neck in dissatisfaction.

“Teacher Sheng, do you mind if we talk privately?”

Zhou Zihuan asked. Her gaze was soft, and she seemed to be in a good mood.

Sheng Jia paused and was about to agree, but Zhou Zifei spoke first.

“Sis, what do you need him for? Can’t you just talk here?”

“Stop trying to butt in on everything. You’re stuck to Teacher Sheng all day like a piece of chewing gum. Even if you aren’t tired of it, he is.”

Zhou Zihuan fired back, clearly still remembering the comment about her age from lunch.

“Tired? Teacher Sheng would never—”

“Zi… Zifei, it’s fine. I don’t mind talking to Ms. Zhou.”

Sheng Jia interrupted him. Seeing Zhou Zifei’s aggrieved look, his ears turned red, and he turned away as if he hadn’t noticed.

After bidding farewell to a reluctant Zhou Zifei, Sheng Jia and Zhou Zihuan went to the second-floor study.

The study was spacious, featuring a large floor-to-ceiling bookshelf filled with books and many thick folders. Sheng Jia glanced at them briefly before looking away.

“Our parents are usually busy with business and are rarely home, so it’s just me today. You can relax.”

Thinking Sheng Jia was still nervous, Zhou Zihuan brought it up proactively.

“No, no, it’s not that. It’s a pity I didn’t get to meet your parents.”

Sheng Jia was terrified of leaving a bad impression on Zhou Zifei’s family, so he was cautious with every word and action.

“Teacher Sheng is too polite. No need to be nervous; I really like you.”

“I wanted to talk to you alone because I didn’t want Zhou Zifei—that mood-killer—to disturb us.”

She gave Sheng Jia a mischievous wink, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Seeing that Sheng Jia had relaxed, Zhou Zihuan turned toward the bookshelf and took out two photo albums.

“Teacher Sheng, do you want to see some photos of Zifei? He looks quite different from how he used to.”

She handed over the albums with a light smile, opening the one in her hand first to show Sheng Jia a photo of her and Zifei at his university graduation.

Zhou Zihuan really had no intention of making things difficult for Sheng Jia. She just wanted to get to know her future “brother-in-law” better and give her stubborn brother a helping hand.

“This album is from his university days, not much different from now. Look at the one in your hand; I believe there are photos from when he was fourteen or fifteen.”

Zhou Zihuan flipped through her album effortlessly, stopping at a photo of Zhou Zifei in his junior high uniform. It was clear she had looked through these albums many times.

“T-This is him?”

Sheng Jia looked at the person in the album in disbelief.

The boy in the photo had a short buzz cut and was small and thin. He was looking down to avoid the camera, looking silent and introverted.

He was completely different from the red-haired, tall, and imposing Zhou Zifei of today.

“Yes, that’s what he looked like before high school.”

Zhou Zihuan flicked the forehead of the boy in the photo, as if giving the young Zifei a playful flick through the paper.

“When he was born, the family business happened to enter a peak development phase. Our parents couldn’t look after him much, and I was away at university, so I had fewer chances to talk to him.”

“I don’t know when it started, but he became like this—disliking conversation, looking like a malnourished skinny monkey.”

Sheng Jia felt a twinge of sadness. He lowered his eyes to stare at the “Zhou Zifei” in the photo who seemed so unrelated to his current impression. He felt as if he had never truly known this person.

He didn’t know Zhou Zifei’s past, his likes or dislikes, what he thought about, or why he had laughed or cried. Zhou Zifei had suddenly dropped from the sky to become the hero who saved his life, but Sheng Jia knew nothing of how he had come to be before him.

“Teacher Sheng, did Zifei ever tell you about the time he was almost kidnapped?”

Zhou Zihuan suddenly changed the subject.

Sheng Jia pulled himself out of his inexplicable sadness and nodded.

“Do you know what he told us afterward? He said he actually felt being kidnapped was okay, because if he were kidnapped, many people would come looking for him, and he wouldn’t be in a state where no one cared.”

Zhou Zihuan sighed, her eyes—so similar to Zifei’s—reflecting self-reproach.

“It was our fault. We didn’t know he was having a hard time at school. The family nanny was always skimming money and would just leave after throwing a meal together. He was very lonely back then.”

Someone who is in that state for a long time will gradually feel disconnected from the world, Sheng Jia thought silently.

In the next second, Zhou Zihuan said something similar: “He felt he had no connection to this world, like a person who didn’t exist.”

“So later, on that rainy day he was kidnapped, he didn’t even think anyone would come to save him. He said he was prepared to lose an arm or a leg.”

Zhou Zihuan stepped closer, her expression turning serious as if the next words were vital.

“But something magical happened. Someone actually appeared. That person was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with red dye on the chest. He was riding an old motorcycle that had ‘Auto Repair’ printed on it in big letters.”

“That person was very thin and looked frail, yet he rode that bike into the kidnappers to knock them down and save my brother.”

Zhou Zihuan paused, carefully observing Sheng Jia’s reaction. Seeing Sheng Jia ask “And then what?” with a nervous face, she hesitated for a moment, then smiled and took a step back, distancing herself non-chalantly.

“And then, my brother was saved. He felt that he actually did have a connection to the world—at least that person who saved him pulled him back into reality.”

“He started trying to change. He wanted to become better because he didn’t want to waste the kindness of the person who risked his life to save him.”

Sheng Jia vaguely felt there was more to Zhou Zihuan’s words, but she simply concluded the story there and didn’t elaborate.

His gaze fell back on the thin, downcast boy in the photo. He couldn’t help but wonder how Zhou Zifei had changed, and what had supported him to become the brilliant racer he was today.

He had assumed Zhou Zifei was a pampered child from a wealthy family, but he hadn’t realized that Zhou Zifei’s youth had been just like his own—a period of darkness.

At this moment, Sheng Jia felt a surge of intense curiosity toward Zhou Zifei. He wanted to know his past, every step he had taken before they met.

“Actually, my brother is a very stubborn person. Naive and stubborn. Once he sets his mind on something, no amount of hitting, scolding, or persuasion works.”

Zhou Zihuan spoke with a mix of a sigh and a lament. She looked at the pensive Sheng Jia and a sudden question popped into her mind.

If Sheng Jia knew how abnormally obsessed Zhou Zifei was during that year he spent searching for him, would he still accept him?

She just wanted to test it, to confirm once more that Sheng Jia was indeed the person Zhou Zifei called “forever worth it.”

“Teacher Sheng, the reason Zhou Zifei wanted to be a racer is that he loves the feeling of the chase. He loves… chasing a target that is moving ahead of him.”

“During a race, he will always fixate on that one target. No matter how dangerous it is, even if it exhausts him completely, he will pursue that goal at any cost.”

“Even if he can’t get close to that target for the entire race, he refuses to let go of the steering wheel.”

Zhou Zihuan’s gaze turned somewhat sad as she looked at him.

Sheng Jia was slender with soft black hair. His features weren’t exactly delicate, but they were remarkably pretty. His aura was as warm as a spring breeze. He seemed like a very gentle person, and he was.

But gentle people are often the hardest to truly reach.

“I asked him once, ‘What if you can never catch it?'”

“He told me that if he catches it, it’s his luck. If he doesn’t, he won’t blame anyone. He probably just wasn’t destined for that luck, but having walked that path is enough. He is already satisfied.”

Zhou Zihuan’s tone became lost as she faced the window and murmured:

“Teacher Sheng, do you think this is good or bad for him?”

“And… what would you think?”

To this day, Zhou Zihuan still remembers how crazed Zhou Zifei was during those days he searched for Sheng Jia.

Her brother had said: “He is my connection to this world. If I can’t find him, I have no passion for living.”

But in such a huge city, with so many auto repair shops and so many old motorcycles, how long would it take? What if he couldn’t find him? What if he had already left the city? What if he was… no longer alive?

Zhou Zihuan asked him these questions repeatedly, but Zhou Zifei only replied with a pale, exhausted face and a calm voice: “Then I’ll search for a lifetime, until I die.”

Search for a lifetime, until he dies.

She thought her brother had gone mad. Searching for a man in a white shirt with red dye on the chest, riding an old motorcycle marked “Auto Repair.” To search for such a man for a lifetime, until death. He didn’t want his parents, he didn’t want his sister, he didn’t even want to go to school; he was pinning his entire life on this one man.

That day was the first time Zhou Zihuan cried in front of him. She hugged him, crying and begging him not to do this.

But Zhou Zifei hugged her back just as tightly and said through tears: “Sis, I just want to find him. I know you won’t believe me, but from the day he appeared, I felt my mission was to love him.”

A fifteen-year-old boy talking about love—how ridiculous.

Yet, Zhou Zifei did it. He first found Sheng Jia against all odds, and after that, he underwent a complete transformation.

“Even though he is married and I can’t pursue him properly, perhaps one day he will need me. At that time, I want to appear before him as my best self.”

So Zhou Zifei slowly became handsome, tall, and radiant. But at the same time, he was willing to follow behind Sheng Jia like a shadow—a loyal knight waiting in the corner for his master’s gaze to find him.

He arranged for Sheng Jia’s job, his house, and even Sheng Jia’s husband’s job had Zhou Zifei’s hand in it.

And now, Zhou Zifei had truly brought Sheng Jia before her, and as his partner.

Zhou Zihuan couldn’t help a bitter smile. Perhaps there really are people in this world whose mission is to love another.

Sheng Jia remained silent for a long time after hearing her question.

He flipped the photo album back to the first page, his fingers gently brushing over a photo of Zhou Zifei in his swaddling clothes. Many people were smiling around the small hospital crib, and his birth date was written below.

That year, Sheng Jia was ten, right in the middle of Sheng Qianlong and Lu He’s divorce.

It turned out that when he felt he was about to lose someone who loved him, in another city, a person had already appeared who would give him countless warm embraces twenty-odd years later.

“Ms. Zhou, it’s hard for me to say if it’s good or bad.”

“For Zifei, he is simply pursuing the happiness he wants. For him, his joy lies in the pursuit.”

“Didn’t he say it himself? Catching it is his luck; if he doesn’t, he won’t blame anyone. So whether this is good or bad, or what my opinion is, doesn’t matter to him. In the process, he has already obtained what he wanted.”

Sheng Jia looked up at Zhou Zihuan and answered earnestly.

Regarding Zhou Zifei, there were indeed many things he didn’t understand, but he was willing to give him support. He was willing to understand the things that Zhou Zifei’s family saw as “not knowing if it was good or bad.”

Just as Zhou Zifei had seen his vulnerability a hundred times, yet chose to embrace him for the hundred-and-first time.

Isn’t that what love is? Even if the whole world is biased against you, I will walk beside you.

So Sheng Jia wanted to speak up for Zhou Zifei. He wanted to tell Zhou Zihuan firmly that he accepted all of it.

“Zifei always tells me that as long as I’m happy, it’s enough. So if you ask for my thoughts, I can only say—as long as Zifei is happy, it’s enough.”

Hearing this, Zhou Zihuan looked deeply at Sheng Jia. For a fleeting moment, her eyes shimmered with moisture, but it vanished quickly as she turned her head and blinked.

“It’s a good thing Zifei isn’t here. If he heard that, he’d be too happy to sleep tonight.”

Zhou Zihuan laughed lightly. She tidied the album in her hand and placed it back on the shelf.

“Don’t take what I said to heart, Teacher Sheng. I was just speaking casually. I passed the stage of opposing things a long time ago.”

“What…?”

Sheng Jia blinked in confusion.

“Also, Teacher Sheng, when you’re with Zifei, you have to learn to say no when you need to. That boy has wanted you for so long, he has a lot of naughty ideas in his head.”

Zhou Zihuan walked to the door and waited for Sheng Jia to follow.

Sheng Jia was even more confused, not quite understanding her meaning. But seeing that she had already opened the door to leave, he hurried to put the album on the table and followed her out.

The two left the study, their voices fading away. A light breeze swirled in through the open window.

The album on the table was flipped open by the wind, the pages rustling until they stopped on a certain page. On it was a photo of Sheng Jia in a white suit standing next to a wedding officiant.

He had a faint smile on his face, his eyes curved beautifully. The photo only showed half of his body, as if the photographer was afraid of being caught and could only snap a quick picture when no one was looking.

Rustle, rustle…

As the pages flipped forward rapidly, more photos appeared: Sheng Jia bending over to talk to a child in kindergarten; Sheng Jia looking down to pick vegetables in a supermarket; Sheng Jia standing by the roadside waiting for a red light—

The remaining half of the album was filled entirely with photos of Sheng Jia.

The timeline spanned from when he was twenty-six to thirty-two. A full six years.