[“We’re all one family, so what’s the big deal?”]

Zhou Lei wanted a divorce reversal.

This absurd idea had been brewing for a long time. In fact, according to Zhou Lei himself, he never intended to marry Gao Xiang from the start; he was “forced” into it.

There’s a backstory to this.

Zhou Lei was the marketing director at his company. Working in marketing means frequent events and socializing with people from various enterprises. Not only did he often travel for business negotiations, but wining, dining, and gift-giving were also routine occurrences. Every month, Zhou Lei would approve numerous funding requests and reimbursement forms for various expenses—some real, some secretly pocketed by him.

This was an open secret—every department head skimmed a bit off the top, right? But then, a few years ago, a new financial director was parachuted in—a young guy under forty, a real troublemaker. As soon as he arrived, he started tightening up the reimbursement processes, effectively shutting everyone down.

How could this be tolerated?

Many in the company were dissatisfied, but no one dared to complain openly because it was clear that this was the big boss’s intention. He deliberately hired a troublemaker to come in, stir things up, offend people, and once his usefulness was exhausted, he’d be kicked out. Therefore, everyone had to tread carefully.

But as the saying goes, it’s easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go back. How could people who were used to living comfortably accept going back to a fixed salary? Just as Zhou Lei was struggling with this, Gao Xiang conveniently approached him.

She was a small cashier in the finance department, making her job much easier when it came to bookkeeping. She fawned over Zhou Lei, helping him with several irregular reimbursements, amounting to hundreds of thousands of yuan. Benefits always involve exchange, and since Zhou Lei and Gao Xiang weren’t related, he couldn’t let her help him for free. So, each time, he gave her a cut of the money. This is how they gradually became close.

When two people share a secret wrongdoing, a special intimacy naturally develops between them, along with a sense of being accomplices. These factors, which are already prone to sparking affairs, easily erupted under Gao Xiang’s deliberate manipulation. They were swept away by the tide of passion, completely forgetting the families they left behind. The thrill of forbidden love made them crave more.

Extramarital affairs have an inexplicable allure that magnifies the charm of both parties involved. At one point, Zhou Lei was completely captivated by Gao Xiang. Even though this woman in her forties wasn’t as beautiful or dignified as Yu Qing, he still found her extraordinary.

But this illusion would eventually fade, and the passion would cool. Gao Xiang knew this well. She realized she had to find a way to marry Zhou Lei before his infatuation with her disappeared.

However, Zhou Lei initially had no intention of divorcing Yu Qing.

A man nearing fifty, with a child about to enter university, how could he possibly divorce lightly? He only wanted to secretly enjoy the thrill of an affair without disrupting his normal life. Thus, he firmly rejected Gao Xiang’s first marriage proposal, leading to a period of tension between them.

But Gao Xiang wasn’t one to give up easily. She had come to rely on Zhou Lei to achieve social mobility, so how could she back down after hitting a snag? She quickly employed some clever tactics to make Zhou Lei realize a problem: if he didn’t fulfill her wish, she would expose his embezzlement at the company.

Zhou Lei was nearly fifty, an age where middle-aged men have almost no future in the workplace. If his illegal activities were discovered, he would face not only compensation but also dismissal, and possibly legal consequences. Even if the company didn’t sue him, the mere act of dismissal would be unbearable. Where could a fifty-year-old find a new job? What company would hire someone who can’t work overtime, can’t stay up late, and demands a high salary?

Cornered by Gao Xiang, Zhou Lei fought back fiercely. He threatened her, saying that if she exposed him, she wouldn’t escape unscathed either—would the company overlook her role as the cashier? But Gao Xiang remained fearless, replying, “So what? I’m just a small cashier. Worst case, I’ll return the money and become unemployed. Unemployed? Big deal—I have a husband to support me. But you? Who will support you?”

She had calculated everything perfectly.

It was only then that Zhou Lei realized Gao Xiang’s true nature and understood what truly lay behind their affair. Anger and panic consumed him, leaving him directionless for a while. Meanwhile, Gao Xiang concealed her true self again, becoming sweet and gentle once more, professing her love for him, claiming her sincerity, and saying she wanted to spend her life with him.

They both knew these words were lies, but they also knew they were necessary. Without these false steps, Zhou Lei’s dignity and pride couldn’t be salvaged, and his relationship with Gao Xiang couldn’t be maintained in its illusory state.

In the end, Zhou Lei compromised—he divorced Yu Qing, married Gao Xiang, kept his high-paying job, and continued embezzling money from the company. Everything seemed perfect on the surface.

But could he really have no regrets in his heart?

He already knew of Gao Xiang’s schemes against him, so how could he pretend ignorance? He could only deceive himself over and over, pretending calmness as he handed over money to Gao Xiang, even supporting her wayward daughter—Ruo Siyu. Could Zhou Lei, at fifty, really fail to see through her facade? Despite her efforts to appear obedient and quiet, he saw clearly how rotten she truly was.

She couldn’t compare to his own daughter. She was just like her biological mother—hypocritical, cheap, and scheming, wanting something for nothing.

These truths constantly taunted Zhou Lei, reminding him of the severity and absurdity of his mistakes, intensifying his regret. He crumbled, abandoning all pretense of dignity, and pleaded with Yu Qing to take him back home.

Yes, he wanted to return home.

He missed his beautiful and gentle wife, his outstanding daughter, and their once peaceful and happy life.

He wanted to remarry Yu Qing.

But how could that be possible?

Not every mistake earns forgiveness, nor does every missed opportunity wait forever. Yu Qing and Zhou Leqi no longer wished to accept Zhou Lei back.

Why should they take back someone who betrayed the family? To endure disgust? To burden themselves? He had personally destroyed their vision of a complete family, trampled on Yu Qing’s dignity, and ruined Zhou Leqi’s chances in two consecutive college entrance exams, turning their lives into chaos.

What grounds did they have to forgive him? Why should they accept him just because he now “repented”? Was his repentance so valuable? Were their pain and dignity so cheap?

No, they would never forgive him. Even as Zhou Lei knelt and wept, begging at fifty years old, they refused to look at him again. Yu Qing’s parents also showed no interest in his supposed remorse, insisting he leave.

Yu Mian, who had grown impatient, was infuriated by Zhou Lei’s presence. Fearing his sister might soften and forgive this wretch, he was relieved to hear that the family wanted Zhou Lei gone. Exchanging a glance with Yu Rong, they dragged Zhou Lei out, tossing him and his belongings out of the house without another word. The brothers returned home only after confirming Zhou Lei had left their neighborhood, still seething with anger.

This Lunar New Year’s Eve had been utterly ruined by Zhou Lei’s sudden appearance.

Everyone tried to act as if nothing had happened. Yu Qing’s sisters-in-law busied themselves preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner and dumplings, sending their children to clean the house inside and out.

Zhou Leqi knew it wasn’t the time to cry, though the humiliation and sadness within her threatened to overflow. She held back her tears, repeatedly reminding herself not to ruin the festive mood. She helped her mother and grandmother rest in the inner room, leaving them to talk while she joined her siblings in chores outside.

At dinner, the atmosphere remained unavoidably stiff. Unable to bear it, Yu Sisi turned on the TV, letting cheerful New Year music slightly ease the lingering tension. This worked somewhat, and everyone began eating. Yu Qing’s father even started handing out red envelopes.

Regardless of age, every member of the third generation received a red envelope, but Zhou Leqi’s was particularly generous—perhaps ten thousand yuan or more. Yu Mian and Yu Rong, representing their respective families, also gave her thick red envelopes, each worth thousands. No words were needed.

Zhou Leqi didn’t know what to do. Yu Qing hadn’t expected her parents and brothers to give so much—she had prepared modest red envelopes for the younger generation, each containing five hundred yuan.

She immediately understood her family’s intentions. They were using this method to offer support. But which family lived easily? Everyone had mortgages and car loans to pay, not casually able to part with ten thousand yuan.

Yet, they still…

Yu Qing’s eyes reddened. She tried to thank her family but insisted on returning the red envelopes, repeatedly saying she and her daughter didn’t need the money. No matter how Yu Qing’s parents and brothers persuaded her, it was futile.

“Just take it.”

Finally, Yu Qing’s sister-in-law spoke up. Holding her sister-in-law’s hand, her plump face smiling, her eyes shimmered with sincerity and warmth.

“We all have tough times. Isn’t it natural to support each other? When your brother was hospitalized, you helped us financially. Why shouldn’t we repay that kindness now?”

“And it’s not a lot of money, just a token of our feelings,” the second sister-in-law added. “You can keep it, whether you use it or not. If Qi Qi succeeds in the future, you can always return it then. We’re all one family, so what’s the big deal?”

Simple yet warm.

Yu Qing couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, sobbing softly. The aroma of the food filled the air, the Spring Festival Gala had begun on TV, and outside the window, countless lights of homes sparkled brilliantly.