Chapter 262: Off to Paris

The next day, Jinhai stopped targeting Huo Corps as Huo Xiao Fan handed him their divorce papers. But he did nothing to salvage the situation that got Huo Corps up to this problem. So, it would still take Huo Liwei quite a while to stabilize the company.

Huo Xiao Fan left the Huo villa in the middle of the night. She wasn’t sure if there were any feelings for him, but she sure felt a great sense of loss, as a friend and as a husband.

Huo Liwei saw his father, sitting on the chair, with an unspeakable sadness in his eyes. He was confused as to why Jinhai stopped attacking them. It was suspicious. As far as he knew, Jinhai would never give up on his revenge after how much his wife had suffered.

“Dad? What happened?” He frowned.

Huo Shen said, “She left me.”

Huo Liwei furrowed his brows. That woman?

“Just like I expected. She came to know about my feelings, and she didn’t want to stay with me anymore.”

“Dad, please say clearly. I do not understand you.”

Huo Shen spoke in a quiet voice. “We have divorced now.”

Liwei widened his eyes in shock. He looked at his father, dumbfounded.

“She brought divorce papers yesterday. She said that it was better for us to separate. And last night…she left.”

Liwei found all this very suspicious. Xiao Fan suddenly left like that? I thought she wanted to stay.

Then he connected to how Jinhai stopped attacking Huo Corps from today. Until yesterday, it clearly felt as if he was hell-bent on taking it down. And yesterday, Xiao Fan brought the divorce papers?

Has it something to do with Liu Jinhai?

Liwei was now getting more and more sure about his involvement in their reason for divorce.

‘Xiao Fan tried to make Liu Nana divorce him, and now the same thing happened with Dad and her. This cannot be a coincidence. Maybe…in exchange for sparing Huo Corps, he gave a condition for her to divorce Dad. Otherwise, it’s just not possible that he would stop. The timing matches too.’

Liwei had to admit that Jinhai was shrewd. He trapped her in that same plan like how she tried to harm Nana.

But even though he realized that Huo Xiao Fan might have done this for the company’s good and survival, he felt no sympathy or mixed feelings for her. Neither was he thankful to her.

After making Huo Shen suffer for so long, this act of hers meant nothing in his eyes in comparison to his suffering.

But the problem was – should he tell this to his father? Huo Shen was assuming that she left him because of his feelings for her and because he broke his promise.

If he came to know that Jinhai pressurized her in making that decision, then would he run after her to bring her back?

Liwei was very conflicted. On the one hand, it pained him to see Huo Shen blaming himself for their divorce. He wanted to tell him the truth. But on the other hand, Xiao Fan was finally out of their lives like he always wanted. He won’t have to suffer anymore.

Maybe he would suffer for some time, but time heals every pain, and it also eventually helps in forgetting the past.

So maybe…it was better for him to get free from her once and for all.

Liwei still didn’t know if he was making the right decision in hiding this from him, but perhaps he would be happier staying away from that woman.

But he cannot see him blaming himself either.

“Dad…after everything that happened, do you still think that she left because your feelings got revealed? After twenty-two years, do you think she left because you failed the promise?”

Huo Shen pursed his lips. “Then why would she leave?”

This may backfire…but here goes nothing. He could keep Jinhai’s thing hidden from him and, at the same time, keep him away from her too.

“She has finally realized that she loved the wrong man all this time. And after how I berated her for hurting you, she might be regretting her actions and feeling too ashamed to face you.”

Huo Shen thought about it genuinely.

“R-really?”

Liwei sighed. “Yes. How can she still have the face to stay with you after what she did?”

“But then shouldn’t I go after her? Shouldn’t I say to her that the past doesn’t matter to me?”

Liwei made a sour face.

“Liwei, I know you are angry with her only for me. But we have both wasted twenty-two years. We cannot start thinking about the past and waste our present time too. Yes, it might be late, but we can start over again.”

“Dad, this is not all so easy. Too many things have happened. Too many truths are out. You both need some time. I think it is better that you both need some space.”

Huo Shen clenched his fingers into a fist.

“And Dad, there is no point if she stays with you out of regret for not treating you well. That is not love. You both would be just woven into another cycle of agony and suffering.”

Huo Shen was silent.

“For now, just let things be as they are.” Liwei tried to convince him. “Okay?”

“…Fine.” He finally said after a long pause.

Liwei sighed in relief.

He didn’t know whether Huo Shen would try to get her back in the future, but at least for now, he settled the matter.

“Do you know about Zhilan? Where is she?” Huo Shen asked worriedly.

Liwei rubbed the space between his brows. “I’m trying to contact her, but I am not able to get through. Don’t worry. I will keep up with my efforts.”

—

Two days later, as planned, Jinhai and Nana arrived in Paris for their trip.

It was the first time Nana was out of the country, and even the foreign airport of Paris amazed her.

“This is so shining and beautiful,” Nana exclaimed as she saw all around her.

Jinhai chuckled. “This is just the airport.”

“So what? Beauty should be appreciated.”

“Yes, yes, my little wife.”

“I’m not little.” Nana frowned.

Jinhai dotingly looked at her and kissed the side of her temple.

“You…” Nana still blushed a little with his little intimate actions.

“We are free to do here as we please. After all, Paris is famous as a romantic city. So, people won’t mind us.”

She hit him on his chest. The people around were giggling, looking at their banter, and she buried her face in his chest.

“So, where is the hotel we are staying at?”

Jinhai looked at her amusedly. “Do you think the Liu family needs to stay at any hotel?”

The corner of her mouth twitched.

I forgot. Rich people…

There was no need to stay at any hotel because Liu Jinhai was Liu Jinhai. The Liu family had a grand villa located at the heart of the city.

On their way, Nana greatly admired the view. Her face was stuck on the window screen. She saw the famous Eiffel tower pass by.

“The Eiffel tower! I only watched it in the movies. It is so beautiful…”

Jinhai’s eyes were filled with warmth and love as he gazed at her excited and starry gaze. He was happy to see her mind distracted from all the events that happened.

He was right. A change of place was indeed the right solution.

Their car came to a stop at a signal. Another car stopped by their side.

There was a beautiful middle-aged woman seated behind accompanied by a tall, handsome man in his late twenties.

“Shin, how did the bypass surgery go of Minister Louis? Wasn’t it a very high-profile case?”

Liang Shin nodded. “Everything went good. No complications.”

His mother sighed in relief. She smiled. “As expected of my son. You never fail. I’m proud of you.”

His poker face has no change in expression, but his ears had turned red a bit.

“What are you planning to give Dad for your wedding anniversary gift?”

She smiled sheepishly and coughed. “I haven’t decided yet.”

Liang Shin snorted.

“Hey! It’s difficult to give a meaningful and different gift every year and that too twice! Once for the birthday and then the anniversary.” She pouted.

“Alright.” He shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

She flicked his forehead. She turned her head and saw the car beside them. A young woman’s back was to her. She had similar wavy and long hair as the woman.

She was intrigued and kept watching. The young woman was talking to a man, smiling at him. Then she turned her head, and she saw her side view.

The woman blinked her eyes rapidly. The young woman turned a bit more and now she saw almost her full face.

“Sh-Shin…” The woman froze as she couldn’t believe what she saw.

Shin frowned. “What?”

She tremblingly pointed towards the other car. “There…that woman looks like me.”