Chapter 50: Are They Not Even Hiding It Anymore?

Wen Yiliang still looked emaciated, deeply affected by the toll of chemotherapy, and he had been keeping a woolen cap on his head.

When Wen Ying walked over, he was sunning himself on the balcony.

Unconsciously, Wen Ying pictured herself in the early stages of chemotherapy. Lost in thought for a brief moment, she handed over the two gifts she was holding. "Happy birthday, Uncle. These are the gifts Lu Jinchuan and I prepared for you."

The gift she had chosen for Wen Yiliang was a rare collection of physics books, which had taken her a long time to track down.

Her uncle was a physics professor, once highly influential in academia, and his former students filled the world. He had loved physics all his life; if not for the events of the past, he might well have achieved the same renown as Academician He Jiang today.

As for the gift she had prepared on behalf of Lu Jinchuan, it was a luxury brand fountain pen.

Costing over ten thousand yuan, it was practical for her uncle while matching Lu Jinchuan's status and style.

"Is President Lu busy?" Wen Yiliang accepted it cheerfully and asked.

Wen Ying went along with it, saying, "Yes, it is the year-end, so he is a bit busier."

She knew very well that since they were already divorced, persuading Lu Jinchuan to cooperate in explaining things to her grandmother and uncle would be no easy task.

He did not love her, and would only view appeasing her family as a waste of time.

"Just you came?" Qu Suilan came out of the kitchen, glanced toward the doorway, shook her head with a hint of disappointment, and placed a plate of preserved plum short ribs on the table. "Never mind, then we will just have a quiet, relaxing meal as a family."

Suddenly, Wen Ying felt a deep sense of guilt toward her grandmother and uncle.

Her life was such a mess, yet they were the ones worrying over her.

Especially since the two elders had never been treated with respect by Lu Jinchuan, a bitter ache settled in her stomach.

Even for a divorce, he was unwilling to show up and give her family an explanation.

As for why she could not directly reveal the divorce, it was because she could not provide a reason that would soothe her grandmother and the others.

The reason was that Lu Jinchuan’s lover was the daughter of the woman who had once plagiarized her mother’s thesis and smeared her mother’s reputation with allegations of illicit affairs.

If her grandmother and uncle found out, the shock and anger would be too much for them.

She needed Lu Jinchuan to resolve this problem proactively.

This gave her a splitting headache.

"President Lu manages so many companies; it's only natural he's busy as the year draws to a close. Whether birthdays are celebrated or not doesn't really matter." Wen Yiliang patted Wen Ying's shoulder in comfort.

Qu Suilan served Wen Ying a bowl of stewed blood bird's nest. "You are the one living with Jinchuan. Don't mind your uncle and me. Our family doesn't care for such empty formalities. As long as he treats you well, everything else is secondary."

Wen Yiliang looked at Wen Ying with a furrowed brow, worry flooding his heart. "Your complexion hasn't looked too good lately. Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Have you had a checkup?"

He always felt that Wen Ying's condition wasn't quite right.

In the past, Wen Ying rarely wore makeup, but lately, she always presented herself with meticulous polish.

While nothing seemed obviously amiss, it was obvious she had lost a lot of weight in her face.

Wen Ying was startled. She had not yet figured out how to confess her terminal illness in the future, so she could only conceal it for as long as possible. "I'm fine, just busier after changing jobs. Don't worry about me."

Wen Yiliang remained uneasy.

Qu Suilan also noticed the situation and continued to spoon food onto Wen Ying's plate. "Is it because of too much pressure? Don't ever feel lacking in confidence at your husband's family. At worst, Grandma will sell the ancestral home, and you can take the money to invest in a company—that will be your backing. Grandma has you covered."

Her residence, at current market values, was worth at least two hundred million yuan.

Even without relying on the Lu family, her granddaughter could live a wonderful life!

Wen Ying's eyes grew warm, and she shook her head. "You just live here comfortably. This house must not be sold under any circumstances. You and Grandpa lived here your whole lives, the significance is different."

Qu Suilan stroked Wen Ying's hand with heartache and said nothing more.

After the meal, Wen Ying stayed the night.

Without resting for a single moment, she went back to organizing her project proposal.

A WeChat message from He Xicheng distracted her.

He had sent nearly ten messages all at once.

A nine-grid screenshot, along with a few photos of a man and a woman together.

The screenshot was a Moments post by Su Nian.

The caption read: "Happiness materialized."

The nine-grid collage showed a gathering, featuring photos of the restaurant, dishes, and a picture of a glamorous, wealthy-looking woman sitting and chatting with Lu Jinchuan.

There were also individual photos of Su Nian and Lu Jinchuan together—three of them, to be exact.

He Xicheng wrote: [The other time Lu Jinchuan used his connections to bring Su Nian to a dinner party and introduced her to me, she added me on WeChat back then. Look, is she showing off her affection?]

He Xicheng wrote: [Haven't the divorce proceedings not even finished yet? Are they not even bothering to hide it from people now?]

Wen Ying recognized that glamorous woman as Su Nian's mother, He Su.

Back then, she had received financial support from Wen Ying's mother, but now she had transformed entirely, exuding an air of wealth and prestige.

No wonder Lu Jinchuan had said with absolute certainty that he was too busy today to come and celebrate her uncle's birthday.

He had chosen to go see his future mother-in-law, naturally prioritizing things according to his own heart.

In the photos, Lu Jinchuan’s gaze toward Su Nian was tender and calm, a curve of a smile playing on his lips.

Their eyes met, overflowing with deep affection.

Unconsciously, Wen Ying searched her memory banks, only to discover the ridiculous truth: aside from that single piece of marriage certificate, she and Lu Jinchuan had not taken a single photo together in the three years of their marriage.

Lu Jinchuan did not like taking pictures.

In the past, whenever she wanted to take a commemorative photo with him on their anniversary, he would dismiss it as meaningless.

Yet in the photos with Su Nian, his expression was relaxed and indolent, harboring a deep indulgence.

He loved documenting every single detail of his memories with Su Nian.