Volume 1, Chapter 124: Ex-Husband Demands the Password to the New Home

"I will not marry Qin Minshu."

Huo Mingting’s tone was absolute as he spoke to Ye Sheng, though his shift in focus was just as swift. "However, I still owe her. For the bone marrow donation, I will remain grateful to her for the rest of my life."

Something slammed into Ye Sheng’s chest, a dull ache so heavy she could barely breathe. Every time Huo Mingting mentioned "bone marrow donation," the memories of the past would play like a slideshow in her mind. It felt as if an invisible, massive hand were gripping her hair, relentlessly slamming her head against a wall. It was as if something obstructive were lodged in her throat; she wanted to say something, but felt that even if she did, he wouldn’t believe her. It would be meaningless.

"The rest of your life."

Ye Sheng murmured the words, a pale smile touching her lips. "Fine. As long as you’re happy."

Huo Mingting was suddenly taken aback. He wanted to say something, but Ye Sheng had already turned away. This time, he couldn't call her back. It was as if she couldn't hear him; she stepped quietly into the elevator, the doors closing bit by bit before his eyes.

Huo Mingting frowned. For some reason, every time he brought up Qin Minshu donating marrow for Cong’er, Ye Sheng’s reaction was strange—not the reaction of a normal person. He felt a sense of unease, as if he had overlooked something critical. Yet, he couldn't grasp what it was.

His shoulder was suddenly tapped. Huo Mingting turned to see Tan Yao, whose foxy eyes were curved upward. Tan Yao knew Huo Mingting was moving today and had come by to see if he needed help, intending to deliver an invitation as well.

"My sister and brother-in-law are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary. They want to host a banquet to liven things up."

Looking at the red, gold-embossed invitation, Huo Mingting was astonished. "Didn't they get a divorce?"

"They did, and then they remarried." Thinking of the chaos at home, Tan Yao couldn't help but sigh, shaking his head with a smile. "I told them this should count as a new marriage, but my sister said it would be embarrassing to call it a new marriage for an old couple, so they’re just pretending they never divorced."

"..."

Huo Mingting was speechless, yet it felt as if a new world had opened up for him. "Is that even possible?"

"The world is vast, and nothing is too strange." Tan Yao teased his own sister without mercy, then arched his brows at Huo Mingting. "You could try it too. Talk to my brother-in-law someday and have him share his experience. My sister said that after the divorce, my brother-in-law became like a completely different person. Before, no matter how she acted out, he never got it. But once the divorce papers were signed, it was as if his meridians were unblocked. He mastered the 'art of chasing a wife,' launching a full-scale assault even more intense than when they were first dating. My sister couldn't hold out, so she surrendered again."

"..."

Huo Mingting remained silent for a moment. He could understand Tan Jing and Chen Shaowei; their first marriage had been a commercial union between families, lacking much affection. The two had faced rumors of marital strife several times, sometimes not even bothering to pretend in public—a truly plastic marriage. Perhaps it was the ten years of companionship, the little details of life together, that had truly sparked love, leading to their "remarriage." For divorced couples, remarrying usually meant either they couldn't find anyone better, or the feelings remained and the fate wasn't severed—that only after a brief separation could they truly see their own hearts clearly.

Would it be the same for him and Ye Sheng?

***

The doorbell rang while Ye Sheng was cutting fruit for the children. She went to the door still holding the fruit knife.

"!"

The moment the door opened, Tan Yao’s eyes went wide at the sight of the gleaming blade. He hurriedly pushed Huo Mingting, who was standing behind him, into view.

Huo Mingting: "..."

Ye Sheng realized what happened and quickly hid the knife behind her back. "I was just cutting fruit. Come in, quick." She asked Tan Yao, "Why are you here? As a friend, or as Huo Mingting’s legal representative?"

Tan Yao quickly pulled out a gift. "A friend, of course!" He handed the invitation to Ye Sheng, a faint smile on his refined face. "My sister specifically instructed me to invite you in person, telling me I had to get you there by any means necessary. She misses you."

Ye Sheng took the invitation, stunned for a moment, but she didn't react as intensely as Huo Mingting. She simply nodded. "Alright, I’ll clear my schedule."

It had indeed been a long time since she had seen Tan Jing. When she was still the daughter-in-law of the Huo family, the circle of socialites in the capital had shunned her due to her "background," and Tan Jing was one of the few who had shown her kindness.

Tan Yao looked toward the two children, his gaze landing on Huo Xiaobei, and his eyes lit up. "This is the Ninth Master’s son, that legendary little uncle of yours?"

Huo Mingting gave a faint "Hmm."

Tan Yao walked toward Huo Cong and Huo Xiaobei, patting Huo Cong on the head. Huo Cong called out, "Uncle Yao."

Huo Xiaobei also looked up, greeting him very politely: "Hello, Uncle."

"Ah, no!" Tan Yao was startled and quickly said, "You can't call me uncle; I have to call you uncle. Hello, Little Uncle."

Huo Xiaobei: "..."

Huo Cong: "..."

The atmosphere was becoming awkward when the digital lock clicked. Wan Sandao and Huo Lindong walked in one after the other. Seeing so many people in the room, they paused.

"Oh, quite a crowd," Wan Sandao said with a smile.

Watching Tan Yao hand invitations to Wan Sandao and Huo Lindong, Huo Mingting’s gaze drifted to the digital lock, his eyes narrowing. He didn't even know the code to Ye Sheng’s place, yet they not only knew it but could enter directly with their fingerprints.

The closeness of their relationships was suddenly clear. Huo Mingting pressed his lips into a thin line.

Ye Sheng headed into the kitchen with the fruit knife to cut a melon. Huo Mingting followed her inside, getting straight to the point.

"Can you tell me the code to this place?"

Ye Sheng turned and frowned. What kind of preposterous request was this?

Reading the suddenness in Ye Sheng’s expression, Huo Mingting hurried to add, "The code for my place is..."

"Don't tell me. I don't need to know." Ye Sheng interrupted him, giving him a bewildered look. "Why would I tell you the code to my house?"

Huo Mingting: "..."

She deftly finished cutting the melon and walked out, seeing the look of satisfaction and relief on Huo Lindong's face.