Shen Yi knew his mom’s divorce wouldn’t go smoothly this time. Even with an agreement in place, a man as greedy as Shen Zhengfeng wouldn’t give in easily, not to mention Shen Yi also planned to use this opportunity to sever their father-son relationship.

So, before heading back to North City to help his mom with the divorce, Shen Yi contacted his cousin, Zheng Duo, who was abroad, in advance. He had chosen this specific time after learning that his cousin would be returning to the country.

A man living a second life was bound to have a few tricks up his sleeve.

And the moment Shen Zhengfeng saw Zheng Duo, he didn’t dare to object. He not only promptly returned thirty times the investment money Du Liya had originally given him, but also handed the clothing factory over to Du Liya and Shen Yi.

He also readily signed the agreement to sever his father-son relationship with Shen Yi and had it notarized to make it legally binding.

When it came to the house, Shen Zhengfeng assumed Du Liya would want the largest apartment. He never expected her to only ask for the courtyard house they used for storage. He mistakenly believed Du Liya still had feelings for him, so after readily signing all the documents, he even had the audacity to tell her that they could still be friends after the divorce.

Ultimately, he was reluctant to let go of Zheng Duo’s connections.

In that era, having a relative who was making a fortune abroad was both a source of great pride and a sensitive matter.

It was a sensitive issue for those in politics, but Shen Zhengfeng was a businessman, so to him, it was a great honor. When talking business with other executives, he would always bring up that he had a relative overseas who was also a big shot.

Though he was loath to admit it, the Shen Family’s business was only doing as well as it was because they had leveraged Zheng Duo’s connections.

And the only reason Zheng Duo had helped Shen Zhengfeng was entirely for the sake of his cousin, Du Liya.

It was only then that Shen Zhengfeng felt a flicker of regret. ’If I’d known this would happen, I would have been more careful when meeting with Li Xiaomei. How did Du Liya manage to catch me red-handed?’

Seeing that Shen Yi was back, Qin Jiao tossed the cleaning rag to him, said a quick word to Mr. Du, and turned to head home.

Shen Yi, however, called out to her. He opened his suitcase and started taking many things out from inside.

"This is for Uncle Qin and your mother, this is for Xiao Shi, and this one... is for you."

Shen Yi had long wanted to give Qin Jiao a gift, but he worried she wouldn’t accept it if it were too expensive. That was why he had only given her a sketch he’d drawn himself before.

He said, "Thank you to your whole family for taking care of my grandfather for the better part of this year."

Qin Jiao refused. "Speaking of taking care of people, Grandpa Du has been taking care of us too. If it weren’t for him, my family couldn’t have rented this house. Besides, you’ve already given us so many things."

"Gift-giving is a two-way street. If you don’t accept these, my grandfather will be too embarrassed to ask you to come over and help next year, and he won’t feel right about eating the dishes your family makes either."

"..."

Qin Jiao really didn’t want to accept the gifts from Shen Yi. After all, these weren’t simple snacks. Shen Yi had brought two cartons of expensive cigarettes for her dad, two high-end cosmetic sets for her mom, a doll with eyes that moved for Xiao Shi, and for her... a silk scarf.

Just then, Mr. Du heard the commotion as well. He said in a gentle voice, "Xiao Jiao, please take them. Otherwise, Grandpa won’t be able to enjoy the New Year with a clear conscience. What your family has given me is more than simple care—it’s companionship. And I don’t know why, but ever since you became my neighbors, my health seems to have improved a lot."