If Station Chief Duan were truly locked down, Pan Li wouldn’t have the chance to stir up trouble, and Deng Shangwei was genuinely wary of her.
But that was just Deng Shangwei’s fantasy.
As long as Station Chief Duan wasn’t out of his mind, he’d never let Pan Li rise to prominence. Unlike Deng Shangwei, a businessman, Duan had far more to consider.
While Wen Ying’s family discussed whether Pan Li would make a comeback, Professor Fang, stuck at the airport, was enduring emotional torment from her husband, Station Chief Duan.
By not taking the same flight as Wen Ying, she’d given Duan enough time to intercept her at the airport.
Duan pleaded for another chance, pinning all blame on Pan Li, claiming he was momentarily bewitched.
“I know I messed up. Once this is over, I’ll cut ties with Pan Li completely. After all these years together, are you really going to condemn me forever?”
He spoke of their marriage, their family’s unity.
He brought up the tough times.
Back when he started at the TV station and Fang was just a lecturer, their incomes were modest. With a child, living in university dorms, Fang worked on lesson plans while Duan took their toddler downstairs to play, ensuring she wasn’t disturbed.
A newly walking child, full of energy, meant Duan had to stoop and play until the kid was exhausted before heading back up.
When the child slept, Duan worked quietly, despite his aching back.
In those simple days, the couple never fought.
Or rather, even later, they rarely argued—both too busy working to bicker.
Slowly, Fang rose from lecturer to professor, and Duan climbed the ranks too.
“Our son’s working now, about to get married. He’s so young. Even if we don’t pave the way for him, we can’t drag him down, right?”
Duan’s words were earnest, recounting his support for Fang’s career and his contributions to their family.
Recalling those hard times softened Fang slightly.
But mentioning their son made her blood boil.
Why should she, the mother, have to compromise for the child?
She carried him for ten months, raised him, gave up overseas training to care for him, her career taking hits. Hadn’t she sacrificed for the family too?
Yet her grown son, selfishly, didn’t comfort his betrayed mother but worried about his cheating father’s career.
The reason was obvious, even without being told.
A music professor mother offered less to their son than a provincial TV deputy director father!
Men, children—they could be selfish, but demanded selflessness from mothers. How laughable!
Fang was unmoved, and Duan grew desperate.
“I said I’d end things with Pan Li. Are you really going to be this unforgiving? Fang Ping, what do you want? Name your terms, I’ll agree to anything—write a guarantee, give you the family assets. I’m the one who screwed up, so whatever you ask, I’ll do!”
Anything?
Rage surged in Fang Ping’s chest, burning her inside out.
Taking in Pan Li was her mistake, her arrogance, ignoring advice, even foolishly giving Pan Li and her husband a chance to get close.
But she didn’t personally put Pan Li in her husband’s bed!
An affair takes two willing parties. This marriage was already tainted—talk of forgiveness was absurd.
Fury roared from her core to her brain, and Fang Ping blurted, “I want a divorce!”
Divorce?
No way!
Duan’s face reddened. He’d never considered divorce.
A mistress was a mistress; a wife was a wife. They weren’t the same.
“You’re crazy…” Duan muttered.
Fang Ping sneered, “Who’s the crazy one? I’m set on divorce. If you agree, I’ll stay in Hunan. If not, I’m going back to Chengdu!”
Going to Chengdu meant not helping Duan manage the PR crisis—unacceptable.
Duan gritted his teeth and nodded. “Fine, divorce it is. But we’re still married for now. You’ll help with some things, right? I’ll sign the divorce agreement on your terms.”
That final line convinced Fang Ping to nod.
Duan’s plan was to placate his wife, weather the crisis, and avoid divorce over something so trivial. If their son’s influence wasn’t enough, he’d get both families’ elders to persuade her.
Admitting an affair to elders was embarrassing, but if it came to that, he’d have no choice.
As for Pan Li, he’d planned to keep her discreetly, but with Fang Ping’s reaction, he’d just pay her off to leave.
Decision made, Duan felt a weight lift.
As Liang Dan said, if he could manage both women, there was a way out. Panicking would only make things worse.
The couple, each with their own agenda, reached a surface agreement. Fang Ping didn’t want to keep arguing at the airport. Though they kept their voices low, they’d already drawn attention from nearby passengers, and she felt humiliated.
She grabbed her luggage, and they left the airport together.
They headed straight to General Manager Guan’s company.
When Xu Mei heard Fang Ping had returned, hope flickered in her eyes.
She thought Fang Ping was finally stepping up as her agent and rushed excitedly to Guan’s office, only to overhear the three discussing how to clear Duan’s name.
“Come in, we’ll get to you soon. Close the door,” Guan said.
Xu Mei looked at Fang Ping with hopeful eyes.
But Fang Ping was too preoccupied to notice her.
Throughout the discussion, Fang Ping focused solely on the divorce agreement, insisting Duan sign it first, or she wouldn’t cooperate.
Since Guan agreed to replace Xu Mei, the online exposé posts had slowed. New ones appeared but lacked the organized ferocity of before.
Now, the online vitriol targeted Xu Mei, not Duan. But gossip still swirled at Hunan TV, and Duan had rivals in Chengdu waiting to pounce on his missteps, so he genuinely needed Fang Ping’s cooperation.
Duan and Guan debated specifics heatedly, while Fang Ping fixated on the divorce terms, never once mentioning Xu Mei.
Xu Mei was right there in the office, under Fang Ping’s nose, yet Fang Ping acted as if she didn’t exist.
The hope in Xu Mei’s eyes faded bit by bit.
Oh, she wasn’t back to fulfill her agent duties.
How laughable that Xu Mei had clung to hope!
