Chapter 71: Chapter 65 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival (Two Chapters in One) Chapter 71: Chapter 65 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival (Two Chapters in One) “Sister Qin,” Jiang Ning lowered her voice.
Jiang Ning, wearing comfortable sneakers, moved lightly on her feet until she spoke up. It was then that Qin Taoran, who was standing in front of the door, realized someone was there and hurriedly turned around, only to see Jiang Ning standing at the top of the stairs.
Qin Taoran’s expression brightened, “Xiao Jiang.”
Qin Taoran was now in her thirties, a full generation older than Jiang Ning, so calling her Xiao Jiang wasn’t strange at all.
Jiang Ning nodded slightly and walked to her own door.
Qin Taoran, somewhat embarrassed, stepped aside and asked hesitantly, “Do your words from before still stand?”
Jiang Ning had mentioned before that she would help Qin Taoran if she ever wanted a divorce.
“They stand,” Jiang Ning nodded, using her fingerprint to unlock the door, “Come in and we’ll talk.”
Qin Taoran followed Jiang Ning into the house.
Just like the last time she visited, Jiang Ning’s two-bedroom and one-living room home was tidy and simple, bright, and dust-free, with hardly any superfluous items beyond the necessary home appliances.
Qin Taoran sat on the sofa while Jiang Ning took out two bottles of drink from the fridge.
Qin Taoran looked solemn and seemed to have made up her mind as she said to Jiang Ning, “I want to divorce him.”
She hesitated, then added, “And I want custody of the child.”
Qin Taoran had already discussed the general situation with her husband, Ruan Jiahua, with Jiang Ning, and Jiang Ning had reviewed the information provided by the System.
Qin Taoran and Ruan Jiahua had little affection for each other, half because of her severely ill mother’s wishes and half because she was deceived by Ruan Jiahua’s outward appearance.
After her mother’s death, Ruan Jiahua’s true character was gradually revealed. Qin Taoran had called the police, undergone injury assessment, sought help from the Women’s Federation, and had even proposed divorce to Ruan Jiahua. Prior to the earlier part of the year, she had even filed for divorce in court, but to no avail.
Ruan Jiahua was duplicitous, skilled at maintaining his facade. Plus, he controlled the financial power, which always put Qin Taoran in a passive position.
For Jiang Ning, getting Ruan Jiahua and Qin Taoran divorced was not difficult. The reason Qin Taoran hadn’t been able to divorce him before was because Ruan Jiahua disagreed.
When Ruan Jiahua refused to divorce, even if Qin Taoran brought him to court, it would be futile. The judge would dismiss Qin Taoran’s divorce application on the grounds that the marriage had not irretrievably broken down.
However, if Jiang Ning took on the case, even if Ruan Jiahua disagreed, she would find a way to make him consent to the divorce.
The more problematic issue was their daughter, Ruirui.
Ruirui was only a little over three years old, far from adulthood. If the two divorced and Ruan Jiahua wanted to keep custody of Ruirui, it would be easy for him with his steady income every month.
In contrast, Qin Taoran’s situation was clearly at a disadvantage.
She suffered severe morning sickness during pregnancy and was an older mother, so at Ruan Jiahua’s suggestion, she quit her job. After giving birth to Ruirui, she became a full-time housewife and had been out of work with no income for more than four years.
Jiang Ning asked, “Who does the child tend to be closer to, you or him?”
“Of course, me,” Qin Taoran spoke without hesitation, “He doesn’t like children, he even has mysophobia. No matter how decent he acts outside, polite to everyone, the moment he comes home, his face darkens. Sometimes, when Ruirui walks by him, he would give her a kick.”
“Ruirui has barely been held by him since she was born. She’s only three and should be at the most affectionate age, but she’s so frightened of him, she hides far away whenever she sees him coming home…”
As she spoke, Qin Taoran couldn’t help but feel the urge to cry.
Jiang Ning sat beside her, her face calm, not feeling much empathy for Qin Taoran’s words.
Becaues she remembered clearly that last time, the reason Qin Taoran was indecisive about divorcing Ruan Jiahua was that she wanted to provide Ruirui with a complete family.
A… complete family?
Everyone has their trials in life.
From Qin Taoran’s perspective, Ruirui was a piece of flesh that had fallen from her body, her most precious treasure.
And judging by Ruan Jiahua’s attitude towards three-year-old Ruirui, he wasn’t just a poor husband, but also a poor father.
“Ruan Jiahua is too good at pretending. He doesn’t care if the child is not close to him at home. Outside, if she’s not affectionate towards him, he would explain it away with a smile, telling others it’s because he works too hard and seldom comes home, that the child is always with me…” Qin Taoran’s voice quivered slightly.
Earlier, when she tried to tell others about Ruan Jiahua’s indifference towards Ruirui, he found out. Ruan Jiahua, with his gentlemanly and refined demeanor, not only explained away the reasons for Ruirui’s coolness towards him as being too busy at work with little time to bond with the child, but he also turned the tables, leading people to believe that it was her who spoiled Ruirui, causing such a young child to be distant from her own father.