100 years before Divorce - Chapter 229

Xia Sha didn’t know that Guan Lin Yi is very famous on social media. She only realized her mistakes when her father suddenly come down to her office with a confused face.

With the phone in his hand, Xia Qi Feng raised his eyebrow to Xia Sha, “Did the Guan family celebrating something? Why don’t you tell me beforehand? We should send them something other than- fried chicken.”

Xia Qi Feng look confused as he took another glance at Guan Xian’s father’s post on his phone screen. Xia Sha has the urge to dig a hole and hide inside it forever. Where should she put her face for Sunday’s family meeting? Should she start order a customized mask from now on?

Xia Sha seriously considering plastic surgery if she didn’t realize she couldn’t do anything about it. At this moment, Xia Sha received a notification on her Instagram. From the username itself, Xia Sha instantly tells it’s Father Guan’s Instagram. He is sending a friend request to her along with tagging her in one of his posts.

Xia Sha felt her cheek is burning as she accepts the following request. She also felt the need to follow mother Guan after scrolling through Father Guan’s feed. Surprisingly their feed is more aesthetic than her’s. However, his latest post grabs the most attention among the others.

Fried Chicken from my daughter-in-law. Thank you @ShaShaXia

“…”

No wonder her father is asking about the celebration. Father Guan makes it sound so festive when people ask him in the commenting section. Xia Sha wonder does everyone in the Guan family is just this- fun?

Xia Sha decided to leave three smiley emojis on the comment section to be polite and like Father Guan’s post. Little that she knew today’s event left a great impression on Guan Li Yi. He’s so pleased that he gave away a land deed to Xia Sha at the family meeting.

“Uncle, I couldn’t take this,” Xia Sha pushed the red folder back to Guan Lin Yi instantly after he handed it to Xia Sha.

Father Guan and Mother Guan were chuckling politely when Xia Sha refuses to take their present.

“This child, why can’t you take this? It is only a small token to show our family good intentions,” Mother Guan said as she grabs Xia Sha’s hand and taps it gently.

“Aiya, Qian Si, this is not right. We cannot take this,” Mother Shen shook her head with a slight frown on her face while Xia Qi Feng nodded along quietly.

“Aish, why are you acting like a stranger to me? I knew you also give Guan Xian something valuable. Why can’t I give my future daughter-in-law something too?” Mother Guan titled her head as she probed questions to mother Xia.

“It’s a different thing,” Shen Xia Fei said, averting her gaze from Xia Sha.

“I knew this is not as valuable as your–”

“Alright, just keep this before my mother declares a war here,” Guan Xian let out a dried chuckle as he took the file from the table. He shoved the file down to Xia Sha’s bag without looking at Xia Sha’s dumbfounded face.

Guan Xian decided to jump into the conversation and save everyone from awkward situations.

“But-” Xia Sha couldn’t finish her sentence as Mother Guan had changed the topic.

The pair of son and mother were working in sync as they successfully moderate the discussion. It’s not hard for Shen Xia Fei and Guan Qian Si to get along since both mothers were friends for a long time. It took a while for Xia Qi Feng to fall into a deep discussion with Guan Lin Yi. In the end, they settle another family meeting to decide the wedding date.

“I heard from Lemiere your Xia Corporation got lots of winning projects. Why don’t you come to my office someday and pitch me?” Guan Lin Yi suddenly shifted his focus to Xia Sha as he helps Mother Guan to pour her wine.

Xia Sha didn’t use to seeing displaying public affection between her parents. Sometimes, father and mother Guan’s relationship surprised her. She shook her head slightly and tried to give Guan Lin Yi a satisfying answer.

“Of course, uncle. I’ll be ready whenever you have time.”

“Wait, wait, wait, Uncle?! Uncle?!” Mother Guan look at Xia Sha in disbelief as she shook her head. Mother Guan patted her husband’s shoulder and gracefully said, “Dad, call him dad.”

“…” Xia Sha counted. It is the second time she got dumbfounded by Mother Guan tonight.

She did not know how to respond to Guan Xian’s parents that seem to be waiting for her to call them mom and dad. Guan Xian glances at Xia Sha when he felt her tense body, but this time, he chooses to play dumb as he waited for Xia Sha to call his parents.

“Mom, drink some tea. Dad, drink some tea,” Guan Xian deliberately poured some tea into Xia Qi Feng and Shen Xia Fei’s glass.

Xia Sha puffed her cheek and secretly glared at Guan Xian. She bites her lowers lips as she hesitantly called fulfilled Mother and Father Guan’s wishes, “Mom, Dad.”

“Pfft,” Guan Xian couldn’t hold his laughter as he listens to Xia Sha’s embarrassed tone.

“What are you laughing? What so funny?” Father Guan stood up for Xia Sha before Xia Sha could even react.

Guan Xian feigned his sombers face as he squinted his eyes at father Guan. He lowered his head and mumbling under his breath, “Always playing favor.”

Xia Sha chuckled when she heard Guan Xian’s complaint. The light on her eyes shone as she looks at grinning Guan Xian. Xia Qi Feng had a faint smile on his cold face when he sees Xia Sha’s smiles.

Xia Sha is happy with Guan Xian. Everyone could see it through her smile, let alone her father. Xia Qi Feng felt grateful for the love between Xia Sha and Guan Xian, but at the same time, he couldn’t stop a hallow expending on his chest.

As much as he felt satisfied and relieved at Guan Xian, there are tiny resentment hides in the corner of his heart. Xia Sha is, after all, his little princess.

The night was young when they finished their dinner.  Xia Qi Feng could see Xia Sha and Guan Xian bidding goodbye to Shen Xia Fei from his car. The Guans had headed home first while he hides in his car like a coward.

He hasn’t realized how his eyes turned darker when Shen Xia Fei gracefully slides inside her car. The ferocious face looks lonely when Shen Xia Fei droves away inside her mercy.

“I forgive you, you know I always do,” Shen Xia Fei’s voice rang inside his ear as a phantom of memories.

He closed his eyes as the images of Shen Xia Fei’s smiles filled his mind. His breath started to get faster as he tightened the grip on the wheeling stir.

“Xia Fei, let’s get back together?”

Xia Qi Feng fails to stop the painful question appear on his head. He hates how he tortured himself with memories over and over again.

“Xia Qi Feng, we had it enough. I might blindly run back to you if this were five years ago. But today, this Shen Xia Fei won’t risk her life for love anymore. When we fall apart, we weren’t just hurting each other. We forgot that Xia Sha is the one who deals with the damage of broken love, trust, and commitment. Let’s not do it again, breaking our daughter’s heart.”

He couldn’t understand the meaning behind Shen Xia Fei’s words. Xia Qi Feng believes that his daughter is one of the people who wished her mother and father got back together. He remembers furrowing his eyebrow as he wanted to hear the truth and not excuses.

It’s not until he sees the depth of Shen Xia Fei’s eyes he realized that she said the truth all along.

‘You failed to trust. You failed us. There is nothing to reread in the previous chapter. Let’s not break Xia Sha’s heart by giving her false hope.’

Xia Qi Feng admitted that he is too scared to face the consequences and fight for his marriage, his wife, his daughter, and the home they build.

So he quietly retreated from Shen Xia Fei’s sight and decided not to bother her with his shameless request again. And so, in today’s meeting, he tried not to glance at her. He tried not to care about her.

He tried and tried so hard but failing ever harder. He forgot to remember that he needs to forget Shen Xia Fei.

The dinner had drained all his emotion that he had nothing left but emptiness. He took a deep breath before he started the car and loosen the grip on his steering wheel. Pulling up the hand brake, he is ready to push on the accelerator when he heard a knocking from his window.

Xia Qi Feng furrowed his eyebrow as he turned to the noise direction. But the person standing outside his car making his heart dropped as he instantly rolled down his window.

“Xia Qi Feng,” that melodious voice called his name gently.