Lixi’s face turned pale at these words, and she finally nodded. "For now, yes, but that won't be the case for much longer."
Chi Mu gestured for her to continue. Lixi took a deep breath and went on: "I want a divorce from Shen Mo, but he hasn't agreed to it yet."
Chi Mu had heard of Shen Mo and knew he had married young. Furthermore, since taking over the Shen Group, Shen Mo had turned it into the leading conglomerate in the Eastern District of Kyoto in just three years; he was a man of consequence. However, because Chi Mu spent most of his time away on missions, his knowledge of Shen Mo went no further than that. Still, since Lixi wanted a divorce, his gut reaction was that Shen Mo must be a piece of trash.
Chi Mu asked calmly, "Did He Chuan give you the application form?"
Lixi nodded, thinking of the forms she had found on her nightstand when she returned to her hospital room that morning.
"Then fill it out and give it to He Chuan."
Seeing the confusion on her face, Chi Mu explained, "Didn't you say you wanted a divorce? Fill out the form, and I’ll see how I can help you."
Lixi was visibly excited. "Really? Marshal?"
But then she hesitated, thinking of the Shen family's standing in the Eastern District. "Won't this cause trouble for you?" she asked. "I've heard that some of the Southern District's supplies are sometimes provided by the Eastern District..."
Chi Mu gave a cold laugh. "Cooperation between the two districts is supposed to be mutually beneficial. If he doesn't want to play ball, I can swap him for someone else. You wouldn't be walking the streets in the middle of the night if you hadn't been pushed to the brink. As a soldier, it is my duty to protect the vulnerable."
Seeing Chi Mu’s righteous stance, Lixi didn't overthink it and expressed her heartfelt gratitude: "Then I’ll leave it to you, Marshal. I’ll go fill out the form right away!"
Chi Mu gave a satisfied grunt of acknowledgment.
...
That afternoon, He Chuan received Lixi’s divorce application and was completely baffled. He had learned of Lixi’s true identity and understood that she had sought the Marshal's help to navigate the official channels to avoid any appearance of impropriety. But that wasn't how the process worked, and besides, his Marshal didn't get involved in divorces! Still, once he had the form, he went honestly to find Chi Mu.
As it turned out, Chi Mu had already secured a lawyer. By the time He Chuan arrived, the arrangements were already finalized.
*So what exactly am I running around for all day?* He Chuan wondered. *Couldn't you two have cut me out of this process entirely?*
Seeing He Chuan, Chi Mu instructed, "This is Lawyer Gu. Take him to see Lixi. I’ve already given him all the necessary instructions."
He Chuan brought the lawyer to Lixi, gave a few brief remarks, and left to attend to other matters.
Lawyer Gu sat across from Lixi, looked at her, and asked softly, "Miss Li, since you are determined to go through with this divorce, do you have any requirements regarding property division, child custody, or other such matters?"
Lixi lowered her eyes and said slowly, "I don't intend to take the children. I sacrificed my education to raise them, so I believe five million in compensation is not an unreasonable demand. Aside from that, I have no other requests."
After she finished, Lawyer Gu nodded. "I understand your terms, Miss Li. I will draft the divorce agreement according to your wishes. I will show it to you for your review first, and if you find no issues, I will take it to Mr. Shen for negotiation."
Lixi looked at him gratefully. "That would be a great help, Lawyer Gu. Thank you so much for your willingness to assist."
Before long, Lawyer Gu brought the drafted agreement to Lixi. She looked it over and found everything in order; after all, he was someone Chi Mu had chosen, so she felt completely at ease.
...
When Shen Mo heard from Jiang Tao that Lixi had sent a divorce lawyer to see him, he didn't give it much thought. Lixi had no money and no connections; what kind of lawyer could she possibly hire? A college student, perhaps?
But when he saw that it was Gu Bin from Jinsong Law Firm, Shen Mo finally took it seriously. Jinsong Law Firm had never lost a case, and they only accepted clients they deemed worthy. Even if the Shen family tried to hire them, they wouldn't always agree. If this were anyone else, Shen Mo would have had them run out of Kyoto already. But Jinsong’s reputation was well-established, and even Shen Mo couldn't easily move against them.
Shen Mo stood up, shook Gu Bin’s hand, and after a brief greeting, got straight to the point: "Lawyer Gu, I’d like to know where my woman, the young mistress of the Shen family, Lixi, is currently staying."
Gu Bin replied unhurriedly, "Miss Li is, of course, in a safe place. Let us first discuss the terms of the divorce between you and Miss Li."
Shen Mo leaned back in his chair, his gaze darkening. "I’ve already told Lixi, I do not consent. Lixi will be my woman until the day she dies."
The smile on Gu Bin’s face dimmed slightly. "Then we shall have no choice but to file for a contested divorce."
Shen Mo scoffed. "Be my guest."
Seeing that Shen Mo was uncooperative, Gu Bin had no choice but to take his leave. As he reached the door, Shen Mo asked, "Was it Lixi who found you?"
Recalling Chi Mu's previous instructions, Lawyer Gu answered, "It was Chi Mu, Marshal Chi."
With that, Gu Bin left the office.
Shen Mo frowned. Lixi had actually managed to reach Chi Mu.
Just then, a tall, curvaceous woman in red stepped out from the office’s private lounge—it was Ling Bing. She walked over to Shen Mo, and seeing his furrowed brow, spoke in a lazy, languid tone: "What’s wrong? Jealous that your wife played the victim to hook up with the great Marshal of the First District?"
Shen Mo looked up at Ling Bing. His tense expression softened slightly, though his tone remained puzzled. "Played the victim? What do you mean?"
Ling Bing stepped forward and sat in his lap, pressing her full chest against him. "Chi Mu is a Marshal, and a married man at that; he wouldn't be attracted to Lixi. The only thing that could move a soldier like him is a 'frail, weak' woman. Otherwise, Lixi has neither education nor beauty—why would the Marshal help her?"
"She must have said something to him. You need to make the Marshal see her true colors before he gets the wrong idea about you. You’re heading to the S-country soon to negotiate a partnership; it wouldn't be safe without the Southern District's protection. Only when Lixi realizes that the Marshal isn't going to help her will she see reality and return to the Shen family."
Shen Mo reached out and gripped Ling Bing’s waist, settling her more firmly in his lap. "You don't mind that Lixi holds the position of the Shen family's young mistress?"
Ling Bing said softly, "I know Lixi's grandmother saved you, and I know it was because of me that you almost had that accident years ago. We already owe her enough. Let the title of Shen family mistress be her compensation. Besides, haven't you always been by my side? You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted—what do I care about a title? And Ruirui and the others are so sensible; even without children of my own, I know they will look after me in the future. Don't you agree?"
Shen Mo looked at her with a hint of heartache. "I’ve wronged you. Don't worry; aside from that position, I won't give Lixi anything else."
Ling Bing nodded, touched, but then heard Shen Mo ask: "But without permission from the higher-ups, outsiders can't enter the Southern District. How am I supposed to get to see Chi Mu?"