The 99th Divorce

Police station? Boyfriend? Her boyfriend was at the police station?

What the hell? Where did this boyfriend of hers come from? And, how did he end up at the police station?

Yu Lili’s mind was full of questions. “Mr. Policeman, did you make a mistake? I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“You don’t have a boyfriend? But this gentleman here says that he’s your boyfriend. He even had your cell phone number memorized and recited it to us for us to call you,” the policeman insisted in an unfriendly booming voice. “Miss, I don’t care if you fought or something, but you should never abandon a blind man by the road! That’s so dangerous. It’s a good thing that he knew how to come to the police station to ask for help. He doesn’t have a guide cane or a seeing-eye dog. What if a car on the road hit him? You’d be in for it, then!”

A blind man? Ou Ming?

Yu Lili couldn’t believe it. She asked, “Mr. Policeman, what’s the name of the guy who says he’s my boyfriend?”

“I think he said he’s Mr. Ou.” Yu Lili could hear a bit of muffled conversation going on in the background, followed by the policeman yelling, “I’m on the phone with your girlfriend! What’s your name?”

It took a moment before the reply came through the phone. “He says his name is Ou Ming.”

Of all the possibilities Yu Lili had come up with in her mind, every single one of them had been Ou Ming. To actually hear his name mentioned aloud and have that theory verified still stunned her.

Ou Ming? It was really Ou Ming?

Yu Lili still couldn’t believe it. “Could you call him to the phone please?”

“Just a moment,” the policeman said.

Yu Lili could hear an exchange going on in the background. She still couldn’t bring herself to believe it. She sat up, placed the call on loudspeaker, and proceeded to check the details of the phone number via Baidu.

Once she entered the phone number, the results yielded the address, telephone, and number, as well as persons in charge of the local police station.

Oh my god! The call was really from the police station!

Some static came through the phone speakers, followed by the policeman’s voice. He said, “The gentleman refused to come to the phone. Miss Yu, please just come. It’s already late. Don’t take your lover’s quarrel too far.”

Yu Lili was speechless. Lover’s quarrels were indeed not to be taken so far. But, she and Ou Ming weren’t lovers anymore. Forget about lovers, they weren’t even friends. With what status was she to pick him up? Girlfriend?

“I’m sorry. I do know him. But, I’m not his girlfriend,” she said. “Please call someone else to pick him up.”

“Hey, it’s already past 10 p.m., and everyone here is ready to go home,” the policeman said. “Because of him, we’ve already worked half an hour overtime! He doesn’t have any money with him. He said that because he was looking for you, he hasn’t eaten for the whole day. He can’t see, and his arm is injured. He’s so pitiful!”

Yu Lili was silent for a moment before saying, “Mr. Policeman, could you do me a favor? Please check him into a hotel. I’ll transfer the money over to your bank account. Please get him something to eat…”

“We are a police station, not a hospice or butler service. I’ll send the address over to your cell phone. Come over now.” With that, the policeman hung up the call.

Yu Lili felt a headache coming on. She sighed and began to massage her temples.

With no other option, she put on her shoes and coat. She took a taxi to the police station. When she reached her destination and exited the taxi, the cold wind made her shiver. It was especially cold.

Upon entering, Yu Lili immediately caught sight of the thinly dressed figure.