Wen Ying’s promise rang with conviction, and Deng Jie wiped his tears, nodding to show he was a dependable little man now.
Wen Ying then helped Chen Li up, “Auntie, let’s go home first, okay? Things aren’t what you think. Some crazy woman showed up causing trouble. Shouldn’t you at least give Uncle a chance to explain?”
Chen Li moved like a zombie, supported by Wen Ying across the street.
Xie Qian had already left the complex entrance, thoughtfully giving Wen Ying’s family space.
Wen Ying helped Chen Li home while Deng Yaomei led the two boys. Deng Hao cried the hardest, hiccupping by the end. Deng Yaomei, heartbroken, brought water for Deng Hao and Deng Jie to wash their faces, soothing Deng Hao.
Wen Ying cleaned Chen Li’s wounds herself, applying iodine to disinfect. Chen Li murmured, “Little Ying, you handle things like an adult now.”
“Auntie, I am an adult.”
With a 31-year-old mindset, she could shield her family from storms. She wasn’t that oblivious Wen Ying anymore, lost in her own gloom, blind to her aunt’s family crisis.
Wen Ying answered Chen Li earnestly, “I’ll always stand by you. If Uncle did something wrong, I’d support you kicking him out!”
Chen Li’s cold heart warmed slightly.
Learning of Deng Shangwei’s betrayal had shattered her world.
Wen Ying’s maturity struck her… An adult? Little Ying was only sixteen. She, a mother of two, couldn’t be outdone by her niece, could she?
Chen Li stood, “I’ll wash my face.”
Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom, mingled with Chen Li’s muffled sobs.
Wen Ying stepped onto the balcony to make calls. Deng Shangwei’s phone was still off, but Officer Luo’s line connected. With past-life ties, Wen Ying was always polite to him, but this was the first time she snapped, “Pan Li just showed up at my aunt’s, scaring my cousins half to death! Officer Luo, you may not control an adult like Pan Li, but you should at least track her movements and warn me so I’m not caught off guard!”
Officer Luo was left speechless by her outburst.
He wanted to argue that his focus was now on Yu Wenhao and his son, but he knew he’d slipped up. Any move Pan Li made against the Dengs likely came from Yu Wenhao’s orders—he should’ve kept tabs on her.
“Wen Ying—”
“I don’t want excuses. Come over now and explain to my aunt yourself.”
Wen Ying hung up on Officer Luo, then tried Deng Shangwei a third time—still off.
Chen Li emerged, eyes swollen, “Who were you calling?”
“My uncle. His phone’s off.”
“He’s on a business trip with Boss Qin—”
Chen Li paused, “Try calling Boss Qin.”
Before, Chen Li wouldn’t have doubted Deng Shangwei’s word. But after a woman claimed to carry his child, trusting him completely was impossible until things cleared up.
Wen Ying actually had Boss Qin’s number.
She called, and Boss Qin was in Rongcheng. Knowing he was in on things, Wen Ying briefly recounted the incident. Boss Qin apologized profusely, “It’s my fault for dragging your uncle into dealing with Yu Wenhao’s side. I didn’t expect that bar girl to go after your aunt. Your uncle’s out of town, but not with me—with Yu Wei!”
“Uncle Qin, I’m worried about him. Going off with Yu Wei, will he be okay?”
Boss Qin understood her concern but assured Deng Shangwei’s safety. If his phone was off, it was likely inconvenient to answer. Taking Yu Wei out of town was a plan he and Deng Shangwei had devised to bait him.
“Once he wraps up there, I’ll make him return to Rongcheng ASAP to explain to your aunt. Wen Ying, it’ll be tough, but please steady her emotions for now.”
Wen Ying didn’t mean to contradict Boss Qin, but Pan Li’s antics disgusted her. She asked, “Uncle Qin, can we deal with Pan Li first?”
“Would that mess up your plans?”
Boss Qin considered it seriously, then told Wen Ying to go ahead.
“That bar girl’s a small fry. Yu Wenhao sent her now to stir trouble, hoping your uncle’s home front collapses so he’s distracted from business. Even if you go hard, Yu Wenhao won’t suspect a thing. Your aunt catching your uncle ‘cheating’ and not reacting would be odd—he wants chaos. The bigger the mess, the more your uncle suffers.”
With Boss Qin’s words, Wen Ying had clarity, “Thanks, Uncle Qin. I get it.”
Pan Li was just a pawn—Yu Wenhao didn’t care what happened to her.
Wen Ying had once thought Pan Li might be coerced, hating Yu Wenhao more than her. But today’s actions crossed her line. Since handling Pan Li wouldn’t derail the bigger plan, Wen Ying had no reason to hesitate!
When Wen Ying hung up, Chen Li forgot her grief momentarily, staring in shock.
Wen Ying’s tone and demeanor with Boss Qin weren’t just adult-like—most grown-ups couldn’t match her poise.
From the call, Chen Li gathered Wen Ying had long known about that woman, tied to some plan. Confused, her heart steadied a bit.
If Deng Shangwei had wronged her, his deceit made sense.
Wen Ying was her niece—he might lie to her, but Wen Ying wouldn’t.
…If Wen Ying had lied, it’d be for her sake, or so the girl believed. Whether Deng Shangwei had deceived Wen Ying too needed further confirmation.
“Auntie, I’m sorry. I’ve known about this for a while. Let’s wait for someone to come, and I’ll explain everything in front of him, okay?”
Wen Ying looked guilty. Chen Li nodded slowly, “As long as you don’t lie this time, I won’t hold the past against you.”
Wen Ying wouldn’t dare lie now—another lie would mean watching Chen Li get hurt by Pan Li again!
Officer Luo arrived an hour later. Sitting on the living room sofa, he started with an apology. Wen Ying cut him off, “Officer Luo, start from the beginning. Tell my aunt everything you know, from when I asked you to investigate my uncle’s affair.”
Officer Luo knew Wen Ying’s playbook—first the “affair,” then Yu Wenhao.
As he spoke, Chen Li tensed and fumed. Unbeknownst to her, someone had plotted against her family with such a vicious scheme—it was terrifying!
Without Wen Ying’s sharp instincts catching the signs and stopping Deng Shangwei’s fall, a “first time” with Pan Li would’ve led to a second, a third… Even if he later woke up, Chen Li couldn’t forgive him.
When Officer Luo finished, he humbly apologized to Wen Ying, “What’s your plan?”
Wen Ying sneered, “Interested in a ‘tearing apart the vixen’ mission, Officer Luo?”
Officer Luo straightened, hands on knees like an eager student, “Tell me, I’m listening.”
Handling a vixen was old hat for Officer Luo, but Wen Ying likely had a twist—he was curious!
