Xie Qian had not been home for nearly a month. When he entered the study, he smelled not a whiff of dust.
Liu Auntie had cleaned upon her return to work. Wen Ying kept things tidy on normal days too.
Xie Qian had Wen Ying sit across from him. He decided to start with the “kindness” from cousin Xie Tang and Peng Guoqing.
When Wen Ying heard Xie Tang and Peng Guoqing had secretly helped investigate, she smiled lightly. “They care about you so much.”
Peng the green fur rose quick in the little group for good reason. Not just because Mrs Peng backed him strong. Peng Guoqing himself pushed hard too.
Hearts grew from flesh. Peng the green fur thought so much for Xie Qian. Naturally, Xie Qian came to see him as a true friend over time.
“Did they really find something?”
Xie Qian nodded. He slowly told what Tai Jing shared after her return home. Wen Ying felt no great shock.
She held no moral hopes for Xie Jinghu’s mistress to start. She saw the woman as rotten through. No vile act from such a person would surprise Wen Ying.
Wen Ying cared more for the “Uncle Zhijun” in Xie Qian’s words.
This was a figure Wen Ying never heard of before. If not for her push to be true friends with Xie Qian, she might never know of him in two lifetimes.
“He bears the surname Zhang?”
“Surname Zhang. Zhang Zhijun. Zhang Nan’s blood uncle.”
Wen Ying drew a sharp breath at last. At the same time, she lit a candle in silence for little Zhang Nan girl. This poor thing. If her blood uncle proved the big villain, Zhang Nan’s crush on Xie Qian for a hundred years meant nothing!
“Can you get his DNA sample? If that Aunt Tai Jing spoke no lies, this Zhang Zhijun lurks too deep!”
No wonder in her last life, Xie Qian and Zou Weijun lost.
Xie Jinghu’s mistress held more than one helper in the country. Dai Chenglan stood as the open backer. In her last life, even without Zhao Dong, perhaps some Zhang Dong or Wang Dong filled in. More fearsome still, the hidden Zhang Zhijun.
All praised Zhang Zhijun as good man.
Xie Qian and Zou Weijun suspected him not. Xie family suspected him not. Even Xie Jinghu suspected him not.
Wen Ying dared guess bold. In her last life, Xie Qian and Zou Weijun met bad ends. Xie Jinghu likely met no good one in the end either.
Scum man’s wretched end brought Wen Ying joy to hear.
Scum man’s wife and child stayed so innocent. Why pay for scum man’s wrongs?
“I can get a DNA sample. But it needs some time. We want no innocent wronged.”
Zhang Zhijun stayed abroad since out. Xie Qian loathed too frequent trips to Zhang home. He wished no grass stirred to alert Zhang Zhijun.
Heard Xie Qian already sent his blood dad Xie Jinghu’s DNA sample abroad to match that pair of illegitimate kids’ DNA samples. Wen Ying’s heart thumped. “So even without Zhang Zhijun’s DNA sample, the DNA match result for your dad and that pair of illegitimate kids comes first, right?”
Xie Qian nodded light. “Though I keen for quick report, out of caution, I will wait another month.”
“A month is no long. Wait it is.”
These over two years waited nonstop. What was one month? Wen Ying turned to comfort Xie Qian instead. “Even if the DNA match proves your guess, you must pick the right moment to expose. Such things need one strike fatal!”
Break trust between Xie Jinghu and his mistress as first step. How Xie Jinghu tangled with that woman mattered not. Key lay in Xie Jinghu learn he wore green hat. Would he still be fool enough to keep wiring money to illegitimate kids?
Halt Xie family assets flow out. Then Xie Qian faced only scum dad after. Wen Ying even felt Xie Qian’s death trap lifted over half.
Xie Jinghu doted illegitimate son, not Xie Qian. That meant choice.
If illegitimate kids not Xie Jinghu’s blood sons, Xie Jinghu held no choice. No way he treat his one blood son as foe still.
The distant victory path shrank over half in a blink. Wen Ying could not hide her joy.
Xie Qian saw her smile. He smiled too.
“You speak true. I hold no rush now.”
Such hard times passed. Now gain upper hand bit by bit. Why rush still?
Xie Qian reminded himself nonstop to stay unhurried. More such times, more he must steady.
He turned to urge Wen Ying hold steady mind.
“Think on this no more. The plagiarism, you must sue. And the college exam… After exam, all turns bright in willows dark.”
Xie Qian cared not how much wealth he could wrest from blood dad through this. He cared to hide his mind no more.
His friends. All he valued. Could stand open in sunlight frank!
“I believe.”
Wen Ying’s tone held longing too. “All turns better. After exam, we head to Modu to make our mark big!”
When the pair went downstairs, joy still lit Wen Ying’s face plain. It stirred Liu Auntie to guess in secret. Did Xie Qian confess his heart to Wen Ying already?
A confession?
Seemed not though.
After two younglings poured out hearts, sure sweet and shy!
Liu Auntie did her housework. Yet her mind played love guru.
Such part-time love gurus like Liu Auntie still fell short of pros. Pro love guru Song Fotang’s new book “Elopement at Dawn” went through rounds of tweaks. At last, it finalised and launched before winter break end.
Song Fotang aimed to join bestseller ranks with this book. Yet he bumped Bao Lixin’s hard push of Lan Jing on “beauty writer” hook. And let “Crown of Thorns” rub against “With the Galaxy”. It sucked away heaps of eyes at once. Left Song Fotang’s new book with middling buzz.
Song Fotang fumed half to death.
This “Elopement at Dawn” held his heart blood poured in. Market nod or not aside, why let a plagiarism mutt steal his thunder?
Wen Ying set to hold off suit for now. Let the “Crown of Thorns” plagiarise “With the Galaxy” first ferment in public eyes. Song Fotang knew not Wen Ying’s plan. He grew more urgent than Wen Ying herself.
New term’s first day, Song Fotang held long then burst. He called Wen Ying.
“If no energy, leave this to us. Old Wan and I sorted the plot contrasts between the two books clear. This stands as proof to sue Lan Jing for plagiarism! Even lawyer, we can find for you…”
Song Fotang’s anxious tone came through the phone. Outsiders who knew not would think Song Fotang her blood dad!
Though Wen Ying’s blood dad acted decent this time too. After the variety show, Wen Dongrong sensed wrong on instinct. He bought a copy of “Crown of Thorns” special to read. Finish the book, old Wen dazed. This damn plagiarism too plain, right?
Black-hearted cotton when eaten loss? Bullied so, yet held her temper?!
Wen Dongrong thought Wen Ying spared energy for college exam. He patted chest and said words much like Song Fotang’s.
To old Wen, Wen Ying could pick some truths to share. Old Wen this agency old hand grasped it too.
To Song Fotang, Wen Ying could share no truths!
Song Fotang’s oily bent differed from old Wen. This man grasped no twists of trade rivalry.
Got Song Fotang’s call, Wen Ying felt touched true. Yet she could only dodge vague. “This matter I left to Teacher Yuan already. When to sue them, who to hire for the suit, all Teacher Yuan handles.”
