“Not only did we hear about it, we were deeply involved.”
At this moment, the moods of Wen Ying’s family of three were strikingly similar—all of them irritated by Shu Guobing’s gloating.
This man wasn’t just all talk and no action; he was also completely oblivious to reading the room. If someone like him could strike it rich, that’d be the real surprise.
No one in the Wen family spoke. Even Grandma Wen looked down on Shu Guobing, her son-in-law. Only Wen Hongyan, his wife, still gave him some face. “What did you hear? Spit it out already—don’t beat around the bush. There’s no outsiders here.”
Wen Dongrong frowned. “Can we just eat this meal in peace—”
Shu Guobing’s brain, soaked in alcohol, didn’t care whether Wen Dongrong was happy or not.
Or rather, Wen Dongrong’s mood had nothing to do with him. After all, Wen Dongrong hadn’t hooked him up with a high-paying, respectable job, which, in Shu Guobing’s mind, meant he looked down on him and had let his family down.
As Shu Guobing often brainwashed Wen Hongyan: the Wen family all had houses in the city, yet his family didn’t. It was like a married daughter was water thrown out the door—they didn’t care about Wen Hongyan, their little sister, at all!
If Wen Dongrong and his two brothers were willing to chip in even a little, it’d be enough for Shu Guobing’s family to buy a place in the city.
If they didn’t have money, fine—but they clearly did and still wouldn’t help. That was just stinginess!
For stingy people, Shu Guobing loved to stir the pot. Pretending not to hear Wen Dongrong, he eagerly shared the gossip he’d picked up:
“Deng Shangwei’s been messing around with women outside and got himself tangled up. I heard it’s all pregnancies and miscarriages—his company might even go under. Don’t you think he deserves it?”
At the mention of “pregnancy” and “miscarriage,” Chen Ru’s eyelids twitched.
That day, when Deng Shangwei’s mistress collapsed bleeding on the floor, Chen Ru had nightmares for days afterward.
Chen Li had said it was handled, so Chen Ru buried her head in the sand like an ostrich. Now, Shu Guobing was digging up that sand, leaving her mouth dry with dread.
“Shut up! You’ve had a few drinks and now you’re spouting nonsense, huh?”
Shu Guobing’s eyes, bloodshot from daily drinking, were framed by swollen, reddish lids. When he squinted arrogantly at people with those puffy eyes, it was downright infuriating.
“Second Sister-in-Law, no need to cover for that Deng guy. If you don’t believe me, call him back here to explain himself. Let’s see what face he’s got left!”
Chen Ru was furious at this shameless jerk.
To stomp on her family like this in front of everyone—and he still expected her to fork over money for Shu Lu’s education?
She silently swore: if she ever gave the Shu family another cent, she’d get hit by a car the moment she stepped outside!
Wen Hongyan gasped dramatically, “Really? See, men turn rotten once they’ve got money. Poor Wen Ying’s aunt—Deng Shangwei’s probably spent all their family’s cash on some other woman.”
The Wen family exchanged looks. Wen Kai’s face flushed red. His aunt and uncle were so tactless, dragging this mess to the dinner table in front of all these relatives. Wen Ying and her aunt’s family were so close—how awful must this feel for her?
Wen Kai felt bad for Wen Ying, while Shu Guobing zeroed in on her.
Shu Guobing had missed his chance to jump in earlier. In his mind, Wen Ying was still that quiet kid who wouldn’t fight back—a soft target he could bully freely. With malice dripping, he kicked the ball her way:
“If you don’t believe me, let Wen Ying tell you! She’s been tutoring in Rongcheng, living at Deng Shangwei’s place. She’s got to know all about his dirty business!”
Shu Guobing smirked, smug as could be, slanting his eyes at Wen Ying, waiting to see her squirm in panic and frustration.
Truth be told, much of Shu Guobing’s sense of victory came from his daughter, Shu Lu.
The Wen family had good looks—Wen Hongyan had been the belle of the countryside in her youth, and Shu Guobing wasn’t bad-looking either, or she wouldn’t have married him.
Shu Lu inherited their features. At fifteen, with fair skin and a delicate air, she was a favorite among teachers and had plenty of boys at school writing her love letters.
Being popular, she wasn’t shy or petty. Standing next to Wen Ying, she seemed more like Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru’s daughter, making Wen Ying look plain and forgettable by comparison. Shu Guobing took pride in this, thinking: so what if Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru had decent jobs and money? When it came to kids, they couldn’t hold a candle to him!
Wen Ying almost laughed in disbelief. Shu Guobing, this useless waste, couldn’t handle setbacks or earn a living, but once he’d had a few drinks, he sure got a kick out of picking on his relatives’ kids.
Today, though, Shu Guobing was in for a letdown. The old, timid Wen Ying had been hammered by life into a tough-as-nails lawyer. Since taking up the profession, she’d seen every kind of person—what was he to her?
Huh.
Shu Guobing was caught off guard.
After all that waiting, Wen Ying didn’t blush or falter. Not a hint of embarrassment—just her lips moving, spitting out words like knives aimed straight at him.
“Uncle, did someone trick you? How come I don’t know about my uncle spending family money on another woman? I did see him buy my aunt a big house in full cash—cost a few hundred thousand!”
“Why call him back to explain? Uncle’s super busy—not like you, resting at home, Uncle. He’s got to wine and dine with big bosses. He even took me along to those fancy dinners—places I’d never been before. So upscale, I almost made a fool of myself.”
“You want to send Lulu to study in Rongcheng? Honestly, I’m so jealous of my aunt’s two boys. This summer, she sent them to a camp—half a month in Hong Kong, then half a month in Japan.”
Wen Ying smiled sweetly, with a touch of shyness, as if she were just humoring Shu Guobing’s request to share her Rongcheng experiences.
The Wen family were country folk who’d made it to the city. Wen Ying’s dad was their most successful relative, but they rarely mingled with anyone wealthier. Hearing about a house bought for hundreds of thousands left them awestruck—Deng Shangwei’s family was loaded!
When Wen Ying mentioned tagging along to Deng Shangwei’s business dinners, Shu Lu perked up. She glanced at Wen Ying, then thought of her own family’s lack of such wealthy connections, feeling a pang of envy.
And then hearing about Wen Ying’s cousins jetting off to Hong Kong and Japan for summer camp? Shu Lu wanted that… She stole another look at Wen Ying, sensing something different. Her looks hadn’t changed, but her words had a bite now.
Wen Ying hadn’t cursed Shu Guobing, yet her words set him off, his eyes blazing with anger.
He’d heard Deng Shangwei had hit rock bottom—so how come, in Wen Ying’s telling, his family was still living it up?
Last year, Shu Guobing had worked at Deng Shangwei’s company and knew how lucrative the seafood trade was. Before he got caught swapping out premium stock for profit, he’d raked in plenty skimming the difference.
If Deng Shangwei hadn’t fallen, buying a house for a few hundred thousand would be a breeze—which was exactly why Shu Guobing resented him so much. They were relatives, yet Deng Shangwei, with all that money, couldn’t forgive a tiny slip-up!
Wen Ying’s shy little smile felt like a glaring taunt to Shu Guobing. She was mocking him—this little brat didn’t take him seriously at all—
Shame and fury surged through him. He slammed the table hard.
“Great! You’re so young and already learning to lie!”
