Xie Yuping had told Xie Jinghu the truth many times.
Everyone’s life is filled with both truth and lies at the same time. Some people would pursue truth even if it meant being crushed to pieces. Some people live their whole lives in a muddle, led by the nose by lies.
Is that stupidity?
Perhaps it is!
If the truth is placed right in front of him, yet Xie Jinghu insists on believing lies, Xie Yuping would truly suspect if Xie Jinghu was switched at the hospital when the old lady gave birth!
Xie Jinghu was puzzled. “Xie Qian has clearly woken up. Why does everyone say he has brain damage?”
“Yes, Xie Qian has clearly woken up. So why do some people say that? Xie Qian’s plane has just taken off, and rumours are already flying everywhere. What do you think is the reason?”
Xie Yuping kicked the ball back to Xie Jinghu, forcing him to find the answer himself.
Xie Jinghu was silent for a long time. “…Because someone wants me to believe it?”
“I did not say that. This is the conclusion you drew yourself.”
Xie Yuping did not fan the flames. He mentioned neither Sara Zhuo nor Zhang Zhijun, letting Xie Jinghu guess on his own.
No one knew what train of thought Xie Jinghu followed. After thinking for a while, he disgusted himself. When hanging up, he sounded somewhat gnashing his teeth. “Big brother, I will not be fooled again!”
“Yes, I believe you.”
But actually, no.
People with soft ears have a fatal flaw: their perceptions change easily.
Xie Yuping believed Xie Jinghu was telling the truth at that moment, but he wondered how long this perception would last.
Half a month, a month, or half a year?
When someone else came to Xie Jinghu asking for information, Xie Jinghu showed no mercy at all.
As a man whose son had suffered a major car accident and whose wife had just divorced him, Xie Jinghu’s bad temper could be forgiven.
Everyone feared offending the Xie family. They stopped asking openly, but privately, discussions were inevitable.
Zhang Nan had not yet recovered from the shock of her uncle Zhang Zhijun having an illegitimate daughter and her aunt Lu Meishu committing suicide. Then she heard the terrible news of Xie Qian’s major car accident.
Three consecutive blows left Zhang Nan in a daze.
Zhang Nan could not contact Xie Qian.
Even if she could, what use would it be?
Zhang Nan had no face to appear before Xie Qian.
It was truly too disgusting. Her uncle had shared a woman with Xie Qian’s father. That woman had borne a child for each of them. Putting herself in Xie Qian’s position, Zhang Nan definitely would not want to see anyone from the Zhang family.
“Oh, stop worrying. I asked Peng Guoqing. He said the brain damage is fake news… Xie Qian called Peng Guoqing before going abroad. How could someone in a coma make a call? Xie Qian’s voice cannot be imitated by ordinary people. Peng Guoqing could not be mistaken.”
Zhang Nan stood blankly by the window. Tai Wu chattered behind her.
After talking for a long time with no response from Zhang Nan, Tai Wu walked around to peek.
Zhang Nan was crying silently.
Her fair little face, red nose tip, and bloodshot eyes.
Tears strung into lines, sliding down her cheeks, gathering at her chin, and dripping onto the old red-lacquered desk by the window.
A small puddle had already formed on the desktop.
Tai Wu’s heart felt as if hit by something, a dull ache.
Tai Wu instinctively avoided this pain. He said gruffly, “Alright, alright. Whether in heaven or on earth, I will definitely find Xie Qian for you and let you see with your own eyes that he is safe and sound…”
“No need.”
Zhang Nan wiped her face with her sleeve. “I believe Peng Guoqing would not lie about this. Even if Xie Qian really had a car accident, it would not be as serious as the gossip says. As long as I know Xie Qian is fine, that is enough. Do not disturb him… I will not disturb him again either.”
The dull pain in Tai Wu’s heart did not ease.
Who Zhang Zhijun’s affair partner was, besides the Xie and Zhang families, probably only Tai Wu in the entire Beijing knew.
But Tai Wu told no one.
Previously, Tai Wu liked “Uncle Zhijun” a lot. Now, Tai Wu hated Zhang Zhijun to death.
Precisely because Zhang Zhijun was unfaithful to his marriage, he caused Lu Meishu’s suicide and also made it impossible for Zhang Nan and Xie Qian to ever be together.
Although Xie Qian had no such thoughts before, who could predict the future?
Now it was settled. There was no future to speak of. Let alone Xie Qian’s thoughts, with Zhang Nan’s clear love-hate moral standards, she could no longer loudly proclaim her liking for Xie Qian.
Zhang Nan was unhappy, and Tai Wu felt gloomy too.
A few playboys said they would treat Xie Tang to dinner before school started. One reason was to pry information about Xie Qian from Xie Tang, the other to experience up close Sister Tang’s “loving education”.
In the past, Tai Wu would enthusiastically respond. This time, he had little interest.
“Forget it. You guys go.”
The playboys looked as if they had seen a ghost.
“Are you alright? We are having dinner with Sister Tang. The Sister Tang you would get beaten just to see!”
One playboy reached to feel Tai Wu’s forehead. Tai Wu swatted it away. “I am fine. I just have things to do.”
Actually, nothing in particular. He just suddenly felt it was meaningless.
Xie Tang was still Xie Tang, everyone’s long-legged goddess.
But Tai Wu was no longer the old Tai Wu.
A figure had taken root in Tai Wu’s heart, growing clearer, completely different from the heroic Xie Tang.
…
Wen Ying still did not know about Xie Qian being brain-damaged or paralysed.
Peng Guoqing had heard those rumours, but he did not believe them at all!
Because before boarding the plane, Peng Guoqing had indeed spoken to Xie Qian on the phone.
Could Xie Qian’s voice be faked?
Peng Guoqing even felt the car accident itself might be fake. Xie Qian disappearing for over 20 days must be to help his mother Zou Weijun smoothly divorce and fight the vixen outside!
“Xie Qian has it really tough. Everyone played during the gaokao break. Only he was busy without touching the ground.”
Peng Guoqing muttered. Mrs Peng nodded with a smile. “Yes, so you should help share Xie Qian’s burden more.”
Mrs Peng dared swear on her years of fox-hunting radar that Xie Qian’s car accident was 100% real.
Not only was it real, but the situation was very serious.
That was why Zou Weijun divorced Xie Jinghu so smoothly.
It was the victory of the grieving soldier!
After sending off her silly son, Mrs Peng specially tipped off Mr Peng.
“No matter if Xie Qian’s injury can be cured, and no matter if Xie Jinghu plans to let his illegitimate son inherit ‘Jinhu’, I will always be firmly on the original wife’s side!”
Mr Peng heard the threat in his wife’s words.
What did that mean?
Did Zhu Xu think he was the kind of profit-driven man with no moral compass?!
Mr Peng was very angry.
He wanted to retort a few words, but at the other end of the table, Grandpa Peng and Grandma Peng simultaneously put down their chopsticks, staring at him with burning eyes full of silent warning.
Under their gazes, Mr Peng’s voice went from loud to soft, turning dry and gentle. “As long as Jinhu is not in Xie Qian’s hands, I will not cooperate with Jinhu for a single day or do any of their business. Is that alright?”
“Whether it is alright is up to you. I do not manage company business anyway!”
Mrs Peng hummed lightly, barely satisfied with her husband’s answer.
Mr Peng felt he was a 100-point perfect husband. Only after hanging up did he realise he was still the redundant son-in-law in the Peng family. Grandma Peng criticised him for not being considerate enough. “Zhu Xu is alone in Modu with Qingqing. You should care more about her. Do not just let her shop and swipe cards every day. In marriage, material things are the base, but spiritual resonance is more important. It is getting cold. Tell her to add clothes. Care if she eats on time, if Modu’s food suits her taste… Are you listening?”
“Of course.”
To avoid his old mother nagging more, Mr Peng immediately took out his phone and texted Mrs Peng: It is getting cold. Remember to add clothes.
In faraway Modu, Mrs Peng received the message. Looking at the midday blazing sun outside, her lungs nearly exploded with anger.
Add what clothes? Did the dog man want to heat her to death, then take the family money to spend on other women?!
Pah!
Better she spend it first herself!
…
Actually, a husband willing to spend money on his wife and not cheat, even if not 100 points, deserves at least over 80.
After all, there are husbands like Mr Peng, and husbands like Pang Jinglong’s father.
Pang Jinglong’s dad was disloyal in love and unwilling to spend money on his wife.
He gave large sums to his mistress for spending, but was very stingy with his wife.
Mrs Pang had already moved out of the villa she lived in for years, into the flat under Pang Jinglong’s name.
Mrs Pang’s concession did not wake her husband. Instead, it made his mistress extraordinarily arrogant.
While Pang Jinglong was abroad, the mistress called Mrs Pang several times a day, cursing her for being thick-skinned, clearly no longer loved by her husband yet clinging to the legal wife’s position.
Was it meaningful?
In love, the unloved one is the third party!
The mistress questioned if Mrs Pang wanted to divide money, sarcastically telling her not to dream of it. The company had always operated in debt.
If Mrs Pang sensibly left, the mistress could make her life easier after divorce. If not, Mrs Pang would get no money and bear a huge debt!
Like dismissing a beggar, the mistress proposed a property split: a small two-bedroom in the city plus 1 million cash.
Mrs Pang refused. Her husband’s voice came over the phone. “Stop being nagging. The money is all earned by me. What contribution have you made these years? After marriage, I supported you without letting you work a day. Your task was to raise the child at home, yet you failed even that. I am utterly disappointed in you and do not want to live with you anymore!”
Mrs Pang felt numb all over.
A housewife indeed had little ability, but to protect her son’s property, Mrs Pang would never divorce, even if beaten to death.
Just two more years.
In two more years, Jinglong would be capable.
The scene of Mrs Pang being scolded was witnessed by Pang Jinglong, who had returned early.
Pang Jinglong went mad with anger.
“Mum, divorce.”
It was too bullying.
Pang Jinglong burst into tears on the spot, wishing he could grab a knife and hack that adulterous pair to death.
Once some thoughts emerged, they could not be suppressed. Pang Jinglong’s gaze drifted subconsciously to the kitchen. His feet moved towards it involuntarily.
His phone suddenly rang.
Pang Jinglong did not answer.
The caller was persistent, ringing again and again.
Mrs Pang held her son. “Jinglong, answer the phone. Answer it first.”
Mrs Pang pressed accept for Pang Jinglong. A girl’s voice came from the speaker. “Pang Jinglong, have you returned to Modu? I came back yesterday. I want to learn about He Zhen’s startup project. Is it convenient for you to tell me about it?”
