Mrs Pang began struggling as soon as she was pulled into the car.
“I do not know you. Where are you taking me? I, I am going to call the police!”
Mrs Pang had already met Lawyer Liao.
Lawyer Liao was not the young, tall, handsome type in legal dramas who wore suits and ties. Lawyer Liao was no longer young and rather thin and small. He wore an ordinary short-sleeved shirt and looked quite ordinary.
But capability was not judged by appearance or attire. As soon as Lawyer Liao spoke, he steadied Mrs Pang.
Lawyer Liao not only asked for more detailed information but also gave her many precautions.
Lawyer Liao did not promise a specific amount of property. He told Mrs Pang to first learn to protect herself. “Protect yourself” meant not just assets. In any situation, Mrs Pang should prioritise her own safety.
More importantly, Lawyer Liao did not ask for fees upfront. If the divorce lawsuit was lost, Mrs Pang would not even need to reimburse his travel expenses from flying over.
How confident must he be?
Even if Mrs Pang did not trust herself, she was willing to trust Lawyer Liao.
Lawyer Liao had just reminded Mrs Pang to protect herself when the “kidnappers” appeared.
Seeing Mrs Pang reach for her phone to call the police, Zhu Xu pressed her hand. “Oh, what does not knowing before matter? It is not too late to know now. I am Zhu Xu. She is Dong Runfang. Wen Ying asked us to come keep you company.”
Hearing Wen Ying’s name, Mrs Pang immediately stopped struggling.
“You…”
Dong Runfang smiled warmly. “We count as half elders to Wen Ying. First, the children became friends. Then we parents interacted and gradually became friends too.”
So that was it.
Mrs Pang imagined it. Wen Ying and Pang Jinglong were friends, so she was also accepted into the corresponding parents’ circle?
Mrs Pang did not relax because of this. Instead, she grew even more tense!
Because Zhu Xu and Dong Runfang clearly looked like very prestigious people.
Mrs Pang had bought fake bags and jewellery for years. She had never used genuine items but recognised brands popular among wealthy ladies.
Zhu Xu and Dong Runfang had no nouveau riche air. Their outfits were relatively simple.
Yet even simple, good things were good.
Zhu Xu carried a bag that required allocation to purchase. Mrs Pang had an identical fake. She felt Zhu Xu’s must be genuine.
Because three women sat side by side in the back seat, Zhu Xu perhaps found it cramped and casually shoved this allocation-required luxury bag under the seat. Worse, Zhu Xu wore pointed high heels today. When turning to speak, her feet moved. As Mrs Pang saw, Zhu Xu had kicked the bag more than three times!
Dong Runfang did not carry such an expensive brand bag.
Dong Runfang’s only accessory was a watch.
Mrs Pang had no identical watch but had used a fake from another series of the brand to trick her husband out of over a hundred thousand at once. So Dong Runfang’s watch was certainly not cheap.
Mrs Pang believed Zhu Xu and Dong Runfang were not deliberately showing off. The two were bright and confident. They needed no flaunting.
Even so, Mrs Pang already felt like sitting on pins and needles.
Because her son Pang Jinglong had befriended Wen Ying, Zhu Xu and Dong Runfang descended from the sky to drag Mrs Pang into their circle too. Mrs Pang felt grateful yet deeply worried.
She feared embarrassing her son Pang Jinglong.
She wore all fakes. In Zhu Xu and Dong Runfang’s eyes, was she not ridiculous?
Mrs Pang’s face bore a constrained smile. Her whole body was stiff.
No matter which of Zhu Xu or Dong Runfang spoke to her, Mrs Pang responded, but merely responded.
Her body was in the car. Her soul had flown who knew where.
Zhu Xu raised a brow, giving Dong Runfang a look: This is indeed a bit tricky. Can you handle it?
How could Dong Runfang admit defeat?
The Peng family business was large. Zhu Xu probably only dealt with other wealthy people daily?
Mrs Pang felt Dong Runfang did not seem nouveau riche. Actually, Wang Jun did whatever made money without systematic integration. The Wang family had no grand company. Wang Jun was just an uneducated rough boss.
Mrs Pang’s original family was very ordinary.
Dong Runfang was likewise no refined lady.
Dong Runfang deliberately shared old stories with Mrs Pang and talked about troublesome sons. These family chit-chats greatly closed distance. Mrs Pang gradually relaxed.
“Raising children is truly not easy.”
Mrs Pang felt bitter inside. “I want to give Jinglong the best, but I lack the ability.”
“Who says otherwise? Carried for ten months and born. Whether the smartest or not, I have only this one son.”
Dong Runfang spoke from true feeling.
If not for Wang Shuang, Dong Runfang would not have wanted to work at Tianjiao initially.
Building from nothing with husband Wang Jun, what hardship had Dong Runfang not endured? Finally earning money, was she not allowed to lie flat as a salted fish?
Zhu Xu suddenly scoffed. “You two stop getting emotional. You are both good mothers. But we live once. Is it just to be good mothers?”
Zhu Xu felt she was very good to her son Peng Guoqing.
But if asked to revolve solely around Peng Guoqing her whole life, she would be unwilling.
Zhu Xu could not revolve only around her son, let alone her husband. She even handled catching adultery perfunctorily, just going through motions.
Dong Runfang hummed. “Being a good mother and living well for oneself do not conflict. I now feel developing my own career is quite good.”
The Wang family business was built by Dong Runfang and Wang Jun together.
Wang Jun was the boss. Dong Runfang was the boss’s wife.
Many praised Dong Runfang as Wang Jun’s capable helper.
Previously, Dong Runfang felt nothing hearing it. Now it particularly irked her.
Was this old lady only fit to assist the Wang surname?
Pah.
“Boss’s wife” sounded less pleasing than “Manager Dong”. Dong Runfang preferred being “Manager Dong”.
Dong Runfang and Zhu Xu talked. Instantly, Mrs Pang had nothing to do.
Mrs Pang felt no loss. Instead, she chanted Amitabha inwardly, praying the two new friends would continue ignoring her.
Unfortunately, the gods and Buddhas did not hear Mrs Pang’s prayer. Zhu and Dong soon turned attention back to her. One with social boldness syndrome, one a social terrorist. How could Mrs Pang match them?
Taken out to play all day by Zhu Xu and Dong Runfang, Mrs Pang still did not fully let go, but she truly had no time all day to think of those troubling matters.
In the evening, Zhu Xu said they had not played enough and suggested Mrs Pang stay at the hotel. The three could do SPA to relax. Mrs Pang opened her mouth to refuse. Dong Runfang quickly agreed.
Mrs Pang did not want to disappoint her two new friends, so she said she would call her son Pang Jinglong.
“I am not returning tonight. Auntie Zhu and Auntie Dong kept me to stay…”
Pang Jinglong had not met Auntie Zhu or Auntie Dong, but Wen Ying had told him. Pang Jinglong wished his mother could play outside for ten days or half a month without returning home.
Because today when Pang Jinglong was home, his father’s female secretary called again.
Hearing Pang Jinglong answer, the secretary remembered he had stabbed someone. She dared not say too much.
Over the phone, the secretary hypocritically invited Pang Jinglong “home” for dinner.
Pang Jinglong felt so disgusted he nearly vomited last night’s meal.
This woman truly dared dream.
Dinner?
Pang Jinglong feared he could not resist poisoning with arsenic.
Wen Ying advised endurance. Lawyer Liao said plan before acting. So Pang Jinglong only cursed briefly, not entangling with the secretary.
That home was Pang Jinglong’s former home, now occupied by the secretary. Mrs Pang moved out front foot, the secretary eagerly moved in back foot with her two sons.
Yes, the secretary bore Pang Jinglong’s father two sons.
The elder son was not much younger than Pang Jinglong. Four years ago, he replaced Pang Jinglong studying abroad. Though illegitimate, outsiders knowing his favour called him Young Master Pang.
Did illegitimacy matter?
Anyway, family resources tilted towards him. In future, no share for that useless big brother.
Moreover, dad finally resolved to divorce Pang Jinglong’s mum, to give mum status.
The just-turned-18 Young Master Pang was triumphant. “Dad booked the hotel venue and bought you a big diamond ring. He would not let us tell you.”
Pang’s father had not yet divorced the original wife but already booked the second wedding venue.
Mrs Pang was so timid. She would resist but not to the end. Ultimately, she would compromise.
The secretary thought more than the elder son. “Your big brother… I mean that Pang Jinglong. You said he is starting some company with the He family son. Do you think he can make it?”
The elder son laughed. “Make what? Being He Zhen’s lackey counts as making it?”
