The task Zhao Dong assigned to Shu Lu was precisely moral kidnapping, her greatest speciality.
Wen Ying found it utterly unoriginal. “And then?”
Shu Lu stammered, “He did not say anything more…”
In fact, he had.
But Shu Lu dared not tell the truth now.
Zhao Dong was certainly unreliable. Was Wen Ying trustworthy? Shu Lu felt deeply pitiable, like a blade of grass growing in a crevice, pressured by towering walls on both sides. She trusted neither Zhao Dong nor dared to trust Wen Ying.
Wen Ying sneered. “Fine, I know you do not trust me. Conveniently, I do not trust you either. What has happened cannot be treated as if it never occurred. The relationship between our two families can never return to how it was.”
Shu Lu’s face turned pale.
Wen Hongyan’s face alternated between green and red.
How could it not return to the past?
As long as second brother Wen Dongrong resumed supporting the mother and daughter, everyone could still be relatives as before!
At worst, apologise to him.
If Wen Dongrong was willing to forgive, Wen Hongyan would not mind kowtowing a few extra times.
Wen Hongyan’s eyes darted about. Wen Ying shattered her fantasy. “Auntie, do not indulge in wishful thinking. You probably understand Dad’s character better than I do. He tested into the city from the countryside, from a penniless poor student to everything he has today. Half his life has been spent pursuing ‘face’. Whoever grants him face is his family. Can you grant him face now? No!”
Since old Wen was not present, Wen Ying could slander as she wished.
Moreover, Wen Ying was not slandering without basis.
Old Wen had changed now, but previously… he truly cared most about “face”!
“You cannot grant him face, but my mum and I can make him proud. If he chooses you, he loses his wife and daughter. What do you think he will choose?”
Wen Ying deliberately scanned Wen Hongyan from head to toe with disdainful eyes. “Auntie, I heard your MLM career is going well. How come it seems you have not earned any money!”
Wen Ying’s gaze was like needles, pricking Wen Hongyan until she ached all over.
Wen Hongyan wanted to retort loudly, to boast about her “grand ambitions”. Yet she knew her own affairs. If she were truly earning money, she would not look so sallow, nor resort to tantrums to return under Wen Dongrong’s protection.
Wen Hongyan stuttered “you you you” for ages without forming a complete sentence.
Shu Lu felt deeply oppressed.
Wen Ying’s words were too harsh.
Precisely because they were harsh, they were utterly real.
Though young, Shu Lu had always harboured many little schemes.
Wen Ying could ignore them. Why initiate conversation and ask what she wanted?
Could it be…
“Sister Xiao Ying, do you want me to help you deal with Zhao Dong?”
Shu Lu believed she had guessed Wen Ying’s thoughts and gained confidence. “What do you need me to do?”
Wen Ying looked at Shu Lu as if she were an idiot. “You help me deal with Zhao Dong? You overestimate yourself far too much! Do you have qualifications or abilities? Send you to infiltrate Zhao Dong’s company—you would not even meet their recruitment standards. A honey trap is out of the question. Your bean-sprout figure can only fool naive schoolboys who have seen nothing of the world.”
Wen Ying’s words dripped with thick disdain.
Shu Lu tried to retort, opened her mouth, yet could not utter a word.
Standing before her was no longer the formerly insecure and reticent cousin Wen Ying.
But the Wen Ying who ranked third on last year’s rich authors list, leapt to first this year, sold a single script for five million, studied at Zhandan University, beautiful and confident celebrity Wen Ying.
Shu Lu collapsed instantly, wailing loudly. “I want to be like you too, but heaven gave me no chance to choose!”
Shu Lu wanted a respectable office-working ‘father’, not a drunken alcoholic dad.
Shu Lu wanted a high-salary bank-working ‘mother’, not one easily duped, lazy, and idle.
With such parents, she could have confidence like Wen Ying.
When Zhao Dong invited her to dinner at Jinjiang Hotel, gave her branded bags, used small favours to make her help… she could confidently tell that old man to get lost!
But heaven was unfair. She had nothing.
Shu Lu truly wailed.
Such cries alarmed hospital passers-by, who cast sympathetic glances at Shu Lu.
Alas, crying so grievously—must have lost father or mother!
Wen Ying ignored Shu Lu, leaving one sentence: “Come find me when you have thought it through.” She allowed Shu Lu to vent emotions amid the crowd. Wen Ying looked up, waved to Song Shao at the window, pointed towards the ward. Song Shao nodded lightly.
Wen Ying left.
Shu Lu still squatted sobbing.
Wen Hongyan cried too.
Mother and daughter both felt deeply pitiable, bullied by Wen Ying.
“Xiao Wen handles these matters very cleanly and decisively.”
A female voice sounded behind Song Shao. It was his mother Shao Bing.
Song Shao did not know when his mother returned to the office, nor how much of this family drama she had watched.
Song Shao unabashedly expressed admiration for Wen Ying’s actions. “Yes, very clean and decisive. She lanced the abscess herself.”
Shao Bing worked in the hospital. The special environment let her see all sorts of “top-grade” people.
Not to mention others—the Song family had them too.
Young Song Fo Xiang followed the “romance saint” path. Such a person could not manage marriage well, let alone be a good father.
Though now a daughter slave, willing to give everything for Song Chan.
When Song Chan was born, every diaper change made Song Fo Xiang pinch his nose and flee, finding the nappies too smelly. It enraged Song Chan’s mother, who cried many times during her confinement.
Later, marital breakdown and divorce. Song Fo Xiang won custody but did not want to raise her personally.
He wanted to send the daughter to his brother’s home. Reasons ready: sister-in-law Shao Bing is a doctor, surely understands scientific child-rearing!
Shao Bing laughed furiously at this bastard Song Fo Xiang.
Does being a doctor mean knowing how to raise children?
Even if so, why help the brother-in-law raise his child!
Shao Bing focused on career, married and bore late. Thus eldest sister-in-law, yet son Song Shao younger than Song Chan.
Shao Bing was no pushover. She cursed Song Fo Xiang back.
Her husband adored his wife, supported all decisions, forbade family helping Song Fo Xiang with the child.
Song Fo Xiang collapsed, tried several times sending Song Chan to ex-wife. Family mocked lingering feelings, using child as excuse to reconnect.
Song Fo Xiang could not bear such mockery, stubbornly refused defeat, gritted teeth and raised daughter himself.
From initial disdain to inseparable love: mere months.
The more time and effort Song Fo Xiang invested in Song Chan, the deeper his feelings. An irresponsible rogue became a responsible father, proving people truly can change!
Could Wen Ying’s relatives change?
Shao Bing was uncertain yet.
But she saw her son Song Shao’s admiration for Wen Ying.
“Xiao Wen seems to have a boyfriend?”
Song Shao turned, gaze sweeping mother’s wall of honours. “Mum, no need to probe. I do admire her now, but no one can slow my pace. I know what I want.”
Shao Bing nodded. “I respect your choice.”
…
Wen Ying returned outside the ward, called Wen Dongrong and Wen Kai aside.
“We cannot allow Shu Lu and Auntie to continue causing chaos. Ruining their own lives is their business, but repeatedly troubling us is not acceptable.”
Wen Ying spoke plainly. “I cannot withstand their antics. Nor can you, Dad, including Brother Kai. True, Brother Kai is in the capital, seemingly distant, but they can endlessly harass Uncle and Auntie, harass Grandma, ultimately affecting our entire family!”
This is China’s environment.
Such close kinship is hard to sever completely.
Wen Ying is famous. Wen Dongrong is gradually ascending to higher positions.
Young Wen and old Wen have become porcelain, unable to withstand cesspit stones’ collisions.
Wen Kai too.
Wen Kai will surely achieve more than in his previous life.
Unable to entangle old Wen or young Wen, the mother-daughter pair will later shift targets to Wen Kai.
Now hospital tantrums. Later at Wen Dongrong’s workplace—must he repeatedly explain “old grudges” with Shu Lu’s family to others?
Just imagining the scene, Wen Dongrong’s brows could trap flies.
Wen Kai could not tolerate it. “I would prefer they target me. Xiao Ying, we cannot yield because they fuss. Once yields twice, thrice!”
Wen Ying smiled. “Of course we cannot yield to their fuss—sweet taste emboldens them further. I mean dangle a hope, keep them under our watch and restraint. Best if they reform characters. If not, at least we hold initiative.”
Zhao Dong dangled trifles to string Shu Lu along. Wen Ying believed she could too.
Fear not their desires—desires make them obedient.
Wen Dongrong thoughtful. “Explain in detail.”
Wen Ying outlined her rough plan. Wen Dongrong half-doubting. “Will this work?”
Wen Kai expectant. “Uncle, treat the dead horse as live—try Xiao Ying’s method. Situation cannot worsen anyway.”
Indeed, it could not worsen.
Wen Dongrong thought of his mother still in the ward, felt no trace of affection for Shu Lu. “She should be glad she is still a minor. If anything happens to your grandma, no matter how they tantrum or play pitiful, I will not glance at them!”
Fine then.
Wen Ying inwardly rolled her eyes.
Old Wen was furious in the previous life too, yet softened later?
Previous life: Grandma hospitalised over Shu Guobing’s mistress. Family unwilling to forgive Shu Guobing and Wen Hongyan. Post-discharge, Grandma still could not release her youngest daughter.
Thinking of Shu Guobing, Wen Ying suddenly realised.
“Eh, no sign of him this return. Such occasion—he should not be absent!”
Mentioning Shu Guobing, Wen Dongrong and Wen Kai looked unwell.
Wen Kai embarrassed. “…Heard back home he hooked up adulterously with a divorced woman running a tea house. They have cohabited for months.”
Wen Ying shocked. “Is that woman blind?”
