Not only was Wen Ying surprised, but Wen Dongrong and Wen Kai actually thought the same.
With one blind Wen Hongyan, they already could not understand it.
Was that divorced woman running a tea house even blinder than Wen Hongyan?
Wen Ying did recall that in her previous life, Shu Guobing had also found a divorced woman who ran a tea house. As far as Wen Ying knew, that woman was Shu Guobing’s second public affair.
The first affair had been discovered by Grandma Wen. Wen Hongyan had staunchly defended Shu Guobing, and Grandma Wen had been so angered that she ended up in hospital.
Wen Hongyan had been blamed by the Wen family, yet she still did not divorce.
Wen Hongyan said she could not let Shu Lu grow up without a father.
No matter how useless a father, he was still a father… This excuse seemed utterly disgusting to Wen Ying. However, Shu Lu had not objected at the time, and the Wen family naturally said nothing more.
Wen Hongyan chose forgiveness. Shu Guobing still wanted to sponge off the Wen family, so he cut contact with the mistress.
Because this affair brought no substantial punishment, Shu Guobing behaved for a few years before he could not hold back again and cheated once more.
The second affair was highly ostentatious. Shu Guobing paraded his mistress openly without avoiding anyone.
At that time, Shu Lu had graduated university and passed the civil service exam. Shu Guobing was triumphant, feeling he no longer needed to rely on the Wen family for meals, so he cheated without restraint!
The second affair nearly ruined Shu Lu’s almost-certain marriage.
Wen Dongrong had introduced Shu Lu to a leader’s son, and they were about to get engaged. Shu Guobing caused such a scandal, and the leader’s family became reluctant. Shu Lu cried in front of Wen Dongrong, who gritted his teeth and vouched for her. Shu Lu still married into the leader’s family as wished… Many things had changed in this life. Shu Guobing had directly skipped the first affair and hooked up with the second tea-house boss. This was something Wen Ying had never expected!
“My auntie will probably endure it.”
Wen Ying guessed Wen Hongyan would definitely endure.
In the previous life, with the Wen family stepping in, Wen Hongyan had refused divorce to the death. In this life, without the Wen family backing her, Wen Hongyan would endure even more.
Wen Kai’s expression shifted from embarrassment to indignation. “Whether she endures or not is unimportant. What matters is that the tea-house boss does not want to endure. Now Shu Guobing is clamouring for divorce, dead set on it!”
Wen Kai despised Wen Hongyan, yet he could despise her. For an outsider like Shu Guobing to bully Wen Hongyan, Wen Kai felt furious.
The Wen family were not all dead—how dare a Shu bully like this!
Wen Ying actually smiled. “Shu Guobing wants divorce? This is great news for us. Perfect for implementing my plan.”
Wen Dongrong and Wen Kai thought seriously and realised it truly was.
While Wen Ying discussed with Wen Dongrong and Wen Kai how to handle Wen Hongyan and Shu Lu, the mother-daughter pair cried in place for a long time.
Shu Lu vented long-accumulated grievances. Her tear-streaked cheeks felt dry.
Wen Hongyan cried too.
Crying over the uncertain future, and over Shu Guobing wanting divorce.
Life was already miserable enough. Divorce would make them laughingstocks!
Shu Lu wiped her face. “Mum, stop crying. No matter how miserably you cry, no one is watching. Second Uncle is not here.”
Wen Hongyan realised this was true and instantly lost motivation to wail further.
“What do you think that damned girl Wen Ying meant? Just mocking us, right?”
Wen Hongyan gnashed her teeth in hatred. “The damned girl did not lie though. Your second uncle cares most about face. He definitely won’t bother with us now… What about that Zhao Dong? Did he give you much benefit?”
Shu Lu shook her head. “He’s very shrewd, afraid I’ll take the money and not obey. He insists on payment only after I complete the task.”
Wen Hongyan immediately cursed Zhao Dong vehemently.
From Zhao Dong to Shu Guobing, all men in the world were no good in Wen Hongyan’s mouth.
When Shu Guobing was in prison, Wen Hongyan had remained loyal. After release, he tangled with another woman and demanded divorce—Shu Lu mentioned crying to Wen Dongrong. Wen Hongyan grew sadder the more she thought, unable to hold back tears again.
Hospital passers-by glanced sideways.
Crying so miserably—probably lost her husband?
Shu Lu found her alcoholic real father utterly repulsive too. “…He dares demand divorce?”
Already so useless, unable even to ensure sole loyalty—what use was such a man?
“Fine, divorce then! Without his drag, Second Uncle might forgive us. It was he who reported Second Uncle back then!”
Wen Hongyan’s eyes widened, hiccuping heavily. “How can we divorce? Divorce and you’ll have no father—”
Shu Lu’s nose stung, nearly crying again.
But no tears came—she had cried them all out earlier.
“What use is a father like that? Better none. Others’ fathers earn and support family. Mine drinks and chases women. Does that give me face?”
…
Shu Lu could not accept her real father Shu Guobing’s cheating.
After all, this real father had contributed nothing to the family over years. Someone as selfish as Shu Lu could previously push Shu Guobing to take the fall. Now shedding this burden brought no psychological weight.
Xie Jinghu and Shu Lu had no intersection—from family background to age and gender, no similarity. Yet one commonality: both extremely selfish!
Selfish people prioritise themselves before others, amplify own feelings first, always guard own interests against loss, preferring to wrong the world than let the world wrong them even slightly.
With such people, no amount of kindness works. Slight neglect wipes all prior accumulation.
Xie Qian exposed Zhao Dong and Sara Zhuo’s Japan trip to Xie Jinghu.
Of course, not directly by Xie Qian—through Qi assistant’s hint for Meng lawyer to discover.
Meng lawyer had been compiling the list of assets Xie Jinghu gave Sara Zhuo.
Xie Jinghu had a credit card in Sara Zhuo’s hands. Normally, Sara Zhuo would not use it. Occasionally she did, informing Xie Jinghu lightly to maintain her “not money-loving” persona.
After falling out, Xie Jinghu reclaimed the card. Meng lawyer tallied all transactions.
With the lawsuit stalled, Meng lawyer began reconciling accounts with Xie Jinghu pen by pen.
Some spending Xie Jinghu knew.
Some he did not.
Each item Meng lawyer reported, Xie Jinghu gnashed teeth once.
When Meng lawyer reached Sara Zhuo’s lingerie shop spending in Japan, asking if Xie Jinghu knew, he grew impatient. “These are small amounts. Prioritise large spending first… Wait, when did you say she spent at a Japan lingerie shop?”
Meng lawyer repeated time and place, handing the bank statement for Xie Jinghu to see.
Xie Jinghu stared fixedly at the date, turned to Qi assistant. “I recall that period, I never went to Japan. Check for me.”
Qi assistant inwardly delighted, face impassive. “I’ll retrieve your itinerary records.”
Qi assistant soon returned.
Long ago when Xie Qian asked, Qi assistant knew this was a hidden bomb.
Thought Xie Qian would use it to expose the woman’s infidelity. Unexpectedly, her green hat for Xie Jinghu was too solid—with unrelated Zhuo Yue there, no need for such small bomb—yet facts proved small bombs useful. Not for Sara Zhuo, but Zhao Dong!
Qi assistant feigned reluctance. “That entire month, you never visited Japan.”
When Sara Zhuo and Zhao Dong toured Japan, Xie Jinghu had not left the country.
Xie Jinghu’s head buzzed.
He had no memory of Sara Zhuo’s Japan trip.
Sneaking to Japan aside, lingerie spending inevitably sparked suspicions.
—Perhaps meeting Zhang Zhijun secretly in Japan?
Zhang Zhijun always claimed only “one mistake” with Sara Zhuo. Xie Jinghu longed to tear off Zhang Zhijun’s hypocritical mask.
“Investigate. Check Zhang Zhijun’s entry-exit records that month. See if he went to Japan too!”
Qi assistant accepted the order.
Xie Jinghu was certain Zhang Zhijun went, awaiting evidence. Over Spring Festival, he would surely visit Zhang home,甩 evidence in Zhang Zhijun’s face before everyone!
Unexpectedly, a day later, Qi assistant awkwardly informed Xie Jinghu: Zhang Zhijun had not visited Japan that month.
The buzzing in Xie Jinghu’s head turned to massive roar—
Not Zhang Zhijun—someone else?!!!
