“Alright, stop acting. Since when do you listen to your dad like that?”
Downstairs, it was practically a brawl, yet Wen Ying was still playing coy. Chen Li glared at her.
Wen Ying rubbed her nose.
“Aunt, you adults are so weird. Whether I obey or not, I’m always wrong.”
Despite her words, Wen Ying reluctantly pulled her gaze from the spectacle and prepared to head downstairs to mediate her parents’ dispute. They were arguing without regard for their surroundings. Her aunt’s family was already the neighborhood gossip hub; drawing more attention would make it impossible for them to stay.
Chen Li followed Wen Ying downstairs.
In over a decade, Chen Li had never seen Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru fight. Wen Dongrong always maintained an air of propriety.
So even proper people could turn red-faced and loud!
“Brother-in-Law, Sis, take it inside. With people passing by, aren’t you just making a laughingstock of yourselves?”
“Dad, you’re too loud. Aunt and I could hear you upstairs. What’s this about a real-name report…”
If they heard it upstairs, didn’t that mean the whole neighborhood did too?
Wen Dongrong took a deep breath, his face dark as he stormed back up. Chen Ru huffed heavily. “Who’s indulging his bad habits?”
Shu Guobing filed a real-name report—go confront him! What’s the point of arguing here? Did yelling at his wife and daughter make Shu Guobing retract the report?
Chen Ru suspected Wen Dongrong wanted her and Wen Ying to apologize to Shu Guobing, letting him and Wen Hongyan vent. If Shu Guobing felt better, he might withdraw the report. If Wen Dongrong thought that, he was dreaming!
Back upstairs with only family present, Wen Dongrong didn’t hold back, ordering Wen Ying to apologize to the Shu family. Chen Ru wanted to strangle him.
“No way!”
One insisted Wen Ying go, the other forbade it—a scene straight out of a divorce drama, forcing the kid to choose between Mom or Dad.
Wen Ying: …I choose to live alone!
Living alone wasn’t an option. If she picked neither, Wen Dongrong and Chen Ru would unite to discipline her.
Apologizing was out of the question. Wen Ying firmly sided with Chen Ru.
“Dad, I think Mom’s right. Apologizing won’t solve anything. May I ask, have you done anything illegal at work? The two apartments we bought in Rongcheng—were they funded by bribes?”
Wen Dongrong was furious, glancing around. If he’d found Chen Li’s feather duster hidden behind the sofa, Wen Ying might’ve faced a spanking.
That question was too direct.
Most parents don’t discuss money with kids, let alone a child asking their dad if he took bribes!
“Xiao Ying, watch how you speak.”
Chen Li, fearing Wen Ying would get hit, chided her lightly to shield her.
Wen Ying sighed. It was a lawyer’s habit—wanting clients to be upfront, good or bad, so strategies could be planned. Hiding the truth until the courtroom, when opponents expose it, even the best lawyer struggles to save a secretive client.
Wen Ying muttered, “Whether there’s bribery changes how we handle it. You’re so mad, so I’ll assume no bribes. If there’s none, why fear Uncle? His report is a chance to clear your name.”
In her past life, until Wen Ying’s rebirth, anti-corruption campaigns were fierce, yet Wen Dongrong remained a leader. She assumed he was clean.
“An investigation will come. If our money’s clean, it’ll help your career. If I apologize now, even if I beg Uncle to retract the report, the investigation won’t stop. It’ll look like we’re hiding something. And you know what kind of person Uncle is. If he sees he can manipulate you with a report, there’ll be a second, third, endless harassment.”
No mistakes last life didn’t guarantee none this time.
Behind Shu Guobing lurked Zhao Dong.
If Zhao Dong found her dad’s weakness, he’d exploit it, dragging Wen Dongrong down.
That’s why Wen Ying spoke up.
Relatives like Shu Guobing were spoiled by her parents’ face-saving habits over years.
Zhao Dong, that schemer, targeted the Wen family because of her. Wen Ying wanted independence from her controlling parents but not a broken family or her dad in jail. What good was being a corrupt official’s daughter?
She also didn’t want Shu Guobing to win or Zhao Dong to gloat.
Fine, he’s her dad. They could fight behind closed doors, but first, they had to fend off the outside dogs.
Wen Dongrong was surprised Wen Ying could say this and gestured for her to continue.
Wen Ying suggested he return to the unit and spin a story.
“Uncle can make things up, so why can’t you? Tell the unit how you scrimped to help relatives, only to be betrayed. I’ve even got a title: *The Farmer and the Snake*!”
Wen Ying not only offered a plan but had evidence.
The repayment receipt Chen Ru had Wen Hongyan sign!
If the story was compelling, paired with the receipt, Wen Dongrong could not only clear his name but also win sympathy from leaders and colleagues.
The only catch was crafting a moving tale required shedding his “phoenix man” persona and swallowing his pride to play the victim.
For Wen Dongrong, that might be worse than ten stabs!
Career or pride—Wen Ying left the choice to him.
He’d likely choose his career, a painful decision. But who was to blame? If he hadn’t indulged Shu Guobing, he wouldn’t be in this mess!
Holding the receipt, Wen Dongrong knew it was a lifeline.
With years in his job, he knew Wen Ying’s plan would work.
But it was normal for him to know that. Wen Ying’s articulate strategy was anything but!
Chen Ru, having won a round, was smug. “If you think Wen Ying’s idea won’t work, go to Shu Lu. Your niece always says she’s grateful and wants to repay you. Now’s her chance. Shu Guobing’s a jerk, but Shu Lu’s sensible. She knows her dad’s wrong. If she’s willing to turn on him and tell the investigators how rotten he is, you’ll save half the effort spinning your story!”
Chen Li was shocked.
Wen Ying had just doused the flames, and Chen Ru poured oil, ensuring Wen Dongrong’s anger flared.
—What, did she really not want to stay married?
