Xie Qian’s words were not taken lightly by Xie Tang.
What to do now? She had already concealed things, and confessing honestly now… Xie Tang was caught in a dilemma.
This had nothing to do with whether Xie Tang was smart or rational. Young girls in love inevitably worry about gains and losses. Xie Tang hadn’t graduated from university yet, and she needed time to grow before her views on love would mature.
“Alright, stop worrying about my love life. You’ve been in Shanghai so long, is Third Aunt okay alone in Rongcheng?”
Xie Tang changed the subject, and Xie Qian didn’t press further. How Xie Tang handled her love life was her business. He only shared his thoughts but wouldn’t force her to follow them.
“My mum isn’t alone in Rongcheng, she has her work to keep her company.”
With Youth Idol about to launch, his mum was so busy she barely had time to feel sentimental. Such a fulfilling life was the nemesis of depression!
Xie Tang smiled, “I didn’t expect Third Aunt to be such a hidden powerhouse, that’s great!”
The Xie siblings felt Zou Weijun’s current life was truly good.
Far away in the capital, Xie Jinghu couldn’t help but follow his wife’s recent activities.
The one passing Zou Weijun’s daily updates to Xie Jinghu was naturally Zhao Dong.
If Zou Weijun’s success in publishing Hush, Little Secret was a fluke, her ambitious push to create another bestselling novel showed Xie Jinghu how seriously she took this career.
Xie Jinghu felt like he was rediscovering Zou Weijun.
Though Xie Jinghu hadn’t done anything yet, Zhao Dong inexplicably felt uneasy.
What did Mr. Xie mean?
On one hand, he tied Zhao Dong’s interests to his illegitimate child abroad, forcing him to side with Sara Zhuo. On the other, he quietly kept tabs on his legitimate wife, Zou Weijun. Did he value his mistress or his wife?
While casually reading history, Zhao Dong learned about ancient emperors using checks and balances, suspecting Xie Jinghu was treating real life like an imperial harem.
One was the firmly established empress, the other a favoured concubine.
If one side was too strong and the other too weak, the harem would be unstable, so the emperor had to bolster the weaker side.
No way?
Zhao Dong wanted Xie Jinghu to look in a mirror. It was the 21st century, yet he was playing feudal games!
But Zhao Dong couldn’t say that. He could only subtly remind Xie Jinghu, grudgingly noting that because of Zou Weijun’s recent work on Youth Idol, his autobiography, Zhao Family Letters, had been overshadowed.
He didn’t care how many copies Zhao Family Letters sold, but it affected his personal branding and the bidding plan. If he couldn’t secure the amusement park licence, “Young Zhuo’s” investment would fall through.
“It’s not a big deal, but I noticed Youth Idol’s promotion relied heavily on Chief Editor Song.”
Zhao Dong didn’t know about Song Foxiang and Editor Wan’s double act, but Song Foxiang had openly praised Youth Idol in newspaper columns multiple times, which stung Zhao Dong’s eyes.
Song Foxiang might have been trying to spite him, suppressing Zhao Family Letters, but Zhao Dong didn’t say that to Xie Jinghu. Instead, he hinted that Song Foxiang, even after a beating, hadn’t given up on pursuing Zou Weijun, disgusting Xie Jinghu.
“Mind your own business.”
Xie Jinghu’s voice was cold, “There’ll be plenty of chances to deal with a magazine editor later. Your book is fine as it is, don’t get your priorities mixed up. Does being a bestselling author earn more than the amusement park?”
Xie Jinghu curbed Zhao Dong’s restless ambitions.
Zhao Dong didn’t push further.
Indeed, Zhao Family Letters was just a tool to polish his image and elevate his status. He never expected to make money from book sales!
With piracy rampant in China, how much could a bestseller earn? Even selling a million copies would yield a few million in royalties at most. That wouldn’t turn Zhao Dong into China’s J.K. Rowling, so why care whether Zou Weijun’s Youth Idol sold well?
Zhao Dong cared more about the amusement park licence bidding and Xie Jinghu’s stance.
When contacting Sara Zhuo abroad, Zhao Dong made a point to mention this.
Sara Zhuo’s voice was as nonchalant as ever, with a hint of caution, “…Jinghu is someone who cherishes old ties.”
Cherishing old ties, unable to forget a profound past lover.
Likewise, unable to fully abandon Zou Weijun.
Not only did the Xie family support Zou Weijun, but it was also Xie Jinghu’s own wish.
If a man truly wanted to divorce for his mistress, he’d find a way. Claiming family opposition, yet cheating without consulting the family!
Sara Zhuo’s clearest trait was that while the Xie family believed Xie Jinghu truly loved her, she never believed in “true love” herself.
On the phone, Sara Zhuo’s tone turned unusually serious, “I need you to do me a favour.”
Even when discussing serious matters, her voice carried a lazy charm.
Zhao Dong said they were good friends, and he’d help with anything he could.
He thought Sara Zhuo was losing her cool and would ask him to deal with Zou Weijun. Instead, she asked him to support Zou Weijun’s career.
“I’ve always felt guilty about her. If what Zou… she’s doing now helps her condition, I hope she can keep growing her career. Don’t trip her up, and help her when necessary!”
Zhao Dong hadn’t expected Sara Zhuo to say this.
What a twist, the mistress and the wife in harmony?
Was Sara Zhuo really content being a mistress forever?
Zhao Dong was confused for a moment, then sharply caught a keyword in her words.
“Condition?”
“…Oh, I forgot you didn’t know.”
Sara Zhuo sighed on the phone, “She has severe depression and once attempted suicide. The Xie family treads carefully around her. Jinghu can only watch her from afar in Rongcheng to avoid triggering her. So, I’m telling you not to rush and sabotage her. If you cause her to relapse, neither the Xie family nor Jinghu will let you off.”
Zou Weijun had depression!
Severe enough to have attempted suicide.
Zhao Dong had an epiphany, suddenly understanding things that previously baffled him.
Depression wasn’t well understood in China, but Zhao Dong, having grown up abroad, was familiar with it. Seeing a therapist was normal overseas, and many people took their lives due to depression each year!
Sara Zhuo sharing this, urging him not to sabotage Zou Weijun, was it genuinely for his sake or reverse psychology?
Zhao Dong broke out in a cold sweat.
He realised he could no longer read Xie Jinghu or Sara Zhuo.
Could they be setting him up to do the dirty work, clearing Zou Weijun as an “obstacle” so they could be happily together?
Zhao Dong thought he might not be a saint, but Xie Jinghu and Sara Zhuo were truly ruthless!
