Wu Chunqin herself married late, there was no other way, she wasn’t at the right level early on, and even if she’d settled for someone, it wouldn’t have been someone she liked.
She chose the path of establishing her career before starting a family, but she didn’t force others to follow the same route.
Everyone’s situation is different, so you can’t generalise.
In Wu Chunqin’s words, she met her Professor Shen too late, which is why she married so late. If she’d met him earlier, she’d have clung to him and never let go.
“Finding the right match is no easy feat. Girls these days are bold, if you don’t act fast on a good catch, another girl will snatch him away. Going from school uniform to wedding dress is romantic, and as long as the boy is outstanding, he could even inspire your little Ying to strive harder!”
Chen Ru didn’t agree with every word Wu Chunqin said.
Always worried about Wen Ying falling into early puppy love, and just now misunderstanding that Wen Ying had been “that kind of bullied,” when Wen Ying confessed the truth, Chen Ru was indeed angry, but somehow not as angry as expected.
Deep down, she even felt a huge relief: all this over that?!
This girl really scared people to death.
Bank work is gruelling, especially after transferring to Chengdu, where Chen Ru dealt with major deals. A small mistake, due to the large sums involved, could turn into a massive blunder.
Chen Ru had to be cautious, more cautious, unable to afford a single error, her fiery temper worn down considerably.
Now calming down, her rationality returned, and she immediately spotted the flaw in Wen Ying’s story.
If the opposing lawyer hadn’t approached Wen Dongrong, Wen Ying wouldn’t have come to confess!
This was a criminal knowing there’s no escape route ahead, forced to surrender, not a genuine change of heart.
Wen Ying had too many ideas of her own!
Chen Ru’s temper started to flare.
Seeing Wen Ying’s nose red from crying, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, that temper didn’t end up venting on her.
No matter how bad the child is, she’s her own flesh and blood, Chen Ru could scold or discipline her, but who were others to bully her?
Chen Ru recalled something, “Your dad didn’t know beforehand either?”
Wen Ying’s conscience wrestled for a moment.
If she said Old Wen knew, Chen Ru would absolutely believe her.
If Chen Ru followed up later, the first to be dealt with would definitely be Old Wen, and the heat on Wen Ying would be minimal, or even none.
But Old Wen genuinely didn’t know.
He might have suspected something, but Old Wen was sharp, suppressing his curiosity and not asking, even pretending everything was normal when his private stash mysteriously grew.
Wen Ying struggled for a bit, her conscience temporarily overriding her darker impulses, especially considering she’d need Old Wen to take the fall for many things in the future. No sense burning out her scapegoat in one go, so she honestly cleared Old Wen, “He didn’t know. Today, when that Lawyer Du went to his workplace, he was furious too.”
Wen Ying sneaked a glance at her mum’s expression, piling on flattery without cost, “What’s the point of that Lawyer Du finding my dad? My mum’s the one who calls the shots at home!”
That wasn’t wrong.
What kind of blind lawyer gets the head of the household wrong? Looks like his skills aren’t up to much!
But while Wen Dongrong was initially clueless, after the lawyer showed up, he knew, and on such a big matter, he didn’t call her immediately, waiting hours to push their daughter to confess. There was definitely something fishy.
Death penalty spared, but punishment unavoidable!
Chen Ru had set the tone.
Whether it was disciplining her daughter or dealing with her husband after this, it was family business to be handled behind closed doors. Chen Ru poked Wen Ying’s forehead, “I’m telling you, this isn’t over so easily. For now, I’ll meet this Lawyer Du.”
Wen Ying, nose still red, nodded vigorously.
“Mum, can you handle Lawyer Du? He’s fierce and formidable. Dad couldn’t handle him, that’s why he came to you for help.”
That’s because your dad’s useless!
Chen Ru handed Wen Ying two tissues to wipe her tears.
“Good, I’d love to see just how formidable he is!”
So, no matter how mature Wen Ying usually acted, she still panicked when big things hit.
In Wu Chunqin’s words, when problems arise, parents shouldn’t first blame the child but solve their troubles. Now it was Chen Ru’s turn to fix her daughter’s mess.
Once Wen Ying tidied her appearance, Chen Ru invited Du Li into the office.
Seeing the scene in the office, Du Li’s first reaction was that his judgment might have been off.
By common sense, a minor official should be the head of the household, a stern patriarch, but Chengdu’s yin energy outshines its yang, producing soft-eared men. Seeing Chen Ru’s transfer to the provincial capital to accompany her child, he assumed the Wen family was male-strong, female-weak. Meeting Chen Ru in person, Du Li knew he’d been too hasty.
This was a strong woman!
He should’ve approached Chen Ru first. Finding Wen Dongrong was a waste of time and missed the best opportunity.
The first time you say something has the most impact; without that initial shock, the effect is at least halved!
Du Li thought this but wasn’t one to give up easily, still stating his purpose.
Of course, the spiel used on Wen Dongrong wouldn’t work. Even if Chen Ru was initially kept in the dark by her daughter, she now knew the situation.
Wen Ying’s nose was red, her eyes bloodshot, clearly having cried hard.
Du Li focused on the contract Wen Ying signed with Chengdu Literature Press, reminding Chen Ru and her husband to carefully review it, as publishers often exploit minors.
“Our positions differ now, I know Ms. Chen won’t trust me, but that’s fine. There are plenty of law firms in Chengdu. Ms. Chen can find a trusted lawyer to thoroughly check the publishing contract. It’s best not to use the lawyer handling this case either, since he took on a minor’s lawsuit without guardian consent, I question his professional ethics.”
Du Li not only smeared Chengdu Literature Press but took a shot at Zheng Zhihe too.
Wen Ying knew what Du Li was up to.
Du Li figured that now Wen Ying’s parents knew the “truth,” they’d interfere in the lawsuit.
A lawyer not trusted by Wen Ying’s guardians would surely be replaced. Even if Wen Ying’s side persisted with the lawsuit, if Zheng Zhihe wasn’t the lawyer, win or lose, the spotlight wouldn’t be on him!
Chen Ru raised an eyebrow.
No need for this Du fellow to remind her, Chen Ru would definitely review the contract and meet the lawyer.
This whole thing infuriated her, whether it was Wen Ying’s actions or the publisher’s.
Wen Ying, a minor, acted foolishly, but the publisher went along with it?
Wen Ying signed a contract behind her parents’ backs, and the publisher actually agreed. Chen Ru would be suspicious of the publisher no matter what.
These matters required Chen Ru to verify and handle one by one.
But right now, the first person Chen Ru needed to deal with was Du Li.
She understood the reasoning, but did she need Du Li to point it out?
This man’s stance meant every word he said carried bad intentions!
