Chapter 419 - 365: An Ulterior Motive
Chapter 419: Chapter 365: An Ulterior Motive
Wu Xiaorui was intentionally provoking Wu Xiaowen. The more frantic Wu Xiaowen became, the happier she was, wishing her sister would be driven completely insane with rage. Why would she "get lost" so easily?
"Want to have another go? Come on, I’ll let you hit me a few times, make me bleed a little, and then you can compensate me. I know you’ve got money. Bai Lihua once raised over a hundred thousand for you, right? It was supposed to be for our dad’s jade, but that deal fell through. So, where’s the cash? Shouldn’t I get a cut? You and Bai Lihua were first loves, an old flame, but I’m his *new* flame now. There’s no reason for you to hog all the benefits! I’m not asking for much, not even half. Just give me fifty thousand, and we’re good!"
Wu Xiaorui said this with righteous indignation, but Wu Xiaowen was so enraged her vision swam. She pointed a trembling finger at her sister and cursed, "You... you’re utterly shameless!"
"Heh! Anyone can accuse someone of being shameless, Wu Xiaowen, but you don’t get to! Think about it. You’re a married woman, a mother of two, yet you’re fooling around with another man on the side, and you do it so openly, so naturally. Should I praise you for your nerve or condemn you for your utter lack of shame? Oh, right. I remember you love reading foreign novels. I’ve read a few myself. Women in other countries sure have it good—they can have a husband *and* a lover. They call it ’romance.’ But we grew up in Huaxia. What do we call this behavior? A public disgrace! If we let the public weigh in on this, I’d definitely save face. After all, I’m single, aren’t I? But you? You wouldn’t be able to pick your reputation out of the gutter!"
Wu Xiaowen swayed and nearly collapsed. Tang Yaxuan quickly caught her, saying to Wu Xiaorui with tears in her eyes, "Aunt Xiao Rui, you can’t say that about my mother. Mom and Uncle Bai just have a very innocent friendship. They just talk and have had a few meals together. Mom never took any money from him! That time Uncle Bai offered to help raise money for the jade, Xiao Man ended up buying it, so he never gave Mom the money. It’s true! There wasn’t any hundred-thousand-plus yuan like you said. Not a single penny!"
Wu Xiaorui shot Tang Yaxuan a glare and sneered, "Cut the goody-two-shoes act. You’re a vicious little wolf in sheep’s clothing. You could sell Wu Xiaowen down the river and she’d thank you for it! Why is Bai Lihua so good to her? Running around for her, buying her this and that? All because of their ’innocent’ friendship? Ha! Maybe you should have your phony mom teach you how to strip for a man!"
"Wu Xiaorui! Do you believe I’ll kill you?" An intense fury blazed in Wu Xiaowen’s bloodshot eyes.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Wu Xiaorui stood up and sashayed over to Wu Xiaowen, her hips swaying. She arched an eyebrow and smirked. "A little long in the tooth, but you’ve still got your charms. You’re actually quite fetching when you’re angry! No wonder the man can’t let you go. He was sounding me out, asking how he could get your forgiveness, hoping you two could reconcile and get back together. Wu Xiaowen, with your pathetic strength, you can dream on about killing me. Just obediently hand over the money. Fifty thousand. Not a penny less. Give me the cash, and I’ll leave. I’ll stop fighting you over your man. I’m sick of this place anyway. Your call. I’m a woman of my word."
With that, Wu Xiaorui lifted her chin, sauntered back to her bedroom, and slammed the door shut with a BANG.
Tang Yaxuan helped Wu Xiaowen to the sofa. Wu Xiaowen’s heart was a tempest of shame and fury; she couldn’t calm down and had completely forgotten about packing Tang Yaxuan’s luggage.
Fortunately, there was still time to pack in the morning, as Tang Haocheng had said they were taking the noon flight.
Of course, Wu Xiaowen had her reasons for sending Tang Yaxuan to visit Tang Qingyun. ’I’ve really been missing my husband lately. Whenever I call, he’s never there. His secretary always answers, saying he’s gone out to the villages. I know what the working conditions are like in the mountains, and I can’t help but worry about him. Since I can’t take a long vacation myself, sending one of the kids to show I care is the right thing to do.’ Then there was her mother Lin Aizhen’s warning: a man left to his own devices for too long is prone to trouble. ’Especially a man as handsome as Qingyun. He’s forty now, but that just makes him seem more mature and charming. Over there, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. I wouldn’t mind a brief fling with some other woman, but what if he develops real feelings? That would be a huge problem!’
Wu Xiaowen knew her husband. She had spent time in the mountains herself and knew what the local women were like. ’Tang Qingyun would never be interested in them. In the past, I had to watch out for the educated youths, but most of them have returned to the cities now, so there’s no threat.’ She had never worried about him finding another woman there. But after what happened with Bai Lihua and Wu Xiaorui, she was deeply hurt and rattled. She found herself appreciating all of Tang Qingyun’s good qualities and realized her mother’s words held a lot of truth. ’I can’t let my guard down. I need to take precautions.’
’Manman is going back to Gongdao Village, but that girl is stubborn, rude, and not at all filial. She’d never visit Tang Qingyun. Hao Hao might, but Manman would surely cling to him and prevent him from staying long. Only Xuanxuan can stay by Tang Qingyun’s side for the whole summer vacation. Plus, she’s an observant child. If Tang Qingyun is getting a little too friendly with another woman, she’ll definitely pick up on it!’
Wu Xiaowen’s plan was perfectly calculated, but she failed to realize she was being foolish again. She was so focused on having Tang Yaxuan hitch a ride on the plane to save money and spare her the misery of a long trip that she forgot one crucial detail: her precious adopted daughter was the person Grandpa and Grandma Tang disliked the most. Why would they ever agree to let her travel with Xiao Man and Hao Hao?
Before taking Tang Yaxuan to the Tang Mansion, Wu Xiaowen stopped at a public phone booth to call Tang Haocheng. She told him to come to the gate to meet her and "Sister Xuanxuan," explaining that Xuanxuan would be returning to G Province with them. Then, without waiting for a reply, she hung up.
However, when she and Tang Yaxuan arrived at the Tang Mansion by taxi, laden with two large bags, they found the wrought-iron gate shut tight. Two black sedans were parked in the courtyard, and several staff members were busy loading suitcases and travel bags into the trunks. Near the gate, two guards stood ramrod straight, their gazes fixed ahead. Wu Xiaowen could scream herself hoarse, but they wouldn’t so much as blink. The people by the cars seemed to be deaf, ignoring her completely as they went about their tasks. Wu Xiaowen was so furious she felt she might faint.
After a short wait, Xiao Man, Tang Haocheng, Grandpa and Grandma Tang, and Ai Wenli emerged from the house. Wu Xiaowen was furious and felt wronged, but she had no energy left to shout. Tang Yaxuan, for her part, didn’t dare make a peep. Mother and daughter watched helplessly as the four family members got into the two black sedans. The cars started up and drove slowly toward the entrance. As the iron gate swung open, Wu Xiaowen rushed forward, raising her hand to block their path. But the guards were not for show; they moved swiftly from inside the gate to stand between them and the cars. The sedans sped off, leaving Wu Xiaowen’s shrill screams in their wake.
In the courtyard, Ai Wenli shook her head, sighed, and went back inside.
In one of the departing sedans, Tang Haocheng’s lips were pressed into a thin line, his expression as dark as a thundercloud. Even with a brain ten times sharper than anyone else’s, he just couldn’t understand it. ’Why is my mother so different from everyone else’s?’
Xiao Man looked like she wanted to say something, but after a glance at the driver and staff in the front seats, she held her tongue.