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In stark contrast to the lively laughter and chatter in the Li family courtyard, the atmosphere at the Wen family home was quite different.
Inside the room, Tan Xiulian quietly approached Wen Changming and softly asked,
“How is it? Did that girl drink it?”
Wen Changming nodded affirmatively.
“Don’t worry. That girl hasn’t had a drink in all these years. Since I bought it for her, she’ll naturally want to try it. As long as she takes a sip, I guarantee she’ll sleep for the entire day!”
Tan Xiulian let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
“Then you go and remind Wen Qing, tell her to go to bed early tonight, so she won’t get scared when she sees Liu the cripple.”
Wen Changming nodded in agreement.
“Tell her, I’ll definitely find another job for her! She just needs to wait patiently.”
“Mm, I know, don’t worry. Wen Qing has always been sensible, she will listen.”
Wen Changming nodded again, his mind drifting back to the past. He recalled what Wen Qing had said earlier—she was right. He had indeed known Tan Xiulian first.
But at that time, the family was too poor to afford the bride price required by the Tan family. Later, by chance, he met Qi Chunmei.
Qi Chunmei’s family was well-off, and she was relatively simple in nature, making it easy for him to win her over.
However, Wen Changming had always kept Tan Xiulian in his heart. It wasn’t until after he married Qi Chunmei that he reconnected with Tan Xiulian.
In order to secure the bride price, Tan’s family married Tan Xiulian off to a sickly man for good luck. Unfortunately, that sickly man didn’t live long. As soon as Tan Xiulian entered the marriage, he passed away.
Tan Xiulian was mistreated by her in-laws, and it was Wen Changming who saved her from their clutches. Afterward, Wen Changming secretly bought her a house where he kept her hidden.
A single man and woman living under one roof, and with her being the woman he had always longed for, Wen Changming naturally couldn’t remain indifferent.
Tan Xiulian, too, had feelings for Wen Changming. Even though she knew he was already married, she couldn’t bring herself to let go. So, the two of them began their secret affair.
When Qi Chunmei was over three months pregnant, Tan Xiulian also found out she was pregnant. Initially, Wen Changming didn’t want the child, fearing that it would ruin his reputation if anyone found out.
However, Tan Xiulian pleaded with him, repeatedly assuring that she wouldn’t tell anyone. Reluctantly, Wen Changming agreed to let Tan Xiulian keep Wen Qing.
Coincidentally, on the day Wen Qing was born, Wen Changming was promoted to a team leader.
Subconsciously, he believed that the child had brought him good fortune. Combined with his lingering guilt over insisting that Tan Xiulian abort the child earlier, he found himself somewhat partial to Wen Qing.
Tan Xiulian, aware of Wen Changming’s feelings, frequently whispered in his ear, speaking of how Wen Qing would bring luck and prosperity to the family.
Over time, Wen Qing became increasingly important to Wen Changming, especially after Qi Chunmei’s death. With Tan Xiulian’s help, Wen Qing’s position in the family improved. Tan Xiulian secretly taught Wen Qing how to please Wen Changming, which only made Wen Changming grow even more partial to her.
“Knock knock…”
The sound of a knock at the door pulled Wen Changming out of his thoughts. Seeing that it was nearly 10 o’clock, he hurried to the door.
“Why did it take so long to open the door? You’re so slow!”
Liu limped in, his face showing signs of impatience. His scarred face looked especially menacing, and Wen Changming briefly glanced at him before quickly looking away.
“The medicine has already been given to her. You can take her now. But be discreet, there are neighbors around. Don’t make too much noise.”
“Alright, alright, you’re so cautious. I’ll inspect the goods first, then I’ll give you the money!”
“Fine!”
Wen Changming led Liu to the door of Wen Nuan’s room. He skillfully used a wire to pry open the wooden door.
“Come in, she’s on the bed.”
At this moment, Wen Nuan pretended to be asleep with her eyes closed, but she heard every word of their conversation clearly.
“She’s really something, such a beautiful girl, and you’re willing to let her go?”
“Hmph, what’s all the talking for? Just tell me if you want her or not!”
“Yes, of course I want her. Such a beautiful little wife, if I don’t take her, am I missing my senses?”
Liu ‘s face was twisted into a lewd and wicked smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled-up bundle of cash, throwing it at Wen Changming.
“This is two hundred yuan, as agreed on the price. Not a penny more or less, and the old man takes her away!”
“Good!”
The only response from Wen Changming was the sound of him counting the money, followed by a simple acknowledgment.
Wen Nuan’s heart burned with hatred. She wanted nothing more than to leap up and tear these two people apart. But in the end, she restrained herself.
In today’s society, governed by law, such scum should be handed over to the authorities to face justice and receive the punishment they deserve.
Moreover, if the police can trace Liu ‘s whereabouts to that small village, it would be a true stroke of luck.
On Li Haiyang’s side, he was always out on the streets, coming by the alley every now and then, worried about ruining Wen Nuan’s plan. If someone were really kidnapped, he would never be able to live with himself.
Unexpectedly, just as he came out of the restroom, he saw someone standing at the door of the Wen family home, knocking. Li Haiyang immediately hid in the corner, watching with his own eyes as Wen Changming led the person inside.
“Kidnapping his own daughter… Wen Changming is nothing but a beast!”
Fearing that something might go wrong, Li Haiyang quickly rushed back to gather people.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Li Haiyang quickly made up an excuse, saying he had seen a thief sneaking into a neighbor’s house and needed to gather his friends to catch the thief and recover the stolen goods.
When his buddies heard about the thief, they were immediately fired up with righteous anger. After all, they worked in the security department, so catching thieves was part of their job.
“Let’s wait here. Once the person comes out, we’ll move in. Don’t alarm them!”
“Don’t worry, we’re much quicker at catching thieves than you are at giving orders! Stop bossing us around!”
Li Haiyang rolled his eyes. Considering Wen Nuan, he didn’t bother arguing with these simpletons.
He was secretly calculating that once Wen Nuan was rescued, Wen Changming’s position as the team leader would surely be compromised. At that point, he would be able to take a step forward in his own ambitions—haha…
A short while later, the door to the Wen house opened again, and Wen Nuan was being carried over Liu’s shoulder.
Liu looked around cautiously, and seeing nothing unusual, he proceeded to step out of the door.
“Damn, even thieves are this bold now, just carrying people away in broad daylight?”
Zhang Dongliang muttered in disbelief as he observed the sneaky figure ahead.
“Keep it down, wait until they get closer, then move in!”
Liu , feeling pleased with his success, was focused on the prize he had just acquired and didn’t notice the danger lurking in the shadows.
At that moment, Li Haiyang, Zhang Dongliang, and the others emerged from the corner.
Liu was startled by the sudden change and immediately tried to flee. However, with Wen Nuan still slung over his shoulder, his speed was naturally slower.
“Thief, where do you think you’re going?”
Dongliang swiftly moved forward, delivering a side kick that knocked Liu to the ground. Wen Nuan, who had been over his shoulder, was thrown off with him.
“Ouch!”
Liu, feeling the pain, quickly got up and prepared to fight back, only to be knocked down again by Duan Lizhi, who had caught up from the other side.
Soon, several people piled on top of him, firmly pinning Liu down.
Among these five people, aside from Li Haiyang and Zhang Dongliang, the other three had all been soldiers, so capturing Liu was naturally no trouble at all.
Seeing that the thief had been subdued, Li Haiyang quickly went over to check on Wen Nuan. At that moment, Wen Nuan pretended to wake up.
“Uncle Li, what happened?”
The two exchanged a glance, then began to play along with the scene.
The commotion had been so loud that the surrounding neighbors were all awakened, and naturally, Wen Changming noticed something was wrong.
However, what he didn’t expect was that as he stepped out of the door, he saw Wen Nuan lying on the ground with Li Haiyang squatting beside her.
Wen Changming’s mind went blank, and beads of sweat began to pour down his forehead one after another.