Chapter 65

Putting aside the underground romance with Xu Shijia within the team, Lin Shu was very satisfied with the team’s recent enthusiasm.

The next day, Xu Mingmei quickly communicated with Lin Yiqing, and receiving such important information greatly uplifted Lin Yiqing’s spirits. Xu Shijia was diligently preparing materials related to the toxic land property dispute. As for his ex-wife, Song Yilan, she would be seen at the new product launch conference that afternoon.

Liu Xuhui’s legal services for the hearing-impaired had expanded, and during the recent team meeting, Lin Shu heard him report that they had taken on legal consulting for several deaf schools in other cities. He was busy, yet fulfilled and exciting.

As for Tie Niu, although he couldn’t meet with clients and could only handle paperwork and back-office tasks, his enthusiasm seemed stronger than anyone else’s. Lin Shu had received multiple work emails from Tie Niu at 2 or 3 in the morning recently, which surprised her. After all, Tie Niu had always had a proper work attitude, but he had never worked this hard.

This made Lin Shu a bit puzzled, so she called Xu Shijia to ask: “What’s going on with Tie Niu lately? Do you know?”

“Oh, him? It seems like he lost a lot in stocks. Every time he looks at the stock market, his face either turns green or yellow. One time, I saw him shaking and searching for heart-saving pills after checking the K-line chart,” Xu Shijia shrugged. “Hui Ge has told him several times to stop trading stocks, but he keeps doing it. Before he buys stocks, he always stares at me in a weird way, which creeps me out. When he loses money, he glares at me. I suspect he’s lost so much in the stock market that he’s mentally unbalanced and has started to resent the wealthy.”

Lin Shu actually felt a bit melancholic about Tie Niu.

Liu Xuhui had developed the legal niche for the hearing-impaired, Xu Mingmei had made significant progress in her first case, and Xu Shijia was steadily advancing. The only person Lin Shu still worried about was Tie Niu.

Since she joined, Tie Niu had always treated her with respect. His work attitude was upright, and he was meticulous and serious. But now, for whatever reason, he was working so desperately. However, due to his inability to meet with clients, his professional ceiling was visibly low, and his income was highly restricted if he wanted to improve significantly.

She had to find a way to help Tie Niu overcome this flaw so that he could have a broader career path.

“Why does Tie Niu communicate with us normally but have so many issues when meeting clients?”

But when it came to this question, Xu Shijia, who usually knew everything, was surprisingly helpless. “I really don’t know. Tie Niu joined before me, but unlike Hui Ge, he’s not an alumnus of my school, so I don’t know much about his situation. Anyway, when I came here, he was already like this, which is why the previous partners never let him meet clients.”

“Even Hui Ge doesn’t know why he’s like this. Tie Niu is very sensitive about it and refuses to talk to anyone about it,” Xu Shijia added with some helplessness. “He’s very resistant to discussing it; it seems to be a personal issue.”

Indeed, Lin Shu had tried talking to Tie Niu before, but he never gave a direct answer. Instead, he would change the subject and quickly find an excuse to leave.

It seemed that solving his inner conflict would have to be a long-term plan, and for now, she had to focus on the tasks at hand.

Lin Shu had planned to visit a client with Xu Shijia that morning, have lunch together, and discuss a merger case. “We’ll leave for Mr. Chen’s meeting at 11.”

Unfortunately, Xu Shijia raised an objection to Lin Shu’s schedule. “No, 11 o’clock will be too late.”

“I just realized that at 11 this morning, Zhao Zhongcheng is holding a concert at the concert hall on the road we’ll be taking to see Mr. Chen. You see, it’s only 9 now, and his fans from out of town have already completely blocked the road,” Xu Shijia said thoughtfully. “So, to avoid being late because of traffic, I suggest we leave at least an hour earlier.”

Lin Shu glanced at Xu Shijia’s phone, which was showing news about the concert. The once quiet road was now crowded with people.

“Zhao Zhongcheng? Who is he? Is he that famous?” Lin Shu asked, surprised.

If it’s a concert at the concert hall, it must be an artist-level performance. Why had she never heard of this name?

“He’s a typical success story of a grassroots artist making it big. He’s in his thirties, comes from an ordinary family, not an artistic family, but he’s loved the piano since childhood and taught himself. Honestly, when it comes to playing skills, his basic technique and expressiveness aren’t as good as mine…” Xu Shijia’s tone became slightly sour as he spoke.

“Since you heard me play yesterday, you know my level. This kind of subpar performance will hardly catch your ear…”

As soon as “last night” was mentioned, Lin Shu became uneasy.

She hadn’t really appreciated the music last night. Her mind had wandered, and she couldn’t focus on anything, not even recognizing that Xu Shijia was playing a piano piece at an elementary school level. She had completely distracted herself and focused on the wrong things.

But she would never admit this.

Pretending to be serious, Lin Shu shot Xu Shijia a glare and cleared her throat, replying earnestly, “If his skill was on the same level as yours, could he even perform at the concert hall?”

It was better not to mention it, but once Xu Shijia started talking, he became quite competitive: “His skill level isn’t that impressive. The main reason he became famous is because he’s blind. He used to play the piano for terminally ill patients and their grieving families at the hospital’s public piano, free of charge. He’d play whatever song they requested. Over time, many patients and their families started calling him the ‘Blind Pianist,’ and there are tons of short videos about him online. That’s how he quickly became famous, and then came the media interviews and his sudden rise to fame.”

“His story is really inspirational, and that’s why he became an overnight sensation, attracting many fans. Later, he was signed by Jin Yan Media. Do you remember that ‘Hot Night’ event where a bunch of new hosts and artists were announced? He was one of them.”

“Really?” Lin Shu tried to recall, and after Xu Shijia mentioned it, she did remember hearing the name “Zhao Zhongcheng” at Jin Yan Media’s banquet.

Xu Shijia continued, “After working with Jin Yan, his popularity skyrocketed. Now, he’s getting all kinds of commercial performance invitations. Many young people see him as an inspirational idol.”

With this explanation, Lin Shu started to understand.

Music has a therapeutic effect, which is why the large hospitals in Rong City have public pianos and organize volunteers to play for patients regularly.

Zhao Zhongcheng had worked hard to learn the piano on his own and then volunteered to play for patients. Although his playing wasn’t master-level, as a blind person, it was quite remarkable. No wonder he became an inspirational idol.

People from all walks of life are full of talent.

Everyone’s opportunities are different. When Zhao Zhongcheng was playing at the hospital, he probably never imagined he would reach this point.

Lin Shu glanced at the time and realized it was nearly time to head out, so she stopped focusing on Zhao Zhongcheng and started discussing the day’s work schedule with Xu Shijia, preparing for the meetings and negotiations ahead.

Luckily, thanks to Xu Shijia’s reminder, they left early enough to avoid any delays. The client they met was very straightforward, and after a smooth conversation, both sides were satisfied. Lin Shu successfully closed the merger deal.

Next came the highlight of the day—attending the perfume product launch to meet Song Yilan.

As the person who had helped source this lead, Xu Mingmei had been preparing for the event well in advance. When Lin Shu and Xu Shijia arrived, she and Lin Yiqing, who had disguised herself a little, were already waiting at the entrance of the event.

Anytime Song Yilan arrived, she had to pass through this entrance.

As the launch time drew nearer, several wealthy-looking women arrived, but there was still no sign of Song Yilan…

Just when Lin Shu thought they would leave empty-handed, they finally spotted her.

Song Yilan had completely abandoned the restrained and somber style she used to wear during her “Aunt Zhou” days. Instead, she was dressed in an expensive black suit, with her hair styled in voluminous waves and tinted with a fashionable chestnut color. Around her neck was a pearl necklace that clearly looked expensive.

However, despite her sophisticated appearance, she seemed flustered. She was pushing a stroller, with a child inside crying loudly. Song Yilan was walking briskly while rummaging through her handbag, looking for a milk bottle and formula.

It was clear that the child was hungry, and Song Yilan was preparing to make a bottle.

“My child!”

“That’s my son!”

Lin Yiqing, who had been downcast, became visibly emotional when she saw the child, almost to the point of tears. Her previous lethargy disappeared, and without consulting Lin Shu, her maternal instincts kicked in. She ran straight toward Song Yilan, took advantage of her distraction while preparing the milk, and quickly snatched the child from the stroller. Lin Yiqing then ran toward Lin Shu and the others.

At almost the same time, Song Yilan noticed the child had been taken from the stroller and, panic-stricken, shouted, “Someone’s stealing my child!”

She looked even more like a desperate mother, holding the stroller and the milk bottle, and her frantic demeanor convinced several bystanders to stop.

The situation quickly escalated, angering Lin Yiqing.

“Song Yilan, you have no shame! Is that your child?” Lin Yiqing ran back toward Lin Shu’s side, standing behind Xu Shijia while tightly holding the child. “The birth certificate clearly says the mother is Lin Yiqing, not you, Song Yilan!”

“I don’t know why you divorced Xu Nan, but when I met him, he was already divorced! I didn’t interfere in your relationship, so why are you doing this to me? You and Xu Nan teamed up to steal my 20 million cash and now you’re trying to steal my child?!”

Because of their loud argument, passersby started to turn their attention to them. Just when Lin Shu thought Song Yilan would calm down after realizing Lin Yiqing had taken the child, she did the opposite. She dropped the milk bottle and screamed that Lin Yiqing had stolen her child. Then, without warning, she rushed toward Lin Yiqing and tried to grab the child from her, screaming at the top of her lungs. A few well-meaning bystanders were misled and rushed toward Lin Yiqing as well.

The scene became chaotic. Lin Shu tried to intervene and manage the situation, but Lin Yiqing, perhaps due to the psychological trauma of losing her child, panicked when she saw Song Yilan and the others running toward her. In her panic, she didn’t listen to Lin Shu’s advice. Instead of staying in place, she grabbed the child and ran, fearing that the child would be taken again.

This made the scene even more chaotic.

Lin Yiqing rushed out of the mall, running in a blind panic. Song Yilan, with a grim face, chased after her, while Lin Shu, Xu Shijia, Xu Mingmei, and some other bystanders followed behind.

However, Lin Yiqing, who had just given birth, was physically weak, and her emotions were running high. As she ran, she became disoriented, rushing toward the road without realizing the traffic light had turned red, and cars were speeding toward her.

Lin Shu’s heart raced as she saw Lin Yiqing, dazed and clutching the child, heading straight toward the oncoming traffic.

“Oh no!”

“Lin Yiqing! Watch out for the car on your side!”

Unfortunately, both Lin Shu and Xu Shijia were too far from Lin Yiqing, and their shouts were drowned out by the noise of the busy traffic.

In a split second, Song Yilan, who was closely following Lin Yiqing, summoned an incredible burst of strength. Despite wearing high heels, her speed was unaffected. Just before the car, unable to brake in time, was about to hit Lin Yiqing and her child, Song Yilan used all her strength to push them out of the way.

With the screech of brakes, Song Yilan lost her balance as she pushed Lin Yiqing and fell heavily to the ground.

Thankfully, the driver managed to stop in time and did not hit her. Other than some scrapes on her knees, Song Yilan was unharmed.

“Are you crazy?! Watch the lights!” the driver shouted in anger before driving off.

Lin Shu, Xu Shijia, and Xu Mingmei hurried forward. Xu Mingmei and Xu Shijia helped the injured Lin Yiqing, checked the baby, and soothed her frayed nerves, while Lin Shu went over to Song Yilan, supporting her and helping her off the road.

If the driver hadn’t braked in time, it might have been Song Yilan who got hurt.

It was certainly a dangerous moment. But if Song Yilan hadn’t pushed Lin Yiqing aside, she would have been safely out of the car’s path. It would have been only Lin Yiqing and her child at risk.

Undoubtedly, Song Yilan’s actions had just saved both mother and child.

Lin Yiqing, shaken, gradually calmed down with Xu Shijia’s comforting words. Although still visibly unsettled, she held her child tightly. Strangely enough, the baby, who had been crying loudly before, stopped crying as soon as Lin Yiqing held them. Feeling the familiar scent of his mother, the baby even started to giggle as Lin Yiqing rocked him.

Because of this incident and Song Yilan’s instinctive response, the tense atmosphere softened.

The baby’s laughter felt like a signal breaking the ice, and suddenly, Song Yilan began to cry.

“Lin Yiqing, I hate you. I really hate you. Why didn’t the car just kill you?”

Even though she had saved them, Song Yilan’s voice was filled with genuine regret and pain. Now that everything was out in the open, Lin Yiqing and her child were surrounded by people who could protect them. Her identity was exposed, and she had lost any chance to take the child.

She slumped onto a bench, glaring at Lin Yiqing with hatred. “If only you’d been hit by the car. Xu Nan is the child’s biological father, and if you’d died, custody would naturally go to him. Then I would have the child, and we’d just have to remarry to be a complete family.”

“I hate myself for pushing you out of the way. I should have just let the car hit you.”

Despite her expensive suit, Song Yilan’s disheveled hair and erratic gaze made her look nothing like the poised woman she had been earlier, but rather a crazed, middle-aged woman in someone else’s clothes.

Covering her face, she cried in anguish. “But I couldn’t bear to see the baby in danger. Even knowing that letting the car hit you would’ve solved everything, I couldn’t help pushing you both aside.”

People’s hearts are complicated. Although Song Yilan hated Lin Yiqing, she had been the one caring for the child as a nanny since birth and had grown attached. And from her words, it was clear…

Being a family with Xu Nan…

Lin Shu suddenly had a bold suspicion.

“The chat records Lin Yiqing found between Xu Nan and his mistress… could the ‘mistress’ actually be you?”

There was no point in denying it now. Song Yilan looked at Lin Yiqing with a sneer and admitted, “Yes, it’s been me all along. Did you think Xu Nan loved you? Xu Nan never loved you. He could never find a mistress because he only loves me.”

“But Xu Nan said it was your affair that led him to divorce you!” Lin Yiqing glared at Song Yilan, clutching her child tightly. “I gave Xu Nan the warmth of a family, which is why he was eager to marry and have children with me. If it weren’t for you meddling, he would have never done this! Did you blackmail him? Did you use something to make him take my money and try to steal my child? You both have more than enough money! Why do this?”

Song Yilan laughed bitterly. “You really are naive, Lin Yiqing. You thought all this was my idea?”

“Let me tell you! From start to finish, this was all Xu Nan’s plan!”

“You think there’s a problem in my relationship with Xu Nan? There’s not. I have been faithful to him, and he has always loved me. If I could have children, there would be no place for you in our lives!”

Seeing no need to hide anything anymore, Song Yilan continued, “Xu Nan and I have been married for years, and our relationship has always been strong. We wanted children and tried for years, but every time I got pregnant, I miscarried within months. Eventually, the doctors said my uterus was not suitable for carrying a pregnancy. As I got older, the doctor recently told us there was no way I could have a child.”

“But Xu Nan’s family needs an heir. That’s why he suggested divorcing me, finding a woman online, quickly getting married and having a child, then divorcing and taking custody of the child. Then he would remarry me, and we could live together as a family.”

Song Yilan sneered, “I never cheated on Xu Nan, and our relationship was never in question. The only reason we did this was to have a child. So, I’m the mistress in your marriage? Don’t make me laugh. I was the wife all along. You were just a surrogate, and in truth, you’re the unworthy third party in our relationship.”

Song Yilan’s voice was calm, as if this elaborate scheme to trick someone into surrogate motherhood was as simple as planning a meal. Lin Shu was left speechless with shock.

Lin Yiqing was equally stunned. Often, even when we know the truth in our hearts, we refuse to accept our own failures until the very end. Lin Yiqing, too, clung to a sliver of hope, pressing on with a desperate question: “So you two just plotted to deceive me? And Xu Nan’s business troubles were all fake? He actually never needed money?”

“Of course. Without that, how could we trick you into a divorce? A woman like you—agreeing to live with Xu Nan and get married and have kids so quickly after meeting him online—wasn’t it because he was generous and wealthy? Weren’t you drawn in by his money? If he went broke, naturally, you’d want to leave.”

Gritting her teeth, Song Yilan continued, “It was all going smoothly until you got suspicious after discovering my chats with him and refused to sign the divorce papers. For the sake of the child, Xu Nan and I had to quickly alter the plan and take the child first.”

If everything had gone as planned and Xu Mingmei hadn’t discovered that “Aunt Zhou” was actually Xu Nan’s ex-wife, Song Yilan, they might have succeeded. After spending some time with the child, even if Lin Yiqing eventually secured a divorce, a judge would likely consider the child’s established bond with the father and grant him custody.

Luckily, the truth had come to light, and the child had been returned to Lin Yiqing, offering her a glimmer of hope.

With the child back, Lin Yiqing, who had been focused on her child’s safety, was shaken to her core hearing this confession. She could barely believe it, feeling devastated. “But if Xu Nan’s business troubles were fake, and you both have plenty of money, why couldn’t you just use a surrogate abroad? Why bring an innocent woman into all this pain?”

“Xu Nan said that surrogacy isn’t legal here, and with the prevalence of shady clinics, there was no guarantee of a healthy child. Even abroad, where surrogacy is legal, there are risks. What if the surrogate baby has defects? And if there’s an international lawsuit, it’s complicated. Not to mention, some reputable overseas agencies have had scandals involving embryo mix-ups.”

“Besides, my eggs are no longer viable, so we’d have to use another woman’s egg. But there’s a lot of fraud in the egg donation market—some even falsify information or mix up races. So why not have Xu Nan find a woman domestically through marriage and produce a child with guaranteed quality?”

Indeed, obtaining a child through legal marriage and childbirth was not only legitimate but convenient and cost-effective. Plus, Song Yilan could disguise herself as a nanny, ostensibly caring for Lin Yiqing, while actually monitoring her. This allowed them to act quickly to take the child when their messages were exposed.

Realizing this was a complete setup, and that she’d never held a place in Xu Nan’s heart, Lin Yiqing’s face turned pale with a mix of anger and shame.

“You two have no shame, do you? How can you justify destroying someone else’s life so casually? And if all you wanted was a free child, and Xu Nan’s ‘failed business’ was fake, why did you take my only savings, too? Don’t you have any conscience?”

“Money? Xu Nan and I don’t lack money. To prove his loyalty, he transferred all the assets and the house into my name after the divorce. I knew he truly loved me. But when you got pregnant, I endured the humiliation of serving you for the sake of the child. I felt sick watching him play pretend with you, whispering sweet things. I hated you and wished you’d disappear. I wanted you to lose not only your child but your money and husband too, so you’d have nothing left.”

“The two million meant nothing to me, but I wanted to see if Xu Nan was willing to take it from you for my sake. If he hesitated, it would mean he truly felt something for you. The two million was just a test of his loyalty.”

To Song Yilan, two million was as trivial as asking a man to buy flowers to prove his love.

She smirked at Lin Yiqing, as though she had won some grand victory. “Do you know? He didn’t hesitate at all and followed my instructions to take your two million. He didn’t feel a thing for you. That was the only reason I could tolerate playing the role of the ‘amazing nanny’ you praised endlessly. Otherwise, why would I put up with your nonsense? Don’t you think my troubles were worth those two million?”

In Song Yilan’s eyes, the two million was merely her way of testing Xu Nan’s love.

Living a life of ease and privilege, she only ever considered her own desires, indifferent to others’ lives. And now, she took pleasure in mocking Lin Yiqing.

“Xu Nan loves me. He never loved you. He’ll also file for custody of the child, so don’t think holding the child now guarantees you custody. You have no job and were living off the two million from your previous husband. Now that money is gone, what proof do you have to show you can provide a good life for the child?”

Lin Yiqing’s hands shook with anger, and Xu Mingmei, sensing her distress, immediately started patting her back and helped her to the side.

Song Yilan’s smugness only grew.

But what was she so proud of?

“Do you really believe Xu Nan loves you?”

This time, before Lin Shu could respond, Xu Shijia, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

“If Xu Nan truly loved you, why couldn’t he accept that you couldn’t have children? Why did he insist on going to such lengths to produce an heir? There are plenty of childfree couples today.”

“It’s not as if he couldn’t go abroad for IVF and surrogacy legally. But he exaggerated every risk just to justify ‘personally fathering’ a child here. When you were suffering from multiple miscarriages during all those years of trying, didn’t he see the toll it was taking on your body? He let you endure it until the doctor finally declared you infertile.”

“In your marriage to him, Xu Nan only thought about himself. He didn’t want the hassle of going overseas multiple times or dealing with uncertainties, so he decided to trick an innocent woman into marriage and trick her into having a child for him.”

“As a man, I don’t believe a man can separate his actions from his feelings. He may say he loves you, but the fact that he went as far as marrying Lin Yiqing and having a child with her—that’s already crossing the line. Ask yourself honestly: when he sought her out under the pretense of marriage, didn’t he feel any attraction to her, even for a moment?”

Xu Shijia’s words struck a nerve. Lin Yiqing, after all, was a beautiful woman. Though she’d been through a failed marriage, she maintained herself well, exuding an elegance and maturity that only grew with age. She was often approached by strangers on the street, and Xu Nan’s justification simply didn’t hold up.

Clearly, Song Yilan had considered these possibilities but never dared to confront them. Now, with Xu Shijia’s blunt words, her face showed a panicked expression, like someone drowning.

“Stop it! You don’t understand my relationship with Xu Nan! We’ve supported each other since we were kids, through everything! If it wasn’t for the child…”

“Does wanting a child justify putting his wife through such pain?” Lin Shu’s tone was steady but cutting. “He made you disguise yourself as a nanny to care for and spy on Lin Yiqing. Did he even consider how you felt about that?”

“From dating to marrying and having a child, do you really believe Xu Nan never once felt any affection for Lin Yiqing? And if your bond with him was as deep as you claim, why did you feel compelled to take all of Lin Yiqing’s money? You’re hardly short of cash.”

“You know that Lin Yiqing was clueless in all this. She’s the most innocent among the three of you. But Xu Nan’s betrayal—both physically and emotionally—left you feeling hurt and resentful, so you took it all out on her and decided to steal her money too.”

“He didn’t betray me emotionally! He only sacrificed himself physically to have a child!”

Lin Shu laughed sardonically. “Sacrificed himself? What did he sacrifice—an arm or a leg? Song Yilan, trying to comfort yourself by saying he only betrayed you physically but not emotionally is the saddest thing of all. It’s like someone who’s been cheated on, trying to convince herself that her betrayal isn’t that serious, just mildly humiliating.”

Lin Shu’s voice was calm, but each word was piercing. “Are you truly okay with the humiliation of being cheated on? Have you never doubted his love for you?”

“You’re simply too afraid to face it. You don’t dare hate Xu Nan, because if you did, your world would fall apart completely.”

“It’s because you love Xu Nan that you endure the pain, that you act as a nanny to Lin Yiqing and take care of her child.”

“But Xu Nan doesn’t love Lin Yiqing, nor does he truly love you. He only loves himself.”

Lin Shu looked directly at Song Yilan. “So rather than hating Lin Yiqing, you really hate Xu Nan, and perhaps yourself for being so powerless.”

As a willing accomplice, Song Yilan was certainly despicable. Yet, in another sense, she was also Xu Nan’s victim.

The truth was ugly, and the combined words of Xu Shijia and Lin Shu left Song Yilan on the verge of collapse. She screamed, almost to the point of breaking down, “Enough! Enough! Stop talking!”

Lin Shu stared coldly at her. “Rest assured, we have ways to recover Lin Yiqing’s money. And we will not relinquish custody of the child easily. See you in court.”

With that, Lin Shu turned to leave with the group, but Lin Yiqing, who still looked distressed, tugged at her sleeve, stopping her. “Lawyer Lin, I have a few more words to say to Song Yilan.”

Lin Yiqing approached Song Yilan, who glared at her. “What? Want to slap me? Or throw a cup of coffee in my face?”

“Neither.”

Moments ago, Lin Yiqing’s face may have been just as tormented as Song Yilan’s, but now, looking at the disheveled and emotionally unstable Song Yilan, she had found a calm resolve.

“I never imagined something like this would happen to me. I thought this relationship would be a chance to show up my ex-husband, maybe even flaunt my love with Xu Nan. But to you, I was just a pawn, tricked into marriage and used as a tool to have a child.”

“When I first found out the truth, I was devastated. I felt stupid, felt like my whole world had collapsed.”

“But seeing you now, I realize that no matter how pitiful I am, I’m still better off than you. Because I never loved Xu Nan as deeply as you do. I did meet him through a dating site, and yes, I was drawn in by his generosity, in part hoping to make my ex-husband jealous. And yes, I was briefly infatuated with the illusion of love he created. But I never threw myself into it as recklessly as you have.”

“So now that I’ve seen his true colors, while it hurts, I’ll get over it quickly. I won’t live in self-deception like you.”

Lin Yiqing’s voice trembled at first, but grew stronger and more resolute as she spoke. “I’m done with Xu Nan. I’ll file for divorce, I’ll recover my money, and I will not let you or him take my child.”

“When I first realized you were ‘Aunt Zhou,’ I did hate you. But now, I don’t anymore. Because you’re more pitiful than I am. So go on, continue sinking alongside Xu Nan. He’ll keep cheating, under the guise of needing a child, trampling your dignity and ignoring your feelings.”

With that, Lin Yiqing picked up her child and left Song Yilan behind, walking out with her head held high.