Chapter 11

“Xia Xue, you and Wanting grew up together—why are you doing this?” Qiao Yilan had always been a refined, cultured woman. Having watched Xia Xue grow up, seeing her turn out like this left a sour taste in her heart.

“Auntie, I suppose you don’t know what Uncle’s been doing outside, do you?”

The moment Lin Wanting heard Xia Xue say this, she immediately pulled Qiao Yilan away. But Qiao Yilan wanted to know—what could Xia Xue know that she herself didn’t?

“Wanting, let go of me! I want to know what’s going on that I don’t know about!”

Qiao Yilan’s gentle demeanor turned cold in an instant, as if the emotions she had been suppressing for days finally erupted.

Wang Xing simply sat to the side, ready to enjoy the drama.

“Xia Xue, my mother has always treated you well. Don’t push your luck—otherwise, I won’t be polite to you,” Lin Wanting warned.

But Xia Xue thought Wanting was all bark and no bite. She had been holding onto this information for a long time, never telling Wanting, just waiting for the day she could use it to hit Qiao Yilan where it hurt.

“Auntie, do you know why Uncle is so cold to you? It’s because he has a son outside! The baby’s only a month old.”

Lin Wanting was shocked at how much detail Xia Xue knew. She had wanted to protect her mother from this cruel truth, but now Xia Xue had snatched that chance away. Any hope Wanting had of mending her parents’ relationship was shattered.

Qiao Yilan clutched her chest, furious. “Is what you’re saying true?”

“Auntie, you’re really too easy to fool. Even your daughter—my best friend—knows about it. So tell me, everyone knows except you. I honestly think it’s unfair to you, so I’d rather be the bad guy and tell you myself.”

Qiao Yilan turned to Lin Wanting. “You knew too?” Wanting tried to explain, but before she could, Qiao Yilan collapsed in a faint.

Ignoring the shameless couple, Wanting rushed to press her mother’s philtrum to revive her. Meanwhile, Xia Xue, feeling all her earlier frustrations melt away, pulled Wang Xing away. She had found her satisfaction in making mother and daughter suffer.

Watching Xia Xue’s retreating figure, Wanting decided she would act tonight.

It took a while before Qiao Yilan came around. Deep down, she had suspected something, but hearing it spoken aloud by an outsider cut like a knife.

“Mom, you’re awake. Let’s go home—I’ll call the family doctor.”

Qiao Yilan’s gaze was distant and weary as she stared at the gloomy sky. She had gone out in such a good mood.

Gu Qingqing, with her simple mind, couldn’t begin to piece together what had just happened.

She carried her mistress back to the family estate. Wanting had no idea how to comfort her mother. She hadn’t meant to keep it from her—she had just been afraid of exactly this scene. Even if she had told her earlier, the result would have been the same.

“Mom, please don’t blame me. I wanted to investigate thoroughly before telling you, but I haven’t even found that illegitimate child yet.”

Qiao Yilan said nothing, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. She knew her inability to give Lin Haifeng a son had become something he increasingly resented over the years.

Realizing that saying more would do no good, Wanting left Gu Qingqing to watch over her and went to act on her plan.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she couldn’t confront Xia Xue directly—not with the people backing her.

She returned to her room, changed into a black fitted outfit, pulled on a black cap, and armed herself head to toe. She set off into the darkening streets.

That afternoon, Xia Xue and Wang Xing had searched everywhere but found no suitable shop space—let alone agreed on what to do. Wang Xing had shown no initiative; it was all Xia Xue running around making arrangements.

“Wang Xing, what’s going on in your head? You had such good ideas before. Why have you changed completely since we got married?”

Xia Xue’s patience was wearing thin. She had no intention of putting up with him. He didn’t even wash his feet before getting into bed, filling the room with the stench of a dirty ditch. She gagged repeatedly.

“That’s disgusting! You have no sense of hygiene!” she snapped, demanding he wash his feet. But Wang Xing didn’t like being told what to do—he had his own strange habits.

“Missy, stop ordering me around. If you’re not happy, why’d you insist on marrying me in the first place? You should learn a thing or two from Lin Wanting.”

Of all the things he could say, that was the one that hit her deepest nerve—comparing her to Lin Wanting.

“In what way am I worse than her? If she’s so good, why did you marry me? Answer me!”

Xia Xue lunged at him, almost violently. Wang Xing, mindful of the money she controlled, didn’t fight back.

Living off a woman meant swallowing his pride—for now. But in his heart, he was already plotting his revenge.

Meanwhile, Wanting had found a mysterious helper to carry out a big move she had been planning for a long time. Tonight, it finally happened—and it was just the beginning.

She didn’t return home immediately, instead watching from a distance as her plan took effect.

“Xia Xue, aren’t you the one who wanted to marry a poor man? Let’s give you something to really deal with first.”

But even that didn’t fully satisfy her. The way Xia Xue had hurt her mother that afternoon still burned. Qiao Yilan hadn’t drunk a drop of water since, feeling humiliated that everyone seemed to know—likely even the rich wives in her social circle—while they all just sat back and enjoyed the spectacle.

Xia Xue returned home late. Normally at this hour, Qiao Yilan would have reheated the dishes and waited for her. Tonight, the main hall was cold and quiet. She went to Qiao Yilan’s room with some fruit, not even having changed her clothes yet.

“Mom, please eat something, okay?”

Qiao Yilan took one look at Wanting’s all-black outfit. “Where did you go, coming back so late?”

She knew her daughter was timid by nature, so for her to be out this late was unusual—she had to ask.

“Mom, eat first and then I’ll tell you.”

This was between her and Xia Xue—she wouldn’t drag her mother into it. But it would drag down Xia Xue’s entire family, none of whom would be spared.

Reluctantly, Qiao Yilan ate a few bites. She had no appetite, but she also knew Wanting wouldn’t tell her the full truth. Still, she didn’t want her daughter worrying about her. She’d lived for decades; she wouldn’t be defeated by this. But a heart is still flesh—she just needed time to recover.

Xia Xue thought that controlling the purse strings meant she could order Wang Xing around. In truth, Wang Xing was biding his time—once he rose or she fell, his true colors would show instantly.

He wanted to have a child, but Xia Xue flatly refused to cook until they had found a shop location.

In his mind, Wang Xing scoffed, She’s not even “first-hand goods” and still acts so high and mighty. Just wait till the day she cooks—I’ll make sure it’s a big one.

On this seemingly ordinary night, with everyone burdened by their own troubles, a scandal erupted that would shake their entire social circle.

Lying in bed, counting the stars, Lin Wanting thought to herself—this was exactly what they deserved.