Chapter 81.1

The mother and daughter were shocked.

Seeing the anger on Commander Xie’s face, Bai Qianzhu’s breathing stopped.

“Old Xie—”

“A bitch is a bitch,” Commander Xie looked at her viciously, “From the moment you took the initiative to climb into my bed, I knew you were a woman who couldn’t bear to be lonely.”

Bai Qianzhu pursed her lips.

Upon hearing Commander Xie’s words, a wave of indignation surged in her heart.

“Have I not treated you well enough?” Commander Xie pointed at Xie Yin, “I’ve treated her as my own, giving both you and your daughter a life of comfort, and the honor of being the commander’s wife. I believe I’ve done enough.”

Bai Qianzhu took a deep breath.

“Yes, you have treated us well,” she looked at Commander Xie, “but that’s because I’ve been careful, constantly trying to please you to earn it!”

Commander Xie was not an easy man to deal with.

Whenever Bai Qianzhu interacted with him, she had to be on full alert, giving him her all.

“Even after we registered our marriage, you never truly cared about me. I’m just something you can summon or dismiss at will, forced to please you to secure my place in the Xie family.”

Commander Xie looked at her in confusion, “…Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”

Xiao Zhou: “…”

Bai Qianzhu: “…In the end, you just look down on me!”

“I do look down on you,” Commander Xie responded coldly, “Do you have a powerful family? Are you smart enough to be a capable wife for me? You’re vain and only know how to enjoy life. Your daughter is exactly like you, spoiled to the core.”

“Dad!”

Xie Yin was somewhat dissatisfied.

If they were talking, why drag her into it?

“Don’t, I can’t bear it,” Commander Xie snorted and pointed at William, “He’s your real father.”

Xie Yin bit her lip.

Even though she wasn’t the brightest, she knew Commander Xie had overheard everything her mother and she had been planning.

“Divorce! I want a divorce!”

Bai Qianzhu couldn’t take it anymore.

She glanced at William, determination flashing in her eyes.

Even though Commander Xie had found out, he wouldn’t kill her, would he? Besides, William was a foreigner—Commander Xie wouldn’t dare!

Suppressing her panic, she walked toward William.

“William, from now on, you are all I have.”

But to her surprise, William yanked his hand away and ran over to Commander Xie, falling to his knees with a thud.

“I… I didn’t know you were the Commander!” William’s former gentlemanly composure had vanished. His tearful whining was pathetic, worse than a commoner’s. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have dared to flirt with someone of your status, even with a hundred guts!”

Bai Qianzhu’s already pale face turned even whiter.

She involuntarily took a step back, devastated by what she saw.

“Didn’t you say you were a noble from T Country with mixed blood from four nations?!”

Xie Yin’s eyes widened, unable to believe the scene in front of her.

So… they were deceived?

“It was just boasting… How was I supposed to know you’d actually believe it…” William muttered under his breath, “You can’t blame me for this. It’s all because of this mother and daughter’s greed for fame and fortune.”

Bai Qianzhu was on the verge of collapse, overwhelmed by frustration and regret.

Commander Xie, observing her expression, chuckled lightly.

“This is the person you betrayed me for?”

To Bai Qianzhu, his words were filled with mockery. Each syllable felt like a slap across her face.

Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

Bai Qianzhu lunged forward, crying bitterly.

“Old Xie… I-I was deceived, it was un—”

Smack!

Bai Qianzhu received another slap.

She didn’t dare show any resentment, not even covering her face. Her well-maintained skin immediately showed a red handprint, with blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

“Old Xie, I didn’t mean it! I was tricked into saying such irrational things. In my heart, you are the most powerful, the wisest, and the most heroic man.”

Xie Yin also heard the sharp sound of the slap, and it made her shudder.

Her stupid little head started to work rapidly.

She quickly knelt beside her mother, mirroring her cries.

“Dad, you have to believe us. It was this shameless villain who deceived us!”

Xie Yin understood it very well.

If they didn’t resolve this today, not only would she lose her position as the commander’s daughter, but she and her mother would have no idea how to survive in the future. The thought of the poor people she once despised made her tremble even more.

She couldn’t live like that, eating gruel and bitter vegetables.

“I’m not your father,” Commander Xie’s gaze landed on William, “He’s your real father.”

William was trying his best to make himself invisible, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

When he heard his pseudonym being mentioned again, he cursed Xie Yin in his heart for being such an idiot.

“Dad—”

“Get lost!”

Commander Xie kicked Xie Yin, sending her flying.

She knelt beside Bai Qianzhu on purpose to prevent Commander Xie from suddenly hitting her. She had planned to protect herself from the slap but not from his leg.

Commander Xie had traveled extensively in the past and had made many great contributions. Even a man would not be able to withstand this kick.

Xie Yin was kicked far away.

She clutched her abdomen in pain, curling up like a shrimp. Blood oozed from her mouth and nose, and she couldn’t even manage to cry out.

“Xiaoyin… Xiaoyin…”

Bai Qianzhu was startled and rushed over. But seeing her daughter in such pain, she didn’t know how to help.

This time, she was genuinely panicking.

“Xiaoyin, Xiaoyin, look at your mother…” Bai Qianzhu’s eyes were red and tears as big as beans fell, “You are so cruel, after all, she has called you dad for more than ten years!”

Commander Xie, who originally felt guilty, became even more hard-hearted after hearing this.

“You two are two-faced. I should have seen through you long ago!”

Bai Qianzhu didn’t care about much else and just looked at Xie Yin with tearful eyes.

“Xiaoyin, answer your mother,” she said anxiously. “Old Xie, I know you hate me and blame me for betraying you. I will accept any beating or punishment. Can you send Xiaoyin to the hospital first?”

Her eyes were full of pleading.

Xiao Zhou stood nearby, his lips twitching, wanting to say something, but seeing Commander Xie’s stern demeanor, he didn’t dare step forward to beg for mercy.

Xie Yin’s nose and mouth were still bleeding heavily…

“Old Xie… I’m begging you.”

It was clear Bai Qianzhu had underestimated Commander Xie’s ruthlessness.

After all, if he wasn’t cruel, Bai Qingzhu wouldn’t have died.

Commander Xie let out a cold snort.

“This is the price you and your daughter pay for betraying me. Enjoy it.”

He looked down upon Xie Yin, who was struggling to death, and Bai Qianzhu, who was begging humbly, with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes.

Rising to his feet, he signaled to Xiao Zhou with a glance.

Understanding immediately, Xiao Zhou grabbed William, who had tried to run. Just as he was about to hand him over, a loud crash startled him. He quickly turned around, only to see Commander Xie wide-eyed in shock, collapsing weakly to the floor.

Behind him stood Bai Qianzhu, holding a bloodied weapon, her eyes filled with fury.

Commander Xie lay on the ground, staring at her in disbelief.

“You… you…”

Bai Qianzhu glared at him with venom and struck him again, her face twisted with satisfaction.

Clenching her teeth, she spat out each word:

“You forced me to do this!”

Xiao Zhou was stunned by the sudden turn of events.

He quickly pulled out his gun and aimed it at her. “Stop!”

Seeing the situation was dire, William bolted.

At this point, Xiao Zhou couldn’t worry about him.

Even with the gun pointed at her, Bai Qianzhu wasn’t afraid. She threw down the bloodstained weapon with a small laugh, then collapsed onto the ground.

…

Father Ruan and Mrs. Ruan’s departure seemed to take the warmth of Wancheng with them. Since that day, it had been raining, and the temperature was dropping by the day.

Today, Ruan Mingfu noticed that the vegetable patch and the grass in her yard were covered in a thin layer of condensation.

Curious, she reached out to touch it, feeling the cold against her fingers.

“Eh~”

So cold

She rubbed her fingers. “It’s getting cold so quickly.”

Just last month, she was still wearing dresses, but now she had to wear a padded jacket.

“In half a month, the first snow of this year should fall.”

The sun was out today, but it gave no warmth at all.

“Old Xie, isn’t the unit going up the mountain for training? Aren’t you going?”

Xie Yanzhao paused, holding his teacup.

“No.”

The mountains are bare and it takes four or five days to get there. It’s not as fun as staying with Ruan Mingfu.

“Alright then.”

Ruan Mingfu clapped her hands.

She had never seen a wild boar before. Hu Wanning had told her once that wild boars were mostly lean with little fat, and had a strong, gamey taste.

It’s not very tasty anyway.

“Oh, by the way, have you seen one of my nightgowns while doing the laundry?”

Nightgown?

A flash of realization crossed Xie Yanzhao’s face.

He pressed his lips together and responded seriously, “What nightgown?”

“The one shaped like a dress,” she explained. Ruan Mingfu had made the nightgown herself, and even Hu Wanning, a master seamstress, had complimented it. She had been very proud of it. But recently, it seemed to have gone missing. After thinking about it, she added, “It’s red.”

Remembering the large tear in the nightgown, Xie Yanzhao’s guilt grew.

He coughed softly. “Maybe you left it somewhere. Why don’t you check again?”

“I’ve looked everywhere, turned the whole place upside down, but I can’t find it.”

Xie Yanzhao’s eyes darted nervously as he racked his brain for an excuse. Just then, Wangcai came bounding over, a piece of red fabric in its mouth.

The dog happily trotted up to Ruan Mingfu, dropped the fabric at her feet, and sat down obediently.

“Woof!”

Xie Yanzhao: “…”

Ruan Mingfu petted the dog’s head, noticing the familiar-looking fabric. She unfolded it and, sure enough, it was her missing nightgown.

It was filthy, covered in mud and grass, and had a gaping hole in the chest large enough for someone to stick their head through.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Her precious masterpiece!