Chapter 1287: Chapter 1287: Exposed
As Bai Xiao drove out, she saw Liu Hong standing by the roadside, a woman staring at her with an arrogant expression, muttering something.
Liu Hong slapped her.
Then suddenly, a man charged forward.
He punched and kicked Liu Hong.
When Bai Xiao stopped the car, the man had already taken the woman away, leaving Liu Hong lying on the ground, her face and head covered in wounds, groaning in pain.
“Li Shuanzhu, you are no human! You are no human!”
Liu Hong shouted hoarsely at the man’s departing figure.
Bai Xiao helped her up.
Liu Hong lifted her eyes and realized it was Bai Xiao, involuntarily shrinking away.
She and Bai Xiao hadn’t seen each other for many years! The emotions they shared back then had gradually faded with time, and they seldom kept in touch.
Though they were still friends, emotionally, they weren’t the same friends as before.
Especially Bai Xiao now, so glamorous she made her feel ashamed.
Bai Xiao looked at her friend from the past, whom she could barely still call a friend.
At least back then, driven by her own gain, she wanted to use Liu Hong’s father’s influence to protect her family.
But Liu Hong’s series of changes later on indeed surprised her.
More than that, she felt pleased.
She wasn’t a good person, but she wasn’t bad either.
When others showed goodwill, she would reciprocate.
“Who was that?”
The Liu Hong she saw today was different; it was clear Liu Hong was in bad shape.
“No one, I don’t know them!”
Liu Hong lied, afraid her embarrassing life would be seen by her friend, fearing her disgrace would become a joke to her friend.
Bai Xiao knew she was lying.
Would an unknown person get slapped? Would an unknown person know her name?
But since Liu Hong didn’t want to say, she wouldn’t force her.
“Where are you staying this time? I’ll drive you back. And how about the kids?”
Earlier at the wedding, Bai Xiao saw three kids; they seemed okay, quite good-looking, polite, just apparently less affectionate towards Liu Hong.
Not like being with their biological mother.
That kind of distance and politeness didn’t seem like a real mother-child relation.
“Staying at the hotel, the kids went back first. They have studying to do, don’t want to fall behind.” Liu Hong chewed on the bitterness; this excuse had been prepared long ago.
“Alright then! Hop in, I’ll take you back! We haven’t seen each other for so many years, your kids have grown up so much, mine is only three years old, so different. Let’s really talk this time.” Bai Xiao tugged her into the car.
Liu Hong wanted to refuse, but really had no excuse.
Mostly she also wanted to find someone to talk to, the heaviness in her heart perhaps really needed someone to confide in.
Bai Xiao got the address and drove straight to the hotel.
The hotel wasn’t a great place, far naturally because it was cheap.
Bai Xiao was surprised, “Liu Hong, how’s your business now? I remember you had already started a factory back then, not small, you should be doing great now, right? Liu Hong was quite successful back then, with substantial family assets.
Liu Hong’s face turned pale, “It’s alright, business has been tough these two years, the factory’s closed, only the store is running, barely managing.”
Bai Xiao turned her head to look at Liu Hong, her sharp gaze was overwhelming for Liu Hong.
“Don’t look at me like that, every time you do, it feels like you’re interrogating a criminal, I can’t stand your gaze, feels like being seen through.” Liu Hong’s words instantly shattered the tiny remnant of awkwardness between the two.
Both laughed.
“You’re still the same, straightforward! Haven’t changed much over the years.”
Bai Xiao felt this was the Liu Hong she knew.
Liu Hong sighed, “How can you not change over these years? Everyone changes, but you changed for the better, seeing you living so happily, An Zhiyuan spoiling you to the skies, makes me envious, Bai Xiao you’ve always been better than me.
Back then I took a wrong path, one can’t take the wrong path, once mistaken, there’s no turning back.”
Her soliloquy was filled with deep regret and helplessness.
“What’s there to envy? Don’t you have a family, look at those three kids, you did great, they’ve grown, they’ll obey and be considerate, and then you’ll be relieved. By the way, why didn’t your guy come? I’ve never seen him, always busy, didn’t make it to your wedding, I said I’d invite you two for a meal, to make up properly.
But didn’t see him.”
Bai Xiao asked seemingly unintentionally.
Liu Hong turned her head away, her eyes slightly red, paused, then squeezed out a smile, “Him, busy with business all day, you know we’re doing small business, can’t both leave, or how would we eat?
Next time, next time when you come back, we’ll invite you for a meal, we’ve been friends for so many years, I’m touched you still consider me a friend, really feel happy in my heart, actually, I have few friends in my life, the only friend who ever warmed me, is just you.
Really, thank you, Bai Xiao!”
Liu Hong choked up, tears streamed down her cheeks.
Her crying uncontrollable.
Bai Xiao handed her a tissue.
“You’re still not going to tell me the truth? Your so-called real friend only shares happiness and not worries? Seems like you don’t see me as a real friend.” The cold voice made Liu Hong look up in astonishment.
Tears still hung on her cheeks, her nose red, the wrinkles on her face couldn’t be concealed.
Liu Hong was similar in age to Bai Xiao, at most a year or two older.
But Liu Hong now looked no different from a middle-aged woman.
Body distorted, swollen, wrinkles crisscrossed, complexion sallow and dark, silver flickering in her hair, even under a lot of life pressure, it shouldn’t exhaust a woman of just thirty into this state.
If said to be fifty outside, people would believe it.
“Bai Xiao, what are you saying? I…”
“Stop lying to me, wasn’t the man just now Li Shuanzhu your man? If I remember correctly, I didn’t attend the wedding then, but the gift I sent, not just sent, also gave you two matching watches, they were bought from Hong Kong Island, he’s wearing them now isn’t he?
And how is that woman also wearing the watch I gave you? Aren’t you going to explain?”
Bai Xiao revealed.
Not knowing doesn’t mean you can’t see through, Liu Hong’s situation seemed like she was being bullied to death.
Anyone seeing this wouldn’t miss the scene as a person who lived twice.
Isn’t it just the tired comedy of a man having an affair, the mistress provoking, resulting in the heartless man beating his wife?
The reason the three kids were seemingly estranged from Liu Hong was unknown, but they weren’t close.
Continuing like this, a good woman would get tortured to death.
For others! Bai Xiao doesn’t care, but Liu Hong was still a person they knew.
Used to be friends.
If Bai Xiao pretended not to know, she herself wouldn’t be able to get over this hurdle inside.
She wasn’t some Saint Mary, but couldn’t stand seeing a scumbag being arrogant either.