Xiang Wan's investment foresight was quite good.
Whether it was her account or the house she had her eye on, both had significant appreciation potential.
Shortly after listing it with the agent, buyers began to inquire about the price.
She had bought the apartment, which had suffered a fire, outright for 1.88 million yuan. Including renovations, it was a little over 2 million.
After living there for more than three years, it had actually earned her 600,000 yuan.
The money from selling her account, combined with the studio's working capital, was just enough to repay Tang Hai Chao.
From the 2.6 million yuan she received for selling the house, Xiang Wan opened a card and set aside 2 million for Lu Mingzhe.
Regardless of anything else, the fire had indeed happened, and the renovations were all handled by him.
Even if they both bore responsibility, she would pay half.
People always had to pay for their choices.
The reason they had reached this point couldn't be entirely blamed on others; she herself was also largely responsible.
She just hoped that after spending this money, when they looked back, neither of them would feel the other was a disgusting scumbag.
With everything sold, except for Xiang Yang, there was nothing left in Nancheng that belonged to her.
In the afternoon, Xiang Wan drove to Xiang Yang's school to pick him up after classes.
Xiang Yang was quite surprised.
He had already started his sophomore year in the fall. Throughout the previous year, his sister had never picked him up.
"Tonight, your sister is treating you to a big dinner, just the two of us. I have something to tell you."
"What's wrong? Is it a special day today? Is it your birthday or my birthday? No, neither. Why are you treating me to dinner?"
"You'll know when we get there,"
Xiang Wan said.
"Call your Mingzhe Ge and tell him to sort out his own dinner. We'll be back late."
As expected, Lu Mingzhe cursed Xiang Yang for being ungrateful on the phone.
"You two siblings are going out on a date without me? And you'll be back late? It seems I'm still an outsider."
Xiang Yang chuckled.
"My sister and I have known each other for almost 20 years. This is the first time we're going into a restaurant alone. Who do you think the outsider is?"
"Isn't she about to marry you? She'll be yours for the rest of her life. What's wrong with me having her to myself for once?"
"Alright, alright. Then don't drink tonight. You're driving, don't tire your sister out."
Xiang Wan listened from the side, feeling nothing.
She was not someone who was easily moved.
Lu Mingzhe had finally managed to ignite her passion, only to have her see the truth.
Now that she had calmed down, she had naturally returned to her former self.
Nothing could move or shake her; she had become the impervious Xiang Wan once more.
They booked a private room, sat down, ordered their food, and Xiang Wan truthfully told Xiang Yang about everything that had happened recently.
She also told him about selling her account and her house, and her plan to leave.
Xiang Yang was completely stunned, his mind reeling for a long time before he could recover.
"How is that possible? Mingzhe Ge... could you have made a mistake? It must be his mother stirring up trouble!"
"It doesn't matter, Xiang Yang. Don't you understand what I mean?"
Xiang Wan said coldly.
"His family looks down on me, his mother absolutely despises me. Even if Lu Mingzhe is sincere towards me, do you think we can be happy with his parents constantly finding fault?"
"Besides, given their family's situation, can someone from a humble background like ours fit in and socialize?"
"On holidays, sitting among their relatives, wouldn't you feel like an outsider? Wouldn't you feel inferior?"
"I, Xiang Wan, have arms and legs. I can earn my own house and money. Why should I endure looking at others' faces?"
Xiang Yang understood the logic of her words and her pride.
However, he really liked Lu Mingzhe.
He thought Lu Mingzhe was the best man he had ever met.
He was afraid Xiang Wan would miss out on him.
"What about the child? Mingzhe Ge likes this child so much. If you leave, what if he's very sad?"
"Even if he's sad, it won't last long,"
Xiang Wan gave a self-deprecating smile.
"Do you know who his friends are, and what kind of places they frequent? He probably sees more beautiful women in a night than you've seen in your entire life."
"Living in such an environment, do you think he'll be melancholic for long?"
Xiang Yang felt his worldview collapsing.
His idol had fallen.
How could the world be like this?
Seeing how distressed he was, looking thoroughly dejected, Xiang Wan took his hand.
"I don't want to make a big scene and have a bad falling out with him before I leave, so I plan to leave quietly. You have to keep this a secret for me."
"Starting tomorrow, you'll apply for boarding at school. I'll give you an account later and deposit a sum of money into it. We won't contact each other for three months."
"Once everything has blown over, I'll contact you. If he looks for you or causes trouble after I'm gone, you'll insist you know nothing."
"If it gets really bad, call the police. His father has a special status, and I don't believe he'd dare do anything to you."
Xiang Yang trembled at the thought of such a scenario.
"Sister, does it really have to come to this?"
"Then what do you want? For me to pretend I know nothing, that nothing happened, and just have the child in a muddled state?"
"And then, when I'm old and unattractive, be humiliated by his mother and cruelly abandoned by him? Do you want to see me become like that?"
"No, no, no, I don't want that, I absolutely don't want that!"
Xiang Yang often saw short videos online of women complaining about their husbands. He felt great sympathy for the various unhappy wives depicted.
Thinking of them, he regained his composure.
"You're right, his mother is so malicious, they're not worth it."
"You go. No matter what, I won't say anything. What about Grandma?"
"Tomorrow, I'll use the excuse of resting to go see Grandma, move her out in advance, and then I won't come back."
"This is our last meeting for three months, Xiang Yang. Show some of your manliness, have better psychological resilience. When you go back, don't let him see through you."
"Your sister is fine. I'm just moving towards a better life. Staying behind is what you should truly fear. Don't let me down."
Xiang Yang remembered a TV show he watched as a child, "Don't Talk to Strangers."
The female protagonist in it was beaten by her husband again and again. When she finally decided to truly escape, the expression on her face was the same as his sister's now.
When he was young, he thought the protagonist was strong and brave. Similarly, he saw those excellent qualities in his sister now.
"I understand. I won't let you down. Don't worry."
They ate and talked, discussing many details.
During their meal, Lu Mingzhe called. Xiang Wan directly hung up and replied that they were watching a movie.
Around ten o'clock, they returned. Lu Mingzhe was curled up on the sofa in his pajamas, watching a projection.
Seeing Xiang Wan, he looked wronged.
"Dinner and a movie, who's the wife here? Come here and give me a hug."