Liu Chen and her mother, Liu Fang, found themselves in rare agreement.
"Earn more money and buy a house!"
Ren Yuanying, who was accustomed to such scenes, saw the admiration on Liu Chen's face. She patted Liu Chen's head and spoke in a tone meant to soothe a child, sighing with a smile, "If you like it here, Auntie's place, stay longer. This house is so big, and at night, besides your brother Ren Mo, it's just me. Seeing the liveliness of the city, I actually envy it a little."
If Liu Chen were truly a seventeen-year-old girl, she might not have been able to resist such an enticement. But Liu Chen was not. She shook her head, turned away from the dazzling city lights behind her, and looked at Ren Yuanying, who stood before her, earnestly expressing her gratitude. "Auntie Yuanying, thank you very much, but one meal is enough. My mother feels enough pressure as it is for this god-daughter arrangement..."
Before she could finish, tears welled up in Ren Yuanying's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She then walked over to Liu Fang and sobbed, "Fang, tell me, how could my life be so hard? I got married and divorced early. I managed to raise two sons, only to almost lose one today. It's so rare to reunite with you, and now Chenchen doesn't want to be my god-daughter, fulfilling my dream of having a daughter. Wuuu! Tell me about my life!"
Ren Yuanying's appearance was quite deceptive; she looked like a pampered noblewoman. Yet, the fact that she could own dozens of chain stores in C City meant her capabilities were undeniable. When she decided to play the victim, her tears felt utterly genuine.
Liu Fang tried to console her for a while, but it was no use. In the end, she had no choice but to call the shocked Liu Chen, who was standing by, to come over and obediently call Ren Yuanying "god-mother."
"God-mother."
"Yes!"
Ren Yuanying's tears stopped instantly upon hearing the words. She gently wiped her face, smiled, and led Liu Chen and her mother to the dining room for their meal.
Liu Chen had expected Ren Yuanying's dining room to be as ostentatious as the crystal chandelier in the living room. However, upon entering, she found a hot pot table. The space for the hot pot was covered, and on top sat five dishes and a soup.
"Try my cooking. These dishes were prepared this afternoon. I just gave them a final stir-fry when I got back, and they're ready to serve," Ren Yuanying said as she served Liu Chen a bowl of soup. She truly longed for a daughter, and her dream had finally come true.
Liu Chen thought for a long time before deciding to remind her god-mother. While sipping the soup, she chatted with Ren Yuanying about the tutoring center.
"I heard from people that those hooligans usually don't rob the tutoring center. They complain that the students don't carry much money and their phones are cheap."
Ren Yuanying glanced at Liu Chen, somewhat surprised by her god-daughter's thoughtful nature, realizing she sensed something was amiss.
"The police investigation revealed that they claimed to have heard that a wealthy student had come to the tutoring center, which sparked their idea. However, by saying this now, their crimes are actually minimized. Don't worry. When it comes to business matters, if they dare to lay a hand on your brother Ren Mo, watch me chop off their claws!"
Hearing this, Liu Chen nodded. In her past life, her god-mother had been able to shake the political landscape of C City. Now, with the tragedy averted, and her god-mother realizing something was wrong, she felt relieved and left the matter to her.
Liu Fang looked around, harboring a vague suspicion. It seemed Ren Mo's incident was more than just a simple robbery by hooligans.
Ren Yuanying didn't want the meal to become somber. She immediately said, "Don't worry, they're just some rats in the gutter, they won't be able to escape. Once things are handled, we can host a banquet and I can introduce everyone to my precious daughter!"
***
"What? You want me to go to the hospital to take care of Mom like this?" Zhang Lili sat on a stool in front of the vanity mirror, looking at the bald patch on her head reflected in the mirror. She felt a surge of anger in her chest, wishing she could grab a stool and rush to the hospital to beat that old hag to vent her frustration!
Hu Xingfa glanced at the top of Zhang Lili's head and then impatiently looked away. "It's just a few strands of hair pulled out, what's the big deal? My mother sprained her back. It's only right for you, as her daughter-in-law, to take care of her. You're not doing anything at home anyway."
Zhang Lili looked at the high-end skincare products on her vanity table and tried to console herself, telling herself not to get angry. If Hu Xingfa hadn't spoken so rudely back then, she wouldn't have been the only one who persevered among so many people, leading to their happy and prosperous family today!
"Old Hu, that's not what I mean. I mean, Mom is very upset right now. If she sees me, she might get even angrier. Besides, my sister-in-law's mother is sick, and they hired a caregiver at the hospital who takes very good care of her. I even got their contact number. If I go to the hospital, there'll be no one to manage the house, and no one to supervise Qianqian's homework. She'll be in her senior year in the second half of the year, so we can't afford to slack off at such a crucial time!"
As Zhang Lili spoke, she swept her hair to one side, tilted her head slightly, and looked at Hu Xingfa with soft eyes, her gaze tinged with moisture. Back then, she had relied on this very tactic to secure her position as Hu Xingfa's mistress for over a decade. Unfortunately, Zhang Lili had forgotten that she was no longer in her twenties. She was almost forty, and she had a few bare spots on her scalp.
Hu Xingfa glanced at her with some disdain, but eventually relented. "Then you stay home and focus on Qianqian's studies. For Mom, we'll hire a caregiver as you suggested."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lili quickly agreed in a gentle voice, mentally calculating. According to market rates, a caregiver would cost eighty yuan a day. She would find a cheaper one, one that cost fifty yuan a day. She would tell Old Hu to pay a hundred a day, and the fifty yuan difference would be hers.
She had everything planned out. But as they were getting ready for bed, Hu Xingfa still hadn't mentioned when he would pay for the caregiver. Zhang Lili, while massaging Hu Xingfa's temples, softly asked, "Since we're hiring a caregiver, I need to call them first thing tomorrow morning. Could you give me about a thousand yuan? That way, I can pay them without having to trouble you if I'm short of cash."
Lying on Zhang Lili's lap, enjoying the massage with his eyes closed, Hu Xingfa slowly replied, "You still have some of the two thousand yuan gift money you took from me. Use that to hire a caregiver for Mom. Oh, and buy Mom a gold bracelet worth ten thousand yuan, and use the rest of the money to buy yourself some clothes."
Hu Xingfa had known about the bracelet issue when he sent his mother, Luo Meihong, to the hospital. At first, he was a bit annoyed. Why was Zhang Lili so foolish? Not only did she send a fake, but she was also exposed in public. Now, by saying this, he was deliberately reminding Zhang Lili of her place. He was very busy with company matters lately, and the new young secretary was always making subtle advances toward him. His heart was fluttering, and he had no time to deal with the conflicts between his wife and mother.
Zhang Lili, who was gently massaging Hu Xingfa's temples, heard this and her breathing suddenly became rough. She looked down at Hu Xingfa, with his closed eyes and his large, fleshy face, and her hands pressed down on his temples with a little more force. She truly wished she could just press him to death right then and there!