“A Zhen, thank you for the fifty thousand. Without it, I truly wouldn’t have made it through this month.” The deep male voice of Bai Zhanlou suddenly came from the room, sounding particularly grating to Zhong Wanqiu’s ears. So, the fifty thousand her mother had asked for was given to Bai Zhanlou.
Fury surged through her. “Mom, come out here!” She felt too embarrassed to enter, but that didn’t mean she didn’t dare to shout.
Immediately, rustling sounds came from the room, followed by Liang Shuzhen opening the door with her clothes still somewhat disheveled. “Wanqiu, what brings you here?” Seemingly caught off guard, Liang Shuzhen’s complexion didn’t look good, probably afraid that Zhong Wanqiu would reveal the origin of the fifty thousand.
“Give it back.” Zhong Wanqiu stretched out her hand, her gaze cold as she stared at Liang Shuzhen. She really wanted to slap her. Was this really her mother? How could she have such a mother?
Liang Shuzhen hastily stepped out of the room and casually closed the door behind her, afraid Zhong Wanqiu might see Bai Zhanlou inside. Her actions made Wanqiu feel betrayed and disappointed, deepening her emotional pain. Grabbing Zhong Wanqiu’s hand, she pulled her toward the grape arbor, passing by Bai Hui without even bothering to greet her. Forcing Zhong Wanqiu to sit on a wooden bench beneath the grape arbor, she hurriedly said, “Wanqiu, Mom had no choice. I couldn’t just stand by and watch your Uncle Bai’s company face trouble. As soon as I have the money, I’ll pay you back immediately.”
“Not to me, Xia Jingxuan! Mom, how could you casually deceive someone for money? My heart is breaking, and I can’t believe I trusted you, “Zhong Wanqiu shouted, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and heartbreak, making her emotional turmoil more palpable to the reader.
“Wanqiu, keep your voice down.”
“How am I supposed to keep it down? Are you here to work or to support a gigolo? Give it back…” Zhong Wanqiu’s voice trembled with frustration and helplessness, making her feelings more relatable and intense for the audience.
“Wah…” Liang Shuzhen’s tears fell, her voice trembling as she explained, “Wanqiu, I only did this because I was desperate. I couldn’t bear to see your Uncle Bai’s company suffer, and I thought this was the only way. Please understand, I love you,” her words revealing her complex motivations and making her more relatable.
There it was. The moment Liang Shuzhen used this tactic, Zhong Wanqiu knew she was done for. She was indeed the child Liang Shuzhen had adopted from the orphanage for twenty thousand. Whenever this was brought up, she remembered that she once owed Liang Shuzhen twenty thousand, even though she had no idea how much money she had given Liang Shuzhen since then. Now, the relationship between them was too messy to untangle.
“Mom…” Her heart softened. Liang Shuzhen always knew exactly where Zhong Wanqiu’s weak spots were.
“Wanqiu, just this once. As soon as I have the money, I’ll give it to you right away.”
What more could she say? Shaking her head and sighing repeatedly, Zhong Wanqiu walked out of the Bai family’s gate with an indescribable feeling in her heart. She felt sad for Liang Shuzhen, but what about the fifty thousand? She couldn’t just let Jin Ruoxue keep stabbing her in the back and calling her shameless.
Kicking stones as she walked, “Wanqiu, is that you?” Suddenly, a figure appeared before her, blocking the scorching sunlight. Bai Moyu stood quietly before her.
“Go away.” She didn’t like Bai Moyu. Clearly, he was the one who constantly pestered her and called her, yet Bai Hui continually accused her of trying to climb their family’s social ladder. What was so great about the Bai family anyway? They had already declined. So much so that they needed her mother’s fifty thousand to bail them out. Nowadays, even fifty thousand was a significant sum to them, whereas in the past, they wouldn’t have batted an eye at five million.
The tides had turned, and Wanqiu felt herself falling from the clouds into the mud of disillusionment, a feeling that would resonate with readers experiencing betrayal or change.
“Wanqiu, I’ll repay that fifty thousand yuan on behalf of my father. Just give me a few more days, alright?”