TNSFC – Chapter 77

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

Que Linyang’s heart skipped a beat when he heard Hou Manni. He had hidden this matter very secretly; no one knew except those very close to him. How did Hou Manni find out?

“Me, talking nonsense?” Hou Manni sneered. “Que Linyang, oh Que Linyang, if you don’t want anyone to know, don’t do it in the first place!”

Hou Manni was on the verge of a breakdown. Although she knew Que Linyang had someone outside, she didn’t know he even had a child, and a boy at that!

This news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue, driving her mad. It was as if her years of perseverance and forbearance were all a joke.

She had never imagined things would turn out this way. Back then, she actually knew Que Linyang might have been after the power behind her, but he acted so deeply affectionate and seemed so perfect that she was willing to marry him.

Her married life was also very good. Her relationship with her mother-in-law was harmonious, the family was peaceful, Que Linyang was a good husband who often reported his whereabouts to her and didn’t fool around. They lived in harmony, and even after she had a child, the situation remained the same.

She once thought she would be this happy for the rest of her life, until her father fell from power, and everything changed.

Que Linyang started to become impatient with her. At that time, Hou Manni only felt that the situation was so chaotic, his career was also implicated, and it was normal for her husband to complain. It wasn’t until a woman came to her door to provoke her that she realized everything hidden beneath her husband’s mask was so disgusting.

Hou Manni had thought about divorce, but how could she? She was used to a life of comfort and security. If she left the Que family, she knew what would become of her. From then on, she also began to understand Que Linyang’s intentions, so she forced herself to keep up the pretense.

Anyway, she would benefit in the end. So after that, she turned a blind eye to Que Linyang’s womanizing. He played around, and she played around too. Life could go on messily like this. In front of outsiders, they would both pretend. But now? He had long been planning to kick her aside and make way for someone else! So why should she pretend anymore!

“Calm down a bit. Let’s talk properly.”

Que Linyang softened his expression slightly. He didn’t want to have a meaningless argument right now; he just wanted to know how the news had leaked.

“Talk? What is there for me to talk about with you? You’re a heartless beast, ungrateful and cruel! You use me and then discard me, right? You think I don’t know what you’re thinking? You just want to get your hands on your parents’ property and then be with that bitch, right? I told you there was definitely something going on between you and her! Going to play golf every day, acting all innocent, and you still lied to me saying there wasn’t?”

“You’re starting to argue unreasonably again. Don’t slander people here without evidence. How many times have I told you that I’ve only met that lady boss a few times…”

“Enough of that,” Hou Manni interrupted him. “Que Linyang, I’ve been married to you for over ten years. Do you really think I don’t know what kind of person you are? Still trying to pretend in front of me?”

She tried to calm down. “Tell me honestly, do you have a child outside? If you do, you can bring him back. I’ll raise him. I’ll definitely raise him as my own.”

Que Linyang frowned and said coldly, “I said no. Have you made enough noise?”

Hou Manni took a deep breath, her fingertips clenched by her side turning white. She forced a smile.

“Alright, if you say no, then no it is. I believe you wouldn’t do something so outrageous. I’m sorry, I’m not in a good mood today.”

Seeing her like this, Que Linyang also softened his expression and said, “Where did you hear all this?”

“A friend saw that woman with her child, so I just made a wild guess.”

Hou Manni apologized, regained her ladylike composure, explained briefly, and turned to go up the stairs.

As she stepped on the stairs, a hint of venom flashed in her eyes.

She remembered the things sent to her phone from an unknown number: very clear screenshots of intimacy, DNA comparisons. Although she didn’t know who that person was, she knew that from this moment on, that person was her ally.

Que Linyang, after so many years of marriage, since you are unkind, don’t blame me for being unjust.

In the bushes outside the villa, Lin Zhen muttered somewhat strangely.

“That’s it? It’s over just like that?”

“As long as you got the shot, that’s enough. Go quickly, the next security team will be here in half a minute. If you get caught, you’ll be exposed.”

The voice in his earpiece told him to retreat. Lin Zhen didn’t linger and quickly left with the camera. In the car, he sent the photos to Que Yining.

Que Yining was currently sitting in her wheelchair, sunbathing in the garden. When she felt her phone vibrate, she had the nurse help push her into the shade and then let the nurse go about her business.

The shadows of the trees slanted, and light scattered fine spots through the leaves and branches.

Looking at the photos on her phone, Que Yining also felt a little surprised.

According to her understanding of Hou Manni, this woman shouldn’t be someone who would let it go just like that. How could she have calmed her anger so quickly?

Hou Manni was now like a person on a lone boat. The consequence of bargaining with a tiger is being eaten by the tiger. If she wasn’t stupid, she should know that Que Linyang was no longer reliable, unless she still trusted Que Linyang.

But there couldn’t be any trust between them. With the Jiao Shanyue incident and then the Deng Zhi incident, no matter how deep their affection was in the past, it should have been worn away by now. And now, her interests were also threatened…

Another phone that Que Yining carried with her vibrated. Que Yining saw the content of the message on it and smiled.

She knew Hou Manni wasn’t a fool; she could distinguish what to do to make the situation more favorable for her.

Que Yining didn’t reveal her identity but fabricated one, saying she was someone whose family was ruined and scattered, all because of Que Linyang.

In a sense, if the original owner was really killed by Que Linyang, then “family ruined and scattered” wasn’t used incorrectly.

Que Linyang’s hands hadn’t been clean these years; he had done quite a few bad things. Although he did them very secretly, not directly in his name, many were handled by Deng Zhi on his behalf. But since Que Yining knew about their connection, how could she not know who the mastermind was?

Seeing Hou Manni request a meeting, Que Yining moved her fingers and replied to the message, temporarily refusing.

【Why? Are you deceiving me?】

【You are his wife. I can’t trust you yet.】

Que Yining knew that the more suspicious she remained, the more Hou Manni would believe her. Sure enough, Hou Manni sent a string of messages. Que Yining didn’t respond and turned off her phone.

She guessed that Hou Manni’s next step would be to find Que Chuling.

She had investigated her. Hou Manni’s social circle had no one she could trust. Her father’s influence had mostly dissipated back then. With something like this happening, she would definitely look for someone familiar whom she thought she could cooperate with. No one was more suitable for her than Que Chuling, after all, she knew Que Chuling hated Que Linyang.

Que Yining put her phone away, pushed her wheelchair forward, and stopped by the flower bushes.

Lily of the valley flowers glowed with a warm luster in the light. Que Yining reached out her finger and stroked the delicate petals.

Light danced on her fingertips, making her slender white fingers shine.

She lowered her head, smelling the fragrance of the flowers. The uninjured half of her face looked exceptionally beautiful and striking.

Gu Qianqian’s footsteps stopped not far away. Seeing Que Yining’s injured leg, a smile appeared on her face. Indeed, those people hadn’t spread false rumors; Que Yining was injured and had a broken leg.

Gu Qianqian had also been very frustrated recently. She had previously wanted to disgust Gu Shanxue but ended up being outmaneuvered by Gu Shanxue, forcing her to go to some temple in the remote, godforsaken mountains to pray for blessings. She had just returned after much difficulty when she heard this good news.

If she couldn’t deal with Gu Shanxue for the time being, couldn’t she at least come and mock Que Yining?

Que Yining hadn’t been polite to her before; she deserved to be hit by a car. Besides, she had heard that Gu Shanxue often went to the hospital, which showed she cared quite a bit about Que Yining.

It would have been better if Gu Shanxue had been hit, Gu Qianqian thought maliciously in her heart, but on her face, she wore a feigned expression of surprise and walked up to Que Yining.

“Isn’t this Yining Jiejie? Oh my, what happened to your leg? Is it serious? Can you still stand up?”

Hearing this voice, Que Yining didn’t immediately recall who it was. When she looked up and saw Gu Qianqian, she understood her purpose in coming.

Gu Qianqian was wearing a cinched-waist, light cyan dress today, still maintaining her usual feigned delicate appearance. She covered her lips very affectedly, as if she truly regretted Que Yining’s misfortune—if only she could hide the schadenfreude in her eyes better.

“Isn’t this Wild Chicken Little Sister? Long time no see. I thought you had already departed this world. I didn’t expect you to still be around. Why aren’t you wearing a white dress today? Don’t you need to mourn for your mother anymore?”

Que Yining’s surprise, exclamation, and questions were all on point, directly “greeting” Gu Qianqian and her mother.

Although she hadn’t paid much attention to what trouble Gu Qianqian had been stirring up these past few months, she knew that someone with Gu Qianqian’s temperament would definitely not be peaceful. But Gu Shanxue wouldn’t tell her about these things, so she had no way of knowing what had happened.

But Que Yining knew what should have happened. Her car accident was over half a month ago. It was impossible for Gu Qianqian to only find out now. According to Gu Qianqian’s personality, she probably would have come to mock her long ago, not waiting until now. And Gu Qianqian had nothing serious to do; with Gu Shanxue around, she couldn’t possibly go out and play happily for a long time.

“You! Que Yining, how could you be like this? I kindly came to care about you, and you actually say such things to me?”

Gu Qianqian didn’t expect her to be so rude. Even injured, her mouth was still so sharp.

“Are you perhaps getting carried away because I haven’t scolded you in a long time? Stop putting on this act in front of me. There’s no one around anyway, who are you pretending for?”

Faced with this kind of white lotus bitch who liked to feign pitifulness, direct scolding was the way to go.

Que Yining looked at her. Although she was in a wheelchair, her aura completely crushed Gu Qianqian.

Gu Qianqian wanted to argue a bit, but when she saw Que Yining’s face turn towards her, she almost couldn’t hold back the smile on her own face.

“Your face…”

The scar on Que Yining’s face had faded a lot. It was no longer the hideous appearance from when she was first injured. The scab had fallen off, leaving only a light-colored scar. But her beauty was extremely flamboyant, so even a tiny flaw could be noticed, let alone such a destructive scar.

Gu Qianqian looked at her with mocking and pitying eyes, as if she had suddenly found a point to attack vigorously.

“Yining Jiejie, you’re so pitiful. Not only is your leg broken, but your face is also ruined. But it’s okay, medical technology is very advanced now. Even if you’re this ugly, you can be saved. A few more procedures will definitely fix it.”

To be fair, Que Yining’s appearance was by no means ugly, even far superior to ordinary people. But Gu Qianqian definitely wouldn’t say that; she wished Que Yining was as miserable as possible.

“Is that so? Which hospital did you get your work done at? Introduce me?”

Que Yining wasn’t annoyed either, looking at her calmly.

“I haven’t had any work done, and I don’t need to.”

Gu Qianqian said rather smugly, still looking at Que Yining with that pitying gaze as if looking at a wretch.

“You indeed don’t need it, after all, you’re already beyond saving. But even if you had such thoughts, you probably couldn’t do it. After all, even the best doctor can’t make your skin any thinner, right?”

Que Yining said with a smile, her voice not loud, but every word was barbed.

“You speak so venomously, no wonder you got hit by a car.”

Gu Qianqian gritted her teeth and moved closer to Que Yining.

“Eagerly debasing yourself, no wonder people scold you.”

Que Yining rested her chin on her hand and replied, feeling that Gu Qianqian’s level was really not up to par.

She turned her wheelchair, intending to go back, but the wheel seemed to accidentally get stuck on a pebble. Losing her balance for a moment, Que Yining subconsciously grabbed Gu Qianqian in front of her.

Gu Qianqian’s body tilted from her pull, and she used her body to support Que Yining.

From a distance, it looked as if Gu Qianqian was holding Que Yining in her arms.

Not far away, Kunna, who had pestered her friend to come to the hospital with her, saw Gu Shanxue’s face suddenly darken as she ran over, her expression still somewhat bewildered.

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