Bo Yan disliked the smell of perfume.
In the past, his birth mother would always spray on lots of perfume before going out. When she came home dead drunk at night, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol mixed with her perfume made him sick.
When he was younger, Bo Yan thought what he hated was the perfume on his mother.
Only when he grew a little older did he realize that what he hated was his mother's "profession."
He couldn't understand. She could clearly have had a better life, so why did she keep doing that kind of work for his uncle's family, those things worse than beasts?
When his mother heard him say that, she called him an ungrateful wretch...
"You ungrateful little bastard! So now you think you're too good for your mother? Why didn't you think my money was dirty when you were spending it?"
"If I don't earn money, who the fuck's going to pay for your schooling? Who the fuck's going to feed you? You're a useless little beast! When I gave birth to you, I thought I could get some money out of your real father, but he wouldn't even acknowledge you! Hahahaha! You're a bastard nobody wants to claim!"
Bo Yan wanted to say that wasn't true, that he didn't think her money was dirty.
He wanted to tell her that his uncle gambled away all the money she left with him every month for his family to look after Bo Yan.
His tuition was waived because he was a severely impoverished student from the mountains, and his living expenses came from scholarships he won in math Olympiads...
But she never cared whether he had enough to eat or warm clothes to wear at his uncle's house, much less whether he came first at school.
He wanted to say that he only saw her growing thinner by the day, saw her keeping herself alive with alcohol, and worried about her health...
But all that concern earned him in the end was a vicious beating.
She laughed through her tears like a madwoman, calling him a bastard over and over, calling him a beast over and over. Finally, she pointed at him in terror-
"I saw everything! I saw you drown Wang Jianshu! Monster! You're a monster! I'm calling the police! Yes, I'm calling the police! I'll have the police arrest the monster, have the police arrest the monster..."
She was out of her mind, but that was all right. It was all right. She was the only family he had in this world.
She just didn't love him. She hadn't abandoned him.
When he was four, his uncle sold him to human traffickers while she was working in town.
He jumped out of the vehicle and escaped along the way, running for two days and two nights before he made it back.
He didn't go straight back to his uncle's house. Instead, he went to town to find his mother.
The four-year-old child stood helplessly outside a karaoke club, crying. Back then, Bo Yan could still cry. Unlike now, when he wouldn't shed even reflexive tears if a knife pierced his heart.
Back then, passersby who saw a filthy, ragged four-year-old standing in the ice and snow crying would all spare him another look out of pity.
At last, his mother came out.
Four-year-old Bo Yan ran over, wanting his mother to hold him.
His mother dodged him.
Bo Yan stood there in a daze, not moving.
His mother asked impatiently, "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to come looking for me? What will people think of me if you come here? How am I supposed to work?"
Bo Yan was frightened senseless. Hiccupping through his sobs, he said cautiously, "Mommy, Uncle wants to sell me. I'm scared..."
His mother was indeed furious. She packed her things and took him home.
The whole way, he trotted after her. He was so scared, scared his mother would really throw him away. She had thrown him away before.
Back at his uncle's house, his mother had a huge fight with his uncle, and they even came to blows.
When his uncle hit his mother, Bo Yan clung to his uncle's leg and told her to run.
At that moment, perhaps her maternal love was stirred, because she grabbed a cleaver straight from the kitchen.
"This is my fucking son! If anyone's selling him, it'll be me! Try anything with my son again, and I'll sell yours, then take your whole family down with me!"
His birth mother's protection made four-year-old Bo Yan weep bitterly.
His mother hadn't abandoned him.
Until much, much later. How much later? When he was eighteen, Bo Yan saw his sickly mother put rat poison in his food...
He was frightened. He ran away.
Suddenly, he understood. It wasn't that his mother didn't want him. She was simply afraid-afraid of the monster he was.
So she thought, killing him would solve everything.
After all, you're just a monster.
The faint scent of figs beneath his nose brought Bo Yan back to himself.
He instinctively frowned.
Wen Ning was very observant.
"Do you not like how I smell?" She had been going bare-faced these past few days, dressing however felt comfortable. Today, to help Bo Yan reclaim his dignity, she had specifically changed her outfit and sprayed on a little perfume.
Bo Yan hadn't expected her to be so perceptive.
Sensing that Wen Ning was about to let go and put some distance between them, Bo Yan didn't know what had gotten into him. He suddenly raised his hand and held down the hand she had hooked around his arm.
His left hand was still wrapped in gauze. Through it, Bo Yan could faintly feel the warmth beneath his palm.
Looking somewhat unnatural, he said coldly, "Don't we still have an act to put on?"
Seeing that he wasn't resisting, Wen Ning was delighted. Fam, being a simp is starting to pay off!
She instantly broke into a smile. "Right!"
Bo Yan's lips moved. He wanted to say that she didn't smell nice, but... he didn't dislike it either.
But seeing Wen Ning's expression of "I'm ready for battle," Bo Yan silently curled his lips and swallowed the words.
Meanwhile, He Cheng finally pulled back his nearly dislocated jaw!
He hurried over with a horrified expression, grabbed Wen Ning's arm, and asked, "Young lady, what's going on with you? Didn't you read the WeChat messages I sent you?!"
He Cheng was exactly who Wen Ning had been waiting for.
He Cheng was so narcissistic that he used his own picture as his WeChat profile photo, but it still took Wen Ning a few seconds to recognize him.
Tsk, that picture looks nothing like the real thing. The real thing is clearly wider.
Wen Ning inwardly snarked, wearing a lukewarm smile as she said mildly, "I did."
He Cheng couldn't figure out what this young lady was playing at. He pointed at Wen Ning and Bo Yan's joined hands. "Then why are you still doing this?!"
Wen Ning raised a slender eyebrow. "I'm doing this precisely because I read them."
He Cheng didn't catch on right away and stood there, bewildered.
Wen Ning simply took out her phone and read his WeChat messages aloud in front of everyone. "Guess what I saw today, young lady? You'll never guess. I saw that bastard getting out of a woman's car..."
With every sentence Wen Ning read, He Cheng's face reddened another shade. He blinked frantically, pleading with her to stop reading.
As though she hadn't seen his pleading gaze, Wen Ning continued, "One look and you could tell that woman was over sixty, all decked out in gold and silver, driving some lousy Ferrari. That bastard can only service old women like that. What a fucking joke. That old woman's coming at noon to hook up with that bastard. Young lady, you absolutely have to come watch the show..."
They were now in the reception lobby of the Bo Group building, and everyone coming and going was a Bo Group employee.
Not a single Bo Group employee failed to recognize the He Group's young Mr. He.
Young Mr. He was usually a bit of a playboy, but he was good-natured and well-spoken.
Yet who could have imagined that the good-natured, well-spoken young Mr. He would say such vile things in private?
Even if Bo Yan's status was indeed awkward, for a legitimate young heir of a wealthy family to say such disgusting things in private was far too degrading and classless!
No, wait! Why was the young lady reading these messages aloud in public?
The quicker-witted ones immediately looked outside the building and saw a silver Ferrari parked right outside the Bo Group building!
A Ferrari??
Xu Lin and the others instantly turned deathly pale!
That was actually the young lady's car!
He Cheng realized something at this point too, but before he could say it was all a misunderstanding, he saw Wen Ning curl her lips into an imperious smile.
"Since you're so curious, Young Master He, open your eyes wide and take a good look. Do I look like that sixty-something old woman who likes keeping young hunks? An. Old. Woman?"
At that instant, the entire lobby fell so quiet that a falling pin could have been heard.
Publicly pilloried, He Cheng's face alternated between red and black, shame and anger mingling.
Just then, Bo Xubai came over, his face dark as he lowered his voice. "Wen Ning, have you made enough of a scene? This is the Bo Group!"
Wen Ning immediately waved a hand beneath her nose in disgust. "Don't talk to me with a mouth that's licked a toilet. You stink."
"Wen Ning, you!" Bo Xubai had intended to smooth things over, thinking Wen Ning would most likely give him face. He hadn't expected this woman to refuse the toast only to drink the penalty!
Bo Xubai was so angry that he raised his hand to slap Wen Ning!
Wen Ning was about to dodge when a hand suddenly shot across her vision and gripped Bo Xubai's wrist tightly.
Bo Yan's smile was gentle, but his eyes were covered in frost. He said mildly, "Big brother, I'm not dead yet. Isn't it inappropriate to hit my wife right in front of me?"