The people around them pricked up their ears.
[My God, it really happened. Ding Chuan was dating two women at the same time, and both women got pregnant at the same time! After weighing his options, he decided to break up with Guo Lan. Guo Lan got married to Feng Tan while pregnant. More than twenty years later, Ding Zhuo's mother passed away, and Ding Chuan didn't have a good relationship with Ding Zhuo either. Worried no one would take care of him in his old age, Ding Chuan thought he'd find someone else.]
[And now, he'd run into Guo Lan by chance. He thought he'd have a son and a wife again.]
Even Ding Zhuo, who couldn't hear the thoughts, understood what had happened. He clenched his fist and punched Ding Chuan in the face, knocking out one of his teeth. Gritting his teeth, he cursed, "How could I have such a disgusting father? You don't deserve to be with my mother."
Meanwhile, Feng Tan simply walked away. Who could have guessed he'd been wearing a green hat while running around helping someone else's son?
"Dad, where are you going? Dad?"
Feng Qin hadn't recovered from this earth-shattering turn of events. When he saw Feng Tan leaving, he instinctively followed.
"The one whose tooth was knocked out by his own son is your father. I'm not." Feng Tan coolly pulled his sleeve free.
"Old Feng, Old Feng, you can't leave!"
"Why can't I leave? Haven't I raised someone else's son for more than twenty years? Guo Lan, how can you face me?"
Feng Tan's resolute manner stabbed at Guo Lan's heart. After more than twenty years of marriage, he was ending things just like that. Guo Lan decided to go down swinging. "How have I wronged you? If your parents hadn't come to my house and begged me, I never would've married you! Do you think you raised someone else's son for no reason? It's because you're infertile."
Feng Tan froze in place, as if struck by lightning.
[My God, this is a complete mess.]
After the chaos outside the Xiang Company was settled, Bai Yaxin planned to take Lin Tingyue out to eat.
Lin Tingyue asked, "Mom, what are we having today?"
Bai Yaxin replied without thinking, "Congee-based hot pot."
Lin Tingyue: "..."
Lin Tingyue and Bai Yaxin ordered a plain congee base and a few kinds of seafood. The restaurant's seafood was all killed fresh to order.
While they were waiting for the seafood to arrive, Bai Yaxin received a call from Wu Qianyun.
Wu Qianyun had originally said she would treat Bai Yaxin and Lin Tingyue to a meal, but when Bai Yaxin saw how her friend was, she knew she couldn't stop worrying about Taotao, so she'd told them to go back and keep Taotao company first.
She was calling now, so things must have been more or less taken care of.
Wu Qianyun said over the phone that they had Lin Tingyue to thank for what happened this time. Bai Yaxin looked over at Lin Tingyue, who was stirring the congee base with a spoon. Feeling Bai Yaxin's gaze, Lin Tingyue immediately looked up and smiled at her, her eyes sparkling. She was especially adorable.
Charmed by her cuteness, Bai Yaxin said, "As long as Taotao's all right."
After hanging up, Bai Yaxin patted Lin Tingyue's head and said, "Your Auntie Wu sent you a present. It's already arrived at our house. She wants you to go back and see if you like it."
"Why would Auntie Wu send me a present out of the blue?"
Of course, it was because your thoughts had helped Taotao get away from that scumbag.
Bai Yaxin said seriously, "Maybe it's because of your personal charm."
Lin Tingyue: "!"
[Mom, don't say that. You're making me blush.]
Bai Yaxin really did see Lin Tingyue's face turn a little red. She smiled, then changed the subject. "That was so satisfying."
Lin Tingyue agreed. "It was."
"Isn't that Bai Yaxin?"
[Wow, that voice is so grating!]
Lin Tingyue and Bai Yaxin turned around at the same time and looked at someone standing not far away.
As soon as Bai Yaxin saw her, her expression turned unpleasant. She gave her a perfunctory smile, then was about to turn away and ignore her completely.
"What's wrong?" The woman came straight over and sat down across from Bai Yaxin. Bai Yaxin and Lin Tingyue were sitting together, and the seat opposite Bai Yaxin happened to be empty.
The woman casually fixed her hair. "The Lin Family is thriving, and the Bai family is flourishing too. Now you think you're too good for your old friends, so you can't even say hello?"
[Even though I know she's being sarcastic, why does it feel so satisfying to hear?]
Exactly.
Bai Yaxin's expression softened a little. Smiling, she held out her hand. "Long time no see, Liyuan."
Zhang Liyuan simply ignored Bai Yaxin's hand. "Long time no see."
Before Bai Yaxin could feel awkward, Lin Tingyue took her hand. Lin Tingyue looked at her with a sweet smile.
[Give Mom's hand to me!]
Bai Yaxin couldn't help laughing.
Zhang Liyuan, however, seemed to have discovered a new world. "Oh, could this be your adopted daughter?"
Bai Yaxin's expression darkened.
"Oh, Yaxin, don't take this the wrong way, but she's not your biological child. What good does it do to treat her so well?"
[Huh???]
[Is there no justice in this world!]
[What's wrong with Mom treating me well!]
"Whether it does any good is for me to decide. My daughter is none of your concern."
"Tsk, tsk, I was kindly warning you, and now you're upset. Don't end up like Zhao Ru..."
Bai Yaxin sharply cut Zhang Liyuan off. "What about Aru? Her daughter is devoted to her, and she has money and time on her hands. She's better off now than she was when she was with Yun Yongchang."
[Well said, Mom! I'm with you!]
Lin Tingyue quietly reached behind Bai Yaxin and patted her back.
Zhang Liyuan felt awkward at being interrupted. "That may be true, but Zhao Ru and Zhao Qi are both women. How can they get by without a man at their side? Take me, for example. My husband takes care of me, and that makes all the difference."
Bai Yaxin finally remembered why she and Zhang Liyuan had never gotten along.
She and Zhang Liyuan had been high school classmates and, at first, close friends who told each other everything. But after Zhang Liyuan got married, she couldn't go three sentences without mentioning her husband or five without mentioning her children.
She'd also put Bai Yaxin down, both openly and subtly, thinking Bai Yaxin's life was worse than hers.
It had happened on the day they ended their friendship, too. Zhang Liyuan had invited Bai Yaxin out. Bai Yaxin had gone happily, only for Zhang Liyuan to tell her right off the bat that she dressed like an old woman and ask how Lin Rusong could possibly like that style.
Bai Yaxin had finally had enough and ended their friendship. She'd felt refreshed and clear-headed that day.
Later, Bai Yaxin and Zhang Liyuan ran into each other at a class reunion. So many years had passed, and whatever resentment remained had faded away. But they'd only gotten as far as exchanging contact information again.
Bai Yaxin hadn't expected to run into Zhang Liyuan just because she'd come out for congee-based hot pot.
Zhang Liyuan thought Bai Yaxin wasn't responding because she'd convinced her, so she continued prattling on. "My husband and I have been married for decades. When I came out, he even insisted on staying right by my side."
Then Lin Tingyue asked, "So where is your husband?"
Zhang Liyuan's smile stiffened. "We agreed a long time ago that we'd come for congee-based hot pot. It's especially good..."
But Lin Tingyue was especially persistent. "Where is your husband?"
Zhang Liyuan: "..."
Irritated, Zhang Liyuan said, "What's with you, kid? He came out with me, but something came up at the company, so he went there."
Bai Yaxin and Lin Tingyue clearly remembered what had happened to the last person whose excuse was that something had come up at the company. Their expressions turned a little complicated.
[Could he be a scumbag like Feng Qin?]
[My God, he really is. He hurriedly left his wife behind, and it wasn't because something came up at the company. His secretary needed him.]
Bai Yaxin immediately snorted. "You should call him and ask."
Zhang Liyuan didn't think much of it. "Why would I call him? I never check up on him."
[Those two went into the company together and are in the conference room. They haven't even turned off the camera... If they're going to seek thrills, they might as well go all the way with it*... Ahhhhh!]
Bai Yaxin and Lin Tingyue said in unison, "You should check."
### Zhang Liyuan was so angry she laughed. Folding her arms, she said sarcastically, "Bai Yaxin, do you just hate seeing me happy?"
Bai Yaxin: "?"
Unable to stand it anymore, she asked, "When have I ever hated seeing you happy?"
After all, Bai Yaxin and Zhang Liyuan had once been good friends. They'd ended their friendship only because their views differed. More than twenty years had passed, and their children were all grown up. How could Bai Yaxin not wish Zhang Liyuan well?
She wasn't that narrow-minded, was she?
Across from her, Zhang Liyuan had already begun to complain bitterly. "Bai Yaxin, I know you married better than I did. You had two sons one after the other, and your family is happy and complete. You look down on me!"
Bai Yaxin was utterly astonished. What did their falling out have to do with their families?
She said coldly, "I never thought that ending our friendship without explaining why would make you imagine all this. I'll tell you now. I ended things because you were always putting me down. I liked wearing dresses, and you'd say pants looked better. Who could put up with that? And I married well because I'm a good person. Why don't you say Lin Rusong was lucky to marry me?"
Bai Yaxin said so much all at once that she finally felt better.
[Ahhh, Mom is so cool!]
Bai Yaxin smiled and asked the stunned server beside her to put down the seafood platter. Then she said, "Tingyue, you're hungry, right? Let's eat."
"Okay."
Bai Yaxin casually glanced at Zhang Liyuan and asked lightly, "We're about to eat. What are you still doing here?"
"You..."
Zhang Liyuan couldn't believe Bai Yaxin had become like this. So what if she'd married Lin Rusong?
What was so great about having a husband? She had one too.
Muttering curses, Zhang Liyuan got up and called Liang Zihong. But she hadn't expected everything to go wrong today. Running into Bai Yaxin and getting an earful from her was one thing, but even her husband wasn't answering her calls.