Yang Haoran felt both pleased and guilty. The birthday wish was, of course, something he made up. He knew it would be difficult for Mom to refuse such an excuse. Yet, deceiving her—especially when she was so thoughtful of him—left him feeling genuinely remorseful.
This time, Yang Haoran didn’t talk back. He obediently returned to his room to catch up on sleep. He was still truly tired; the push-ups had only briefly stimulated his energy and did nothing to alleviate his fatigue.
Lying in bed, Yang Haoran thought about how he had finally fulfilled his father’s request. He emptied his mind and sank into a deep sleep.
In the blink of an eye, it was nine o’clock. Yang Haoran was awakened by his mother. After getting ready, he left the villa with her.
They were just heading to the garage when a heavily made-up, strikingly attractive woman approached from a distance. She was beautiful, with dramatic makeup and wearing a fitted dress. Though she was only around 1.6 meters tall and her breasts were not particularly large, the dress accentuated her figure, creating an alluring, well-proportioned silhouette that complemented her perfectly.
From afar, she had the delicate charm of a lovely, modest beauty—certainly an attractive woman.
Yang Haoran had never met Zhuang Hui before. It wasn’t until Zhuang Hui walked closer and closer to the mother and son that he suddenly sensed something was wrong. Cold sweat broke out on his skin as he watched her approach, his gaze filled with hidden anxiety.
He never expected to run into her like this—and at nine in the morning, no less. Her demeanor suggested she was ready to make a scene and wouldn’t back down easily.
He could only hope it was a coincidence, that this woman wasn’t Zhuang Hui.
Zhuang Hui stormed past the mother and son, but as she caught a glimpse of Liu Ruoxi’s stunning face out of the corner of her eye, she was momentarily dazzled and came to an abrupt halt.
As the company’s social butterfly, Zhuang Hui was naturally good-looking and had met many beautiful women in various settings. Yet, that fleeting glance at Liu Ruoxi left her feeling… indescribable!
Her face, figure, and aura were all top-tier. With her breathtaking beauty—untouched by makeup, like a lotus flower and willow leaves painted in a masterpiece—she resembled a snow lotus atop a solitary, towering cliff: pure, pristine, and untainted by worldly dust.
Zhuang Hui had never met Yang Wenfu’s wife and child, but she had heard him mention them. He described his wife as a woman captivating enough to haunt one’s dreams after just a single glance. Yang Wenfu had even wryly compared himself to a toad fortunate enough to have won the favor of a swan, which had put immense psychological pressure on Zhuang Hui.
Then, one night, Yang Wenfu came to her in despair, and they slept together again. After that, Zhuang Hui could no longer suppress her desire to take the wife’s place.
As Yang Haoran moved past Zhuang Hui, her aggressive demeanor made him almost certain of her identity. Just as he inwardly sighed in relief, a voice called out from behind:
“Wait!”
Liu Ruoxi and Yang Haoran stopped in their tracks and turned around. Zhuang Hui walked toward them. The closer she got, the more dazzled she felt by Liu Ruoxi’s beauty. Unconsciously, her aggressive tone softened as she asked, “Do you know Yang Wenfu?”
She hadn’t seen the mother and son come out of the Yang family villa, but she knew the address was in this area. They were either neighbors or the very people she was looking for.
At Zhuang Hui’s question, Yang Haoran’s face changed. Liu Ruoxi’s delicate brows fur slightly as she replied calmly, “Yes, we know him. What business do you have with him?”
“Mom, she’s just asking for directions. Let’s not get involved. Let’s go,” Yang Haoran tried to muddy the waters. He took his mother’s delicate hand and attempted to lead her away, but Liu Ruoxi turned her head and gave him a thoughtful sidelong glance. Yang Haoran wisely let go and took a step back.
This has nothing to do with me. You two talk.
He had already told his mother about his father’s affair. Now, with Zhuang Hui showing up aggressively and directly calling out his father’s name, his mother was no fool—she must have guessed something.
Dad, heaven wants to ruin you! What can I do?
Liu Ruoxi and Zhuang Hui locked eyes. Zhuang Hui studied Liu Ruoxi’s calm expression—her serene eyes were like a mirror-like lake, undisturbed by even a ripple. Just being quietly watched by her made Zhuang Hui feel immense psychological pressure.
But Zhuang Hui had come today to pick a fight. She wasn’t about to back down easily. With renewed aggression, she demanded, “Where is Yang Wenfu’s home? I’m looking for his wife.”
From Yang Wenfu’s descriptions and the address, she had already guessed that Liu Ruoxi was the wife, but she deliberately asked anyway to set the stage for what she planned to say next.
It was also because Liu Ruoxi was too beautiful and carried herself with too imposing an aura for Zhuang Hui to directly provoke her.
Liu Ruoxi confirmed her suspicions. Her expression remained as unreadable as an ancient well, and she replied lightly, “That would be me. If you have something to say, say it directly.”
Zhuang Hui went straight for the jugular: “Did you know your husband is cheating on you?”
“I know.”
Liu Ruoxi responded composedly, nodding slightly.
Her calm reply immediately left Zhuang Hui speechless. She had expected to see anger, but instead, the other woman already knew and was so unruffled?
It felt like punching cotton and threw Zhuang Hui off her game. She asked, incredulous, “You know, and you’re not angry?”
“I am very angry.”
Liu Ruoxi’s completely unperturbed expression starkly contrasted with her words, making it impossible for Zhuang Hui to discern her true feelings.
But Zhuang Hui didn’t care anymore. She had come to make a scene—the bigger, the better. Ideally, she would provoke them into divorcing, allowing her to achieve her goal.
“Your husband raped me several months ago. I have photos and videos as evidence. Today, I—”
“No need to say more. I understand. Let’s go inside.”
Liu Ruoxi cut her off directly, then said to Yang Haoran behind her, “Stay here and wait until we’re done talking.”
The reason for Liu Ruoxi’s composure was not only that she already knew about Yang Wenfu’s affair but also that she had been thinking about how to resolve the situation. Now, she had an idea, and the conversation wasn’t suitable for her son to overhear.
Being interrupted angered Zhuang Hui. She could no longer stand the other woman’s dismissive attitude and was about to start cursing when Liu Ruoxi turned to her and said, “If you want to resolve this, let the two of us talk properly. If we can’t reach an agreement, you can make a scene then. It won’t be too late.”
Hearing this, Zhuang Hui thought it over and felt there was some logic to it. If she could talk the other into divorcing, why bother making a spectacle of herself and losing face?
Afterward, the two women left Yang Haoran alone, bewildered in the wind, and returned to the Yang family villa’s living room to sit and talk.
“State your purpose. What do you want?” Liu Ruoxi asked, looking at Zhuang Hui.
Zhuang Hui, however, had been marveling at the Yang family’s luxury since entering and was already fantasizing about living there. Hearing Liu Ruoxi’s question, she collected herself and said shockingly, “Since you already know about your husband’s affair, it’s simple: you two should divorce! Let me marry Wenfu. Since he’s a cheating man, and you seem so indifferent, you probably don’t care anyway.”
Hearing the implied sarcasm in Zhuang Hui’s words, Liu Ruoxi nodded and said, “Setting aside whether he would even marry you if we divorced, what would you gain? Are you here for the person or the money?”
“Heh… What if I just like him as a person? Is that not allowed?” Zhuang Hui let out a cold laugh, refusing to back down.
She didn’t want to fall into the other’s rhythm. As a social butterfly, she knew that in negotiations, she couldn’t show weakness or let the other party lead her by the nose.
As she said, Zhuang Hui did have feelings for Yang Wenfu. But having graduated years ago and struggled in society, she also understood the importance of money. She wanted both.
A flicker of understanding passed through Liu Ruoxi’s eyes. She followed up accordingly: “If Yang Wenfu and I divorce, given that we were once husband and wife, I won’t insist he leaves with nothing. His savings from years of salary are all in his hands—I’ve never taken a single cent from him.”
“I’d guess it’s probably over a million.”
With Liu Ruoxi’s offhand final remark, Zhuang Hui’s expression shifted. Over a million—what could that amount to in G City nowadays? It couldn’t even buy half a decent apartment, maybe not even one in a third-tier city.
Having experienced the harsh realities of society, she didn’t believe that love alone could sustain anyone.
Seeing Zhuang Hui’s unsettled expression, Liu Ruoxi was not surprised in the least. She continued leisurely, “You didn’t actually think a small company supervisor could afford to live here, did you?”
“According to the law, the cheating party can be made to leave with nothing. Even if I don’t pursue it, what can you really do with the little money he has?”
“Heh…” Zhuang Hui sneered. “Your assets are also marital property. I want a fifty-fifty split of the assets after you divorce.”
Liu Ruoxi had just mentioned that the cheating party could be left with nothing by law, yet Zhuang Hui still had the audacity to say this. Liu Ruoxi knew the other woman must have some leverage. Frowning, she asked, “Let’s hear it. What’s your reasoning?”