Chapter 11
Lin Xue’er had the trance-like feeling of a dream.
This was too much of a coincidence, wasn’t it?
It was clear that the Chen Dong she had learned from Wang Hao’s mouth and the Chen Dong she had met at the bank could not overlap at all.
Yet, the cold face in her sight was like a heavy hammer hitting her eyeballs.
That night had cost her dignity, how could she possibly forget that face?
“Oh yes, I forgot you don’t have a single penny now.”
Wang Hao didn’t notice Chen Dong’s coldness and continued to sneer, “Unfortunately, if you had listened to the advice and let your mother go more quickly, you wouldn’t have had to divorce my sister, right? Now you are really left with no money.”
Chen Dong clenched his fist, the bruises on the back of his hand standing out.
Ever since he had married Wang Nan Nan, he had been unpopular in the Wang family, as Wang Nan Nan had favoured the family, making his status in the Wang family even lower.
Even though he had spent just three years sitting as the vice president of a real estate company, and would support the Wang family every now and then, he still could not enter the eyes of the Wang family, who prided themselves on being city folk.
In the past, because of Wang Nan Nan, Chen Dong would choose to put up with it.
But now, there was no way he could put up with it.
“Xue’er, come and take a look, this is my wasteful ex-brother-in-law.” Wang Hao turned back and waved his hand with a sneer on his face.
Chen Dong raised his eyes to look at Lin Xue’er in the car, his tightly clenched fists loosened, all his anger disappeared, and he suddenly felt a little funny.
A punk ex-brother-in-law?
His eyes cast a sidelong glance at Wang Hao, the smile on Chen Dong’s face became even more odd, and the look he gave Wang Hao became sympathetic.
Lin Xue’er got out of the car, her steps all a little frivolous, her eyes skimming over Wang Hao and always locked on Chen Dong.
Seeing the smile on Chen Dong’s face, Lin Xue’er’s pretty face haloed with two blushes, her mind thinking of that night a week ago.
At the same time, her heart began to be apprehensive.
He wouldn’t tell Wang Hao about that night, would he?
Lin Xue’er was not stupid, Wang Hao was her catch, and although she had the intention to climb Chen Dong, she would never discard Wang Hao before she succeeded.
In other words, Wang Hao was her lower limit and Chen Dong was her upper limit.
If she were to get angry because of Chen Dong and poke holes in what happened that night in front of Wang Hao, then she would be a chicken and egg!
“Xue’er, come come come, I’ll introduce you.”
Wang Hao didn’t notice Lin Xue’er’s strange appearance and took her hand, Lin Xue’er instinctively struggled a bit, but was still lifted up by Wang Hao and said to Chen Dong as if he was showing off, “Here, this is the waste ex-brother-in-law I told you about, he just divorced my sister, and the key is that he asked for it, don’t you think it’s funny?”
“Sister, hello brother-in-law.” Lin Xue’er shyly lowered her head, not daring to meet Chen Dong’s eyes.
“Hey, hey, hey, what’s with the name brother-in-law?” Wang Hao frowned and corrected, “He’s an ex-brother-in-law, just call him Chen Dong.”
“Stop it, Wang Hao.” Lin Xue’er’s willow brows were furrowed, and there was a burning feeling like a man’s back.
The words had just left her mouth.
Chen Dong suddenly smiled and asked Wang Hao, “This is your girlfriend?”
“That’s of course, it’s the first time you’ve seen it too, right?” Wang Hao tilted his head arrogantly, his face full of smugness.
Chen Dong nodded his head and gave a thumbs up, “Your girlfriend is great!”
Lin Xue’er’s delicate body trembled, and her pretty face was instantly on fire.
To Wang Hao’s ears, Chen Dong’s words were a compliment to her.
But to her ears, Chen Dong’s words were clearly a tease, just like the note he had left that morning.
“Do you need to compliment?”
Wang Hao suddenly narrowed his eyes and laughed disdainfully, “To tell you the truth, Xue’er and I are getting engaged in a week’s time, but unfortunately, you, a phoenix man, are divorcing my sister for the sake of a dying mother, my sister is marrying you and that’s just you climbing up the ladder, originally you could still attend the engagement party with dignity, but now, well, you are not even qualified. ”
Chen Dong sneered, but his gaze was incomparably firm.
His mother was everything to him, his roots.
Even if he had to do it all over again, he would still choose to divorce Wang Nan Nan.
A trash like Wang Hao, whom Wang Nan Nan was willing to support, he could not afford to support.
“That’s enough!”
Lin Xue’er suddenly shook off Wang Hao’s hand with force, “Wang Hao you’re going too far! Apologize to brother-in-law immediately!”
Boom!
Wang Hao, who was being complacent, froze at once.
“Xue’er, you, why are you so furious? I didn’t do anything wrong, so why should I apologize to him?”
Lin Xue’er’s pretty face turned red as she angrily rebuked, “You’re too rude to brother-in-law! I forbid you to treat him like this!”
She was suddenly angry at Wang Hao, on the one hand, she wanted to curb Wang Hao’s mockery of Chen Dong to avoid Chen Dong getting angry and shaking off the events of that night.
On the other hand, she was also biased towards Chen Dong and wanted to leave a good impression in Chen Dong’s heart.
Wang Hao was still unsure: “How am I being rude? He has already divorced my sister, so I’m a younger brother driving a car with hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I’m already being polite to him by saying hello to him when I meet him!”
Greeting?
Polite?
Lin Xue’er was a bit frantic, how ignorant was Wang Hao to say such things?
She used to know that Wang Hao was a loser and an old mumbo-jumbo.
But today, she saw clearly that Wang Hao was not only useless, but also stupid!
Lin Xue’er was so angry that she shouted angrily at Wang Hao, “Who do you think you are? Driving a car with hundreds of thousands of dollars makes you a big deal? You’re just a toad sitting in a well and watching the sky!”
Wang Hao was completely confused, it was the first time he had seen Lin Xue’er get so angry since we had fallen in love!
Immediately after, what made him even more confused was.
Lin Xue’er suddenly turned to face Chen Dong and bent down with utmost humility, “I’m sorry Mr. Chen, I really didn’t know Wang Hao would be like this, he said he was just introducing you to me for a while, I apologize.”
“Xue’er, are you crazy? Why are you apologising to him?” Wang Hao said incredulously.
Lin Xue’er, however, did not pay attention.
On the contrary, Chen Dong smiled and shook his head, “There’s nothing more for me here, I’m very busy, so I’ll leave first.”
As she watched Chen Dong leave, Lin Xue’er’s chest rose and fell, her pretty face still flushed with scarlet and anger.
“Xue, Xue’er, you ……” Wang Hao also returned to his senses.
Snap!
Not waiting for him to finish, Lin Xue’er suddenly slapped Wang Hao’s face, “You stupid B*****d, he’s the client I just told you about!”
Boom!
Wang Hao was struck by lightning and was dumbfounded.
Seeing Lin Xue’er return to the car in a rage, he hurriedly followed her.
After sitting in the car, Wang Hao still said in disbelief, “Xue’er, you must be mistaken, how can he, Chen Dong, be the client you mentioned? He’s just a poor man. Didn’t I need money to give you the bride price? My sister secretly gave our family the two hundred thousand he gave to his mother to hang her life, and he actually divorced my sister for that two hundred thousand.”
“You said he could do such a thing, how could he have money?”
Lin Xue’er’s chest rose and fell in anger, raging with rage, staring at Wang Hao angrily, her silver teeth clenched.
People’s hearts are all long, your family even pitted people’s old mother’s life-saving money, so if you don’t get a divorce, are you still waiting for the New Year?
However, she didn’t want to say too much to Wang Hao and squeezed out a sentence from her teeth, “He’s really rich!”
After saying that, Lin Xue’er turned her head to look in the direction of Lijin Hospital, her gaze flickering as if she was thinking.
Wang Hao was frozen by Lin Xue’er’s words.
But after thinking carefully, he smiled to himself, “Impossible, he’s just a phoenix man, he can’t be rich, and he can’t divorce my sister just because of the 200,000.”
Hearing these words, Lin Xue’er gasped and laughed.
Wang Hao’s odd focus left Lin Xue’er completely speechless.
Was this really just a matter of two hundred thousand dollars?
Chapter 12
The chance encounter with Wang Hao was just an episode, and Chen Dong did not care.
All his energy was now focused on the shantytown renovation project in the west of the city.
This was the answer he had given to the father he had never met.
It was also his first chance to really let go of his hands and exert himself.
A loss of $30 million on an astronomical contract was indeed a wipeout for Din Tai.
And with such a loss, every employee in the company knew what the consequences were.
This also led Chen Dong to notice an extraordinarily gloomy atmosphere in the company when he arrived tomorrow.
The employees were still working with their heads down, but without the usual relaxed atmosphere, the whole company was terribly quiet.
Chen Dong was a little helpless and ignored it, and went straight into the office.
He knew very well that the staff had bet their entire fortune on him by staying even though they knew about the sky-high contract.
But this trust could not quell the tension and anxiety they felt inside.
Still less could he expect the staff to be as relaxed as he was.
“The day after tomorrow, you guys might be able to smile happily, right?” Chen Dong rubbed his nose, his gaze firm.
As long as Elder Long helped him to finish that, he would have the confidence to reverse the situation and not only would he not lose money on the shantytown renovation in the west of the city, he would also make a huge profit!
Taking out his mobile phone, Chen Dong opened his WeChat.
After returning Lin Xue’er’s message last night, he hadn’t looked at WeChat again.
On weekdays, he communicated with some of his clients on WeChat.
But when he saw the message from the WeChat interface last night from the friend he hadn’t contacted for a long time, he lost his concentration once again.
The message was sent last night, a very simple one: Are you okay?
A few simple words, but Chen Dong was frozen in place, and her came to his mind.
After a long time, he rubbed his nose bitterly and replied, “Fine.”
The other side replied in almost seconds, “I’ve already booked a flight, I’ll be back next month after I’m done here, we haven’t seen each other for three years, right?”
Chen Dong’s gaze drifted even further, as if the floodgates of memory had been opened, and he murmured out loud, “Gu Qingying ……”
Three years ago, when he and Wang Nan Nan got married, this former friend was a bridesmaid, and after the wedding she left for another country, and for the past three years, there had been no contact.
In just three years, but things have changed, his former friend is back in touch, she is coming back, and he and Wang Nan Nan are divorced.
With a self-deprecating smile, Chen Dong replied with the word “yes”, then put down his phone and started working.
Far across the ocean.
It was night time.
In the spacious room, a soothing piano tune echoed.
The air is lightly perfumed.
In front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window sits a silhouette, putting down her mobile phone and revealing a gentle smile as she looks out into the distance.
Knock, knock.
A knock sounded at the door.
A thick voice came into the room, “Qingying, have you really decided to return to China next month?”
“Mm nah.” Gu Qingying smiled and nodded, “Dad, I haven’t been back for three years, I want to go back for a visit.”
“But there’s a dinner party next month, and dad wants you to join him, so he can introduce you to some young people.
Gu Qingying’s eyebrows knitted slightly and she said with some displeasure, “Dad, is it Rothschild’s this time? Or which oil tycoon’s prince?”
“Both!” The muffled voice replied.
“Not like that.” Gu Qingying refused.
……
Meanwhile, at Wang Nan Nan’s house, a heated argument was breaking out.
“Mom, I won’t go, there’s no way I’ll go!” Wang Nan Nan cried out with red eyes.
The floor, long ago, had been smashed all over the place.
Pop!
Zhang Xiuzhi smacked a vase on the ground and scolded with her forked waist, “You’re still against heaven! I didn’t stop you when you married that wimp Chen Dong, and only now have you come to the point of divorce.”
“I’m a mother, I’ve introduced you to someone, and you still won’t go? Do you even know what it means to be ashamed of yourself?”
On the side, Wang De sat on the sofa, looking at everything in front of him and sighing incessantly.
“Dad!”
Wang Nan Nan looked at Wang De in despair, “Can you help me beg my mother?”
“He dares!”
Zhang Xiuzhi raised her eyebrows and snapped in a sharp voice.
Wang De said, “I don’t think the man you’re looking for is suitable, he’s over forty years old, almost as old as us.”
“What’s wrong with being over forty?”
Zhang Xiuzhi looked cross: “A forty-year-old man is a flower, he is rich and is a standard diamond king, Nan Nan has been divorced and has become a second-hand goods, you still want to find her a rich and handsome man? Can those rich and handsome men look at her?”
Wang Nan Nan was frozen, looking at Zhang Xiuzhi incredulously.
She had never thought that her own mother would use the word “second-hand goods” to describe her.
“Mom ……,” Wang Nan Nan cried, tears streaming down her face.
“Shut up!”
Zhang Xiuzhi scolded angrily, “If you hadn’t married that loser Chen Dong back then, your brother would be getting married now, so why would you not be able to help?”
“What mother doesn’t love her children? But the point is that your father and I don’t have enough money to pay for Xiao Hao’s wedding, so you, as a sister, have to help out, right? Do you want to watch your father and I being forced to die, so that our Wang family will be extinct?”
Wang Nan Nan was dumbfounded, her teeth clenched on her red lips, not knowing what to say.
As soon as Wang De heard the word “extinct”, he also softened and said in a serious voice, “Nan Nan, listen to your mother, you are the older sister, after marrying Chen Dong, do you still have this family in your heart? Xiao Hao is your own brother.”
“But that man is the boss of the company Chen Dong works for, he’s Chen Dong’s top boss!” Wang Nan Nan grabbed the last straw.
She was only in her twenties, how could she be willing to go on a blind date with an old man in his forties?
What’s more, she had only just gotten divorced now.
“So what’s wrong?” Zhang Xiuzhi crossed her waist with one hand and sneered with a frown, “That wimp has climbed high into our Wang family and still dares to divorce you, so fine, go and be the boss’s wife of his company and show him how much of a wimp he is.”
The words were harsh and full of ridicule.
“Mom, you’re going too far!” Wang Nan Nan was completely frantic.
At this very moment, Wang Hao returned.
Having been lectured by Lin Xue’er in front of Chen Dong, and even received a slap, Wang Hao was still indignant and depressed.
As soon as he saw the situation in the house, he froze, “What happened?”
“Xiao Hao is back, huh?” Zhang Xiuzhi changed her face and greeted Wang Hao with a smile, “Nothing, we were discussing with your sister about preparing a bride price for you.”
As soon as he heard about the bride price, Wang Hao hurriedly walked towards Wang Nan Nan, and held up Wang Nan Nan in a condescending manner, saying, “Sister, please help me, I really have no other choice, this is my life’s work, otherwise Xue’er will really be finished with me.”
Looking at the aggrieved Wang Hao, Wang Nan Nan suddenly became a little soft-hearted.
After a moment of hesitation, she nodded breathlessly, “I’ll go.”
“Good! The other party is a rich man, so driving your car won’t lose any points, and if it really works out, we can still get more money for the bride price.”
Zhang Xiuzhi said joyfully.
Chapter 13
After work in the evening.
Chen Dong rushed home, made the soup, and then hurried to the Lijin Hospital.
When he reached the door of the ward, he met Dr. Zhang and other doctors who were checking out the ward.
When he saw Chen Dong, Dr. Zhang waved for his colleagues to leave beforehand, then quickly greeted him and said smilingly, “Mr. Chen is really filial, cooking and making soup for your mother every day.”
Chen Dong smiled and said, “Dr. Zhang, how is my mother doing?”
“Your mother is recovering well and will be discharged from the hospital in a few days, but there is a dangerous period of rejection for liver transplantation, as short as six months and as long as a year, before she really gets over it.”
Dr. Zhang’s words instantly made Chen Dong’s heart seize, followed closely by Dr. Zhang smiling, “But Mr. Chen, don’t worry, Elder Long has explained long ago that our hospital will help your mother recover at any cost.”
“Thank you so much, Dr. Zhang.” Chen Dong said gratefully.
Even putting aside the presence of Elder Long, during the years of treating his mother, Dr. Zhang’s medical ethics had made him admire him immensely.
“Mr. Chen is too polite, but in your tang’s current condition, you cannot suffer the slightest stimulation, nor can your emotions fluctuate too much, as I told Mr. Chen last time, please pay more attention to this.”
Dr. Zhang waved his hand with a smile, looked at the ward and then hesitated before finally smiling oddly at Chen Dong, “Then I will go check the room first.”
Chen Dong glanced at Dr. Zhang who had left in confusion.
Walking into the ward, Chen Dong stopped abruptly.
He suddenly understood why Dr. Zhang had stopped talking earlier.
In his sight, his mother was lying on the hospital bed, a kind smile on her thin cheeks.
And beside the hospital bed, a girl was sitting, peeling an apple with her head down.
“Lin Xue’er, why are you here?” Chen Dong frowned.
“Mr. Chen, you’re here?”
Lin Xue’er looked up and saw Chen Dong and smiled sweetly, “Didn’t I hear you say that auntie was sick? I came to visit her after work.”
Saying that, she also affectionately handed a small piece of apple she had peeled to Chen Dong’s mother.
Chen Dong glanced at the thermos bucket on the cabinet next to the hospital bed and was a little cold.
He really didn’t expect Lin Xue’er to play this trick with him.
What was the situation when she was manipulating Wang Hao while running to him to pay courtesy and visit his mother?
“Xiao Dong, Miss Lin is very nice.” The mother, Li Lan, looked at Chen Dong, glanced back again and said, “Where is Nan Nan?”
Because she had just awakened from surgery, her mother’s voice still sounded exhausted and weak, and even her face was pale.
Chen Dong’s heart seized a little, his mother’s current condition was simply unable to withstand the stimulation.
So from the time his mother woke up, he had concealed the divorce, intending to wait until her condition was a little better.
However, Chen Dong did not answer immediately, but gave Lin Xue’er a cold glance.
Lin Xue’er was the soon-to-be daughter-in-law of the Wang family, and she could even come straight to the hospital to see his mother, so what more could she say?
As if she knew what Chen Dong was thinking, Lin Xue’er smiled and shook her head.
Chen Dong was relieved, and only then did he smile and explain.
“Mom, Nan Nan is very busy these days and can’t take time out, won’t you be able to see her when you are better and can go home?”
“Okay.” Leland was a little lost, gently nibbling on an apple.
“Mom, you take a rest first, I’ll have a few words with Miss Lin.”
Chen Dong walked quickly to Lin Xue’er and pulled her up by the arm, “Please come out with me for a moment.”
“Aiya, you’re hurting me.” Lin Xue’er pouted.
Li Lan frowned, “Xiao Dong, Miss Lin is here to visit me, she is a guest, you can’t behave like this, apologise quickly.”
“Hee hee, thank you aunty.” Lin Xue’er smiled and spoke to Li Lan with a face full of ingratiation.
But when she turned her head and saw Chen Dong’s cold face forcing down his anger, she spat out her tongue, “Alright lah, I’ll be generous and not bother with you.”
With that, she turned around and admonished Li Lan, “Auntie, take a good rest, I’ll see you next time.”
Then only then did she walk out of the ward with Chen Dong.
“What do you mean?”
Standing in the corridor, Chen Dong directly scolded.
“I just know that aunty is sick and I want to come and see her, can’t I?” Lin Xue’er, who was still laughing and smiling in front of her, instantly looked aggrieved, and her beautiful eyes even glowed with tears, “What? Do you still think I’m being kind? Then why do you want to provoke me?”
Chen Dong’s head was suddenly turned upside down.
He waved his hand in annoyance, “Please leave, and don’t come to visit my mother in the future.”
“Don’t!” Lin Xue’er shook her head and laughed strangely, “If you don’t let me come and visit my aunt, I will tell her about your divorce.”
Living in this city, she had her own tactics and knew exactly what was in a man’s mind, and knew even better how to put a man in his place.
Otherwise, she would not have turned around Chen Dong and come to visit his mother after being ignored by him.
“You’re threatening me?” Chen Dong looked huffy, hostility surfacing in his eyes.
“Yes, I am threatening you, do you want to get back at me?” Lin Xue’er smiled flirtatiously, with a lot of style between her eyebrows, while also raising her right hand and gently pointing her index finger towards Chen Dong’s chest.
Chen Dong took a step backwards, “I, let you leave!”
Lin Xue’er’s smile froze, not expecting Chen Dong to refuse so decisively.
This was a far cry from the Chen Dong of that night!
She was a smart woman and knew what it meant to stop when it was appropriate.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Xue’er withdrew her right hand, and the flirtatiousness on her pretty face turned into a warm smile.
“Alright, I’ll leave first then, but don’t worry, I didn’t tell Auntie about your divorce, I wouldn’t be that stupid to irritate her at this time.”
Looking at Lin Xue’er who left, Chen Dong was distracted.
His mother was everything to him.
He would never allow Lin Xue’er to go near his mother.
Lin Xue’er was not the woman he wanted, and with Lin Xue’er by his mother’s side, she was undoubtedly a time bomb!
He did not know how to solve it at one time, and it drove him a little crazy.
Meanwhile.
Wang Nan Nan sat on the pa*senger side of the Audi, looking forlornly out of the window at the traffic, her eyes still red and glistening with tears.
On the side, Wang Hao was overjoyed.
As long as his sister’s blind date was successful, then he would have the bride price for Lin Xue’er.
Giving Wang Nan Nan a sidelong glance, Wang Hao smiled and said, “Sister, you’re the best to me, I can get married to Xue’er thanks to you helping me.”
Wang Nan Nan didn’t reply, Wang Hao’s smile gave her a feeling like a knife cutting her heart.
But she couldn’t retort, nor did she know how.
Because she was Wang Hao’s sister, she really should help with something as big as her brother’s marriage.
It was just that the blind date was with an old man in his forties, and he was also Chen Dong’s boss, which she really couldn’t accept.
Seeing Wang Nan Nan sulking, Wang Hao suddenly teasingly brought up the scene at the Lijin Hospital in the morning.
“Sis, I sent Xue’er to work this morning and saw Chen Dong at the Lijin Hospital, do you know what happened? Xue’er actually said that Chen Dong was very rich, hahaha …… laughing my a*s off.”
A glint came out of Wang Nan Nan’s eyes and said despondently, “How can he be rich?”
“I said so too, but Xue’er just wouldn’t listen, do you think she’s stupid?”
Wang Hao said disdainfully, “I’d believe it if he had a hundred thousand or so in his private money, unless the sky is falling if he’s as rich as Xue’er says.”
A sarcastic remark was originally made inadvertently.
But it instantly lifted Wang Nan Nan’s heart and soul, as if she had caught a life-saving straw.
What if, Chen Dong really still had money?
Thinking of this, Wang Nan Nan hurriedly sent a WeChat to Chen Dong.
“Chen Dong, my mother is forcing me to go on a blind date with an old man in his forties, they are doing it for the bride price to give Xiao Hao a wife, if I can get enough money for the bride price, I won’t have to go on a blind date with an old man, help me, okay?”
The text message was sent for a long time, and when the car was almost at the agreed matchmaking place, there was no reply.
Wang Nan Nan got a little angry and quickly sent another WeChat: “Chen Dong! The first time I saw you, I gave you my body and everything I had, are you going to die without saving me? You don’t even want to say a word to me?”
After waiting for ten minutes, the Audi had pulled into the hotel car park.
After parking the car, Wang Hao said, “Sister, it’s here.”
Wang Nan Nan glanced at the phone that didn’t reply and was in a hurry, and was about to send another WeChat.
Ding!
WeChat alerted the sound of a new message.
Wang Nan Nan excitedly picked up her phone, and once she saw the content of the text message, her heart instantly went cold.
“Your mother forced it, not me.”
