Chapter 106: One wave after another

Because she didn't want to make Shen Yixiao sad and fall into self-doubt, Cen Wan found that it was not so difficult to talk about those past events again.

Her mother, Song Jiaxian, is also a painter. She met Cen Boqing in college. They fell in love at first sight and soon fell in love. Then they got married, had children, and started a family.

Cen Baiqing's family used to be wealthy, but it declined from his father's generation, and in the end, only an empty shell was left.

After marriage, the two started a business together and ran several galleries. Song Jiaxian was very talented in painting and knew some people in the circle, so her business was pretty good.

After graduation, she rarely picked up a paintbrush. Instead, she spent every day busying herself in various occasions, negotiating business, and building connections.

The company was thriving, but the topics of conversation between the two were no longer about love and romance, but about the company's operations and the flow of funds.

In Cen Wan's memory, her parents did spend a period of loving time together.

When she was a child, the two of them would often take her to amusement parks, oceanariums, and pick her up and drop her off at various extracurricular tutoring classes whenever they had time.

The rose patch in the courtyard of the small Western-style building has a flower stand that was built by Cen Baiqing himself for Song Jiaxian, and there is a rocking chair under the flower stand.

Song Jiaxian likes to lie in a rocking chair and read a book, with scented tea brewing on the table next to her. The golden sunlight shines through the gaps between the rose branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on her body, which is as beautiful as a painting.

Cen Wan remembered that scene for many years.

I don’t know when it started, probably in junior high school, but the frequency of their quarrels became more and more frequent.

It wasn't until she was in high school that she understood why.

Cen Boqing cheated on his wife.

He and his mistress have a daughter who is only two years younger than him.

Only two years younger.

In other words, the time interval between the two women's pregnancies was only one year, or even that they had already been secretly having an affair when Song Jiaxian was pregnant.

That day, Cen Wan stood outside the door, listening to her mother's heart-wrenching cries and curses in the room, as well as Cen Baiqing's occasional whispers, and knew that her home had undergone earth-shaking changes.

However, after that day, Song Jiaxian acted as if nothing had happened and never mentioned the matter again.

She hired the best teacher to tutor Cen Wan for her art exam, and stopped going to the company every day, but instead took care of her wholeheartedly.

It was as if nothing had happened between Song Jiaxian and Cen Baiqing. They treated each other with respect and no longer quarreled.

At that time, Cen Wan didn’t understand. With her mother’s temper, how could she tolerate it?

Until she finished the college entrance examination and went to college, neither of them mentioned divorce.

When I was a freshman in college, my grandfather fell ill and passed away.

She suddenly realized that she didn't know many things about her family.

For example, her grandmother actually didn't think highly of the two of them at first, so her mother would send her back to her grandmother's house to live for a while every year, but she rarely went back herself, and Cen Baiqing rarely went there.

For example, all the family assets are under Cen Boqing's name. Although Song Jiaxian helps to manage the company, she only receives a salary and cannot be considered a shareholder.

Due to family reasons, Cen Wan gradually became less lively, and her temperament became colder and more indifferent.

It wasn't until her sophomore year that she met Shen Yixiao.

Shen Yixiao is a domineering, strong, ruffian, arrogant and rough man. Logically, she should avoid him, but he has the rebelliousness and casualness that she envies.

He was like a gust of wind, occupying her life in every way.

Like a ball of fire, his passion also burned her, driving her crazy and unrestrained, making her do things she wanted to do but dared not to do.

She thought that even if someone like Shen Yixiao fell in love with someone else one day, he would not cheat on her. Instead, he would tell her uprightly, "I don't love you anymore, let's break up."

The year they were together was the most unrestrained and happiest time in her life.

She never thought about the long term, only about the present day.

However, she didn't know that misfortune was quietly approaching.

The day before National Day, just as she was about to go home, she received a call from the hospital.

Song Jiaxian committed suicide by cutting her wrists.

She was lying in the bathtub with blood all over the floor. When the maid found her, she was already dead. It was in vain to send her to the hospital for treatment.

When Cen Wan rushed to the hospital, she was completely dazed and her mind was blank.

Looking at the person covered with white cloth, she couldn't even shed tears, and just stared blankly.

She had just called the day before to say she wanted to go back, and her mother agreed and asked her what she wanted to eat.

How could it be...

As Cen Wan listened to the time of death announced by the doctor, she bit her lips tightly, her whole body trembling, her heart aching, and she almost couldn't breathe.

Tears kept falling, but she couldn't even make a sound.

She hadn't told her she was in a relationship yet, and there was still so much she hadn't said. She wanted to persuade her to divorce, so they could live happily ever after, and she would take care of her. She could continue painting, becoming a stylish and elegant artist. Artists often have difficult relationships, and maybe she'd find some new inspiration...

There are many more, but she didn't have time to say them.

She didn't believe that she would abandon herself so easily.

It wasn't until she saw Cen Baiqing and another woman in the hospital that Cen Wan understood why.

The woman's belly was slightly bulging and looked like it was several months old.

When his mother committed suicide, Cen Boqing was actually in the hospital accompanying his mistress for a prenatal checkup!

Cen Wan was furious and rushed forward regardless of anything, punching and kicking the two men.

Cen Boqing protected Fang Yaqing, frowned and pushed her away impatiently: "What are you crazy about?"

Cen Wan looked at the familiar face in front of her and felt very strange for a moment.

This was the man she had called dad for twenty years, the man who held her in his arms and coaxed her into believing she was the happiest little princess in the world when she was a child.

At this moment, the only remaining emotion collapsed.

She stood there, looking at the two of them coldly, her eyes full of hatred: "My mother is dead, it was you who killed her."

Cen Baiqing's face was only briefly filled with shock, and then he slowly spoke: "Your mother and I signed a divorce agreement after you took the college entrance examination. Later, your grandfather became seriously ill, otherwise we would have divorced long ago. She has had mental problems for a long time and has been taking medicine..."

When Cen Wan looked at this cold and ugly face, her heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar, so numb that she couldn't even feel the pain.

Fang Yaqing protected her belly, looking pitiful. "The doctor said it's a boy. I'm a little scared. I've encountered such an unlucky thing..."

Cen Baiqing patted her and said, "It's okay. You go back first. I'll take care of things here."

After all, Cen Boqing and Song Jiaxian have not officially divorced yet, and the funeral arrangements still need to be handled.

But from cremation to burial, Cen Wan did not let Cen Baiqing touch anything, she did it all herself.

It was a rainy day when Song Jiaxian was buried. Cen Wan was wearing mourning clothes and holding the urn in her hands. She firmly refused Cen Baiqing's request to see Song Jiaxian off for the last time.

Cen Baiqing: "What are you doing? The person is gone, are you going to deny even me as your father?"

Cen Wan stood in the continuous drizzle, looking at the cold tombstones before her. She turned back to look at him, her tone so cold it seemed to freeze: "She would find it dirty."

Three days had passed since Song Jiaxian's funeral was completed. Cen Wan's phone was full of messages and calls, especially from Shen Yixiao.

[Baby, are you home yet? I miss you so much]

I'm going to Beijing and will be back in about two days.

Why don’t you reply my message?

【Baby, baby, what’s wrong with you? Is there something wrong?】

【Why didn’t you even answer my call?】

[Have you been kidnapped? If you don’t show up, I’ll come find you.]

After Song Jiaxian was cremated, Cen Wan found time to reply to him: [I have something to deal with these two days, very busy]

Shen Yixiao was quiet for a few hours, then started messaging her non-stop again:

[Okay, then come back to me when you have time]

[Don’t you miss me? I miss you so much]

[If you truly love someone, you can squeeze out time for them. Do you not love me anymore? ]

[Do you want to go out and play? How about taking you to see the sea a few days after National Day?]

[You can go to the mountains, the desert, or anywhere you want...]

Before Cen Wan could figure out how to tell Shen Yixiao about this, something happened again.

As soon as Song Jiaxian died, Fang Yaqing brought Cen Shu into the house with her pregnant belly.

He moved into her house so openly and began to clean up all traces of his mother's life.

They changed the servants and furniture and redecorated the room. By the time Cen Wan saw it, it looked completely different.

She argued and quarreled, but it was no use.

The house is under Cen Boqing's name, and she is just a student, there is nothing she can do.

She even thought that if she exposed the affair between Cen Baiqing and Fang Yaqing and posted it online, the Cen family's company stock would plummet and its reputation would be damaged. Cen Baiqing, who was so concerned about his reputation, would probably feel very uncomfortable.

But before she could collect all the evidence, her grandmother arrived.

Less than two years after my grandfather passed away, his only daughter committed suicide. Cen Wan was worried that my grandmother could not bear the bad news, so she kept it a secret from her.

But grandma got the news from somewhere.

That was the first time in Cen Wan's life that she heard her usually gentle and kind grandmother speak so loudly and hysterically, throwing away all her manners and manners. She wanted to kill the couple.

The villa was in chaos that day. Cen Wan didn't remember what they talked about. She only remembered the pool of bright red blood in the stairwell and the sharp sirens of the ambulance in her ears.

During the argument and shove with Fang Yaqing, the grandmother accidentally pushed her down the stairs and the child was lost.

Cen Wan had no extra sympathy to pity the unborn child of the mistress. She had only one thought in her mind: her grandmother must not be in any danger.

A servant happened to witness the scene. If the miscarriage was ultimately determined to be caused by intentional injury, my grandmother would face a prison sentence of at least three to ten years.

In just two years, my grandmother lost her husband and daughter. She was already old and could no longer withstand the ordeal.

Cen Wan stayed outside for as long as Fang Yaqing stayed in the operating room.

She endured Cen Boqing's fury and Cen Shu's beatings and scolding. The child was already gone, and Fang Yaqing couldn't afford to have anything happen to her again.

Cen Wan knelt outside the ward for a whole day and night without drinking a drop of water. It was not until she fainted at the door that Cen Baiqing's attitude towards her improved a little.

She went to beg Fang Yaqing, saying that she was willing to atone for her sins in any way, just asking her not to call the police.

That was the boy Cen Baiqing had been waiting for for so long. Fang Yaqing's eyes were swollen from crying. She leaned on the bed with a weak face, heartbroken. Looking at her, she said slowly: "That's the child your father and I have been waiting for for so long. If you are angry, you can come to me. The child is innocent..."

Finally, she said: "I have nightmares every night. I dream that my child comes to me and asks me why I didn't protect him."

"If you are truly sincere, then you should kneel down three times and kowtow nine times to climb up to Yunyin Temple, light a lamp for the child in my belly, and ask for a talisman written by the abbot himself."

Only with enough sincerity can you invite the host to perform the ceremony.

Cen Shu looked at the gloomy sky outside and added fuel to the fire, "Go now! No slacking off! No taking shelter from the rain!"

Cen Wan left.

I knelt in the rain and walked down all the steps of Yunyin Temple.

By the time she arrived at the temple, her knees were so swollen that she had difficulty walking.

After getting the talisman, she returned to the hospital immediately and stood outside the ward, leaning against the wall. Cen Wan heard the conversation between the mother and daughter.

"Mom, if Cen Wan comes back with the talisman, you won't really let that old woman go, right? She killed my brother!"

Fang Yaqing sat on the hospital bed, drinking a bowl of bird's nest. She took out a piece of paper, slowly wiped the corner of her mouth, and looked up at her: "You are always so impatient."

"Even if we catch that old woman, what's the use of her? She's already old, what kind of trouble can she cause? Cen Wan is still here. After all, she's still your father's daughter, so she'll definitely get a bigger share of the inheritance in the future."

"Song Jiaxian occupied Mrs. Cen's position for so long, causing me to bear the stigma of being a mistress, and causing you to be ridiculed for not having a father since childhood. She died so lightly, and I can only make some profits from her daughter."

Cen Shu: "You mean..."

Fang Yaqing's eyes flashed with malice: "If that little bitch is obedient, I will let that old thing live a few more years. If she goes against us, we will have no choice but to send that old thing to jail."

Cen Shu's eyes lit up: "Cen Wan cares so much about that old man, but doesn't she always listen to us?"

Fang Yaqing glanced at her and said, "You're finally smart for once."

"Your father is still counting on her to marry him in exchange for some benefits, so he won't really do anything to her. However, she can't choose the person she wants to marry."

"From today on, you are the only young lady of the Cen family. As for that little bitch, she can no longer affect us."

Cen Wan stood outside the door, her fingers tightly clenched around the amulet in her palm, her fingertips turning white.

My heart sank to the bottom, yet I felt inexplicably relieved.

At least grandma will be fine.