Chapter 269 Liu Nianrou is beaten

The Lin family mother and daughter both looked up—

They were surprised to see the old maid who had once served the Jiang family mother and daughter standing expressionlessly in front of them.

"Hmph, so you ungrateful old bastard, you still have the nerve to come back?"

Liu Nianrou slammed her chopsticks down, then adopted the air of the mistress of the Lin family, gritting her teeth angrily, "You're back just in time, I still need to interrogate you!"

With no outsiders present, Lin Zhixin abandoned her usual gentle and approachable demeanor, her eyes turning ferocious, and her entire aura becoming arrogant and domineering.

"You old fool! That night at my dad's birthday party, was it you who took President Xie to that room? Was it you who said those irrelevant things to her?!"

The old maid remained expressionless and readily admitted, "I told Mr. Xie."

"You—!" Lin Zhixin was so angry that she wanted to rush up and slap her wildly.

"Shameless old bastard! We took pity on you and gave you a meal, and you betrayed us!"

Liu Nianrou glared fiercely, then suddenly stood up. "Are you suffering from dementia or have you lost your mind?!"

Lin Zhixin curled her lips into a cold smile, "Mom, I don't think she's lost her mind. She's been planning this all along. That woman is dead, Jiang Shiyuan is gone, but she still chose to stay here with us to be an inside agent, lying in wait by our side, waiting for the right moment to take revenge on us!"

The old maid gave a cold laugh and remained silent.

Such a reckless attitude may not be very lethal, but it is extremely insulting to the Lin family mother and daughter!

Lin Zhixin slammed her hand on the table, her words vicious, "You old hag! How can you still laugh?! If you're so loyal, why didn't you die with that woman back then?!"

"Didn't you say it yourself? I have to stay in the Lin family as an inside agent."

The old maid glared coldly at this two-faced scoundrel, "If I die, who will expose your ugly faces?"

Lin Zhixin was filled with rage, and a murderous intent surged in her eyes.

"You old hag! How dare you talk back? I'll give you a good beating!"

Liu Nianrou rolled up her sleeves and rushed to the old maid, gathering all her strength, and swung her arm to slap her.

Unexpectedly, the old maid stepped aside—

Losing her balance and wearing high heels, Liu Nianrou screamed "Ah!" and fell heavily to the ground, landing face-first in the mud!

Lin Zhixin was stunned and for a moment forgot to go forward to help him up.

The old maid glared at her, her eyes filled with resentment: "Madam, over the years, you've beaten and scolded me countless times. Today, you've thrown me down like this, and we're even. After all, if a dog bites a person, the person can't just pounce on the dog and bite back, can they?"

Liu Nianrou, lying on the ground, had numb and aching knees, and was completely dazed.

"Who are you calling a dog?!"

"I'm here today to tell you and your daughter that I'm quitting. If you dare to touch me again, I'll call the police. Then we'll see who's more shameful, me or you, this self-righteous Mrs. Lin."

The old maid gave a bitter smile and shook her head. "Actually, I should have left when Miss married Mr. Xie. But back then, I still had some illusions, hoping that Miss might occasionally come back to visit her old home after the marriage, so I've stayed here ever since."

Now, there's no need for that anymore.

Liu Nianrou was so angry that her eyes were bloodshot, and she was about to unleash a torrent of curses when she saw Lin Zhixin exclaim in surprise:

"Dad? You...you're back?"

Liu Nianrou's heart clenched suddenly. She looked up and, sure enough, saw Lin Chengchou, whom she hadn't seen for several days, standing there with a cold and gloomy expression, looking down at her disheveled and ugly state.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she quickly resorted to her old tricks, feigning weakness and pitifulness, her eyes like two faucets, tears welling up at any moment:

"Brother Cheng...you've finally come back! I've been waiting for you for so long! I thought...I thought you didn't want me anymore!"

They can spout utterly cheesy and mushy things without a second thought, completely disregarding who's around.

After all, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and the squeaky wheel gets the man's attention. If she hadn't been so alluring back then, she wouldn't have been able to snatch such a promising talent from the exceptionally talented Jiang Buyu.

However, Lin Chengchou remained unmoved when faced with his wife lying on the ground. In the past, he would panic and feel distressed for a long time if she even scratched her skin.

"Dad! This old maid is the one who served my sister before. She's the one who betrayed us!"

Lin Zhixin immediately accused the villain first, her eyes red-rimmed, "If she hadn't gone to Brother Jinghuai and said a bunch of nonsense, Brother Jinghuai wouldn't have taken his anger out on our Lin family, and he wouldn't have withdrawn his investment, leaving Yuntu Oriental in such a passive position!"

Not only did she complain, she even hit my mother! A servant like her actually assaulted her master—it's utterly outrageous! I'm going to sue her, prosecute her! If she can't compensate the Lin family for their losses, then let her rot in jail!

The maid looked fearless; since she dared to lay her cards on the table, she had nothing to fear.

Liu Nianrou burst into tears, befitting the occasion.

Lin Chengchou, who had been silent, finally spoke in a chilling tone:

"Your mother got beaten up? Or did she try to hit someone herself but ended up falling flat on her face?"

The maid was stunned, and the Lin mother and daughter turned pale!

It turned out he hadn't just come in; he'd been standing outside all along! He'd witnessed everything that had happened in the restaurant!

"Mr. Lin." The old maid bowed respectfully to Lin Chengchou, but her attitude was indifferent.

Lin Chengchou nodded slightly, his expression cold and his gaze intimidating: "At the birthday banquet that day, did you deliberately make contact with President Xie? Did you deliberately take him to see the room where Miss Xie used to stay? What was your purpose in doing that?"

The old maid shook her head. "Over the years, Mr. Xie has come here more than once or twice. If I were doing this on purpose, I would have done it long ago. Was it necessary to wait until now?"

Lin Chengchou was slightly taken aback.

"Mr. Xie walked in by accident. I happened to bump into him when I went to dust the room. He asked me if the person living here was a young lady from a wealthy family. I was just stating the facts."

"State the facts? Give me a break!"

Seeing her try to argue, Lin Zhixin was so angry that her back teeth ached. "If you hadn't opened that door, how could Brother Jinghuai have walked in without a trace? It was a trap you set with malicious intent. Stop spouting nonsense!"

Lin Chengchou roared, "Enough! Shut up!"

Lin Zhixin's heart trembled with fright.

She had a feeling that her father's mood was very strange tonight; he was like a firecracker that could be set on fire at any moment.

“Mr. Lin, whether it was intentional or unintentional, what’s done is done, and I have nothing to say. Thank you for your and the Lin family’s care over the years. I’ll pack my things and leave tonight.”

After saying that, the old maid left the restaurant without looking back.

"No! We can't just let her go like that! She caused us to lose President Xie's support and became a stumbling block for Xin Xin to marry into a wealthy family. She caused so much trouble and thinks she can just walk away? There's no such thing as a free lunch!"

Liu Nianrou angrily accused him, enduring the pain as she got up from the ground. Just as she was about to chase after him, she bumped into Lin Chengchou, who was blocking her way, causing her to stumble.

"Isn't it you who caused the Lin family to lose investment and prevented your daughter from marrying into the Xie family?" Lin Chengchou's eyes were like knives scraping Liu Nianrou's face.

Liu Nianrou stared into his bloodshot eyes, her scalp tingling. "Cheng-Brother Cheng, I..."

"I'm going to ask you a question, and you'd better answer me honestly."

Lin Chengchou took a step closer, his face grim and terrifying. "What exactly is your relationship with Zhu Jiankun?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Nianrou felt her scalp tingle and her tear-streaked face drain of color.

Lin Zhixin was also dumbfounded.

What does Dad mean by asking that?

Although her mother came from a humble background and was not well-educated, there was no way she would be interested in that greasy pig, right? It's disgusting!

Liu Nianrou almost lost control of her expression, laughing as if she were crying, "Brother Cheng, why did you suddenly ask that?"

Lin Chengchou's roar echoed throughout the restaurant, "Answer me!"

"I have nothing with that guy surnamed Zhu!"

Liu Nianrou was terrified, but she stubbornly denied it, "He and I are just high school classmates and from the same hometown... nothing more... ah!"

The next second, a deafening slap followed by a scream!

Lin Chengchou glared with bloodshot eyes, slapped Liu Nianrou to the ground, and cursed loudly:

"You shameless slut! I've asked you right in the face, and you still dare to lie to me?! Do you think I'm some kind of idiot you can manipulate at will?!"

Lin Zhixin covered her mouth in alarm, looking at her mother who was lying on the ground, her cheeks swollen and blood flowing from the corner of her mouth. She was so frightened that she froze and couldn't move!

From childhood to adulthood, my father has always spoken to my mother gently and doted on her. He has never been so furious.

That's terrifying! He's completely different from his usual gentle and refined self!

"Brother Cheng... Ah!"

Before Liu Nianrou could offer any explanation, Lin Chengchou bent down, grabbed her hair, forced her neck back, and stared at her with uncontrollable rage:

"You and that guy surnamed Zhu were together back in high school, and you slept with him more than once, right?"

Liu Nianrou was stunned, her body trembling as if she were shaking.

How did Lin Chengchou know about her relationship with Zhu? Could it be that he wasn't out seeking investment these past few days, but rather investigating her?

Even if he sent people to Yuncheng to dig up her "grave", how many years had passed since she and Zhu Jiankun first tasted the forbidden fruit? Who told him that?

But Liu Nianrou immediately received the answer.

Because Lin Chengchou played a recording of Zhu Jiankun's drunken confession in front of her and her daughter. This showed her absolutely no respect.

After hearing this, Lin Zhixin's vision went black.

Even she was shocked, let alone her father who always cherished his mother like a treasure.

The pure and innocent little rabbit you're protecting is actually a seasoned woman with a rich romantic history and countless men, and she lost her virginity before she even reached adulthood. Who could accept that?

Lin Chengchou hated his mother for being impure, but he hated even more that she had deceived him for so many years.

With a swollen face, Liu Nianrou cried bitterly.

She wanted to clear her name, but she knew that Lin Chengchou had accumulated both old and new grudges and was deeply convinced of her guilt. If she couldn't clear her name, she would only make a fool of herself.

"So that's how you managed to get that guy surnamed Zhu to do things for you. Turns out, it's because of your body."

Lin Chengchou's eyes widened in fury as he looked at the woman he had doted on for over twenty years. He wanted to slap her, and he also wanted to slap himself. "Aren't you a virgin?"

Wasn't that your first time when you were having sex with me in broad daylight that year? You slut! You dare lie to me?!

"If I had known you were such a piece of trash, I would never have divorced Xiaoyu and married a woman like you who can barely read and is good for nothing except her bed skills!"

These words were arguably the most devastating blow to Liu Nianrou.

But she couldn't care less about being angry; all she could do was cry and try to justify herself.

"I...I was young and ignorant back then...I was forced by Zhu Jiankun...I didn't want to!"

"Yes, Dad! How old was Mom back then? It's so pitiful for a teenage girl to be bullied like that. Mom was a victim!"

Taking the opportunity to plead her mother's case, Lin Zhixin also burst into tears, "That man surnamed Zhu is a rapist! If you're going to hit someone, you should hit Zhu Jiankun!"

These words had some effect, and the raging anger in Lin Chengchou's eyes gradually subsided.

He forcefully let go, and Liu Nianrou fell back to the ground, seeing stars from the pain.

"I will deal with that Zhu guy, of course. But you lied to me, and you've been lying to me for so many years, that's still despicable and unforgivable!"

"Brother Cheng... I was wrong, I was really wrong! I was just afraid you'd dislike me... afraid you wouldn't want me anymore!"

Liu Nianrou struggled to her feet and clung tightly to Lin Chengchou's leg. "I come from a poor family, my parents died early... I was almost raped by my uncle when I was twelve... I live on the edge every day, and then I was bullied by Zhu Jiankun in high school..."

No man has ever treated me as well as you, Cheng Ge… Meeting you made me completely fall for you. I love you to death. I knew you were the one the moment I saw you, and I dream of marrying you… That’s why I hid my shameful past…

Brother Cheng! I swear... the only person I've ever loved in my life is you! If I've told even a single lie, may I be hit by a car and die, may my body be covered in festering sores, and may I die a horrible death!

"Mom! Don't curse yourself!" Lin Zhixin rushed over and hugged her, and started crying too.

Seeing his wife and daughter embracing and crying their hearts out, Lin Chengchou held his burning forehead, overwhelmed with resentment and anger, and almost fainted.

After smashing almost all the dishes on the table, the man, who had lost his mind, finally calmed down, slumped into a chair, and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"Xinxin, buy your mom a one-way ticket to M country right now. I'm only giving her three days to pack. She has to leave in three days."

Liu Nianrou collapsed to the ground, completely disoriented from crying.

Yuntu Oriental Technology has a factory in a non-state-owned enterprise. Lin Chengchou would occasionally fly over to inspect the factory area. For convenience, he bought a small villa there.

The weather in Kefei is scorching hot, and the country is poor and backward. The streets are full of garbage and smell terrible. The Lin family's villa there is less than 300 square meters, and the living conditions are nowhere near those in Beijing.

Liu Nianrou is used to a life of luxury; how could she endure such hardship? It's no different from being exiled to Ningguta or demoted to the Xin Zhe Ku!

Lin Zhixin asked anxiously, "Dad, why is it a one-way trip? Don't you want Mom to come back?!"

"I don't know, but right now, I don't want to see this liar!"

After saying this, Lin Chengchou stood up and left angrily.

Liu Nianrou knelt amidst the chaos, her tear-filled, red eyes gradually turning ferocious and terrifying.

...

In the evening, after dinner and a shower, Jiang Shiyuan sat in her studio, picked up some scrap paper and paintbrushes, and skillfully sketched the prototype of a new car.

Just as he was engrossed in drawing, his phone rang.

When she saw that it was Butler Ning calling, she didn't answer the first time, but the calls kept coming in, so she finally couldn't resist and answered.

"Butler Ning, is there something you need?"

"Young Madam! Something terrible has happened! The young master has slipped and fallen down the stairs, hitting his head and breaking his leg! The child is crying and looking for you, please come back and check on the young master!"

Butler Ning's voice was trembling with emotion, so anxious, it didn't seem fake.

Jiang Shiyuan's back was stiff, and with a forceful pinch of his fingertips, the pencil tip broke.

She paused for a few seconds, then stood up without hesitation. "Okay, I'll be right there."

Soon, Jiang Shiyuan took a taxi to Guanlanyuan.

From the moment she left home, her heart was pounding. The image of Tongtong falling and bleeding from her head kept flashing through her mind. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, tighter and tighter, making her pound so hard it was suffocating.

However, as she hurried into the living room, she suddenly froze.

Xie Jinghuai, impeccably dressed in a suit, sat in the center of the sofa, squinting at her with his phoenix eyes, taking a deep drag on the cigarette between his fingers. The ashtray in front of him was overflowing with cigarette butts, like a jungle.