So that's how it is?

Chu Xing recalled the seemingly random words Song Mai had said to him on the day they got their marriage certificate, and suddenly he understood.

So, the fact that she agreed to get the marriage certificate without ever having met her in person was a desperate move she made because she was forced into it.

A hint of sympathy and heartache flickered in the man's eyes as he looked at the woman.

He had investigated her family and only knew that her family was not well-off and that her parents favored boys over girls, but he did not expect her situation to be so bad.

Song's mother remained unfazed, and could be described as self-righteous about her shameless behavior.

"You ungrateful brat, don't be so ungrateful. Who am I doing all this for? Isn't it all so you can marry into a good family and live a life of luxury? With your qualifications, who else but Weiqiang could give you that kind of life?"

Hearing this, Song Mai found it extremely funny, but as she laughed, tears unknowingly slid down her cheeks.

She hastily wiped away her tears, her gaze towards the people present resolute and calm.

"Marrying this sleazy old man means you've married into a good family? Taking the 500,000 yuan dowry for yourself means you want me to have a good life? Go ask others, does such a thing even exist in this world!"

Song Mai's words were forceful, conveying a sense of resolute determination born from a broken heart.

Upon hearing this, Song's mother was furious and raised her hand to slap Song Mai.

Seeing this, Chu Xing stretched out his long leg and tripped Song's mother, causing her to fall forward suddenly. Song Mai's sister-in-law reacted quickly, grabbing Song's mother's clothes from behind and pulling her several times to prevent her from falling.

Song's mother patted her chest in a panic, then turned her anger towards Chu Xing.

"Well, you two vicious bastards! Not only are you unfilial, but now you dare to lay a hand on me! Do you want to kill me and end it all? Come on, come on!"

Her face was contorted in a grimace; her wrinkled features were now contorted into a hideous and terrifying expression.

Song Mai slowly closed her eyes. She couldn't understand why a mother could be so cruel to her own child for money.

While pulling Song's mother along, Song Mai's sister-in-law feigned concern and advised Song Mai, saying:

“Mai Zi, you have to understand our good intentions. You have to understand that we are the ones who truly care about you. Everyone else is trying to harm you. Wei Qiang is a good person. He doesn’t mind that you’re a second-hand product. It’s clear that he truly loves you!”

Liu Weiqiang stood behind Chu Xing, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked every bit the old rogue, a truly repulsive sight.

"Yeah, you're second-hand now. You might as well be with me instead of this pretty boy. It doesn't matter who you sleep with, just serve me well and I'll buy you whatever you want."

As he spoke, Liu Weiqiang grinned, revealing a set of teeth that were yellow and black from years of smoking and chewing betel nuts.

Song Mai covered her mouth, almost vomiting, and managed to hold it in after several attempts to distract herself.

She ignored him and instead looked directly at Song's mother.

"You can actually bear to hear such awful words used to describe your daughter?"

Song's mother had a dark expression on her face, as if Song Mai was not her daughter at this moment, but her enemy.

"These words may be harsh, but they are all true. What future do you have with this pretty boy? Can he support you? Doesn't he still depend on you for support? You've only earned a little money. If you spend all your money on him, how will you support me and your father in the future?"

The last sentence revealed Song's mother's true thoughts.

Song Mai stared at her coldly, her heart already sinking into an ice cellar.

[I'm afraid it's not just about taking care of you two elders; the most important thing is helping you raise your son!]

Her brother is married and has children, but he is not able to support the family at all. She pays for everything in the house, big or small.

Now he complains that she doesn't earn enough money and earns it too slowly, so he's come up with a quick way to get his money back from her all at once.

This is absolutely ridiculous!

Sister-in-law Song Mai quickly added, "Yes, Mai Zi, you know your brother is useless, your nephew is still young and needs money, and your parents are getting old. Our whole family is counting on you!"

One sentence after another came rushing at Song Mai, making it hard for her to breathe.

She clenched her fists, her fingers digging into her palms.

"Is money all you care about?"

Sister-in-law Song Mai immediately tried to put her arm around Song Mai's shoulder, but Song Mai shook her off.

"Of course not. What we care about most is you, and of course the Song family."

Song Mai was already feeling weak, and now that she was moving, she felt even more short of breath.

I almost fell to the ground while holding onto the door.

Seeing the woman sway a few times, Chu Xing quickly stepped forward to help her up, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"

Song Mai shook her head with a wry smile.

"Sorry, you must have seen this funny."

The man's expression wasn't pleasant; he frowned as he picked up Song Mai and said, "I'll take you back to your room to rest."

He strode briskly into the bedroom.

Seeing this, Song's mother and Song Mai's sister-in-law quickly followed them inside.

Song's mother shouted, "What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and take this brat away!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Weiqiang didn't delay any longer and swaggered in with a few thugs.

Seeing Song Mai lying on the bed, a hint of lust immediately appeared in his eyes.

He chuckled, rubbed his hands together, and was about to stroke Song Mai's face.

"If you like it here, we can go here too. This is my first time in your bedroom, it's exciting just thinking about it."

Song Mai was thoroughly disgusted and spat out a mouthful of saliva:

"Pah! You should look in the mirror and see what kind of person you are! They're the ones who collect the money, go find them!"

Chu Xing grabbed Liu Weiqiang's belt and kicked him hard, sending him flying a long way.

Liu Weiqiang nearly lost his balance and stumbled a few steps before almost falling on Song's mother.

He wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and cursed viciously.

"Damn it, don't push your luck! I've been giving you enough face. You're just a second-hand item, already played with by other men. Only I don't mind and even gave you 500,000 to marry you. You better know what's good for you, or don't blame me for being impolite and forcing myself on you right here!"

Upon hearing Liu Weiqiang's words, his henchmen burst into laughter, their laughter both arrogant and filthy.

"Boss, don't hesitate, just take care of her!"

"You have to be forceful with women! Otherwise, they won't be afraid of you!"

Song Mai looked at her mother standing at the door, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Even after this situation and such a thing happened, a biological mother could still stand by and watch coldly.

She struggled to get out of bed.

The situation was chaotic, and even if Chu Xing put her on the bed to rest, she couldn't really rest there.

However, she was pushed back down by the man standing by the bed as soon as she got up.