Chapter 124: Ex-Boyfriend Makes a Scene
For several days in a row, the house was bustling with activity.
Ning Tang had just hung her white coat on the hook in the entryway when she heard suppressed sobbing coming from the living room.
The voice was delicate and aggrieved; it was clearly Su Ying's.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickened her pace while changing her shoes. When she pushed open the door, the scene before her made her freeze instantly.
Su Ying curled up in the corner of the sofa, covering her face with her hands, her shoulders trembling.
Tears streamed down her fingers, soaking her clothes.
Xu Qiaolan was kneeling on one knee on the carpet in front of the sofa, her trousers knees covered in dust.
His usually upright back was now slightly hunched, his hands hanging in mid-air, wanting to touch Su Ying but not daring to.
Her face was full of helplessness and heartache.
The air in the living room seemed to have solidified.
"Sister-in-law? Brother? What's wrong?" Ning Tang walked over quickly, sat down next to Su Ying, and gently patted her back. "Take your time and talk it out. Don't cry. Crying too much is bad for the baby in your belly."
Upon hearing Ning Tang's voice, Su Ying cried even harder, unable to utter a complete sentence, only shaking her head repeatedly.
Seeing this, Xu Qiaolan sighed and said in a hoarse voice, "It's...it's Lin Wei who's here."
"Lin Wei?" Ning Tang frowned; she recognized the name.
Among the girlfriends Xu Qiaolan had when he was young, there was one who reportedly broke up with him because she thought her older brother had no parents, and they lost contact afterward.
Why would she suddenly show up at my door?
Xu Qiaolan clenched her fingers, her tone full of frustration: "She suddenly came to my workplace this afternoon, saying she was back to take care of some business and wanted to catch up with me. I thought it had been so many years, so I only sat with her in the state-run coffee shop for ten minutes, talking about trivial things the whole time. I didn't dare stay any longer and didn't mention Yingying's pregnancy to her."
“But she…she actually came back with me!” Xu Qiaolan’s voice suddenly rose, then quickly fell back down, afraid of startling Su Ying.
"When I came in and saw Yingying, I deliberately said some random things, like if I hadn't pushed her out back then, I would be the one standing next to you now. I also said I never expected you would end up marrying Su Ying. I thought I was just imagining things when I saw the way she looked at you back then..."
"She also said!"
Su Ying suddenly raised her head, her eyes red and swollen like walnuts.
"She said I took advantage of your vulnerability back then, and that after all these years of marriage, all I've done is take care of you, and I can't help you with anything else..."
"You even said that now that I'm pregnant, my figure is out of shape, and you'll dislike me sooner or later..."
Before she could finish speaking, Su Ying covered her face and started crying again, her shoulders shaking even more violently.
"I know I'm not as good at talking as she is, or as good at managing your network as she is, but in these eight years, every single day has I not been sincere towards you?"
"I thought we were doing well, how could she say that to me..."
Xu Qiaolan was so anxious that he wanted to hug her, but as soon as he reached out, Su Ying kicked him hard in the knee.
That kick, though not particularly powerful, struck his heart like a heavy hammer.
"Don't touch me!" Su Ying's voice was trembling with tears, yet it also carried a hint of anger.
"She's your ex-girlfriend, why did you meet with her? Why didn't you just kick her out? Do you also think what she said is right?"
"I didn't!" Xu Qiaolan hurriedly defended herself, her eyes reddening.
"I broke up with her a long time ago. She was the one who gave up on me first. You've always been the only one in my heart! I met with her just because I didn't think it was necessary to go too far, but I didn't expect her to go this far."
"...Yingying, believe me, I really don't have any other intentions!"
Seeing Su Ying crying her heart out, and then looking at Xu Qiaolan's helpless expression, Ning Tang felt both angry and anxious.
She first picked up a tissue and wiped away Su Ying's tears, gently comforting her.
"Sister-in-law, don't get agitated. Brother definitely didn't do it on purpose. Lin Wei is the kind of person who can't stand seeing others do well and is deliberately trying to sow discord between you two. Don't fall for her tricks."
As she spoke, she looked up at Xu Qiaolan, her eyes filled with obvious reproach.
"Brother, you're so foolish! At a time like this, your sister-in-law is pregnant and her emotions are already sensitive. How could you meet with your ex alone? Even if you have a clear conscience, don't you know what kind of person Lin Wei is? What good intentions could she possibly have if she came back to you?"
Xu Qiaolan lowered her head, her voice full of guilt: "It was my fault... I shouldn't have been soft-hearted, I shouldn't have met with her, and I shouldn't have let her come back to upset Yingying."
“I should have just told her directly to stop bothering our lives.”
"What's the point of saying all this now?" Su Ying sniffed, her voice still tinged with grievance. "She's already said such hurtful things. Just thinking about what she said makes my heart ache, and even the baby seems to be suffering along with me..."
Ning Tang quickly grasped Su Ying's hand and gently stroked the back of her hand.
"Sister-in-law, don't overthink it."
“The baby is fine now. If you keep being so sad, it will only affect the baby. Lin Wei is just a passerby. She's not doing well now, so she's jealous of you and wants to ruin your happiness. You can't let her succeed.”
She paused, then continued.
“You’ve been married to your older brother for eight years. We’ve all seen how he treats you. He leaves early and comes home late every day, isn’t it all for the sake of this family?”
"He knew you had severe morning sickness, so he cooked you different kinds of medicinal meals every day and massaged you at night. Was all of that just for show?"
Su Ying fell silent, tears still falling, but she wasn't crying as pitifully as before.
She remembered Xu Qiaolan's care over the past few days, and how he had searched all over the city for cardamom to help her alleviate her morning sickness.
Remembering how he had specially installed a nightlight by the bedroom door so he wouldn't fall when he got up at night...
She remembered all these details.
Seeing this, Xu Qiaolan quickly moved forward and softened her voice even more.
"Yingying, I know I made a big mistake this time. I shouldn't have let you suffer like this. If you're still angry, hit me or yell at me. Don't be so hard on yourself, okay?"
“I will never have any contact with any exes again. If anyone at my workplace says they have seen Lin Wei, I will immediately have security remove her.”
Su Ying glanced at Xu Qiaolan, her anger subsided a little, but she still didn't say anything.
Ning Tang knew that she still had a knot in her heart, so she stood up and said.
"Sister-in-law, you should have a good talk with your brother first. I'll go to the kitchen and make you some white fungus soup with some rock sugar. It'll make you feel better."
"Brother, please explain to your sister-in-law properly and stop her from crying."
After saying that, she turned and went into the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone.
In the kitchen, Ning Tang sighed as she soaked the white fungus.
Xu Qiaolan really shouldn't have done that. Knowing that Su Ying was pregnant and sensitive, he still had lingering ties with his ex. No wonder Su Ying was so heartbroken.
When Ning Tang brought out the bowl of white fungus soup after it was cooked, the atmosphere in the living room had eased considerably.
Xu Qiaolan sat next to Su Ying, carefully wiping away her tears. Although Su Ying hadn't smiled yet, she no longer resisted his touch.
"Sister-in-law, have a bowl of white fungus soup." Ning Tang handed the bowl to Su Ying. "It's freshly cooked and still warm. It'll soothe your throat."
Su Ying took the bowl and drank it in small sips.
The white fungus was stewed until soft and tender, with only a small amount of rock sugar added, making it sweet but not cloying. Drinking it did make me feel more comfortable.
Xu Qiaolan watched from the side, her eyes full of concern: "Drink slowly, don't burn yourself. If you like it, I'll cook it for you again tomorrow."
Seeing the two of them, Ning Tang breathed a sigh of relief, but still couldn't help but remind them, "Big brother, you can't make this mistake again. Sister-in-law is pregnant, and her emotions are very important. You should go along with her and discuss things with her instead of making decisions on your own."
Xu Qiaolan nodded quickly: "I understand. I will discuss everything with Yingying from now on and I will never let her suffer any more grievances."
Su Ying sipped her white fungus soup, looked up at Xu Qiaolan, and said softly, "It's not that I don't want you to meet your friends, it's just that she's Lin Wei, and I can't help but feel uncomfortable. Next time something like this happens, please let me know beforehand, okay?"
"Okay! Okay!" Xu Qiaolan quickly agreed, a relieved expression on her face. "From now on, I'll tell you everything, no matter what happens. I'll never hide anything from you."
Seeing the two reconcile, Ning Tang smiled.
Just as she was about to say something more, the landline suddenly rang; it was Xu Qiaofeng calling.
She answered the phone and heard Xu Qiaofeng's gentle voice: "Tangtang, are you off work? I bought your favorite roast duck and I'm on my way home now. Do you want me to bring you some pastries?"
"No need, I'm already home. My sister-in-law has some things to take care of, so I'm keeping her company," Ning Tang said with a smile.
"Come back soon, I'll have Aunt Zhang cook a few more dishes for dinner."
After hanging up the phone, Ning Tang looked at Su Ying and Xu Qiaolan and breathed a sigh of relief.
When a family is together, there will inevitably be disagreements and bumps along the way, but as long as there is mutual trust and tolerance, there is no problem that cannot be solved.
Hopefully, older brother will learn to be a little smarter in the future...
——
The next morning, Ning Tang had just arrived at the hospital when she received a call from Xu Qiaolan.
On the phone, Xu Qiaolan's voice was very anxious: "Sister-in-law, something bad has happened! Lin Wei is causing trouble at your workplace!"
Ning Tang was startled: "Why did she cause a scene at her workplace?"
"She said that I met with her yesterday and promised to arrange a job for her, but now she has gone back on her word and said that I started this relationship and then abandoned her!"
Xu Qiaolan's voice was full of anger, "She was still crying in the company lobby, saying that I lied to her when we were together, and now that I have a wife and children, I don't recognize her anymore. Many colleagues are laughing at me!"
Ning Tang frowned: "Don't confront her head-on. Take her to the conference room first, so she doesn't cause a bad impression in the lobby."
"I'll ask my supervisor for leave now and come over right away to help you with this."
After hanging up the phone, Ning Tang asked her department head for leave, saying that she had an urgent matter at home that needed to be dealt with.
Knowing that she was usually a diligent worker, the director granted her leave.
Ning Tang hurriedly changed her clothes and rushed to Xu Qiaolan's workplace.
When I arrived at the company lobby, I saw Lin Wei sitting on the ground crying, surrounded by a number of colleagues who were pointing and whispering.
Xu Qiaolan stood aside, her face ashen, but she dared not step forward to pull her away, fearing that she would make a bigger scene.
Ning Tang walked over quickly, smiled at her colleagues, and said, "Everyone, please disperse. This is a family matter, and we will resolve it privately. It won't affect your work."
"Brother, let us take your friend to sit down over there."
When the colleagues saw that someone had come to handle the situation, they all dispersed.
Ning Tang squatted down and looked at Lin Wei: "Ms. Lin, let's talk about this in the conference room. Making a scene here will only make you a laughing stock and won't do you any good."
Lin Wei looked up and saw Ning Tang, her eyes filled with hostility: "Who are you? My business with Qiao Lan is none of your concern!"
“I am his sister-in-law and also Su Ying’s friend.” Ning Tang’s tone remained calm.
"Su Ying is pregnant now. You went to her house yesterday and upset her, which already made her very uncomfortable. Now you're causing trouble at her workplace. What exactly do you want?"
Lin Wei snorted, stood up from the ground, and dusted herself off.
"What do I want to do? I just want everyone to see what kind of person Xu Qiaolan is! When he was with me, he said he would be with me for life, but what happened?"
"I broke up with him just a few years ago, and he married someone else! Now that I'm back, he won't even see me. Isn't this just starting something and then abandoning it?"
"You were the one who broke up with me first, saying that the Xu family had no parents and were not good enough for you."
Ning Tang looked at her, her tone laced with sarcasm, "Now that you're back and see Xu Qiaolan's successful career and happy family, you want to ruin his life? Do you think you're doing the right thing?"
Lin Wei's expression changed, but she still stubbornly insisted, "I was young and ignorant back then. Now I know I was wrong, and I want to start over with him. What's wrong with that?"
"Your mistake was disturbing his life!" Ning Tang's voice rose a few decibels.
"He has a wife and an unborn child. He loves his family very much. Why can't you just let him go?"
"By doing this, you will not only embarrass him, but you will also become a laughing stock!"
Lin Wei was speechless, her face turning red and white in turns.
Xu Qiaolan watched from the side, her heart filled with gratitude and respect for Ning Tang.
He stepped forward and said to Lin Wei, "Comrade Lin, I'm telling you this one last time, it's impossible for us to be together anymore. I love Yingying, and I just want to live a good life with her. If you keep bothering me like this, I'll have no choice but to call the police."
Lin Wei looked at Xu Qiaolan's determined eyes and then at the strange looks from her colleagues.
Suddenly, I realized that making a scene was pointless and would only make things more embarrassing for me.
She bit her lip, glared at Xu Qiaolan, and turned to leave the office quickly.
Watching Lin Wei's figure disappear through the door, Xu Qiaolan breathed a sigh of relief and said to Ning Tang, "Sister-in-law, thank you. I don't know what I would have done today without you."
“We’re all family, no need to be so polite,” Ning Tang said with a smile. “But this incident has also served as a reminder to you that you must keep a clear line with your ex in the future, so as not to give others any opportunity to take advantage of you.”
"You need to talk to your sister-in-law properly, so she doesn't worry."
"If Xu Qiaofeng suddenly has an ex, I definitely won't let him get away with it!"
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