Chapter 2, Chart 02: With your wife and children...
Xie Tang accompanied Xu Rui to the police station to report the case.
Xu Rui's hand, gripping the recording pen, bulged with veins.
In the recording, Xu Da's words pierced like knives: "The fortune teller said that without me, they would have no descendants! It's their own fault for raising me!"
“The money is with Xu Ling.” Her voice was hoarse. “The child I raised like my own daughter is now saying that the money was given by her father and has nothing to do with her.”
Xie Tang recalled Li Qingchen's earlier sigh: "A judgment is not the same as justice."
After leaving the police station, Xie Tang drove straight to S University.
Pushing open the glass door of the beef noodle shop, a familiar aroma wafts out.
It was already 2 p.m., and a few students were sitting sparsely in the shop.
She ordered a bowl of beef noodles and also ordered a bowl of beef brisket noodles for Li Zan.
The chopsticks stirred the noodles in the bowl, while work messages kept lighting up on the phone screen.
Just as the noodle soup was almost gone, the wind chimes at the door tinkled softly.
"sister."
Looking up, the sunlight outlined the young man's tall and straight figure.
The prickly, naive boy of yesteryear has now shed his aggressiveness, and beneath his sportswear lies a powerful, ready-to-go strength.
"The beef brisket noodles will be served shortly." Xie Tang pushed the poached egg over, its yolk still glistening with an enticing sheen.
Li Zan's lips curled slightly as his gaze swept over her half-empty bowl of noodles.
The glass window reflected the figures of two people: one calm and reserved, the other energetic and vibrant.
Outside the store, several girls were secretly observing the eye-catching brother and sister.
Xie Tang and Li Zan were talking in a restaurant when they were suddenly interrupted by a flash of light.
Xie Tang narrowed her eyes slightly. What a coincidence! She caught a resemblance to Xu Da on that face.
"Take a picture of me?" Xie Tang's sharp gaze pierced Xu Ling, who was holding up his phone.
Xu Ling hurriedly looked away: "Who, who took a picture of you?"
Li Zan frowned and whispered, "Is that Xu Da's daughter?"
"Hmm, good genes."
In the parking lot, Xie Tang handed the gift to her younger brother, saying, "This is from your teacher."
Li Zan, clutching the gift box, hesitated, then murmured, "My mom..."
"These are all brands you like, so don't always upset her."
Li Zan accepted it silently and said in a low voice, "Thanks, you're so busy with work, and I still made you come all this way."
Xie Tang looked up at him, her tone softening slightly: "The teacher said you haven't been home for a month?"
"I'll go back this weekend."
As Xu Ling passed by, Xie Tang called out to her, cutting straight to the point: "When it comes to money, do you really think you can stay out of it?"
"Money in my account is mine!"
Xie Tang showed his phone, the screen displaying a court seizure notice: "Starting tomorrow, your account will be frozen."
Xu Ling's expression changed drastically: "Why? I'm only twenty-one..."
Xie Tang took a step closer and lowered her voice, "If you go and persuade your parents to return the money now, you might be able to get a lighter sentence."
Xu Ling staggered backward, her carefully styled long hair now disheveled and stuck to her deathly pale face.
"Why are you meddling in other people's business?" With that, she turned and ran away.
Xie Tang stared at that flustered figure as he walked away. Some people only turn back when they've driven themselves to the very end.
The next day, Xie Tang was writing furiously at his desk in the law firm when Xu Rui came over, her expression complicated.
"I got the money back, but my heart feels like it's been ripped out."
In the reception room, her voice trembled as she turned on her phone, where Xu Ling's live stream was playing on the screen.
Xu Ling cried, tears streaming down her face, repeatedly saying, "I broke off all ties with those vampire parents a long time ago..."
The screen was filled with comments like "Your sister is so kind" and "I feel sorry for you."
Xie Tang noticed that the video was released just one hour before Xu Da was arrested.
Overnight, Xu Ling's fan base exploded by a million, making her an inspirational goddess in the eyes of many.
Xie Tang didn't respond immediately, but quietly brewed two cups of tea.
The aroma of tea wafted gently between the two of them.
The lingering sweetness of Phoenix Dancong tea holds many untold stories, much like the complex entanglements behind this case.
On the phone, Xu Ling's live stream was still going on, and Xie Tang couldn't help but frown at the fake crying.
"I plan to sell that old house where I've lived for over thirty years."
Xu Rui suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence, "I'm planning to take my parents abroad to live in a different environment. Before we leave, I've prepared a 'big gift' for Xu Ling."
Xie Tang lowered her eyes and took a sip of tea. The scalding hot tea steamed, blurring her expression.
Xu Rui tilted her head, her eyes probing, "Attorney Xie, aren't you going to ask what the gift is?"
Xie Tang gently turned the white porcelain cup in her hand. "The tea is getting cold."
Some family feuds are not for outsiders to meddle in, nor should they know too much about.
Xu Rui smiled and handed Xie Tang an exquisite box. "Attorney Xie, this is for you. Thank you for your help during this time."
After Xu Rui left, Xie Tang sat in the reception room for a long time.
When she got home late at night, she opened the box. Inside was an exquisitely made, pale yellow cheongsam.
Xu Rui said it suited her skin tone very well.
The "gift" that Xu Rui gave to Xu Ling was actually a recording.
"The money was given to me by my dad, what does it have to do with me? If you want to repay the debt, go find him..."
—Xu Ling's arrogant voice was fully exposed.
One second she was crying online about how she had "already advised her parents to pay back the money," but the next second she was proven to be a heartless ingrate.
Public opinion reversed instantly, and #XuLingRecording# immediately became a trending topic.
Xie Tang closed the gift box, a slight smile playing on her lips.
That's life—some people shower you with fine clothes, while others ruin your reputation.
She was already used to it.
The phone rang abruptly. The number displayed on the screen had no name, but Xie Tang recognized it immediately—it was Qin Ruhai's private number.
"Hello?" After the call connected, she deliberately drew out her voice, "Who is this?"
"I'm your father!" A furious roar exploded from the receiver.
Her mocking lips were reflected in the glass window: "Unfortunately, I died eighteen years ago."
Heavy breathing came from the other end of the phone, like a wild beast that had been stabbed in a vital spot.
"Go see Chu Song in three days," Qin Ruhai ordered through gritted teeth.
“Sure,” Xie Tang put the gift box away, “but I have one condition—President Qin, please take your wife and children and get out of that villa.”
That was the old house left by her grandfather, every brick and tile imbued with the warmth of bygone days, and she would never allow it to be tainted by the aura of those people.
"Remember, it's three days. If you're even an hour late, I won't step foot in the Chu family's house."
The sound of porcelain shattering came from the other end of the phone.
Xie Tang smiled and put the gift box into the deepest part of the drawer.
She slowly put down her phone, her gaze lingering on the screen for a moment.
She's going to marry Chu Song.
This realization left her slightly dazed.
In my memory, that aloof young boy always sat alone in a corner, like a silent ink painting.
Xie Tang looked at her palm, where the warmth of Chu Song holding her hand seemed to still linger.
She got lost in the Qin family garden, and it was that quiet boy who led her a long way.
As night deepened outside the window, she longed to know:
Would Chu Song still be building blocks alone in a corner during a noisy banquet?
Do those eyes, which were exceptionally beautiful when I was a child, still hold a distant light now?
But why? Xie Tang's brows furrowed involuntarily.
How dare Qin Wu and Chu Yi, two children born to concubines, ride on Chu Song's head?
Xie Tang felt frustrated.
The next day, Ji Yan stormed into the law firm in her high heels and immediately spotted Xie Tang seeing a client off.
Without saying a word, she raised her hand to slap him.
Xie Tang grabbed her hand and slapped her across the face with a crisp, loud slap.
"Are you crazy?" Ji Yan covered her face and screamed, her originally exquisite makeup instantly distorted.
Xie Tang looked at her coldly; her carefully styled curly hair was now a mess, and her Chanel suit was wrinkled.
She was so disheveled that she had lost all trace of the elegance and grace of a wealthy lady.
"You shameless woman! You want so much money, aren't you afraid of retribution?" Ji Yan continued her tantrum.
Xie Tang was too lazy to waste words with her and gestured to the front desk to call security.
Security guards quickly arrived and stopped Ji Yan.
Ji Yan was still unwilling to give up, struggling and cursing, "Xie Tang! You are insatiable! You will die a horrible death!"
In front of Ji Yan, Xie Tang dialed Qin Ruhai's number, "President Qin, please control your mad dog. If she continues to cause trouble, tomorrow's headlines will be about Ms. Ji's ugly behavior in public."
"Xie Tang!" Ji Yan screamed repeatedly, even as the security guards restrained her. "With me here, you won't be able to take anything from the Qin family!"
Ten million and a villa, and she's this angry?
That's really beneath me!
Xie Tang thought to herself that she hadn't yet mentioned to Qin Ruhai that she had publicly acknowledged herself as the sole heir.
Ji Yan has taken a lot of things from them, and she will take them back one by one.
“I didn’t originally plan to let you appear in front of my mother.” Xie Tang stepped forward, leaned down and stared at Ji Yan. “Now I’ve changed my mind.”
“Add one more thing,” she said into the phone, “I want your wife to personally apologize to my mother.”
"Dream on!" Ji Yan struggled even more fiercely, her lipstick smeared all over her face, looking like blood. "Unless I die!"
"Then you... just go die." Xie Tang said, turning and leaving.
She inadvertently caught a glimpse of herself reflected in the office building's glass—her eyes were cold and sharp as knives.
She is no longer a soft-hearted person like her mother, nor is she the little girl who was bullied but unable to fight back.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Huasong Building, the atmosphere in the president's office was quiet.
Fu Xiu nestled on the sofa, watching the video on his phone with amusement, and even gestured to Chu Song behind his desk, saying, "Look, this is really exciting!"
Chu Song glanced up at him and said, "Don't read gossip during work hours."
Fu Xiu laughed nonchalantly and waved his phone: "Just half a minute, I'll show you something interesting. Someone filmed Mrs. Qin causing a scene at the law firm, and it's already all over the place."
Chu Song didn't respond and continued working on the documents with his head down.
Seeing this, Fu Xiu added, "The other party involved is Xie Tang."
Chu Song paused for a moment, but still didn't reply. She simply looked up at Fu Xiu quietly, the meaning in her eyes self-evident.
"Alright, I'll head over to the legal department to handle things now," Fu Xiu said sensibly, getting up before leaving. "You'll be able to see Attorney Xie the day after tomorrow..."
"I know."
Are you really not going to regret it?
Chu Song didn't say anything, and only picked up his phone to reply to the message after he left.
For some reason, my finger clicked on the video that Fu Xiu had forwarded.
A smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. Xie Tang was still the same Xie Tang, never a lamb to be slaughtered.
His thoughts drifted back to his childhood.
At that time, he had finally managed to build a tall tower of blocks, but Chu Li mischievously pushed it down.
Before he could even get angry, Xie Tang had already lost his temper.
He said, "Never mind."
She retorted angrily, "This can't be left like this! I'll teach him a lesson for you!"
After saying that, she picked up the feather duster from the nanny's hand and chased Chu Li all over the yard.
That stubbornness remains vivid in his memory to this day.
However, so many years have passed, and the little girl who used to stand up for him is now protecting herself.
A note from the author:
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Happy International Women's Day! Wishing all goddesses wealth, beauty, happiness, and the ability to become better versions of themselves.
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