Chapter 248 Selfishness, self-degradation
"you……"
Huo Jialingling stood up excitedly, just as Xiao Yan had said, she really had no right to bargain.
If it were anything else, she might be willing to take the gamble, but now she really doesn't dare to!
If she lost, she simply couldn't imagine that both of her sons would be imprisoned abroad. Huo Jialingling didn't even dare to think about such a possibility!
"Madam Huo, there are always trade-offs! You need to think this through. If you want to protect Bai Zixuan, then you'll be sacrificing your two biological sons!"
Xiao Yan looked at Huo Jialingling with a cold expression. He never believed that a mother would disregard the safety of her own son for the sake of a so-called lover.
Therefore, from the very beginning he was certain that Huo Jialingling would hand over what he wanted, but Xiao Yan had to make her understand that even if she did hand it over, it had to be willingly, not because of his threats.
"If I hand it over, what will happen to him?"
Huo Jialingling is quite affectionate. If her relationship with Bai Zixuan over the years hadn't been genuine, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to help him.
But just as Xiao Yan said, she couldn't possibly ruin her two sons' lives for Bai Zixuan. Forgive her, she simply couldn't do it!
"This is beyond Mrs. Huo's control, but you can rest assured that the lives of the two young masters of Huo will not be affected in any way!"
Xiao Yan's face remained expressionless, and even Huo Jialingling's attempt to discern any different emotions from her face yielded no results.
In the end, the standoff ended with Xiao Yan's victory. Huo Jialingling just looked at him and sighed heavily before turning around and going to the study. A moment later, she came out with a beautifully packaged notebook.
"This is what you wanted. I just hope that Mr. Xiao will keep his promise after receiving it."
“Of course!” Xiao Yan took the notebook, glanced through it casually, and suddenly gave Huo Jialingling a sarcastic smile. “Actually, Mrs. Huo is also wary of him, isn’t she?”
After saying that, he shook the notebook in his hand at Huo Jialingling. Huo Jialingling's face turned pale immediately. She naturally understood what Xiao Yan meant.
If she truly loved Bai Zixuan, she wouldn't have secretly kept so much evidence of his illegal and disorderly conduct. This shows that she was selfish and full of suspicion and distrust towards Bai Zixuan.
"However, Mrs. Huo doesn't need to feel guilty. People always have to plan for themselves, especially someone like Mrs. Huo who has two sons to raise, right?"
Xiao Yan packed up his laptop and strode out. Huo Jialingling watched his straight back until the door slammed shut. Only then did she collapse onto the sofa, completely exhausted, as if she had lost all strength and had no strength left to move.
Yes, you can't blame her for being selfish. She is a woman, that's true, but she is also a mother, although she hasn't been a responsible mother all these years.
If Bai Zixuan could be with her behind the back of his young and beautiful wife Gu Mingxia, how could she guarantee that one day he wouldn't choose to betray her for greater benefits?
Huo Jialingling was simply trying to protect herself and her son. No one in this world can say that her choice as a mother was wrong!
"Mr. Xiao, have you received the goods?"
Sitting in the car, Zhang Yunyi asked nervously after seeing Xiao Yan get in.
"Got it. Let's drive back."
To eliminate Bai Zixuan as a threat once and for all, Xiao Yan would make thorough preparations to avoid giving Bai Zixuan a chance to catch his breath due to his negligence. Just thinking about how Gu Mingxia almost lost her life because of Bai Zixuan still makes him feel terrified.
In a small villa in the suburbs, Gu Mingxia sat under a tree, watching the sunset while knitting a sweater in a serious manner. If you looked closely, you would find that the sweater in her hands was already mostly finished.
"Goddess, is this kind of life leisurely?"
Carrying a bag of fruits and vegetables and wearing large sunglasses, Song Jia pushed open the door and saw Gu Mingxia looking so relaxed. He couldn't help but smile.
"To be honest, it's really good, but it would be even better if the person by my side were different!"
"Oh, it seems I really am unpopular, goddess. You've really broken my heart!"
Song Jia put down the bag, took off his sunglasses, and pretended to clutch his heart, looking injured. Gu Mingxia glanced at him and burst out laughing.
"This villa was bought by Adong to use as an art studio. If Adong were the one by my side right now, wouldn't that feel even better?"
Putting down what she was holding, Gu Mingxia looked into the living room and could see the last painting by A Dong hanging on the wall in the distance.
Gu Mingxia and Xiao Yan in the picture are still very young. Their smiles are so arrogant and willful, yet so happy!
Only someone truly immersed in happiness would have such a smile on their lips; it's a happiness that defies everything, overflowing with joy, with every strand of hair brimming with bliss.
"Actually, some things should be let go once they're over, otherwise you'll not only hurt yourself but also cause worry and sadness to the person living in another world. Goddess, you should learn to let go of your obsessions. That way, you will definitely be happier than you are now."
"Oh? When did you become Master Song? Your speech is full of Zen-like wisdom!"
Gu Mingxia withdrew her gaze and looked at Song Jia with a half-smile. However, a deep pain flashed in Song Jia's eyes, but after meeting Gu Mingxia's expression, he reverted to his usual carefree attitude.
"That's right. Living in such a peaceful and simple place, don't you think I've become much more peaceful lately?"
"The people here are very kind and simple," Gu Mingxia said softly, her smile gentle and dreamlike. But her tone changed abruptly. "Did you find what I asked you to find?"
"When have I ever failed to complete the tasks you've assigned? Here, take it."
Song Jia took it out of his pocket, and Gu Mingxia took it. Just as she was about to turn on the phone, she said something with concern.
"Are you sure someone won't track our location again because of my phone number?"
"Goddess, do you know what you're saying? You're insulting my skills!"
"Sorry, I really don't see any skill in you!"
Thinking of the pink pig in Song Jia's notebook that was wiggling its bottom at him, Gu Mingxia's smile deepened.
"You... never mind, I won't argue with you women! I'll go cook."
Seeing the relaxed smile on Gu Mingxia's lips, Song Jia, who had originally wanted to say something, decisively picked up the bag and went to the kitchen. Seeing her so carefree and at ease, what did it matter if she laughed at him?
While Gu Mingxia was enjoying a leisurely life in her suburban villa, Gu Huaikun was enduring immense pain in the Gu family villa.
"Master, how about... how about I go find the second young lady?"
"No...don't go to him!"
Gu Huaikun lay in the study, writhing in pain all over, tears and snot streaming down his face.
Lin Fu knelt on the ground, looking at him uneasily. The effects of the Ice Blue drug were indeed potent; in such a short time, it had weakened Gu Huaikun's will to such an extent.
"But if you don't have Ice Blue, you'll be in even more pain, Master!"
Ah Xin seemed determined not to come and give Gu Huaikun the ice blue this time, and Gu Huaikun stopped Lin Fu from going to find her several times.
He naturally understood what his boss meant, but if things continued like this, how could his boss's body, which had already been destroyed by the ice blue, withstand the pain brought by the ice blue's backlash?
"I...I won't go! I...can!"
"Really? Are you sure you can do it?"
I don't know when, but Ah Xin came to the door of the study, holding a small packet of powder in a transparent package.
She looked at Gu Huaikun as if he were a complete stranger. This was the man who had cruelly ruined her mother's life and then cruelly ruined hers as well.
She has only made him suffer for a year and a half now, which is nothing compared to the pain she has endured for more than a decade.
"What...what are you doing here? Did you come to see how I beg you? Let me tell you, dream on!"
Gu Huaikun truly regretted ruining the father-daughter relationship he and Xiaxia had worked so hard to build because of this ruthless and vicious A Xin. Now that he had become like this, it was too late to say anything, wasn't it?
Thinking of Xiaxia, Gu Huaikun felt that he could persevere, but how long he could persevere was not something he could control. After all, Binglan's domineering nature was not something an old man like him could withstand.
“Sometimes having dreams is a kind of happiness!” Ah Xin took a few steps forward and squatted down not far from Gu Huaikun, casually fiddling with something in her hands. “Do you know that for so many years I haven’t even had the right to dream? Rolling from one man’s bed to another, I haven’t even dared to sleep peacefully. So, you saying that I can dream is truly a kind of happiness for me, because even now, I still can’t sleep soundly for nights on end!”
"You...you've chosen to degenerate, who can you blame?"
"Haha, yes, it was all my own fault, but Dad, do you know how many nights I longed for you to come to me? Unfortunately... that longing didn't even qualify as a beautiful dream, because in your eyes, it could only be considered self-degradation!"
After saying this, Ah Xin suddenly tore open the seal of the small transparent bag in her hand, and some of the white powder inside fell to the ground. She stood up abruptly and threw the package in front of Gu Huaikun.
"Perhaps... you'll soon understand what it means to willingly degenerate! By then, you'll no longer say that everything I did back then was willing degeneration!"
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