Hearing Lin Haoran's tone, Yang Li felt uncomfortable and started to cry, looking aggrieved.
"Haoran, you're being mean to me, waaaaah, I feel so bad."
The same whimpering sounds, if coming from a beautiful woman, evoke pity and tenderness; but if it comes from a monstrous black-hearted monster, a man's heart hardens, and he becomes exceptionally clear-headed and rational.
Lin Haoran didn't want to watch Yang Li's act of feigning weakness for even a second longer, and scolded her:
"How the hell did you get into this hospital? Don't think I don't know. Don't make me expose you!"
Yang Li's eyes widened in shock, a sliver of white appearing on her already dark face: "What are you talking about? What do you know?"
As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. The story of Yang Li and Master Wang's affair, told by the security guard who followed the ambulance all the way to the hospital, had spread throughout Shanghai with each wave of patients coming and going.
Rumors, as they're passed around, tend to change over time. Now, her story with Master Wang has evolved into version 5.0.
Legend has it that when Master Wang was about to attain enlightenment, a woman coveted the opportunity to ascend to heaven with him and tried to seduce him. However, during their intimate moment, the master began his tribulation, and lightning struck down, hitting both of them at the same time. Master Wang died instantly due to the loss of his vital energy, while the woman was burned and hospitalized.
Yang Li has become a prominent figure in the hospital and a topic of conversation among the people of Shanghai. Some elderly people with underlying health conditions who usually buy medicine at pharmacies now come to the hospital specifically to get their prescriptions, and they even get lost in the hospital for no apparent reason.
They took the prescription, strolled to the inpatient department, found the woman who had been struck by lightning and was charred black, and took a photo.
In order to shorten the time people spend in the hospital and maintain the hospital's operational order, the hospital specially placed an elderly man to guide them on the first floor of the inpatient department.
Under these circumstances, how could Lin Haoran possibly want to see Yang Li? He had finally managed to secure an investment to save his company, and on the one hand, he devoted almost all his attention to the company; on the other hand, the rumors were so nasty that he was reluctant to come see Yang Li.
Although he was shameless in front of Lin An, he still cared about his reputation in the face of public opinion. He clearly distinguished between being shameless in front of a few individuals and being shameless in front of the public.
Unlike Zhang Wanru, Yang Li, who considers herself a noblewoman and values her reputation above all else, would never do anything undignified. Even if she was unhappy and wanted to cause trouble for Lin Haoran, she would wilted after being intimidated by him.
Yang Li is known for her dramatic outbursts and threats of suicide. If Lin Haoran doesn't come to see her, she threatens to tell everyone how heartless and ungrateful he is, and even reveals Lin Zhe's identity.
Lin Haoran had no choice but to bring Lin Zhe to see her. In order to avoid losing face, he paid someone to transfer her to a less crowded, high-class private ward.
Looking at Yang Li, who was feigning ignorance and acting innocent, he was furious. He glanced at Lin Zhe again. In front of the child, Lin Haoran didn't want to say anything too harsh to Yang Li. After carefully choosing his words, he said in a deep voice:
"I've heard about your affair with that so-and-so master. I don't want to dwell on the past. If you have something to say, say it now."
Yang Li was startled, but immediately felt relieved. She knew she hadn't chosen the wrong person; this man was truly magnanimous. She said:
"These past few days, I've been lying in this hospital bed, thinking a lot. I don't want any wealth or luxury anymore; I just hope you can keep your promise."
Lin Haoran was filled with questions. What promise? Which promise? He had made so many promises; how could he possibly remember them all?
Yang Li shed tears, waiting for Lin Haoran's reaction, while Lin Haoran waited for her to continue and reveal what the promise was.
The two remained silent for a moment, then Yang Li suddenly realized that Lin Haoran had forgotten his promise, and burst into tears:
“You heartless man! You said you would bring me into the Lin family when Xiao Zhe comes of age. He’s eighteen now. I don’t want to live alone in the house anymore. This time after I’m discharged from the hospital, I want to live with you and the child in the Lin family.”
Lin Haoran also remembered that he seemed to have said something like that when he took Lin Zhe away from Yang Li.
"No, absolutely not!" Lin Zhe, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly stood up and said excitedly:
“If we take you back to the Lin family and kick Zhang Wanru out, she won’t agree. She’ll definitely make a huge scene, and it will affect my college entrance exam.”
“Yes, yes, yes, why are you causing trouble at such an important time for the child!” Lin Haoran chimed in.
Yang Li used to live outside, which made it easy for her to seduce various men. Now that she has become like this, the only way for her to secure a comfortable life for the rest of her days is to rely on her child to hold onto Lin Haoran. Surprisingly, the first person to oppose her taking over was Lin Zhe.
Yang Li was furious and attempted to use familial ties to manipulate Lin Zhe:
"Who am I to you? Who is Zhang Wanru to you? Is Zhang Wanru your biological mother? You're so protective of her, but don't forget, she has her own son. Just kick her out of the Lin family and let her go find her son."
"What about my sisters? They won't agree either. If you really care about me, then don't come into the Lin family." The green tea man understands the green tea woman best, and Lin Zhe is completely unyielding.
Yang Li generously said, "If that really doesn't work, I'm willing to live in the same house as Zhang Wanru."
Lin Haoran hadn't heard such outrageous talk in a long time—two women sharing one husband? What kind of brain came up with that? The Qing Dynasty is long gone. He quickly interjected:
"Don't even think about it! In a society governed by the rule of law, the Marriage Law clearly states that my country practices monogamy."
Yang Li continued to use family affection to win over Lin Zhe: "Xiao Zhe, I am your mother, the person closest to you in the world."
"Why would someone so close to me betray me?" Lin Zhe asked expressionlessly.
Yang Li was speechless after being rebuked, and then turned to Lin Haoran to question him: "Haoran, this is what you promised me."
"Let's discuss this further. You should focus on getting better first," Lin Haoran reassured her. Yang Li was currently very agitated, and this was his way of stalling for time.
Lin Haoran is very realistic. He likes many women, and if it weren't for his physical condition, he would like even more women. He has kept Yang Li because she is interesting and has given birth to his child.
Choosing a wife and choosing a mistress are two completely different things. For men from the lower class, having a wife is already a blessing. For middle-class men, choosing a wife is about finding a business partner. The best choice is a woman who is good-looking, has a job, and can earn money. For a man like Lin Haoran, who can be considered wealthy, what matters when choosing a wife is her appearance and support. Back then, Zhang Wanru was the person who could provide him with the most support, and even now she is much more respectable than Yang Li. He would never let someone like Yang Li rise to his position.
Lin Zhe was just as pragmatic as him. Between Yang Li and Zhang Wanru, he chose Zhang Wanru. So what if she was his own mother? If others knew that his mother was a notorious slut who caused a huge scandal, where would he put his face?
Yang Li sobbed, and Lin Zhe, after listening to Lin Haoran's words, offered a lukewarm consolation: "Just wait, there will be opportunities in the future."
Seeing that Yang Li didn't speak, Lin Zhe urged Lin Haoran, "I still need to go back to study. Dad, take me back to school."
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