65 Suicide
◎Xue Lu, I'm an orphan again.◎
The Xue family's old residence, Cihangzhai.
Wen Shuangjing was wearing glasses and watching videos on her phone.
The reporter in the video had just finished interviewing Song Qinggui when he started making things difficult for Xue Lu.
"What is Mr. Xue's attitude toward this matter? As far as I know, the Xue family is a century-old prominent family, and this is the first time such a scandal has ever occurred to them."
Wen Shuangjing sneered, "First time? It's only because she and Xue Qielu were young and it was the era of print media, otherwise Xue Qielu's scandalous affairs would be much more exciting than Song Qinggui's."
Xue Lu's gaze was cold: "What my wife just said is exactly what I meant. She has done everything she could. If I were her, I might not have done any better. I admire her."
Worship, that's a very heavy word.
Few men would use that word to describe their partner.
With that said, the reporters' gossip-loving instincts died down.
Wen Shuang smiled calmly, turned off her phone screen, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and couldn't help but shake her head: "Everyone says that genuine Da Hong Pao tea is hard to come by, but I really can't get used to it."
Fang Yali was somewhat surprised by Wen Shuangjing's attitude: "Madam isn't angry with Miss Song?"
It's only natural for Fang Yali to ask such a question. When Xue Lu got married, Wen Shuangjing was the first to object. Even though Xue Lu and Song Qinggui had already registered their marriage, it had been a whole year, and Wen Shuangjing was unwilling to see this daughter-in-law.
Wen Shuangjing pursed her lips: "I didn't like Song Qinggui back then because she wasn't sincere towards those two boys from the Cheng and Yan families; she was clearly only after their money. But she's different with Xue Lu. I'm a woman too, and I can see that. Now that some media outlets have dug up her past, I think I understand why she did those things. Chastity has bound women for thousands of years, but if you think about it, what is it really? Surviving and living well is what matters most. Xue Lu doesn't care about these things, so why should I, as her mother-in-law, make things difficult for my daughter-in-law?"
"What about the master..."
"Heh..." Wen Shuangjing sneered: "Xue Qielu has been a playboy all his life, and his two best sons are actually both womanizers. The Xue family is really lucky. Go to the main hall often and see if the old man is making things difficult for his sons and daughters-in-law. Come back and tell me. I'm old and have nothing to do, so I don't mind arguing with him."
...
Xue Qielu was not angry with Song Qinggui.
He had been involved in the underworld when he was young, and he had seen how those criminal organizations treated women.
It's already quite remarkable that Song Qinggui has grown into the person he is today.
However, the phrase "not easy" was far from enough for Xue Qielu to understand Song Qinggui. The reason he accepted her was ultimately because of Xue's financial reports.
Since Song Qinggui took over Xue's public relations, Xue's stock price has risen every time she handles a public opinion controversy. Money doesn't lie; Song Qinggui is a capable woman.
Those who are capable are always worthy of respect.
Xue Qielu was truly in a bad mood when Song Qinggui, Xue Lü, and Xue Tan returned to the Xue family's old residence.
"What did you say? You want to resign from your positions in the Xue family and Jingtian?" Xue Qielu frowned as he looked at Song Qinggui.
Song Qinggui nodded: "This matter is different from the past, and it won't pass so easily. Everyone always likes to see great buildings crumble and celebrities fall from grace, and this time there is also a heavy element of scandal, so the controversy will last for a long time. My resignation is the best choice for both the Xue family and Jingtian."
Song Qinggui spoke calmly, as if he were talking about someone else's business.
Xue Qielu's face was dark. Xue Tan spoke up. As the head of the group, he couldn't act on emotion either. He had to be responsible for the livelihoods of thousands of people under his command: "I've thought about it. Taking a leave of absence without pay is inappropriate. It would make Qinggui seem like she made a mistake. Her voluntary resignation, in order not to affect the group and the employees, is already the best solution."
Xue Qielu's expression softened as he looked at Xue Lu, who had remained silent: "What does Little Fourteen mean?"
“We are husband and wife. When I have trouble, she supports me, and when she has trouble, I support her. It’s only natural.” At this point, Lawyer Xue added, “Besides, I have no right to interfere with her decisions now. I made a mistake, and she kicked me out of the house. I’m still reflecting on my mistakes.”
Xue Qielu's eyes widened: "What do you mean by kicking me out? You two are getting a divorce?"
Song Qinggui glared at Xue Lu. Was he complaining to his father?
Xue Lu's voice softened: "She hasn't decided yet, I'm waiting for her notification."
"Crack!" Another teacup fell to Xue Lu's feet, a classic scene that hadn't been staged in the Xue family for a long time.
"You good-for-nothing!" Xue Qielu's chest heaved. "How could I have such a worthless son like you!"
"Dad..." Xue Tan desperately tried to signal with his eyes, but Song Qinggui was still there.
Xue Qielu glanced at Song Qinggui and forcefully suppressed his anger: "Back then, so many people opposed your marriage, causing a huge uproar, but you wouldn't listen and insisted on getting married. Now I'm old and in poor health, and I understand your past hardships. But I really don't have the energy to read the gossip media about your divorce anymore."
Song Qinggui lowered his head slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Xue Qielu coughed lightly, his tone softening: "Men always care about their pride. What can't a husband and wife do at home? He lives outside every day, making him a laughingstock."
Song Qinggui raised her eyes slightly. The old man's words sounded like Xue Lu had conspired with his father to get her to allow him to go home.
"I understand, Dad," Song Qinggui finally replied.
...
Xue Lu drove Song Qinggui home. Before she got out of the car, he took her hand and asked, "Can I go home and stay here?"
Song Qinggui looked at him: "Do I have the right to refuse this whole thing you and your father put on?"
“I’m not forcing you to forgive me. You can still be angry with me when I go home, and you can still do whatever you want with me. I just…” Xue Lu said dejectedly, “I just miss you…”
Song Qinggui ultimately did not refuse Xue Lu's request.
That night, Xue Lu lay in bed and hugged Song Qinggui from behind. Song Qinggui did not say anything.
"I'm off tomorrow," Xue Lu said. "How about I make you braised pork?"
Song Qinggui remained silent.
"Also, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, crab roe tofu, and a soup, and Yangzhou fried rice."
"Are you trying to stuff me to death?" Song Qinggui said irritably.
Xue Lu finally smiled and said, "Then we won't make soup."
...
Song Qinggui was prepared to be subjected to online abuse, but things took an unexpected turn.
Song Qinghe posted a video showing his ID card and publicly recounting how the Song family abandoned Song Qinggui, which garnered significant attention.
The next day, Aunt Sun and Xiao Tian also stepped forward and recounted how difficult Song Qinggui's life had been over the years.
Later, some of Song Qinggui's classmates at Yucai Middle School also posted videos, telling anecdotes about how Song Qinggui collected garbage to raise tuition fees during high school and memorized English during recess.
Song Qinggui's online reputation has gradually reversed.
The "witness" who truly reignited public opinion was Meng Yuxing.
In the People's Hospital, Meng Yuxing, pale and emaciated, released a confession video, admitting that Feng Zhe and she had tried to sell Song Qinggui to the Saxons, and also revealing that she suffers from uremia and has been able to survive all these years thanks to Song Qinggui.
At the end of the video, Meng Yuxing shed tears: "Qingqing, I know I've done a lot of wrong things. I found you, but I couldn't take good care of you. I almost ruined you because of jealousy and greed. But Qingqing, when I found you, I was just... a sixteen-year-old child. I was just... a child no one wanted."
Song Qinggui's eyes reddened as he watched Meng Yuxing in the video wearing a blue and white striped hospital gown.
Meng Yuxing's health deteriorated over the past few years. At the beginning of this year, she finally received a kidney transplant, and although the match and surgery were successful, she experienced a severe rejection reaction two weeks later. For the past six months, she has been relying on immunosuppressants to stay alive. Feng Zhe, who had been caring for Meng Yuxing at her bedside, has also disappeared without a trace.
Song Qinggui couldn't blame Meng Yuxing for this; she felt a mix of emotions.
Xue Lu held Song Qinggui in his arms, silently comforting her.
In the middle of the night, Song Qinggui received a phone call while he was still half asleep.
"Excuse me, are you Miss Song Qinggui?"
Song Qinggui's mind cleared instantly; her intuition told her that this phone call was unusual.
"Please come to the High-tech Zone Public Security Bureau. Meng Yuxing, a patient at the People's Hospital, jumped out of a window and died at 2 a.m.
...
Meng Yuxing's ward is located on the nineteenth floor of the ward building of Lancheng People's Hospital.
There was absolutely no chance of survival if you jumped.
The police asked Song Qinggui to identify the corpse. Even though Song Qinggui studied medicine and had done autopsies and was familiar with corpses, she still painfully turned her eyes away when the white sheet was lifted.
The body was a bloody mess, the face was completely disfigured, and the brains were splattered. Only the scars caused by the abdominal dialysis tube that had been there for many years and the hospital wristband on the hand could confirm that the dead person was Meng Yuxing.
Song Qinggui mechanically signed the list of those claiming the bodies and mechanically answered the police's questions.
When Xue Lu helped her out of the police station, it was already dawn, with the first rays of sunlight dappling the ground.
"Rules and regulations..."
Xue Lu didn't rush to take her to the car, but instead led her to a bench by the roadside. He grabbed her shoulder and said, "Qing Gui, if you want to cry, then cry."
Song Qinggui's face was calm, but her pupils were unfocused. She heard Xue Lu calling her name, but she couldn't come back to her senses for a long time.
"The rules...please don't do this." Xue Lu was frightened: "Cry, just cry it out. The rules...the rules..."
Xue Lu called him repeatedly, and Song Qinggui's gaze finally fell on his face.
But she didn't cry. Instead, she smiled, a faint and bitter smile: "Lawyer Xue, was I... too cruel? Should I not have held the press conference, shouldn't have made those things public, shouldn't... shouldn't have blamed Xingxing? After all... after all, she raised me for ten years. She could have chosen not to... It's my fault. I was too demanding of her, wasn't I..."
Xue Lu pulled Song Qinggui into a tight embrace: "It's not your fault, Qinggui, listen to me, it's not your fault. Meng Yuxing does have difficulties, but her difficulties are not caused by you. But your difficulties are related to her, so of course you can resent her, you can hate her. Besides, you've done your best to help her get treatment all these years. Qinggui, I know, you've done your best."
After a while, Xue Lu heard a burst of sobbing from his arms, a sound that made his very soul tremble.
"Law Xue, I'm an orphan again... I'm an orphan again..."
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