Chapter 138 Let's Find Out
He said slowly, "As long as you agree to come back to Hong Kong with me and start over, from now on, cut off all contact with Meng Zhiyuan, never see her again, never talk to her again, and pretend she never existed."
Qiao Wanyin suddenly looked up, her eyes blazing with fury.
"dream!"
She rejected him without hesitation, "You're shameless! Do you think you can turn back? Do you think I'm still the same naive and easily manipulated Qiao Wanyin from back then?"
Fang Xiaolin's smile gradually faded, replaced by a chilling aura.
"Then don't blame me for being heartless."
His tone was low and dangerous. "Now, Zishu listens to me completely. She messages me every day, asking if I've eaten, if I'm tired, and is even willing to quit her job and move to the city where I live for me."
"Tell me, if I ask her to break off her relationship with you, whose opinion will she choose to listen to? Me, her 'lover,' or you, her 'friend'?"
Qiao Wanyin's nails dug deeply into her palms, causing her fingertips to go numb with pain.
She knew that Fang Xiaolin was right.
Zishu has fallen too deep and has long lost his judgment.
Now, when she looks at Fang Xiaolin, her eyes are filled with love.
"You beast..."
She squeezed out those words through gritted teeth, each syllable dripping with blood and hatred.
"You ruined her, isn't that enough?"
"Heh," Fang Xiaolin laughed instead, a mocking smile curving her lips.
"But back then, didn't you love me the most, you 'beast'? Back then, didn't you always tell me that I was the person you couldn't live without? How come now that I've come back to you, you're starting to despise me?"
Facing Qiao Wanyin, he no longer concealed himself and completely tore off his disguise.
He was like a wild beast with bare claws, openly displaying his greed and ambition.
"Aqing, I am different now than I was in the past."
His voice deepened, carrying an almost seductive quality.
"If you're willing to come with me, I'll make sure you live a good life this time, eating and drinking well, lacking nothing. Whatever you ask for, I'll buy it for you. I can give you anything you want."
Qiao Wanyin frowned slightly, as if she had been choked by a sudden gust of wind.
She stared at Fang Xiaolin's familiar yet unfamiliar face, but now she only felt disgusted.
She once believed in and experienced those so-called "good days," but what was the result?
She suddenly realized that brute force was useless.
She had to find a different approach—she had to use the methods he knew best and loved to hear, leading him step by step into the trap.
Fang Xiaolin.
Her voice suddenly softened, replaced by a faint hint of hesitation and grievance.
Actually... I can understand you.
She spoke very softly, "All these years, you've never forgotten me. Even after I left, you were still waiting and searching. I... am not unmoved by this."
Fang Xiaolin was taken aback, her body stiffening slightly.
He didn't expect her to say that, and he certainly didn't expect her attitude to change so drastically.
"Um?"
His tone was tentative, but his eyes had already subtly brightened.
Qiao Wanyin lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously circling the rim of the cup.
It's like a struggle, a recollection, a search for the most appropriate entry point.
"I also bear responsibility for what happened in the past."
Her voice held a hint of self-blame and regret. "I know I was too stubborn and immature back then. If you hadn't pushed me so hard, maybe I wouldn't have left in a fit of anger. But at the time... I was genuinely scared."
"Later I regretted it, but it was too late to go back. You changed, and so did I. But seeing you today, my heart... is actually very confused."
"What's the point of saying all this?"
Fang Xiaolin sneered, as if trying to pierce through this sudden warmth.
But his body involuntarily leaned forward, his eyes fixed on her.
Clearly, he was captivated by her words, yet he still couldn't resist getting closer.
"I just feel..."
Qiao Wanyin looked up, her eyes wet with tears.
"Life in the port city is something I really miss."
These words were like a match striking a fuse, instantly melting away the coldness on Fang Xiaolin's face.
"Why didn't you say that earlier?"
He leaned back, as if he had finally unloaded some kind of burden.
"Aqing, do you know how much I want to take you away?"
His eyes gleamed with naked desire and ambition.
"With your looks, if you went to Hong Kong, winning the beauty pageant would be a piece of cake. Your face, figure, and temperament are all top-notch. When you step onto the stage and the flashbulbs go off, the whole of Hong Kong will know who you are."
Qiao Wanyin suppressed the nausea in her heart and forced a shy smile.
"Really?"
Her voice held a mixture of uncertainty and longing, "But I'm... not young anymore, I'm far inferior to those young girls, can I still do it?"
"Nonsense!"
Fang Xiaolin suddenly became excited, and her voice rose sharply.
"What you're saying now is complete nonsense! You disappeared for so many years without a trace, and now you think you can just casually say 'I've figured it out' and expect me to believe you?"
He stood up excitedly and slammed his hand on the table, making the teacup tremble.
“You are even more…” He seemed to realize something, but stopped midway through his sentence, “Actually, it’s not like you don’t have a chance.”
His gaze fell on Qiao Wanyin's face with an uncertain expression.
"If we could give Fu Li'an a large sum of money to shut him up, this matter might be settled. He's just an honest, simple schoolteacher, how much cunning could he possibly have? As long as the money is right, who cares about feelings or anything like that?"
"You want me to give him the money?"
Fang Xiaolin looked at her with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity in her eyes.
"Ah Qing, you're not trying to play me, are you? I haven't forgotten all the tricks you've played over the years. If you take my money to fill someone else's pocket and then just walk away, wouldn't I be left with nothing but bones?"
Qiao Wanyin's voice was tinged with grievance: "I'm not trying to give him money, but... if I don't do this, this divorce simply won't happen."
“Fu Li’an is stubborn; once he’s made up his mind, nothing can change it. He will never sign the divorce papers unless he gets the money.”
“He is my rightful husband. Our household registration, property, and workplace are all tied together. I can’t untie this knot without taking real action.”
“If I offered him some money as compensation,” she paused, “I think he would agree. Fifty thousand is neither too much nor too little. It’s enough for him to hold his head high at work, and enough for him to start his own business.”
"After all, I didn't let him give up for nothing."
Fang Xiaolin stared at her for a long time, as if trying to see right through her.
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