“Tiantian, I want an apple.”
“Then I’ll go buy one.”
With a single sentence about wanting an apple, Liu Yao successfully sent Ling Xiao away. Soon, only she and Xie Jinwen remained in the hospital room.
It was their first proper meeting.
The displeasure on Liu Yao’s face was obvious. Her eyes openly scrutinized Xie Jinwen.
“You are quite beautiful. No wonder Ling Xiao was attracted to you. But the threshold of the Ling family isn’t something you can cross with a few tricks. Your little act of suffering won’t work on me.”
In Liu Yao’s eyes, Xie Jinwen’s hospitalization was nothing more than a self-inflicted injury meant to gain sympathy.
Xie Jinwen merely stated calmly,
“Auntie, you’ve misunderstood.”
Liu Yao sneered.
“A misunderstanding? I’ve seen plenty of girls like you who want to marry into wealth…”
Just as Liu Yao was about to continue, Ling Xiao came rushing back, slightly out of breath, carrying a bag of fruit. The rest of her words were forced back down.
Frowning, but more concerned about Ling Xiao tiring himself out, Liu Yao said,
“Tiantian, look at you running around like that. I’m not in such a hurry to eat an apple.”
Ling Xiao smiled as he took out an apple and began peeling it.
“It’s fine. I’m young and full of energy. If you want an apple, of course I’ll get one as quickly as possible. Besides, they sell them right outside the hospital.”
Whenever Ling Xiao was present, the atmosphere in the room became harmonious.
Liu Yao even smiled and asked Xie Jinwen if she wanted an apple.
Liu Yao intended to play the role of a reasonable and understanding mother, and Xie Jinwen had no intention of stopping her.
After all, acting wasn’t exactly difficult.
Thus, when Yin Ciying rushed over from Beijing, she was greeted by the sight of Liu Yao and Xie Jinwen chatting and laughing together like a harmonious family.
It looked almost like a family of three.
Yin Ciying suddenly felt like an outsider who had intruded, nearly suffering a heart attack from the shock.
Liu Yao was equally embarrassed.
She had no idea Yin Ciying would come.
Xie Jinwen, who had known Yin Ciying would arrive, looked puzzled and asked Ling Xiao,
“Ling Xiao, who is this?”
Ling Xiao noticed Yin Ciying standing at the doorway and immediately stood up.
“Jinwen, let me introduce her. She’s like an older sister to me. You can call her Sister Ying, just like I do.”
Xie Jinwen sweetly called out,
“Sister Ying~”
Both Yin Ciying and Liu Yao suddenly felt the urge to cough up blood.
Liu Yao, being far more experienced, recovered quickly.
“Miss Xie, this is Yin Ciying. Her parents were close friends of mine and Old Ling before they passed away. She grew up in our family and was raised alongside Ling Xiao. They’re very close.”
In two short sentences, she clarified that they were not actual siblings while emphasizing the closeness of their relationship, clearly trying to plant a thorn in Xie Jinwen’s heart.
The truth was that Liu Yao had always raised Yin Ciying as her future daughter-in-law.
The only one too dense to notice was Ling Xiao himself.
Seeing Liu Yao’s attitude, Yin Ciying’s earlier panic faded. She entered gracefully and politely greeted Xie Jinwen.
“Miss Xie, long time no see. I didn’t expect our next meeting would still be in a hospital.”
Liu Yao sensed something unusual.
“Yingying, you two have met before?”
Walking over to Liu Yao’s bedside, Yin Ciying explained,
“Aunt Yao, remember when I mentioned that girl from the village who was injured during Ling Xiao’s accident?”
Liu Yao immediately understood.
That girl had been Xie Jinwen.
And now that girl had somehow become Ling Xiao’s girlfriend.
A conclusion instantly formed in Liu Yao’s mind.
Her son was upright and compassionate. Xie Jinwen must have taken advantage of her status as a victim and emotionally manipulated him into becoming her boyfriend.
What a shameless and calculating girl!
“Hey! What are you doing?”
Xie Jinwen suddenly exclaimed.
The attention of both Liu Yao and Yin Ciying was drawn over, only to discover that Ling Xiao had somehow climbed onto Xie Jinwen’s hospital bed.
The bed was already narrow. With Ling Xiao squeezing onto it, it became even more crowded.
Xie Jinwen pushed at him in protest.
“Get down. It’s so cramped.”
But Ling Xiao wrapped his arms around her and smiled.
“No. I haven’t slept all night. I’m tired. Just let me lie here for a while. Don’t chase me away, okay?”
His normally deep and magnetic voice had softened considerably, carrying a hint of pleading and even a touch of coquettishness.
It was like a giant panda acting cute.
Anyone’s heart would melt.
Xie Jinwen could confidently say that even when they were alone at the residential compound, Ling Xiao had never spoken in a tone so sweet that it would probably give himself goosebumps.
To put it plainly, Ling Xiao was deliberately entering the game.
He was making a move.
Adding weight to Xie Jinwen’s position.
In the eyes of others, Xie Jinwen was merely a country girl with an ordinary background, no notable education, and only one advantage:
She was stunningly beautiful.
But she possessed something far more important.
Ling Xiao’s favoritism.
And Ling Xiao personally demonstrated that favoritism right in front of his family.
The effect was excellent.
Liu Yao and Yin Ciying were both rendered speechless.
So was Xie Jinwen.
Other than the fact that Ling Xiao was her destined partner and undeniably handsome, she truly didn’t care much about his family background or social status.
Still…
Being held in Ling Xiao’s arms felt warm.
It made her feel safe.
Adjusting herself into a more comfortable position, she said,
“Then go ahead and sleep.”
A victorious smile appeared at the corner of Ling Xiao’s lips.
“Thank you, baby.”
Liu Yao was so exasperated she nearly rolled her eyes.
This woman had turned her son into a clingy puppy!
Meanwhile, Yin Ciying stared at the two lying closely together on the bed.
Jealousy and unwillingness flashed through her eyes.
Why?
Why could a beautiful but otherwise useless vase receive Ling Xiao’s affection?
Her phone vibrated inside her handbag.
Remembering something, Yin Ciying took it out and checked the message.
—The person has arrived.
It was a text from her assistant.
Liu Yao’s accident had happened the previous afternoon.
After receiving the news, Yin Ciying had called to express concern and learned from Liu Yao that Ling Xiao now had a girlfriend named Xie Jinwen.
Yin Ciying knew exactly who Xie Jinwen was.
Back then, Ling Xiao had blushed while borrowing clothes from her because he couldn’t buy any in time.
He had even asked her to escort that girl back to Beijing for treatment.
It was the first time Ling Xiao had ever paid such special attention to a girl.
Naturally, Yin Ciying paid attention as well.
After returning to Beijing, she had used her connections to investigate Xie Jinwen’s background.
An orphan.
A loner.
Unsociable.
Yet many men in her village admired her.
Other than that, there was little useful information.
Yin Ciying focused on one detail:
She was admired by many men.
As the saying goes, money can make even ghosts push a millstone.
Problems that money can solve are hardly problems at all.
Yin Ciying carefully analyzed why Ling Xiao had chosen Xie Jinwen.
Was it her beauty?
His guilt?
Or a man’s instinctive desire to protect someone vulnerable?
And if that pitiful little girl happened to have a shameful past…
How would an ordinary man react?
Yin Ciying found herself looking forward to it.
About ten minutes later—
A man suddenly burst into the hospital room.
Shouting excitedly, he yelled:
“Xie Jinwen! Xie Jinwen, where are you, you gold-digging woman?!”
His eyes swept across the room, passing over Liu Yao and Yin Ciying before landing on Xie Jinwen lying on the hospital bed.
He roared:
“So there you are! And you’re shamelessly lying in bed with another man! How can you do this to me?!”