Bai Shujun had learned to cook well to take care of Jing Muhan. Everyone in the Jing family loved her cooking, but no one respected her. Whenever she returned to the old residence for a family dinner, they all treated her like a servant, ordering her around.
Jing Muhan had never once spoken up for her.
In the past, she had indulged them because she needed something from the Jing family. Now her mother was gone, and she was getting divorced. She had no reason to keep fawning over them.
Bai Shujun instinctively refused. “Aunt Huang, Jing Muhan has recovered. I have no obligation to take care of him anymore. He and I are going through the divorce process. I won’t be your family’s servant anymore. Find someone else to order around.”
Huang Wanxiu had forbidden her from calling her Mom, so for three years she had called her Aunt. Bai Shujun used to care a lot and had even cried over it.
Jing Muhan had said, “It’s just a form of address. Why do you care?”
Now, Bai Shujun thought it was for the best. She didn’t have to call that old hag Mother.
Huang Wanxiu sneered, “Your mother just died, and you’re already leaving my son. You really do treat yourself like a commodity to be sold.”
Bai Shujun was already used to Huang Wanxiu’s barbs. “Think whatever you want. From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other.”
She hung up, then blocked and deleted her in one fell swoop. From that moment on, she and the Jing family were strangers.
It was time for her performance. She was about to head toward a new life.
Unable to get through to Bai Shujun, Huang Wanxiu angrily called Jing Muhan instead.
She shouted into the phone, “Bai Shujun has gotten a little too bold. She actually blocked me! Are you two getting divorced? Good riddance if you are. With her background, she was never good enough for you.”
Jing Muhan lowered his eyes and replied, “That’s not happening. I won’t divorce her. She’s just throwing a tantrum. She’ll be fine in a few days.”
He was accustomed to Bai Shujun’s meek obedience and didn’t think she would divorce him without a second thought. Over the past three years, she had granted every request he made.
Huang Wanxiu snorted. “Then tell her to come back and prepare for your grandmother’s birthday banquet the day after tomorrow.”
Jing Muhan frowned and said coldly, “I told you not to bother her with matters at the old residence. It’s not like we don’t have servants.”
Huang Wanxiu retorted, “And yet you order her around and make her wait on you every day.”
Jing Muhan said, “I’m her husband!”
He hung up.
Huang Wanxiu was rebuffed again and was so furious that she smashed her phone.
Old Madam Jing watched and said, “I told you to treat that girl a little better, but you just had to make her suffer. Look, now they’ve drifted apart. Your son has only just recovered from his illness. Do something to build up some good karma!”
Old Madam Jing didn’t like her grandson, who had no regard for his own family. After joining the family business, he had driven out both the First and Second Branches.
His methods were so ruthless that even she, a woman who had weathered countless storms, was afraid of him.
She secretly wanted to stir up trouble in Jing Muhan’s marriage. It would be good to anger Huang Wanxiu, and even better to make things difficult for Jing Muhan.
Unwilling to back down, Huang Wanxiu said, “My son is so outstanding. Once he leaves that woman, plenty of women will want him. The next one will be even better.”
Old Madam Jing glared at her. “You’re a woman yourself, yet you have no qualms about bullying other women. And you’re always claiming to be a refined young lady. I don’t think the Huang family has much in the way of manners.”
Huang Wanxiu was so angry her chest hurt, and Bai Shujun was still the one to blame.
She went to Bantang No. 1 to settle the score, but found no one there.
Still unwilling to give up, she told her daughter, Jing Ruolin, to call Bai Shujun, but she couldn’t get through either.
Jing Ruolin looked displeased. “Mom, that woman blocked me too.”
Huang Wanxiu’s hands trembled with anger. “What a low-class thing. She hasn’t even divorced your brother yet, and she’s already acting so arrogantly. If she keeps this up, she can forget about having a place in the Jing family.”
Jing Ruolin chimed in, “Exactly. Marrying my brother was a huge stroke of luck for her. She should be praying and thanking you every day for the kindness you showed her.”
The mother and daughter sat together and cursed Bai Shujun for a long time.
Bai Shujun had no idea anyone was viciously cursing her. She was busy working on her code.
Sure enough, Qin Yuexin sent another video of Jing Muhan with his son, as regularly as if she were punching in at work. Without a second thought, Bai Shujun screen-recorded it again. Qin Yuexin still withdrew it right at the two-minute mark.
Bai Shujun directly provoked her: 【That parentage test you sent me the other day was fake. Don’t think I couldn’t tell just because you withdrew it.】
Qin Yuexin didn’t reply at all. Bai Shujun waited in vain for useful evidence and was very disappointed.
She was already prepared for the worst. If it came to it, she could go through the long court process; at most, it would take two years to get divorced.
That was still better than remaining trapped in this ridiculous marriage for another eight or ten years.
In any case, she had no designs on Jing Muhan’s assets. If the divorce went to court, they would have to grant it eventually. It was only a matter of time.
But what chilled Bai Shujun was that her period hadn’t come this month. It was already a week late.
She was afraid she was pregnant. She didn’t want to have Jing Muhan’s child anymore.
Early the next morning, Bai Shujun ordered a pregnancy test online. Two bright red lines appeared.
Her eyes hurt as she stared at the test. Her scalp prickled. That scumbag had managed to cause her grief one last time.
She planned to make an appointment for a painless abortion at the hospital that weekend. She wanted to cut ties with him completely.
Having his child would only bring more trouble. Besides, men only liked children born to the women they loved. Just look at how he treated Jing Lan.
After breakfast, she went to report for work at Xingshu Computing, founded by Cen Yunxiao. Cen Yunxiao had appointed her Technology director.
After Cen Yunxiao’s assistant had given her an overview of the company, Cen Yunxiao walked her back to her office and asked curiously, “Your seriously ill husband let you come out to work—is it because he died?”
Bai Shujun was just about to answer when Jing Muhan walked in with Qin Yuexin.
Qin Yuexin’s eyes were full of mockery. Like a proud rooster, she flaunted her claim to Jing Muhan in front of Bai Shujun.
Bai Shujun thought the world had gone mad. Qin Yuexin had an illegitimate son and was proud of it, all because the law granted illegitimate children inheritance rights.
As long as the scumbag was willing to pay, the first wife could be bullied until she vomited blood and still be powerless to do anything.
But Jing Muhan wouldn’t give her any of his money anyway, so it had nothing to do with her.
She didn’t care that much.
Jing Muhan gave Bai Shujun a cold glance, then looked away a few seconds later.
Cen Yunxiao didn’t know what their relationship was, so he introduced him matter-of-factly. “This is President Jing, Jing Muhan. He’s one of our company’s investors. With remarkable foresight, he served as the sole lead investor in our Pre-A round and increased his investment in the A round. He’s now our largest institutional shareholder and a core member of the board of directors.”
Xingshu was one of Jing Muhan’s many investments, but because it focused on computing power and had tremendous growth potential, he had always taken it seriously.
Bai Shujun pretended she was meeting Jing Muhan for the first time and nodded at him. Jing Muhan gave no response.
Qin Yuexin nearly laughed aloud beside them. The meaning was obvious: So what if you have a marriage certificate? He still refuses to acknowledge you.
Bai Shujun could do nothing about Qin Yuexin’s contempt.
Cen Yunxiao just felt there was something strange between the three of them, but he didn’t pay much attention to it.
Bai Shujun was a girl who had suffered a hard lot in life. What could she possibly have to do with this big shot in the venture capital world?
Then he introduced Bai Shujun to Jing Muhan, looking especially proud. “This is my most talented Junior Sister, Bai Shujun. I paid a hefty sum to bring her on as our Technology director.
“I actually invited her when the company was first getting started, but her seriously ill husband held her back. I wonder if that man is sick in the head—who would stop his wife from going out to work?”
Bai Shujun narrowed her eyes. Jing Muhan’s face turned green.