Xia Meng and Lu Rourou were getting along quite well.
As a public figure, Xia Meng had been attracting a lot of attention lately.
In contrast, Lu Yanshen and Xie Wantang had only registered their marriage without holding a wedding ceremony. As a result, apart from those close to the Lu and Xie families, the public was unaware that Lu Yanshen was married.
Naturally, they had no idea Xie Wantang was the second young mistress of the Lu family.
Under these circumstances, even though Lu Yanshen and Xie Wantang were not yet divorced, Lu Rourou had already started privately calling Xia Meng “second sister-in-law.”
Seeing that the two were chatting pleasantly and little Dongdong was behaving well beside them, Lu Yanshen thought of Xie Wantang at home. He wanted to have another proper talk with her, so he found an excuse to leave.
“Second Brother, Dream Sister and little Dongdong are here. Aren’t you Dongdong’s Uncle Lu? Keep Dream Sister company for a bit,” Lu Rourou tried to stop Lu Yanshen from leaving.
“Rourou, don’t be like that. Your second brother is quite busy. Let him go attend to his matters,” Xia Meng said understandingly.
Lu Rourou pouted. Just then, Lu Wentao and his wife arrived. Lu Rourou nestled into Mrs. Lu’s arms, acting spoiled. Seizing the opportunity, Xia Meng found a reason to leave with Lu Yanshen.
Lu Yanshen didn’t refuse. Considering that Xie Wantang’s insistence on divorce was related to Xia Meng, he decided to ask Xia Meng for clarification.
“Where to? I’ll drive you and Dongdong,” Lu Yanshen said in a low voice inside the elevator.
“I’m planning to take little Dongdong to the set. He landed a small toy commercial,” Xia Meng replied.
“You’re letting Dongdong film a commercial?” Lu Yanshen’s brows furrowed. “Short on money? How much do you need?”
He took out his phone, ready to transfer money to her.
Xia Meng shook her head and refused, “Forget it, Yanshen. Wantang has been causing a fuss with you lately for some reason. Don’t transfer money to me. I already owe you too much.”
But Lu Yanshen still transferred a sum to her. “Take it. It’s for Dongdong.”
“Thank you, Yanshen.”
“There’s something I want to ask you,” Lu Yanshen said, thinking of the so-called evidence Xie Wantang mentioned—some photo he couldn’t even find on his phone.
“Mm, go ahead,” Xia Meng nodded.
“Did you go to the mountaintop to set off fireworks with someone a few nights ago?”
“Yes, a short drama I was in just wrapped up a few days ago. The crew decided to go to the mountaintop, set up tents, and set off fireworks. How did you know? A colleague of mine playfully took my phone and posted a photo on social media.”
“You know, although I’m not a major celebrity, I am still a public figure. In our industry, some things shouldn’t be posted carelessly, so I deleted it.”
“Why? Did you see it?”
“No, Xie Wantang saw it and insisted it was you and me.” After hearing the explanation, Lu Yanshen believed her and felt quite helpless about Xie Wantang’s imagination.
Xia Meng covered her mouth. “Ah? So that’s why she’s been insisting on divorcing you these past few days?”
“Oh, right, Yanshen. Earlier, when I was sending Director Mao to the Royal View Grand Hotel to check in, I actually ran into Wantang. She was with Qin Muyang, the big-shot lawyer from Haishi.”
“Tell me, if she really hires Qin Muyang to handle your divorce case, should I step in and explain the mountaintop fireworks incident for you?”
“Qin Muyang?” Lu Yanshen frowned. “Doesn’t he never take on divorce cases?”
Xia Meng was slightly taken aback and asked softly, “Not filing? I always thought Lawyer Qin would never refuse as long as the money was enough.”
“I was even thinking of suggesting you give Wantang less pocket money, so she wouldn’t be able to afford Lawyer Qin.”
“…”
Lu Yanshen remained silent. The pocket money he gave Xie Wantang wasn’t actually that much.
At the very least, it wouldn’t satisfy Qin Muyang’s appetite.
If Xie Wantang hadn’t hired Qin Muyang with money, could it be that she knew him?
Didn’t Mrs. Xie say that when they went to pick up Xie Wantang, she and her adoptive mother were living a miserable life in the countryside?
A Xie Wantang like that probably wouldn’t have had the chance to meet Qin Muyang, right?
Ding—
The elevator arrived.
Xia Meng hadn’t driven, so Lu Yanshen offered her a ride, asking Pei Xiao to drop Xia Meng and Dongdong off first.
Unbeknownst to them, as they got into the car, cameras from different angles simultaneously clicked their shutters, capturing many detailed photos.
Xia Meng and Dongdong were heading to the filming location to prepare, and Lu Yanshen still advised her to minimize the child’s exposure.
Xia Meng nodded, smiling bitterly. “I know, Yanshen. I also want to repay you the money as soon as possible, so Wantang won’t misunderstand even more.”
“Don’t worry about her. There’s no rush to repay the money.”
Lu Yanshen said there was no rush to repay it, not that she didn’t have to repay it at all.
Xia Meng lowered her eyelids, her eyes dimming.
After Xia Meng got out of the car holding Dongdong, Lu Yanshen had Pei Xiao drive away, even though Dongdong looked at him longingly, hoping he would stay and keep him company.
However, Lu Yanshen acted as if he hadn’t noticed.
Just like that, he disappeared from the sight of the mother and son.
The Lu Yanshen before the car accident wouldn’t have acted this way.
Xia Meng sniffled. He was no longer the Yanshen brother whose eyes were only on her.
She was the one who had lost him, and she knew she couldn’t blame Lu Yanshen, but deep down, she still felt a great sense of loss.
Even so, she had to strive hard to win him back.
On Lu Yanshen’s way home, several photos appeared on Xie Wantang’s phone—pictures of Lu Yanshen and Xia Meng entering and leaving the hospital together, as well as Lu Yanshen helping Xia Meng and her son into the car.
When the photos came in, Xie Wantang was in the kitchen preparing afternoon tea, while Xu Yanqiu was sprawled out shamelessly on the large sofa in the Lu family living room, eating and drinking to her heart’s content, thoroughly enjoying herself.
As the photos flooded in, Xie Wantang’s phone kept buzzing, prompting Xu Yanqiu to pick it up and take a look.
Seeing so many close-up intimate photos of Lu Yanshen and Xia Meng, Xu Yanqiu jumped up from the sofa. “Holy shit—”
Just then, Xie Wantang’s first batch of egg tarts came out of the oven.
She had prepared a second and third batch, planning to send the best ones to her eldest brother later.
In the evening, she had arranged to have dinner with her eldest brother.
Her eldest brother had asked her to invite Lu Yanshen along, but she wasn’t sure if Lu Yanshen would be free.
She didn’t dare promise her eldest brother.
If Lu Yanshen wasn’t available, she planned to invite Xu Yanqiu instead. After all, Xu Yanqiu liked handsome men, and based on her understanding of Xu Yanqiu, her brothers’ exceptionally handsome features were sure to align perfectly with Xu Yanqiu’s aesthetic preferences.
Qiuqiu would definitely be delighted.
“What gossip has gotten you so worked up this time?” Xie Wantang asked helplessly.
Spending every day scrolling through meaningless gossip on her phone—wasn’t she bored?
Instead of wasting time on this, why not learn from other streamers’ broadcasting skills?
Improve your performance, enhance your professional abilities, and rely on yourself to earn more money in the future.
Wasn’t her life goal to become a super-rich woman before the age of thirty-five and then support ten or eight pretty boys?
“Here, gossip about your husband. Isn’t it thrilling? Isn’t it surprising?” Xu Yanqiu held her phone in front of Xie Wantang.
Xie Wantang glanced up. Gossip about Lu Yanshen and Xia Meng was neither thrilling nor surprising to her at all.