The Wen residence.
When Wen Li arrived, she happened to hear Wen Tiantian acting coquettishly toward Wen Mother, saying she wanted to go to the Xu family.
“Wen Li hasn’t come back for a long time. I just happen to be off work today—why don’t we go see her?”
Wen Tiantian worked at a pastry factory, a job arranged by Wen Father.
Before she got married, Wen Li had also wanted to work, but the Wen family blocked her in every possible way.
They said she had grown up in the countryside, that her way of speaking and acting was petty and small-minded, and that she would surely be useless at work.
It would be better for her to stay home, washing clothes and cooking. In the future, she should marry a good man and bear children for him—that was her value.
With her biological parents showing favoritism to such an extent, Wen Li’s heart gradually turned cold.
That was why she had resolutely married Xu Zhouye.
Even though he had been seriously injured at the time, and people said he had injured his “manhood,” that marrying him would mean becoming a living widow.
Wen Mother said in a disappointed tone, “She’s grown wings now. Last time I went to the Xu house, I just didn’t hold Yanqing steady and knocked the child a little, and she actually dared to point at my nose and scold me.”
Wen Tiantian said, “She really went too far. Doesn’t she think that if you and Dad hadn’t brought her back, how would she ever have had the chance to marry Xu Zhouye?”
Wen Mother sighed. “This marriage was decided by the old masters of both families. If she hadn’t come back, you would have been the one to marry Xu Zhouye. Would there be all these troubles now?”
Thinking of Wen Li’s dull and rigid personality, her inability to draw the two families closer, Wen Mother felt irritated just thinking about it.
As expected of someone raised in the countryside—so short-sighted!
She climbed up the social ladder and still didn’t know how to funnel benefits back to her natal family!
Wen Tiantian said with a wistful tone, “He’s my brother-in-law now. There’s no point in saying these things anymore.”
Thinking of that handsome man, Wen Tiantian couldn’t help but blush and feel her heart race.
He really was charming.
Handsome, with a flamboyant personality that drew people in, tall and strong, full of masculine appeal.
If she could be husband and wife with him, who knew how blissful it would be?
The more she thought about it, the worse she felt.
She secretly hated that she had given up too early and let Wen Li reap such a huge benefit.
But fortunately, she had only forged a few letters and easily deceived Wen Li, making her believe that Xu Zhouye’s beloved was Wen Tiantian.
That he had only married someone else because he was injured and didn’t want to drag her down.
She even had someone tell Xu Zhouye that Wen Li had a childhood sweetheart in the countryside whom she was mutually in love with.
That must be why he didn’t let Wen Li follow him to the army—he surely minded this!
These past few years, Wen Li looked happy on the surface, but inside she was never at ease.
Seeing Wen Li’s anxious and unsettled demeanor, Wen Tiantian felt like laughing.
People who lacked love were truly pitiful.
Wen Li was nothing but a pitiful worm!
Seeing Wen Tiantian’s expression turn strange, Wen Mother thought she was feeling sad.
She comforted her, “Wen Li stole your good marriage—she owes you. In the future, her share of the family property will all go to you. She won’t get a single cent!”
Wen Tiantian said, “I don’t blame her…”
The mother and daughter sang in harmony, and Wen Li, standing at the doorway, couldn’t help but laugh as she listened.
Wen Mother and Wen Tiantian were startled and turned around at the same time.
The former looked annoyed. “You’re back and didn’t say a word—are you trying to scare someone to death?”
Wen Tiantian said instead, “Lili didn’t mean to eavesdrop, Mom. Please don’t scold her.”
Having been caught bad-mouthing someone behind their back, Wen Mother inexplicably felt guilty.
And guilt easily turned into bluster. “No manners at all! After all these years, you still can’t change that countryside behavior of yours!”
Wen Li’s expression didn’t change as she asked Wen Tiantian, “You want to marry Xu Zhouye?”
Wen Tiantian froze.
She had been enjoying the show, waiting for Wen Li to be scolded to tears. She hadn’t expected Wen Li to suddenly call her out.
She inexplicably felt that Wen Li was a little strange today.
Under Wen Li’s gaze, she actually felt her scalp go numb.
Wen Li, who had always had such a weak presence, suddenly had such a strong aura.
Who gave her this confidence?
Xu Zhouye?
Wen Tiantian clenched her palm hard, forcing herself to calm down.
She tugged at the corner of her mouth. “I don’t blame you for taking this marriage. Don’t take Mom’s words to heart.”
Wen Li raised an eyebrow. “Take? Are you sure the Xu family would have been willing to marry you?”
At first, her mother-in-law had her eye on the children of cadres from the compound.
After Xu Zhouye was injured, the Wen family worried that the Xu family would invoke the agreement made by the elders.
They didn’t want to marry Wen Tiantian off to a ‘cripple,’ so they struck first and pushed Wen Li to marry Xu Zhouye instead.
Wen Tiantian’s expression stiffened for a moment.
If she hadn’t heard that Xu Zhouye was seriously injured and that his future was ruined, how could she have given up the opportunity to Wen Li?
Wen Tiantian didn’t answer. She only put on a wronged expression, and Wen Mother immediately stepped forward to defend her.
She said irritably, “If Tiantian hadn’t yielded to you, do you think you could have married into the Xu family?”
Wen Li gave a half-smile. “Did she need to yield? Did Xu Zhouye even look at her?”
Wen Tiantian’s expression twisted for an instant. Forcing a smile, she asked, “Did A-Ye bully you? Why are you so sharp today, like you swallowed gunpowder?”
A-Ye…
Such an intimate form of address.
If it were the old Wen Li, that name alone would have stirred her emotions.
But unfortunately, she was no longer the old Wen Li.
Splash.
Wen Tiantian was doused with a faceful of water and froze in shock.
Wen Mother also hadn’t reacted in time.
Wen Li slammed the enamel cup down heavily. “Helping you wake up. Next time, don’t use those two words to address my man. I don’t like it.”
Wen Mother screamed, “Wen Li, have you gone crazy?!”
Wen Li’s face was cold. “I should have done this on the very first day you brought me back!”
The kinder you were, the more you were bullied.
Her repeated concessions had never earned her even the slightest warmth.
Some things simply couldn’t be forced. If her biological parents didn’t love her, she could likewise choose not to love them.
There was no need to beg for their affection!
Wen Li’s eyes were icy—unlike before, when they always hid a trace of expectation.
Like a little dog begging for others’ pity.
Wen Mother abruptly looked away. “You’ve really grown wings. The moment you come home, you turn the whole house upside down. Look at how you’ve bullied Tiantian—hurry up and apologize to her!”
Wen Li rolled her eyes. “It’s not even dark yet, and you’re already dreaming.”
She lifted her foot and walked toward Wen Tiantian’s bedroom.
The most urgent thing now was to get the jade pendant back!
Wen Tiantian’s hair was dripping wet, her face and clothes soaked through.
She had specially dressed up to go to the Xu family to see Xu Zhouye.
She had drawn her brows with a matchstick and applied snow cream and rouge.
Now all of it had been ruined by Wen Li!
Wen Tiantian wanted to scream, wanted to grab Wen Li by the hair and slap her.
That country bumpkin—how dare she do this?!
Wen Tiantian burst into tears. “Mom, I should just move out. She hates me and thinks I stole her things.”
Wen Mother hurried to comfort her. “If anyone’s leaving, it’ll be her. You’re the one we personally raised—what does she have to compare with you?”
Wen Tiantian felt smug inside.
So what if there was no blood relationship?
In this family, she was still more favored than Wen Li!
Just as she was about to shoot Wen Li a provocative look, she saw Wen Li enter her room.
Wen Tiantian’s emotions stalled. Forgetting to cry, she sprang up. “Wen Li, what are you doing?!”
Wen Li didn’t waste words with her.
As soon as she entered, she went straight for the desk, saw a small lock on the drawer, then turned and walked back out.
Annoyed that Wen Tiantian was in her way, she shoved her aside. “Good dogs don’t block the road.”
Wen Tiantian felt Wen Li had gone insane.
Wen Mother thought the same.
They had no idea what Wen Li was trying to do.
Before they could start scolding her, Wen Li returned with a brick in hand.
Her expression was cold, an icy chill seeming to radiate from her.
Wen Mother and Wen Tiantian both shrank back instinctively.
Had she suddenly gone mad—was she going to hit them?
For a moment, they even forgot to scold Wen Li, watching helplessly as she smashed the lock and took the jade pendant.
Wen Tiantian cried out, “That’s mine!”
Wen Mother wailed, “What a sin! Are you a bandit? Always snatching Tiantian’s things!”
Wen Li didn’t bother to respond and directly stuffed the jade pendant into her pocket.
Fortunately, Wen Tiantian hadn’t yet discovered the secret of the spatial dimension. Otherwise, she definitely wouldn’t have been able to get it back.
Then Wen Li rummaged through the drawers and boxes and found the letters Wen Tiantian had hidden.
Wen Tiantian’s eyelids twitched violently. “Wen Li, what exactly do you want to do?!”
She tried to snatch the letters back, but Wen Li was half a head taller. With the height advantage, Wen Tiantian couldn’t reach them at all.
Wen Li said, “Didn’t you say these were letters Xu Zhouye wrote to you after his marriage? I’ll take them back to the compound and let my father-in-law and mother-in-law have a good look. If he really wrote them, he can wait to be punished by the family rules. But if someone forged them…”
Wen Li curled her lips into a smile. “Then bear the consequences yourself.”