Mother Xie, Chen Yayun, looked up at Division Commander Xie, sitting across from her with a dark expression. She sighed and began slowly, “Old Xie, the two of them are in love with each other, after all!”
“In love with each other?!” Xie Zhenshan snapped, holding a ruler in his hand. “They’re not engaged, they’re not married, and they go to a guesthouse to get a room. You call that being in love? Xie Yanzhou, get down on your knees!”
“Dad!” Xie Yanzhou clenched his jaw, but didn’t kneel.
He didn’t want to lose face in front of Lin Wan!
Lin Wan glanced up at Xie Yanzhou. She pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Xie Yanzhou hadn’t given her away. When he came back, he’d only said that he’d had a couple of extra drinks last night, lost control and made a mistake, and asked his parents to make the decision about their marriage.
“I said get down on your knees! Did you hear me?” Xie Zhenshan sprang to his feet and swung the ruler at his son’s arm.
“Smack!”
The blow landed hard. Just hearing it hurt.
Lin Wan shivered instinctively.
“Wanwan, Yanzhou was the one who acted like a hooligan. Don’t be afraid. Xie Zhenshan will teach him a lesson, and he’ll behave himself,” Chen Yayun said gently, patting Lin Wan’s hand.
“Mm.” Lin Wan lowered her head and tried to pull her hand away.
In her previous life, could Xie Yanzhou and Lin Shuhua have married without these parents’ consent?
And later, when something happened to the Lin family, they hadn’t lifted a finger to help!
Now they were only afraid she’d report him for molesting her!
“What’s going on?” A voice sounded from the entrance.
Chen Yayun smiled. “Wanwan, look, your Older Sister’s back.”
As she spoke, Chen Yayun stood and went over.
“My precious little boy, did you fuss when you went to get your shots?” Chen Yayun took her grandson from the nanny’s arms, her face full of delight.
Lin Wan turned to look at the doorway.
It had been a long time since she’d seen Lin Shuhua so young.
The Xie family spoiled Lin Shuhua, and at this point in her life she was glowing with happiness. Especially in that expensive suit. Lin Wan remembered her saying it had cost over five hundred yuan.
A whole year’s wages for an ordinary worker!
In her previous life, Lin Wan hadn’t paid attention to things like that. She’d simply thought that the Xie family doting on Lin Shuhua was only natural.
Only later had she learned that Lin Shuhua had always been competing with her—ever since their uncle and aunt were still alive. Later, when Lin Shuhua moved in with her family, Lin Wan’s Dad and Mom tried to placate her. Even when they bought socks, they had to get matching pairs and bring home an extra set.
But later, Lin Shuhua used that kindness against them, claiming that Lin Wan’s Dad and Mom had deliberately dressed them alike, deliberately made her look inferior to Lin Wan, and deliberately humiliated her!
“Lin Wan, what brings you here?” Lin Shuhua greeted her brightly. But a trace of disgust flashed in her eyes. Before Lin Wan could answer, she hurried over to Xie Yanzhou and asked, “Dad, what are you doing? Look at Yanzhou—his arm’s bleeding!”
Division Commander Xie was an officer in the Special Operations Brigade, and he had a lot of strength in his hands. With his fury behind that blow, he’d hit hard. Xie Yanzhou’s arm was swollen badly, and blood had seeped through his sleeve.
Lin Shuhua hurried to reach for Xie Yanzhou’s arm, her heart aching for him.
Lin Wan stood too and looked at Xie Yanzhou.
He moved out of her reach. “I’m fine, Sister-in-law. I was discussing marrying Lin Wan with Mom and Dad.”
Lin Wan thought, What a jerk. At least he knows to keep his distance!
“Getting married?!” Lin Shuhua’s voice turned noticeably shrill. “Why so suddenly?”
She looked at Lin Wan, but Lin Wan only glanced back at her impassively, then went to the cabinet by the wall and took out the medicine kit.
Lin Wan opened it and took out alcohol swabs and iodine solution. Then she turned and held out her hand to Xie Yanzhou…
“You’re hurt. Let me put some medicine on it,” Lin Wan said gently.
Xie Yanzhou raised an eyebrow, watching Lin Wan before him with an unreadable expression.
“Yanzhou, let Wanwan treat your wound,” Chen Yayun called to her son. Then she handed her grandson to Old Master. “All right, go on and soothe Xiaobao. Here, put the ruler down.”
The moment he saw his grandson, Division Commander Xie’s expression softened.
“What exactly happened? Mom, what did Yanzhou do wrong? If he doesn’t want to get married, then don’t make him. You… shouldn’t force him!” Lin Shuhua stood nearby, so distressed she was almost in tears.
“Sis, Brother Yanzhou and I are getting married. We stayed together at the guesthouse last night.” Xie Yanzhou hadn’t moved, so Lin Wan took his arm herself and began slowly rolling up his sleeve as she spoke.
Hearing Lin Wan say it so casually, Xie Yanzhou pressed his tongue against his cheek again and stared at her.
“So last night… Yanzhou, you went out to see Lin Wan?” Lin Shuhua exclaimed softly.
“Sis, Yanzhou and I are dating. Of course he came to see me. Would you be happy if he went to see someone else?” Lin Wan glanced at Lin Shuhua’s slightly pale face. She turned, picked up a cotton swab with tweezers, and paused. Then she looked at Xie Yanzhou and said, “Brother Yanzhou, this will hurt a little. Bear with it.”
“Mm, all right.” Xie Yanzhou watched Lin Wan at his ease as he answered.
“Lin Wan, you’re so clumsy. Let me do it.” Lin Shuhua reached toward Lin Wan.
Chen Yayun had just started to come over to help, but when she heard Lin Shuhua, she stopped and stayed where she was.
“Sis, men and women shouldn’t be so familiar with each other. Isn’t that what Dad always taught you?” Lin Wan said. Seeing Xie Yanzhou still standing there watching her, she grabbed his arm and pushed him down. “You’re too tall. Sit down so I can treat you.”
Xie Yanzhou obediently let her press him onto the sofa. Looking at the girl leaning close in front of him, he noticed the red marks on her neck and remembered how wild he’d been the night before. The tips of his ears suddenly grew warm, and he instinctively turned his eyes away.
Following Xie Yanzhou’s gaze, Lin Shuhua saw the half-hidden marks on Lin Wan’s neck and collarbone. She clenched her back teeth, her whole body tensing until she felt stiff.
“Shuhua, come with me to the kitchen and see what Wanwan brought from home. I hear it’s all food you used to like,” Chen Yayun said, patting Lin Shuhua, who stood in front of the sofa with a strange expression.
“Mom, I—I don’t feel well. I’m going upstairs to lie down for a while.” Before Chen Yayun could say anything else, Lin Shuhua turned and clattered upstairs in her little leather shoes.
Lin Wan bent over and continued cleaning Xie Yanzhou’s wound. From the corner of her eye, she saw Chen Yayun study her for a while before turning to leave.
“Ah…”
A faint hiss of pain.
Lin Wan knew she’d pressed too hard.
She’d done it on purpose!
The jerk’s wound was bad. The skin had been broken open by the blow, and dark purple blood kept seeping out. She wiped and wiped, but couldn’t get it clean.
“Did I hurt you?” Lin Wan looked up at Xie Yanzhou and asked.
His handsome face, so close to hers, made Lin Wan’s heart ache a little.
Lin Wan thought, If only Lin Shuhua hadn’t interfered; if only Dad hadn’t been investigated and Mom hadn’t gotten into trouble…
A quiet, bitter laugh rose in her heart.
Lin Wan mocked herself: How could there be so many “ifs”?