When Yan Xixi saw Xu Xiaoya again, Xu Xiaoya had been discharged from the hospital and was temporarily staying in a chain hotel. The room was filled with smoke. Xu Xiaoya sat on the bed like an addict, wreathed in clouds of smoke. She had grown terribly thin, her skin clinging to her bones. Not a trace of her past charm and beauty remained; she had aged rapidly.
Upon seeing Yan Xixi, she exhaled a puff of smoke. The scent of cheap perfume diffused through the air, her features blurring. "Xixi, I’m starting work at a hair salon tomorrow..."
Going to the nightclub was no longer viable because her looks had faded. She had no choice but to lower herself to working at a salon.
Yan Xixi suddenly recalled the desperate women she had seen on the streets during her late-night escape from Wan Donglin’s Ecstasy Den. They had all once been beautiful and captivating, perhaps even the dream girls of countless young men. However, after years of decline, they resembled wandering spirits, their arms covered in bruises and needle marks. They had deteriorated completely, with no hope of ever recovering.
"I owe over 200,000 in debt. They call every day demanding their money. I have to work..." She no longer shed tears. Suddenly gripping Yan Xixi’s hand, her eyes filled with malice and desperation, she said, "Xixi, I want revenge. I want to kill Zhong Minghui. He won’t even return the money I used for the house. But I’m powerless against him... Xixi, I can’t accept this! I regret it so much my heart feels like it’s bleeding..."
"I heard they’ve already started decorating their new house and even set a wedding date. Zhong Minghui got a promotion and a company car... I hate it... Xixi, I hate it so much..."
A new house, a promotion, and a more respectable girlfriend – they were about to get married and live happily ever after. Yet, the one who was harmed didn’t even have the means to seek revenge.
"Xixi, I want to go to Zhong Minghui’s workplace and cause a scene. I want everyone to know his true colors..."
"Don’t go. You’ll only be at a disadvantage if you go alone."
Xu Xiaoya’s eyes widened. "I want to hire some people to beat Zhong Minghui until he’s crippled."
But she didn’t even have the money for that.
Yan Xixi was speechless. What was the point of blaming or complaining about Xu Xiaoya now? There’s no medicine for regret in this world. She simply handed her a card. "Xiaoya, take this for now." This text is hosted at novel_fіre.net
Xu Xiaoya’s eyes grew large. "Xixi, where did you get so much money? Isn’t your credit card limit only 30,000?"
Yan Xixi only smiled. "Take it. Get through this rough patch first."
She still hadn’t told Xu Xiaoya about her pregnancy, nor did she intend to.
Just as Yan Xixi walked into the living room, she saw Wan Donglin sitting on the sofa.
He was all smiles, a large pile of items spread out in front of him. "Xixi, where have you been? Come quickly and look at these. Do you like them?"
They were all things for a child: children’s clothes, little shoes, little hats, tiger-head toys... a dazzling array of everything one could imagine. "Xixi, see if anything is missing? We can go buy it together."
She looked at this large pile of things, unsure how to feel. Didn’t Wan Donglin say he would be back much later? Why was he home so soon?
He excitedly showed off a pair of tiger-head shoes. "Look, aren’t they lovely? HA HA! I never knew children’s things could be so pretty. I don’t know if it’ll be a little boy or a little girl, but never mind. These shoes can be worn by either, and they’ll look absolutely adorable..."
Then, looking at her complexion, he smiled. "Xixi, your color looks much better."
She sat down across from him and suddenly asked, "Mr. Wan, is the offer to open a boutique still on the table?"