PWE – Chapter 126 Her words might fool a fool.

Mr. Qiu furrowed his brows and stepped forward, slapping Qiu Haiyang across the face. “You idiot! What are you doing?!”

Seeing her son hit, Mrs. Qiu felt a twinge of concern, but at the same time, she didn’t approve of her son’s behavior.

Her expression turned slightly stern as she stepped forward to pull her son aside. “Haiyang, Ms. Xiao is a guest. Don’t be so disrespectful. You need to be polite to guests, or your father and I won’t let you off!”

“Mom…” Qiu Haiyang tried to speak, but Mrs. Qiu glared at him. “Enough! Shut your mouth! If you don’t want to be kicked out, you’d better stay on the side quietly and stop talking!”

Qiu Haiyang fell silent.

He looked at his mother, then at his father, catching his father’s warning glance. He clenched his fingers, realizing that if he caused more trouble, his father would really get angry.

And when his father got angry, the consequences were severe.

So…

He lowered his eyes slightly and said softly, “I understand.”

Mrs. Qiu patted his shoulder, signaling him to step aside, then took Xiao Wange and Zhaozhao over to the sofa to sit down.

While instructing the housekeeper to bring out some fruit and snacks, she said to Xiao Wange, “Ms. Xiao, my son can be so immature sometimes. Please be generous and don’t hold it against him.”

Xiao Wange smiled faintly.

She glanced at Qiu Haiyang, then turned to Mrs. Qiu. “Mrs. Qiu, please don’t worry. I won’t hold it against him. After all, he’s my husband’s comrade. And if he’s my husband’s comrade, then he’s my friend.”

Hearing this, Qiu Haiyang instinctively raised his head.

He looked at Xiao Wange with a heavy gaze. She considered him a friend? If she really saw him as a friend, yesterday’s incident wouldn’t have escalated to the military!

Her words might fool a fool, but they couldn’t fool him.

However, Mr. and Mrs. Qiu both smiled at her words.

Mrs. Qiu said, “Thank you, Ms. Xiao. You truly are a person with a generous heart, a rare good person.”

Qiu Haiyang frowned tightly. He wanted to ask his mother, “Are you serious?” but the words got stuck in his throat.

Xiao Wange smiled but didn’t respond further.

The housekeeper brought out some washed fruit.

Mrs. Qiu handed an apple to Zhaozhao. “Here, little one, have an apple. You’re such a cute child, just like a figure in a New Year painting.”

Zhaozhao politely smiled as he took the apple. “Thank you, grandma.”

Hearing Zhaozhao’s childish voice, Mrs. Qiu’s heart melted. She couldn’t help but pat his head, her face full of kindness. “Good boy.”

Xiao Wange glanced at her own son, her eyebrows slightly moving, and a gentle smile curved her lips. “Zhaozhao is a very obedient and well-behaved child. Earlier, I nearly listened to someone else’s suggestion and sold him. That person, to get at me, wanted to sell Zhaozhao to human traffickers and even cursed him with magical insects. Fortunately, I know how to dispel those curses. Otherwise, Zhaozhao would be dead by now.”

Hearing this, Qiu Haiyang’s heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.

Though he didn’t know about Xiao Wange and Caixuan’s past, his intuition told him that the person Xiao Wange mentioned… was Caixuan.

Mr. and Mrs. Qiu’s expressions darkened.

Mr. Qiu asked, “Who is so cruel that they wouldn’t even spare a child?”

Mrs. Qiu also asked, “Yes, who is so wicked that they would try to sell such an adorable child to traffickers and curse him?”

Qiu Haiyang pressed his lips together and shifted in his seat, wanting to stop Xiao Wange from speaking.

But she continued.

Xiao Wange said, “It was my neighbor. There’s a girl named Bai Caixuan living next door. She likes my husband. In order to take him away, she did all of those things.”

She paused, glanced at Qiu Haiyang, and continued, “Bai Caixuan is also your high school classmate, right, Comrade Qiu? I heard you like her very much. A few days ago, you even got her out of prison. To rescue a criminal from prison—that shows your feelings must be very deep, right?”

Qiu Haiyang: “…”

His breathing hitched, his heart suddenly racing.

He quickly looked at his parents. Their expressions were extremely grave.

Mr. Qiu slammed his hand on the tea table, shouting angrily, “Qiu Haiyang! That Bai Caixuan actually went to prison?! And you got her out? How did you manage that? Did you use your mother and me as leverage?”

Though he had received a call from the military yesterday, it hadn’t mentioned that his son had rescued Bai Caixuan from prison. Perhaps the military didn’t even know.

He had assumed his son merely caused trouble at Xiao Wange’s house to support Bai Caixuan. But unexpectedly, his son had actually rescued her from prison.

If his son had used Mr. and Mrs. Qiu’s names, they could be accused of abusing power. If someone from above investigated, it would be irrefutable.

He frowned deeply, almost wanting to slap his son.

Mrs. Qiu also sternly demanded, “Speak! Did you use your father and me as leverage?”

Qiu Haiyang looked at his parents’ severe expressions and swallowed hard, feeling his heart race even faster.

He took a deep breath and lowered his eyes. “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. When I rescued Caixuan earlier, I really…”

“Idiot!” Mr. Qiu grabbed a teacup from the table and threw it at Qiu Haiyang with force.

Qiu Haiyang instinctively dodged slightly. The cup grazed his shoulder as it flew past.

The cup hit the floor with a “clink,” startling Zhaozhao, who froze mid-bite.

Seeing this, Mr. Qiu calmed himself and spoke kindly to Zhaozhao, “Sorry, child, I didn’t mean to scare you. Here, have a candy to calm you down.”

He picked up a piece of candy from the table and handed it to Zhaozhao.

Zhaozhao took it and smiled sweetly. “Thank you~”

Mr. Qiu couldn’t help but pat his little head, thinking, Such a well-behaved child…

But knowing that such an innocent child had been cursed and nearly sold by Bai Caixuan filled him with even more anger.

He turned to glare at Qiu Haiyang. “Have you lost your mind? Doing all this for that Bai Caixuan! Do you know the consequences if what you did using our names gets exposed? Do you know how many eyes are on my position? And you just handed them the evidence yourself? Are you trying to get us in trouble?”

Qiu Haiyang: “…”

At the time, he hadn’t thought so much. He only wanted to rescue Caixuan. Once she was out, thinking about the consequences seemed meaningless.

He had assumed it could be kept secret because he had asked for confidentiality when seeking connections. But unexpectedly…

“You’ve really done poorly this time! But it’s that Bai Caixuan’s fault! Back in school, she caused you trouble, and now she’s doing it again… no, she’s trying to harm our family, to harm your father and me! That woman, she’s a disaster, an absolute disaster!”

Mrs. Qiu said angrily. The thought that she and her husband might be held accountable by Bai Caixuan made her even more furious.

She wanted to storm over to Bai Caixuan’s house and give her a severe beating.

“Mom, it’s not Caixuan’s fault. It’s mine. I was the one who rescued her. Don’t blame her, blame me,” Qiu Haiyang quickly said. He didn’t want his parents to resent Caixuan.

Although he knew he could never be with Caixuan in this life, he didn’t want her to suffer. He only wanted her to be happy and safe.

Xiao Wange looked at Qiu Haiyang and lightly smiled. “Comrade Qiu, you’re very devoted. But no matter how devoted you are, she won’t reciprocate. She will only use you, only call on you when she needs help.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? When has she ever used me? Xiao Wange, don’t talk nonsense! Caixuan is kind-hearted. She would never use me, she…”

“You fool! You’re still counting money for someone who sold you!” Mrs. Qiu smacked Qiu Haiyang on the forehead, exasperated.

“Mom, I…”

“She sent you the message to come rescue her, didn’t she? Otherwise, being far away in the military, how could you have known she was imprisoned? She deliberately sent you the message, deliberately had you rescue her. And you can’t even see that you’re being used? Comrade Qiu, sometimes your brain really is…”

Xiao Wange said with a meaningful smile, clearly implying: Qiu Haiyang, you’re such a fool!

Qiu Haiyang clenched his teeth. He didn’t believe Caixuan was using him. She trusted him—that’s why she sent the message for him to rescue her.

He was glad she trusted him and thought of him when she needed help.

“I really want to strangle you, you idiot! In high school, she used you and you almost got expelled. Now she’s using you again, and you even used our names to rescue her from prison! Qiu Haiyang, can you ever use your brain?!”

Mr. Qiu was nearly furious. His son was usually clever, but with Caixuan involved, he turned into a fool.

“Dad, Caixuan really…”

“Don’t tell me she’s really kind! If she were truly kind, she wouldn’t curse a child or try to sell him! Anyone who does such things to a child is nothing but a venomous woman!” Mrs. Qiu said each word sharply, her hatred for Xiao Wange reaching its peak.

“Mom, Caixuan only did all this because Xiao Wange forced her, because Xiao Wange…”

“Slap!” Before he could finish, his father slapped him hard across the face.

Mr. Qiu stormed up and hit him, shouting angrily, “Have you lost your mind? Making excuses for her! Qiu Haiyang, I tell you, this isn’t over for me or Bai Caixuan! I can still put her back in prison! Someone like her doesn’t belong outside—only a cell is suitable!”

“Dad, what are you saying? You’re going to put Caixuan…”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m sending her back to prison! That’s where she belongs!” Mr. Qiu said through gritted teeth, then turned toward the door to carry out his plan.

Qiu Haiyang’s pupils constricted.

He rushed in front of his father, reaching out to stop him. “Dad, you can’t do this! You can’t! Caixuan has already suffered enough. She just got out. You can’t send her back…”

“Get out of my way!” Mr. Qiu shoved him violently.

Qiu Haiyang, being a soldier with a strong physique from intense training, didn’t budge.

Mr. Qiu’s face flushed with rage.

He glared at Qiu Haiyang and bellowed, “Qiu Haiyang, if you dare stop me again, get out! Get out of the Qiu family! Once you’re out, you’re no longer my son! But that’s fine—you’ll finally be free. Free to be with Bai Caixuan!”

“Dad…”

“Go! Get out of the Qiu family and be with Bai Caixuan!” Mr. Qiu’s words hit like a thousand-pound hammer, each one crushing into Qiu Haiyang’s heart.