RGL – Chapter 181

Su Min stared blankly at the elderly neighbor.

The old lady chuckled and said, “Yes, that woman seems to be pregnant. She said she’s going back to her hometown to rest and take care of the baby. Honestly, I’ve never seen a husband so considerate—he really treats her well. That girl looks quite young, but her temper isn’t great.”

Su Min asked, “Auntie, do you know what that woman’s name is?”

The old lady laughed. “Of course I do. That man is always calling her Wenwen.”

Su Min: “……”

After leaving the place where Zhou Wu lived, Su Min immediately called Liao Zhaodi.

“Zhaodi, your brother-in-law has disappeared. His company has shut down, and he moved out of his place. And… he’s really with Su Wenwen now. I heard she’s already pregnant.”

“How could they do this?!”

Liao Zhaodi sounded extremely agitated over the phone.

She hadn’t expected her brother-in-law to do something like this at such a critical time. She didn’t even dare to imagine what would happen if her sister found out about this situation now.

“Thank you, Su Min. Don’t worry about this anymore. I’ll find a way to handle it myself.”

Liao Zhaodi wiped away her tears.

Su Min sighed inwardly. Hearing the pain in Zhaodi’s voice, she said, “Don’t worry. If you’re short on money, just let me know. Let’s get through this rough patch first. Everything else can be dealt with later. Especially when it comes to your sister—how do you plan to tell her about your brother-in-law?”

“I’ll find the right time to talk to her.” Liao Zhaodi was overwhelmed with worry.

After hanging up, Su Min also felt unsettled.

She thought she had already changed the fates of many people. At the very least, Zhaodi was living a better life than before. Things were supposed to keep heading in a good direction. She hadn’t expected all of this to happen midway.

Zhaodi’s sister had already had so much, and now she had lost it all in an instant. It was as if fate was dragging her back to where she had once knelt in despair.

And then there was Su Wenwen. In her previous life, she had also been the other woman—and the scandal of her pregnancy had come out too.

Now she was once again a mistress, pregnant with Zhou Wu’s child.

What Su Min didn’t know was whether they had truly gone back to the county town or not.

“Don’t worry about these things anymore. Liao Zhaodi’s sister managed to build her own business in the South. She’s not someone who’s easily defeated. Something like this won’t break her. If they need financial help, you can step in and support them a bit. Just don’t let these things affect your own state of mind.”

“That’s not it. I just feel uneasy. Why would Su Wenwen end up with Zhou Wu? Is it really just a coincidence? Or… is it because of me? Because I’m close to Zhaodi, and the only one around her that Su Wenwen could target was Zhou Wu.”

Su Min thought about it for a long time and kept coming back to the same conclusion. Otherwise, there were so many men in the world—and plenty of rich men in City B—why pick Zhou Wu of all people? In her eyes, Zhou Wu wasn’t particularly rich or handsome. There was no reason Su Wenwen would be interested in him.

Xue Mian pinched her nose playfully and smiled. “Why are you worrying so much about this? You don’t need to. No matter why Su Wenwen approached Zhou Wu, she couldn’t have forced him to be with her. So the biggest problem still lies with Zhou Wu himself. Otherwise, why wouldn’t Su Wenwen come after me?”

As he spoke, he even raised his eyebrows proudly.

Su Min couldn’t help but laugh at his words, her gloom suddenly lifting. “You’re really flattering yourself. Why would she be interested in you?”

“Of course she would! Don’t you remember what happened back in junior high?”

“Nope,” Su Min shook her head on purpose. “But I do remember getting dragged into trouble a lot because of someone. I was treated as a rival in love by Su Wenwen and even got kicked out of that class because she used her grandfather’s connections.”

“What rival in love? That was the only time in her life she wasn’t completely wrong about someone. And now look—you’re mine.”

“Don’t be so smug. Who says I’m yours?” Su Min rolled her eyes at him with a smile. She knew Xue Mian was only saying all this to cheer her up.

Xue Mian sighed, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. “Alright, don’t be upset anymore. No matter what happens, I’ll take care of it. Don’t overestimate Su Wenwen. Remember, she’s always been the one to lose to you.”

“That’s true,” Su Min said, finally feeling more at ease. Yes, Su Wenwen had always been the one to lose. She never got the upper hand and only ended up sabotaging herself again and again.

What was there to be afraid of? Whatever comes, she’ll handle it. When Zhaodi needs help, she’ll lend a hand—and they’ll get through this.

After dropping Su Min off at home, Xue Mian returned to his office. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“Xue Mian, you actually called me?” a hearty laugh came from the other end of the line.

“Cut the crap. I need something.” Xue Mian leaned back in his chair, a serious expression on his face. “Didn’t you say you had a friend with a background in private investigation? Introduce me. I need someone for a job.”

Hearing the seriousness in his tone, the person on the other end changed his tone as well. “What’s going on? Someone mess with you?”

“No. You know this person too,” Xue Mian smirked. “It’s Liao Zhaodi.”

“Her?” the person sounded surprised.

“Yeah.” Xue Mian briefly explained the situation and added at the end, “Keep this quiet for now. Investigate discreetly. Just as a precaution. You know how cornered dogs can jump over walls—I’m worried that crazy woman might do something dangerous.”

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me,” the man said seriously before hanging up.

Xue Mian set down the phone and rubbed his temples. Hearing the seriousness in his friend’s voice, he suddenly wondered—could he be about to play matchmaker?

Meanwhile, there was no news from Liao Zhaodi down south.

Su Min tried calling her twice, but no one picked up. Thinking that Zhaodi had two sisters over there who could help her if something happened, she didn’t call again.

Even Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang noticed that their daughter seemed busy and preoccupied with something. Not wanting to be a burden, they decided to buy tickets and head back home early.

“I thought you were going to stay a few more days. Why leave now?” Su Min asked at dinner when she heard they had already bought tickets. She immediately objected.

Su Changrong sipped his wine and smiled, “Your mother and I came here mainly to see how things are between you and Xue Mian. He seems like a good man—we’re at ease now.”

Sun Qiufang nodded and said, “Exactly. Xue Mian is a good kid. Just because he treats you well doesn’t mean you can bully him. If you do, I won’t let it slide. Minzi, you have to cherish your blessings—don’t be like those young people nowadays, changing partners all the time.”

Su Min had originally planned to persuade them to stay a few more days, but the topic unexpectedly turned to this, making her a little embarrassed. Her face flushed red. “Mom, why are you talking about this? When have I ever bullied him?”

“It’s good if you haven’t. Anyway, Old Master Xue has already talked to me and your dad. After you graduate, you two should get married. Although we haven’t officially agreed to it, your dad and I discussed it in private. We feel that it’s better to settle things early. After all, your career is here, and if you two settle down early, we won’t have to worry about you being alone.”

This time, Su Changrong didn’t chime in. Though he had said similar things before, saying them directly in front of his daughter… he couldn’t bring himself to do it. This was his only daughter—how could he just hand her over to that brat so easily? The more he thought about it, the more upset he felt.

So he simply lowered his head and kept drinking his wine.

In any case, whether he agreed or not, the matter was more or less settled.

Who told that brat to sweet-talk and win over his daughter?

Su Min tightened her grip on the chopsticks. Xue Mian had indeed mentioned getting married after graduation before. She had no objections. After experiencing two lifetimes, she no longer had the desire to pursue some romantic whirlwind love like other young people.

She preferred a suitable love—two people being well-matched, mutually affectionate, and then marrying and spending their lives together.

Now, she and Xue Mian were getting more and more compatible. The only thing she felt a bit off about was Xue Mian’s mother. She sighed and said, “His mother isn’t easy to get along with.”

There was nothing to hide in front of her own parents.

“Hmph, we don’t need to bother with her. Just a snob who looks down on others. She doesn’t even treat her own mother-in-law well, so why should anyone respect her?” Sun Qiufang said, clearly disapproving.

“Besides, your Grandpa Xue already said it—you and Xue Mian will live on your own in the future. You don’t need to live with them. I think that’s great. You’re our only child. We didn’t ask you to live with us, and they can’t force you to live with them. Since you won’t be living together, what kind of person his mother is doesn’t have much to do with you.”

“Alright, alright, it’s still early. You talk like she’s getting married tomorrow,” Su Changrong muttered, clearly reluctant to continue this topic.

Sun Qiufang and Su Min noticed what he was thinking and didn’t say anything more—just exchanged a knowing smile.

Because the conversation had taken a turn, Su Min didn’t get a chance to persuade them to stay longer even by the end of dinner.

The next morning, after breakfast, the two were already carrying their bags and ready to head to the station.

At the station, Su Min pouted, “Why are you leaving in such a hurry?”

“We have to. There’s work to take care of at home. There’s also a lot going on at Rongfang Supermarket, and your dad has to keep an eye on it. Once you graduate, we’ll hand all these things over to you. Your dad and I already discussed it—once we’re free of responsibilities, we’ll travel around. We’ll spend half the year here and half the year back home. That way, we won’t miss you too much.”

“Mom…” Su Min’s eyes welled up with tears, and she couldn’t help but reach out to hug Sun Qiufang. Her parents were always thinking of her.

Su Min felt that the greatest blessing she had gained after her rebirth was the love and care of her parents, which she had never experienced before.

Watching the train disappear into the distance, Su Min sniffled and turned to leave the station.

She thought, once she graduated and her job was stable, she would definitely go home often to visit her parents. After all, transportation would only become more and more convenient. It would be easy to travel back and forth within a day.

Liao Zhaodi didn’t return to City B until three days after Su Changrong and Sun Qiufang had left.

When Su Min saw her haggard face at the office, she was extremely shocked.

“Zhaodi, did you finish handling things over there?”

Liao Zhaodi looked very worn out. “My second sister sold the house over there, and also the factory’s land, and used it all to pay off the debts.”

Everything was liquidated—meaning she now had nothing left.

Su Min hadn’t expected Liao Zhaodi’s second sister to choose such a path. “I told you I had the funds to help.”

“My second sister was quite anxious at first, but after I told her about my brother-in-law and Su Wenwen, she became very calm. She spent the night alone and started selling everything the next morning. She didn’t cry, didn’t make a fuss, and didn’t go looking for my brother-in-law. After everything was sold, she took what was left and rented a place over there.”

As she spoke, Liao Zhaodi’s lips trembled. “My eldest sister and brother-in-law don’t talk to her anymore. My eldest sister thinks her husband’s injury was caused by the factory.”

She never expected things to turn out this way. Not only did her second brother-in-law betray her sister, but even her eldest sister blamed her second sister. This was clearly an accident. Her brother-in-law was hurt, and everyone was upset. Her second sister had paid compensation too, but her eldest sister still held a grudge.

Thinking about how close the three sisters used to be—how many times her second sister had argued with their father for the sake of her eldest sister, how much hardship she’d endured—her eldest sister used to treat her and the second sister very well too. But now that they all had their own families, things had changed.

They were no longer each other’s most important people.

“Is your second sister still planning to stay in the same line of work?”

“Probably not. She said there isn’t enough capital now. Plus, all the technical knowledge was with her husband. Now that he’s gone and the old craftsmen can’t be hired without money, the factory can’t run. She’s planning to look into other industries.”

“Zhaodi, your brother-in-law will definitely regret this. Your second sister is a capable woman. After going through something like this, she’ll only become stronger in the future.”

Su Min said sincerely. To stay this clear-headed after such a major blow showed her second sister had a strong heart and resilience—something Su Min knew she herself couldn’t match.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t been close to Zhaodi in her previous life, so she didn’t know what direction her second sister would eventually take.

In any case, the matter was more or less resolved now. It had reached its conclusion.

Though Zhaodi still felt down, she no longer worried constantly like before. She just kept in occasional contact with her second sister to check in.

This summer break, neither Su Min nor Liao Zhaodi had a peaceful time.

Over in Jiangcheng, things weren’t smooth for Zhou Wu either.

He had come all the way from City B to Jiangcheng for Su Wenwen, but nothing was going the way he had imagined. He had thought everything would be fine once he got here and could settle down with Wenwen, but clearly, that wasn’t happening.

“Wenwen, can we delay starting the factory for a bit? I don’t have much money on hand right now, and I don’t understand these processes,” Zhou Wu said helplessly, looking at Su Wenwen.

Ever since coming to Jiangcheng from City B, his relationship with Su Wenwen had started to change.

She used to be more considerate, but lately, her temper had gotten worse. Especially these days—she kept urging him to open a factory and hold a wedding banquet at the biggest hotel in Jiangcheng.

But he couldn’t manage either of those things.

He could handle running a small company, but setting up a whole factory? He didn’t understand the procedures at all. In the past, it was all done by Laidi—he never had to worry about it. Now that he had no support, he couldn’t manage. And he wasn’t familiar with Jiangcheng yet. He needed time to get his bearings.

As for getting married—that was even more out of the question.

He knew what kind of temper Laidi had. If she ever found out he was seeing someone else, the consequences would be dire.

Hearing this, Su Wenwen instantly got upset. “So everything you said before about giving me a good life—was all a lie?”

As she spoke, she shook off Zhou Wu’s hand and plopped onto the couch, not caring at all about her pregnant belly. It scared Zhou Wu half to death.

“Wenwen, don’t worry. I’ll definitely give you a good life.”

“What good life? You can’t even give me a proper title now. When are you going to divorce that Liao Laidi?” Su Wenwen glared at him.