The two friends continued chatting and discussed their recent emotional states.
Su Banxia expressed her worries, “Shang Lu hasn’t given me a straightforward answer. Did he agree or not?”
“You mean he’s going abroad now?” Lin Qingya asked.
“He’s leaving for two months, a full two months during which he’ll be quite busy, and I won’t be able to see him in person,” Su Banxia said with some concern. “Experts have told me that his leg can’t be delayed any longer, and the longer we wait, the lower the chances of a full recovery.”
Lin Qingya comforted her, “Don’t worry, maybe he’s going abroad for treatment for his leg.”
Su Banxia replied, “It’s unlikely. Assistant Zhou said it’s work-related for his branch, and Shang Lu has to handle it personally.”
“Let’s not talk about this,” Su Banxia decided. She remembered that Lin Qingya had mentioned a mysterious boyfriend who had been pursuing her and asked, “What about you? When will you introduce your mysterious boyfriend to me?”
Lin Qingya hesitated for a moment and replied, “He’s been busy lately and has gone abroad.”
Su Banxia raised an eyebrow suspiciously, “Isn’t that quite a coincidence?”
Lin Qingya chuckled and quickly changed the subject, “You won the Flower God Cup first place. When are you treating me to a meal this week?”
Su Banxia thought for a moment and said, “I’m busy this weekend; I need to go home. How about next week?”
…
Several hours later.
A loud noise erupted as an airplane descended from the clouds, gliding gently to its designated location.
Several people disembarked from the plane. Xiang Lei pushed the luggage, while Zhou, the assistant, followed Shang Lu on his left, and Qi Jiashu, dressed in a vacation-like manner, walked on his right.
The group went through the VIP channel and boarded a car to their hotel.
As soon as Qi Jiashu entered the presidential suite, he tossed his coat onto the sofa, went to the bar, and poured two glasses of alcohol. He asked, “Shang Lu, care for a drink?”
Approaching Shang Lu, he happened to notice the chat interface that Shang Lu hadn’t closed and teased, “It’s only been a few hours since you separated, and Su Banxia already misses you.”
Shanglu pushed the glass aside and said, “I have work this afternoon.”
“You really have work? I thought it was just an excuse,” Qi Jiashu casually took a seat on the sofa and sipped his drink. He continued, “You didn’t tell Su Banxia that you came abroad for medical treatment?”
Shang Lu’s dark eyes remained cold as he replied, “No.”
Qi Jiashu waited for a moment and couldn’t help but say, “Can’t you say a few more words? Why didn’t you tell Su Banxia? Are you afraid she’ll worry and insist on coming with you?”
Over these days, he had come to understand how attached Su Banxia was to Shang Lu.
The newlyweds were inseparable, and Shang Lu, who was already not very sociable, never attended gatherings if he could avoid it. After marrying Su Banxia, he would obediently return home every day after work to have dinner with his wife.
Tsk tsk, the sight of the lovey-dovey couple made people’s stomachs churn, but he wouldn’t admit that he was jealous.
Shang Lu remained silent for a moment before saying, “There’s nothing certain, so there’s no need to create unnecessary waves.”
“True,” Qi Jiashu raised an eyebrow and continued, “Now that you’ve decided to treat your legs, if those people find out, who knows what tricks they might play.”
Shang Lu’s formidable power was terrifying not only in the business world but even among relatives and friends who might harbor dark thoughts, not wanting him to become a healthy person.
Qi Jiashu added, “I’ve made an appointment with Dr. Edward for tomorrow at ten in the morning. Don’t work too late today; maintain your physical condition.”
Shang Lu nodded slightly.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Assistant Zhou and Xiang Lei were deeply moved. It had been several years, and Mr. Shang was finally willing to regain his confidence and seek treatment for his legs. Miss Su had played an indispensable role in this. They hoped this journey would meet their expectations.
…
The weekend arrived.
Su Banxia returned to the Su family villa. Since she moved to the Shang family, she rarely came back, which felt somewhat inappropriate.
Perhaps it was because she didn’t want to be a bother. Su Mother seldom called her but sent her caring messages on WeChat, with the most frequent one being sending her money, fearing she might feel financially constrained.
As for Su Father, there was no difference between him and being dead. Since the last time she refused to grant Shang Lu more convenience in their cooperation, he hadn’t called her again. He even blocked her on WeChat. Out of sight, out of mind.
Upon returning to the villa, the housekeeper came out to welcome her with a smile and said, “Miss, you’re back.”
Su Banxia nodded and asked, “Where’s my mother?”
“Madam is resting upstairs,” the housekeeper replied while taking her bag. “Madam hasn’t been feeling well lately, Miss. If you have time, please accompany her to see a doctor.”
People often fear going to the hospital, and avoiding medical treatment is a common practice. Families like theirs would usually have a family doctor come over. For minor discomforts and illnesses, getting injections and taking medicine would suffice. But when someone feels unwell for a long time, they need to visit a major hospital for a check-up.
Su Banxia changed her shoes and headed upstairs. As she passed by Su Baiyang’s room, she heard the noisy sounds of playing video games and frowned.
She knocked on her mother’s door and said, “Mom, the housekeeper said you’re not feeling well?”
Su Mother was lying in bed, looking pale and not in great spirits. She seemed much older, with a few noticeable strands of white hair on her head.
“Banxia, you’re back,” her voice was hoarse.
Su Banxia felt a pang of heartache and sat down. “Mom, where do you feel uncomfortable?”
“It’s nothing,” Su Mother furrowed her brows. “Just some old ailments acting up. The doctor prescribed some medicine, and resting should do the trick.”
Su Banxia helped her mother sit up and persuaded her, “Medicine can be harmful if you take too much. How about I accompany you to the hospital tomorrow to get a check-up?”
In the past, Su Banxia rarely showed affection in front of her mother; she only knew how to demand things bluntly. When her mother heard her being so considerate and caring, tears welled up in her eyes. “Then don’t go back to your apartment tonight. Accompany Mom to the hospital tomorrow.”
During dinner time, Su Baiyang came downstairs wearing a baseball cap, looking like he was about to go out.
Su Mother called out to him, “Baoyang, it’s dinner time.”
“Mom, I made plans with friends for dinner tonight; I won’t eat at home,” Su Baiyang replied without turning back and hurriedly left.
Su Banxia stood by the villa’s French windows, looking outside. Several young men with disheveled appearances, riding motorcycles, were gathered outside, smoking and chatting. At one point, they glanced towards the villa.
She didn’t know what was said, but Su Baiyang also looked over, his face darkening.
Su Banxia furrowed her brow and thought that she needed to address Su Baiyang’s discipline more seriously to prevent him from ending up like in her previous life, dying from illness in prison.
At the dinner table, Su Banxia asked, “Where did Dad go?”
Su Mother forced a smile and replied, “Your father has been busy with work lately; he probably won’t be coming home tonight.”
Su Banxia responded with an indifferent “Oh,” not appearing too concerned, which relieved Su Mother.
Weekends at the hospital were particularly crowded. Su Banxia brought along Xiong Da and Xiong Er, instructing them to wait in line separately. In reality, unless you had access to a private hospital, you would have to wait in line like everyone else to see a doctor.
Even the wealthiest individuals became ordinary people when they came to the hospital, needing to heed the doctor’s advice.
After accompanying Su Mother through a series of examinations, Su Banxia’s complexion didn’t look good. From what she heard from the doctor, it seemed that Su Mother’s condition was not minor.
After waiting for a long time and receiving the diagnosis, she felt even worse.
The doctor had diagnosed Su Mother with a small benign tumor in her body, which was discovered early and could be surgically removed.
Supporting Su Mother as they prepared to leave the hospital, Su Banxia unfortunately saw her father and Mu Ruxue entering a hospital room together. Probably due to the hospital’s crowded conditions, neither her father nor Mu Ruxue noticed them, the mother and daughter.
Su Banxia sneered inwardly. Her father claimed to be busy with work, but it was likely that he was busy with his mistress. He hadn’t shown a trace of concern for his wife who had been ill for several days, yet he was here, accompanying his kept woman as if she were a pet dog.
Su Mother’s face was pale, and she grabbed Su Banxia’s hand, saying, “Banxia, why don’t we leave? Let’s go back home.”
Su Banxia hesitated. They were so close; hadn’t her mother seen them?
Back at home, after taking care of Su Mother and ensuring she took her medicine and rested, Su Banxia sat on the living room sofa, staring at Xiong Da and Xiong Er.
“You two, go and investigate again for me, find out what my father has been busy with these past few days,” she said with a meaningful tone. “I want clear evidence.”
Xiong Da and Xiong Er acknowledged her instructions.
After finishing dinner, she was about to go back to the apartment. Before leaving, she hesitated in her mother’s bedroom, wondering whether to come clean with her.
She was almost certain that her mother had seen her father in the hospital that afternoon, considering certain details. Perhaps her mother had known about her father’s affair for a while, but neither parent wanted their child to know about such a disgraceful matter, so they would put on a facade in front of their child.
Therefore, she was hesitating.
If her mother intended to keep lying to her, that wouldn’t do. Continuing like this, her father might end up giving the entire Su family to Mu Ruxue.
“Mom, I saw him at the hospital this afternoon,” Su Banxia spoke up.
Her mother’s face changed immediately. She asked, “Saw who?”
With a cold tone, Su Banxia said, “Who else could it be? The person who should have been with you. Mom, there’s no need to cover for him. I’ve known about his affair for a while now.”
She paused and continued, “I’ve been collecting evidence for months now. If you want to divorce him, I can contact a lawyer on my end and use illegal cohabitation as grounds to sue him and that woman.”
Her mother stared at her in shock. “Banxia…”
“In fact, you’ve known about his affair for a while and even let the other woman’s daughter into our home,” Su Banxia said straightforwardly.
“Have you been enduring all this time?” Su Banxia embraced her mother and said, “I feel sorry for you.”
Her mother instantly broke down, “Banxia, it’s Mom’s fault… it’s all Mom’s fault. Mom didn’t protect you properly.”
Su Banxia looked at her mother crying like a child, feeling a sharp and painful ache in her heart. “Mom, it’s not your fault. That damn scumbag is to blame.”
He wanted to use the daughter of a wealthy family with a successful career and secretly wished to have his so-called first love and pure white moonlight.
“Mom, from now on, it’s my turn to protect you.”
“Twenty years ago, I withdrew from the company, and all the shares are controlled by him. I only have you and Boyang,” her mother shook her head tearfully. “Your brother is not even eighteen yet, and if I don’t endure…”
The competition in business families is fierce, and at any moment, someone could become the discarded child, ready to be replaced.
“Mom, if you don’t want to endure it anymore, then don’t.” Su Banxia’s eyes turned red.
…
After leaving the Su family villa, Su Banxia called her lawyer.
Due to the complexity of high-society divorces involving business marriages, the divorce proceedings of aristocratic families can be complicated and troublesome. However, lawyers often enjoy taking on such high-paying divorce cases.
Su Banxia’s mother hadn’t agreed to the divorce yet, but she couldn’t afford not to prepare for the possibility of a difficult battle in the future.
…
Time passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, half a month had gone by. Business kept Shang Lu busy abroad, and they only managed to video call occasionally.
The video of her last performance in the Flower Deity Cup competition had been shared online, boosting her fame and attracting millions of fans.
As the casting for the upcoming major stage production “Moon Goddess’s Endowment” was approaching, discussions began on the academy’s forums. There were subtle posts hinting at someone’s appearance, never directly mentioning names, but upon investigation, it was clear they were subtly criticizing Mu Ruxue’s looks and suggesting that the second-place winner of the Flower Deity Cup had won due to dubious reasons.
This post caused quite a stir!
Mu Ruxue had gained a significant number of fans in the academy, and these subtle criticisms infuriated her supporters. The post aimed to mock the appearance of their beloved goddess, and it was quickly traced back to its source: Lin Qingya.
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