Chapter 58: Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger
Lu Xunye frowned. Just as he steadied his footing, he heard a violent quarrel erupt ahead.
“Are you crazy?!” A middle-aged man rushed over, shoving the woman aside and helping up the woman on the ground, whose messy hair couldn’t hide her delicate features.
Turning his head, the man scolded her harshly, “I’ve put up with your tantrums usually, but I just greeted Little Wei when I went out. Did you have to blow it out of proportion? How will Little Wei face people in the future? Our son is getting married next week, and you insist on embarrassing the whole family right at New Year’s? How can the wedding proceed!”
As he spoke, he realized that the surrounding neighbors were not criticizing his famously shrewish wife as usual, but were staring at him with bizarre gazes.
His pupils trembled. The woman beside him also had eyes full of resentment. Realizing something was wrong, he quickly let go of Little Wei’s hand and stepped aside.
Stepping on an explicit photo on the ground, his face turned as black as ink.
He immediately realized something was wrong and looked up at his wife. “Listen to me…”
Before he could finish, the woman pounced on him, hitting and cursing. “You like pretty ones, right? If I don’t beat you crippled today, I’ll be letting down my reputation!”
As the words fell, several scratch marks appeared on the man’s face.
“I let you steal the family’s money to keep a mistress! I thought your business failed, and to help you make a comeback, I even sold the house my parents left me. And this is how you treat me?!”
Someone in the crowd handed over a broom. The woman paused, then grabbed it and started thrashing the adulterous couple. For a moment, wails and scurrying ensued.
“I didn’t know the reputation you crafted for me was so good before! You act like a modest gentleman all day long, making me the only shrew. After playing the bad cop for so many years, you really think you’re a good person!”
The more the woman spoke, the more agitated she became, her emotions peaking until her eyes were bloodshot. “Don’t forget how you took that money back then, that Shen family…”
“Li Qiulian!” The man’s face panicked for a second, his eyes filling with hostility. He raised his voice as if warning her, and the woman realized her slip, immediately shutting her mouth.
“Little Sheng, come here quick, your parents are fighting!” A cry came from the crowd. The silently confronting couple and Little Wei, who was feigning the weak victim while clutching her swollen face, all looked over.
An ordinary-looking boy appeared at the alley entrance holding a girl’s hand. Both were startled by the scene.
Seeing her son, Li Qiulian seemed to see her backbone. The despair and anger of betrayal instantly turned into tenderness for her son, hoping he would uphold justice for her.
The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were moistened by tears. She looked eagerly at her son walking towards her against the light, clutching the broom tightly, and called out softly, “Little Sheng.”
When Little Sheng got close, she spoke urgently, “Little Sheng, your dad and this vixenâ”
“Mom!”
The boy called Little Sheng slapped the broom out of her hand, shouting with a frown of displeasure.
“Can you stop making trouble! Dad and Auntie Wei are just neighbors with a good relationship. Have you forgotten how Auntie Wei took care of me when I was young? You can’t be so unconscionable!”
ăHey? This violent temper of mine!ă The System jumped down from Lu Xunyeâs shoulder, about to fly over, but was steadied by Lu Xunye grabbing the white ball on its head.
Lu Xunye reminded it: ăWatch yourself. Playing with lightning last time was one thing, but do you really want someone to catch us for research?ă
The System put its hands on its hips: ăHmph!ă
“You always suspect my dad is involved with this one or sleeping with that one. Don’t you think about how old my dad is? Does he have the energy? Every time I see him unable to sleep day and night just to appease your emotions, I feel so wronged on his behalf.”
As Little Sheng spoke, the fierce expression was replaced by helplessness. He gripped Li Qiulianâs arms irresistibly and pleaded.
“I beg you, Mom. If you’re sick, let’s treat it early. We will all accompany you. Stop being so suspicious, okay?”
Sentence after sentence struck Li Qiulian like thunderbolts from a clear sky. Her face remained blank for a long time before she came back to her senses, her lips trembling. “You, you, you actually say Mom has mental illness?”
In the crowd, Lu Xunyeâs tightly clenched fists cracked, silently cursing. His chest heaved unsteadily. Shen Yunqianâs hand covered his, shaking his head at him.
“Exactly.” The middle-aged man scanned the dawning realization on the surrounding faces, rejoicing in his heart. He also put on a grief-stricken expression and chimed in, “Qiulian, if you’re sick, let’s treat it. Don’t be afraid; our son and I will stay by your side.”
“I say, Little Sheng, your mom threw out the photos. This can’t be faked, right? Who would Photoshop bed photos of their husband and another woman for no reason?” Someone who enjoyed watching the drama stirred the pot.
Li Qiulian was like someone walking for days under the scorching sun in a desert seeing an oasis. She responded hurriedly, eager for validation, “Right! I’m not sick at all.”
Little Sheng glanced at her, then at the injuries on Auntie Wei and the man behind him. His girlfriend, who had come home with him for the New Year, was currently supporting the disheveled woman.
Little Sheng turned back to look at his mother, who had become the target of public criticism. Gritting his teeth, he steeled his heart: “To tell you the truth, everyone, my mom has schizophrenia. She always imagines my dad is with other people. You all know my dad changes jobs frequently; it’s because my mom uses these methods to ruin them.”
“Not only that,” he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a hideous, terrifying scald scar, “this is what my mom did with hot water when she went crazy. I really don’t know how my mom became like this. Her possessiveness is too terrifying. She probably did this to ruin my wedding.”
Everyone looked at each other, their certain expressions wavering. Li Qiulian wanted to say that this was clearly from when he was naughty as a child and knocked over the kettle while the adults were away.
But her most beloved son suddenly knelt down, interrupting what she was about to say, screaming hoarsely: “Mom! I beg you, go to the hospital. Don’t give up on treatment.”
“So it’s mental illness.” The neighbors listened and wished they could retreat ten miles. “Little Sheng, hurry up and take your mom to the mental hospital. It wouldn’t be good if she hurt someone.”
Facing Li Qiulian, who looked like a lunatic, the four of them seemed like the real family. This heartwarming scene pierced Li Qiulian’s eyes cruelly.
Finally, she opened her mouth, her eyes turning gray and defeated. She allowed herself to be forcibly taken away by her son, looking like her soul had left her body.
The bench in the residential area glowed softly under the streetlamp.
“You’ve been unhappy all day. Can you tell me why?”
A hand placed itself over Lu Xunyeâs clenched fist. Lu Xunye froze, barely relaxing his grip. “I just don’t understand.”
Shen Yunqian didn’t speak, waiting for him to continue.
Orange light passed through the gaps in his fingers. Lu Xunye raised his hand and grasped at the air, catching nothing. It wasn’t until the silvery-white moonlight spilled across the ground that he spoke slowly, “Why?”
He didn’t clarify, but Shen Yunqian understood his unfinished question. “Interests.”
Lu Xunye slowly turned his head to look at him. Shen Yunqian repeated, “Because of their own interests.”
Because of interests, one could deceive, betray, and abandon. The dream of a loving mother and filial son was shattered; the lie of marital harmony was punctured.
Interests… what a tempting word. Full of the captivating smell of copper coins, yet mixed with suffocation.
Lu Xunye had almost forgotten that he had also approached Shen Yunqian with interests in mind, treating him as a paper person and breaking the peaceful life that originally belonged to him.
But that was all based on the premise that the other party was an illusory character.
Because he wouldn’t be hurt, there were no scruples.
But now, no matter what, he couldn’t convince himself that the young man before him was a paper person controlled by a script without emotions.
He was disgusted by betrayal on one hand; on the other, he approached with intent, planning to pull away once the mission was complete.
But successful conquest meant developing feelings. Then this so-called “paper person” was vivid, a tangible, real person.
This contradicted the view he had held for so long. It was too absurd.
Lu Xunye didn’t dare look at the sincerity and concern in the other’s eyes right now. He tightened his fingers, escaping in a base and shameless manner.
When he went home and took off his coat, he found a corner of red exposed in the inner pocket.
Taking it out, it was a red packet containing two thousand four hundred yuan, tied with a red string.
There was also a note: Peace and smoothness. A Q-version drawing of a little person served as the signature, just like the one he treasured in his cabinet.
A unique… first… New Year’s red packet… belonging to Lu Xunye. It came from a “fake” person, within this woven dream.
Two days later.
Haishi Mental Hospital.
A nurse ran anxiously through the corridor. “Have you seen the patient from Bed 3?”
“No, but she looked in pretty good spirits to me.”
“Good spirits my foot. It’s all an act to avoid electrotherapy. They know how to cause trouble all day long, giving me a nervous breakdown. I don’t know where she ran off to this time.”
“Then find her quickly. I heard the Director is coming to check the beds later.”
“Huh? It’s almost nine p.m. What’s he coming here for? Ugh, forget it, I’ll go check the surveillance room immediately. Let me know in advance if the Director comes. I’ll treat you to bubble tea tomorrow.”
“OK.”
On the first floor, in a stairwell no one paid attention to, a dark shadow was huddled in the corner shadows. There was no light here, only the sound of breathing trying its best to be quiet.
Li Qiulian hugged her legs, her back pressed tight against the wall, her whole body trembling somatically.
Blue and purple bruises crisscrossed her exposed forearms. Her hair was frizzy and dry, and her blue-and-white striped hospital gown was filthy.
Her eyes stared fixedly at the figures occasionally passing outside the door, trying to find a chance to rush out. The injuries on her body were left from beatings after she was caught escaping previously.
Usually, the lights outside should be off by this time, but today’s wait felt exceptionally long.
Just as she was drowning in despair within the boundless darkness, the stairwell door opened silently.
Light spilled in. She trembled even more violently. A hand with well-defined joints reached out before her eyes.
“Long time no see, Auntie Li.”
This address… excitement burst from Li Qiulian’s eyes. Her heart leaped into her throat. She grabbed the other person’s pant leg like a lifesaving straw, screaming silently: Save… save me…
“The son you raised with such bitterness became the sharp knife that stabbed you. Want to know why?”
The low tone tore apart the mask of indifference Li Qiulian had been trying to maintain.
No one could remain indifferent to betrayal by their closest kin. Her heart was in turmoil. Documents were thrown onto her, scattering before her eyesâtwo paternity tests and a stack of photos.
She stared crazily at the test results. The white paper crumpled in her grip showed that Little Sheng had no blood relation to her, but was the biological son of that vixen.
The photos showed another strange yet familiar young faceâcandid shots of a delicate-looking boy studying and working part-time.
Although Li Qiulian had never seen this boy, looking at the photo, a sense of closeness rose within her for no reason.
“Im-impossible.” Li Qiulian denied it immediately. She looked up vigilantly and demanded, “Who are you?!”
The young man took off his mask. Meeting Li Qiulian’s terrified eyes, he bent his eyes in a smile instead.
“Interested in making a trade?”
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