It had been a year since Xu Qingqing had last seen any of the Lin family. Ever since she had made that spectacular scene at Lin Donghan and Bai Youlan's wedding, the Lin family had stopped mentioning her altogether, as if she were their sworn enemy.
Xu Qingqing had also given up on them completely, blocking all of them and cutting off contact.
Later, when Xie Lianqing told her about the Lin family being on the brink of bankruptcy, Xu Qingqing only gave an indifferent hum. In her eyes, this was the retribution the Lin family deserved. After all, in her past life, Lin Donghan had schemed against her, and after her death, the Lin family had even tried to swallow up the Xu family's assets, proving it was all premeditated.
As for the Lin family's intention in seeking her out now, Xu Qingqing could more or less guess. It was nothing more than relying on blood ties and family affection to beg for mercy, thinking she would soften.
It was exactly as she thought. The Lin family arrived in a hurry. Aunt Lin started, and the rest began chattering noisily.
"We finally found you, Qingqing! It's been so long. You have no idea how much your wonderful boyfriend has ruined our Lin family!"
"Your grandfather had a stroke recently from the shock. Your uncle was arrested for tax evasion. Now our Lin family is practically destroyed!"
"That's right, Qingqing. Even if we were wrong before, you shouldn't be so ruthless!"
...
The Lin family was agitated. The originally quiet cemetery became very lively, the sounds of their arguing and quarreling audible from afar.
Xu Qingqing frowned and said, "This is a cemetery. Please leave first."
What was the point of all this noisy clamor? Couldn't they have talked outside instead of causing a scene at her mother's graveside? Looking at these faces, Xu Qingqing's good mood from the past few days was completely ruined.
Since the Lin family's downfall, Aunt Lin hadn't been living comfortably. Now her words and actions were shrewish. The dignified air of a noblewoman she usually put on was long gone, and a few wrinkles had appeared on her face, making her look much older.
Upon hearing Xu Qingqing's words, she immediately became agitated. "Qingqing, you are also a granddaughter of our Lin family! We are all one family; even if the bone is broken, the tendons are still connected!"
She had no intention of leaving to talk. If they left, where else would she get such a good opportunity?
The Lin family's plan today was precisely to come and lament before Lin Jiangxue's tombstone, to make Xu Qingqing realize how cold-blooded and heartless her actions were, and to stir up guilt in her.
Xu Qingqing ignored the emotional Aunt Lin. Her gaze swept over the faces of the group. When Lin Donghan met her eyes, he involuntarily looked away. He had become much thinner, his suit no longer neat and tidy, devoid of the graceful demeanor of the Lin family's young master he once had.
Xu Qingqing glanced over him indifferently. Finally, her eyes met those of her grandmother. Staring at the elderly woman, she said, "Do you really want to talk about these things here? In front of my mother?"
She already knew how shameless the Lin family could be, but she hadn't expected them to sink even lower.
This was the place where her mother rested. Besides, many other deceased were buried here. In a place meant for the peace of the departed, the Lin family had brazenly barged in for their own selfish desires, making a loud and noisy scene.
Xu Qingqing had never despised these people more. Did the Lin family not even consider that they were now standing before the grave of their own relative?
Grandma Lin's lips moved as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
Finally, she sighed and said slowly, "Alright, Qingqing. We'll talk at the Xu residence later. I just hope this time, you won't avoid seeing us."
Xu Qingqing said coldly, "No need to go to the Xu residence. Wait for me at the foot of the hill."
She didn't think she had anything left to say to these people from the Lin family. The only reason she agreed to talk to her grandmother now was to avoid having them linger and continue pestering, disturbing her mother.
Hearing Xu Qingqing's merciless words, Grandma Lin looked somewhat embarrassed. She was already advanced in age, and with everything that had happened to the Lin family this past year, she had aged considerably.
She nodded and said, "We'll wait for you outside."
However, the other members of the Lin family misinterpreted the meaning behind Xu Qingqing's words. Seeing Xu Qingqing concede, they instead thought their words had taken effect.
They were unwilling to agree with Grandma Lin's suggestion, hesitating and reluctant to leave.
Meanwhile, Xie Lianqing had already walked over. He took Xu Qingqing's wrist and placed her behind him. Looking at the Lin family, he said in a calm voice, "Leave."
The Lin family had already experienced Xie Lianqing's methods and now felt somewhat sheepish, each shrinking their necks, not daring to cause further trouble.
Aunt Lin disliked Xie Lianqing the most. If it weren't for him, she would still be a wealthy lady of the Lin family, and her husband wouldn't have been arrested.
So she stiffened her neck, looking directly at Xu Qingqing, and said, "Qingqing, are you just going to stand by and watch him chase us away like this?"
Xu Qingqing frowned. "What else? Should I close my eyes?" She was truly fed up with these people.
Aunt Lin was choked by her retort. Grandma Lin sighed and admonished, "Enough. If Qingqing says to talk outside, then we'll go out and wait."
She had already seen clearly that the Lin family's current situation held no future. It was just that these people, accustomed to luxury and wealth, refused to accept it and dragged her here for this trip.
Grandma Lin glanced at the photo of her daughter on the tombstone, her heart aching. It was all her fault. She had been foolish back then, leading step by step to this point.
Grandma Lin shook her head and was the first to turn and walk out. In the past, no one paid much attention to Grandma Lin's words, but now that the family was in ruins, the Lin family members instead treated her words as commands. Everyone followed behind, dragging their feet as they walked out.
As Aunt Lin passed by Xie Lianqing, her anger got the better of her, and she couldn't help muttering to Xu Qingqing, "Qingqing, think carefully. If Jiangxue knew about this from beyond the grave, you wouldn't want to admit in front of her that your fiancé persecuted her family and destroyed the Lin family's legacy, would you?"
Xu Qingqing stared at her and said coldly, "The Lin family's legacy wasn't destroyed by Xie Lianqing. It was destroyed by you lot, a bunch of useless, selfish, short-sighted scoundrels."
All the Lin family members halted their steps, glaring at her angrily.
Xu Qingqing pulled Xie Lianqing's hand away and stepped out from behind him. Her gaze unwavering, she said, "Even if my mother blames me, I have a clear conscience."
Moreover, she also believed her mother wouldn't resent her because of these people.
Grandma Lin's body trembled slightly, but she said nothing.
Just then, footsteps from another person sounded in the cemetery. Xu Changshan walked over, holding a bouquet of flowers. "What are you all doing?!"
He waved the bouquet in his hand. "This is Jiangxue's resting place. Get out of here..."
The Lin family naturally had no fondness for this former son-in-law. Aunt Lin said with a sarcastic tone, "Well, look who it is. The one who abandoned our Jiangxue, now here to play the devoted lover!"
Although Xu Qingqing also couldn't stand Aunt Lin, this remark actually resonated with her. If the situation weren't so inappropriate, she might have applauded.
Xu Changshan was so angry his hand trembled as he pointed at Aunt Lin. "You... you're being unreasonable!"
But the commotion wasn't over yet. Bai Yaxiu actually followed him over: "Changshan! I knew you'd come see this wretched woman again! Donghan, come help me talk some sense into him..."
"Lin Donghan, don't you dare go! What gives her the right to pull the mother-in-law card with you!"
"Mom." Lin Donghan took a deep breath, preparing to dissuade his parents, when he suddenly received a phone call.
He glanced at the quarreling group, took his phone, and stepped away to the other side: "She's awake? Tell me, how could the person just disappear..."
"Who disappeared?" Aunt Lin, in the midst of the argument, asked offhandedly. Before Lin Donghan could reply, she had already resumed her dispute with Xu Changshan and Bai Yaxiu.
The other members of the Lin family were also on the sidelines, making sarcastic, mocking remarks about Xu Changshan. In their eyes, if Xu Changshan hadn't had an affair and gotten involved with this Bai Yaxiu, they wouldn't have been connected to Bai Youlan, nor would they have alienated Xu Qingqing and been targeted by Xie Lianqing, leading to their bankruptcy.
Xu Changshan, for his part, looked down on the Lin family with utter contempt. These people were clearly Xu Qingqing's maternal relatives, Jiang Xue's family, yet for the sake of a little profit, they had helped Bai Yaxiu and Bai Youlan scheme against Xu Qingqing.
So, seeing their enemies, their eyes blazed with hatred, and everyone was arguing fiercely.
The cemetery was in chaos. Xu Qingqing watched this crowd, utterly speechless. While Xu Changshan, Bai Yaxiu, and the Lin family were arguing intensely, Xu Qingqing found herself with little to do.
She simply exchanged a look with Xie Lianqing, and the two of them left these emotionally charged people behind, heading down the mountain together.
On the way down from the memorial park, Xu Qingqing asked, "Do you think it could be that Bai Youlan has woken up?"
Xie Lianqing didn't know about this either, so they decided to inquire about it later when they returned.
However, just as they reached the foot of the mountain, Xu Qingqing saw a car charging straight towards her from a distance. Through the transparent car window was Bai Youlan's face, gripping the steering wheel, twisted with malice.
Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing hurriedly dodged. But after Bai Youlan slammed on the brakes and stopped, she actually turned the car around and charged at Xu Qingqing again.
With a loud "BANG," everyone froze.
Xu Qingqing stared blankly at Bai Youlan inside the car window. The other woman was still wearing a hospital gown, a trail of blood running down her cheek.
At the critical moment of Bai Youlan's second attempt to ram into them, it was Ye Zhao, sitting in another car, who first sensed something was wrong. He grabbed the driver's steering wheel, reversed the car, and the rear of his vehicle forcefully collided with the side of Bai Youlan's car, stopping her next move.
...
In the end, Bai Youlan was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. The resuscitation was successful, but she remained unconscious. However, due to the dashcam footage and surveillance, she would be charged with attempted murder upon her discharge from the hospital.
Lin Donghan came to see Xu Qingqing once. He looked haggard, with stubble on his face, probably intending to beg Xu Qingqing for a letter of forgiveness. In the end, he waited for several days without being able to meet her.
After that, he never came again.
