Lin Wanyi naturally had no objections to going to Liu Renzhi's resort.
Chen Hui and Lin Jiajun had even fewer objections.
Chen Hui was the happiest:
"Sis, I know that resort. It's super expensive. My old client said one night at the hotel costs a few thousand.
"I guess I'm getting a free ride, but I need to be sure first—we won't have to pay anything, right?
"Because there's no way I can afford that."
With Chen Hui's question, Lin Wanyi wasn't sure either.
She hesitated:
"Probably... no need to pay."
"No way,"
Chen Hui was cautious:
"I have to ask Siyue about it. I don't want to end up there and get told to scan a QR code. I can't bear to spend that kind of money."
Straightforward Chen Hui actually sent Liu Siyue a message:
"Yueyue, let me ask you something. Is it free for us to go to the resort? I'm being honest with you—if we have to pay, we won't come.
"It's too expensive, you know. We can't afford it."
The Liu family was having dinner, and when Liu Siyue played the voice message, everyone at the table heard it.
Su Jing's face darkened, and Liu Jiannan put down his chopsticks.
They both stared at Liu Renzhi.
Liu Renzhi had no idea what he'd done wrong, but he quickly put down his chopsticks too:
"Dad, Mom, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
Su Jing's tone was stern:
"You don't even see what you messed up?"
Liu Renzhi was utterly confused:
"Mom, I was just eating. I didn't do anything. What did I do wrong?"
Liu Jiannan couldn't stand it:
"Idiot. Your mom's angry because you did nothing."
"Huh?"
Liu Renzhi still didn't get it, but Liu Siyue caught on first:
"Bro, you really don't understand? Mom probably means you should have given Wanyi sister some money.
"Otherwise, why would they be worried about the resort's cost?"
Su Jing gave Liu Siyue a thumbs-up in approval:
"As expected, Yueyue's the smart one."
After praising her, she turned back to scold Liu Renzhi:
"Now that you're officially dating Wanyi, as a man and a child of the Liu family, you can't be stingy.
"What are you keeping all that money for? Can you spend it all by yourself?
"Sooner or later, it's all going to your wife and kids anyway. Money hoarder."
Liu Renzhi took the scolding in stride.
He immediately stood up:
"You're right, Mom. That was thoughtless of me. I didn't consider it.
"I'll go see Wanyi right now. You all keep eating."
He turned and left. Su Jing and Liu Jiannan didn't stop him.
In fact, Su Jing added:
"Hurry up and apologize. Forget about the meal."
Liu Renzhi got to the door but stopped and came back to face Su Jing:
"Mom, the money I earn isn't just for my wife and kids—it's also for you, Dad, and Siyue.
"Mom, you're my real mom. My one and only mom."
Liu Renzhi left, and Su Jing cried.
She sobbed loudly, burying her face in the dining table.
It wasn't sadness or grief.
It was joy, it was gratitude, it was the feeling that everything she'd done had meaning.
She hadn't raised this son in vain.
Lin Wanyi had finished washing up, changed into her pajamas, and was about to sleep when she heard a car outside the window.
She thought Jiajun was picking up a client this late, so she leaned out to tell him to be careful—but then she saw it was Liu Renzhi getting out of the car.
What was he doing here so late?
Lin Wanyi hurried downstairs:
"Renzhi, why are you here at this hour?"
Liu Renzhi pulled a bank card out of his pocket and handed it to Lin Wanyi:
"This is my supplementary card. No limit. Spend whatever you want."
Lin Wanyi didn’t take it. She didn’t understand:
“You came all the way here this late just to give me this?”
Liu Renzhi nodded: “Yeah, just to give you this. Actually, I should have given it to you a long time ago, but I kept forgetting.”
Lin Wanyi refused:
“I have my own money and salary. I can cover the daily expenses for myself and Keke. I don’t need your money.”
Liu Renzhi looked pitiful. He stuffed the card into the pocket of Lin Wanyi’s pajamas:
“Just take it. If you don’t, my mom will kill me.
“You have no idea—when she found out I hadn’t given you any money, she almost ate me alive.”
“Huh?”
Lin Wanyi let out a laugh:
“Auntie Su is really siding with an outsider.”
“What outsider? You’re family now, not an outsider.”
That one sentence made Lin Wanyi’s face turn red again. She punched Liu Renzhi lightly:
“You’re thirty-five. Don’t talk so slick.”
Liu Renzhi looked even more aggrieved: “Are you calling me old?”
“Of course not. I’m thirty myself.”
Lin Wanyi laughed as she spoke:
“Alright, thanks for bringing the card. Don’t worry, I won’t use it unless there’s a special reason.”
The two of them were lost in affectionate banter. Watching from inside the house, Lin Jiajun nudged Chen Hui:
“It must have been your message that let Brother Liu overhear. Honestly, you.”
Chen Hui grinned, showing no sign of regret:
“It wasn’t wrong for me to ask. After all, that place is way too expensive.
“If we went there and couldn’t pay, that would be even more awkward.”
……
Wang Hao hadn’t been able to sleep well the past couple of days. His new job was going fine, but without a woman around, he felt restless.
Liu Chunlan kept calling him every few days, either demanding he send money home or come back himself.
Eventually, Wang Hao stopped answering her calls.
Liu Chunlan started texting him, saying that if he didn’t send money soon, she’d come find him in person.
Wang Hao was sick of it. He thought back to the ads he’d seen in the public restroom.
He had taken photos of them with his phone, just in case.
Now, tossing and turning in bed, he pictured Lin Wanyi probably lying beneath Liu Renzhi at that moment, and it made his blood boil.
Fine, just fine.
If Lin Wanyi could find a man, then he could find a woman too.
In the end, he contacted a prostitute.
During the encounter, no matter how hard the woman tried, he felt nothing but emptiness.
Why?
Her technique was better than Lin Wanyi’s, she was younger, and she knew better how to please him.
But still, he missed Lin Wanyi. Why?
He finished quickly and lay in bed, smoking in a daze.
He had a business trip the next day. He forced himself to sleep.
He needed to work hard. With money came women.
He had never doubted that.
At dawn, Lin Wanyi started packing.
Wang Keke was so excited—it was her first time going on a trip.
She tossed her doll into the suitcase: “Mom, can I bring this?”
“Of course. You can bring anything you want.
“Your uncle will drive us there.”
Wang Keke clapped her hands and went back to packing her little dresses.
Chen Hui was also packing, but only her own things. Lin Jiajun asked her:
“What about me, honey? Aren’t you packing my stuff?”
Chen Hui rolled her eyes at him:
“Don’t you have to work, Jiajun? You’ve barely been at your new job for a month, and you want to take time off?
“And for a vacation? That’s ridiculous.”
Let me tell you, you need to work diligently to be worthy of Brother Liu’s trust, understand?
Though Lin Jiajun was a bit disappointed, he could understand Chen Hui’s words.
It probably wasn’t a good idea to ask for leave right after starting the job.
They had just finished packing up their things when Wang Hao came knocking on the door again.
