On the phone, all she could hear was Zhou Chenyu's breathy moans.
Lin Wanyi clenched her teeth tightly.
Liu Renzhi would never betray her. This had to be a misunderstanding.
He was such a principled man; he wouldn't do this.
The car quickly arrived at Nanny Wu's villa.
From a distance, Lin Wanyi spotted Liu Renzhi's car, still without a chauffeur.
She staggered out of the vehicle, and Nanny Wu was already standing at the door waiting for her.
"Lin Wanyi, you came faster than I expected. It seems you really care about Ren Zhi.
"Not surprising, really. Given your background, landing a man like Ren Zhi is rarer than winning the lottery.
"But let me tell you, the lottery isn't that easy to win, and Ren Zhi isn't so easy to reach.
"You're about to become a discarded pet.
"Follow me."
She turned and entered the house.
Lin Wanyi's feet felt as heavy as lead as she trudged after her, each step burdening her heart further.
Nanny Wu stopped in the living room and looked up the stairs.
"Lin Wanyi, can you hear that?
"Can you hear Ren Zhi and Chenyu making love?"
Lin Wanyi could hear it, even downstairs.
The man's heavy breathing, the woman's cries.
Those sounds seemed to pierce through her mind.
Her head throbbed with pain.
It couldn't be real—it simply couldn't be real.
But Nanny Wu had already started climbing the stairs.
"Come with me. I'll make you give up hope today.
"Lin Wanyi, you're a divorced woman with a child, a castoff. What makes you think you can compare to my pure daughter?
"It's ridiculous. Come, listen closely. Hear it well.
"Lin Wanyi, it's time to wake up from your dream."
Lin Wanyi finally stood before Zhou Chenyu's door.
Each passionate cry from inside was like a knife plunging into her heart over and over.
She hurt.
She hurt so much.
So much that she couldn't think, so much that she wanted to turn and flee.
Zhou Chenyu was still asking:
"Ren Zhi, who do you prefer? Do you like me or Lin Wanyi?
"Ren Zhi, this is my first time—can you feel it?
"Does it feel good? Am I better than that tramp Lin Wanyi?"
Liu Renzhi didn't answer her, but his breathing grew heavier and heavier.
Lin Wanyi staggered back several steps, completely shattered.
She wanted to leave. She wanted to escape.
She didn't want to see Liu Renzhi and Zhou Chenyu like this in front of her.
She had her pride. She had her dignity.
Even if Liu Renzhi had toyed with her and used her, she would just walk away. She would give him up. She would go back to living her own life alone.
She turned to go downstairs, but Nanny Wu blocked the staircase.
"Don't run, Lin Wanyi. Can't you handle this?
"Hahaha. I thought a divorced mother like you had no shame at all.
"It's this easy to scare you away? This is enough to break you?
"Let me tell you—since you're here, you're not leaving.
"You stay right here and wait until they're finished. I want you to see them together with your own eyes. I want to crush your absurd dream of becoming a wealthy wife.
"I want you to know—only my daughter is worthy of marrying Ren Zhi.
"None of you deserve it!"
The passionate sounds from behind the door came in waves, and a wide grin spread across Nanny Wu's face.
Lin Wanyi stared at that door as if it were an enemy.
Nanny Wu continued her mockery from behind.
"Lin Wanyi, did you think my thirty-five years as Ren Zhi's nanny meant nothing?
"Did you think I couldn't handle him?
"Once that door opens again, Liu Renzhi will have no choice but to be my son-in-law. He'll have to marry my daughter."
Lin Wanyi's nails dug into her own flesh as she turned furiously to face Nanny Wu.
"You drugged Ren Zhi, didn't you? What did you do to him?
"Did you give him something? What kind of drug?
"Old woman, your dirty tricks won't work. When Ren Zhi wakes up, he'll never forgive you."
"Ha!"
Nanny Wu was completely unfazed.
"So what if he wakes up? So what if he finds out I drugged him?
"I know him. He's too kind. Even if he knows I did it, he'll still take responsibility for Chenyu.
"After all, this is Chenyu's first time. I'm her one and only man.
"Lin Wanyi, you don't know him at all."
Lin Wanyi stumbled backward.
Nanny Wu was right.
What good would it do if he woke up?
Zhou Chenyu had already slept with him. They had been together.
What could Liu Renzhi do about it now?
The sounds from the room continued, and outside the door, Nanny Wu reached out and grabbed Lin Wanyi's clothes.
"Lin Wanyi, you lose. Completely and utterly.
"Do you admit it?"
Lin Wanyi kept stepping back. She had to go. She had to escape.
She couldn't stand here listening to Liu Renzhi and Zhou Chenyu's lovemaking anymore.
And she especially didn't want to see Liu Renzhi like this.
She pushed Nanny Wu aside and fled.
This time, Nanny Wu didn't stop her. Instead, she followed her downstairs, laughing at her frantic escape.
"Hahaha, Lin Wanyi, why are you running? Don't you want to stay for dinner with 'our family'?
"Don't you want to hear more details about Xiao Yu and Ren Zhi's night together?"
Lin Wanyi fled in panic, nearly stumbling on the stone path.
Her heart pounded so wildly it felt like it might burst from her chest.
She pressed her hand to her chest, leaning against the wall, gasping for air.
Finally, she slid down the wall and crouched on the ground, hugging herself.
Tears streamed down her face in silence.
How could this happen? How had it come to this?
Liu Renzhi had really betrayed her.
What was she supposed to do?
It had taken so much to convince herself to open up to a new relationship, to even decide to marry Liu Renzhi again.
Why had everything suddenly fallen apart?
Lin Wanyi crouched on the ground, unable to stand.
From a short distance away, Nanny Wu made another call—this time to Su Jing.
"Madam, Ren Zhi is at my villa. Please come over. I have something to discuss with you."
Su Jing frowned.
"What do we have to discuss?"
Su Jing's tone was cold, but Nanny Wu didn't care.
Soon, she would be Liu Renzhi's mother-in-law, his real family.
From then on, she and Su Jing would be equals. She would never have to grovel to Su Jing again.
Strictly speaking, she would even hold a higher position.
Zhou Chenyu was her own flesh and blood, while Liu Renzhi was only Su Jing's adopted son.
The more she thought about it, the happier she grew. Finally, she added:
"Madam, Lin Wanyi is here too. You should come quickly. I would love to see you."
"Wanyi?"
Su Jing realized the gravity of the situation.
She immediately hung up on Nanny Wu and tried calling Lin Wanyi.
Once. Twice. Three times. No answer.
Alarmed, she ordered her driver to take her to Nanny Wu's villa at once.
Throughout the ride, she was on edge. She had always been wary of Nanny Wu.
She had always known Nanny Wu wasn't what she seemed.
But she was afraid of hurting Liu Renzhi, so she had never confronted her directly.
Now, she was consumed with guilt. It seemed her good intentions had backfired terribly.
The driver sped through the streets, and Su Jing's gaze landed first on Lin Wanyi, crouched against the wall, tears streaming down her face.
She wasn't screaming. She wasn't hysterical.
She was just huddled in silence, trembling and crying.
But her stillness only made Su Jing's heart ache all the more.
Something major must have happened.
She stepped forward, crouched down, and hugged Lin Wanyi tightly.
"Wanyi, tell Auntie, what exactly happened."
