Tang Yinya finally understood.
And Xia Liuyue was kind enough to explain:
"Even if you hadn't come today to witness the scene of my divorce from Du Jiashu, the Tang family would still be lingering on, barely surviving."
"You... you..." Tang Yinya felt so angry her heart ached, clutching her chest, she said, "How can there be such a wicked woman like you? You'll get your retribution."
Xia Liuyue smiled lightly and playfully hooked Yan Hechuan's palm.
She raised their clasped hands right in front of Tang Yinya, saying:
"Yes, my retribution is leaving my scumbag ex-husband."
"And, as a bonus, gaining such a handsome and reliable 'good buddy'. Thank you, Tang Yinya."
This word of thanks was more heart-wrenching than any insult.
Gnashing her teeth, Tang Yinya watched the two walk away, filled with nothing but regret.
...
Assistant Chen was driving in the front seat and asked, "President Yan, where shall we go next?"
Yan Hechuan was still holding Xia Liuyue's hand tightly, unwilling to let go, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned as he said:
"Listen to Yueyue."
A partition separated the front and back spaces, leaving only a small gap.
So, Xia Liuyue boldly leaned forward and pecked his lips.
Yan Hechuan shuddered, quickly wrapping his arms around her waist, wanting to turn the tables and take the lead.
Assistant Chen in the front seat remained completely unaware, hands on the steering wheel, respectfully asking:
"Miss Xia, where shall we go next?"
Xia Liuyue didn't answer.
She just mischievously nibbled on Yan Hechuan's earlobe.
Flustered and shy, he let out a soft 'ah' from his mouth.
Assistant Chen in the front was so embarrassed he practically wanted to close his eyes. Oh no! Could it be the boss is kissing in the back seat?
Then he should have just pretended to be mute and not asked anything.
A professional assistant, not knowing the boss's destination, should just drive around the city, cover every elevated road.
Stop only when the boss says to stop.
The temperature of their breaths gradually rose.
Just when Yan Hechuan was most captivated and unable to resist, Xia Liuyue, acting like a heartless woman who flees after intimacy, pushed his head away.
She called out loudly to Assistant Chen:
"Let's go to Maple Leaf Mansion."
Yan Hechuan, feeling a little wronged just moments before, was stunned upon hearing the destination.
He repeated softly, "Maple Leaf Mansion? What are we going there for?"
Maple Leaf Mansion was a temporary villa for hosting overseas Chinese businessmen returning from Maple Leaf Country.
Could it be...
As Yan Hechuan was thinking this, he heard Xia Liuyue's voice rise.
Her tone carried a touch of domineering air.
"Now that my troubles are settled, it's time to deal with the person who made you unhappy."
Yan Hechuan felt a surge of emotion in his heart, somewhat at a loss for words: "..."
So, were they going to find Tina Li?
Even as the car arrived and Xia Liuyue led Yan Hechuan into the villa with familiar ease, he was still a bit dazed.
Sitting in the villa's living room was a man in his sixties with graying hair.
He was Tina Li's third husband, also the so-called overseas Chinese businessman from Maple Leaf Country she often mentioned.
"Little Yue, long time no see." The man showed a gentle smile upon seeing Xia Liuyue.
Yan Hechuan was shocked. "You know each other?"
Xia Liuyue smiled and pulled him to sit on the sofa, introducing him to the man:
"Uncle Cheng, this is Yan Hechuan, the former stepson of Li Xiaohong—oh, that is, Tina Li."
"He's my good friend."
Yan Hechuan pressed his lips together, thinking to himself: I wish I were her boyfriend.
This wealthy businessman surnamed Cheng was a distant relative on Xia Liuyue's mother's side; tracing back several generations, they shared the same ancestors.
If it weren't for investigating Tina Li's so-called Maple Leaf Country husband, they wouldn't have discovered such a coincidence.
He was truly the kind of elder who had held Xia Liuyue when she was a child.
Cheng Shi nodded.
"I know all about the matter now. We'll handle it when she returns."
Tina Li had just finished a round of shopping at the mall and was in an excellent mood. Carrying large and small shopping bags, she stepped into the villa only to find the atmosphere strangely tense.
Upon reaching the main hall, she discovered why Xia Liuyue and her stepson were both here?
Moreover, her husband was treating them with gentle friendliness.
Immediately putting down her shopping bags, she wailed and cried out:
"Darling! How could you let them in? You have no idea, last time this woman slapped me twice."
"It's fine if they look down on me—after all, I'm just an ordinary woman—but darling, they don't take you seriously at all either."
Xia Liuyue felt the once quiet living room suddenly become much noisier.
Her ears were filled with Tina Li's cries of 'Darling', 'Darling'.
Cheng Shi didn't say a word, just flung the investigation report right in front of Tina Li.
He had been busy with his career all his life and had no children. Feeling lonely in his later years, he adopted a son and a daughter from an orphanage.
Tina Li showed them utmost care and concern in front of him, but behind his back, she secretly abused them.
What Yan Hechuan experienced as a child was no accident; Tina Li had never stopped her cruel behavior.
"What... what is this... I don't understand." Tina Li denied outright after seeing the first page of the report.
Cheng Shi looked at her sternly, saying:
"If I hadn't been fooled by your pretense back then, seeing how well you got along with the children and how much they liked you, I wouldn't have married you."
The Chinese community in Maple Leaf Country was quite small, and Tina Li had maintained a good facade outwardly.
She presented herself as a wealthy widow who had lost her husband, passionate about charity, treating orphanage children as her own.
Cheng Shi had been deceived by this illusion initially.
If Xia Liuyue hadn't found him and revealed that Tina Li had been abusing her stepson since long ago,
he wouldn't have sent people to investigate and discovered that his own adopted children were also living in misery.
Tina Li still wanted to argue.
"This is all slander! You know I've always treated them as my own children."
Yan Hechuan, who had been silent until now, couldn't help but let out a derisive laugh at these words.
"You used to say the same thing to my father."
"'Treating me as your own,' but what did you do? You abused me when he wasn't around, locked me in the basement. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten sick."
Another copy of Yan Hechuan's medical diagnosis report was thrown in front of Tina Li.
She turned a deaf ear.
As if by not responding, the evil deeds she had committed had never happened.
Xia Liuyue slowly raised her eyes, looking at her with a smile:
"Ms. Tina Li, as far as I know, you obtained Maple Leaf Country citizenship long ago. This time you returned to the country on a tourist visa, correct?"
Tina Li trembled. "What do you mean?"
Xia Liuyue smiled particularly sweetly and innocently, explaining very kindly:
"Once your tourist visa expires, you must be forcibly returned to Maple Leaf Country. And according to Maple Leaf Country's laws, 'the crime of abuse' is punishable by imprisonment of 2 to 7 years."
"If the act constitutes intentional injury, it faces 3 to 10 years of imprisonment." (Novel setting)
Xia Liuyue thoughtfully added, "It seems our next meeting will have to be in a Maple Leaf Country prison."
