CHAPTER 82

Xiaoyuan finally remembered that she needed to inform Cai Juan, so she went to rummage through her coat.

After charging her phone, she found two types of medicine in her pocket, prescribed by the doctor she had seen last time—one to aid sleep and the other to regulate her mood.

It was incredible that, even in her semi-conscious state last night, she had managed to slip two packs of medicine into her pocket. Combined with the sleeping pills the doctor had prescribed her this morning, she could probably stay here for a month.

She scratched her head. How could she even have such a thought?

She quickly turned on her phone, skimmed through the missed calls and messages, and then sent a WeChat message to Cai Juan: [Don't worry, I'm at her place.]

She sat for a while, then got up and went to the walk-in closet to change out of her robe, opting for a loose-fitting long dress instead.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind—could Wei Zhuang have returned early because of her?

Was that even a possibility?

Wei Zhuang hadn't finished her glass of wine. She was sitting on the sofa in the small side hall. Usually, at this time, she would still be at the company, but now she suddenly found herself with nothing to do.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Xiaoyuan's clean, pale face peeking in. When their eyes met, Xiaoyuan quickly pulled back.

Two seconds later, she peeked out again to look at her. Wei Zhuang raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything, Xiaoyuan retreated once more.

Wei Zhuang: "..."

"Can I go to your media room to watch a movie?" Xiaoyuan's voice came from outside, though she wasn't visible. "I'll be careful with your collection."

Wei Zhuang didn't object, but she didn't get a chance to respond either. She listened carefully and realized Xiaoyuan had already made her way inside.

Wei Zhuang lowered her gaze.

Apart from the initial awkwardness and discomfort during their first meeting, Xiaoyuan wasn't afraid of her, nor did she reject her. She didn't try to probe or test her either, and she respected her privacy and boundaries, though she occasionally made some "requests."

In truth, the things she asked for—like "Frances, come here," "stay here for a few days," or "go to the media room to watch a movie"—could hardly be called requests.

In front of her, Xiaoyuan was very at ease, very free, and very innocent, showing no signs of scheming. Wei Zhuang knew that too many people were interested in her, and those who approached her had their motives. She no longer believed that there were people in the world who wanted nothing from her.

At first, when she saw that the contract stated she didn't need any resources or financial help, Wei Zhuang was skeptical, but later realized she was serious.

Wei Zhuang felt a subtle pang in her heart. Was it possible that all the achievements she had accumulated so far weren't enough to make Xiaoyuan want anything from her?

Xiaoyuan was the type who loved acting and had been well-protected by her family. She carried a hint of academic pride and a streak of stubbornness in her personality.

Wei Zhuang also didn't want her "contract partner" to be too much trouble.

She had never understood why she was drawn to Xiaoyuan. Her desires had always been faint, and she rarely felt interested in anyone.

The light fell from her profile to her shoulders, and her long, distinct eyelashes fluttered slightly.

She had attended private, elite schools since childhood, surrounded by peers from similar affluent backgrounds. Yet, even so, she had no companions and often kept to herself.

From a young age, she had suitors—both men and women—but she found it all bothersome and became even more reclusive. Aside from attending classes, she rarely interacted with outsiders.

The school offered many interesting courses: equestrianism, fencing, music, chess, and even martial arts. In her eyes, these courses were far more intriguing than so-called "romantic relationships." She never found them dull or boring. Gradually, rumors began to circulate behind her back at school, labeling her as unsociable and difficult to get along with.

Her father, who rarely saw her, criticized her for not understanding interpersonal relationships or the importance of building connections.

She was the "black sheep" of the family and was unwelcome wherever she went.

During her teenage years, she noticed that her father seemed to have many faces. He was always cold and distant toward her, yet in front of Wei Ting's mother, his second wife, he often smiled and spoke in a gentle tone. He was both strict and affectionate with Wei Ting.

Why was that?

After much contemplation, Wei Zhuang concluded that her father and his second wife shared a loving relationship, which was why he also loved Wei Ting.

Perhaps his dislike for her was because of her mother?

At the age of 12, she met her mother for the first time and spent a few short days with her. Later, she realized that she had merely been a tool for her mother to test a script.

After returning home, her mother never contacted her again. She felt like a wisp of smoke, suddenly appearing, and before she could grasp it, it had already drifted away.

For two years, she even wondered if it had all been a dream. She was so curious about who her mother was that she began to believe the legendary actress Zhu Ehua was her mother.

That must be it, she told herself, so there was no need to feel hurt about being "used as a tool."

It wasn't until she turned 15 that Zhu Ehua appeared before her again.

"You've grown taller. Do you want to come and spend a few days with me?" She still looked as beautiful as ever, dressed in a black cheongsam, her hair curled and draped over one shoulder, her crimson lips holding a cigarette.

It was a snowy day, outside the gates of their family villa. Snowflakes fell, melting into droplets on the white fur of her shawl.

When she appeared, Wei Zhuang suddenly felt a sharp, stabbing pain and had to close her eyes for a moment.

It wasn't a dream. What had happened when she was 12 was real.

"What new role have you taken on that requires my cooperation?" she said coldly.

Zhu Ehua stared at her, smiled with an "Oh dear," but didn't defend herself.

"I'm not interested in playing house with you." Wei Zhuang turned to leave, her back straight.

"Alright, if you change your mind, come find me at this address." Zhu Ehua sighed and smiled behind her, giving her an address.

Wei Zhuang walked inside without looking back.

The next day, and the day after that, she attended her classes as usual.

By the fourth day, that night, her father went out with her stepmother and Wei Ting, and she felt inexplicably anxious. Suddenly, she thought maybe she had misunderstood Zhu Ehua, she should at least hear her explanation. Perhaps the truth wasn't like that, or maybe she should clarify why her father hated her—was it because of her?

Why did they get married, and why did they separate? Why was she born? Why hadn't her mother fought for custody after the divorce?

She had too many questions, ones that had haunted her for fifteen years. She needed to get answers!

Wei Zhuang went out, took a taxi to the address she remembered after hearing it just once.

The doorman let her in after hearing her name.

It was a small Western-style house with a garden.

She walked in and sat in the living room, waiting for a while, but still, no one showed up. She had no choice but to go look for them herself, circling around the house.

Suddenly, she heard strange noises coming from one of the rooms.

As she approached, she discovered a man and a woman embracing, their lips locked together.

The woman was half-dressed, the man looked intoxicated, both their faces shining with the glimmer of deep passion, entangled and unable to part, sprawled on the carpet...

Wei Zhuang turned and ran.

She ran out of the hall, through the small garden, and didn't stop until she was far away. She leaned against a camphor tree by the roadside and vomited in disgust.

That woman was her mother, Zhu Ehua.

When she returned home, she walked in a daze, took the elevator, and only realized she had pressed the wrong floor after circling around. Just as she was about to turn back, she overheard a discussion in the study.

"Why are you so angry? The child doesn't even dare to speak in front of you." the soft voice belonged to Wei Ting's mother, Wei Zhuang's stepmother. She was a surgeon, could only be considered ordinary in appearance, but had a great temperament, with gentle crescent eyes when she smiled.

The Wei family was actually quite traditional. Most women who married into the family became full-time housewives, focusing on managing the household, raising children, and spending the rest of their time on beauty treatments, traveling, charity work, and socializing with other wealthy women.

Wei Ting's mother, however, had married into a wealthy family but insisted on working as a busy surgeon, often working overtime. As a result, Wei Zhuang had very little time to spend with her.

Later, Wei Zhuang thought that her father must have loved her deeply to support her so much.

"Wei Ting is my son, destined to take over my position. How could he say he wants to study medicine?" her father's voice was filled with anxiety. "The medical field is tough and doesn't earn much, does my son need to do such work?"

"I think supporting our child's dreams is a good thing. Besides, it doesn't necessarily have to be Wei Ting who takes over your position. Wei Zhuang could do it too."

"She's a girl. Marrying into a good family is enough. Taking over my position? That's just nonsense! With her terrible temper? No, Wei Ting cannot study medicine."

"She's your daughter too! I can't believe you still favor boys over girls!" The stepmother's tone was filled with reproach. "She's just a bit introverted. Think about it, she's only one year older than Wei Ting... At that time, we were in an undignified situation..."

"There's nothing undignified about it. You and I are truly in love. I had no feelings left for her mother. She said I was holding her back, not letting her act, and we fought every day. She wanted freedom, and I was so fed up with her. Then, somehow, Wei Zhuang came along."

"You did this yourself, and you still say 'somehow'?" Her stepmother's voice carried a hint of sarcasm. "Do you remember? Back then, you told me you were already divorced."

Her father chuckled awkwardly. "I signed a prenuptial agreement with her, it naturally takes time to get a divorce. It was a mess back then, but we had already separated and had no feelings left. Having a child was an accident."

Her stepmother snorted lightly. "I also signed an agreement with you."

"That's different. I signed the agreement with you to protect you. You know my parents didn't want you to work."

"Let's talk about what's really going on. What exactly did Wei Zhuang do to upset you?"

Her father fell silent for a moment, then said, "To be honest, when her mother was pregnant, I suspected the child might not be mine. It wasn't until after she was born that I secretly did a paternity test to confirm she was indeed my child..."

"You..." Stepmother was shocked.

Wei Zhuang's mind buzzed, the urge to vomit churning in her chest again. Her palms sweating, her legs felt weak.

"Sigh, this child is just like that. anyway, I won't treat her poorly, but I'm going to focus on raising Xiaoting as my successor..."

She couldn't listen anymore, slowly leaning against the wall, moving her feet step by step, stunned for a while, before running away.

She sat in her room for a long time.

On the table were a few entertainment magazines. She flipped through them and, sure enough, saw that face.

—Actress Lu Yue celebrated her boyfriend Xu Shumin's birthday.

Her expressionless gaze scanned a few lines, "Due to the popularity of the film 'XX', screenwriter Xu Shumin has gained fame. It is rumored that as long as one acts in his plays, they can win Best Actor and Best Actress... He and Best Actress Lu Yue have been in a passionate relationship for three years and are said to be getting married soon..."

Xu Shumin was the man Wei Zhuang had seen entangled with Zhu Ehua...

Wei Zhuang covered her mouth and ran to the bathroom to vomit again.

That night, at the age of 15, Wei Zhuang was forced to see, hear, and learn many things. She felt that these people were selfish and filthy, and their so-called love was disgusting.

BACK | TABLE OF CONTENTS | NEXT