Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: Never Come Back Again

The thunderous crash echoed through the door, reaching the ears of Su Wanning and Luo Qian, who had been waiting outside. The two women exchanged a glance and rushed into the room.

"Honey!"
"Dad!"

Luo Qian looked Su Guoxing up and down with nervous concern, her voice trembling as she asked, "Honey, what happened? I heard a huge crash from outside. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

As soon as Su Wanning entered, she saw the shattered glass on the floor and Su Wanqing lying among the shards. Seeing the clear slap mark on Wanqing's face and the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, a flash of malicious satisfaction crossed Wanning’s eyes.

Lifting her skirt, she carefully stepped over the glass and stood beside her parents. Pointing at Su Wanqing, she chided, "Su Wanqing, what is wrong with you? You haven't even been home for ten minutes and you’ve already made Dad this angry! I’ve lived with Dad for over twenty years, and I’ve never seen him this furious!"

"Honestly, I’m speechless. It’s one thing to have no class, but your emotional intelligence is rock bottom. You upset Yan Chen this morning, and now you’ve upset Dad this evening. What on earth are you doing every single day? It’s been five years since you came from the countryside to Haicheng, right? How can you still be this stupid?"

She stamped her feet as if lamenting Wanqing’s lack of potential, then quickly turned to soothe Su Guoxing, her small hands gently stroking his chest. "Dad, don't be angry. Let’s not stoop to her level."

Luo Qian also cast a glance at Su Wanqing on the floor. She had never liked this daughter of Su Guoxing’s ex-wife. Seeing the blood on the girl's mouth, a flicker of disgust crossed her eyes, and she barked at the servants:

"Auntie Liu, Mother Wang, where have you two died off to? Get in here and sweep this trash out! Honestly, none of you have any sense; it's infuriating to watch!"

Su Wanqing’s ears were ringing. The left side of her face felt numb, as if it had been blurred out. She tried to move, but even the slightest effort to part her lips sent a sharp pain through her face, forcing a hiss from her throat.

But the pain in her heart was far worse than the pain on her face. She looked back to see Su Wanning, Su Guoxing, and Luo Qian standing together—a scene as harmonious and family-like as she had always imagined.

Though Su Guoxing was pot-bellied, his custom-tailored suit made him look like a successful businessman. Beside him, Luo Qian wore a dress that, while less flashy than Wanning’s, was clearly a high-end Chanel piece—the same style worn by popular celebrities—and was worth a small fortune. She leaned softly against Su Guoxing, looking fragile and worthy of pity just by standing there.

As for Su Wanning, there was no need to even mention her.

A sharp sting in her hand brought Su Wanqing back to reality. She realized her hand was pressed against a shard of the broken teacup. Her palm was bleeding profusely, and her plain white dress was soaked through with tea. She gave a helpless, bitter smile; she was truly... a pathetic sight.

In the end, it was Auntie Liu who helped her up. Seeing the injury, the maid hurried to find a bandage for her. While her wounds were being tended to, Su Guoxing sat coldly in his place, legs crossed, eyes narrowed. Luo Qian and Su Wanning sat opposite her, looking quite pleased with themselves.

Luo Qian examined her daughter carefully and, noticing her neck was bare, took off her own necklace and fastened it around Su Wanning’s throat. She smiled tenderly, "There, even more beautiful. You’ll definitely stun Mr. Xie so much he won’t be able to look away later!"

Su Wanning’s face flushed red. "Mom, what are you saying! Yan Chen and I... we still have a long way to go." She shot an unintentional glance at Su Wanqing.

Luo Qian understood and gave a cold snort. "What are you afraid of? Didn't they say they're going to file for divorce tomorrow? Once Mr. Xie is divorced, you can walk into that family in a wedding dress, and I’d like to see who dares to say a word."

When the Su and Xie families had held their wedding, they had invited many guests, but because it was a traditional Chinese ceremony, the bride had never revealed her face. After Su Wanqing married into the family, Xie Yanchen had never taken her to public events. Apart from a few close friends and elite families, the two were essentially in a "hidden marriage."

Luo Qian had already planned it out: they would claim the previous ceremony was just a traditional formality, and that she wanted to host a Western-style wedding for her daughter. By letting Su Wanning reveal her face as she married into the Xie family, the problem would be easily solved. As for the acquaintances who knew the truth, with Xie Yanchen’s power, who would dare to speak out?

Su Wanqing listened to their conversation in silence. Once her wound was bandaged, she stood up to leave.

Just then, Su Guoxing spoke again, "Once the divorce is finalized, go back to the countryside. Do not ever come back."

Su Wanqing’s footsteps faltered. She turned back, staring in disbelief at the face that resembled her own by sixty percent, and said with a trembling voice, "What did you say?!"

Seeing the shock in her eyes, Su Guoxing’s stern expression softened slightly, but he persisted:

"I said, once you divorce Mr. Xie, go back to where you came from, or you can settle down in another city. I will give you enough money to live comfortably, but the condition is that you are never to return."

"Why?" Su Wanqing’s voice was hoarse.

"Although not many people know you are Mr. Xie’s ex-wife, some do. Besides, as long as you stay in Haicheng, you will always be a liability. I don't want Wanning’s future life to be tarnished by any rumors or gossip."

He paused for a moment before adding, "Or do you want to study? I can arrange for you to attend a school abroad. You can get a degree, and I’ll arrange for you to marry someone so your future will be secure."

Su Wanqing understood perfectly. Every word Su Guoxing spoke was for the sake of Su Wanning. He was afraid that her presence in Haicheng would affect his precious daughter, so he wanted to send her away.

She clenched her fists involuntarily, her nails digging into her freshly bandaged wound. The pain was sharper than before, but she felt a sense of grim clarity. She stared fixedly at Su Guoxing’s face, taking in his entire being.

This man, who shared the same blood as her, was so cold and heartless. She had foolishly regarded him as her spiritual solace while she was at the Xu family, imagining their reunion as father and daughter countless times, often moving herself to tears in the process.

He was simply... unworthy of being a father.

Everything before her began to blur. She fought back the tears, holding them in until she could finally speak, each word deliberate: "And if I refuse to leave?"

Hearing her words, Su Guoxing’s face darkened instantly. His brows knitted together, and his eyes locked onto her like a venomous snake. He said in a low, heavy voice:

"Whether you want to or not, you will leave! I am not asking for your opinion!"