Volume One, Chapter 20: Xu Jiang, Come With Me to Settle the Score!

Su Wanqing brushed past Zhu Heguang without any intention of greeting him.

In the past, when she was still Mrs. Xie, she had felt the need to curry favor with his circle, yet she had never received anything but cold shoulders. Now that she had even let go of Xie Yanchen, there was certainly no reason for her to care about his friends.

She walked inside with an indifferent expression, not even lifting her eyes.

Zhu Heguang, who seemed to be on a phone call, faltered for a moment as he saw her, finding her face vaguely familiar. But he quickly turned away, his voice filled with excitement: "Really? Then I’ll go buy some fireworks right away! You guys wait for me!"

A slight twitch in Su Wanqing’s temple told her everything; she immediately realized that Xie Yanchen must have told Zhu Heguang about their impending divorce, and it seemed they were planning to celebrate tonight.

With a dismissive gesture, she pressed the elevator’s "close" button. As the doors slowly slid shut, it felt as though her heart were sealing Xie Yanchen and his friends out of her life for good.

Before entering her apartment, she checked her reflection in her compact mirror multiple times. Fortunately, after some time had passed, the swelling on her face had subsided somewhat.

She let out a sigh of relief. Just as she reached for the door handle, it swung open from the inside. A head popped out, holding a bag of trash.

It was Zheng Lu.

Su Wanqing’s heart, which had just settled, jumped back into her throat. Xu Jiang was a naturally careless person; she could easily hide her face from him. But Zheng Lu was a person of meticulous observation—her eyes were like those of a hawk, and nothing escaped her scrutiny.

Su Wanqing instinctively stepped back, surprised. "Lulu? Why are you here?"

Zheng Lu worked in the research department at Yongfang Technology and was often required to work overtime. Besides, Yongfang Technology was over thirty kilometers away, and since she didn't drive, Su Wanqing was genuinely shocked to see her here.

Seeing the surprise on her face, Zheng Lu tilted her chin up with a proud smirk.

"Didn't expect that, did you? I noticed Xu Jiang wasn't at the office today, so I knew he must have run over to your place. When I called and found out he was home alone watching the kid, I got worried! He’s barely a child himself, how could he watch a toddler? I was afraid he’d scare my precious goddaughter, so I rushed over."

Su Wanqing chuckled, but before she could respond, Xu Jiang protested from behind them. "Zheng Lu! You're bad-mouthing me again! I’m the CEO of Yongfang now, not some child. Be careful, or I’ll dock your pay!"

Zheng Lu retorted with her hands on her hips, "So what if you're the CEO? It's off-hours and a private gathering. Besides, tell me, weren't you just staring blankly at my goddaughter before I arrived?"

Seeing that Zheng Lu’s attention had been successfully diverted by Xu Jiang, Su Wanqing breathed a long sigh of relief. She quickly brushed her hair forward to cover her bruised cheek and slipped into the room.

Xie Kexin was sitting quietly on the sofa, watching the television with keen interest. Seeing her daughter’s clean, fair face, all the grievances Su Wanqing had suffered at the Su family home instantly evaporated.

She walked over and scooped her daughter up, kissing her cheek. Xie Kexin had been slightly annoyed at being disturbed, but as soon as her large eyes landed on Su Wanqing, her furrowed brows smoothed out. She relaxed completely, allowing herself to be held without a sound.

Xu Jiang watched in amazement from the side. "Hey, how come this kid has two different faces? She wouldn't let me hold her for anything, but the moment you get back, she doesn't even move."

Zheng Lu rolled her eyes. "Are you stupid? Kexin is autistic, not blind. Of course she’ll let her own mother hold her. Why would she want a weirdo like you holding her?"

When Xu Jiang was rebuked again, he refused to back down. "Hmph, as if you could do any better! This is only the third time I've met Kexin. What about you? You've seen her plenty of times over the last five years, haven't you?"

The two went back and forth, their banter instantly transporting Su Wanqing back to their days in Yancheng.

Back then, they were only fifteen or sixteen. She was an abandoned child, while Zheng Lu had been scouted by Xu Qiuyun after displaying astonishing algorithmic talent in middle school. Although Xu Jiang’s talent was relatively weaker, Xu Qiuyun believed that potential could be cultivated, so she forced Xu Jiang to follow them and practice, forming a trio.

At the time, Zheng Lu—with her judgmental nature—felt that she and Su Wanqing were the only ones truly gifted, while Xu Jiang was just a "nepotism hire" who couldn't do anything right and was prone to crying. Because of this, the short-tempered Zheng Lu often scolded him.

But Xu Jiang was no quitter. While his talent didn't match theirs, he was still far above average, and with his foundation, every time Zheng Lu scolded him, he would force himself to solve math problems even if it meant staying up all night. Over time, his limited potential was indeed pushed to its peak by Zheng Lu’s relentless criticism.

However, in mathematics, the higher you go, the more raw talent is required. After they moved to Haicheng, no matter how hard Xu Jiang tried, he reached his limit, which was why Xu Qiuyun eventually steered him into business.

Even though nearly a decade had passed, Su Wanqing felt as if those days were still vivid in her mind. Watching the two of them bicker and looking at her soft, quiet daughter in her arms, she couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile. She felt more convinced than ever that choosing to divorce had been the right decision.

"Wait a second, don't move!"

In the midst of this tender moment, Zheng Lu’s voice suddenly rose. She grabbed a tissue, lunged forward, and began wiping Su Wanqing’s face.

Su Wanqing’s heart skipped a beat. She tried to put Xie Kexin down and step back, but Zheng Lu had already caught her. Although her foundation was waterproof, it couldn't withstand Zheng Lu’s vigorous scrubbing. Su Wanqing couldn't help but wince in pain.

Zheng Lu stopped, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at her. "What happened?! Did that old man hit you?"

As the only friend who had stayed in touch with Su Wanqing over the last five years, she knew that Su Wanqing was always despondent after visiting the Su family. Su Guoxing never asked how she was doing; he only ever demanded that she contribute to the family, and he wouldn't even spare a glance for his granddaughter, Xie Kexin.

That was the reason she had hailed a taxi the moment she learned Su Wanqing was going to the Su house. She had deliberately sparred with Xu Jiang upon returning, just to help Su Wanqing forget the ordeal. Seeing her smile had made her happier than anyone.

But she had sharply noticed the traces of foundation on Su Wanqing’s usually bare face. Looking closer, she saw that Su Wanqing’s left cheek was significantly more swollen than usual, with faint red marks visible beneath the makeup.

Knowing she couldn't hide it, Su Wanqing sighed deeply and briefly recounted what had happened.

After hearing the story, Zheng Lu and Xu Jiang were both incensed—one was clutching Su Wanqing’s face in distress, while the other clenched his fists, his eyes burning with rage.

"They really think you have no one behind you! Xu Jiang, come with me, we’re going to settle this score with them!"

The angrier Zheng Lu got, the more determined she became. She stood up, ready to storm out, and Xu Jiang followed without a word.