Volume One, Chapter 38: Counterattack

“What?!”

A flicker of panic flashed in Su Wanning’s eyes. She had called Xie Yancheng herself this very morning and had heard him say he was going to the Civil Affairs Bureau before hanging up!

Xie Yancheng would never lie to her!

Su Wanning narrowed her eyes and cast a disdainful glance at Su Wanqing, arrogantly declaring, “Today, Yancheng called me personally to say he was going to the Civil Affairs Bureau and told me to wait for him.”

“Stop sowing discord here!”

As she spoke, she pulled out the call records between the two of them and showed them to Lin Shi and Huang Zhilan standing behind her.

Lin Shi and Huang Zhilan didn’t pay attention to who called whom, but immediately noticed the call duration—over one hundred and twenty minutes!

Xie Yancheng was well-known throughout Haicheng, not only because he stood a striking 1.85 meters tall, with a tall, upright posture like a pine tree, broad shoulders and a narrow waist, sharp eyebrows and star-like eyes with slightly upturned corners, and a cold gaze that seemed to penetrate everything. His nose was high and prominent, his lips thin and perfectly shaped, perpetually pressed in a way that kept others at arm’s length.

More importantly, this man had, at the age of thirteen, achieved perfect scores across all subjects and was fiercely sought after by the world’s top universities. Yet, he rejected them all and entered Haida University in his home province. In just three years, he completed a combined bachelor’s and master’s program, publishing papers that earned worldwide acclaim and elevating Haida from a top ten university domestically to one on par with Peking University.

After completing his studies, he returned home and, with his advanced business acumen and precise strategic planning, built a corporate empire spanning artificial intelligence, financial technology, new energy, and more, reaching a market value exceeding one trillion yuan in just five years.

In Haicheng, you might not know the mayor’s name, but from octogenarians to toddlers, everyone knew who Xie Yancheng was.

Yet this perfect man’s only flaw was his extreme coldness of character. He never revealed his emotions easily, as if nothing could stir his heart.

Whether faced with flattery or provocation, his expression was always indifferent, his words concise and sharp, never beating around the bush.

Even with those he was romantically involved with, one hint of dissatisfaction would cause him to change his demeanor immediately.

No one in Haicheng would have imagined that such a man would spend such a long time on the phone with a woman.

Lin Shi and Huang Zhilan were so shocked their jaws nearly dropped. They had admired Su Wanning already, but now, seeing this, they felt a tangible sense of Xie Yancheng’s feelings for her.

Their attitude immediately became even more arrogant.

Lin Shi crossed her arms and appraised Su Wanqing from head to toe. Her hair was half-dry, still carrying the scent of rain, and though the clothes looked nice on her, flattering her slender figure and porcelain skin...

They were trendsetters, intimately familiar with the latest fashion. Su Wanqing’s outfit was neither from a major brand nor a niche fashion label.

“If President Xie really cared for you, he wouldn’t let his wife go out wearing such a plain, unbranded, uninspired outfit,” Lin Shi said with a sneer.

In the world of the wealthy elite, every woman was adorned in jewels and fine clothes, often customized by top brands. Sometimes, sales representatives would personally bring new collections for them to purchase. They only wore the latest season’s fashions; anything outdated was discarded without a glance.

Huang Zhilan put her hands on her hips, her face full of disdain as she added, “Right? Your clothes are faded from washing, you don’t even have a decent outfit, yet you have the nerve to brag!”

“Divorced is divorced. Everyone in our circle knows exactly how you climbed up, Su Wanqing. Your stubborn denial is just laughable!”

“Don’t think that just because you overheard us, you’ve got leverage. We’re all on Anning’s side here. None of us will admit what you just heard!”

“If you try to complain, you’ll only embarrass yourself more!”

Huang Zhilan puffed out her chest, radiating a brazen, ‘what can you do about it?’ attitude.

Lin Shi and Huang Zhilan flanked Su Wanning like her personal bodyguards, each taking turns chattering incessantly, mocking Su Wanqing relentlessly.

They expected Su Wanqing to break down in tears from shame and anger. They even prepared harsher words to break her defenses. Yet, much to their disappointment, Su Wanqing remained composed, not even flushing a bit.

Under Su Wanqing’s steady gaze, a strange pressure settled over them. Their voices grew quieter and their confidence waned.

“You... say something!” Huang Zhilan puffed up her chest, trying to appear righteous.

Lin Shi chimed in, “Cat got your tongue? You were so talkative before. Can’t answer now that you’re caught?”

Su Wanning didn’t notice her two friends’ faltering tone. Seeing Su Wanqing remain silent, she assumed she had lied and was now cowed. She flipped her hair and raised an eyebrow provocatively:

“Fine, I’ll have my father come pick you up tomorrow. If you don’t have a place to go, I’ll just throw darts to decide where you end up. Be careful—I’m not very lucky with darts~”

When Su Wanqing saw the call record, she noticed it was Su Wanning who had called Xie Yancheng, but she also saw the duration of Su Wanning’s calls.

The total was one hundred twenty-five minutes and forty-eight seconds—longer than all the calls she had exchanged with Xie Yancheng over the past five years.

In these five years, Xie Yancheng’s calls to her were few and far between. Whenever she called him, it was always a brief exchange before he hung up. There was even a time he stopped answering her calls altogether. Whenever something needed to be communicated, she would call Wang Zhengzhen, who would then pass messages along.

Even when she thought he had feelings for her, he was never fond of long phone conversations.

She had always believed it was his nature—he simply didn’t like long chats on the phone. But now she understood: he just didn’t love her.

If the person on the other end was Su Wanning, he had endless things to say.

Suppressing her disappointment, she held her ground against the three of them, her expression unshaken by their words. She smiled indifferently and explained:

“Yes, these years I’ve been at home raising the child, haven’t had much time to dress up. But I’m not a young girl anymore; after having a child, priorities shift. Yancheng has bought me many clothes, but none are as comfortable as this.”

She tugged gently at her long dress, her smile gentle.

“By the way, in a few days, Yancheng and I will move back to the old family home. Grandma has returned, and we want to take care of her together. You’re welcome to visit us then.”

She said this calmly.

Su Wanning was indeed Xie Yancheng’s first love, but as a woman herself, Su Wanqing also knew that Su Wanning could never ignore Xie Yancheng’s feelings for their child. From the last time Su Wanning forcibly took away Xie Kexin, it was clear she was testing Xie Yancheng’s attitude.

But so what?

Even if Xie Yancheng didn’t care about Xie Kexin, she was still their child. That fact could never be erased.

Su Wanqing smiled faintly, watching the smile on Su Wanning’s face stiffen.

Yet, for some reason, a wave of sorrow quietly rose in her heart.