Chapter 19: Meeting My Wife: Day 19 Part 1

As soon as she opened the door and saw the light in the living room, Bei Huai froze for a moment.

“Why are you coming back so late?” The man was sitting on the sofa, holding a newspaper in his hand and reading it. Hearing the noise, he glanced over sideways.

His expression was serious and unsmiling, and even an ordinary question carried a tone of interrogation.

“Who let you come here? Get out!” Bei Huai dropped her backpack, clenched her fists tightly, a terrifying storm surging in her eyes in an instant, and a fierce aura flaring up between her brows.

At this moment, she completely lost the tsundere attitude she showed in front of Jiang Wan. She was like someone who had encountered a sworn enemy, her whole body bristling with sharp thorns that kept everyone at bay.

“Bei Huai, how can you talk like that! He’s your dad—why can’t he come here? Where did all the manners I taught you go?!” Hearing the argument, Yun Manzhu hurriedly ran out from the kitchen, still wearing an apron around her waist, and glared at Bei Huai with a slightly annoyed expression.

“Dad?” Bei Huai sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“I don’t have a dad.”

“Bei Huai!” Yun Manzhu scolded sharply.

“Enough.” The man frowned and interrupted her.

“A-Rong, listen to me—this child’s just in her rebellious phase. She wasn’t like this before.” As soon as the man spoke, Yun Manzhu quickly turned her head toward him, explaining in a panic.

Bei Rong ignored Yun Manzhu’s words entirely. He merely stared deeply at the expressionless girl.

“Your mom told me yesterday that you’ve improved lately—you’re not skipping classes much anymore and you’ve been going to school every day. I was planning to come see you, but I never expected this attitude from you. It’s too disappointing.”

As expected, to see Bei Rong even once, Lady Yun would do anything.

Bei Huai shrugged, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t have any attitude. I just want you to get out quickly.”

“Bei Huai! How dare you talk to your dad like that!”

“Yun Manzhu, this is the fine daughter you raised? Look at this so-called upbringing!”

Bei Rong had frequented upper-class circles for years and hadn’t heard such crude words in a long time. Now, being told to scram by his own daughter, his face turned extremely ugly. He kept a stern expression and mercilessly reprimanded Yun Manzhu.

Without so much as glancing at Bei Huai afterward, he stood up and left.

“A-Rong isn’t like that—listen to my explanation, A-Rong…” Yun Manzhu chased after the man, explaining nonstop the whole way.

Her attitude was utterly humble and ingratiating, a complete contrast to the harsh, cold demeanor she showed in front of Bei Huai.

Bei Huai watched the entangled pair with cold eyes, her expression full of disdain.

The man was clearly far more heartless. He sat in the car, rolled up the window, and turned a deaf ear to Yun Manzhu’s pleas.

The car sped away, leaving the woman standing alone and forlorn in the same spot.

“Bei Huai, what kind of tantrum are you throwing today!” Yun Manzhu stormed back into the house, roaring hysterically.

She had finally managed to get Bei Rong to come over. She had even personally cooked several dishes, with only one soup left to serve.

She just wanted to sit down with A-Rong and enjoy a nice meal together, but now everything had been ruined by Bei Huai—utterly ruined!

In the face of Yun Manzhu’s rage, the girl remained perfectly calm. She sat on the sofa, poured herself a cup of tea, and spoke in a level tone that carried an unyielding resolve.

“Whether you want to see him is your business. Don’t use me as an excuse, and don’t let him come here. Otherwise, I’ll curse him out every single time I see him.”

There was a crisp slap.

The woman raised her hand, her voice trembling with fury. “He’s your dad!”

The slap turned Bei Huai’s head to the side, and a bright red handprint quickly bloomed on her fair cheek.

This slap landed heavily, with absolutely no mercy.

Her face burned with stinging pain.

She pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek, the black void in her heart growing larger and larger, as if it were about to swallow her whole.

She lifted her head and stared at the woman, suddenly letting out a faint smile.

“Do you think he deserves it?”

To outsiders, Bei Rong seemed like the perfect man—a successful entrepreneur who doted on his wife, showered his son with love while remaining appropriately strict.

How wonderful—he was a good husband, a good father.

But so what?

To Bei Huai, he was nothing more than a scumbag she utterly despised.

The moment his white moonlight returned, he couldn’t wait to abandon his wife and daughter, rushing eagerly to fawn over her.

Only Yun Manzhu was still acting like a fool, convinced that her A-Rong was the best man in the world.

Bei Huai knew that Yun Manzhu loved Bei Rong down to her very bones, loved him to the point of losing all reason. Even she herself was merely a tool Yun Manzhu used to please him.

Compared to Bei Rong, Bei Huai despised Yun Manzhu’s lovesick obsession even more.

Too disgusting—they were all too disgusting.

Bei Rong loved only his white moonlight and his son. Yun Manzhu loved only Bei Rong.

As for her? Heh, perhaps being born into this world was her greatest mistake.

The woman, who had felt a pang of guilt after impulsively slapping her daughter, flared up again the moment she heard those words. She practically jabbed a finger right in Bei Huai’s face as she scolded her.

“How is he not good enough?! Bei Huai, what have I taught you since you were little? You have to respect your father and be polite to him! Look at you now—what kind of mess is this? I’m telling you, from now on, when you go out, don’t you dare say you’re my daughter. You’re an embarrassment!”

“You’re the only one who still treats that man like a treasure! In my eyes, he’s not even worth the dirt under my shoe. And don’t worry about me—I don’t want anyone knowing I have a lovesick fool for a mom.” Bei Huai tugged at the corner of her mouth, her gaze chillingly cold, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“What do you, a kid in your teens, know about grown-up matters?!” Yun Manzhu snapped, her anger tinged with embarrassment.

“Yeah, you’re right. I really don’t understand. That obsessive love of yours just makes me sick.”

“Shut your mouth! My love for Brother Rong is none of your business!”

“Is that so? Heh, then what has this ‘love’ of yours ever brought me?” Bei Huai let out a mocking laugh and yanked up her sleeve with a sharp “whoosh.”

Under the stark white light, the tattoo on the girl’s right arm stood out vividly.

It was a black crescent moon.

There was none of the moon’s warmth, none of its gentle glow—just an endless expanse of icy chill, desolation, and despair.

The moment she saw the tattoo on her daughter’s arm, the woman fell silent.

She stood there stunned, meeting Bei Huai’s indifferent eyes, and her defenses crumbled in an instant.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s all Mom’s fault. Please don’t hate me, okay? I didn’t want this. I just can’t control myself.”

“I love A-Rong too much. Can’t you understand your mom a little? Don’t be mad at your dad, alright?”

The woman choked back sobs, tears streaming down her face, as she reached out to grasp Bei Huai’s hand. She looked truly fragile and pitiable.

But Bei Huai simply sidestepped her calmly and said softly, “No. I’ll never forgive you.”

Once a mirror shatters, it can never be whole again. And some mistakes, once made, can never be undone.

“You’ll understand how Mom feels once you fall for someone yourself,” Yun Manzhu said, still trying to justify herself.

No, she wouldn’t.

Bei Huai told herself in her heart.

She would never fall for anyone. Ever.

~~~

After the National Day holiday ended, Jiang Wan sensed that something was seriously off with Bei Huai.

She had turned cold and rigid all over, radiating an aura that kept everyone at arm’s length.

“Little Bei, why didn’t you reply to my messages the past few days?” Jiang Wan tried to strike up a conversation.

“What, got nothing better to do?” The girl shot her an icy glance, her face screaming “leave me alone.”

This wasn’t Bei Huai playing hard to get—she genuinely didn’t want to talk.

Jiang Wan could feel it.

Bei Huai had reverted to the way she’d been when they first met: aloof, prickly, skipping classes, hanging out with a crowd of rough-looking kids.

She passed Jiang Wan like a stranger, without so much as a flicker of expression on her face.

What on earth had happened? How could she change so drastically in just a few days?

Jiang Wan felt both dejected and worried.

Guanguan couldn’t stand seeing her moping around all day, so she went to Cen Jin for the scoop.

“Cen Jin said Bei Huai’s probably fighting with her family again. She told us to stay out of it and keep our distance for a while—don’t want to get caught in the crossfire,” Guanguan reported, popping her gum.

“Family? Did Cen Jin say what exactly?” Jiang Wan pressed.

“Nope, she didn’t get into details. It’s their family business, after all—I didn’t want to pry.”

More importantly, Guanguan didn’t want to come off as a gossip to Cen Jin.

Jiang Wan didn’t know much about Bei Huai’s family either. All her info came from the forum.

Divorced parents: mom was a high-level manager at a company, dad was the CEO of a listed company in Ning City.

Just a simple line—nothing useful to go on. She couldn’t exactly force Cen Jin to spill.

But… there was one other person who might know something.

A boy’s figure gradually took shape in Jiang Wan’s mind.

Too bad she hadn’t gotten his name at the time.

Luck was on her side, though. Bei Qi was pretty well-known in the Junior High Division, secretly crushed on by a bunch of girls. A quick ask-around, and she had her answer.

Bei Qi, Class 8, Grade 2 Junior High.

As soon as she had a free moment, Jiang Wan headed to the Junior High Division and met up with him.

No one knew what they talked about. Guanguan only saw that when Jiang Wan came back, her face was glum and unhappy.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t get anything out of him?” Guanguan asked curiously.

Jiang Wan shook her head, her eyes heavy with fatigue and devoid of her usual faint smile. “It’s nothing, Guanguan. Thank you for asking around for me, but you don’t need to do it anymore.”

“Hey, what are friends for? Do you really need to thank me?” Sensing that Jiang Wan didn’t want to dwell on it, Guanguan tactfully changed the subject.

Between classes.

Jiang Wan sat at her desk, working through practice problems.

The questions on the paper were straightforward—ones she could usually finish in just a few minutes. But now, she’d stared at them five times over and still couldn’t bring herself to pick up her pen.

Her mind felt foggy and sluggish, drained of all energy. She simply didn’t want to move.

A profound sense of dejection washed over her.

Even Mi Shuyun, sitting nearby, noticed something was off. She asked with concern, “Jiang Wan, are you okay? You don’t look well. Why don’t you go to the infirmary?”

Jiang Wan shook her head but said nothing.

It wasn’t her body that hurt—it was her heart.

She felt deeply uncomfortable, profoundly unhappy.

Nothing could spark her interest.