Chapter 1249: I Want to Make You Stay (127)
“I’d like to settle this as soon as possible. Although I’m not sure how quick I can be, I’m still very eager because I pondered over this for the whole of last night. I’ve decided to cut the Gordian knot.”
“Continue speaking.”
He told An Xiaoning about the plan that he had devised. “I’ve decided to lure them out and trick them into revealing the truth about what happened back then. We’ll then catch a turtle in a jar. So many years have pa.s.sed and lots of evidence have been destroyed. This is the only strategy that’ll save us time and allow us to have the upper hand.”
An Xiaoning could tell how impatient he was. It seemed he no longer wanted to wait.
She agreed, “Alright, we’ll go ahead with your plan. We’ll lure them and get the evidence. Who do you plan to act on first?”
“My ex-girlfriend.”
An Xiaoning looked up at him. Although she was unclear about what he was planning to do, she had a hunch that he definitely wouldn’t spare his ex-girlfriend, who had been a spy sent to monitor him.
Staring at him, she said, “I have to make things clear to you beforehand. I know you must be fuming and bearing a ton of hatred towards her, but don’t let your anger get the better of you and cause you to lose your rationality. If you act rashly, you’ll never get to clear your name.”
“Alright.”
An Xiaoning picked up the doc.u.ment and glanced at it again. “Is your ex-girlfriend the daughter-in-law of the Mu family now?”
“Yes, she’s the one.”
“Are you going to show up in front of her personally?”
“How else am I supposed to lure her out, then?”
An Xiaoning nodded and said, “Do as you deem fit.”
“I’ll go out now, then.”
“Wait a minute…” An Xiaoning stood up and continued, “I remember clearly that I got s.h.i.+xin to prepare some clothes and shoes for you. Why are you still dressed in your military uniform?”
“I’ll change into them later.”
“You haven’t seen her in so many years. She’s definitely going to get a great fright when you show up in front of her again. That’s a good thing, actually. Change your clothes and get a haircut.”
Zong Jingyi nodded and turned around to leave.
——
In the evening, a crisp, female voice filled the air in the living room of the Mu family home.
“Grandpa, didn’t you say that if I insist on marrying Xing Wei, I wouldn’t be given a single cent for my dowry? I don’t need any dowry from the Mu family. Xing Wei and I have already settled on a wedding date. We’re getting married next month.” As soon as Mu Wansheng said her piece, the elderly Mr. Mu swung his walking stick across her head, causing her to tremble from head to toe in excruciating pain. She tried to bear with it as much as she could. Staring at her grandfather, she said, “I’ve said everything that I needed to. It doesn’t matter whether the Mu family attends my wedding or not. I’m still going to carry on with my wedding regardless of your approval.”
“The Mu family doesn’t need a traitor like you. If you insist on marrying that pauper, go ahead. From now onwards, you’re no longer a member of the Mu family. We’ll have nothing to do with you!” Old Mr. Mu barked in exasperation, after which he coughed violently for a long while.
Mu Wansheng’s mother hurriedly pleaded, “Father, Wansheng is young and foolish. She must have been bewitched by that pauper. She’ll definitely regret her decision in the future. We mustn’t watch her dig her own grave and jump right into it.”
Mu Wansheng’s mother then pinched her arm forcefully.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry and apologize to your grandfather! You don’t really want to be chased out of this family, do you?”
Mu Wansheng remained still and said, “I didn’t do anything wrong. Xing Wei treats me really well. There’s no reason for me to leave him.”
Mrs. Mu was at the end of her patience. She snapped, “No reason? The fact that he’s poor is the very reason you should leave him!”
“Mother, you’re too mercenary. I don’t care whether he’s rich or poor. I’m contented as long as he treats me well.”
Not wis.h.i.+ng to see her at all, Old Mr. Mu hollered, “Let her get lost! Don’t think of stepping foot into this house ever again! We can’t depend on this wretched la.s.s. We’ll count on Pingyang from now on.”
To Mrs. Mu’s dismay, Mu Wansheng turned around to leave without uttering another word. The latter was her only daughter and, thus, she definitely wouldn’t let her leave the family so easily.
Mrs. Mu rushed forward to grab Mu Wansheng’s wrist and said to the elderly Mr. Mu, “Father, simmer down. Forgive Wansheng for being insensible. It’s my fault for failing to take her in hand and causing her to be so rebellious.”
Mu Wansheng was again dragged out of the house by her mother. Once they were outside, Mrs. Mu instructed the bodyguards to lock her up and said, “Beat the living daylights out of her and only stop when she begs for mercy.”
“Mother…” As soon as Mu Wansheng made a sound, she was picked up and brought away.
Minutes later, she was pinned onto the table with her wrists tied together, after which the bodyguards began hitting her with a rod.
“Ah!” Mu Wansheng shrieked in pain. She exclaimed, “Mother, why can’t you put yourself in my shoes?”
Mrs. Mu rebuked, “Put myself in your shoes? Have you ever put yourself in mine? You’re my only daughter. If I had other children, I wouldn’t be bothered even if you die outside. I signed you up for a blind date with Fan s.h.i.+xin and he had even agreed to meet you. You were so close to getting him on the hook, and yet you had to ruin it by telling him that you already have a boyfriend. Great, your aunt’s daughter, Wu Pingyang, has now gotten the chance to date and marry Fan s.h.i.+xin. How did I even give birth to such a useless thing like you? Fine, since you’re so dead against obeying us and since depriving you of your dowry and chasing you out of the family doesn’t work, I shall break your legs. Let’s see if that pauper will still want to marry you when you become crippled!”
Mrs. Mu then said to the bodyguard, “Beat her up with all your might. Don’t show her any mercy.”
Mu Wansheng’s heart dropped, and she cringed in pain and fear. Her screams began to get louder and louder. In no time, everyone in the Mu family had heard about Mu Wansheng being reprimanded and beaten up upon the orders of her own mother. She instantly became the laughingstock of the family.
Mrs. Mu decided to be ruthless this time. She would get the bodyguards to stop once her daughter pleads for them to. However, to her astonishment, Mu Wansheng was as stubborn as a mule and she refused to beg for mercy even when she was knocked unconscious.
Mu Wansheng lay motionlessly on the ground with blood all over her legs. Noticing that she had already turned as pale as a sheet, the bodyguards stopped and asked, “Second Madam, do we send Missy to the hospital immediately?”
“No, you guys may go out.”
“Yes.”
Mrs. Mu closed the door after the bodyguards left. As soon as she sat down, she heard a knock on the door again.
“I told you guys to leave, didn’t you hear me?”
The person ignored her and continued knocking.
Frustrated beyond limits, Mrs. Mu immediately stood up and opened the doors, only to get a huge fright. Upon the sight of the man before her, she shrieked in terror and fell onto the ground as she blacked out.
Zong Jingyi did not expect for there to be zero surveillance cameras in the Mu family home, which made it much easier for him to take action.
With a menacing gaze, he glared at the two women who had pa.s.sed out.