Rupture
“Love rivals?”
“Mistress and legal wife?”
“Or is it the ex-wife and stepmother fighting over the children?”
There was a whispering of gossip.
She rattled off this long string of words, but Lin Yan just lowered her head and smirked slightly, laughing with a touch of coldness.
Her principle of handling things is that if it can be solved with action, she won’t resort to words.
“Why… why are you laughing?”
“I’m just laughing…” Lin Yan reached for her drink cup. “They keep talking about how disgusting and unclean others are, but in reality, they aren’t exactly squeaky clean either.”
No sooner said than done, as soon as the words fell, Lin Yan raised her hand forcefully.
Ji Jingxing let out a cry while holding the child and tightly closed her eyes.
“Lin Yan, stop!” A black figure rushed over, causing the hamburgers on the tray to spill all over the floor. Song Yuhang stood in front of them, getting drenched in cola that splashed over her head, with water dripping from her wet hair.
Lin Yan trembled her lips as she looked at her face, then glanced at the mother and daughter behind her. She picked up her bag from the seat and turned around, walking away in her high heels.
Song Yuhang threw the tray aside and chased after her, saying, “Lin Yan, Lin Yan, listen to me…”
Lin Yan turned back, looking at her pitiful state, feeling a mixture of anger and helplessness. However, she couldn’t come up with a reason, nowhere to vent that feeling.
She pushed her back forcefully, saying, “What are you saying? What are you saying? Shut the hell up! Go accompany that mother and daughter!”
Song Yuhang still wanted to chase after her, but Lin Yan grabbed the cup of coffee that had just been sitting on the table behind her and poured it over Song Yuhang.
A wave of gasps erupted.
Lin Yan smashed the coffee cup on her, saying, “Get lost!”
With that, her high heels made a loud noise as she stormed out the door.
By the time Song Yuhang chased after her, she had already gotten into a taxi and disappeared from her sight in an instant.
“F***!” Song Yuhang wiped the mixture of coffee and cola off her face, not knowing who she was cursing at.
Ji Jingxing held onto the child, trembling with fear as she looked at her. “Yuhang…”
Song Yuhang suddenly turned her gaze, bloodshot eyes staring fiercely.
Ji Jingxing took a step back, and Song Yuhang quickly walked over, grabbing Xiao Wei with Ji Jingxing behind her.
Her car was parked nearby.
Song Yuhang directly lifted Xiao Wei into the car. The child was scared, with tears welling up in her eyes. Song Yuhang gently touched her head.
“Don’t be afraid. Auntie needs to talk to mommy about something. You stay in the car for a while, okay?”
Xiao Wei nodded softly, tears streaming down her face. “Okay.”
Song Yuhang closed the car door, and Ji Jingxing anxiously followed. Seeing her lock Xiao Wei inside the car, Ji Jingxing raised her voice in frustration.
“What… What are you going to do to Xiao Wei? Is that woman so important?!”
Song Yuhang pulled her sleeve in silence and walked until they reached a secluded place where she was sure Xiao Wei couldn’t hear them before speaking.
“What can I possibly do to her? I am her aunt! And what can Lin Yan do to her? Do you really have to nitpick without a second thought?”
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“Isn’t it disgusting enough that she fed Xiao Wei with the food she had eaten herself? Who knows what that kind of promiscuous woman would have…?”
“Shut up!” Song Yuhang’s eyes turned red as she interrupted her, forcefully lifting her and pressing her against the wall.
“That ice cream was the one I ate, Lin Yan didn’t touch it at all! Why don’t you ask Xiao Wei if it was her or Lin Yan who wanted it?! If Lin Yan refused, would you accuse her of bullying the child again?!”
In Ji Jingxing’s impression, Song Yuhang had never been angry with her. That night, when she voluntarily hugged her, it could be considered the first time, but even when she refused, Song Yuhang was gentle yet firm as she gently pried open her hand and pushed her away, telling her:
“Except for Lin Yan, no one else is acceptable.”
How different it was now, with Song Yuhang gripping her collar and roaring like a madman.
Tears welled up in Ji Jingxing’s eyes instantly, her voice choked with emotion. “I just wanted to protect my child. Is that wrong?”
Song Yuhang closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her breathing. She let go of Ji Jingxing and took a step back.
“Is Lin Yan the only one at fault then? Are you allowed to repeatedly insult her with disgusting and impure words? If you really have even a shred of the consciousness of being a mother, which mother would engage in endless verbal abuse and personal insults towards another woman in front of her own child?”
“Which mother would abandon her own child and make her wait in the cold wind for over an hour, just so she could meet someone she wanted to see?”
Song Yuhang’s words were like precious pearls, feeling a burning sensation in her chest that she needed to express.
“Yes, after my brother passed away, you didn’t remarry and raised Xiao Wei on your own. You devoted yourself wholeheartedly, and that’s remarkable! But she simply chose a different way of life, completely different from yours. When she was single, who she wanted to date or sleep with was her own freedom! It’s truly disgusting to stand on a moral high ground and arbitrarily judge and criticize other people’s lifestyles!”
Song Yuhang finished speaking in one breath, observing Ji Jingxing’s face changing from pale to flushed, watching tears stream down her face, and seeing her crouch down and cry. She herself didn’t feel good inside either.
She still felt sorry for Lin Yan. Due to the side effects of the medication she had to take for bipolar disorder, she had to choose a unique lifestyle. But no one bothered to understand the story behind her, and all of these became reasons for the world to criticize her.
She felt even more disheartened by Ji Jingxing’s actions.
How… How did it come to this?
Many years ago, she was also a gentle and kind young girl. Song Yuhang called her “sister-in-law” and after her brother’s death, she called her “sister.” She treated her like family, took care of her during her postpartum period, worked tirelessly, helped take care of Xiao Wei, and was always there for her even in the difficult times. The Ji family was her refuge when she was sad and upset.
Standing on the street on a late December night, Song Yuhang longed to return to that night in spring.
When it had all not yet begun.
Ji Jingxing wouldn’t have turned into the resentful woman she was now.
Song Yuhang didn’t want to see anymore and turned away.
Ji Jingxing took a few steps forward, her voice filled with gritted teeth and a chilling tone. “Yes, I am envious. I am jealous of her. All those words I said were intentional. I wanted to humiliate her. Why is it that you’ve been there for me, for Xiao Wei, all these years, and she suddenly appears out of nowhere and takes away all of your care and affection?”
Song Yuhang paused her steps, not turning back. Seeing her stop, Ji Jingxing sniffled and caught up to her, gripping onto the hem of her clothes.
“Yuhang, turn around and look at me, look at me carefully. I may not be as young as her, but I can take care of people, including Xiao Wei… Xiao Wei can also be your child… Your brother is no longer here… We can be a family of three, just like before…”
Song Yuhang clenched her fist, the sound of bones cracking, and each word burst out from between her lips and teeth. “Don’t… mention… my… brother.”
Ji Jingxing was suddenly startled, pushed away by Song Yuhang. The two of them stood coldly facing each other in the dark night.
Song Yuhang had calmed down now, which was even more terrifying than when she was angry. Ji Jingxing felt a bone-deep despair emanating from her.
She had completely given up on herself.
Ji Jingxing retreated two steps in disbelief.
Song Yuhang spoke, “Do you know why I took that blow for you just now? It’s only because of Xiao Wei. No matter what her parents have done, the child is innocent. The past incidents were the same. I helped take care of you not because of who you are, but because you were my brother’s widow and Xiao Wei’s mother. Without that identity, you are nothing.”
“But you use the child, you use her as a shield. It’s unbearable. If there is another time, I won’t intervene to help you again. Don’t mention my brother anymore, you don’t deserve to.”
There was a hint of pity in her eyes as she looked at Ji Jingxing. “Also, I advise you not to provoke Lin Yan anymore. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you’ll end up. Don’t blame me for not warning you.”
Ji Jingxing’s nails dug deep into her flesh, gritting her teeth, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Song Yuhang. “I admit, I didn’t consider it well today. I didn’t expect her to be with you. But, Yuhang, I am still your sister-in-law. Are you… are you going to be so heartless and completely sever ties with me?”
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“It’s you who wants to sever ties. Since you brought up the topic of relationships, let me reiterate. Lin Yan is my girlfriend, my future wife, the person I will spend my life with. The relationship between you, me, and Xiao Wei, no matter how close it may seem, it doesn’t surpass that.”
Song Yuhang said calmly, without turning back, allowing Ji Jingxing to cry and shout behind her. She walked straight to the car.
Seeing her take the child out of the car, Ji Jingxing wiped away her tears and ran over, immediately embracing Xiao Wei in her arms.
Xiao Wei wiped her tears for her and asked, “Mommy, why are you crying?”
Ji Jingxing smiled through her tears, holding her hand and giving it a kiss. “Mommy is fine.”
Song Yuhang stood up. “I’ll call a car for you. Go back on your own.”
Xiao Wei timidly lifted her head from her mother’s embrace and looked at her. “Auntie, aren’t you going to see us off?”
Song Yuhang then showed a faint smile. “No, Auntie has something to do. I’ll leave first. See you another day.”
Xiao Wei waved to her through the car window. “Goodbye, Auntie.”
While driving towards Lin Yan’s house, Song Yuhang dialed her number. The first call went unanswered, and the second call went straight to voicemail.
Song Yuhang threw her phone onto the passenger seat and muttered, “What a night!” She pressed down on the accelerator, increasing the speed of the car.
Just as the car stopped at the front gate of the villa, before Song Yuhang could get out, her phone rang.
She fumbled to pick it up from under the floor mat on the passenger side. “Lin…”
“Captain Song, it’s me. The burglary suspect we were looking for a few days ago has been arrested. They are being interrogated now.”
Song Yuhang rubbed her temples. “Has he confessed?”
“Not yet. No matter how we ask, he remains silent.”
She glanced at the lights coming on in the villa, gritted her teeth, reversed the car, and turned the steering wheel.
“Got it. I’ll be there shortly.”
Through the curtains, Lin Yan watched her come and go, instantly becoming furious. She quickly pulled the curtains together, threw herself onto the bed, and shouted at the ceiling.
“Song Yuhang, I f*** your mother!!!”
The music from the KTV private room was deafening, but inside the room, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
A man picked up a cigarette from the table. With a snap, he ignited the lighter, and a flicker of flame passed by, surrounded by smoke.
He took a deep breath, slightly intoxicated.
The man kneeling in front of him looked at him, his face filled with pleading. He bowed deeply, pressing his palms together.
As soon as he opened his mouth, his voice trembled with tears.
“I beg you, please save me. The police are closing in on me. If I hadn’t been away from home these past few days, I would have been caught long ago. I just wanted to have some fun with a young girl, indulge myself a bit. Who would have known, who would have known…”
His voice suddenly turned sharp, “She actually committed suicide! And now it’s connected to the ‘White Whale’ case. The police won’t spare me! And also, also…”
He crawled on his knees, embracing the man’s legs.
“My family… my family has gone bankrupt… Is it because of…?” He glanced at the man’s expression and swallowed hard.
“Because of what Lin Yan did… I… I’m truly desperate now. The whole city is hunting me. I have nowhere else to go, bro!”
As he spoke, he continued to knock his head on the ground as if he had no regard for his own life, resulting in bruises quickly forming on his forehead.
The man paid no attention to it. After finishing a cigarette, he ignited a piece of tin foil and inhaled the fumes until a pool of blood formed on the floor.
The person kneeling on the ground was on the verge of collapsing.
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The man pressed his foot against the person’s head before speaking, “You can go now.”
The man, who had a small braid behind his head, was overjoyed, “Brother, brother, does this mean you’re willing to help me?!”
The man released him and leaned back on the sofa. “Go on, someone will take you out.”
“Ah, okay, thank you, thank you, bro,” he said as he climbed up from the ground, his clothes tattered. He glanced at the exquisite fruit platter in front of him and reached out to take an apple, chuckling.
“Haven’t eaten anything for three days.”
The man wrinkled his brow in disgust. “Get lost.”
The man with the braided hair nodded and bowed as he retreated. His last glimpse was of the man leaning back on the sofa, surrounded by blue smoke, a look of intoxication on his face.
The man swallowed his saliva and cursed, damn it, it’s obviously something good.
“Follow me.” Someone approached in the darkness.
Only then did the man snap back to reality. “Alright, alright, bro, where are we going?”
The black-clad person walking ahead revealed a sinister smile at the corner of their lips. “You’ll find out when we get there.”
LP: I’m finally back! Thank you all for your patience. As always, I’m striving for daily updates, maybe not updating on sunday sometimes. Update time is 5AM (UTC+8).