Chapter 49: Xia Anran Released from Prison

Wen Fanhai publicly scolded Wen Shuang.

“You know very well what you’ve been up to while you were out on your own,” Wen Fanhai said in a low, stern voice. “Pack up and move back home.”

But Wen Shuang was stubborn. “I’ve already moved out, why should I go back? Dad, do you not even know why I left? Those two, mother and daughter, don’t care about you at all. When you were in, all they did was come to me for money. I didn’t want to stay home and let them bleed me dry, so I left!”

Wen Yao protested, aggrieved, “Sister, you’re lying! My mother’s been washing dishes to earn money, her hands are all worn out.”

She lifted up her mother’s hands, which had once never touched a drop of spring water but were now covered in blisters.

Wen Fanhai’s heart ached. “Wife, you’ve really suffered for this family. You’ve given so much.”

Wen Shuang let out a cold laugh.

Indeed, old ginger is the spiciest.

If you’re going to put on a show, you might as well commit to it.

Had she known, she would have cut up her own hand before coming!

Wen Fanhai turned and scolded Wen Shuang, accusing her of making things up.

Wen Shuang’s face was full of disappointment. “Dad, I come to see you almost twice a week, but those two, your so-called wife and daughter, did they visit you even once before they knew for sure you’d be released? Now you’re finally out, and just a few tears from them, a few words, and you’re completely on their side? Do you even know how much I’ve done for you?”

Aunt Chun defended herself, “Shuangshuang, don’t accuse us like this! You know full well how exhausted Yao and I were, running around every day, pleading for your father.”

“You two, plead for him?” Wen Shuang found it laughable. “You and Wen Yao did nothing but lie around at home and complain, making me earn money for you. How do you have the nerve to say that?”

Wen Fanhai shouted, “Xiao Shuang! You are not to speak to your Aunt Chun like that!”

Wen Shuang turned away with cold arrogance.

“Apologize to your Aunt Chun, right now!”

Wen Shuang immediately threw the set of clothes and pomelo leaves she’d prepared onto the floor.

“Apologize to a woman like her? In your dreams!”

She didn’t bother to explain further; even if she did, her father probably wouldn’t listen. She turned on her heel and walked away.

Wen Fanhai called after her furiously, but Wen Shuang didn’t respond at all.

“She’s truly become impossible!”

“Let it go, Ah Hai,” Aunt Chun said, pulling him back. “She’s just a young girl; they all get more temperamental as they grow. It’s all right, you and your daughter shouldn’t fall out over me.”

Wen Yao chimed in with a gentle, conciliatory tone, “Yes, Dad, Sister’s always been like this. Mom and I can bear with it, it’s fine.”

The more meekly the mother and daughter behaved, the more Wen Fanhai’s heart went out to them.

He thought Wen Shuang was hopeless.

When Ji Shen came home from work, he heard the commotion inside.

He was a little surprised.

“Miss Wen, didn’t you say you were going home for dinner tonight?”

He hung his coat on the rack.

Wen Shuang was sitting curled up on the carpet in front of the sofa. “I don’t want to go back. There’s no point.”

Ji Shen could instantly tell the young lady was unhappy.

He immediately sat down beside her. “What’s wrong? Who made our Shuangshuang upset?”

She’d been as cheerful as a songbird when he left in the morning, but now her face was clouded with gloom.

Wen Shuang couldn’t hold it in and told him everything that had happened that afternoon.

Ji Shen said, “Your stepmother and stepsister are too much! I’ll go arrest the two of them right now and take them to the station for questioning!”

Wen Shuang pulled him back, “Don’t! Aren’t you a people’s police officer?”

Ji Shen chuckled softly.

“But I have to stand up for our Shuangshuang.”

“If you arrest them, my dad will hate me forever,” Wen Shuang said.

Ji Shen sighed, “It’s just that they’re good at playing the victim, acting all pitiful, while our Shuangshuang is too honest, and ends up being bullied.”

Wen Shuang could never master the art of playing the victim.

She snorted, “I have no desire to be like them.”

“You’re already more than good enough, no need to change a thing.” Ji Shen stroked her long hair, soothing her softly. “Honestly, Wen Fanhai shouldn’t have come out at all. I’ll ask Officer Li to lock him up again tomorrow! He can come out when he finally figures things out.”

Wen Shuang shook him several more times, protesting that wouldn’t do either.

“He got tricked by his secretary and ended up in prison, and now that he’s finally out, he still can’t tell which daughter actually cares for him. No wonder people were able to set him up.”

Ji Shen shook his head.

Wen Shuang propped her chin in her hands. What Ji Shen said was exactly what weighed on her heart.

All these years, Aunt Chun and Wen Yao only treated her kindly when Wen Fanhai was around. The moment he was gone, they revealed another face entirely.

But Wen Fanhai had never seen through this, and often blamed Wen Shuang for being immature.

She’d thought that with Wen Fanhai’s release today, father and daughter could finally have a proper meal and talk. She’d been so excited she hadn’t slept all night, only for things to turn out like this.

She was bitterly disappointed.

She’d poured so much time and energy into his affairs recently...

Ji Shen saw it all, and knew better than anyone how much Wen Shuang had endured.

He couldn’t help but pull this little rose tightly into his arms to comfort her. “Shuangshuang, it’s all right. I’m here. No matter what, this is your home. I’ll always have your back.”

Wen Shuang leaned into his embrace.

Indeed...right now, it seemed she had only Ji Shen left.

Moved, she gripped the man’s collar tightly.

How could she possibly resist a Ji Shen like this?

After returning to the company, Wen Fanhai spent some time getting everything back on track.

Aunt Chun and Wen Yao were overjoyed, fawning over him in every way, day after day.

Their lives would be comfortable and carefree from now on!

Meanwhile, neither of them forgot to constantly sow seeds of doubt about Wen Shuang in Wen Fanhai’s ear—insinuating her conduct was improper, calling her materialistic and vain, saying that when the Wen family was thought to be bankrupt, Wen Shuang had cozied up to some greasy old CEO in his fifties for money.

At first, Wen Fanhai absolutely refused to believe any of it.

But then, on the day he got out and saw the marks on Wen Shuang’s neck, and with Aunt Chun whispering in his ear every night, plus the fact that Wen Shuang hadn’t come home lately...

He couldn’t help growing more and more dissatisfied with this daughter.

As for Qin You, he disliked him immensely as well!

Of course, Wen Yao didn’t dare admit she’d been involved with Qin You—and in any case, he’d stopped paying her any attention now.

Summer Anran was finally released after two weeks in detention.

She was disheveled and haggard, barely recognizable.

When she first saw her parents, she was dazed and couldn’t react for a moment.

“Anran!!”

Only after a long while did she realize she was finally back in the world, and burst into tears in her mother’s arms.

“My poor Anran, you’ve suffered so much!” Madam Xia’s heart was wrung with pain.

Her precious daughter had never endured such hardship in her life.

When Anran first arrived at the detention center, she’d made a scene and was promptly taught a lesson by the leader of her cell.

After that, she kept her head down and tried not to make trouble—any mistake was met with a beating.

She spotted Qin You in the distance and ran over to him, crying, “Brother Qin!”