[79] A Grand Public Humiliation: Mother and Daughter Face the Consequences

The man standing outside the door was nearly six foot three, clad in a blue jacket, his features severe and handsome, a faint smile playing at his lips, the wildness in his eyes unmistakable.

This was no fifty or sixty-year-old executive; he was clearly a strikingly handsome young man!

Wen Yao stared, utterly transfixed.

“Who...who is this?”

Ji Shen strode forward and came to stand beside Wen Shuang. The two of them, in both stature and appearance, looked like a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

“I’m twenty-eight. Hardly what you’d call old.”

Wen Yao was so stunned that the smile on her face threatened to collapse.

She’d always assumed Wen Shuang was involved with some wealthy older man, the type who was pushing sixty, exuding the scent of age. She’d secretly delighted in this, thinking no matter how beautiful Wen Shuang was, it wouldn’t matter—her taste was surely inferior, and Wen Yao’s own choices were far superior.

Yet the man before her was impossibly handsome, every item of clothing a designer label worth thousands.

He was a tall, rich, and handsome man!

Wen Shuang found Wen Yao’s astonished expression deeply satisfying. “Well? Aren’t you going to greet your brother-in-law?”

“B-brother-in-law, hello.” Wen Yao stammered, dazed as if struck dumb.

“Yao Yao! What are you doing standing at the door? Hurry, bring your sister and her fiancé inside!”

Aunt Chun had been worried about burning the food and had gone back to the kitchen to stir the pots. When she saw Wen Yao lingering outside for so long, she called out to Wen Fan Hai, announcing that the future son-in-law had arrived!

She turned off the stove, curious to see what sort of unfortunate soul had surprised Wen Yao so.

“Is this...is this your boyfriend, Shuang Shuang?”

The spatula in Aunt Chun’s hand clattered to the floor.

Ji Shen nodded calmly. “I’m Ji Shen. I’ve been dating Shuang Shuang for three months.”

He gestured for the bodyguards to carry in boxes, each filled with extravagant and costly health supplements.

Not to mention Maotai liquor—those large cakes of red tea alone cost hundreds of thousands per pound!

Mother and daughter alike stared in disbelief.

“Shuang Shuang’s boyfriend, you’re really too generous,” Aunt Chun quickly surveyed him, her jaw nearly dropping.

“It’s just a small token,” Ji Shen replied with a slight nod.

Wen Fan Hai came out with a stern face, unable to tolerate his daughter being involved with some old man, determined to break them up no matter what. But as soon as he left his study, he was greeted by an unexpected commotion.

He thought, angrily, that money was useless—but when he saw Ji Shen, he too was taken aback.

Wen Shuang called, “Dad.”

Wen Fan Hai’s eyes widened.

Wen Shuang took Ji Shen’s arm. “Dad, let me introduce my boyfriend, Ji Shen. This time, you must look carefully and see for yourself whether he’s an old relic.”

Wen Fan Hai felt suddenly enlightened.

“I knew it! My Shuang Shuang would never have such poor taste!” After his surprise, he turned and glared fiercely at the mother and daughter. “Come in, come in!”

Wen Yao and Aunt Chun’s faces could hardly be described as merely unpleasant—they looked as if they’d been dipped in a vat of ink.

When Wen Fan Hai learned Ji Shen was a police officer, his attitude improved even more. These days, elders favored civil servants—a stable job, something to boast about. And being a police officer meant passing rigorous screening and national political checks.

That surely meant a spotless family record and excellent character!

Aunt Chun had expected Wen Shuang to bring home an old man, and anticipated Wen Fan Hai wouldn’t eat well, so she hadn’t bothered to prepare anything special.

Everything was hastily put together.

Wen Fan Hai scolded her angrily, “After all your work this morning, this is what you serve? You’ll have the son-in-law laughing at us!”

Aunt Chun hadn’t been criticized by Wen Fan Hai in a long time. He’d been moved by her loyalty during his time in prison and had granted her every request lately.

She lowered her head. “Husband, it’s my fault. I’ll go buy more ingredients right away.”

Wen Fan Hai waved her off. “Forget it! By the time you finish cooking, the day will be gone! Let’s just order some proper dishes from a five-star restaurant.”

Ji Shen said politely, “Uncle, please don’t trouble yourself. Something simple is more than enough.”

But Wen Fan Hai liked his son-in-law more with every passing moment. “It’s your first time visiting, how can we be casual? Please, sit.”

He asked Wen Shuang and Ji Shen how they met.

Wen Shuang hesitated, and Ji Shen answered smoothly, “Shuang Shuang was living alone, and debt collectors broke in, attempting to harass her. She called the police, and I responded—that’s how we met.”

“Debt collectors? What debt collectors? And harassment?” Wen Fan Hai’s eyes widened. “Shuang Shuang, weren’t you living in a luxury apartment?”

Wen Shuang gave a bitter smile.

Ji Shen explained, “She was staying in a remote house in the northern suburbs, very isolated and unsafe. The debt collectors were chasing her over your debts.”

“Dad, after your company went bankrupt and you owed money, Aunt Chun and Yao Yao couldn’t handle the pressure and gave my number to the collectors. They vandalized my rented apartment and tried to…” Wen Shuang lowered her gaze. “Luckily, Officer Ji arrived in time.”

Ji Shen continued, “Shuang Shuang’s life was very hard then. To hire a lawyer for you, she taught at a training center during the day and performed at commercial events at night, only to face harassment from debt collectors in the middle of the night. From what I know, she contacted all your lawyers herself. Your wife and other daughter never lifted a finger.”

Aunt Chun and Wen Yao were pale as ghosts.

Wen Fan Hai had never known any of this. Since his release, Aunt Chun and Wen Yao had repeatedly claimed how hard their lives had been, insisting Wen Shuang was living in luxury and refused to help them.

He slammed the table, shouting Aunt Chun’s name, demanding the truth.

Aunt Chun stammered, unable to answer.

Wen Fan Hai’s rage boiled over. “You always told me how hard you and Yao Yao had it, how Shuang Shuang abandoned you, and claimed she was seeing some married old man! I blamed Shuang Shuang all this time—how wicked you two are!”

Aunt Chun was terrified. “No, Ah Hai! Yao Yao and I never gave up on you. We tried to pull strings, but we were insignificant, so no one paid attention to us…”

Wen Shuang sneered, “Now you claim you sought help? Then tell us exactly who you approached. When the Wen family rises again, if those people come asking for favors, we’ll see clearly who is friend and who is foe.”

Aunt Chun’s eyes darted evasively. “So much time has passed…I can’t recall now.”

“Then check your call records.”

“I changed phones recently—there are no records left.”

Wen Shuang raised her brows, her expression saying ‘Who are you trying to fool?’

“Aunt Chun, stop pretending! Back then, you and Wen Yao spent every day figuring out how to get divorced for the largest share of the family assets, and how to squeeze me dry. You claim I blocked you, but never mention why. You and Wen Yao, both able-bodied, lay around all day and demanded money from me. And I wasn’t spending it on myself—it was for Dad’s lawyer! I still have proof from the lawyer. If you don’t believe me, I’ll show it to you right now!”