Finally, it was out!
The heavy stone weighing on Wang Jianhua’s chest was lifted – he felt so relieved!
Ran Shuyu’s eyes widened, and even Wang Guangping was taken aback.
“…You were with Xia Xiaolan?”
Ran Shuyu recalled the first time she saw that girl – even she was stunned. If the words “Hua Qing University” hadn’t stood as a backdrop behind Xia Xiaolan, she would have been just a little enchantress. Ran Shuyu didn’t like enchantresses, but men did, especially young ones who couldn’t resist a beckoning finger!
To have been with Xia Xiaolan and then choose Xia Ziyu – Ran Shuyu couldn’t comprehend this choice. Xia Ziyu wasn’t ugly but placed next to Xia Xiaolan with her thick brows and large eyes, the difference was stark.
Thick brows and large eyes suggested vigor, yet Xia Ziyu spoke in such a delicate manner, lacking cheerfulness. In Ran Shuyu’s opinion, Xia Ziyu seemed affected.
Had his eyes gone crooked?
Ran Shuyu couldn’t understand her son’s choice.
Picking someone less attractive and less accomplished – rejecting a sweet melon for a bland one?
“Wait, you haven’t explained clearly. You were with Xia Xiaolan first, then Xia Ziyu, so of course Xia Xiaolan would be upset… But why does Xia Ziyu get so strange about mentioning her cousin?”
Wang Guangping hadn’t expected there to be such a backstory.
His life wasn’t going smoothly, and he was dissatisfied with everything, especially Xia Ziyu. He sat in his chair, listening silently.
Ran Shuyu wasn’t easily fooled. Wang Jianhua hesitated:
“When Ziyu and I got into university, Xia Xiaolan had just finished middle school and was farming at home. Nobody expected her to become the top scorer in the college entrance exam a year later…”
That wasn’t necessarily a wrong choice, given the circumstances at the time, Wang Guangping silently evaluated. Xia Ziyu had seemed more suitable then.
Jianhua hadn’t chosen wrong – he just couldn’t see beyond the present, lacking the vision to recognize someone’s true potential. Wang Guangping was disappointed but knew he couldn’t blame his son. Those precious years wasted in the countryside, surrounded by manure-carrying farmers and dark-skinned village women, had left Wang Jianhua without peers for meaningful exchange – naturally his judgment was lacking!
Wang Jianhua spoke vaguely, but his parents weren’t fools.
Ran Shuyu felt that if they didn’t get to the bottom of this, it might cause endless troubles for the Wang family.
“Did Xia Ziyu use some tricks?”
It wouldn’t have been easy to snatch Wang Jianhua from Xia Xiaolan – even if she hadn’t shown her potential then, she was at least a beautiful ornament.
Wang Jianhua’s ears reddened. “Ziyu didn’t use any tricks. We found each other late but shared the same ideals!”
Ran Shuyu wanted to spit in disgust – what shared ideals? It was more likely deliberate pandering.
Ran Shuyu didn’t believe a village girl could share her son’s aspirations. She had her suspicions, and now, based on Wang Jianhua’s attitude, she was certain. She suspected Xia Ziyu had shamelessly seduced Jianhua – young people with strong urges couldn’t resist temptation, and once he’d tasted a woman’s flavor, of course, he was trapped by Xia Ziyu.
Ran Shuyu believed she’d guessed the truth.
Xia Ziyu had given up her chastity to push out Xia Xiaolan. Xia Xiaolan, being proud and arrogant, probably couldn’t accept this, so she took the college entrance exam and followed them to Beijing. She even competed in finding a partner, choosing the Zhou family’s son… Ran Shuyu’s mind quickly filled in the gaps. Xia Xiaolan was clever and deep.
Neither of the Xia sisters was simple!
“No, you’re still hiding something. Jianhua, you need to come clean with your father and me. If they come looking for trouble, we at least need to be prepared, right?”
They weren’t afraid of a village girl coming to make trouble.
A Hua Qing University student sounded impressive, but with Wang Guangping working in the Higher Education Department, he could handle any student – there was nothing to fear.
But since Xia Xiaolan had connected with the Zhou family, Ran Shuyu couldn’t underestimate her.
Wang Jianhua hesitantly explained about Xia Xiaolan being harassed by village hooligans, how he firmly drew a line between them, and his journey to Beijing with Xia Ziyu.
“I don’t know much else, but later I heard the village gossip was particularly nasty, and Xia Xiaolan even attempted suicide by running into a wall.”
This was what Wang Jianhua felt most guilty about. He believed his “tolerance” of Xia Xiaolan was all because of her suicide attempt.
Later, when Xia Xiaolan’s personality changed dramatically and publicly disrespected him, Wang Jianhua believed he had shown great patience.
At that time, he could have spoken up to defend Xia Xiaolan. He knew clearly whether the village hooligan Zhang Erlai had touched her or not. It was just a torn sleeve, but the subsequent rumors grew beyond Wang Jianhua’s imagination.
There had been signs, but Wang Jianhua felt too guilty to face Xia Xiaolan and was eager to leave Dahe Village, that cursed place, to start a new life in Beijing with Xia Ziyu. He’d left Xia Xiaolan alone in the whirlwind of public opinion.
Even Wang Guangping’s gaze changed.
“Jianhua, you’ve disappointed me.”
There had been better ways to resolve this, yet he chose the stupidest option.
It must have been that fool Xia Ziyu’s influence – snatching someone’s man without dealing with the aftermath, and now they were being pursued.
“Did you and Xia Xiaolan…”
“No!”
Wang Jianhua had only held her hand once. Xia Xiaolan was very shy and wouldn’t let him touch her.
Her beauty was overwhelming, and Wang Jianhua hadn’t dared to take liberties.
Wang Jianhua felt his mother seemed somewhat disappointed. Wang Guangping coughed dryly: “Jianhua, this is a hidden danger for the Wang family. A female student might not have much power herself, but we can’t underestimate her future in-laws… You’ve been dragged down by Xia Ziyu in this matter. Think about what you should do, and what our family should do.”
Wang Jianhua carefully considered his father’s words.
Ran Shuyu blurted out:
“Just prevent her from marrying into the Zhou family!”
Father and son both turned to look at her. Ran Shuyu’s face flushed: “If others can’t do it, can’t you? The Zhou family likes her, surely not for her background – her education is her only asset. Without her Hua Qing student status… if the Zhou family heard about her past rumors, wouldn’t they have to consider their family’s reputation? Guangping, just thinking about how this girl came to Beijing to make Jianhua uncomfortable makes me anxious.”
It would be laughable if a vice director of the Higher Education Department couldn’t handle a university student.
But when asked to deal with a female university student, Wang Guangping unusually didn’t immediately agree.
How absurd!
Did he still care about his position?
…
“Auntie Guan, I’ve told you everything.”
This was a burden she couldn’t avoid carrying.
Even though it was “Xia Xiaolan’s” past, she had never intended to hide it. One lie always needs more lies to cover it up, and an honest villain is more trustworthy than a hypocritical gentleman. Now that she’d spoken, Guan Huie might have rejected her more – she could have used the excuse that Guan Huie hadn’t asked before, but now that Guan Huie had asked about Xia Dajun, Xia Xiaolan needed to explain everything from the beginning.
There had to be a reason for her aversion to the Xia family, even refusing to acknowledge her birth father, right?
Guan Huie’s face was expressionless, and Xia Xiaolan couldn’t guess her thoughts. Perhaps because they’d been getting along well recently, the usually carefree Xia Xiaolan now seemed to be waiting for a “verdict.”