"Honestly, you make such foolish mistakes. You’ve torn a perfectly good family to pieces. I don’t even know what to say to you." Mr. Xie looked at Jie Jingwei with bitter disappointment.
"Dad, I’m the victim," Jie Jingwei said, feeling more wronged than anyone in history. Lin Yaru had intended to drug Jie Jingchen, but he had somehow taken it by mistake, and that’s how he and Lin Yaru ended up together.
He hadn’t wanted a divorce, but the Lin family refused to let him off the hook. They even threatened him, forcing him to divorce his wife and marry Lin Yaru.
So, he married her. But the problem was, Lin Yaru’s heart was still set on Jie Jingchen. Even now, pregnant with his child, she hadn’t given up on his brother.
Jie Jingwei had a sinking feeling that sooner or later, Lin Yaru would cheat on him.
"If you *weren’t* the victim, you wouldn’t be standing here unscathed right now." Mr. Xie’s sharp brows furrowed.
Jie Jingwei was silent. A hint of worry crept onto Mr. Xie’s stern face. "Are you sure the Xu family won’t show up and cause a scene at the banquet the day after tomorrow?"
"They won’t." A vicious glint appeared in Jie Jingwei’s deep-set eyes. He had made it crystal clear to Xu Chunyan: if she dared to bring her family and cause a scene, he wouldn’t show any mercy just because she was Xiao You’s mother. He would make the Xu family regret it.
The Xu Family was a shadow of its former self. He didn’t need his father’s help to deal with them; he could destroy them easily on his own.
"Don’t disappoint me." Mr. Xie patted Jie Jingwei’s shoulder. Every father hopes their children will achieve greatness.
"Dad, don’t worry. I promise I won’t let you down," Jie Jingwei assured him. Mr. Xie smiled in satisfaction and turned to leave, but Jie Jingwei called out to him. "Dad."
"Is there something else?" Mr. Xie gave Jie Jingwei a kind smile.
Jie Jingwei hesitated for a few seconds, then took a deep breath as if to muster his courage, and said, "Dad, about the Lin family... I mean, when are you going to have Second Uncle’s family move back into the house they were assigned?"
"What do you mean by that?" The kindness on Mr. Xie’s face vanished, replaced by a dark scowl.
"The house the factory assigned me only has two rooms," Jie Jingwei explained. "Yaru and I will take one, and Xiao You will have the other. Where are my father-in-law and mother-in-law supposed to live?"
"Your in-laws have their own house," Mr. Xie said.
"Dad, Yaru is pregnant. She’s not far along now, so she doesn’t need help. But when she is, she’ll need someone to take care of her. And after the baby is born? I have to work, and Yaru will have to work, too. Who’s going to look after the baby? And what about Xiao You? Who’s going to look after Xiao You?" Jie Jingwei bombarded his father with questions, leaving him dizzy.
Mr. Xie’s brows knitted together as he fell into deep thought.
Jie Jingwei decided to strike while the iron was hot. "Or are you expecting Aunt Qiao to look after them?"
"Out of the question," Mr. Xie blurted out. Realizing he had spoken too harshly, he softened his tone. "Your Aunt Qiao has a job."
"Dad, you know perfectly well that Aunt Qiao doesn’t need to work. Even without relying on the Qiao Family, you’re capable of giving her a life of luxury." Jie Jingwei was laying the flattery on thick, trying to back his father into a corner.
Mr. Xie’s mouth twitched. ’Yan Qiu is a big spender. The money I make is just enough to cover her basic needs, not nearly enough for her to live extravagantly.’
Mr. Xie cleared his throat and said, "Your Aunt Qiao loves her job. She doesn’t work for the money, it’s... In any case, she is only your stepmother, not your real mother. She already has a problem with your wife. Why would she give up a job she loves to help you two look after your kids?"
’She wouldn’t quit her job even for Jing Si’s or Jing Wu’s wives. To put it bluntly, she’s not the type to wait on people or care for them.’
"Exactly, so I’m not expecting anything from Aunt Qiao," Jie Jingwei said, pausing for a moment before adding, "I’m just following our third brother’s example and having my mother-in-law help with the children."
"If you’re going to follow his example, then do it properly. Your third brother doesn’t live with his mother-in-law." Mr. Xie’s implication was clear: Jie Jingwei’s mother-in-law could care for the baby at her own home, and he could conveniently visit them there.
"Dad, don’t you think my situation is different from his?" Jie Jingwei asked. "The Shen Family has no sons, only two daughters. The Lin Family has both a son and a daughter."
"The Lin family’s son is a sent-down youth," Mr. Xie pointed out.
Jie Jingwei thought about his mother-in-law constantly hounding him to find a way to get her son—the sent-down youth—transferred back to the city. ’What am I supposed to do?’ he thought. ’She just wants me to ask Dad for help.’
"Dad, let’s not talk about that. My situation is different. This is my second marriage, and I already have a child. If my mother-in-law is at her house looking after my baby with Yaru, then what about Xiao You? Who’s going to look after Xiao You?" Jie Jingwei pressed.
"Yaru can do it," Mr. Xie replied. "Xiao You is older now; he isn’t much trouble. He just needs to be fed and housed. Yaru is his homeroom teacher. When she goes to work, he goes to school. When she gets off work, he gets out of school. That’s exactly how Xu Chunyan used to take care of him."