Chapter 91: Catching Them in the Act at the Hotel

Xu An'an's threat made Shen Ying's face grow even darker. She fixed a fierce gaze on Xu An'an, yet Xu Wanwan was still throwing a fit beside her.

Xu Wanwan could hardly bear to watch, shouting that she wanted to teach Xu An'an a lesson.

"Xu An'an, you’re just a dog of our family!"

"And now you dare bark at your masters? Believe it or not, I could have you beaten to death right now! Mother, get the whip and kill her!"

With that, she rushed off to grab the bamboo cane.

Recalling every time Xu An'an had knelt there, being beaten by Shen Ying, Xu Wanwan’s blood boiled with excitement; she wished she could do it herself.

Seeing Shen Ying hesitate, Xu Wanwan decided to take matters into her own hands.

But in the next second, Xu An'an snatched the cane from her and lashed it hard across Xu Wanwan!

A piercing scream, like a pig being slaughtered, rang out from the dining room.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, one could see Xu An'an chasing Xu Wanwan around with the bamboo cane, while Shen Ying, trying to shield her daughter, was struck several times herself.

Only when she was thoroughly exhausted did Xu An'an finally stop.

Mother and daughter collapsed together, wailing.

Had Shen Ying looked closely, she would have been stunned—every strike Xu An'an landed was measured and precise, leaving not a single bruise.

It turned out Xu An'an had remembered every time Shen Ying had beaten her with the cane. Now, she was putting that knowledge to good use.

"I didn't want to use force, but since Xu Wanwan insists on courting disaster, I can only oblige her," Xu An'an said, rubbing her wrist.

Knowing Xu An'an was not to be trifled with now, Shen Ying ordered the servants to take Xu Wanwan upstairs to treat her wounds.

"It seems the force supporting you from behind is formidable," Shen Ying remarked.

"How could it not be? Without anyone noticing, they saved my mother from dire straits—and you remain utterly clueless."

"So why have you come tonight? What do you want?"

"Give me the medicine," Xu An'an said bluntly, holding out her hand.

Realizing her intent, a glint of cunning flashed in Shen Ying’s eyes; she felt she had regained some leverage, though not as much as before.

She attempted to coax Xu An'an into naming her mysterious benefactor.

"Surely there's nothing you can't reveal about this?"

"Someone as insignificant as you isn't qualified to know," Xu An'an replied with confidence, her tone steely. "And let me give you some advice: don't go digging, lest you die a meaningless death."

If Xu An'an's mother hadn’t been secretly relocated, Shen Ying would have dismissed Xu An'an’s bravado as mere posturing. Otherwise, why would Xu An'an still be wearing clothes worth only a few hundred yuan?

Though suspicion lingered in her heart, Shen Ying dared not act rashly.

"Fine, I can give you the medicine."

"And the full treatment plan, with a detailed list of ingredients," Xu An'an added.

These were closely guarded secrets that Shen Ying would never ordinarily relinquish, but now she had no choice but to agree. Later, she would carefully alter the documents before handing them over to Xu An'an.

...

After causing a scene at the Xu household, Xu An'an prepared to leave.

No sooner had she gotten into her car than Jiang Yu called.

Jiang Yu’s tone was commanding: "Do you have any idea what they're saying about Yue'er online? It’s all slander! You need to post a clarification right now!"

"Say that you and Yue'er are on good terms, and there’s nothing hostile between you."

Xu An'an found it laughable. "Yes, we're so close we can share the same man, isn't that right? Why not use this opportunity to announce your relationship with the two of you?"

Jiang Yu, exasperated, snapped, "Xu An'an, what’s wrong with you? You weren’t like this before!"

"And you weren’t like this before, either."

Every time she recalled her first meeting with Jiang Yu, Xu An'an felt as if a dream had spilled into reality—a young man in white appeared just when she needed help.

She could no longer remember his exact features, but Jiang Yu’s face had always seemed familiar. That was why she allowed him to draw near.

After a brief silence, Jiang Yu said, "If you’d just listen to me, I’d treat you as I always did. But you just insist on being unreasonable and suspicious. You’ve worn away all my feelings for you, and now you only annoy me more and more."

"You know perfectly well, I hate routine. I hate having anyone control my life."

He always said the same things; Xu An'an was tired of hearing them.

In the past, she would have tried to soothe Jiang Yu. Now, she only wanted to beat him.

"Of course, you’re never wrong—it’s the rest of the world that is."

"If you really like Ning Xiyue, then break off our engagement and go after her openly. I’d still respect you for being a man. But as you are now, wanting everything, it’s just disgusting!"

After giving Jiang Yu a piece of her mind, Xu An'an hung up.

She no longer feared Shen Ying—why would she be afraid of Jiang Yu? At worst, they could break off the engagement; she would not be the one to lose.

On the drive home, Xu An'an leaned against the car window.

Bored, she gazed out at the city streets, only to suddenly spot Tang Ze escorting a woman to a hotel entrance, even carrying her things with evident care.

But that was not the end of it—Tang Ze went into the hotel with the woman.

To make sure she wasn’t mistaken, Xu An'an called Xue Shengnan. "Shengnan, is your boyfriend around? I have some investment questions for him."

"He’s not. He’s been on a business trip out of town these days."

"A business trip? Is there any chance he might come back early?"

"That’s impossible. Tomorrow’s our first anniversary, and he still can’t make it—he’ll have to celebrate with me later," Xue Shengnan said, disappointment heavy in her voice.

Confirming that Tang Ze couldn’t possibly be back early, Xu An'an hung up—she needed to catch him in the act!

Only with undeniable evidence would Xue Shengnan believe her.

At the hotel entrance, Xu An'an realized Tang Ze had brought the woman to a seven-star hotel, but she was certain he hadn’t paid for the room himself.

She took out a photo of Tang Ze and asked the receptionist, "Excuse me, could you tell me which room this man just checked into?"

"I’m sorry, we can’t disclose guests’ information."

"He’s my brother-in-law and he’s here with another woman. My sister is completely in the dark—please, help me out!"

"Why don’t you call your sister over, or perhaps notify the police?"

"But—"

"Let her know," a gentle voice interjected.

Xu An'an turned, surprised.

It was Gu Yang, the owner of the hotel, who had come to review the quarterly reports and happened to see Xu An'an, so he stopped to say hello.

The receptionist quickly checked Tang Ze’s room number and gave it to Xu An'an.

Anticipating trouble, Xu An'an briefly explained the situation to Gu Yang, so he could prepare and minimize any potential loss.

Gu Yang understood. "Do as you see fit. I’ll handle whatever comes next."

Xu An'an hadn’t expected Gu Yang to be so accommodating—no doubt, for Old Master Gu’s sake. She resolved to visit him over the weekend for a game of chess and to bring some homemade cookies.

At the same time, she was planning to discuss a business deal with Old Master Gu.