"Weren't you just troubled because you didn't understand why Xiao Ming was helping you?"
After returning home from the hotel, Bai Xuechao pushed open Gu Xiangmeng's room door and saw the girl sitting on the bed with red eyes, so she asked, "Now that he has told you, why do you seem even less happy?"
Gu Xiangmeng pouted, "Who is he to me? What right does he have to arrange my future just because he's rich?"
"If you really don't want it, then I'll go and speak for you. I believe he certainly won't insist on forcing you, and he won't ask you to pay back the money."
"Don't!" Gu Xiangmeng exclaimed subconsciously.
Bai Xuechao turned around, her face a mix of a smile and not.
Realizing she had been teased, Gu Xiangmeng pouted, "Bai, you're teasing me too."
"How can it be 'too'? Mr. Xiao certainly hasn't bullied you, has he!"
Gu Xiangmeng lowered her head and said no more.
Bai Xuechao sighed softly, sat down beside her, and said, "Silly girl, he has a wife, and their child will be born soon, which you know very well."
Gu Xiangmeng's head dropped even lower.
"You don't care, do you?"
Gu Xiangmeng's tears began to fall, "The way he is mean to me while also helping me, it's just like my sister.
I used to despise men who cheat and women who seduce married men, but when I thought he was treating me that way because he had taken a fancy to me, I felt no disgust at all, only fear and happiness.
Sis, am I a bad woman?"
Bai Xuechao laughed, "What are you talking about? Don't be silly.
Every young girl likes to dream impossible dreams, and Xiao Ming is so outstanding and mysterious, domineering yet attentive, and not bad looking either. It's not just you; even I'm a bit tempted."
Gu Xiangmeng abruptly looked up, "Bai, you..."
"Let me finish."
Tapping her on the forehead, Bai Xuechao continued, "Being tempted is one thing; whether to act on it is another. In this life, we'll like many things, but it's not possible to have every one of them.
To mature is to understand this.
Of course, you're still young, and I won't demand that you give up, but I hope you can calm down and think carefully, to consider whether you want to commit without looking back and whether you can bear the pain and cost that comes with it.
Whatever decision you make in the end, I will support you.
However, just like finding a beautiful woman, getting a good man is extremely difficult. Prepare yourself mentally."
Gu Xiangmeng fell silent again, and Bai Xuechao said no more, patted her head, and left the room.
Soon after, Liu Jianqiang came to report to her the minor incident of Ma Biao trying to rob Xiao Ming.
Initially, she was furious at Ma Biao for taking advantage of her, but when she heard that Xiao Ming had eventually threatened Ma Biao with cutting out his tongue, all her anger vanished in an instant.
Was he... jealous?
Clearly, Bai Xuechao had thought too highly of herself.
The hardest things for people to control are their emotions and desires. It takes great wisdom to be tempted without acting, and she was still far from attaining such wisdom.
In the evening, Xiao Ming received a call from Jiang Xue, asking if he had someone beat up Jiang Lei.
Xiao Ming said, "Today indeed a few people came looking for me, telling me to transfer the house to your name and then divorce you."
"What? Are you alright?"
Jiang Xue's worried tone pleased Xiao Ming greatly, who said with a laugh, "Don't worry, those people were quite reasonable. I told them I love you very much, that our relationship is very good, and there's no possibility of divorce, then they left. As for Lei being beaten, my advice is to call the police."
Hearing this, Jiang Xue felt entirely relieved.
She had been skeptical about her mother's accusations and had called Xiao Ming only to confirm it. Now, hearing his suggestion to call the police, it was even less likely for her to doubt him.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Xue went upstairs to knock on the door of her mother's house.
Zhou Aifeng, upon seeing her, roughly dragged her into the room.
"You ungrateful wretch, you still know to come here? Look at your brother; see what that bastard Xiao has done to him!
If you don't divorce him soon, don't call me mother anymore. I don't have a daughter as cruel and heartless as you!"
"Why speak so harshly? It's not Xue's fault."
Jiang Yonghan, Jiang Xue's father, looked at his wife displeased, and said gently to Jiang Xue, "My dear, your mother's just speaking out of anger. Don't take it to heart."
"I understand, don't worry, Dad."
Jiang Xue gave a bitter smile and turned to her bruised brother, "Lei, was it really Xiao Ming who had someone beat you up?"
"If not him, then who else?"
Before Jiang Lei could reply, Zhou Aifeng jumped in, "At this point, you're still speaking for him? Has your conscience been eaten by a dog?"
With tears and rage held back, Jiang Xue pulled out her phone, "Fine! Since you all are convinced Xiao Ming did it, let's call the police and get him arrested."
"No police!"
Jiang Lei shouted loudly, and Zhou Aifeng quickly grabbed the phone.
Jiang Xue laughed coldly, "Why can't we call the police? If Xiao Ming gets sent to jail, it would be a good chance for me to divorce him. Isn't that exactly what you're hoping for?"
"Yeah! Why can't we call the police?" Jiang Yonghan asked puzzledly.