"Mom, where's Dad? Is he feeling any better?" Jiang Xue asked anxiously as she entered the house.
"Your father is fine; he went out for a walk," Zhou Aifeng said calmly.
"A walk?" Jiang Xue immediately became frantic. "He was dizzy today, how could you let him go out alone? It's dark and dangerous outside, what if he falls or bumps into something?"
As she spoke, she turned to leave, but Zhou Aifeng quickly grabbed her.
"What are you panicking for? I told you your father is fine, and he is fine. Do you take my words for the wind blowing past your ears?"
"No. Mom, I didn't mean it like that, it's just that Dad... he..."
"I get it, you only care about your father, not me. Fine then, get out and don't call me mom."
Jiang Xue almost choked with frustration at her words. After hesitating for a moment, she ultimately sighed and walked inside the house.
"Where's Lei? Did he go out drinking with friends again?"
"Do you think everyone is as hopeless as your useless husband?" Zhou Aifeng snorted, "He... he's with your father!"
Jiang Xue's worries were immediately alleviated. Although her brother was not very good at taking care of others, having someone with their father meant she didn't have to worry too much.
As for her mother's curses toward her husband, Jiang Xue had become so accustomed to them over the years that her ears had grown calluses.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? It just so happens I haven't either, let's have dinner together, just the two of us."
Zhou Aifeng turned and walked towards the kitchen, casually saying, "There's juice on the coffee table if you're thirsty."
Jiang Xue was stunned.
How many years had it been since she had seen such a considerate mother?
Upon further reflection, she realized it had never happened.
Surprised but even more moved, her nose tingled with emotion, thinking that just like her husband, her mother had also changed. She completely forgot the reminder Xiao Ming had given her.
"Mom, you rest. I'll just carry the dishes," she said.
She followed into the kitchen and took the tray from Zhou Aifeng's hands.
"Have you had any juice?"
"Not yet."
Zhou Aifeng's face darkened and she turned to leave. "Then you serve it. Be quick, and don't fumble around."
Unaware of anything unusual, Jiang Xue took the dishes from under the fly-shield and fetched the steamed buns from the pot, then carried everything back to the living room.
"It's been a long time since I've eaten your cooking, Mom. Your skills are just as good as they used to be. I'm not up to par, no matter how much I try, the taste just isn't right."
After eating a few bites, she started to dish out compliments, trying to find a topic of conversation, but Zhou Aifeng merely responded with a simple "Hmm," then pushed the juice closer to her.
"I didn't make porridge, so drink more of this."
Jiang Xue smiled bitterly to herself.
It was rare for her mother to show concern, but the purchased juice happened to be the peach flavor she hated most.
Ever since she was little, she had disliked peaches, let alone this obviously artificially flavored inferior juice. The smell alone made her feel queasy.
It was laughable and sad that a mother didn't even know her daughter's preferences.
She wanted to speak out but feared hurting her mother's feelings. Yet, if she forced herself to drink it, she wouldn't be able to eat her meal.
After thinking it over, Jiang Xue said, "Thanks, Mom! But I need to save room for your dishes first, I'll drink it after the meal."
Zhou Aifeng's eyes twitched violently, but she couldn't insist further and could only nod her head and focus on eating with a stern face.
Meanwhile, in a downtown bar, three stylishly dressed middle-aged women were clinking glasses, occasionally glancing at the young men around them, whispering among themselves and then bursting into laughter.
"That's enough flirting, Ruifeng, didn't you have a juicy story to tell us?" said one of the women, with corn curls perched on her head.
"Right, the medicine you asked me to get for you, was it really meant for a mother to use on her own daughter?" asked another wealthy lady, with a pearl necklace draped around her neck.
Ruifeng was indeed Zhou Aifeng's sister, Jiang Xue's second aunt, Zhou Ruifeng.
Her face lit up with excitement as she nodded vigorously and whispered, "And she used it secretly, too. The daughter had no clue, thinking her mother had suddenly grown a conscience and was just cooking for her!"
"A real mother?" Cormorant Eyebrows was shocked, her brows arching sky-high, "What kind of mother could be so cruel? I don't believe it."
Pearl Necklace nodded in agreement, "Even a tigress doesn't eat her cubs, I don't buy it either."
"It's absolutely true, without the slightest exaggeration!"
Zhou Ruifeng raised three fingers in an oath and continued, "That mother is my blood sister, and the niece who is supposed to get an abortion is my own flesh and blood; could there be any falsehood in something this close to home?"
Cormorant Eyebrows gasped, "Your sister is just... inhuman."
"Worse than beasts!" Pearl Necklace chimed in.
Although Zhou Ruifeng looked down on her sister Zhou Aifeng, after all, they shared the same mother. If her sister was inhuman, what did that make her as a sister?
So she curled her lips and said, "That's because you don't understand the situation. As excessive as my sister's actions were, she did them out of helplessness.
You don't know, but my niece's husband is a notorious good-for-nothing and gambling addict, living entirely off his wife.
My niece herself isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, spun around by her husband's lies. It's bad enough outsiders can't persuade her, but she's even foolishly gotten pregnant.
Tell me, isn't that just throwing her life away into a pit of fire?
My sister has tried every approach, using kind and harsh words alike, but out of desperation when there was no other way, she had to resort to such despicable measures."
Upon hearing this, Cormorant Eyebrows and Pearl Necklace exchanged a glance and nodded together, "If that's the case, although it's harsh to kill your own grandchild, it's somewhat understandable."
"Right?"
Feeling vindicated, Zhou Ruifeng beamed with joy, "After all, it's flesh from one's own body. Even the harshest mother is closer than any outsider.
But that said, my sister is too useless.
If it were me, I would never have the heart to harm my own daughter. I would have someone break all three of Xiao Ming's legs long before any pregnancy mess..."
Before she could finish, Pearl Necklace suddenly stood up, eyes bulging with shock.
"What was that? Break whose legs?"
Zhou Ruifeng was confused, "Xiao Ming! My sister's son-in-law."
Pearl Necklace's hands started shaking, "Your niece, is her name... Jiang Xue?"
"Yes, that's right! Liu, you know her?"
"I know your grandmother's X!" Pearl Necklace suddenly erupted into curses, "Zhou Ruifeng, you're a damn disgrace, and you even dragged me down with you. Do you believe I would close down your beauty salon right now, leaving your entire family to beg in the streets?"
Zhou Ruifeng was both startled and puzzled, "Liu... Sister Liu, what's gotten into you? Have I done something to offend you?"
"Right! Sister Liu, why would you suddenly get this mad?" Cormorant Eyebrows also asked.
"Mad? I'm f***ing livid enough to commit murder!"
Pearl Necklace's fury grew, "Do you guys have any idea who Xiao Ming is?
He's best buddies with the heir of Qianshan Group, the man who saved our hospital from disaster with just a word and easily helped my son make tens of millions. We're talking about a tycoon worth billions!
Dachuan just texted me that Xiao Ming is at a party held by the Canghai Group big boss right now, a gathering even my husband hasn't received an invitation to!
Zhou Ruifeng, I thought you wanted that abortion drug because you were itching for trouble yourself, but it turns out you were setting me up.
You're a ridiculously treacherous bitch! You better pray to all the gods that Xiao Ming's child remains unharmed.
Otherwise, I will make sure you pay with your life!"