Chapter 394: Manipulation Not Wrong

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Mom,” Li Manni called out obediently.

Song Wan took a look at her and pulled her in immediately. She was nagging slightly, but it was more out of worry than anything else.

“Why are you out here? Where’s Ah Lui? You’re not on your own now. You have to take good care of the little one inside you, our family’s precious grandson. Don’t let anything happen to him.” Song Wan stood up restlessly, fearing that something bad might happen to her grandchild. They had looked forward to this child for four years. It was arduous and precious. Her son was almost at the risky age of 30 and had finally produced an egg. Of course, she was careful. If something happened before it even became a person, she wouldn’t be able to take it.

“Mom, I’m fine. Ah Lui is at work. I’m alright alone. It’s just walking around, so it shouldn’t affect much.” Li Manni sat down obediently. A daughter-in-law like her really was not blameworthy. Song Wan wasn’t a difficult person, and their house didn’t have that many rules. She and Chu Jiang had built their family and estate from scratch, and so they did not have much of a status. Otherwise, they would not have agreed so readily when Li Manni entered their family register. Technically speaking, the Li family was considered a small business, too. Even though they had a company, all they did were small businesses, and it wasn’t very famous. At that time, the Chu Empire was already an emerging company with many other branches.

Song Wan’s criterion for a daughter-in-law was simple: as long as she could spend the rest of her life with their son. He was just too unsociable. She knew that very well as she was the one who gave birth to him, and so she wouldn’t ask too much of her daughter-in-law. Song Wan did like Li Manni much more than Xia Ruoxin, and indeed, the married couple did not appear to have any problems either. It was just that they didn’t have a child, but now, finally, her precious grandchild is coming.

Li Manni handed her a cup. She was frowning slightly and seemed tired even when she was smiling. At this age, some things were obvious to her.

“Manni, tell me, what’s wrong?” Song Wan held Li Manni’s hand tightly, worried about her and the baby in her womb. A mother’s emotions affect the child.

“Mom, I’m alright.” Li Manni smiled. Even though she denied it, the miserable look on her face can’t help but make people think otherwise.

“Really?” Song Wan asked sternly. “Tell me what’s wrong. Did Ah Lui bully you? If that’s the case, tell me, and I’ll teach him a lesson.”

Chu Lui had always been self-centered and had no regard for anyone. He was wild, but he had an enormous amount of money. If there was anyone in the world who could beat him up and get away scot-free and unscathed, it would be Song Wan.

Li Manni’s lips parted and closed as if she was about to speak, and then her eyes reddened. Song Wan became more anxious.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. What if it affects your baby?” She could not bear to lose her grandson again after finally having one. She still hadn’t recovered from losing the previous one. If she lost this one again, it would cost her her life.

“Mom…” Li Manni hugged Song Wan out of the blue and started sobbing like she had been through a huge grievance.

“Mom, why? Why did she return? I know I did her wrong, but I’m married to Lui now, and we have a child. Can’t she just let me go, let me and my child go?”

Song Wan didn’t understand what she meant at first, about a ‘her’ and ‘return’ and ‘sorry’. However, very soon, she caught onto her meaning. It was about Xia Ruoxin?

However, that child, Xia Ruoxin, didn’t seem like a bad person so how could she be pestering Ah Lui?

Song Wan wasn’t a woman with no brains and would set other’s sins in stone with just a few words. She had her own opinions and thoughts so Li Manni also stopped then. It was just that her wry smile looked forced, making Song Wan feel bad and uneasy.

When she left Chu Lui’s little villa, Song Wan went to look for Chu Jiang. The words spilled from her mouth like beans as she told Chu Jiang the situation. Chu Jiang listened with a frown, his brows knitting together.

“Do you think Ah Lui…?”

Song Wan was worried about her son. He was so stubborn that it scared her sometimes, and he was also too ruthless at times—without leaving himself a way out. If he wasn’t so merciless at that time, things wouldn’t have become this way now where he had involved himself with an innocent child who bore through his unnecessary revenge. When he was done with revenge, he found out that he didn’t need it in the first place. It wasn’t an act, and there were no scenes they could replay. What was done was done. They couldn’t go back anymore.

She was really scared that her son’s heart would waver again, and he would cause a huge fuss yet again.

Their lives were just getting better, and they couldn’t stand anymore of this mess.

“Don’t you understand him well?” Chu Jiang harrumphed. “Bold, merciless, calculative. And now look what he got himself into. He’s to blame.”

“But I’m worried about Manni. She’s in a low mood, and it’s going to cause our grandchild grievance.” Song Wan was only worried about her grandchild.

“Don’t worry. Our daughter-in-law won’t let herself be treated wrongfully, much less say let anything happen to the baby.” Chu Jiang comforted his wife. His eyes were comparable to Chu Lui’s, and they were filled with maturity and knew the ways of the world.

Song Wan might not be able to tell Li Manni’s true intentions, but Chu Jiang was very clear that Li Manni was using Song Wan as a pawn. He didn’t expose her, for these problems were all caused by their son. They had to take most of the responsibility somehow.

Also, Li Manni wasn’t that manipulative. If she had manipulated even Song Wan, he wouldn’t let her off so easily, much less say Chu Lui.

He believed it was better to keep harmony within the family. He didn’t want his son to go through another divorce, no matter what. Neither he nor the Chu family could afford to lose this face.

Song Wan mulled over it for a few days before deciding to meet Xia Ruoxin. She just wanted to confirm with her own eyes whether Xia Ruoxin was still the same or if she had changed. It didn’t matter what she thought… as long as she stopped disrupting the peace of their family.