Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Yehua made fun of her, saying, “Look at your beautiful legs. You should wear tight pants, they would look good. Come, let me have a look at your closet.”

As she said this, she turned around to open the closet door.

While she looked through Qiao Lian’s casual clothes, she shook her head and said, “A girl should have pretty dresses. We’ll go shopping one of these days, I’ll buy you some!”

Then, she glanced at Qiao Lian’s bag and continued, “This bag… We’ll get Liangchuan to buy you a bag. He has money. Not too long ago, Yuanxi and I bought two bags worth 200 000 each and we charged it to his card. He didn’t even say anything. You’re his wife and you need to learn how to spend his money boldly!”

Qiao Lian felt a little embarrassed by Xia Yehua’s comments.

Was that her mother-in-law speaking?

That was his Mom.

Would a mother do this to her own son?

Not only had she and Song Yuanxi spent his money, now she was encouraging Qiao Lian to spend his money.

As she had these thoughts, Qiao Lian suddenly froze and looked up. “Mom, you said… Yuanxi’s 200 000 bag was paid for by Shen Liangchuan?”

Surprised by the question, Xia Yehua replied, “That’s right.”

Qiao Lian looked at her with an expression of disbelief. “So did Shen Liangchuan know about it?”

Xia Yehua laughed. “Of course he did. I even called him as we were making the purchase!”

Seeing that Qiao Lian looked rather out-of-sorts, she anxiously explained, “Yuanxi has just graduated and is about to step into the entertainment industry. You know how things are in that world… people notice the bags you carry. Normally she isn’t that extravagant…”

Qiao Lian did not hear a word of Xia Yehua’s explanation.

She was trying to recall something when Shen Liangchuan’s words flashed through her mind…

“She bought a bag recently that cost her 200 000.”

She had spent 200 000, but the money was his.

So why had he said this in a way that misled her and let Song Yuanxi off the hook?

Then she realized… in the beginning, he had appeared quite honest, saying that before he had given her the birth control drug, he had had it checked by a specialist. However, later he had sang a different tune, saying that there was something wrong with the drug formula.

These episodes came to her one by one, now causing a freezing chill to run down her spine.

She took deep breaths as she widened her eyes in horror.

She had thought she knew him, but now he suddenly felt distant.

This was like a replay of what had happened eight years ago…

When her parents had perished in the fire, Xiao Yi’s leg got injured and he needed an operation. The so-called relatives smiled with sympathy, but behind her back, they were scheming… and she felt the same way now.

She couldn’t help but tremble.

Terror, betrayal, anger and sorrow came to her all at once. She no longer knew where she stood in this world.

“Xiao Qiao… Xiao Qiao? What’s wrong?” Xia Yehua’s voice gradually pulled her back from the shadows of the past.

She snapped back to the present. Xia Yehua was gripping her hand and looking at her anxiously.

Qiao Lian’s mind was a complete blank, but she managed to squeeze a weak smile. She replied, “Mom, I’m fine.”

Xia Yehua frowned deeply. “Are you really ok?”

Qiao Lian nodded.

Then she knitted her brows as though suddenly remembering something. She put on her trousers and headed to the door. “Mom, I’m going out for a short while.”

She had few doubts about where Shen Liangchuan had just gone to.

She was quite sure he had gone to look for Song Yuanxi!