Chapter 105: Life outside the country

The city was sprawling, with many buildings and skyscrapers.

Inside a large apartment in one of the condominium buildings, a crash sounded as a phone was thrown to the ground, its screen cracking on impact.

Liu Yan, the former matriarch of the Bai family, frowned when she heard this while she was busy inside the study.

The elderly woman had maintained her beauty and fitness well. Even at her age, she still looked quite beautiful, as if she was only around her forties.

The difference was that before, she used to wear elegant and dignified feminine clothes designed and tailored by the top artisans of the capital, but now she wore a corporate suit with slim slacks, preparing to go to her business.

Ever since Liu Yan, Bai Rouxi, and Tang Hongyi had been forced out of the country, their circumstances had changed drastically. The inheritance and monthly alimony that should have been substantial enough to support them without worry had been revoked by the Bai Patriarch, leaving them with only a one-time payment.

Liu Yan deeply regretted her impulsiveness.

What use was that one-time alimony when it amounted to less than half of what they should have received in a single year under the original arrangement?

But Liu Yan also knew that it was the last act of kindness from the Bai family, considering that they had once been part of it.

She could no longer expect anything from the Bai family.

Liu Yan had always been an intelligent woman. She knew how to use her beauty to her advantage and was skilled at putting on an act. The moment she realized how badly things had gone wrong, she took the one-time alimony and immediately flew overseas with her daughter and grandson.

She had spent the first part of her life scheming, then enjoyed years of dignity as the respectable madam of a prominent family, only for everything to be ruined by her daughter.

Naturally, she harbored a great deal of resentment.

But Bai Rouxi was her only daughter.

Oh, she was no longer Bai Rouxi. She was now Liu Rouxi, and Tang Hongyi had also become Lin Hongyi.

Pressing her brows, Liu Yan opened the door of the study and stepped out with an expressionless face.

Her daughter stood in the living room, her chest heaving with anger. She glared daggers at the broken phone on the floor, clearly furious.

Liu Yan glanced at it before slipping the papers in her hand into a document bag.

"That’s the fourth phone you’ve broken. I told you I wouldn’t give you another one if you broke it again."

"Mom!" Liu Rouxi’s eyes filled with tears. "The Bai family just won’t stop! We’ve already left the country, but they still won’t let me go."

"Did that little girl from the collateral branch send you something again?"

"Yes, and it’s about that Lin Feng. He’s back."

Liu Yan’s hand paused. Her eyes darkened, but she soon resumed what she was doing as if she hadn’t heard anything.

"Didn’t I tell you to block them? Why do you keep checking their messages? We’re no longer in the country. As long as you ignore them, they can’t harm you."

"How can I just let it go? It’s all because of that little bastard. You don’t know, Mom, he looks like he’s been living a good life. He even attended the Bai family’s funeral rites! How can the elders just let it go?"

"Liu Rouxi." Liu Yan’s voice carried a clear warning. "You’re no longer related to the Bai family. I believe I’ve already told you and Hongyi this. Don’t forget it if you don’t want to lose your life one day."

Liu Yan still remembered her ex-husband’s words. She knew him well and understood just how cruel he could be once he had made up his mind. She had already made one reckless mistake and had no intention of testing his limits again.

Especially now that the Bai family seemed to have inexplicable connections to the underworld.

That thought alone was enough to terrify her.

hearing her mother’s words, Liu Rouxi fell silent.

Of course she remembered. How could she forget?

The way her father looked at her had changed. His eyes no longer held the warmth of a father looking at his daughter. Instead, he regarded her as a complete stranger, even an enemy.

It broke her heart. How could she possibly accept it?

But Liu Rouxi was no longer part of the Bai family.

And it was all Lin Feng’s fault!

She collapsed onto the sofa and burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Having grown used to her daughter’s outbursts, Liu Yan continued preparing to leave for work.

Fortunately, she had always been careful with her own finances. Anticipating emergencies, she had secretly saved money in an overseas bank account. She had also made sure to take the jewelry, clothes, shoes, bags, and other belongings she had accumulated while living with the Bai family.

Her ex-husband hadn’t cared enough to stop her, as he had intended to throw those things away anyway. At the time, Liu Yan had felt humiliated by the circumstances that forced her to take everything with her. Now, however, she was glad she had.

The income from the few properties she rented out, which she had once considered insignificant, had become a substantial source of support.

She had also invested some of her savings in several businesses. Fortunately, she had learned quite a bit while accompanying the Bai Patriarch, allowing her to keep some of her shops running. Her employees handled the daily operations, leaving her to oversee the businesses and manage the accounts.

’To think that I have to worry about these things at my age,’ Liu Yan sighed.

As for her daughter, Liu Rouxi still hadn’t recovered from Lin Dong’s disappearance after he fled to escape his debts. Now, she spent every day crying.

And then there was her grandson...

Liu Yan glanced toward the hallway leading to his bedroom and sighed.