Chapter 150: Too Distant

Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Too Distant

Su Wan frowned. "Don’t tell me you want me to deal with my third brother? I really can’t control him. He’s an adult now. My parents and I can’t just tie him up, can we?"

"To be honest, my third brother is really not a good match for anyone. Whoever marries him would just be unlucky."

Huang Qing was left speechless by her blunt honesty.

"Wanwan, please just help me. Zhao Xiangxiang is driving me crazy, and I just want to get through my postpartum confinement in peace."

"She’s here in the military hospital?" Su Wan was surprised. ’Shouldn’t it be impossible for a civilian to get in without permission?’

Hearing this, Huang Qing immediately looked guilty. Her eyes darted around as she stammered out an excuse. "It’s all my sister-in-law’s fault. She brought Zhao Xiangxiang here, saying they were just coming to see me and the baby, but then Zhao Xiangxiang started pestering me because she wants to see you."

Before Su Wan could respond, Huang Qing grabbed her arm and started shaking it. "Wanwan, I’m begging you, just help me this one time. I’ll never ask you for anything ever again."

"Shouldn’t you offer something when you’re asking for a favor?" Su Wan was growing annoyed with Huang Qing.

The shaking was making her stomach uncomfortable, but Huang Qing didn’t seem to notice, intent on pressuring Su Wan.

Su Wan had deliberately made the mercenary comment to make Huang Qing freeze, and it worked. The other woman stopped shaking her arm abruptly.

Aunt Zhao came over, quickly pushed Huang Qing aside, and helped Su Wan onto the hospital bed.

"Huang Qing, you’re not well yourself. You should sit down."

Huang Qing gave an awkward laugh. Of course she understood that Aunt Zhao was putting distance between her and Su Wan.

But she had her own agenda and was shameless enough to stay and see it through.

"Wanwan, we’re friends! What’s this about offering something? That makes us sound like strangers."

"It’s because we’re friends that I’m being honest with you. I’m busy and it’s not a good time for visitors. I’m not in good health. What if Zhao Xiangxiang pushes me over? Who knows how much the Zhao family and the Huang Family would have to pay in compensation."

"I’m just looking out for you," Su Wan said earnestly. "After all, if she’s pestering you for a favor now, she’ll be pestering you for the money later."

Huang Qing gave a strained laugh. "That won’t happen, Wanwan. Zhao Xiangxiang would never push you. Don’t worry, I’ll be right there. I absolutely will not let you get hurt."

"Fine. Fifty yuan, and I’ll meet her," Su Wan said, having lost all patience and deciding to name her price.

’If I don’t make this sting a little, she’ll think I’m a total pushover.’

"What? Fifty!" Huang Qing shrieked. She glared at Su Wan resentfully. "Wanwan, I thought you were my friend, and here you are trying to rip me off! Fifty yuan is half a month of my husband’s salary! I’m not paying."

"Aunt Zhao, please see her out. If she refuses to leave, call Zhang Qiu in. And if she’s still not satisfied, she can take it up with my husband." Su Wan lay back on the bed and closed her eyes, feigning sleep, completely done with the conversation.

Huang Qing’s chest heaved with anger. She pointed a trembling finger at Su Wan, as if Su Wan were the one who had wronged her.

When she saw Zhang Qiu enter, Huang Qing waved her arm away in humiliation and anger, tossing out, "Wanwan, you’ve gone too far!"

Only then did she leave.

Aunt Zhao waited until she was sure Huang Qing had gone downstairs before walking back in, frowning. "What is with that woman? She can’t read a room to save her life. All she does is make things difficult for people."

"And that Zhao Xiangxiang is no good, either. Ajue doesn’t even like her, but she keeps clinging to him. All this nonsense about it being her parents’ order... who even listens to that these days?"

"My parents’ business is booming, and anyone can see they’re making good money. With Lu Zhengchuan’s backing, and after the lesson the Wu Family learned, no one dares to mess with us anymore. On top of that, my third brother is a university student—studying English, no less. He’s guaranteed a job assignment after he graduates. The only thing is, my parents’ business doesn’t sound as prestigious as an ’iron rice bowl,’ but our life is better than most families. So, of course, we’ve become a target."

This was all what Su Jue had told Su Wan.

"That makes sense," Aunt Zhao mused. "Everyone looks out for themselves. No matter how you look at it, Ajue is an excellent marriage prospect. If a girl could really latch onto him, her future would be secure."

When Aunt Zhao thought about it like that, it didn’t seem so strange anymore.

A marriage is supposed to secure one’s future. A handsome man with excellent prospects—of course women would fight over him.

"The Zhao family at least has some scruples. Back in the village, I heard stories about girls who would drug an exceptional man to force his hand. Once his reputation was ruined, he’d have no choice but to marry her."

"Things like that happened all the time in those years."

If Su Jue were still in the Capital, Su Wan would be worried, too.

"I was afraid the Zhao family would try to trick my third brother, or cause a scene at the Foreign Language University, so I told him to just play along with her for a while."

"I don’t know if that was good advice or not," Su Wan said worriedly.

Aunt Zhao comforted her in return. "Don’t you worry, Wanwan. Ajue is an exchange student now; he won’t be back for a long time. Zhao Xiangxiang can’t postpone her own marriage forever just for him."

"Let’s hope so."

Su Wan had assumed that after she had been so harsh, the matter with Huang Qing and Zhao Xiangxiang would finally be over.

But unexpectedly, the next morning, as she was propped up in bed reading, a commotion erupted outside her door.

Aunt Zhao quickly got up. The moment she opened the door, she saw a young woman trying to barge in like she was possessed.

Zhang Qiu and two young soldiers had her firmly blocked.

Aunt Zhao was taken aback. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Making such a racket outside a hospital room and disturbing our Wanwan’s rest! Keep it up and don’t blame us for throwing you out. You won’t even be able to set foot in this military hospital again."

"So uncouth. No manners at all. Do you think this is a public market?"

Zhao Xiangxiang’s expression turned foul. Of course, she knew Aunt Zhao was cursing her out.

She desperately wanted to yell back, but the thought of being thrown out made her swallow her rage. Instead, she looked past her to Su Wan inside the room.

"Su Wan, I have a question for you."

Never mind Su Wan, even Aunt Zhao was annoyed by her interrogating tone.

"Do you even know how to speak to people? You come here asking for someone with an attitude like that? Who do you think you are, acting like the world owes you something?" Aunt Zhao shot back.

Zhao Xiangxiang was furious but had no choice but to bottle it up. "Su Wan, are you sure you won’t answer me? Then don’t blame me for going to the police and reporting your third brother for swindling me."

’Report my third brother?’

Su Wan scoffed internally. ’There’s no way my brother would have left any loose ends for Zhao Xiangxiang to grab onto. If she really had evidence, would she be here talking to me?’

’She would have gone straight to our parents and threatened them into forcing him to marry her.’

"Oh? Then go right ahead. It’s not like I can stop you. You’re just shameless. My third brother doesn’t even like you, yet you insist on clinging to him." Su Wan rarely spoke so crudely, but her words were devastatingly effective.

"Su Wan, you’re the shameless one!"

Zhao Xiangxiang completely lost her composure.

Su Wan stared at her coldly. "Get her out of here. Do you really think I don’t know about your little scheme? Your younger brother is deep in debt, isn’t he? You want to use the Su family to pay it off for him? Dream on."

"You... How did you know?" Zhao Xiangxiang’s angry expression froze, and she couldn’t hide the utter shock on her face.