Zhu Shulan returned to the Luo family home in a daze, finding the house empty. She dragged her heavy steps to the sofa and sat down. Her eyes were vacant, as if she had suffered a heavy blow, and her heart felt hollow.
The sound of the door opening echoed, and Luo Jianguo returned from work. He glanced at the woman on the sofa and asked, "Why did you turn off the lights?"
Zhu Shulan didn't respond.
Luo Jianguo, carrying groceries he had just bought from the market, nudged her arm suspiciously. "What's wrong with you?"
Zhu Shulan's eyes were bloodshot, and tear stains marked her face, her gaze lifeless.
Luo Jianguo casually placed the groceries aside, his expression flustered. "Say something."
Zhu Shulan let out a cold laugh, a kind he had never seen before, filled with desolate and terrifying bitterness.
"Smack—"
Zhu Shulan suddenly stood up and slapped him hard, using all her strength. She cursed, "You're disgusting."
Luo Jianguo was stunned, unable to react immediately. After a moment, he angrily shouted, "What are you going crazy for?"
He hadn't expected that after a hard day’s work, he would come home to her unreasonable outburst, and he became both angry and ashamed.
"Crazy?" Zhu Shulan's smile twisted with rage, her shoulders shaking violently. "You've really outdone yourself, Luo Jianguo, deceiving me for over twenty years."
Luo Jianguo was taken aback, his face filled with unease as he looked at her, trying to defend himself. "W-What are you talking about? When have I ever deceived you?"
"Hmph." Zhu Shulan's face was pale as she mocked him. "Luo Jianguo, you should remember Chu Qianqian, right?"
Hearing the name Chu Qianqian, Luo Jianguo slumped onto the sofa as if his soul had been drained, remaining silent.
"If it weren't for someone else telling me the truth, how much longer were you planning to deceive me?"
Zhu Shulan, seething with rage, charged at him, pounding him with her fists. Luo Jianguo grabbed her flailing hands.
"Calm down first, let me explain," Luo Jianguo pleaded, holding her arms tightly, trying to get her to calm down.
"I don't want to hear it, shut up! I was so stupid, treating the daughter of my rival as my own while my own flesh and blood..." Zhu Shulan's words were incoherent, tears involuntarily streaming down her face.
Luo Jianguo was speechless, standing there with his head lowered.
"We’re getting a divorce." Zhu Shulan wiped her nose and threw out the words.
"What?" Luo Jianguo's mouth fell open. "Honey, don’t be impulsive! I know I was wrong. That was in the past, more than twenty years ago. I’ve long forgotten her. I only love you now. Please, give me another chance, okay?"
Luo Jianguo's tone was earnest as he clutched her arm, begging.
Zhu Shulan forcefully shook off his hand, her voice icy. "I cut ties with my family for you, and you dare to treat me like this while I was pregnant?"
Every word of Zhu Shulan's accusation pierced Luo Jianguo's heart. He knew he was in the wrong and didn’t argue back.
"We’re definitely getting divorced. Get out!" Zhu Shulan shouted, her face twisted in fury.
"Honey, I really know I was wrong." Luo Jianguo tried to plead again, his eyes fixed on her.
The door creaked open, and Luo Qianqian’s voice rang out, "Mom, I'm starving. Is dinner ready?"
Zhu Shulan glanced toward the door as Luo Qianqian walked in, carrying shopping bags.
Luo Qianqian froze, seeing Zhu Shulan's slightly red eyes and Luo Jianguo hanging his head like a child who had done something wrong.
"Mom, Dad, what’s going on?"
Zhu Shulan snorted coldly. The more she had loved this woman before, the more she detested her now.
Luo Qianqian rushed to Zhu Shulan’s side, urgently asking, "Mom, what happened?"
Zhu Shulan shot her a glare and pushed her hand away. Now, she only felt disgust, as if she were seeing a virus.
Luo Qianqian stumbled but quickly regained her balance. Her eyes filled with surprise as she turned to Luo Jianguo. "Dad, what happened?"
Luo Jianguo sighed and finally said, "Your mother knows the truth."
Luo Qianqian frowned, pretending to be unaware, and asked with a naïve expression, "What truth?"
Luo Jianguo lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled three words: "Chu Qianqian."
Luo Qianqian felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She opened her mouth, mumbling, "Mom, I..."
Zhu Shulan looked at her with disdain and coldly said, "I must have been blind to treat you as my own daughter."
"No... Mom..."
"Don’t call me Mom. You make me sick."
Zhu Shulan's harsh voice cut her off as she looked down at her.
After a long silence, Luo Qianqian seemed to change completely, her tone becoming sharp and bitter. "What are you acting high and mighty for? You think you're still the high and mighty Mrs. Luo? Ha!"
Zhu Shulan's face showed surprise as her gaze turned icy. "What did you say?"
"I find you disgusting too. If it weren’t for you, my mom wouldn’t have died. You killed her."
Luo Qianqian’s voice rose, becoming cold and harsh.
The lights outside shone brightly, casting an eerie glow on Zhu Shulan’s desolate heart.
"I took care of you for over twenty years, and you dare talk back to me? I really underestimated you." Zhu Shulan pointed at Luo Qianqian.
Luo Qianqian didn’t back down, her voice growing more arrogant. Now, she no longer needed to pretend to please the person she hated. "I’ve been holding it in for a long time. What makes you so special? You’ve done horrible things to Luo Wei over the years. You must feel guilty about that, right? I love seeing you like this."
Luo Qianqian finished with a burst of mocking laughter.
Zhu Shulan was so furious that her heart felt like it was about to explode. Her eyes filled with rage, and she gasped, "You... you..."
Luo Qianqian interrupted her without hesitation, her head held high in ridicule. "What? Even your own daughter doesn’t want you anymore. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have grown up without a mother. You deserve this."
Zhu Shulan was so enraged that she saw stars and suddenly collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
As she lay there, she faintly heard Luo Jianguo's panicked voice, "Honey, are you okay? I’ll take you to the hospital."
She also heard Luo Qianqian’s gloating voice, "Tch, what a performance. I can faint to gain sympathy too."
When Zhu Shulan woke up, it was already the next day. Her head throbbed as she opened her blurry eyes, staring at the ceiling.
"You're awake?"
Zhu Shulan looked toward the voice and saw Mrs. Chi sitting beside her, peeling an apple.
"What happened to you?" Zhu Shulan’s throat was dry, and her voice was weak.
Zhu Shulan had known Mrs. Chi for over twenty years, and they had watched each other's children grow up.
Zhu Shulan looked around but didn’t see the two people she was expecting, and her eyes filled with disappointment.
"Jianguo called me. He said he had to go to work and asked me to take care of you. I was shocked when I got the call and rushed to the hospital."
Mrs. Chi sighed and poured a cup of warm water from a thermos, bringing it to Zhu Shulan’s lips.
Zhu Shulan propped herself up and took a few sips, instantly feeling more alive.
"What happened to you?" Mrs. Chi asked, sitting on a chair and tucking the blanket around her.
Hearing this, Zhu Shulan’s eyes suddenly reddened, and she burst into tears.
Mrs. Chi was startled and tried to comfort her. "Don’t cry. What happened? Tell me, and I’ll see if I can help."
Then, Zhu Shulan told her everything that had happened.
After hearing the story, Mrs. Chi angrily slapped the table and cursed, "That's too much!"
—---
T/N: I almost feel bad for her then I remember she had her daughter under her roof for years but abused her based on the instigations of a child. If she treated her adopted child like a daughter, she wouldn't be going through this now
Daily updates continue as usual but you can read ahead to Chapter 100 here
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