Why Did My Ex-Wife’S Aunt Treat Me Like That? Chapter 19
byChapter 19 She had absolutely no ulterior motives.
On the dormitory carpet, Yuan Yi sat cross-legged in the space between the sofa and the low table, gnawing on a roasted chicken leg.
The milk tea cup of Life Water contained a full 200ml, and she and Qin Wei had already drunk more than half of it.
Although she had a high tolerance for alcohol, mixing two high-proof spirits still made her face contort with every sip.
Yuan Yi was starting to feel dizzy. Based on her level of intoxication, she was probably at 6.5 out of 10. Once she hit 7, she wouldn’t go crazy, but she would insist on hugging something while she slept.
Alcohol was not a good thing; humans consumed it with ulterior motives. For Yuan Yi, her mind was usually tense when she had serious business to attend to. Drinking those two ounces of liquor earlier had felt like nothing. She drank that much at the villa because she needed to use the alcohol to pry information out of He Xun.
For He Xun, alcohol catalyzed the evil deep within her, causing her to spew those contemptuous remarks about Peng Cheng.
Yet, even then, He Xun still held back. Yuan Yi always believed that alcohol only amplified one’s inner self and desires, and those who completely lost self-control were no different from beasts.
Her inner desire was to change everything; He Xun’s was to gain everything. And Peng Cheng…
Peng Cheng, an old-money woman who genuinely showed no change after drinking. Was she truly without desires deep down? Did she want nothing? Was it because she already possessed everything?
Yuan Yi didn’t understand.
At least, before tonight, she had thought the current Peng Cheng was a winner in life. Her legs were intact, and if everything went smoothly, she would have hundreds of billions in assets next year.
But that was all before tonight.
Yuan Yi continued drinking after returning to the dorm because some things couldn’t be spoken without the aid of alcohol. She knew she was safe in front of Qin Wei. Her body and mind completely relaxed, and she slightly closed her eyes.
Sigh, she thought she would see her great-grandmother, but when she closed her eyes, all she saw was Peng Cheng.
Peng Cheng from her past life, Peng Cheng from this life, and Peng Cheng walking toward her when she returned.
Qin Wei’s face flushed easily when she drank, and her eyes were unusually bright. “Are you saying you have a friend who accidentally discovered a high school photo of herself framed in her boss’s bedroom? The boss also gave her a job opportunity and was the first person to find her during an outdoor accident, carrying her a long distance?”
Yuan Yi said, “You can ignore the latter part. My friend is just confused about the photo. What do you think?”
Qin Wei analyzed seriously, “Where did you read that CEO-falls-in-love-with-me story? I think you should uninstall Jinjiang Literature City from your phone first.”
Yuan Yi sighed. “You also think it’s impossible, right? My friend is just overthinking things, right?”
“If it were true, then your friend’s boss must have a real appreciation for talent, to even let her into the bedroom,” Qin Wei said. “So what does your friend think now?”
Yuan Yi replied, “My friend is also confused. She feels like something isn’t right…”
“Did your friend fall for the boss?”
Yuan Yi was startled, her eyes snapping open. “Don’t say that! My friend feels nothing but pure gratitude toward her boss. It’s absolutely impossible for her to fall for her benefactor. Repaying kindness with ‘offering oneself’ is a desecration of the person. A benefactor is like the bright moon in the sky! The bright moon must hang high and must not be touched by anyone.”
“Your friend is so dramatic, ‘bright moon hanging high’,” Qin Wei gave Yuan Yi a deep look. “Desecration only happens when one party wants to repay the favor and the other doesn’t accept. If the bright moon also wants to shine only on you, it’s different. Even if you take ten thousand steps back, is that still not enough?”
Yuan Yi’s mind went blank. “What are you talking about?”
Her phone rang. Qin Wei glanced at it. “That’s my cousin. She added you. You can chat about the specifics later.”
Seeing Li Shuangni’s name, Yuan Yi sobered up slightly. Her mind always worked quickly when business was involved. After sending a greeting, Yuan Yi clicked into Li Shuangni’s Moments and saw a post shared two minutes ago.
[Interesting, interesting, interesting. Today’s sister gathering wasn’t in vain.]
Lawyer Li is quite different in private than in public…
She clicked to open it.
The video showed people she didn’t know dancing and drinking. The environment and decor didn’t look like an ordinary bar. The camera was shaky, making Yuan Yi feel nauseous, and it was clear the person filming had drunk quite a bit.
There was nothing special about it, but just as Yuan Yi was about to close the video, the camera suddenly swung to the left, and Yuan Yi immediately spotted Peng Cheng holding a wine glass.
Even in the dim light, she seemed to exist on a different layer than everyone else, easily noticeable at a glance.
Why was she drinking too?
The video ended. Yuan Yi watched it again and noticed that while everyone else in the video was wearing very little, Peng Cheng had that fleece blanket covering her legs—the same one Yuan Yi had reminded her to take when she left.
This environment was not a place that required a blanket, yet Peng Cheng had it neatly placed on her lap.
She also saw Peng Cheng’s fingers gently poking at the print of a small calico cat.
Yuan Yi felt her own face itch and quickly closed the video, politely liking the post before returning to the chat interface.
Qin Wei asked, “What is your friend thinking now?”
What was she thinking?
She certainly still had absolutely no ulterior motives!
Why was Peng Cheng still covering herself with her blanket in that setting?
Absolutely no ulterior motives.
The blanket.
No ulterior motives, from anyone.
The blanket!
Yuan Yi’s internal debate ended. She picked up her small wine glass and chugged the contents, then frantically slapped her cheeks.
Why should she care who the bright moon shone on? The bright moon could shine on whoever it wanted. As long as the bright moon, her ancestor’s bright moon, stayed in the sky as the bright moon, Yuan Yi would deal with anyone who tried to pull it down.
“I have no thoughts,” Yuan Yi said in an extremely calm voice. “As long as I confirm that He Xun poses no threat to Peng Cheng, I can take the money and retire successfully. I have my own new life to live.”
“So, you’re frantically making this game now because…”
Yuan Yi looked at her strangely. “Of course, it’s for money.”
“You finally got rid of He Xun. Are you sure Peng Cheng is a good person? They are family, after all,” Qin Wei took Yuan Yi’s wine glass away and replaced all the alcohol with real water. “I’m warning you, their family background is complicated. It’s hard to say.”
She only had two lives, and she had already used one. This time, she really needed to cherish her life.
“There will be better people later.”
Yuan Yi just nodded when Qin Wei added, “But then again, Peng Cheng is the best candidate in this circle, bar none. I always opposed you and He Xun because He Xun trampled on everything you had and was a rotten person. Director Cheng is different.”
“Girlfriend, you will have better people in the future, especially the best kind,” Qin Wei patted Yuan Yi’s shoulder and smiled brightly. “People have the freedom to pursue love. As long as you don’t like a rotten person, I’ll support you even if you fall for a new person every day.”
Yuan Yi felt sober. “I really don’t mean that. The world isn’t black and white.” There were also people like her who were reborn! She only came back to complete what needed to be done!
Qin Wei said, “What black and white? Let’s turn everything yellow. That’s easy to talk about.”
Yuan Yi said, “I’m going to sleep.”
…
She slept until the middle of the night, waking up with a dull headache—a clear sign of a hangover. The alcohol hadn’t completely dissipated from her body.
Yuan Yi looked out the window. It was raining outside, and there was no moonlight.
She rubbed her temples, hissing in discomfort. It was unpleasant; she really shouldn’t mix drinks. Also, she didn’t black out when drunk. She remembered everything she said and everything that happened last night clearly.
It was the same dream again. In the deep night of the villa, she saw Peng Cheng through the slightly ajar door of her room.
In her panic, she actually froze for two seconds before remembering to leave.
Peng Cheng just sat there quietly. The room was dark, and she was motionless like a statue.
Her gaze in the dream was so candid, so open, that it made Yuan Yi feel ashamed.
After waking up, Yuan Yi took a long time to get out of bed.
She only felt this way when she dreamed of Peng Cheng. If she dreamed of He Xun or other enemies, she would jump up immediately, wanting to beat them up.
Yuan Yi got up and set a reminder on her phone calendar for December 27th.
She remembered clearly that this was the date the Peng family went on their outdoor trip this year.
After a few autumn rains, the temperature would plummet, and the city would enter winter. Yuan Yi put on a fluffy, long-haired cardigan and watched the window for a while. Convinced she couldn’t fall back asleep, she opened her computer and started debugging the cat’s movements.
She logged into Cat Companion and, surrounded by several kittens, operated her little character to lie down on a rocking chair next to the ice cream shop. A big, fat orange cat jumped onto the character’s chest, lay down, and started purring.
If only she had an automatically controlled chair right now, allowing her to lie down in reality, feeling a slight weight on her chest and hearing the 3D purring of a cat in her ears.
She couldn’t achieve that now, but the later Peng Cheng did. Their deep cooperation stemmed from this. Peng Cheng’s Dome Technology would provide intelligent support, developing smart pods, smart AI, bionic cats, and the real-life restoration of game scenes.
In other words, Peng Cheng was responsible for turning everything in the game into reality, transforming the dream into reality and monetizing the IP.
Similarly, when developing the game, Yuan Yi also had to integrate all of Dome Technology’s smart products to achieve a win-win situation.
Habitat, based on Cat Companion, was a slow-paced, exploration, farming, and wellness game that incorporated many creative and new ideas. Yuan Yi’s Cat Companion was integrated into the game, becoming the homestead and management system, perfect for players who enjoyed farming and raising cats.
Other people were responsible for combat-related missions, so she didn’t have to worry. As someone who knew the trends of the next five years, Yuan Yi had clearly seen that the most popular IP of the later Habitat game was these adorable cats.
Dome Technology gave Yuan Yi a lot of creative freedom, allowing her to create her own easter eggs in the game.
For example, this ice cream shop was Yuan Yi’s personal indulgence. She placed one right next to her little home, created some interactions for eating and making ice cream, and logged in to “eat” two every day.
The person in charge at Dome Technology gave the company a large document detailing the items they needed to model, and Yuan Yi received a significant portion. Now that Qin Wei had joined, they were in the same group and worked together.
Perhaps because the alcohol was wearing off, the rain didn’t bring Yuan Yi much peace. She put stickers on two princess-style Baroque mirrors and let her in-game Maine Coon, Bebe, look at itself.
A small heart appeared above Bebe’s head, and the fur behind its ears was tied with two bow-shaped pigtails. “Meow~”
(Vain Bebe says it loves the princess-style mirror you gave it)
It was Sunday, and Yuan Yi had nothing scheduled. She had also rushed to book a physical examination at the hospital, even purchasing an annual check-up card.
It had been less than a month since her last visit to the doctor. Coincidentally, it was the same doctor, who remembered her and asked curiously, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere else?”
Last time, Yuan Yi had checked her entire body, especially various lung examinations, many of which young people didn’t usually need, but she had checked them thoroughly.
Yuan Yi said, “I’ve been having frequent dreams lately, and when I wake up, I feel palpitations, anxiety, and shortness of breath. Is there something wrong with my heart?”
The doctor looked at Yuan Yi’s previous electronic examination results. “Your reports are very normal. Under what circumstances do you usually feel shortness of breath?”
Yuan Yi said, “I wake up like this when I have the same dream, and only when I dream of that person.”
The doctor said, “Young lady, at your age…”
Yuan Yi looked at her expectantly.
The doctor paused for a moment and said, “If there are no physical problems, you might consider checking with our hospital’s psychology department.”
“I don’t have psychological problems; I just feel like it’s a physical issue. Really, Doctor, I often feel like my body could fail at any moment,” Yuan Yi smiled honestly. She was telling the truth.
Although she had a healthy body after being reborn, she had personally witnessed her late-stage cancer diagnosis, so she always carried this invisible anxiety.
“Excessive obsession with physical health can also be treated in the psychology department. Director Bi Youshan, the head of our psychology department, just returned from overseas training this year and has extensive research on paranoid psychology,” the doctor said with a kind and friendly smile. “If you need it, I can internally transfer your appointment.”
Yuan Yi was cooperative. “That would be a great help, Doctor. I’ll come back to you next month for another check-up.”
Bi Youshan’s appointments were usually hard to get, and Yuan Yi knew she had snagged a rare opening. Getting up early was indeed beneficial. She took her medical record book and headed straight for the psychology building.
She hadn’t forgotten what He Xun said yesterday: that Peng Cheng had psychological problems.
Psychological problems weren’t just issues; they were illnesses. Just as the body gets sick, the mind can also fall ill at any time.
If someone is sick, they should be treated. What was the meaning of calling a patient “sick”? Yuan Yi continued to despise He Xun internally.
In her previous life, she hadn’t seen Peng Cheng much, and there were never any rumors about Peng Cheng’s psychological state circulating outside.
Peng Cheng at the press conference was even more vibrant and in her best state.
Yuan Yi remembered that before her divorce from He Xun, their arguments were frequent, and He Xun had repeatedly called her a lunatic and told her to see Bi Youshan to get her head checked.
Of course, those words were meant to humiliate her. After she was rescued from the snow pit, He Xun had tried to find Bi Youshan to prevent Yuan Yi from developing PTSD, but Bi Youshan had politely declined the request.
Bi Youshan was even more famous back then, with consultation fees starting in the four digits. Yuan Yi hadn’t personally seen Bi Youshan and Peng Cheng meet, but when she scrolled through Li Shuangni’s earlier Moments, she saw a photo of Li Shuangni and Bi Youshan together.
They were all in the same circle, and Li Shuangni was Peng Cheng’s most trusted person. Yuan Yi just wanted to try her luck.
Waiting outside Bi Youshan’s consultation room for the two previous patients to leave, Yuan Yi smoothly entered and saw Bi Youshan, wearing a white coat, rimless glasses, and a mask.
Some people were just like that; even wearing the same uniform, their presence felt different. Even with only her eyes visible, she was refined down to every eyelash.
Wealth nurtured people, and so did experience. Every time Yuan Yi saw these people, she would feel a momentary sense of spiritual and financial poverty.
Damn it.
But it didn’t matter. She had stolen five years of time and could catch up.
Bi Youshan glanced at Yuan Yi’s medical record on the computer, then looked up at her, speaking in a gentle tone. “Please sit.”
Yuan Yi wasn’t sure if Bi Youshan had heard her name. After sitting down, she honestly said, “Doctor, I’ve been dreaming about one person very frequently lately. When I wake up, I feel chest tightness, shortness of breath, anxiety, and I’m paranoid, always thinking I have a serious illness.”
These two sets of symptoms were wildly divergent and seemingly unrelated. Bi Youshan nodded. Yuan Yi leaned closer and covered her mouth, adding, “I also constantly feel like I have rheumatism, even though my legs checked out fine. But whenever it’s autumn or winter, they hurt unbearably, like in this weather.”
“Any other symptoms?” Bi Youshan looked up, the light reflecting off her glasses, concealing a hint of curiosity in her eyes.
Yuan Yi said, “Oh, yes. When the pain reaches a certain point, I can’t walk. Doctor, I’ve looked up some information and I know this is called somatization. Can this be treated? Will I be like this forever?”
“No, this is because your body and mind have developed a conditioned reflex. Has anything happened recently?”
Yuan Yi asked, “Does beating up my ex-girlfriend count?”
“That…” Bi Youshan was always professional and had heard much more bizarre things. She nodded calmly.
In contrast, Yuan Yi seemed very anxious, constantly leaning forward. “Doctor, will this strange illness torment me for the rest of my life?”
“No,” Bi Youshan found an appropriate analogy. “A weather predictor has appeared in your brain, but its warning system has malfunctioned and become tied to rainy days, turning into an automatic thought. To resolve this, your brain needs to be retrained.”
Yuan Yi lowered her eyes, thought for a moment, and nodded. “Doctor, I understand what you’re saying, but whether I can do it is another matter. Are there many cases like mine? Have you seen them? I really need some confidence.”
“I’ve seen doctors before, taken some medicine, had treatment, and even been hospitalized, but none of it worked. I feel like this is just a waste of effort.”
To show her urgency, Yuan Yi almost reached out to grab Bi Youshan’s hand.
In this day and age, many patients lose their sense of boundaries due to illness. Bi Youshan subtly avoided Yuan Yi’s hand, smiling. “Yes, there are cases of recovery. I have a patient who, after intervention, is already showing improvement in her symptoms.”
“Really?” Yuan Yi’s eyes lit up. “She’s not hurting anymore? It doesn’t flare up when she’s stressed? Is she cured? Are you sure, Doctor?”
This time, it was Bi Youshan who fell silent.
After all, she was certain that person was not cured.
“Yuan Yi, this patient,” Bi Youshan scribbled quickly. “Based on your situation, you can…”
Yuan Yi smiled and shook her head. “No need, Doctor. I don’t want to take medication anymore. I just came to consult you. This was very helpful, thank you.”
As she left, Yuan Yi specifically added, “I hope the next time I come to consult you, there will be better news about that patient. People like us always need to see a goal to believe we can get better.”
After Yuan Yi left, Bi Youshan stared at Yuan Yi’s name on the computer, frowning in thought. That name… she had heard it before. Yuan Yi’s questions were also highly targeted and not heavily disguised.
She decided to open Li Shuangni’s chat box and ask.
Anything related to Peng Cheng could not be taken lightly.
Outside the consultation room, Yuan Yi sat on a waiting bench in the hospital lobby and began to review the situation.
She was 80% sure that the case Bi Youshan mentioned was Peng Cheng.
If it was Peng Cheng… currently, it was known that Peng Cheng had taken medication and undergone treatment, but it hadn’t been very effective, and her own willingness to undergo treatment wasn’t strong enough.
The appearance of these symptoms was associated with traumatic causes. Yuan Yi couldn’t claim to empathize, but in her previous life, whenever she heard the sound of a door lock opening, she would hallucinate He Xun’s voice cursing her, even though He Xun hadn’t actually returned.
She couldn’t keep watching Bi Youshan to see if she would reveal any information. She needed to find another way.
There should be someone else who could help her understand the situation…
A name appeared in Yuan Yi’s mind.
At 9:30 AM, the hospital lobby was bustling. A cold wind blew in from the open door, and people entering carried a cold, damp chill.
It was so cold today. She wondered if Peng Cheng’s legs were bothering her.
Sighing internally, Yuan Yi sat for a while. Her phone rang, showing a transfer of 50,000 yuan.
Sun Xueyu: timid and cursing, but transferring money.
Good fortune always came in multiples. Just as she finished admiring her bank balance, the real estate agent brought good news.
“Miss Yuan, a client for the apartment you listed wants to view it today. If it’s suitable, they can finalize the purchase this afternoon. Do you have time to go see the apartment with them?”
Such a straightforward buyer? She absolutely had to make time.
Yuan Yi confirmed the time with the agent, planning to go out to eat something and then go back to play her game to clear the residual alcohol from her head.
But some people just wouldn’t let things rest.
Just as she stepped out of the hospital, her booked taxi hadn’t arrived, but a low-key, yet obviously high-profile, black Phaeton slowly pulled up in front of her.
The person inviting her must have been arrogant, as the rear window didn’t roll down. Instead, a man in black clothes and sunglasses, fitting the stereotype of a bodyguard, got out of the driver’s seat and approached Yuan Yi. “Miss Yuan, our Madam would like to speak with you.”
This condescending attitude was consistent. It had finally arrived. Yuan Yi knew who was inside: He Xun’s mother, Peng Zihui.
The mother who was here to send her money and help her achieve her million-yuan savings goal had finally arrived.
She rubbed her eyelids twice, brushed her hair aside, and instantly switched to a pale and weary appearance. She followed the bodyguard and opened the car door.
———————–
Author’s Note: Little Yuan: As for disguises…
Director Cheng: Still working hard despite the hangover.