Why Did My Ex-Wife’S Aunt Treat Me Like That? Chapter 20
byChapter 20: One Million Two Hundred Thousand.
Peng Zihui wore a black overcoat and a matching fedora, paired with low-heeled sheepskin shoes, with only a black and white polka-dot silk scarf around her neck. Her attire was old-fashioned yet elegant, formal, and striking in its simplicity.
Due to her profession, Peng Zihui wore no jewelry, but the scrutinizing gaze in her eyes carried weight, making people hesitate to act rashly.
Yuan Yi was not afraid. Coincidentally, when she opened the car door, Peng Zihui was sitting on the side she needed to enter.
Yuan Yi: “Excuse me, please move.”
Peng Zihui glanced sideways at her, somewhat puzzled as to why this girl, who usually seemed terrified of her, had changed her tune today.
Yuan Yi: “Do you not have the slightest attitude of someone asking for a favor? I am just an ordinary citizen; there’s no need to put on airs with me.”
After marrying He Xun’s father outside the Peng family, Peng Zihui did not settle into life as a high-society madam but continued to advance her career. She was always outwardly gentle in public, though her eyes always held ambition.
If she weren’t a mother who spoiled her child, Yuan Yi would respect her more. Unfortunately, she wasn’t.
Peng Zihui seemed unwilling to say another word to her, so Yuan Yi muttered, “Fine, then add another hundred thousand.”
She then walked around to the other side, opened the door, and sat down.
The car quickly pulled away and arrived at a high-end teahouse. Yuan Yi followed Peng Zihui into the private room for their discussion. As soon as they sat down, Peng Zihui got straight to the point: “Yuan Yi, you’ve caused enough trouble.”
Yuan Yi felt a surge of tension.
This was it, right? The rich mother offering a five-million-yuan check to make her leave her daughter—that’s how it always played out in novels.
She was full of anticipation, waiting for Peng Zihui to utter the words that would humiliate her.
“Xiao Zhen and the Peng family have frequent dealings. The photos you posted don’t just hurt He Xun’s reputation. You are an adult; stop acting so thoughtlessly.” Peng Zihui’s tone was accusatory. “I can give you money, but you must stop fighting with He Xun and stay with her properly.”
Is she sick?
This was different from her previous life. Yuan Yi had never managed to break free from He Xun in her past life, so she hadn’t experienced this kind of nonsensical moment.
“The condition is that you go and clarify things yourself, admitting that you were just being difficult and actively restoring Xunxun and Xiao Zhen’s reputation. I will give you one million yuan. The Peng family has a banquet next week; you and Xunxun should come together.”
Oh, so she was supposed to admit she had a fit of madness, and then be paraded around the high-society zoo for their amusement.
If Yuan Yi hadn’t overheard He Xun’s drunken words last night, she would have simply thought Peng Zihui was overly doting on her daughter.
But now, she only felt that Peng Zihui’s words confirmed that she was indeed a crucial part of their plan.
They probably wouldn’t stop until they had truly manipulated Peng Cheng into taking indecent photos. But Peng Cheng wasn’t an idiot! Were they treating her like a monkey?
Yuan Yi: “Uh… one million?”
“You think that’s too little? You’re a smart girl, otherwise, you wouldn’t have targeted our Xunxun so clearly back then. I’ve already investigated your family background. Your father is a robber, your mother committed violent assault but received a pardon, but your family’s composition is very poor,” Peng Zihui stated matter-of-factly. “If our Xunxun hadn’t insisted, I would never have agreed. For that alone, you should be eternally grateful to Xunxun. How dare you even fight with her?”
“Just talk, don’t include personal attacks. If you insist on speaking like that, I’ll go burn your ancestors’ graves tonight.” Yuan Yi also smiled, thinking, who can’t hide a knife behind a smile? “Your daughter is habitually unfaithful, hugging one person while thinking of another outside. Who did she learn that from? Her eyes are very generous, evenly sweeping over every wild flower she sees. I imagine she must have superhuman arm strength by now.”
“Yuan Yi!”
Yuan Yi shrugged. She didn’t want to talk about bedroom matters, she really didn’t, but after thinking it over, He Xun only had bedroom matters left.
Peng Zihui clearly hadn’t expected Yuan Yi to be so vulgar, practically fouling this elegant place. Her face immediately turned cold. Yuan Yi held up a finger again: “Add some money.”
There was no good reason to attend the Peng family dinner, but she wanted to figure out the Peng Cheng situation, so she needed to interact with the Peng family as much as possible.
Peng Zihui gritted her teeth: “How much?”
“One million two hundred thousand. Pay now, in cash.” Yuan Yi made her usual small demand. “One hundred thousand is for disrespecting me when you got in the car, and another hundred thousand is for disrespecting me just now. Every future instance of disrespect from you will be measured in money. Consider it compensation for the respect you owe me.”
“Are you obsessed with money?!”
Yuan Yi smiled good-naturedly: “From the moment you first met me, you called me vain. Now that I’m truly materialistic and vain, you’re unhappy again.”
Peng Zihui stared at Yuan Yi as if seeing her for the first time, remaining silent for a long time.
From the beginning, when He Xun said she was dating Yuan Yi, she knew this was a girl with extreme vanity, even though Yuan Yi always claimed she wasn’t after money.
Now that her true colors were exposed, Peng Zihui was even more surprised. This girl loved money too much.
Half an hour later, Yuan Yi received one million two hundred thousand in cash. Peng Zihui stormed off, showing no courtesy whatsoever.
Yuan Yi stayed in the private room and finished the refreshments before leaving. These stinking rich people were truly something, wasting food. Oh… she was stinking rich now too. Rich and free from emotional constraints, she could do whatever she wanted.
Fortunately, Yuan Yi’s bag was large. She slung the heavy cash over her shoulder and went to deposit it.
One million two hundred thousand was much heavier than thirty thousand. Yuan Yi felt strongly that she should step up her exercise; she believed there would be many more opportunities like this to carry cash.
At the bank, after spreading out the bag of cash, the manager treated her like a long-lost parent, not asking a single question about where the money came from.
The beauty of getting up early was the feeling of having accomplished so much before noon. Leaving the teahouse, she saw it was barely eleven o’clock.
The time was right. Yuan Yi finally received a message from Qin Wei.
Drunk Little Qin: [Wilted.gif]
Drunk Little Qin: [Please tell me Huaimin is also not sleeping]
Undrunk Little Yuan: [Early rising Huaimin got money, ah, what a beautiful day!]
[Bank Card Balance]
Qin Wei casually tapped on the image, thinking for a moment that she hadn’t woken up yet. She exited, tapped again, zoomed in, zoomed in, and zoomed in again, letting out a sharp shriek from her bed.
[Where did you rob a bank last night? I’m coming too. You’re doing a big job without me?] Typing wasn’t enough to express her excitement, so Qin Wei sent a voice message. “Save that money, don’t be stupid and give it to your family again. Oh, and hurry up and schedule a time with my cousin.”
Qin Wei came from a privileged background but got along well with Yuan Yi, though she worried Yuan Yi might be scatterbrained.
Undrunk Little Yuan: [My method of making money is special; it’s not suitable for you. What do you want to eat? I’ll bring it back. Your girl is rich.]
Drunk Little Qin: [Spicy hot pot with two fried eggs, thanks. Don’t spend money recklessly just because you have a little.]
Such a simple wish, a true best friend.
Yuan Yi quickly hailed a taxi back. She realized she should buy a car for transportation. Relying on taxis was inconvenient sometimes, for example, if she truly wanted to go dig up a grave at three in the morning, a driver might not accept the order.
The total usable money in her card had exploded to one million seven hundred fifty thousand. Yuan Yi felt a little giddy; she now dared to call a premium car service for a five-kilometer trip.
She knocked on the door, delivered the spicy hot pot to Qin Wei, and then headed out to look for a car. She was a woman of action.
Jing City’s roads were wide, but wide roads couldn’t prevent traffic jams when there were too many cars. Even Peng Cheng’s vehicle would get stuck in the same places.
She had a driver’s license. After meeting He Xun, He Xun wanted Yuan Yi to pick her up when she was drunk, so in her sophomore year, she made Yuan Yi get a small car license and a D-class motorcycle license.
That person was truly stingy. She made her get the license but never bought her a car to drive.
Complaining about He Xun had become an instinctive reaction for Yuan Yi now.
But Yuan Yi didn’t plan to buy a proper car. She went to the largest electric vehicle market, heading straight for the shop displaying the most luxury cars.
The owner, Wang Fafa, had a bright red afro. Seeing Yuan Yi approach, he enthusiastically pitched: “Beautiful lady, are you buying a ‘senior scooter’ for your family or elders? I have every style, guaranteed to satisfy you.”
Yuan Yi glanced at the dazzling array of senior scooters: “I’m driving it.”
These manufacturers were quite brazen. The four-wheeled electric senior scooters they made looked exactly like real luxury cars, only slightly smaller and clearly cutting corners. The models included, but were not limited to, Land Rovers, Porsches, Cullinans, and so on.
Wang Fafa was stunned: “Ah? You’re driving it? We usually recommend these for the elderly, because…”
“Seniors are good, seniors are great, seniors die early. Even if something happens while driving a senior scooter, it’s just something happening.” Yuan Yi snatched Wang Fafa’s lines. “No big deal. I’ve already died once; I’m not afraid of death.”
High accident rates help alleviate the aging population problem and save social resources.
Yuan Yi just wanted transportation. She wasn’t sure if she might suddenly be diagnosed with another illness, so she decided to cherish her life while simultaneously being indifferent to it.
People are complicated, just like how she wanted to scatter banknotes like a fairy one moment, and then be cheap and buy a senior scooter for transportation the next.
Wang Fafa had never met a customer like this. He awkwardly said, “No, no, that’s not what I meant at all. We’ve upgraded the top models now; they’re very powerful. Every one comes with a license plate, and every seat has an airbag. Feel free to choose any model you like. Welcome to test drive.”
Yuan Yi pointed at the white Bentley model: “That one. Pay up. I’m in a hurry.”
She swiftly swiped the enormous sum of seventeen thousand yuan. An hour later, after Wang Fafa helped her get the license plate, Yuan Yi drove the car herself, happily returning to the dormitory building.
For lunch, she ate tea eggs and stir-fried pork with bitter melon that she had packed from downstairs. It was still raining outside, so Yuan Yi bought an ice cream on the way home, turned on the heater, and reflected on her unwavering commitment to her original goals.
Even with so much money, she wasn’t being very extravagant.
Her phone was busy, with messages coming in one after another. While she was eating, Li Shuangni contacted her, starting with an apology.
[Something came up last night, so I’m only replying now. I generally understand your situation, but if it’s convenient, it would be best if we discussed the details in person.]
Yuan Yi thought for a moment and replied: [Attorney Li, that’s fine. Should I come to your law firm? I might not be free before four today. I have something to do near Jinshui Bay at two.]
She guessed Li Shuangni had just woken up, meaning she had a wild night out. She wondered if Peng Cheng had stayed up as late as Li Shuangni.
Li Shuangni: [What a coincidence. My law firm isn’t far from Jinshui Bay, and I also have business there at two. Shall we meet at Jinshui Bay then?]
Yuan Yi had already typed “Okay,” but then thought of something else and added: [Attorney Li, I’m nearby and about to head to Jinshui Bay. It’s raining heavily outside. I can pick you up on the way.]
People who are hungover usually don’t want to drink, but Yuan Yi was gifted; she was completely sobered up by the money.
Li Shuangni was nursing a headache and really didn’t feel like driving.
She had drunk quite a bit yesterday, booked a hotel room, and slept until now.
She had finally managed to pry a small secret out of Peng Cheng, and despite Du Meida’s insistence, she hadn’t let Peng Cheng go back. Peng Cheng was currently sleeping in another room.
Seeing Yuan Yi’s text, Li Shuangni let out a “Hmph.” This young girl was quite savvy.
She wasn’t one to be overly polite, so she replied, “Then I’ll trouble you.” Scrolling down, she finally saw the message from Bi Youshan.
[I saw an interesting patient today. Her situation is similar to A-Cheng’s.]
[What’s her name?]
[Yuan Yi. She’s asking about A-Cheng.]
Li Shuangni immediately knocked on Peng Cheng’s door.
The door opened quickly. Peng Cheng showed no sign of having slept in. Even though she didn’t have to go to the company, her clothes were impeccable during non-sleeping hours. A soft, light khaki knit sweater wrapped around her, softening the faint sense of distance in her eyes.
“I’m meeting Yuan Yi this afternoon. She invited me to lunch. Are you coming?”
Peng Cheng: “No, I need to prepare some things.”
“Isn’t that next week? What are you preparing? Someone else could handle such a small matter; why do they insist on calling you?” Li Shuangni clicked her tongue. “Don’t listen to them, bothering you once a year. This afternoon, I have to look at an apartment and talk to Yuan Yi. Why don’t you go look at the apartment for me? Please, A-Cheng, dear Cheng Cheng…”
Li Shuangni picked up a large scarf nearby. “Yuan Yi is quite thoughtful. She said she’s coming to pick us up since it’s raining.”
Peng Cheng: “…Us?”
“Us. She said she’s coming to pick us up.” Li Shuangni wrapped the scarf around Peng Cheng’s neck and then picked up Peng Cheng’s dark brown suit coat. “She said she’s also going to Jinshui Bay, so it’s just a detour. Assistant Nian is off today, so I’ll just hitch a ride with Little Yuan, okay?”
Peng Cheng didn’t understand why Li Shuangni was consulting her about hitching a ride.
Nian Ran wasn’t available today, and Peng Cheng had no intention of calling another driver. After excessive drinking last night, both she and Li Shuangni were cautious and didn’t plan to drive.
Peng Cheng made decisions quickly. After securing the scarf, she didn’t forget to bring the electric blanket.
Li Shuangni watched her actions and asked, “Are you uncomfortable right now? The weather has been terrible lately.”
Peng Cheng shook her head: “I’m fine.”
She hadn’t been woken up by pain last night, so her spirits were good today.
Li Shuangni’s phone lit up again. She looked down and chuckled: “Yuan Yi is indeed thoughtful. She reports her location constantly and even told me not to come down too early because of the heavy rain outside.”
Peng Cheng didn’t speak. Li Shuangni continued, “Has Yuan Yi been dating He Xun for a long time? She lost such a good girlfriend, and she hasn’t even made a fuss?”
“She is an adult; she must be responsible for her own choices.”
Li Shuangni laughed: “Which young person pays for their own choices? They only start regretting things after they’ve recovered.”
Peng Cheng looked straight ahead: “When did you start worrying about these things?”
“Who am I doing this for? I drank two extra glasses last night, and I still couldn’t pry your mouth open.” Li Shuangni walked beside her into the elevator. “Even if she was someone you sponsored, don’t trust her too easily. She’s not someone you know inside and out.”
Li Shuangni sent a message in the chat, saying they were downstairs. Yuan Yi replied immediately, saying she would arrive soon and told them to go to the underground parking garage so they wouldn’t get wet at all.
She certainly knew how to handle people.
As Li Shuangni and Peng Cheng reached the underground garage, a small white car slowly pulled up in front of them.
The window rolled down. Yuan Yi was about to greet Li Shuangni when she saw Peng Cheng beside her. Her surprise flashed across her face: “Oh, Director Cheng?”
Li Shuangni scrutinized the small car Yuan Yi was driving, which closely resembled a Bentley. She saw the electric D on the license plate. She was slightly astonished: “What kind of car is this?”
Yuan Yi said sheepishly: “A Bentley… uh, a Bentley Traffic-Jammer.” (Bentley Tiandu)
Li Shuangni glanced at Peng Cheng and burst out laughing. Peng Cheng, however, opened the car door first, seemingly adapting well: “Get in.”
Li Shuangni looked at Peng Cheng again in surprise. Didn’t I just talk to you about this? Did you not listen at all?
Yuan Yi quickly looked back, pushing her backpack aside, and apologized: “I’m sorry, I just bought it and haven’t had time to put any decorations in it.” If she had known Peng Cheng would be riding, she would have at least installed luxurious seat cushions and a full set of knee therapy equipment.
Li Shuangni said, “Could you please drop Peng Cheng off at Jinshui Bay first? I can go to the law firm.”
Peng Cheng looked at her, her expression unchanged: “We’ll go together.”
Li Shuangni deliberately teased her: “Director Cheng is free now.”
“Director Cheng, you’re not resting even on Sunday? You drank last night; are you feeling alright now?” Yuan Yi drove steadily out of the garage, merging her Bentley Traffic-Jammer into the traffic flow without causing any jams.
Peng Cheng hummed in acknowledgment and looked up at the rearview mirror. Yuan Yi was very focused on driving.
Li Shuangni seemed to realize something, widening her eyes and tilting her head toward Peng Cheng: “Oh… you two ate and drank together last night.”
She had thought Peng Cheng’s comment about drinking last night was just an excuse to avoid drinking, but it wasn’t.
And she still drank?
And mixed drinks?
Was this still the self-disciplined and strict Peng Cheng she knew?
Peng Cheng felt Li Shuangni’s gaze was meaningful and gave her a warning look. Li Shuangni turned to examine the car, clicking her tongue in wonder: “The interior is made just like a Bentley. It’s quite interesting. Though my lawyers have handled cases where these senior scooters got into accidents, and the cars ended up in pieces.”
Li Shuangni: “Generally speaking, if you don’t have the basic configuration for a senior scooter, it’s not recommended to drive one.”
Peng Cheng: “Basic configuration?”
Yuan Yi: “The basic configuration for a senior scooter is having a real senior over seventy years old sitting inside.”
If the car is basic, the driver cannot be basic.
“…” Peng Cheng understood. “You’re still driving. Don’t say things like that.” It was bad luck.
Yuan Yi kept her speed between thirty and fifty kilometers per hour. She was very safety-conscious, and even more so with passengers in the back. She said sincerely, “Attorney Li, you are right. Young people shouldn’t drive this kind of car, but it’s fine for me.”
Because she didn’t care about her life.
Anyone possessing either the quality of not caring about their life or not caring about their reputation is a bad hand, but possessing both makes one an absolute winner—and very rich.
Since she stopped caring about her life and her reputation, Yuan Yi felt very comfortable, walking and driving like a crab.
There was a faint smell of new leather in the car, and the plastic film on the passenger seat hadn’t been removed. This was indeed a new car.
This was Li Shuangni’s first interaction with Yuan Yi, and she was vastly different from the Yuan Yi in her imagination. She asked again, “How much did you buy it for?”
Yuan Yi said, “Seventeen thousand. Full-seat airbags. If there’s an accident, I’ll definitely be flattened before you two, so don’t worry.”
Whether it was a joke or the truth, Peng Cheng didn’t laugh, frowning slightly in distress.
Li Shuangni, however, found it amusing: “Did Little Wei tell you that my consultation fee is very expensive? The money you spent to buy this senior scooter outright could cover this fee. Don’t you find it strenuous?”
She knew Yuan Yi was only a senior in college. Even though she had developed an independent game, she was currently just working for a company, and her share of the profits wasn’t substantial enough. She didn’t belong to the class that could afford a top lawyer.
“I’ve been making money easily lately, Director Cheng knows.” Yuan Yi finally drove into the residential area. She made a sharp turn straight into a parking spot and said frankly, “Today, He Xun’s mother, Ms. Peng Zihui, found me and gave me one million two hundred thousand to continue being with He Xun and to clarify the previous photo incident. I bought this car the moment I got the money.”
Excessive honesty. Why was she so honest in front of Peng Cheng?
Li Shuangni had expected Yuan Yi to be secretive and was momentarily speechless.
The car stopped, but the people in the back seat didn’t move.
Yuan Yi turned her head to remind them: “Director Cheng, did you bring the electric blanket? It’s cold outside. Take it with you. How are your legs? I have warm patches in my backpack. If you’re uncomfortable, should I stick a couple on you?”
Yuan Yi and Peng Cheng met eyes.
The garage was dim, but the car’s dome light was on. Yuan Yi’s head had many small fuzzy hairs sticking out, a sign of youthful vigor.
Her amber eyes were calm and clear, clean like a mirror.
Peng Cheng’s hand, resting on her knee, moved. She didn’t respond to Yuan Yi’s question, placing her hand on the door handle instead: “You agreed to her terms?”
Li Shuangni felt the atmosphere in the car tighten inexplicably. She wanted to get out but was too nosy, so she forced herself to keep listening.
“I said ‘uh…’ Does saying ‘uh…’ count as agreeing? I only agreed to her request to accept the one million two hundred thousand. Nothing else.”
As soon as Yuan Yi finished explaining, the tense atmosphere in the car vanished without a trace. Li Shuangni blinked: “You actually dared to trick Aunt Hui… Why is the amount so specific?”
Yuan Yi said matter-of-factly: “She insulted me and didn’t respect the young or the old, so I charged an extra two hundred thousand for emotional damages.”
Truly a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger.
“Aren’t you afraid of retaliation?”
Yuan Yi curved her eyes, smiling innocently and romantically: “Does she want to hire someone to kill me? Adults, times have changed. The barefoot aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes.”
Li Shuangni’s expression was complex. What kind of demon child was this? She nudged Peng Cheng’s shoulder. “This is the good child you said you were sponsoring back then.”
Peng Cheng was noncommittal. She got out of the car. Yuan Yi asked, “Director Cheng, what are you doing at Jinshui Bay?”
“Looking at apartments.”
“What a coincidence, me too.” Yuan Yi realized that since returning, she kept running into Peng Cheng frequently.
Was it a coincidence, or was it because in her previous life, her entire heart was focused on He Xun, causing her to overlook one detail after another?
She couldn’t help but think of that photo again, tightening her grip on her backpack strap.
In the elevator, Li Shuangni pressed the floor button and chattered to Peng Cheng: “I’m taking you to look at the apartment. With your aura pressing down, the owner will definitely want to drop the price by fifty thousand for me.”
Although they weren’t short on money, they should save where they could and spend where they needed to.
Yuan Yi glanced at the floor Li Shuangni pressed—the eighteenth floor. Even more of a coincidence.
There was no such thing as so many coincidences in the world. If there were, it usually meant a scam was involved. Yuan Yi silently watched the floor numbers rise, then quietly followed Li Shuangni and Peng Cheng to the door of 1802—her own apartment.
Li Shuangni: “Little Yuan, aren’t you looking at an apartment?” Why was she following them?
Yes, I am. We’re looking at the same one.
Peng Cheng had already realized what was happening. Yuan Yi pressed her finger on the password lock on the door. It chimed and opened.
Li Shuangni immediately cried out in dismay. She didn’t even want to call it a coincidence anymore. Before she could speak, she heard Peng Cheng say by the door: “This is the one. Pay for it.”