Chapter 280: If You Can

"Su Mingcheng!"

After reviewing the details, Zhu Li sat on the sofa with her arms crossed and let out a roar.

Su Mingcheng, who was gaming inside, lazily replied: "What's wrong?"

"Come here right now."

Not long after, Su Mingcheng hurried out, saw Zhu Li's expression, didn't know why—but knew things were bad—and forced a smile as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder: "You look so upset. What's wrong? Did someone upset you again? Tell me, I'll go take him down seven times over."

"Get serious," Zhu Li slapped his arm away and pointed to the single sofa beside her: "Sit over there."

Su Mingcheng forced a smile, trying to soothe the furious Zhu Li with his charming grin—but obeyed and sat on the single sofa: "What's going on? Li-jie, you're scaring me. Just tell me what's wrong."

Zhu Li's gaze was sharp with anger: "Su Mingcheng, be honest with me—where did our emergency five ten-thousand yuan deposit go?"

"N-no place, it's just…" Su Mingcheng avoided her eyes, his mind racing for a plausible excuse.

Zhu Li slammed her hand hard on the nearby cushion and shouted: "Stop lying! Tell me the truth!"

Su Mingcheng flinched, realizing he was doomed, and cautiously looked at the furious Zhu Li: "I invested it."

"Invested?" Zhu Li's voice dropped, unmistakably disappointed: "How many times did I spell it out for you? What promises did you make me? Why won't you ever change? I think you've fallen into a money pit. Be honest—how much did you invest?"

Su Mingcheng, who knew Zhu Li well, understood this was the calm before the storm. But since he'd already admitted the money went to investment, there was no point lying about the exact amount—the contract clearly stated it, and he couldn't hide it anyway. So he swallowed hard and muttered softly: "Four hundred thousand."

"I didn't hear you. Speak clearly."

Su Mingcheng gave up—he spoke clearly this time: "Four hundred thousand."

"Four hundred thousand?" Zhu Li's eyes widened: "Where did you get that much money?"

"I sold the car."

"Even selling the car isn't enough. Where did you get the rest?"

"I borrowed some from others."

Zhu Li didn't believe him for a second: "Who? Who would lend you that much? In all these years of marriage, I never knew anyone who could lend you this much! Su Mingcheng, are you still lying to me at this point?"

Su Mingcheng exhaled deeply: "I got the money from Dad."

"What? From Dad? Su Mingcheng, don't you remember we still owe him three hundred eighty-five thousand? Are you even lying to your own father now? Is this who you've become? Do you even have any shame?"

Su Mingcheng was annoyed: "What do you mean 'lying'? Li-li, why can't you trust me? I told you about this project—I've worked with Manager Zhou for years. Why would she cheat me? There are multiple investors; they're not short on cash. It's Manager Zhou who's giving me this chance. How many people would kill for an opportunity like this? And Dad's money was his investment—he doesn't want risk, so he takes profit, and if we lose, it's counted as my loan. Where's the lie?"

"Do you think I don't know what Dad's like? If you didn't fool him, how would he give you the money? Still stubborn, huh?"

"Fine, I admit I exaggerated a bit—but do you really need to react this way?" Su Mingcheng said. "Li-li, I finally see a chance to get rich. Money isn't saved—it's made. Only when money makes money can we live well. Just this once, Li-li, our good days are coming. Believe me."

"Money is made, yes—but you need capital to start, and you need to be able to afford failure. Su Mingcheng, forget your personal ability—don't you think about the fact we still owe Dad nearly four hundred thousand? You're investing four hundred thousand now—what if you lose it? And that includes Dad's money—he's so old. Have you thought about whether he can handle the loss?"

Su Mingcheng sighed in frustration: "What do you mean 'forget personal ability'? Do you think I'm a waste? That I've accomplished nothing? This is a sure win—why do you assume I'll lose? Why can't I make money? Why won't you believe me?"

Over and over, "believe me"—just like Su Mingzhe… they really are brothers.

Zhu Li exhaled slowly and shook her head: "I don't want to fight. If you still consider me your wife, you'll quit your shares and get the money back—right now. Immediately."

Su Mingcheng hesitated: "The contract's signed. I can't get it back."

"You signed the contract? Who let you sign it? Did you even consult me? Su Mingcheng, if I hadn't found out, how long would you have kept lying to me?"

"I wanted to tell you, but I didn't have time—and I wanted to surprise you. The dividends come in three months—then…"

After saying this, Zhu Li stormed into the bedroom, changed clothes without even glancing at Su Mingcheng, slammed the door, and returned to her parents' home.

Hearing the door slam hard, Su Mingcheng jolted—he hadn't yet processed Zhu Li's divorce threat. In past fights, they'd never gone this far. He knew she was truly angry. And why? It was clear—he shouldn't have hidden things or dragged his father into the investment. He admitted his fault—but wasn't it because Zhu Li never trusted him?

Why do everyone say Su Mingzhe and the one he despised most, Su Mingyu, are successful? But the truth is, even though Su Mingzhe's marriage failed, he still lives in America with a green card many envy. What about Su Mingyu? Her husband could afford fifty ten-thousand yuan years ago, and now he's a senior executive at a big company. Both are better than him. But he refused to accept it—he wanted to prove he wasn't a waste, that he could succeed too, that he wasn't the weakest of the three Su siblings.

He had no chance before—but now, a sure-win opportunity was right in front of him. He had to grab it—to show his relatives and everyone else that Su Mingcheng wasn't weak, that he wasn't the worst of the three Su children.

But Zhu Li's expression just now terrified him—he loved her, cherished their marriage. Back then, she was a graduate from a top university, from a family far wealthier than his. He knew her parents never approved of him, thought him useless. But so what? He won her anyway—and earned face among all relatives and friends. And Zhu Li was a good woman—despite occasional complaints, she truly cared for his father.

Now, thinking calmly, maybe he had been too hasty. He didn't want a divorce—he wanted to get the money back…

As Su Mingcheng sat lost in thought, the door opened. Su Daqiang whistled as he walked in. Lately he'd been happy—his funds kept rising every day. Doing nothing, just sitting, and still making money—how great.

Su Daqiang changed his shoes at the door, walked in, glanced at the dining table, sniffed, then turned to his second son slumped on the sofa: "Didn't cook?"

Su Mingcheng looked up at the clock—it was past noon. He hadn't realized it was lunchtime. He shook his head: "Didn't cook. Want me to order takeout?"

"Then just grab something," Su Daqiang groaned as he sat on the sofa. "You two said you'd cook for me on weekends—but look, still eating takeout."

Seeing Su Mingcheng scrolling on his phone, ignoring him, his face grim, Su Daqiang asked: "Where's Li-li? Did you two fight again?"

Su Mingcheng didn't look up: "Don't worry about her."

"What about? Could it be she found out about our investment?" Su Daqiang voiced his worst fear—he knew Zhu Li had forbidden Su Mingcheng from investing, and they'd fought over it before. If she found out, it'd be irreparable. When he saw Su Mingcheng nod, his heart sank: "She really found out?"

"Do you think I'm lying?"

"What did Zhu Li say?"

"What else? She told me to quit my shares and get the money back. If I can't, she'll divorce me."

Su Daqiang froze: "Can you get it back?"

Su Mingcheng shook his head irritably: "You've seen the contract—written in black and white. How easy is it to just quit?"

"Don't forget to order soup. Takeout rice is too hard—I need to soak it." Su Daqiang got up and returned to his room, closing the door behind him.

He now firmly believed in this investment—the key was, he got dividends if it won, and interest if it lost. Zero risk. Of course he didn't want to quit. He was still researching buying a house—he'd seen a few good ones recently. And he hadn't expected houses to be so hot. The agent said the ones he liked were already sold. He was getting anxious—afraid he'd miss out.

So lately he'd been thinking of selling the old family home. He'd already taken the agent there. The old house was just one room and a courtyard—but still, it was urban property, with prime location. Plus, it was a Republican-era blend of Eastern and Western architecture, steeped in history, with high value.

The agent said if he sold slowly, he could get over one million six hundred thousand. If he rushed, who knew? He wanted as much as possible—and couldn't wait until he found a house to sell. With the market so hot, by the time he found one he liked, someone else might have bought it.

But now the problem was—he was a sixty-year-old man who didn't understand all the tricks. He couldn't handle it himself. And selling a house was a big deal—even though the title was in his name, he should've told his children. If he secretly sold the old home, it'd be a disaster. Besides, he needed his kids to help with the mortgage and hire a nanny. The real issue? No one came to help him.

He hadn't called Su Mingzhe in America, but he knew his son was barely managing himself. Su Mingcheng? Too unreliable—he couldn't trust him. As for Su Mingyu, that Wang Yan kid was causing trouble, refusing to recognize him—it was a dead end.

Su Daqiang lay on his small bed, thinking how to handle it. As for Su Mingcheng's claim—"can't quit shares, she'll divorce me"? That's young people's business. Children have their own fate—he wouldn't meddle.

Su Mingcheng waited for his father to say something—to help persuade Zhu Li—but instead, the old man just walked off to his room. He wanted to curse—but he was his father. He sighed deeply, muttered under his breath, and went back to scrolling through takeout apps.

The advantage of having her parents nearby was simple: when mistreated, tired, or heartbroken at her husband's home, she had a warm refuge—someone who loved her, cared for her. Women who married far away were different—even in this age of mobile internet, where you could video-call anytime—only by returning to her childhood home, to the people who raised her, breathing the scents of memory, did she truly feel safe.

Back at her parents' home, facing their concern, Zhu Li only said she missed them and wanted to stay for a couple of days—she didn't mention Su Mingcheng's investment. She forced a smile, watched TV with them, chatted idly, then retreated to her room to think about her marriage to Su Mingcheng.

She knew that signing the contract meant going in with no chance of coming back, and the money was likely unrecoverable. But since Su Mingcheng spoke with such confidence, and that Zhou manager seemed so reliable, there might still be a chance—even if the odds were slim. She had spoken of divorce in anger, but now she needed to seriously consider this matter.

Since her mother-in-law Zhao Meilan died, her life had fallen into chaos. Her previously silent Eunuch had started causing all sorts of trouble, uncovering that they had spent all of Su Mingyu's dowry money over the years, and that repaying debts had turned their once-comfortable middle-class life into poverty. But the worst was her husband, Su Mingcheng, who had given her a new understanding of him.

He mooched off his parents as if it were his right, spouting grand principles one after another. And yet he felt no guilt toward Su Mingyu, the one most harmed—he had only grown worse, hurling insults at her name every time. How could he have the face? Now he had even gone so far as to drag his own father into investing? She had never seen such a son—risking his own money wasn't enough; he had to swindle his own father too. And the most critical point of all? That for such a major matter, despite her explicit refusal, he invested four hundred thousand just like that.

She didn't believe Su Mingcheng had any talent for investment. When he first discussed it with her, she asked: "How will you cooperate? When and how much will the first investment be? Is there potential for additional funding? What's the annual return?" He didn't know the answers to these most basic questions—he had no mature, executable plan at all. What kind of investment is this? It's no different from throwing money into the water.

Even if Su Mingcheng succeeded, now that this precedent was set, how could they ever live together again? Would there still be a place for her? It wasn't that she wanted to control the household or be domineering—it was about the most basic marital equality. Shouldn't there at least be basic consultation? If Su Mingcheng made money this time, would he consult her again? Even if he did, wouldn't he still act unilaterally, just like this time? If so, they could no longer go on together, because their hearts had already drifted apart. To force themselves to stay together would be meaningless. That was the real issue.

Now she understood, a little, how Wu Fei had felt when she divorced Su Mingzhe. After Su Daqiang returned, she and Su Mingcheng would surely gossip about it. But after listening to Su Daqiang's explanation, she still called Wu Fei when she had time alone. Though former sisters-in-law, they were both unfamiliar and familiar—she learned in detail everything that had happened. Both cases involved men hiding things until they couldn't hide them anymore, still believing they were right. That drained emotional bonds terribly.

Zhu Li lay in bed, thinking wildly, here and there, in a jumble…

At Long Teng's headquarters, after Wang Lin took Xiao Mi to play with the pandas and wandered around viewing some tech products, Su Mingyu took them on a boat ride across Taihu, then drove Wu Fei to visit several scenic spots—Zhouzhuang, Liu Yuan, Huqiu Mountain—places crowded and lively.

Wang Yan stayed at the company until past nine, and got home at ten. The two little girls were running around excitedly; Su Mingyu and Wu Fei were talking in the living room.

Su Mingyu glanced at Wang Yan as he entered, then turned back to continue talking to Wu Fei. Wu Fei, however, nodded to Wang Yan and asked Su Mingyu: "Is Wang Yan always this busy?"

"Occasionally. Their company has many R&D projects. He's a half-baked amateur, but he's interested in that stuff—he's learning while working alongside them."

"Learning?" Wu Fei was surprised, turning to Wang Yan as he finished changing his shoes and stepped closer: "You're impressive."

"Thank you for the compliment. Live and learn, right? Besides, I'm a teacher—I must keep my passion for learning." Wang Yan smiled. "You two keep talking. I'm going to wash up and sleep. Sorry if I'm not a good host."

Wu Fei smiled gently: "How could I? Go rest, Wang Laoshi."

No affectionate displays—Wang Yan simply waved to Su Mingyu, then turned and went upstairs. But he still couldn't rest; Wang Lin and Xiao Mi, energized from the day, dragged him into telling stories until they fell asleep. Only then did he get peace, washed up, and lay on the bed to rest. He didn't sleep until past eleven, when Su Mingyu and Wu Fei returned.

The next day, Wang Yan woke early as usual. After exercising, he returned to find Wu Fei already up, bare-faced, stretching and strolling in the courtyard. Wu Fei hadn't worn much makeup when she arrived yesterday, and her natural complexion was still good—she was in her thirties, and didn't look like someone who had given birth.

"Good morning, Wang Laoshi."

"Morning." Wang Yan nodded. "Up so early?"

"The air here is fresh, the environment pleasant, sleep quality is high—so naturally I wake early."

This was pure politeness. The real reasons were probably that she was a light sleeper in unfamiliar places, or simply felt uncomfortable being a guest.

"Breakfast will be ready soon. Feel free to wander. I'm going to wash up." With that, Wang Yan walked into the house, leaving Wu Fei watching his back.

Nowadays, looking things up is easy—just search on your phone. After visiting Long Teng yesterday and seeing Wang Lin and Xiao Mi running wild through the company with no one stopping them, Wu Fei knew Wang Yan wasn't just a minor shareholder. She checked online after returning, and saw the name "Wang Yan" listed as the 100% shareholder of "Long Teng Holdings." Following the links to related companies, she realized at once: Long Teng truly belonged to Wang Yan. The revelation was so shocking she stayed awake half the night.

Wang Yan, of course, noticed her forced composure. He could understand—it was one thing not knowing his identity, another entirely once you did. But since Wu Fei had found out, it didn't matter. He hadn't received any signals, so he let it be. As for the future? That remained to be seen…

After Su Mingyu, Wang Lin, and Xiao Mi woke up, the five of them laughed and ate breakfast together. Then, as usual, the two women took the two little girls out for a stroll, while Wang Yan returned to the company's lab.

Today, after touring for half the day, Wu Fei would return in the afternoon. Wang Yan had arranged a car to take her and her daughter home—he wouldn't go with them; there was nothing to see him off.

At four-thirty in the afternoon, Wang Yan received a call from Su Mingyu: Su Daqiang had called her, asking her to go to Su Mingcheng's place, and he wanted to know if Wang Yan was coming too.

Wang Yan was definitely going. Otherwise, if Su Mingyu went alone with the kids, and something she said upset them, she might get beaten—how unfair would that be? As for what excuse Su Daqiang gave Su Mingyu, he didn't care to ask—the fact was, Su Mingyu had agreed to go.

He put down his work, had the driver drop him off at the entrance to Su Mingcheng's residential compound, and waited for Su Mingyu to arrive with the children…