Chapter 1464: She

"What are your own thoughts on this?"

Zhou Wang Yamei looked at Wu Shuping, who was lying on the recliner, and asked, "Do you want to return to Steel City, or stay in the interior?"

"I don't know. I'm still thinking about it."

Wu Shuping held a coffee cup in her hands, took a shallow sip, and said with a somewhat listless gaze, "This is the most difficult multiple-choice question I've encountered in the last few years."

"Perhaps you want too much."

Zhou Wang Yamei drank the same coffee—the original, unadulterated kind; she just liked this bitterness.

Perhaps the bitterness of life had already left her feeling numb, and only a more intense bitterness could awaken her spirit.

"Is that so? Maybe—"

Wu Shuping turned over gently, set down the coffee cup in her hand, and found herself unable to voice the bitterness in her heart.

Perhaps this is what the poem meant by, "Both are drifters at the ends of the earth; why must we have known each other before to feel like kin?"

"How did you walk out of it?"

Wu Shuping scrutinized the woman before her. The two had first met through business communication.

At that time, Zhou Wang Yamei was in charge of personnel work at the recycling station, but many people had never actually seen her in person.

It was only after Wu Shuping gave birth that she officially took over the Jinmen Shunfeng Trading Company and the business relations of the recycling station in Jinmen.

It could be said that Wu Shuping's personnel file was established by Zhou Wang Yamei, and her salary was submitted by Zhou Wang Yamei according to the standards set by Li Xuewu.

The grade verification was done by Zhao Yafang, and the daily distribution audit was handled by the Financial Settlement Center located at the First Supervision Institute.

The personnel relations for units like the recycling station, Dongfeng 31 Construction, Dongfeng Club, Jinmen Shunfeng Trading, and Dongfeng Shipping were all held in Zhou Wang Yamei's hands.

You could say that Zhou Wang Yamei had no real power at the time, but you couldn't say she wasn't valued.

Li Xuewu could accept betrayal from anyone, but he dared not even imagine what would happen if Zhou Wang Yamei betrayed him.

Of course, Zhou Wang Yamei lived up to Li Xuewu's trust; even during the handover of work, she still brilliantly and unreservedly helped Li Xuewu establish a complete management structure for his private economic system.

Zhou Wang Yamei's background and history had been downplayed; few people talked about her past, and only those who had experienced those events back then, or had heard about them, knew.

Coincidentally, Wu Shuping had learned through other channels how Zhou Wang Yamei had come into contact with Li Xuewu.

Likewise, she also knew about Zhou Wang Yamei's origins and that past involving her husband.

If one were to simply tell this story, it would be somewhat melodramatic, and some might even despise Zhou Wang Yamei.

But placed in this era, in this period, today's Wu Shuping could understand her feelings all too well.

Li Xuewu was not a good man to whom one could entrust their life, but he was a man worthy of trust.

The reason Wu Shuping came to Steel City was very simple: she was certain that Li Xuewu had never treated her unfairly.

On the contrary, because of Lai Jiasheng, she felt increasingly that she owed Li Xuewu, and felt ashamed of his trust.

Especially after their meeting in the afternoon, Li Xuewu's consistent concern and trust left her feeling utterly ashamed.

She really wanted to bring Lai Jiasheng to Steel City and have him have a good talk with Li Xuewu.

If Li Xuewu was still willing to see him, if Li Xuewu was still willing to talk to him.

But if Li Xuewu were willing to give Lai Jiasheng a chance, he wouldn't have arranged for Lai Jiasheng to come to the interior.

And he certainly wouldn't have arranged for him to see her; even Lai Jiasheng himself knew that his death was imminent.

She didn't believe Li Xuewu's words—those words about the whole family going to Hong Kong to restart a new life.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Li Xuewu, nor was it that she had lost confidence in him; it was that she didn't trust the influence Li Xuewu currently possessed.

If she were still that physics professor who had just been rescued from the university by Li Xuewu, perhaps she really would have believed it, but now she fully understood Li Xuewu's power in both the interior and Hong Kong.

It couldn't be said that she knew too much; since Li Xuewu dared to say those words, he had the courage to let her leave.

However, what about Lai Jiasheng?

The wrongdoings Lai Jiasheng committed in Hong Kong, the impact he caused, and the people who died...

Wu Shuping trusted Li Xuewu, but she didn't trust Li Xuewu's business partners.

Regardless of whether Li Xuewu knew or not, he wouldn't do it himself; the person who would do it would definitely be someone else.

If she really agreed to Li Xuewu and the whole family left Jinmen, she didn't even dare to imagine what would happen on the road.

There were countless possibilities and reasons for a ship to capsize; she was willing to accompany Lai Jiasheng to gamble with her life, or to repay Li Xuewu's kindness, but what about Li Xin? What about the child?

Wu Shuping could not accept her son becoming a sacrificial lamb for the adults' mistakes at such a young age.

Therefore, Li Xuewu gave her the choice to leave, but she didn't dare to choose, and couldn't choose.

She was no longer that simple and kind physics professor; a mother must be strong, and she had to hold up a sky for her son.

Just like Zhou Wang Yamei before her—looking at how well Fu Zhidong was being cared for and raised, Wu Shuping felt as if she could see the future appearance of Li Xin.

So she didn't say it, but she had already made her choice.

"Me? How did I walk through it?"

Zhou Wang Yamei stood up from the chair, walked to the cabinet by the wall, pulled out a bottle of red wine from the shelf, gestured to Wu Shuping behind her, and asked, "Do you want some?"

"I used to drink it often, brewed at home."

Wu Shuping lay lazily on the leather recliner, looked at her, and said, "I really miss those times."

"I heard him say that your father is a famous tycoon in Malaysia, and your family is also a prestigious one."

Zhou Wang Yamei took two red wine glasses from the shelf, turned back, and said while walking, "I'm borrowing your light today; otherwise, he restricts me from drinking."

"He manages your drinking?"

Wu Shuping raised her eyebrows in surprise, looked at her, and said, "You seem to have gotten used to it."

"Are you talking about 'him'?"

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled, placed the red wine and glasses on the sandalwood side table between them, and sat on the thick wool carpet, leaning against the sofa.

"Your question already has an answer."

She smiled just the same, filling the two red wine glasses with the rich-smelling wine.

"Zhidong's father stopped coming home a long, long time ago, and I relied on this to hold on."

The two red wine glasses were half-full; she gave one to Wu Shuping and kept one for herself.

Zhou Wang Yamei gently raised her glass in a toast, then took a hearty gulp.

"Hoo—"

Her complexion instantly flushed, as if she had found a long-lost feeling; this taste was truly mellow.

"Back then, I had a lot of wine at home, so much, all imported."

Zhou Wang Yamei introduced, "Zhidong's father seemed to like watching me make a fool of myself, or crying bitterly while dead drunk, to see the most real me."

"You and your husband encountered problems."

Wu Shuping also took a large gulp of wine, reluctant to put down the glass in her hand, looked at her, and asked, "Didn't you think about solving them?"

"Solve? How to solve?"

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled bitterly, "He didn't come home, didn't talk to me, and didn't even look at the child."

"He said he was afraid, afraid of me, and even more afraid of implicating the child. I said these were all excuses."

She shook her head slightly, "It wasn't until I saw him for the last time that I knew he truly loved the child."

"Because of him? I mean..."

Wu Shuping hesitated, pointed upstairs, widened her eyes, and asked suspiciously.

"Hehe, how could that be."

Zhou Wang Yamei waved her hand amusedly, "No, we didn't know each other before."

"Then he—" Wu Shuping asked curiously, "How did you two meet?"

"It was about Zhidong's father."

Zhou Wang Yamei told this past event very calmly, but her gaze was on the red wine glass in her hand; the swaying liquid revealed that her heart was not calm.

"You should know his resume; he is a famous criminal investigation expert in the capital, on the ministry's roster."

She raised her gaze, looked at Wu Shuping, and said, "At that time, the metallurgical plant was still called the steel plant, a branch of the Red Star Rolling Mill, and it wasn't small."

"Zhidong's father's uncle was the head of the security department at the rolling mill and wanted to arrange for him to take over."

Zhou Wang Yamei shook her head slightly as she spoke, not knowing if she should lament the impermanence of the world.

"It was a very complicated case; he tracked it to Steel City and cornered Zhidong's father."

"He came to arrest you?" Wu Shuping widened her eyes, nervously took a sip of red wine to calm her nerves.

"Mm, he checked me first."

Zhou Wang Yamei nodded, recalling as she spoke, "Right in this living room, he saw me smoking and drinking, and I was even deliberately putting on an act."

"Ah? You even smoke?"

Wu Shuping was truly surprised this time; she wasn't surprised that a woman smoked, but in her impression, Zhou Wang Yamei had always been a non-smoker.

"Before, it would alleviate the sorrow."

Zhou Wang Yamei glanced at her, implicitly reminding her, "I hope you don't try it, because it's useless; you'll only end up living as the person you hate."

"Then you now..." Wu Shuping asked, "I don't see you smoking now; is that also managed by him?"

"Mm, he quit smoking himself."

Zhou Wang Yamei nodded, drank a sip of red wine, and said, "I really admire him for this."

"I only knew he quit smoking."

Wu Shuping nodded, understanding, "I didn't expect it was actually for you."

"How could that be? It wasn't for me; he did it for himself."

Zhou Wang Yamei explained amusedly, "He made me quit smoking first, then quit himself later."

"Ah—so that's how it was."

Wu Shuping nodded, looked at her, and asked, "Then later, between you and him..."

"I was also confused."

Zhou Wang Yamei touched her own neck, recalling, "Thinking about it now, it feels so strange."

"Didn't you have that feeling back then?"

Wu Shuping seemed very curious and asked, "Were you two together at that time?"

"No, that was a long time later."

Zhou Wang Yamei answered very frankly, without covering anything up, "He took us to see Zhidong's father for the last time, and Zhidong's father entrusted him to take care of us."

"So that's why you..." Wu Shuping seemed to understand, nodded, and said, "He is indeed worthy of trust."

"It's not entirely because of that."

Zhou Wang Yamei picked up the wine bottle, added some red wine to their glasses, and continued, "I still had some savings at that time and was working at the hospital, so I could support Zhidong and myself."

"It's just that some problems arose in between; Zhidong and I were in danger, so he arranged for us to go to the capital and live in his house."

"Live in his house? You two?"

Wu Shuping didn't know how to describe her surprise; what Zhou Wang Yamei said was truly... completely beyond her imagination.

Having clearly admitted to being with Li Xuewu, and still being able to live in his house, this...

"I don't want much."

Zhou Wang Yamei looked at her frankly and said, "So until today, I still feel grateful."

This answer responded to her previous evaluation of Wu Shuping—that she wanted too much.

Wu Shuping fell silent; she really should think about what she wanted.

"After that problem was solved, Zhidong and I returned to Steel City and chose to live here."

Zhou Wang Yamei recounted to herself, "Until he came to Steel City to work, we maintained this relationship, not too far, not too close; he supports me."

"You hope he supports you."

Wu Shuping looked at Zhou Wang Yamei and said earnestly, "You like this sense of security, hoping for a reason to receive his concern and help."

"Mm, you're right."

Zhou Wang Yamei generously admitted this, looked at Wu Shuping with a smile, and said, "I need him, just like you have these past few years."

"I..." Wu Shuping was defeated again, left speechless by Zhou Wang Yamei's words.

Compared to Zhou Wang Yamei's frankness and sincerity, the questions she asked tonight were simply too many.

Too many questions, insufficient honesty.

Yes, just like her these past few years, she also needed Li Xuewu, just hadn't said it out loud.

Asking herself, had she projected her longing for Jiasheng onto Li Xuewu?

Every time she saw him come to Jinmen on business, holding, coaxing, and teasing Li Xin, was the tenderness in her eyes all for her son?

Sleeping in the same bed, had she ever hoped he would be more proactive, and would she have refused him?

She didn't dare ask herself these questions because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to answer them.

Perhaps she was the same as Zhou Wang Yamei, only Zhou Wang Yamei lived more frankly.

"You asked me how I got through all these years; these are the only things I can think of."

Zhou Wang Yamei took a large gulp of wine, looked at the night sky outside the window, and said, "He gave me the hope and goal to live on, and also gave me a life free from worry about food and clothing. I also wanted someone to rely on, to live more easily; those years I was too lonely and too tired."

"I can understand you—"

Wu Shuping had drunk too much, lay on the recliner, and muttered, "Just as I understand myself."

"He's always like this, right?"

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled and said, "Never preaching anything sanctimonious, yet having a bit of reserve."

"If you aren't proactive, he just plays the honest man."

She smiled, reached out, touched Wu Shuping's hair, and said, "He's not a good person, but he's not a bad person either; don't resent him."

"You misunderstood—" Wu Shuping hadn't heard it at first, but now she swayed as she sat up from the recliner, blushing as she explained, "The two of us have nothing; it's always been like this—"

"Ah? Is that so?"

Zhou Wang Yamei's reaction was a bit exaggerated, more like teasing and banter, as if she were playing with her.

Wu Shuping looked at her with a firm gaze and emphasized, "He has never done anything to wrong me!"

"Ah! So that's how it was."

Zhou Wang Yamei kept the same tone as before, as if coaxing her.

Wu Shuping couldn't take it anymore, picked up the red wine glass, drank it in one gulp, shook her head, and said, "Really, even if we sleep in the same bed, we are still innocent."

"Then why don't you dare answer him?"

Zhou Wang Yamei didn't actually have much tolerance for alcohol; otherwise, she wouldn't have been an alcoholic before.

By now, she had long since lost the professional ethics a psychologist should have toward a patient.

She blushed, teasing Wu Shuping as if teasing a child, wanting to probe her inner thoughts.

Both had received the best higher education of this era—one a psychologist, one a physics professor—and they launched a psychological offensive and defensive battle; who won and who lost didn't seem hard to predict.

"I didn't, I just—"

Wu Shuping hesitated; even if she drank more red wine, there was no way to make herself say that answer.

"You're afraid, I know now."

Zhou Wang Yamei stood up, took another bottle of red wine, opened it, and continued to pour.

"I can understand your panic and unease very well." She said while pouring the wine, "I was afraid of him back then, too, afraid he would kill Zhidong and me."

"Pfft—hehe—"

Wu Shuping, who had just been hesitating, almost laughed out loud, held it back, looked at her, and asked, "What? How could that be—"

"How could it not be?"

Zhou Wang Yamei put away the wine bottle after pouring, sat back on the carpet, looked at her, and said, "Do you really understand him?"

"Just this afternoon, right after talking with you, do you know what order he gave?"

Under Wu Shuping's puzzled gaze, she shook her head slightly, raised her glass, and said, "He is very complicated, and very dangerous; it's just that he shows a gentler side to you and me."

"Because we aren't dangerous?"

Wu Shuping accepted her gesture, took a sip of wine, and said, "Is that what you think?"

"Otherwise?" Zhou Wang Yamei said amusedly, "He holds the children we care about most."

She leaned against the sofa, looked at Wu Shuping, and said, "I don't know about your Li Xin, but my Zhidong can no longer leave him; he secretly calls him Dad."

"Li Xin is the same." Wu Shuping sighed and said, "He cries to see him."

"Every time he comes to Jinmen, he has to cry twice; he cries when he comes, and he cries when he leaves."

"He is sincere toward the children."

Zhou Wang Yamei nodded and said, "This is also the reason I dare to trust him; he is willing to share the softest part of his heart with the children."

"Just as you said, I'm afraid."

Wu Shuping buried her head in her arms, lay on the recliner, and wept silently, saying, "If something happens to me, how will Li Xin live?"

"Go find him and talk; you have the qualifications, while there's still a chance."

Zhou Wang Yamei sighed, patted her shoulder gently, and said, "This is all I can do to help you; he is not a bad person."

"Wuwu—" Wu Shuping's sobbing leaked out; it was the emotion she could no longer suppress after being drunk, the bitterness and fear she had finally vented after all these days.

Didn't she know Li Xuewu's danger?

She knew, but she was powerless; she couldn't beg Li Xuewu to guarantee anything.

Li Xuewu knew the two women were drinking downstairs, and after dinner, he gave them space.

Wu Shuping came to Steel City; there was only so much he could say, but he was unwilling to see Lai Jiasheng.

Fortunately, Wu Shuping didn't mention this matter, didn't put him in a difficult position; perhaps she had long known his attitude.

To be honest, Li Xuewu didn't lack financial talent; at this time, you could find plenty in Hong Kong, as long as you had money.

What is most abundant during a financial crisis?

The answer is the cattle and horses that have been set free.

During a wave of bank failures, would the Oriental Era Bank lack financial talent with professional quality?

Of course not; Lou Xiaoe used Lai Jiasheng, considering Li Xuewu more.

The people Li Xuewu arranged, regardless of what position they were in, had a sense of supervision.

People like Wen San'er could mix in Hong Kong like a fish in water; it was the same whoever Li Xuewu arranged to go.

Rather than saying the Oriental system valued Lai Jiasheng, it was better to say Li Xuewu valued Wu Shuping.

If Wu Shuping hadn't been in Jinmen to cooperate with Li Xuewu, Lai Jiasheng would never have been able to enter the core system of the Oriental Era Bank.

Bottom-level and middle-level positions could be obtained through personal effort and comprehensive strength, but positions above middle-high level mostly required suitable conditions.

You wouldn't be naive enough to think that the department leaders or middle-high level managers in your unit climbed up through their own efforts, would you?

Even if he said so, would you believe it?

Whether he climbed into the leader's bed or the leader's wife's bed to get this opportunity, it was his own effort and opportunity.

When you are in the middle level, and your predecessor reminds you that it's half effort and half opportunity, you must understand the direction you need to work toward.

Either sell your soul or sell your body; without a good father or a good father-in-law, these are the only things you can use to surpass others.

Rely on talent?

You still need someone to appreciate you.

Lai Jiasheng perhaps didn't understand the key problem here, which was why he made today's mistake.

He thought Wu Shuping and the child were being taken care of by Li Xuewu in the interior all because of his efforts in Hong Kong, for the Oriental system, for Li Xuewu's service, which was why Wu Shuping had today.

But he didn't understand how many people Li Xuewu could fully trust; Wu Shuping was only trusted and supported by Li Xuewu because she was plagued by trouble and had too many conditions that could be controlled.

Mastering Shunfeng Trading, succeeding as vice president of the construction company—reaching today was not without Li Xuewu's constant testing and promotion.

Wu Shuping's hesitation was also very normal; even Li Xuewu couldn't say whether Old Biaozi would spare Lai Jiasheng.

If Lai Jiasheng had offended him, then with Li Wenbiao's personality, there might have been a possibility of letting him off the hook.

But Lai Jiasheng had schemed against his uncle, the only relative he could rely on in this world.

If one day he met with an accident, the only people he could entrust his wife and children to were Li Xuewu and his uncle.

Parents? Brothers? Stop joking.

The more stubborn Li Wenbiao's personality was, the more Lai Jiasheng could live to come to the interior, but he would definitely not live to reach Hong Kong.

He didn't need to do it himself; there were plenty of people who wanted to avenge Zhang Wanhe, and this was also a way for Li Wenbiao to appease those who had come down from the mountains.

Didn't Lai Jiasheng know his life was at an end?

He knew, otherwise he wouldn't have obediently come to the interior; he still wanted to survive.

Coming to the interior still had the possibility of life; staying in Hong Kong meant only death.

So, the only one who could save him was Wu Shuping.

Wu Shuping saw the desire for survival in his stubborn gaze, which was why she decided to come to Steel City.

No matter what, she couldn't watch Lai Jiasheng go to his death; any accident was not an excuse to appease her heart.

And the only person who could let Lai Jiasheng live was Li Xuewu.

Talking to Zhou Wang Yamei was in the hope of getting some inspiration and methods from her.

After all, she was a woman who had been with Li Xuewu for a long time; she could always talk.

But Zhou Wang Yamei's answer was unexpectedly firm: she could give advice, but she couldn't take action.

Wu Shuping could understand the deep meaning in Zhou Wang Yamei's words; a woman who relied on others for support, how could she ask for more?

Yes, she couldn't ask for too much.

The conversation downstairs went on until late at night, and three bottles of red wine were drunk; that was Zhou Wang Yamei's last collection.

Three bottles of red wine, Zhou Wang Yamei said what she could say, looked at the weeping Wu Shuping, chose to give her a chance and time to consider, and returned to her room alone.

Li Xuewu had to go to work early the next morning, so he didn't wait for her; he read a book in the bedroom for a while and then went to sleep.

His vigilance was still very strong, just a bit weaker than before; it was caused by the stable environment, which was an unchangeable fact.

Without the cultivation and maintenance of a dangerous environment, who could sleep with their eyes open all the time?

Although he would still put his pistol on the bedside table by his hand before sleeping, he could continue to sleep without opening his eyes in a familiar environment.

He knew Zhou Wang Yamei had returned, drunk, crawling over with alcohol on her breath, saying "Love me."

Li Xuewu patted her butt, meaning for her to rest well; don't push yourself if you've drunk too much.

Who would have thought Zhou Wang Yamei would misunderstand, obediently lying on the bed, waiting for him to come up.

In his sleepiness, Li Xuewu had no mind to explain, and what's more, after such a toss, his body was already prepared for battle.

The battle started in the middle of the night and lasted for a full half hour.

It wasn't that Li Xuewu was slacking off; it was that Zhou Wang Yamei had drunk too much and surrendered first, falling asleep herself.

Li Xuewu was both angry and amused, thinking he must tease her well tomorrow morning.

But after he fell asleep, he sensed Zhou Wang Yamei moving again; hadn't she just fallen asleep?

Li Xuewu was too lazy to distinguish anymore, just didn't take the initiative, but cooperated with the other party.

However...

Feelings couldn't be faked; those who say they can't control themselves after drinking are all scoundrels.

By the time Li Xuewu sensed something was wrong, it was already wrong.

He swiped his hand beside him; Zhou Wang Yamei was clearly lying there, so who was that in the night?

Another Zhou Wang Yamei?

"Don't—"

Seeming to know what Li Xuewu was going to do, she slammed into his arms, pressed her hand against his arm, and stopped him from turning on the light.

Only this one soft cry, the whole night had nothing else, no explanation, no telling, and even less demand or hope.

Li Xuewu was awake; he could be certain the other party was also awake, including the sleeping Zhou Wang Yamei.

He didn't know how Zhou Wang Yamei had talked to the other party, how did it turn out like this?

Do psychologists treat illnesses and save people like this now? This is too...

She wouldn't let him turn on the light; the night could cover everything, but what about tomorrow morning?

One pretending to sleep, two awake, so who wakes up first tomorrow morning, or should one leave tonight?

Li Xuewu wanted to leave first, leaving the two of them behind, just didn't know if it would work.

The question of who wakes up first wasn't hard; what was hard was whether they dared to face each other honestly.

When Li Xuewu opened his eyes, Wu Shuping was sitting at the dressing table combing her hair, while Zhou Wang Yamei had already dressed and was about to go downstairs.

"It's cooling down today; you should wear one more layer."

Seeing him wake up, Zhou Wang Yamei pointed to the direction of the cloakroom and reminded him, "Wear a thicker shirt."

"Boil eggs for me to eat; I need to replenish."

Li Xuewu squinted and scanned the two of them, deliberately saying, "This isn't how things are done."

"I'll boil two for you; you've worked hard."

Zhou Wang Yamei glanced at Wu Shuping, who was still pretending to be calm while combing her hair at the dressing table but was actually in a flurry, and went downstairs with a smile.

Li Xuewu saw her blushing in the mirror; she should have been the same when she snuck in last night.

"Shouldn't we talk?"

He put his hands behind his head, leaned against the pillow, and said to Wu Shuping, "Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare, and I'm afraid—"

The comb in Wu Shuping's hand paused; she looked at him in the mirror and said, "I'm sorry..."

"This isn't a matter of apology; you need to give me a clear attitude, or rather, an answer."

Li Xuewu looked at her and said, "I fully respect your choice, whether to stay or leave, but you also have to respect my choice."

"No, it's not like that."

Wu Shuping turned around, looked at him, and said, "I didn't mean to threaten you, and even less... even less any other meaning, it's just..."

Under Li Xuewu's gaze, waiting earnestly for her answer, she hesitated but still said, "I don't want to leave anymore; I can't leave the child, and I can't leave you."

"The latter part is a bit insincere." Li Xuewu pursed his lips, nodded, and said, "You have no need to be like this; you want to keep him in the interior, feeling it's safer?"

"Can't I?" Wu Shuping raised her head timidly to look at him, using a tone that was almost pleading, "I guarantee he won't make mistakes again."

"So you want to use this kind of thing to guarantee?"

Li Xuewu frowned slightly and said, "What kind of person do you take me for?"

"No, you misunderstood—"

Wu Shuping stood up and said tremblingly, "I need you, and Li Xin needs you."

"You are Li Xin's father."

She looked weakly at Li Xuewu and said, "If we can continue to live in the interior, I am willing to work hard and give Li Xin a complete childhood."

"How do you want to arrange Lai Jiasheng?"

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "If you haven't misjudged the current situation, if he can't cooperate with you, you are going to bring fire upon yourself."

"No, I'm not arranging him."

Wu Shuping walked to the bed and sat down, looked at him, and said, "You will help me, right?"

"On what basis? Just on this?"

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows slightly, looked at her, and said, "I was the one who arranged for people to bring him to the interior, and I'm also responsible for sending him back to Hong Kong."

"If you don't trust me, I'll send him back to Hong Kong first, and after you confirm the news that he is still fine, I'll send you and your son to Hong Kong, how about that?"

"No, I don't distrust you."

After a night of thinking, Wu Shuping looked at him with a firm tone and said, "No matter how you arrange him, I won't leave here; I'm not going."

This answer surprised Li Xuewu somewhat; he looked at her and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

"I can continue my current life."

Wu Shuping nodded earnestly and said, "I will do my current job well; you can trust me, really."

"Jiasheng also knows he was wrong; this isn't me pleading for him, or defending anything."

She reached out and held Li Xuewu's hand, saying frankly, "I am willing to make efforts to compensate for the mistakes he made, even if there is no end to it."

"Let him choose himself, okay."

Li Xuewu closed his eyes slightly, sighed softly, and said, "Let it be like this."

Wu Shuping's hand trembled slightly, but she also knew this was Li Xuewu's final compromise.

Even if she wanted to try harder, even if she couldn't bear it, she still stood up, trying hard to control her emotions.

Just as she was going out the door, Li Xuewu's voice came from behind again: "Go to the frontier, or return to Hong Kong."

"Okay... okay..."

Wu Shuping held back her inner excitement, unable to care about the tears falling down, and went down the stairs.

Going to the frontier wasn't just living in humiliation; it was definitely a situation of nine deaths and one life. She knew all too well what kind of people were at the frontier office of the recycling station.

Li Xuewu only needed one hint, and he could be buried in the desert for a hundred years without anyone knowing.

With Lai Jiasheng's knowledge and ability, he would have no use there, and survival would be a problem.

But no matter how dangerous it was, it was still better than returning to Hong Kong; returning to Hong Kong meant nine deaths and no life.

Why would Li Xuewu let him off the hook? Wu Shuping didn't dare to guess, but she knew it definitely wasn't because of what happened last night, even if it had a small effect.

Li Xuewu was absolutely not the kind of person who could be influenced by such things; his heart was excessively strong.

Perhaps it was her first frankness in so many years that moved him, or perhaps it was Li Xin.

In what she knew, or rather, in her impression of Li Xuewu all along, he had never been harsh or negligent toward children; it was the purest affection.

When she said "You are Li Xin's father," she clearly saw his hand move.

If she had to find two reasons to explain this change, Wu Shuping felt it was these two.

Her frankness, and Li Xin.

Downstairs, Zhou Wang Yamei was really boiling eggs; seeing her come down from upstairs, she raised her eyebrows.

Wu Shuping couldn't help but break into tears and laughter, knowing she was doing it on purpose.

"Thank you, thank you—"

She was still crying, took the initiative to hug Zhou Wang Yamei, and said softly, "Thank you."

"You saying it yourself is better than me saying it."

Zhou Wang Yamei sighed and said, "As long as you don't blame me for being heartless and unfeeling."

"No—" Wu Shuping shook her head slightly, let go of her, stood behind her, and said, "I had to make a decision in the end."

"Actually, if you hadn't done this, he wouldn't have killed him either." Zhou Wang Yamei turned her head to look at her and said, "I didn't persuade you to go upstairs last night."

"I know, it was my own thought."

Wu Shuping was frank now, nodded, and said, "I was afraid I wouldn't have a chance to talk to him."

This was Wu Shuping's thought; Zhou Wang Yamei's meaning last night was to persuade her to take the initiative to find Li Xuewu and confess her thoughts; being able to reach a certain point was better than hiding it now.

It was just that Wu Shuping performed more decisively than she imagined, and one could even say it was wine giving courage to a coward.

Zhou Wang Yamei certainly wouldn't say now whether Wu Shuping had long had these thoughts; this time she broke through her psychological barriers and took the initiative to express them.

"As long as the result is good."

Zhou Wang Yamei nodded, pointed to the pot, and said, "There's some for you too; look at how swollen your eyes are."

"Sister Zhou, I have to thank you."

Wu Shuping nodded, looked at her, and said, "What you really made me understand is that a woman still has to rely on herself, even if she has a man, it must be so."

"What kind of relying on myself is this."

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled and said, "He actually likes this house, which is why he took the initiative to keep it."

"The house in the capital was also bought for me by him, and even Zhidong's schooling was arranged by him."

Not caring whether Wu Shuping would look down on her, Zhou Wang Yamei said frankly, "I have my own salary, but he still gives me a sum of money every month; this is the tacit understanding between us."

"If you say relying on yourself, I dare not say what I can give you, but your thought is right."

She said while making breakfast, "At least the mental state should be more independent."

"I perhaps made the choice long ago."

Wu Shuping let out a long sigh, leaned against the kitchen counter, and said, "At that time, Lai Jiasheng suggested that the child and I go to Hong Kong early; I chose to use some reasons to persuade him; perhaps I thought so in my heart."

"I really like my current job, being able to have a stable source that can support the family."

She said longingly, "Being able to give Li Xin a healthy environment to grow up in, being able to obtain enough social recognition and emotional value."

"If I were you, I wouldn't give up my current life either." Zhou Wang Yamei glanced at her and said, "Vice president of the general construction company, of course you will get more."

"I was also reviewing myself last night."

Wu Shuping nodded and said, "Was it the last period at Huaqing that gave me a rebellious psychology, wanting to prove my own value and ability."

"Perhaps I have always had the obsession of climbing up where I fell."

She hugged her arms and looked out the window, saying, "I admit I am a bit greedy, wanting everything."

"Both wanting to miss my lover, and wanting my current stable life."

Wu Shuping raised her hand to wipe away her tears, choked up, and said, "My heart was beating from the moment he arranged for me to work at the general construction company."

"I knew there would be such a day sooner or later; when I could appear in the social field of vision openly, and all the shackles of the past were untied, how should I choose."

She shook her head slightly and said, "Is it to get rid of the current life in a hurry, or to continue pretending to sleep."

"It was my procrastination and luck that harmed Jiasheng, so I must do something for him."

"What about him? What did he say?"

Zhou Wang Yamei turned back and leaned against the stove, looked at her, and asked, "Did you make a request to him?"

"I wouldn't dare; it was his tolerance."

Wu Shuping smiled, although tears were still flowing on her face, "After I go back, I will have a good talk with Jiasheng."

Zhou Wang Yamei had already seen the determination to destroy the love in her eyes, as well as her attitude toward ending the marital state.

She didn't know if what she said last night was right; the old saying often goes, better to tear down ten temples than destroy one marriage.

Perhaps their contradictions had long been irreconcilable, perhaps the time apart was too long, and both had long since changed their hearts.

But these were all their problems; she had no qualifications to make any choices for Wu Shuping.

For no reason, she felt a bit guilty about Wu Shuping's choice, and even felt a bit self-blaming.

She had been complaining about Li Xuewu a bit last night; how could he be so easy to manipulate.

Boasting about how alert he was on weekdays, and even sleeping with his eyes open, but what about the result?

Maybe he didn't even understand it himself! ===== CHAPTER 1465 =====