Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“What?! Borrow money?!”
Pei Ge’s words were just said, but Liu Yan blurted this out already.
She was initially feeling sympathetic toward her niece upon learning that Zhang Manhua had been diagnosed with stage 2 gastric cancer, but when her niece asked for a loan from them, all her sympathy and compassion flew out the window.
The eyes she used to look at her niece held wariness and displeasure.
Pei Ge discreetly formed a wry smile at her second auntie’s annoyance.
On her way here, she had already mentally prepared herself for her miserly second auntie to react like this once she asked to be lent money.
She remained hopeful, however. After all, it was her mother who had cancer.
“Second Uncle, Second Auntie, I only need a loan of 200,000 yuan from you; I promise to pay it later,” she pleaded while holding back her tears.
“200,000 yuan! Ge Ge, it’s easier said than done. Jeez. Asking us for 200,000 yuan the moment you opened your mouth,” Liu Yan sarcastically sneered.
“All these years, we have given so much to your family and we didn’t see any payment. Now, you want to take a loan from us; do you think our family owns a bank?”
Though she felt upset at her second auntie’s sarcastic remark, she still bit the bullet and firmly spoke, “Second Auntie, I will definitely pay you back.”
“Ke ke, Ge Ge, listen well; cancer can’t be cured, so don’t get conned by that doctor. What high chances of recovery? That’s a complete lie. You should take this chance to be with your mother while you still can. Let her enjoy the last moment—” She angrily interrupted her second auntie at this point.
“The doctor didn’t con us! My mother has stage 2 stomach cancer! It is not terminal! It can be treated! My mother will surely be healed!” She stared at her second auntie with eyes full of anger as her palms balled into fists.
Liu Yan was shocked by her fiery eyes and, glaring hatefully, muttered, “You ungrateful child…”
“Second Uncle, I beg of you; I just need 200,000 yuan. I will pay you back as soon as possible. I can even sign an lOU!” She ignored her second auntie and earnestly addressed her second uncle, instead.
He met his niece’s tear-filled eyes with his calculative ones.
“Ge Ge, you really don’t know the details of your company’s project?”
She was stunned by his unrelated question.
The question really caught her off guard, and, for a bit, she stared blankly at this middle-aged man before her.
He suddenly felt so foreign.
Shaking her head, she looked at him strangely. She somehow felt cold.
“Ge Ge, I will give you that 200,000 yuan.” He frowned at her shocked face.
She perked up and her eyes brightened at his words.
However, his next words made her shiver, as though someone had poured cold water on her.
“This 200,000 yuan, I can give it to you for free, provided that you help me get information about your company’s plan for that Meicheng real estate project,” he said softly to her.
Barefoot, she felt coldness crept from her soles straight into her heart, which made her visibly shivered.
“Ah Hui! How can you simply give her 200,000 yuan for free?!” her second auntie complained discontentedly.
Pei Ge returned to her senses when she heard Liu Yan’s complaint.
With calm eyes that belied her complex feelings inside, she sarcastically smiled at her second uncle.
“Second Uncle, Second Auntie, is my mother’s life so insignificant in your eyes?” she asked with sorrow.
“Second Auntie, I am your niece and not some beggar. My mother is your sister-in-law and she has cancer; do you still have a little conscience?” Her eyes were red as she rebutted.
Liu Yan began to feel guilty upon hearing her words.
“Second Uncle, you really disappoint me. I didn’t expect that you would say such things to me.” Tears rolled down from her eyes.
Just like beads from a broken pearl necklace, her tears fell onto the smooth marble floor one after another.
She had plenty of expectations, but she was met with much disappointment, instead.
She had never expected him to say such a thing.
“Ge Ge, that’s not what I meant; I just…” He felt bad when he saw his niece weep in bitter disappointment and sadness.
He realized at this moment that he had said the wrong thing. How could he forget his niece’s character? This child could not be persuaded with force and, most important, was morally upright since young and would not do anything unscrupulous.
If other people heard his request, they would jump at the first chance to do it.
He had been too careless.
“Second Uncle.” She wiped her tears and numbly gazed at him. “I’ve tendered my resignation from Chenguang. I am no longer part of that company, so you don’t have to question me about their projects in the future.”
“What?! You resigned?! Lass, why did you resign without talking to me first?!” he exclaimed with much displeasure once he heard her words, his initial feelings of regret completely dissipating.
She viewed his agitation as absurd.
She was here to seek help from her relatives for her mother’s treatment. Instead, this couple, one could not part with money and took every chance to hurl snide remarks at her, while the other only thought of making use of her for his benefit.
Ha ha! What a joke. We are clearly connected by blood, so their focus should’ve been on my mom’s sickness…
“Second Uncle, I am not your daughter, and I am a grown-up, so what I do is none of your concern,” she coldly told him off. Not only did she feel very disappointed with his family, her hopes were also dashed by him.
“Second Uncle, Second Auntie, since you don’t wish to help my family, I’ll just take my leave.”
