The smell of food wafted in the air of the living room. This made the environment feel more cozy and like home.
However, Li Qianxue wasn’t in the mood to enjoy such an atmosphere. Her expression was very cold. If Su Qingsang was here, she would know that this Li Qianxue was the same Li Qianxue that she had been used to for more than 20 years.
She left the hotel early in the morning. After she finished breakfast, she went downstairs and drove to Su Qingsang’s apartment.
She sat in the car and watched from a far away distance as Su Qingsang was sent to her workplace by the chauffeur. She then watched Huo Jinyao leave as well. After they left, she sat in the car for another ten minutes before finally she got out of the car.
Li Qianxue had taken over the Li Group just recently. Although she was only there to see her daughter, she still had a formidable vibe to her presence.
She was wearing a classic little black Chanel dress with an haute couture small white suit over it. The perfect combination of black and white made her figure appear especially long and slender.
Her long hair was coiled at the back of her head, and there was an exquisite diamond necklace wrapped around her neck. In contrast to Xiang Caiping, who was only wearing an apron and had some flour on her hands, it was as if they were from two completely different worlds.
The two of them had an argument previously because of Su Peizhen. However, Li Qianxue felt uncomfortable because of what Su Peizhen had done at that time, so she didn’t say anything to Xiang Caiping.
Things were different this time. She stared at Xiang Caiping. When she saw her, she thought of the grievances she had suffered for more than 20 years. Su Chenghui had been snatched away, and Su Qingsang had been snatched away as well now.
She could forget about Su Chenghui. She had already divorced him and didn’t care about him anymore.
However, as for Su Qingsang, it absolutely couldn’t be allowed.
The living room was still silent. She didn’t move, and neither did Xiang Caiping. Li Qianxue looked around the room and finally stopped to stand in front of the dining table.
There was a lot of flour on the table, as well as fillings that had begun to be stirred, and moulds.
“You’re making mooncakes?”
With a cold expression in her eyes, Li Qianxue turned around to look at Xiang Caiping. Xiang Caiping wiped her hands on the apron but she didn’t answer her.
“Your craftsmanship isn’t bad.”
Li Qianxue picked up a mould. It was a very small mould with a very cute animal shape on it.
Xiang Caiping took a few steps forward and stood in front of Li Qianxue.
“But your taste isn’t very good.”
Li Qianxue put down the mould and put her hands on the table. She moved forward, and with the intimidating vibe usually reserved for when she was in the company, she stared at Xiang Caiping’s face.
“Xiang Caiping, I want to ask, where did you get the right to stay here?”
Xiang Caiping frowned a little. She didn’t like Li Qianxue. In the past, she didn’t like her because of Su Chenghui, but now, she didn’t like her because of Su Qingsang.
Su Qingsang was such a good daughter, but she was Li Qianxue’s daughter. That gave her very ambivalent feelings.
“Huo Jinyao invited me here, and Qingsang asked me to stay.”
Li Qianxue sneered. “Just because she asked you to stay, you actually stayed? Where is your sense of shame?”
“Li Qianxue.” Xiang Caiping looked embarrassed. She didn’t hear what Su Chenghui said to Su Qingsang when he came over here yesterday, but she could roughly guess what was said.
Today, Li Qianxue came to find her, and she had such a rude attitude.
“Whether I stay or not doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you, does it?”
“How can it have nothing to do with me?” Li Qianxue raised her eyebrows, and her glamorous face was full of arrogance. “This is my daughter’s home, the home of my daughter and son-in-law. Xiang Caiping, what right do you have to stay?”
Xiang Caiping was indeed a little lacking in confidence, but it was a fact that she liked Su Qingsang.
It was true that she had given birth to Su Peizhen, but it was also true that she had spent a few months with Su Qingsang.
She lived alone in such a big villa, so it was inevitable that she would feel lonely. Su Peizhen went to prison, so sometimes, she would sit there for an entire day without saying a word.
No matter how good Auntie Zhao was, she was only there to help. Most of the time, she stayed in that house and thought about her past years of life.
In the past, she didn’t mind being alone because she had never enjoyed the warmth of having her family by her side.
But later on, she didn’t want to be alone anymore. She indeed hadn’t given birth to Su Qingsang, but she liked it here.
Su Qingsang respected her enough and was close enough to her. Apart from her way of addressing her, they were almost like mother and daughter.
So even though she knew that this situation was only superficial cordiality brought about by Su Qingsang’s pregnancy, she couldn’t help but yearn for this feeling of home and couldn’t bear to leave.
Now, Li Qianxue’s appearance had uncovered the layer of cordiality that she thought she had, and made her realize that this place didn’t belong to her.
She was silent, and her face appeared a little embarrassed. Xiang Caiping had been neglecting her self-care over the years, and her hair had grown grey. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes couldn’t be hidden.
She looked at least ten years older than Li Qianxue. Now that she had such an expression, Li Qianxue felt like she was bullying her.
That made her feel even more uncomfortable. The weak always drew sympathy from others. Xiang Caiping was saying that she was bullying her, right?
“Say it. What right do you have to stay here?” Li Qianxue’s voice became more and more impolite. “A housekeeper? Or a chef?”
“Li Qianxue.” Xiang Caiping seemed to have finally found her voice. Her voice was stiff with a hint of anger. “Don’t go too far.”
“Am I going too far? You’re staying at my daughter’s house and refuse to leave. You’re trying to steal my daughter. Who’s going too far?”
“I didn’t.” Xiang Caiping couldn’t defend herself. “It was Qingsang and Huo Jinyao who asked me to come.”
“You came just because they asked you to? Aren’t you trying to steal my daughter after all?”
“I didn’t. Qingsang is your daughter. I know that very well.”
“Of course you know. It’s because you know that it makes it seem like you did it on purpose.”
She walked around the table and stopped in front of Xiang Caiping. She was taller than Xiang Caiping, and she looked down at Xiang Caiping’s face.
“Because you’re doing what you’re doing just to get revenge against me.”
“Li Qianxue.”
Li Qianxue sneered and looked at Xiang Caiping’s defensive expression. “You want to get revenge on me, you want to get revenge on me for stealing Su Chenghui. You also want to get revenge on Huo Jinyao for sending Su Peizhen to prison. Isn’t that why you’re here now?”
“I didn’t.” Xiang Caiping had never thought of getting revenge. No. Perhaps she did at the beginning.
When she first returned to Lin City, she really hated Su Chenghui and Li Qianxue. Even now, she hated them.
But she knew too well that there was nothing she could do.
“You didn’t?” Li Qianxue pointed at the materials on the table. “Isn’t your behavior called revenge?”
“You treat Qingsang well. You take care of her, make her thank you, and then she can’t leave you. When that time comes, my daughter won’t be close to me, but she will be close to you. This is your revenge against me, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t.”
Xiang Caiping had been in business for more than twenty years, and although she had made some achievements in her career, she still couldn’t compare to Li Qianxue, who had been the heiress of her family’s corporation ever since she was young.
For a moment, her imposing manner paled in comparison to Li Qianxue’s.
Her hesitation and pause were the best explanation. Li Qianxue took another step forward, and her voice was even colder than before. “You’ve already done that, Xiang Caiping.”
“You’ve lived here for a long time, haven’t you? For such a long time, Qingsang had never told me about your existence. She hadn’t even mentioned you in front of me. She knew that she would make me unhappy if she did these things, but she still let you stay. Why? Because her heart unconsciously become biased towards you.”
“But what about you? What you’re thinking about is just revenge.”
“Li Qianxue, you’re talking nonsense. I didn’t.”
“You said you didn’t, but your actions and everything you’ve done are all revenge against me.”
Xiang Caiping stumbled and stepped back a little.
“Feeling guilty? Because I was right?” Li Qianxue sneered, and there was undisguised disdain on her face. “Many years ago, you couldn’t compete with me and hated me for stealing your man, so many years later, you used an excuse to get close to my daughter and wanted to steal my daughter. Xiang Caiping, you’re really impressive.”
“Since he was able to be snatched away, it means that he didn’t belong to me.” Xiang Caiping finally calmed down a little. She looked at Li Qianxue and tried to suppress her anger. “You said this yourself back then, and I’m telling you this now. If you think that I stole Su Qingsang, then it can only prove that she’s not yours.”
“You’re admiting it?” Li Qianxue smiled and appeared as if she had expected her answer. “Xiang Caiping, do you think I’m Su Chenghui? As if I’d believe that you’re pure-hearted and harmless?”
She suddenly moved her face closer to Xiang Caiping. Her penetrating gaze made Xiang Caiping feel like she had nowhere to hide. “You might be pure-hearted, and I believe that you do have affection for Qingsang, but –”
She stretched out a finger and gently pointed at Xiang Caiping’s heart. “It’s true that you want to take revenge on me.”
Her voice was very soft and she was very close to Xiang Caiping. From such a close distance, Xiang Caiping could clearly see her expression.
Xiang Caiping blinked her eyes and gently pushed the finger away. “So what if I do?”
Xiang Caiping took a step back and her voice had already regained its calmness. “Can’t I take revenge on you?”
“You know what you’ve done. You snatched Su Chenghui away from me. It’s been more than 20 years, and you’ve raised my daughter to be like that. If it wasn’t for you, if it wasn’t for Su Chenghui, how could Peizhen have become like that? Moreover, Peizhen only wants you to be her mother, so why can’t I let Su Qingsang be closer to me?”
“Sometimes, I really want, and I really hope, that Qingsang is my daughter. I don’t think I did anything wrong, just like how you became pregnant back then. You came to me self-righteously and told me that you were pregnant with Su Chenghui’s child. Do you still remember? You said that in the past, you could have been indifferent, but after you had a child, you and I would have to rely on our own abilities to compete.”
“Li Qianxue, I will return this sentence to you now. We would have to rely on our own abilities to compete. If you can get Su Qingsang to kick me out and drive me out of this house… Then I will admit defeat. If you can’t… I’m really curious. What method and means would you use to make me leave your daughter?”
Li Qianxue wasn’t in a hurry to accept the challenge from Xiang Caiping. She chuckled, then pulled out a chair and sat down.
“So many years have passed already, but Xiang Caiping, why are you still so naive?”
Xiang Caiping looked at her and frowned slightly. Li Qianxue tapped the table lightly with her finger. Then, she supported her chin with one hand and looked at her sideways.
“You couldn’t compete with me even back then, so what makes you think that you can compete with me now?”
“Wake up.” Li Qianxue said bluntly, “Qingsang is my daughter. If she has to choose between hurting you and hurting me, I’m willing to bet that she will choose to hurt you.”
“If I were you, I would leave on my own at this moment. After all, it wouldn’t look good if you really wait for someone to kick you out.”
“I won’t leave.” Xiang Caiping was unexpectedly stubborn this time. “I already told you that I was invited by Huo Jinyao. Qingsang gave her tacit consent for me to stay here. Why should I leave?”
“You’re very bold.” Li Qianxue nodded and stood up in front of Xiang Caiping. “Then I’ll wait here. When Su Qingsang comes back, I’ll see if she’ll choose to keep you or me.”
After saying this, she didn’t look at Xiang Caiping anymore. Instead, she walked to the sofa outside and sat down.
With her hands scrunched up the apron, Xiang Caiping simply stood there.
She forced herself to calm down. She stood back at the dining table and continued to make mooncakes.
She wrapped the prepared fillings into the dough. Actually, it was really easy. It wasn’t difficult. It didn’t matter if she made a mistake.
After all, no matter what she did or how she did it, the final product would be eaten by Su Qingsang.
She really wasn’t picky in this aspect, unlike Su Peizhen, who didn’t eat this or that.
Her eyes were a little warm. Xiang Caiping simply lowered her face and didn’t even raise her head. In less than two minutes, two more drops of warm tears appeared on the back of her hand.
The temperature made her hand feel uncomfortable and feel as if it was scalded. At this moment, she was even glad that Auntie Yu had something to do and went home first. She definitely wouldn’t want people to see her in such a state.
Another drop of tears fell. She didn’t even raise her hand to wipe it away.
Li Qianxue was more than halfway right. She really liked Su Qingsang, but she also really wanted to put up a fight against Li Qianxue.
It had been more than 20 years. She would never forget how Su Chenghui abandoned her and married another woman.
At that time, Li Qianxue, who was pregnant, came to her and asked her to bow out. She said that she had Su Chenghui’s child. She said that if Su Chenghui really didn’t like her, why would he touch her?
Xiang Caiping’s looks were average. When she was young, she was just the pretty girl-next-door type. Her family background was also average. Her mother was a nurse, and she also learned how to be a nurse.
However, before she could become a person like nightingale, she was taught a lesson by Li Qianxue.
At that time, wanting to retaliate against Li Qianxue by saying that she was also pregnant, she was stroking her lower abdomen. But she couldn’t say it out loud. Yes, she was also a proud person. Why did she have to compete with a woman for a man?
Moreover, besides being proud, she also had a faint sense of inferiority. Whether it was her status, family background, appearance, or anything else, she admitted that she couldn’t compete with Li Qianxue.
This kind of emotion accumulated to the highest point after Li Qianxue found her. Then, she gave up on Su Chenghui easily.
From this perspective, perhaps she didn’t love Su Chenghui as much as she thought she did. After all, her pride was above her love.
But what happened later? When she was about to have a child, she really began to hate Su Chenghui.
Why would she have to suffer like this? Why would she have to suffer like this? She was clearly the one who grew up together with Su Chenghui and even got engaged to him.
But he was snatched away by Li Qianxue. Her child was without a name and her man wouldn’t be responsible for her.
After comparing the two, Xiang Caiping made an impulsive decision that she would regret for the rest of her life. She threw the child to Su Chenghui.
At that time, her mentality might not have been without the intention of revenge. After all, a proud person like Li Qianxue would see her husband’s illegitimate daughter dangling in front of her every day. This would be enough for her to feel satisfied.
However, what Xiang Caiping didn’t expect was that Su Chenghui would actually do that sort of thing. This also directly led to the chaos of last year.
What Li Qianxue said was right. She had only wanted to recognize her daughter at the beginning and have a good time with her daughter, but after she found out about the child swap, her intentions changed.
Su Chenghui and Li Qianxue were both the people she hated.
Without Li Qianxue, there would be no betrayal from Su Chenghui. Without Su Chenghui, there would be no chaotic life for the two children.
She genuinely wanted to take care of Su Qingsang and accompany her to give birth to this child, but deep down, she also wanted to see Li Qianxue make a fool of herself.
Wasn’t she all that impressive? Wasn’t she all that capable? Wasn’t she all that omnipotent? Wasn’t she going to steal her man?
But now? Li Qianxue’s daughter was closer to her, and she was estranged from her mother. When there was a problem, Li Qianxue’s son-in-law even came to her for help, but he wasn’t willing to tell Li Qianxue about it.
Such a strong contrast between intimacy and estrangement.
She even thought that in the near future, when Su Qingsang was about to give birth, Li Qianxue would definitely come to Rong City. At that time, she could let her take a good look.
She, Xiang Caiping, could do things that Li Qianxue couldn’t.
But she didn’t expect Li Qianxue to come so quickly. She couldn’t even wait for Su Qingsang’s belly to get bigger. She couldn’t wait for her child to be born.
Leave just like that? Xiang Caiping was unwilling to. She had promised Qingsang that she would make mooncakes for her to eat. She couldn’t go back on her word.
But what if she didn’t leave? Li Qianxue was Su Qingsang’s biological mother. Who would she choose? Did she even need to ask?
At that time in Lin City, as soon as she met Li Qianxue, she ran over to clarify things with her. The current situation probably wasn’t too far off from what happened then.
Previously, she had severe pregnancy vomiting, so she needed her. But now that her pregnancy vomiting had subsided, she no longer needed her.
Xiang Caiping, if you don’t leave at this moment, when exactly are you going to leave?
Was she really going to wait for Su Qingsang to kick her out? But how could she leave just like that? She liked Su Qingsang and liked living with her.
She had promised her a lot of things, but she couldn’t do them anymore. She was really unwilling to leave just like that.
Xiang Caiping’s eyes were blurred with tears. Her heart was in emotioal turmoil. Without thinking, she swept the materials that were stained with tears away and into the trash can on the side.
She wiped her tears away and went into the kitchen. She had better think about what to eat for lunch.
Li Qianxue, who was sitting on the sofa, wasn’t actually as calm as she appeared to be on the surface. She couldn’t sit still as she watched Xiang Caiping continue with her work with such determination.
She had calculated the time very well. It was morning. Su Qingsang and Huo Jinyao should only be back in the afternoon.
She had a few hours to stay here to watch Xiang Caiping pack up and leave.
But now that she looked at the confident Xiang Caiping, she had to worry about something else.
What if Xiang Caiping didn’t leave? Would Su Qingsang come back and ask Xiang Caiping to leave, or would she ask her to leave?
Li Qianxue suddenly became uncertain. If Su Qingsang asked Xiang Caiping to leave, it would be fine. Her pride and dignity would be saved.
But what if Su Qingsang couldn’t bear to ask Xiang Caiping to leave? What if she wanted her to stay? At that time, she would be the one who would lose face.
Li Qianxue sat there without moving. She looked like an old monk in meditation, but her heart was far from calm, especially when she saw that Xiang Caiping was actually walking towards the kitchen. Her expression became even uglier.
What did this mean? Was she really going against her and was unwilling to leave?
Li Qianxue stood up quickly. She almost had the urge to pull Xiang Caiping away. But in the end, her rationality and pride made her sit back down again.
She forced herself to take out her phone to handle some official business. Since she had come to Lin City, she was bound to leave the company’s matters behind for a few days.
After making a few phone calls, the corner of her eyes glanced in the direction of the kitchen from time to time. She didn’t see Xiang Caiping come out.
Her figure moved and she almost stood up again. However, she forced herself not to lower her head first. Whoever lowered their head first would admit defeat first. Li Qianxue had always been a person who refused to admit defeat.
That year, Su Chenghui was drunk, and she was also drunk. The two of them somehow ended up together.
In fact, she really liked Su Chenghui at that time and really took him to heart.
She even felt that such an accident wasn’t bad. She would at least still have a memory.
But she didn’t expect that because she didn’t go home that day, Old Master Li was called over. When her father saw the two of them rolling around together, his first reaction was to let Su Chenghui take responsibility.
In fact, at that time, Li Qianxue wasn’t willing to do so. She knew that Su Chenghui had a woman he loved, and she also knew that they were childhood sweethearts that were about to get married.
She simply treated having s*x with the person she liked as a memorial and a ceremony. In fact, that was also very good.
She persuaded Old Master Li not to interfere in this matter. She told her father that everything was her own choice.
Old Master Li had always doted on her, and he always complied with her requests. Since she said not to interfere, then he wouldn’t interfere.
She thought that he would thank her for relieving Su Chenghui’s pressure. However, she didn’t expect that at that time, Su Chenghui, who was angry out of embarrassment, would actually blame everything on her. Su Chenghui actually thought that everything was designed by her.
She deliberately got drunk, she deliberately had s*x with him, and she deliberately alerted Old Master Li, and she deliberately pretended that what she said was just an accident, but she was taking a step back in order to advance. In the end, it was impossible to change anything.
How proud of a person was Li Qianxue? She was furious that so many accusations were pinned on her head all at once. She didn’t even have time to clarify things with Su Chenghui and explain the situation clearly.
After she found out that she was pregnant, at that time, she thought, ‘Didn’t you say that I set you up, Su Chenghui? Didn’t you say that I did it on purpose? I’ll let you see me do it on purpose then.’
Li Qianxue, who was proud and couldn’t bear to suffer the slightest grievance, went to Xiang Caiping and told her that she was pregnant.
She told her that if Su Chenghui really had her in his heart, he would have gotten married a long time ago. What drunken confusion? If he didn’t have her, Li Qianxue, in his heart, how could Su Chenghui have messed around?
She told Xiang caiping that Su Chenghui only treated her as a little sister and pitied her. He liked women like her.
Even if she wasn’t now, she would be in the future. That time, she successfully defeated Xiang Caiping and made her back down.
What about this time?
