Chapter 35 Adulterers and adulteresses, each with their own schemes

In the morning, Wen Huilin had actually heard the commotion of Chen Ang leaving, but she didn't get up.

She only walked out of the room once it was time for Chen Zetian to go to school.

Her first order of business was to sneak into Chen Ang's room and take the old mobile phone that had been left on the vanity.

After dropping Chen Zetian off at school, she arrived at her workplace and stared at the report on the screen, but not a single number registered; her mind was entirely occupied by that bank card.

Preoccupied with her thoughts, she couldn't help but take time off, then headed to Xiangxieli Garden, which was where Tu Yuandong lived.

When Wen Huilin entered the door, Tu Yuandong had already been waiting for a long time.

He was sitting on the living room sofa, with four or five cigarette butts piled up in the ashtray.

The moment the door opened, he stood up. Without waiting for Wen Huilin to change her shoes, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the bedroom.

Wen Huilin stumbled from his pulling, and her bag fell to the floor; she didn't even have the chance to pick it up.

"What are you doing..." Before she could finish her sentence, she was thrown onto the bed.

Tu Yuandong pressed down on her, one hand tugging at her clothes while the other pressed against her shoulders, his breathing heavy and his mouth reeking of stale cigarette smoke.

Wen Huilin turned her head away, staring at the unopened box of tissues on the nightstand. She didn't resist, but she didn't offer any response either.

Although her body was soft, her gaze was filled with disgust.

Tu Yuandong's movements were rough and urgent, as if he were manhandling an object. He panted heavily, and sweat from his forehead dripped onto her collarbone.

In his mind, the images from last night played over and over: Yu Fei's shoulder strap slipping, Chen Ang waving goodbye, the red wine, the sofa, and taking the daughter to the amusement park.

He wasn't doing that with Wen Huilin; he was battling against those images.

Through the wind and rain, it lasted no more than a few minutes before he collapsed on top of her, motionless.

Wen Huilin waited a few seconds, frowned, and removed his hand from her chest. Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was articulated clearly: "What do you call this?"

Even if she felt resistant, since things had already gone too far, Wen Huilin instinctively wanted a harmonious and satisfying encounter, but things didn't go as she wished.

Tu Yuandong froze, and two seconds later, he rolled over and lay on the bed.

Wen Huilin sat up, pulled up her collar which had been pulled aside, and without looking at him, muttered, "As anxious as a dog; I thought you were actually capable of something."

She picked up the hair tie that had fallen by the bed and tied her hair back up. "If you have no ability, don't try to force yourself on others."

Tu Yuandong suddenly sprang up, staring straight at Wen Huilin. His face flushed red from the base of his neck upwards, and the veins on his temples throbbed as if he had suffered a great insult, his whole body trembling slightly.

He thought again of what Yu Fei had said while leaning on the sofa, holding her red wine: "He is stronger than you, better at playing than you, lasts longer than you, and has more tricks than you."

First the ex-wife, then the mistress; two women with the exact same faces.

Damn it all...

He opened his mouth to swear, but he held it back.

Swallowing the words, he turned and grabbed the cigarettes from the nightstand, lighting one up.

Through the faint smoke, he glanced sideways at Wen Huilin, who was looking down as she dressed. "You've been quite hot-tempered lately; is something going on?"

"I'm hot-tempered?" Wen Huilin didn't notice the man's change in demeanor and raised her voice two octaves. "You dragged me onto the bed the moment you walked in, finished in a few minutes, and now you're saying I'm hot-tempered?"

"Tu Yuandong, what is wrong with you?" She stopped what she was doing and glared at the man.

"Company matters, they've piled up. It's annoying." He exhaled a cloud of smoke, using it to mask his expression.

Wen Huilin didn't pick up on that; she didn't understand Company operations, and all she cared about now was money. "If I really get a divorce, what will I do in the future? What will happen to Xiaotian? He is your son, after all."

"Don't worry, I have a plan. I guarantee I will give you and our son a secure home in the future."

The son—Tu Yuandong certainly had to acknowledge him. He flicked the ash off his cigarette and then asked, "What has Chen Ang been busy with lately?"

"The same as always." Wen Huilin picked up her underwear from the floor and put it on. "Spending money recklessly, rotting away without going to work."

"Is there anything unusual?"

"Has he ever been normal lately? Haven't I already told you?" Wen Huilin retorted.

Tu Yuandong watched her back, trying to figure out if she really didn't know or if she was lying. Did she really not notice anything while living with him every day?

Ever suspicious, he had discovered that Chen Ang and Yu Fei were having an affair.

He couldn't help but think that all his recent troubles seemed to have piled up together: the Company auditing the accounts, the Road and Bridge Bureau contract getting stuck, debt collectors pressing in—one thing after another, as if a net were tightening around him.

"Last time you said you would transfer a house to Xiaotian's name; is that still valid?" Wen Huilin stood up, and after putting on her dress, looked up and asked.

Tu Yuandong narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her for a second. "I told you, the Company's funds are tight right now..."

"So we wait until they aren't tight anymore?" Wen Huilin frowned. "I've waited two years, and I don't want to wait another two."

Without letting Tu Yuandong speak, she continued, "Back then, you pulled up your pants and refused to acknowledge anything, climbing the social ladder yourself. I suffered through the hardships of raising our son, but what have I gotten?"

"Here, I have the fact of Chen Ang's extramarital affair, and in your ex-wife's mouth, I have the reputation of a promiscuous slut."

As she spoke, the corners of her eyes lifted slightly, her gaze sliding to Tu Yuandong's face. Her tone was filled with endless grievances, and a sob caught in her throat.

Tu Yuandong rubbed his temples, feeling an exhausted sense of heartbreak.

He had promised to give Chen Zetian a house as a guarantee for his son, but that was in the past.

Now Yu Fei was also asking him for a house, and he needed her to bridge the connection with the Road and Bridge Bureau, so he couldn't refuse.

His liquid assets were limited; it was impossible to promise the same house to two people.

"Let's put this aside for now; give me some time to arrange it." He deliberated before speaking.

"Put it aside again? Are you going to give it to me or not?" She stared at him, her tone aggressive.

"I said to put it aside for now."

"Fine." Wen Huilin stood up and threw her bag over her shoulder. "If you dare to mess with me, then don't bother talking about our business anymore. Your son will just have to keep the surname Chen forever."

Tu Yuandong stood up and blocked the bedroom door.

"Move." Wen Huilin pushed him hard.

"Just wait a little longer. I didn't say I wouldn't give you the house, but if you pressure me now, I can't come up with it. The Company has a few payments that haven't arrived yet. Once the contract with the Road and Bridge Bureau is signed, everything will be back on track."

Tu Yuandong grabbed her hand.

"When are you signing that Road and Bridge Bureau contract?"

"In the next few days."

Wen Huilin looked at him and suddenly wanted to laugh.

She didn't believe a single word of a man's promises anymore; she only wanted to get money.

After breaking free from Tu Yuandong, she simply said, "Then I'll wait," and pulled the door open to leave.

Tu Yuandong stood at the bedroom door, listening quietly to the sound of her changing her shoes and closing the door.

Once the living room was quiet again, he took out his phone and dialed a number.

On the other end of the line was an old acquaintance he had known for a long time named Nickname, who was well-connected in the New District and had previously helped him collect a few bad debts.

He needed someone to tail Chen Ang for a few days to confirm where Chen Ang went and who he was in contact with.

Yu Fei had already sent word that Manager Hu had loosened up; as long as two more procedures were completed, the contract with the Road and Bridge Bureau could be finalized by next Friday at the latest.

Before that, he absolutely could not let Chen Ang cause any major trouble.

He walked to the window, pulled the curtains open a crack, and watched Wen Huilin walk away, his gaze flickering with a sinister light.

Wen Huilin exited the building and quickly hailed a taxi. She needed to go to the bank first; not just to withdraw and transfer money, but to see exactly how much cash flow Chen Ang had and to see where the money for that watch had come from.