20: Chapter 20 Mother-Daughter Conflict

I must take it down as quickly as possible.

Just as he put down his phone, the doorbell rang.

"Hello, your food delivery!"

Wang Yang got up to open the door.

Standing at the doorway was a delivery rider in a yellow uniform.

He was carrying three large bags in his hands, panting slightly.

"Sir, here is your delivery. Enjoy your meal!"

Wang Yang took the bags and closed the door.

He placed the bags on the marble dining table and took them out one by one.

A large platter of sashimi was laid out—salmon, tuna, sweet shrimp, and arctic surf clam—arranged exquisitely.

The grilled eel was in a square box, glistening with sauce.

The lobster porridge was in an insulated bucket. When he opened the lid, steam rose, and the aroma wafted straight into his nose.

The dessert was a matcha mousse, a small one, looking quite delicate.

Wang Yang sat at the dining table, facing this table of luxurious delivery food, and picked up his chopsticks.

The first bite: salmon. Thickly sliced, rich and fatty, dipped in soy sauce and wasabi—it melted in his mouth.

Refreshing.

The second bite: grilled eel. Soft, sticky, sweet, and fragrant, filling his mouth with flavor.

Damn, this is satisfying.

While eating, Wang Yang couldn't help but take out his phone and snap a photo.

In the photo, the sashimi platter, grilled eel, lobster porridge, and matcha mousse were laid out on the table.

The background was the night view of the city's myriad lights outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, exuding a sense of high-class luxury.

Then he opened his Moments and posted it with two words:

[Late night snack.]

After posting, he tossed his phone aside and continued eating.

One person, a 280-square-meter flat.

A luxurious delivery meal costing over a thousand yuan, with the night view of the entire city outside the window.

This feeling—he wouldn't have even dared to imagine it before.

Wang Yang leaned back in the dining chair, picked up a sweet shrimp, and chewed slowly.

The shrimp meat was fresh and sweet; dipped in soy sauce, the taste was just right.

He remembered this time last night, when he was still huddled in that dilapidated rental apartment.

Eating a cheap fast-food meal, staring blankly at his phone.

And now?

Twenty million in savings, a 280-square-meter house, a twenty-thousand-yuan bed, an eight-hundred-plus delivery meal.

And Zhao Yaqin.

And Su Xincheng.

And the system.

A smile curled at the corners of Wang Yang's mouth.

This life—damn, it feels good.

...

Meanwhile.

The lights were on in Zhao Yaqin's kitchen, and the range hood was humming.

She was wearing an apron, standing at the stove cooking.

Cured meat sliced, garlic sprouts cut into sections, stir-fried in the pan—the aroma began to drift.

Eating alone, she hadn't made too much.

A plate of stir-fried cured meat with garlic sprouts, a bowl of seaweed egg drop soup, and a small bowl of rice.

Just as she brought the dishes to the table, the sound of a key turning came from the door.

The door opened.

Liu Qian stood at the doorway, wearing that white down jacket, carrying several shopping bags in her hands.

She saw Zhao Yaqin and paused for a moment.

"Mom, you're home."

Zhao Yaqin responded indifferently.

"Yeah."

Liu Qian changed her shoes, put her things down, and walked two steps toward the kitchen.

She looked up at Zhao Yaqin and was about to speak when she suddenly froze.

"Mom?"

Zhao Yaqin looked up at her.

Liu Qian stared at her face, eyes wide, looking her up and down.

"Mom, what... what happened to you?"

Zhao Yaqin frowned.

"What do you mean, what happened?"

Liu Qian took a few steps closer, leaned in front of her, and looked at her face carefully.

"Mom, why do I feel like you've changed so much? Your skin is so supple, you look so much younger. Is it my imagination?"

She reached out to touch Zhao Yaqin's face, but Zhao Yaqin dodged.

Zhao Yaqin put down the bowl in her hand and looked at her.

"You come here."

Her tone was calm, but it held a chill.

Liu Qian froze for a moment, suddenly feeling a bit unsettled.

She followed Zhao Yaqin to the living room and stood by the sofa.

"Mom, what's wrong? Did something happen?"

Zhao Yaqin looked at her, staring into her eyes.

"I'm asking you, why did you break up with Xiao Yang?"

The expression on Liu Qian's face changed instantly.

She furrowed her brows, and a sneer tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Oh, I get it now. Wang Yang went and complained to you, didn't he? He went to find you? What did he tell you?"

"Don't you bring Xiao Yang into this." Zhao Yaqin's voice turned cold.

"I'm just asking you, what exactly were you thinking?"

Liu Qian scoffed and threw her bag onto the sofa.

"What was I thinking? I was thinking very clearly! Mom, Wang Yang earns six thousand five a month, rents a place to live, has no car and no house. I was with him for three years; what has he ever bought for me? Three-hundred-yuan lipstick, a one-hundred-fifty-yuan dress—put together, it's not even enough for someone else's meal!"

She got more worked up as she spoke, her voice rising.

"What kind of future could I have following him? What kind of good life could I live? Living in that dilapidated rental with peeling wallpaper, not even being able to afford a decent piece of clothing for the New Year—what did I do to deserve that?"

Zhao Yaqin stared at her, her chest beginning to heave.

Liu Qian didn't notice and continued.

"Oh, right, Mom, let me tell you, I have a new boyfriend now. Young Master Zhang, his family is in the construction materials business, he drives a Mercedes-Benz, and any bag he buys for me costs over ten thousand. He's so good to me; he said he'd take me to meet his parents after the New Year, and after we get married..."

"Enough!"

Zhao Yaqin interrupted her sharply.

Liu Qian froze.

Zhao Yaqin looked at her, her eyes rimmed with red, tears welling up.

She raised her hand, pointing at Liu Qian, her voice trembling.

"Liu Qian, I've been a widow for fifteen years, raising you on my own. I taught you to be a decent person, to be steady, to know how to be grateful. Is this how you learned? Being snobbish and money-grubbing? Betraying a relationship? Do you have any conscience left?"

Liu Qian's face turned pale at her words, but she retorted stubbornly.

"Mom, what do you know? In this society now, if you don't have money, you can't do anything! I was with him for three years, what did he ever give me? I..."

Before she could finish.

Slap!

A slap landed solidly on her face.

Liu Qian's head turned to the side from the force, and she stood there stunned.

She covered her face, looking at Zhao Yaqin in disbelief.

"Mom, you hit me? You hit me for his sake?"

Zhao Yaqin's hand was still shaking, and tears finally fell.

"Hitting you is getting off easy! Liu Qian, do you know what Xiao Yang looked like yesterday?"

Her voice choked, but every word hit hard.

"I saw what he looked like with my own eyes! Do you know how much my heart ached? I raised you for over twenty years, and I raised such an ungrateful thing?"

Liu Qian covered her face, her eyes also turning red, but not from crying—it was from grievance and anger.

"Mom! You're my mother, how can you take his side? Just because he's poor, he's right? He can't give me the life I want, so why can't I find someone better?"

"Someone better?"

Zhao Yaqin sneered.

"That Young Master Zhang, do you think he really treats you well? He's just after your youth and your looks; once he gets tired of playing with you, he'll dump you!"

"Mom!"

"Shut your mouth!"

Zhao Yaqin roared.

"I'm telling you, Liu Qian, don't you regret this later! That boy Xiao Yang is steady, filial, and sensible; he gave you his whole heart. Pushing him away is the biggest loss of your life!"

Liu Qian glared at her, tears finally falling.

"Fine, fine! You take his side, you protect him! Who is he to you? Why would you hit me for his sake?"

Zhao Yaqin trembled all over.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Liu Qian looked at her like this, feeling even angrier.

She grabbed the bag on the sofa and turned to walk out.

"I'm leaving! I won't be an eyesore to you! Go ahead and protect that poor loser!"

The door slammed shut.

The room instantly fell silent.

Zhao Yaqin stood where she was, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

She slowly walked to the sofa and sat down.

Her hands were still shaking.

She thought of Wang Yang.

And then she thought of Liu Qian's last words.

Who is he to you?

Zhao Yaqin buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling slightly.

He is nothing to me.

But in my heart, right now, he weighs more than anyone.