Chapter 50: Collapse

Friday, the day before getting the marriage certificate.

At 9:30 in the morning, the A-shares market opened.

Wen Ming Yue was at work in her unit. She was about to retire in a year, so her work was extremely leisurely. Every day at the office, she just drank tea and read newspapers.

As usual, she checked the stocks on her computer. In the past few days, Gu Cheng Group’s stock had risen sharply. The hundreds of thousands that Wen Ming Yue had invested had directly doubled. She thought confidently that if this speed continued, before long, she would not only be able to buy a commercial apartment in the city center like Fan Xia but also afford a large flat in the prosperous area.

By then, those neighbors who had coldly watched when she was forced to sell her house and move, and those colleagues who had mocked her at work, would all have to flatter and smile at her.

Thinking of that day, Wen Ming Yue couldn’t help but reveal a smug smile on her face. At that time, she would definitely host a housewarming banquet and make those old things green with envy.

She picked up the tea mug in front of her and slowly took a sip of tea. The reading glasses on her nose looked at the computer screen, and her smile instantly froze on her face.

She hurriedly pushed the tea mug aside, and her cloudy eyes behind the reading glasses almost stuck to the computer screen. Then, with a horrified expression, she nearly convulsed, trembling as she ran out.

Seeing Wen Ming Yue’s unusual behavior, a colleague whispered to the person next to her, “What’s wrong with Old Wen?”

The person next to her laughed and said, “Probably Wen Jing beat someone up again.”

“Hahahahaha.” Raucous laughter erupted in the office. “Last time she beat someone up, they had to sell their house, and the family of three squeezed into the daughter-in-law’s small two-bedroom apartment. I really don’t know how they can live like that. If it were me, I’d rather sleep on the street than live in my daughter-in-law’s house.”

“Yeah, Fan Xia is really a good person to be willing to take in their whole family.”

“Of course, after all, she’s Director Fan’s daughter. How bad could she be? If Director Fan hadn’t met with that car accident back then, this factory might have already been privatized by Director Fan.”

Wen Ming Yue, with trembling legs and cold fingers, ran to a corner of the corridor and hurriedly called Fan Xia.

Fan Xia, who was in a meeting, saw Wen Ming Yue’s caller ID and smiled faintly before hanging up.

Wen Ming Yue cursed angrily and continued to dial. Fan Xia simply turned on airplane mode.

After the meeting ended, she returned to the office with Rong Xiu. Only then did she unhurriedly turn off airplane mode and found that Wen Ming Yue had called her dozens of times.

As soon as the airplane mode was turned off, another urgent call came in.

Rong Xiu put down the document in his hand, his water-colored eyes rippling: “Is it from Wen Ming Yue? Seeing today’s stock price plummet, she must be restless, right?”

Fan Xia smiled and sat lazily on the black leather sofa, answering the phone: “Hello?”

“You finally answered the phone!” Wen Ming Yue said, almost gritting her teeth: “Tell me what’s going on? Didn’t you say that Gu Cheng Group was cooperating with your group? Didn’t you say the stock price would rise?”

Fan Xia laughed slowly and methodically: “Yes, hasn’t Gu Cheng Group’s stock price risen in the past few days?”

“But it fell today! Plummeted!” Wen Ming Yue’s voice was like it was being torn apart, her angry roar echoing in the empty stairwell.

“Ah, is that so? There’s nothing we can do. The stock market is unpredictable. Sometimes I don’t know what will happen either,” Fan Xia’s voice was regretful, but her expression didn’t show a hint of regret.

Rong Xiu, seeing the relaxed smile overflowing from Fan Xia’s eyebrows, also smiled. She had endured for so long; today was a good day for revenge on Wen Ming Yue.

“Fan Xia, what do you mean by that? Huh?” Wen Ming Yue’s voice was trembling and angry: “Don’t forget, you recommended this stock to me, and I invested all my money in it! You owe me an explanation!”

Fan Xia couldn’t help but laugh, continuing to play innocent: “I didn’t know the stock price would suddenly plummet either. Besides, I also invested money in it myself. I lost a lot too.”

“You lost money too?” Hearing that Fan Xia had also lost money, Wen Ming Yue’s mindset immediately balanced out a bit. She asked, “How much did you lose?”

She hadn’t lost a penny; in fact, she had made quite a profit. Due to information asymmetry, she had bought when Gu Cheng Group’s stock price was at its lowest and sold when it rose a few days ago, making a good profit. And the days she sold were exactly when Wen Ming Yue borrowed money to enter the market.

“Um… over 400,000,” Fan Xia said.

“How can your 400,000 compare to mine?” Wen Ming Yue had thought that since Fan Xia was rich, she should have lost even more than her and naturally should be more anxious to fill the hole. But she didn’t expect that she had only lost over 400,000, which could be earned back in a few months.

For Gu Cheng Group’s stock, she had specially opened a margin account and added leverage. If it continued to fall like this, she would not only lose all her capital but also be burdened with massive debt.

Unable to imagine what kind of life she would have in the future, Wen Ming Yue was so scared that her teeth were chattering. It was all because of the garbage stock Fan Xia recommended to her. She became angry out of fear and said, “I’m taking leave to go home now. You come back immediately and figure out how to deal with this. If you don’t come back, I’ll tell Lan Sheng that it was because of your bad advice that I lost so much money.”

Wen Ming Yue’s tone carried an irrefutable command. If it were Xie Cen or Wen Jing, they might have already obediently agreed, but Fan Xia didn’t take Wen Ming Yue seriously at all.

Still threatening her with Wen Lan Sheng, how ridiculous.

But she did very much want to see Wen Ming Yue’s fearful and angry expression in person, so she pretended to reluctantly compromise: “Don’t tell Lan Sheng, I’ll take leave and come back right away, okay?”

“Then hurry up. I want to see you at home in half an hour,” Wen Ming Yue, seeing that threatening with Wen Lan Sheng was indeed effective on Fan Xia, immediately became arrogant.

“Alright, I’ll come back right away.” After hanging up the phone, Rong Xiu’s long-sleeved arms immediately climbed up Fan Xia’s neck. Moist, hot breath entwined her, her lips were licked by warm heat, soft short hair rubbing against her cheek, entangling like entering a spider’s web.

“Why go back? Gu Cheng Group’s stock price will continue to fall. If you go back, the whole Wen family will blame you.” Rong Xiu straddled Fan Xia’s legs, his knees kneeling on both sides of the sofa, sinking into two shallow dimples.

Rong Xiu’s fingers twirled her soft, dark hair, his slender, alluring eyes beneath the gold-rimmed glasses soaked with a sour taste like old vinegar: “… Could it be that you’re really going back because of Wen Lan Sheng?”

“Jealous?” Fan Xia pinched his narrow waist with one hand and caressed his long, strong thigh with the other, smiling: “What does it have to do with Wen Lan Sheng? Compared to that man, isn’t it more interesting to see Wen Ming Yue’s impotent rage?”

Rong Xiu’s light eyebrows slightly raised. As long as it wasn’t because of Wen Lan Sheng, it was fine.

“Then go ahead. Come back early. Yi Mei and I will wait for you at home.” Rong Xiu got up from her body.

Since that night, their relationship had become more intimate than before. Although they hadn’t completely done it yet, after work every day, she would eat at Yun Shui Bay, accompany him to work, watch movies, and play with Yi Mei, just like lovers.

No, to be precise, he was now Fan Xia’s lover.

Before, he was jealous of Wen Lan Sheng occupying the position of the official husband, but now he only felt mockery. Occupying an empty shell title without love, how could it compare to him? At least Fan Xia had a true heart for him.

Otherwise, the rational and calm her would never maintain this underground lover relationship with him.

Even though he couldn’t be in the spotlight now, he wasn’t like Wen Lan Sheng, that ignorant and jealous husband who would hinder Fan Xia from doing what she wanted to do. Even if he was reluctant in his heart and didn’t want Fan Xia to have any more entanglements with Wen Lan Sheng, he wouldn’t show it.

He had to let Fan Xia feel his difference from Wen Lan Sheng to firmly grasp her heart.

“Okay, wait for me to come back.” Fan Xia hugged his waist and lightly kissed his lips.

Half an hour later, she returned home.

Before she even opened the door, she could already hear Xie Cen’s shrill screams and Wen Ming Yue’s angry roars.

“Five hundred thousand! That was our only remaining five hundred thousand! You actually took it all to invest, do you still have me and Jing Jing in your heart!” Xie Cen shouted in a high-pitched voice.

“It was because of you that I risked the money. How was I supposed to know it would lose? Fan Xia clearly told me this stock was a sure profit!” Wen Ming Yue’s face was red with excitement.

“I never said it was a sure profit. There’s no such thing as a sure profit in this world. Everything has risks. I didn’t expect you to invest your entire savings,” Fan Xia said as she opened the door and entered.

“Fine, fine, fine! You’re finally back. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!” Wen Ming Yue pointed at Fan Xia’s face, furious: “Tell me what to do now? This isn’t over until you get my money back!”

“Mom-” Wen Lan Sheng anxiously stood in front of Fan Xia: “You can’t say that. The twists and turns in the stock market aren’t something Xia Xia alone can control. Don’t talk to her like that.”

“Shut up, this has nothing to do with you! She must give me an explanation today and return my money.” Wen Ming Yue scolded.

Fan Xia looked at Wen Lan Sheng’s protective back. It seemed Wen Ming Yue had already said everything in her anger. Good, she could continue to act along.

“Didn’t you say that as long as I came back, you wouldn’t tell Lan Sheng about this? Why did you drag him into it? Originally, I considered you an elder and didn’t want to quibble with you too much, but now that you’ve gone back on your word, I don’t need to give you face anymore.” Fan Xia’s attitude suddenly became sharp, pushing Wen Lan Sheng aside.

Her usually gentle eyes flashed with slight anger: “You invested the money yourself, I didn’t force you. This isn’t your first day playing stocks. You should know the basic common sense that the stock market has risks. How can you blame all the responsibility on me? You lost money, so you come to me for it. When you made a hundred thousand before, why didn’t you think about sharing some with me and Lan Sheng? You just pocketed it yourself!”

“Fan Xia, you’re going too far! How dare you talk to me like this!” Wen Ming Yue was furious.

“Xia Xia, don’t say that. Mom is just upset. She lost too much money; her mind is already confused.” Wen Lan Sheng, seeing the two at daggers drawn, held Fan Xia’s hand and said nervously. Fan Xia looked at Wen Lan Sheng, her eyes no longer cold and pressing, but extremely gentle: “Lan Sheng, this has nothing to do with you. Don’t get involved. I don’t want to drag you into this.”

Seeing Fan Xia so cherishing and caring for Wen Lan Sheng, even unwilling to say a harsh word to Wen Lan Sheng at such a time, Wen Ming Yue immediately pulled Wen Lan Sheng over and angrily said: “I shouldn’t have married my son to someone like you in the first place. If you don’t make up the money for me today, I’ll make Lan Sheng divorce you!”

Fan Xia laughed inwardly.

Wen Lan Sheng couldn’t sit still anymore and immediately shouted: “Mom! I won’t divorce Fan Xia. I am her man, her husband. I will never leave her.”

“Ungrateful wretch! Not siding with your own parents, but with an outsider!” Wen Ming Yue, her anger attacking her heart, raised her hand and slapped Wen Lan Sheng hard.

Wen Lan Sheng covered his face aggrievedly, tears glistening: “Go ahead and hit me. Even if you beat me to death, I won’t leave Xia Xia.”

“Lan Sheng—” Fan Xia leaned against the wall, her tone weak and desolate: “Don’t say anymore. I know this matter can’t be sorted out clearly. I don’t want to see your relationship with your birth parents become strained, and I don’t want you to bear the name of an ungrateful wretch who doesn’t filial to his parents.”