He Wenxun looked at the eldest son of the Wu family, his expression cold. "Your Wu family committed fraud in marriage. I haven't sued you yet. You want a huge divorce settlement? Fine, but first, return the over 100 million you previously received."
Upon hearing this, the old lady gasped. When did He Wenxun become so difficult to handle?
"Wenxun, no matter what, these two are my daughters. You have to give this money," the old lady said, her attitude firm. "Besides, even if I don't favor Shen Bing, she was born by me, and she also gave you two sons?"
"Heh..." He Wenxun sneered. "Is one hundred million not enough for your family?"
"That's a different matter?" the old lady retorted, narrowing her eyes at him. Today, he had to cough up the money for her.
He Wenxun stated, "Then I'll see you in court. I won't let the past incidents, and the deceit you've inflicted upon me, go unaddressed."
The old lady faltered. Was she just supposed to let it go?
No, she had to get the money.
He Wenxun was not one for dragging things out. He looked at Wu Yuan. "Wu Yuan, come with me to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get divorced. The money I gave you, I won't take back."
Wu Yuan slowly stood up, looking at the heartless man before her in despair. "Do you really want a divorce?"
"Yes!" He Wenxun's attitude was resolute. Everyone was selfish, and he only wished to follow the path of the one he loved.
"Fine! I have no other demands. Give this place to me." This place, at least, was where she and he had lived for decades.
He Wenxun replied, "I'm sorry, this is the root of the He family. I cannot give it to you."
"He Wenxun!" Wu Yuan cried out to him, her voice tearing. "How can you be so heartless? I just want to live here. This place holds memories of our entire family."
"Let's go get divorced first," He Wenxun said, not wanting to see her for another moment.
"You..." Wu Yuan could see the ruthlessness in his eyes. When men became heartless, they were equally terrifying.
Mu Jiuchen said, "Uncle, before you go to get divorced, can we talk privately? Tell me what I want to know."
He Wenxun glared at him, thinking he was causing trouble at this moment. But clearly, Mu Jiuchen didn't care. He Wenxun also wanted to know what Mu Jiuchen wanted to know.
Uncle and nephew stepped out of the door and into the garden. Mu Jiuchen directly asked, "Before my mother married my father, who was she with?"
These words caught He Wenxun off guard. "Why are you asking about your mother?"
Mu Jiuchen pressed, "Just tell me, have you ever seen him?"
He Wenxun replied, "Yes, just once. One time, your mother came home very late. Your grandmother was worried and asked me to go look for her. As I reached the main entrance, I saw a man sending your mother back. The man was tall, handsome, and dressed impeccably. He looked like a mixed-race person. But after that day, I never saw him again."
"A month later, your mother married your father."
Mu Jiuchen's brow furrowed. So, was Butler Li's suspicion about the past correct?
"Has my grandmother seen him?" Mu Jiuchen asked, unwilling to give up.
He Wenxun didn't know why Mu Jiuchen wanted to know these things, but he knew that Mu Jiuchen was a pitiful child. "Probably not. Your grandmother only knew your mother had a man she liked after your mother got married. But by then, it was a done deal. Your mother was already pregnant with you, and your grandmother didn't say anything?"
"Your grandfather was stubborn. For the sake of the alliance, your mother had no choice. The alliance wouldn't be very happy. Your father and your mother's relationship was terrible. When your mother was pregnant with you, her emotions were constantly unstable. They were afraid she might do something foolish. Your grandmother, fearing your mother might not cope, stayed with your mother and you throughout her entire pregnancy."
"Unfortunately, your mother still couldn't hold on and passed away in depression a few years later."
"Xiao Jiu, I know you've had a tough life all these years. Your father is also a troublesome person, and now he's had another child. It must have been hard on you."
Mu Jiuchen gave a cold laugh. "Uncle, you and my father don't need to speak ill of each other. You have enough trouble to deal with yourself. Let's go in. If you remember what my mother's man looked like, remember to tell me. Because of him, my mother died in depression. I at least want to know where he lives."
"We who are alive seem to have only two pursuits in this life. The first is the pursuit of survival, and the second is the pursuit of happiness."
"Not having seen him, I truly feel a sense of unfulfillment in this life," Mu Jiuchen said, his voice clear, his eyes holding an emotion that He Wenxun couldn't quite decipher.
However, he was right. Besides the pursuit of survival, one should also strive for happiness.
"Alas! I never dreamed of today's events," He Wenxun said, feeling deep sadness and even more shock.
Mu Jiuchen chuckled. "You still haven't inherited my grandfather's sharp mind."
He Wenxun glared at him. "How can you speak like that? Your grandfather's generation had it harder than us. We should be grateful to them for our current happy lives."
Mu Jiuchen didn't say more and returned to the hall.
"Nuannuan, let's go."
He took Jiang Nuan's hand and left the hall.
Jiang Nuan glanced at Meng Yuan, somewhat worried about her situation.
Mu Jiuchen, sensing her intent, whispered, "He Mingrun will protect her. Some things, they must face themselves."
Jiang Nuan gave Meng Yuan a look of encouragement and left with Mu Jiuchen.
Meng Yuan blinked slightly and helped Shen Bing to sit on the sofa.
At this point, the old lady no longer had the energy to argue.
Wu Yuan had lost her usefulness, and the other did not acknowledge her.
However, she still needed to save her grandson. The He family was her last hope. If the He family didn't give money, she wouldn't leave.
The moment her thought took shape, He Wenxun looked at her and said, "I will not give you any more money. If you truly want money, Wu Yuan has plenty. Fifty million is not difficult for her. As for the divorce settlement, you should stop thinking about it. That belongs to Bingbing."
In one sentence, he dismissed Wu Yuan's years of effort.
Shen Bing cast a faint glance at He Wenxun. It was better for this man to be heartless. His actions made it difficult for her to face what was to come.
Wu Yuan's face turned ashen. She looked at Shen Bing with a proud expression. "Shen Bing, for years, I've been using your first love and living a life of luxury. What does it matter if you've returned now? You'll never learn elegance, never learn to spend money, never learn to interact with socialites. You, you will always be an outsider."
Hearing this, Shen Bing looked at her and said calmly, "You live such a tiring life, wearing a mask all these years for your life of luxury. Life's pursuits are not just about wealth; there are more precious things worth pursuing – kinship, love. These are more valuable than money."
"And you, despite your seemingly glamorous life these years, only you know what kind of life you've been living. You have lost your value now. The old lady will drain your last bit of wealth and then abandon you."
Wu Yuan was stunned. Shen Bing's words struck a chord deep within her.