Chapter Text
Yu Ziyuan was not an optimistic person. In fact, she’d always thought optimistic people were sentimental fools so out of touch with reality that she kind of pitied them. So when some of those well intended souls approached her after her husband’s funeral to tell her that ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ or 'only God knows why these things happen’ she just wanted to scream.
Becoming a widow a couple of weeks shy of her fortieth birthday had never been her plan. It had been so unexpected that she had yet to process that her life and her children’s lives had changed for good. Her late husband, Jiang Fengmian was perfectly healthy, but a drunk driver happened to crash into him and he died after two days in the hospital.
His last words had been, unsurprisingly for Wei Ying. He had begged her on his deathbed to take care of the child and she had made a promise she fully intended to fulfill. His lack of care about the fate of his own children didn’t surprise her anymore, it just filled her with sadness and resignation. Even in death, he disregarded her and their children to a point that was offensive.
There had been a time when she had resented that poor kid, and she perceived she was slowly becoming an abusive bitch. Wei Ying, of course, noticed, but he was not the only one affected by her inability to cope with the situation, her own children were affected as well, slowly creating a chasm among them that was disintegrating her family little by little.
The notion that her family dynamic was toxic took her by surprise, but once she was fully aware of it, she sought a way to change it. The first step was to dissipate her doubts about Wei Ying’s paternity. Every time she would bring the topic up to her husband, he tried to pacify her and dismissed her concerns, but she observed that he never ever denied he was the kid’s father.
Taking matters in her own hands she came up with a plan. She asked for the children’s pediatrician's collaboration and ordered a DNA test for the three of them, behind her husband’s back of course. The results were conclusive, Jiang Yanli and Jiang Cheng were related to each other, Wei Ying wasn’t. It was as simple as that, and yet her husband never took a clear stand on it.
She suspected that he refused to accept the reality: he was not Wei Ying’s father. Maybe, he had wished he were and he’d rather cling to that fantasy than accept the truth, but she didn’t have time to discuss that topic with him. She had planned to talk to him about getting therapy, because that was not healthy for him or for the family in general. His denial had deeply wounded Wei Ying and even then he refused to give up his delusion. And then he died. Unfinished business didn’t even begin to cover what was left unresolved between them.
Her train of thought was interrupted by Wen Ruohan. The man approached her like a shark that had just smelt blood, circling her subtly, patiently waiting for his chance to attack. His smooth movement to approach her alerted Jinzhu, who was officially her personal assistant, making her glide to her side under the guise of bringing her tea. Of course, she never dismissed her so Wen Rouhan was never left alone with her.
“Madam Yu,” he bowed slightly, “my condolences,” the glint in his eyes showed that he didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for her situation. In fact, he seemed to be savoring the moment.
“Thank you Mr. Wen,” she answered. She had never been more grateful for the manners her mother ingrained in her. She needed a mask of politeness to cover the distaste that the blatant attack she and her family were receiving provoked in her.
“When will be a good time for us to meet and talk about business?” He went for the kill, ditching the pretense of politeness.
“Please, give me a week. Yinzhu, my secretary, will get in touch with you for an appointment,” she was asking for a respite and he knew it. She had to concede he was generous enough to give her that time to prepare. In the business world, Wen Rouhan was not famous for his consideration towards his adversaries or his preys, however he considered them.
“Of course. I’ll see you then,” he retreated promptly, knowing that his message had been heard loud and clear.
As soon as he left her side she ordered Jinzhu, “take the children and stay with them at every moment. They are not to be separated from each other or from you at all. Is it clear?”
“Yes Madam,” and swiftly she left to comply.
Fortunately for her, she was not completely alone or defenseless. Yinzhu and Jinzhu had been working for her since she got married to Jiang Fengmiang. Her mother had hired them and they posed as personal assistant and secretary respectively. In reality, they were trained assassins, ready to die for their mistress and she was very afraid of the possibility of needing their protection for her or her children.
But this was not a time for hesitation, Wen Rouhan had made his move. There had been rumors for months about that man’s intentions to attempt a hostile takeover. In order to maintain control of the company, she would need to invest all they had left, including her children’s trust funds, but that was the last thing she wanted to do. The alternative was leaving Jiang Holdings in Wen Rouhan’s hands leaving her children in the uncertainty about their inheritance.
She needed to prepare, to look for alternatives. Maybe an investor could help fortify her position in the company. She couldn’t act in haste, not having many alternatives to withstand Wen Rouhan’s attack. Her board of directors was full of wimps so she didn’t expect much support from them.
Trying to look the part of a grieving widow in front of the polite society, she was lost in thought pondering her alternatives, listing possible allies, recounting their assets when she spotted a vulture spying on her.
This was the last thing she needed. Jin Guangshang turned on her creep alert at once. She had to make a significant effort to be civil to that individual. Even if her own daughter was betrothed to that man’s son, it had been an act of friendship towards his wife, but she could not stand that man.
She had plenty of reasons to be weary of that venereal disease on legs. The fact that her best friend, A-Lian had married that man always baffled her. Guo Lian and she had been best friends since infancy. After coming to age both of them had entered arranged marriages set up by their parents as the filial daughters they were.
Even though her marriage had never been a loving or a happy one, at least she didn’t have to endure the sheer amount of public humiliation that Guo Lian received since she had become Madam Jin. Yu Ziyuan had always been there for her, trying to help her clean the messes Jin Guangshang always left behind, trying to soothe her battered soul. Sometimes she was able to help her, sometimes her only usefulness was to provide her shoulder for A-Lian to put her head on and cry.
Yu Ziyuan was very aware that Jin Guangshang, being the piece of trash he was, would not be deterred neither by the fact that their children were betrothed nor by the solid friendship she shared with his wife. He would try to ‘court’ her, even if to him a courtship could either mean sending roses to a woman or sliding his hands under her skirt without her consent.
The creep had realized she had been left alone by Jinzhu. Unfortunately, Yinzhu had stayed at the company, watching her mistress’ back while she was grieving. Anxiously, she scanned the room in search of any interfering aunty she could start a conversation with, but it seemed there were very few people left and most of the elderly had already retired.
She checked her purse searching for a little dagger she always kept hidden there and slid it discreetly inside her right sleeve. She thanked the heavens she had picked a long-sleeved dress for the funeral. Being more than ready to defend herself, she breathed with relief when Madam Jin herself reached out for her hand and requested her presence somewhere else.
“Move Ziyuan,” she had whispered and promptly took her to a secluded place, hidden from anybody else.
It was a sad occurrence when someone’s wife had to shield another woman from her husband’s unwanted attention.
“He will not leave you alone, you know that right?” she declared while flicking a cigarette package to offer one to Yu Ziyuan. She took the offered cigarette and lit it using Madam Jin’s gold lighter.
“Must you be so tacky all the time?” was the comment of Madam Yu on the lighter.
“Money doesn’t equal taste my dear,” she retorted with delight. “It was a gift from Jin Guangshang. In my fantasies, I set him on fire with it.”
Madam Yu didn’t comment on that. She knew her friend was only telling the truth. She wouldn’t blame her if she actually did it someday. There had to be a limit of the amount of humiliation a human being could be subjected to.
“Is there a way for me to stop him? A restraining order maybe?” Madam Yu questioned her friend.
Madam Jin huffed disdainfully, “as if that relentless bastard would get the memo. I’m afraid more drastic measures need to be taken.”
“I have Jinzhu and Yinzhu,” she offered, trying to put on a valiant facade for her friend’s benefit.
“Who are really busy right now protecting your interest at the company and protecting your children as we speak. Your defenses are worn thin and you know it.”
“Mn,” Yu Ziyuan accepted. She could not deny how true Madam Jin’s words were.
“Besides, his disgusting siege is not your only problem at the moment. You have to deal with Wen Rouhan. I saw him. He made his move.”
Yu Ziyuan took a drag and looked at the ceiling. Her friend knew her too well. “You could lend me money,” she went for a distraction. She knew her friend was worried about her.
“It would be his money. You would owe him a favor. That, and broadcasting your acceptance of his disgusting advances on national TV are the same.”
“I don’t see a way out at the moment,” Yu Ziyuan confessed, looking deflated.
“I have a solution,” Madam Jin offered.
“Which is…”
“You must marry again,” she stated, triumphantly.
“You do realize I have just buried my husband, right?” she asked rhetorically.
“I know it will be a scandal. But if the candidate is the right one, everyone will look at the other side. A man with enough money to help you fend Wen Rouhan’s attack and influential enough to deter my piece of shit husband’s advances.”
“Are you sure such a man exists? Most importantly, why would such a man marry a widow with three children like me?” Madam Yu questioned her.
“Don’t sell yourself short, you’re gorgeous. Besides, you have a fine working brain, you could become an asset for him.” Madam Jin responded, adamant in her intent of showing her friend this was indeed a perfect solution for her immediate problems.
“You are crazy,” Madam Yu laughed.
“I’ve been told. I need to be in order to remain married to that asshole,” she said.
“True. Let’s not speculate. It is not a viable solution,” Madam Yu was becoming annoyed by her friend’s insistence.
“Says who?” Madam Jin insisted, daring.
“Me,” this conversation was getting old in Madam Yu’s opinion.
“Give me a day, I’ll find the perfect husband for you,” Madam Jin insisted.
“Fine. If you do that I’ll marry the man,” Yu Ziyuan joked.
“Mark your words. Just remember you promised it,” Madam Jin said, looking very smug.
They left their hideout and Madam Jin accompanied her to her car, ordering the driver to take her home at once. Yu Ziyuan was grateful as she was very tired and in dire need of a shower and many hours of sleep.