Tears welled up in Mrs. Jiang's eyes. But due to her self - respect for her status, she refused to show her vulnerability in front of Bai Wenxi. Her question was full of pity, and her once - proud face was now marked with deep - seated signs of aging. Despite years of meticulous maintenance, this near - fatal sudden illness had left her mentally and physically exhausted.
Bai Wenxi dared not directly reveal Jiang Beihuai's plan. She could only euphemistically convey her husband's true intention. "No matter where he is, you'll always be his grandma, the noble person who pulled him out of poverty."
Mrs. Jiang remained expressionless as she listened. Bai Wenxi nervously added, "We'll honor you. We won't let you down."
"What's the use?" Mrs. Jiang forced a bitter smile, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes stacking up. "My lifelong effort, the Jiang Group, has now become a burden to that child!"
As an elder, Mrs. Jiang's words were quite heavy. Bai Wenxi didn't dare to interrupt. She herself was shouldering a heavy burden and was in no position to help resolve the dispute between the grandmother and grandson.
She clutched the corner of her dress tightly and breathed softly. The room was deathly silent. She could even hear Mrs. Jiang's heavy, wheezing breaths.
Bai Wenxi grew even more uneasy. She started to fidget with her toes, wondering when Jiang Beihuai would come back.
Finally, there was a knock on the door. A steady male voice, somewhat ingratiating and cautious, said, "Grandma, may I come in?"
Mrs. Jiang didn't want to see anyone. She had even rejected the female housekeeper's plea and insisted on sending her back to her hometown, despite the housekeeper kneeling in front of her. Although the old lady had her doubts and perhaps the housekeeper wasn't the one who betrayed her, the occurrence of her illness was too coincidental for her to take risks.
Moreover, Xiuxiang had no business interfering in Beihuai's matters! The thought of her grandson defying her and secretly planning to leave the family made Mrs. Jiang's temples throb.
"Wenxi, you can leave now." The old lady knew that the young couple was determined to leave the family. Her interest in Bai Wenxi had waned. "I need to recuperate. Don't bother me in the future."
Biting her lip, Bai Wenxi hunched her back and slowly backed out. She gently closed the door under Jiang Beihuai's disappointed gaze.
"Forget it. Let's go back to the bedroom." She patted her husband's shoulder, feeling helpless. "Since we've decided to forge ahead, don't dwell on these details."
Jiang Beihuai understood this truth, but he always felt a tinge of attachment to the grandmother who had rescued him from poverty.
He wanted to leave a good impression on her and didn't want her to think that he had become too independent to follow her teachings.
But apparently, the relationship between them was bound to turn tense. Jiang Beihuai's mouth drooped, and his eyes were filled with deep sorrow.
At this moment, any words of comfort would seem pale. Bai Wenxi could only comfort him with a hug.
In the dark room, Bai Wenxi wrapped her arms around her husband from behind and nuzzled her head against his neck, breathing in his faint fragrance.
"Beihuai, go to sleep. Don't think so much." Her voice, as gentle as a warbling oriole, rang out. She patted his back as if soothing a child.
"No matter what, I'll support you."
At first, Jiang Beihuai turned his back. But after hearing Bai Wenxi's words, he turned around. His eyes were wet, and the tip of his nose was a bit red.
On the night at the viewing platform, Jiang Beihuai had cried as he shared his inner conflicts. Since then, Bai Wenxi hadn't seen him shed tears.
But this time, after such a long - time of hardening himself, he still showed his true feelings. Bai Wenxi knew that he actually didn't want others to see his vulnerability.
She pretended not to notice and simply snuggled up to Jiang Beihuai and fell asleep.
The police soon traced the IP address of the anonymous email. Bai Wenxi was having breakfast when she received the notice from the police.
The old captain told her that the traced IP address was in a high - end villa community in the east of the city.
Just by taking a look at the specific address, Bai Wenxi instantly understood the whole story.
It was Chen Liangke who was behind all this!
This house was a gift from her father to Yao Chunmei on their 20th wedding anniversary. Yao Chunmei would never be so stupid as to hand over evidence to her opponent.
It could only be Chen Liangke. She had once commissioned Detective Min to investigate him, and he lived in this house under Yao Chunmei's name.
Combined with the information Chen Liangke had revealed during their chance encounter, Bai Wenxi was 100% certain that Yao Chunmei was the real culprit behind her father's car accident.
Once she figured this out, a huge shockwave surged from the soles of her feet to the back of her head. Bai Wenxi couldn't help but tremble all over, and her legs turned cold.
She could only grip the edge of the table tightly to prevent herself from collapsing in a disgraceful manner.
Jiang Beihuai was walking in from the living room with a tray in his hand. Seeing Bai Wenxi in such a desolate and embarrassed state, he quickly supported her. "What's wrong? Don't scare me. What happened?"
Bai Wenxi flipped through the evidence sent by the police one by one for Jiang Beihuai to see. "I can't wait to bring Yao Chunmei to justice right now!"
She remembered the information her uncle had inquired about from the hospital. The attending doctor at that time had said that her mother's nerve spasms were caused by some unknown drug.
The hospital had suspected that an excessive and cross - use of medications had led to a weakened immune system and a systemic infection.
Bai Wenxi thought of the experience of Jiang Beihuai's friend, and her heart was filled with a painful and burning anger.
She couldn't even wait for the legal sanctions. She wished she could take a knife and avenge her parents herself to let their spirits rest in peace.
Thinking of her father's pale and emaciated face after his death,
she burst into tears. "Why? Why is this woman so cruel? What did Dad ever do to her? Why does she have to go so far as to kill him?"
Jiang Beihuai was still a bit confused. "Then why did she target your mother? Your parents had been separated for a long time. Your mother didn't pose any threat to her."
Bai Wenxi forced a bitter smile and shook her head. "It was because Dad refused to divorce that she couldn't get what she wanted."
Jiang Beihuai suddenly realized. "No wonder. Her so - called selfless devotion was just a carefully - crafted illusion. Her main goal was to get rid of your mother as a stumbling block so that she could marry into the Bai family."
Although Bai Wenxi had been tortured both physically and mentally by the entangled and regretful emotions, she still clung to her remaining rationality.
"We may not be able to convict her in your mother's case." Her body was as weak as a puddle of mud, but her mind was still clear. "The case is too old, and we haven't found complete evidence. But in your father's case, I will make sure she gets what she deserves."
Seeing Bai Wenxi looking crazy and her eyes glazed over, Jiang Beihuai lovingly held her face and gently kissed her lips.
Bai Wenxi grabbed Jiang Beihuai's hand pleadingly, her face covered in tears. "I want to destroy those paintings! Those fake portraits that she forced Dad to paint!"
"How could she do this?" Bai Wenxi couldn't hold back her emotions any longer and burst into loud sobs. "How could she scheme for Dad's death and then defile his spiritual world?"