I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 545 - 539: The Banquet at Hongmen

Secretary Chang, wearing a faint smile, escorted Xiao Wei to the club’s entrance and, without uttering another word, left with confidence since it was the safe and secure clubhouse of the compound.

He subtly guessed that Xiao Wei had come here for some reason, because her complexion wasn’t great. But Secretary Chang was too clever to go about asking questions. Instead, before he left, he casually mentioned to Xiao Wei that he was planning to go to Xichuan in a few days. Mr. Wu had asked him to deliver something to Qiao Qingyu at the Tenghai Research Base.

Although Xiao Wei didn’t immediately respond, her eyes showed a trace of interest. Naturally, she knew her daughter and son were currently residing in the family residences at the Tenghai Research Base.

Speaking of which, it had been more than two years since she last saw her two children. They had gone to the Tenghai Base, and at the same time, she also accepted an important mission. It had been two years since she returned to the country, so she was preparing to head to Xichuan in a few days.

But hearing Secretary Chang say this, Xiao Wei felt very grateful in her heart. Secretary Chang knew her son and daughter had followed Zhou Hai to Xichuan.

This matter was no secret, and most people knew it, so there was nothing to hide.

Secretary Chang drove away.

Standing at the clubhouse entrance, Xiao Wei saw a man not far away pushing a wheelchair, with another man seated in it. She paused for a moment in surprise—she hadn’t expected Ye Hongyuan to be here.

A sudden feeling of unease rose in the pit of Xiao Wei’s stomach.

But before she could say anything, Ye Hongyuan unexpectedly greeted her with a smile, "Sister Weiwei."

Those three words made Xiao Wei’s eyes immediately redden.

She truly felt a mixture of emotions inside. She hadn’t expected that, in her lifetime, she would hear Ye Hongyuan calling her Sister Weiwei again. Her career was thriving, climbing higher with each step, yet her personal and family life were in complete shambles.

Xiao Wei replied with a bitter smile, "Little Yuan, it’s been many years since I’ve seen you."

Due to Ye Hongyuan’s prolonged bedridden state, his complexion was very pale, but it made him look even more delicate. However, his eyes were like the weather during the Southern rainy season.

There was not a glimmer of light, only gloom and dense fog-like clouds.

The whole person seemed so gloomy as to be oppressive.

At that moment, the gate was pushed open, and unexpectedly, Zhang Zening came out. He didn’t seem surprised at all to see Ye Hongyuan.

However, it had been over a decade since the two had last seen each other.

Ye Hongyuan’s hands clenched the armrests of his wheelchair. Ten years of prison life had changed Zhang Zening as if he were a different person. His temples were white, and he had become significantly thinner.

He looked at his hands, which everyone had once said were perfectly suited for playing the piano. Privately, he had also mentioned that once things returned to normal, he would apply to a music conservatory. After all, he had been practicing since childhood. Even if he couldn’t become a musician, being a music teacher was entirely feasible.

But now, his hands were rough. The joints were swollen, obviously deformed.

Even the hands of an old farmer working in the fields year-round wouldn’t look like his.

Ye Hongyuan then glanced down at his legs, knowing he would never walk, run, jump, or even play basketball again. All of these were out of reach for him for the rest of his life.

Not far away stood Zhou Hai and Liu Ying. Liu Ying hadn’t expected Ye Hongyuan to be here.

She was terrified. freёwebnoѵel.com

Her heartbeat was chaotically rapid. She trembled, and then she saw Xiao Wei, her heart sinking. This meeting today wasn’t just about asking a few questions or clarifying matters.

It was a trap!

Instinctively, Liu Ying felt it was impossible to leave the club unscathed today.

She wanted to run away, to leave.

But she didn’t dare.

She frantically grabbed Zhou Hai’s arm, pulling herself close to him. Zhou Hai was usually calm and collected, but today he couldn’t help feeling a bit panicked.

After all, innocent or not, he had married Liu Ying.

He saw his ex-wife, whom he hadn’t seen since their divorce, but he always seemed to hear news about her.

Her work was good, and the Zhou family wanted to maintain that relationship.

Xiao Wei’s gaze was as bright as before, and under such a gaze, the guilt-ridden Zhou Hai unexpectedly avoided eye contact in a fluster.

Xiao Wei sighed, knowing the urgency of the situation didn’t allow time to adjust, but she couldn’t say much at the moment, so she just asked Zhou Hai, "Old Zhou, as you and Liu Ying have stepped out, how have arrangements at home been made? Today should be Jiao Jiao’s college entrance exam, right?"

Zhang Zening frowned. Was it really time for Jiao Jiao’s college entrance exam?

He had been out of touch with society for too long; the phrase "college entrance exam" felt very foreign to him.

Zhou Hai said, "...I entrusted her to the neighbor, Aunt Qiao Qingyu, Chief Engineer He’s wife... Jiao Jiao gets along well with her Aunt Qiao. Pengcheng couldn’t make it; he’s accompanying his sister for the exams..."

Chief Engineer He, Qiao Qingyu?

These names were not unfamiliar to her, especially Qiao Qingyu. Though she had never met her, she knew quite a bit about her.

She was a remarkable woman.

With Jiao Jiao’s lofty pride and stubborn temperament, if she got along well with Qiao Qingyu, then surely Qiao Qingyu must have treated her well too.

She smiled wryly in her heart and said no more.

Because, concerning all matters related to her children, no matter how compelling the reasons were back then, she now had no right to criticize.

The conversation ended there.

Zhang Zening looked from one to the other, his lips carrying a faint, almost imperceptible smile. His smile was cold and chilly, like the ice of deep winter.

He greeted Xiao Wei, "Sister Weiwei."

Xiao Wei felt deeply guilty. Back in the day, within the compound, all these young men liked calling her Sister Weiwei and enjoyed discussing matters with her, by then Xiao Wei was already holding a position.

And that was with the Youth League Committee.

So she held a lot of prestige among these young people. Whatever she said or did, everyone was willing to listen and follow.

Xiao Wei hadn’t imagined that not only Ye Hongyuan but also Zhang Zening was still willing to call her Sister Weiwei, yet she felt undeserving of this deference.

Zhang Zening ushered everyone into the movie screening room, for if they continued standing outside, a large crowd of onlookers would soon gather.

After all, many people had not forgotten the events of the past, and with the central figures of those incidents gathering at the entrance, it would certainly draw special attention.

After closing the clubhouse door and entering the movie screening room, Zhang Zening suddenly turned on the overhead lights in the room. A piercingly bright white illuminated the space.

Liu Ying involuntarily closed her eyes.

But her hand was still tightly gripping Zhou Hai’s arm. It was as if she was seeking support, or perhaps declaring her own authority.

From beginning to end, Liu Ying did not speak to Xiao Wei.

And from beginning to end, Zhou Hai and Ye Hongyuan did not greet each other either.

He merely scanned the people with his eyes and quickly adjusted his emotions. After all, having been in a position of authority for several years, meeting many people and witnessing many situations, he naturally developed a certain fortitude.