Chapter 69 Blood-Sucking Leeches

Xu Zhixia came down the stairs, casting a glance at me. The moment her gaze landed on my mother, her brows furrowed deeply.

"Jiang Jian, who gave you permission to bring your mother here?!"

"Xu Zhixia, the construction team of the Xu Corporation demolished Changshui Village. If I didn't bring my mother here, were you expecting her to sleep on the streets?!"

I had assumed Xu Zhixia merely held a hostile attitude toward me, but I never expected her to be so intensely cold upon meeting my mother for the very first time.

I instinctively turned back to look at my mother. A look of bewilderment crossed her face before she awkwardly tugged at the hem of her shirt. "You must be Zhixia. You're so pretty, just like a fairy. For my Dabao to marry a daughter-in-law like you must be a blessing our family accumulated over several lifetimes..."

Watching my mother desperately trying to curry favor with Xu Zhixia filled my heart with a sour, bitter ache, accompanied by a nameless surge of anger.

Holding a box in my hands, my hands were full. "Mom, come with me to my room to rest for a while. I'll tidy up a room for you later."

"You live in your own room? Aren't you sleeping with Zhixia? How can a husband and wife sleep in separate rooms?"

I could tell that Xu Zhixia was already reaching the limits of her patience under my mother's overly familiar address of "Zhixia," so I hurriedly exchanged a look with her. "Mom, Zhixia still has to go to the company. We can talk about everything else when she gets back."

"I know Zhixia is a career woman, but don't work too hard. When you're tired, let Dabao help you out..."

Seeing that Xu Zhixia was on the verge of erupting, Zhu, her assistant, spoke up. "President Xu, there is still a meeting to attend today..."

"Let's go."

With a frosty expression, Xu Zhixia brushed past my mother and me. A wave of relief instantly washed over me.

After they left, I brought my mother into my room, pulling her to sit on the edge of the bed. "Mom, Zhixia and I have had a little disagreement lately. Don't linger around her; she can't control her pampered temper."

"Mom knows. I'll speak less from now on and won't make things difficult for you."

I cleared out a guest room and settled my mother in temporarily, then took her to the mall in the afternoon to buy a few sets of clothes and shoes.

My mother's jaw dropped when she saw the prices on the clothing tags I had just cut off. "Are these clothes made of gold? Why are they so expensive? If I snag or scratch them, my heart will ache to death!"

"Mom, once the tag is cut, it can't be returned. There's a reason expensive things are costly—they're comfortable and durable."

Along the way, my mother kept stroking the clothes every now and then, muttering under her breath, "So this is what people in the big city wear. They really are rich..."

***

In the evening, my mother insisted on cooking a table full of dishes. I rubbed my forehead and smiled wryly, "Mom, the two of us can't possibly finish all this food. Isn't this wasteful?"

"Why are you so unthoughtful? Zhixia needs to eat when she comes home from work at night, I just don't know if she'll like it."

Seeing how much my mother cared about Xu Zhixia made me feel uneasy.

It was past eleven o'clock at night when Xu Zhixia finally stepped through the front door.

My mother stood up immediately. "Zhixia, you're back. Have you eaten dinner yet? If not, I can heat some up for you."

Xu Zhixia glanced at the now-cold food on the table and headed straight up the stairs, completely ignoring my mother.

Just as she reached the corner, she seemed to remember something and called out to me, "Jiang Jian, come upstairs. I have something to say to you."

Following Xu Zhixia upstairs and into her room, everything within sight was related to Pei Zhihang. Seeing these things used to ache my heart, but now there was not the slightest ripple in my chest.

"What do you want with me?"

Suddenly, Xu Zhixia turned around and slapped me across the face. Caught completely off guard, a bright red handprint was left on my cheek.

Uncomprehending of the madness possessing Xu Zhixia, I had no intention of indulging her either. I grabbed her arm, threw her to the floor, and pinned her by the neck, forcing her to look me in the eye.

"Are you insane?"

Xu Zhixia spat on the ground. "Jiang Jian, I've really given you too much leeway. If I weren't afraid of giving people something to hold against me, I would have chased you out long ago. And now you actually dare to quietly bring your mother here? Do you think my home is a place just anyone can barge into?!"

I tilted my head to dodge and increased the pressure of my grip. "Xu Zhixia, you are the one who left my mother homeless. What right do you have to say these things?!"

"You and I are legally married, which makes my mother your mother-in-law. Even if you have to fake it, you need to put on a decent front! Or do you want people to catch wind of the Xu Corporation's heiress abusing her mother-in-law?!"

"I spit on that! You mother and son are equally shameless, a family of blood-sucking leeches. Don't think I don't know what your mother is plotting—trying to delusionally have you lay your hands on my family's assets. Keep dreaming!"

Hearing Xu Zhixia's words, I froze. "Stop spouting venom! When has my mother ever said anything like that?!"

"Heh, think about it yourself!"

Seeing me loosen my grip, Xu Zhixia seized the opportunity to break free from my restraint. She stood up, glaring at me with a mixture of rage and disdain.

***

"Disgusting creature, I'm warning you to get your mother out of here soon. Furthermore, I don't acknowledge her as my elder; tell her to stop putting on airs and lecturing me in front of me, or don't blame me for throwing both of you out on the street!"

With that, Xu Zhixia pointed at the bedroom door. "Get out now."

As I stepped out of Xu Zhixia's room, I ran straight into my mother. I had no idea whether or not she had heard the argument between Xu Zhixia and me.

"Mom, I..."

"Was it because of me that you and Zhixia quarreled? Oh my, look at that face—people shouldn't hit the face when they fight. How could she do such a thing?"

With a heartbroken expression, my mother reached out and gently touched my swollen cheek. "Dabao, does Zhixia... has her temper always been this bad?"

To comfort my mother, I forced a smile and shook my head. "It's nothing, Mom. It wasn't because of you, so don't overthink it. It's getting late, go get some sleep."

My mother looked at me with hesitation, her lips parting and closing as if she had much more to say, but it all eventually dissolved into a long, heavy sigh.

"Mom just hopes the two of you can live your lives well together..."

After watching my mother return to her room, I finally dared to sneak into the kitchen to brew my traditional Chinese medicine. I left the range hood and window open, praying the medicinal smell wouldn't drift upstairs.

Early the next morning, I woke up early intending to go to the park to practice Tai Chi with Elder Xu, only to find my mother sitting blankly on the living room sofa, lost in thought.

I tiptoed over and gently patted her shoulder. "Mom, why are you up so early? Couldn't you sleep a bit longer?"

"The mattress is too soft, I'm not used to it. I kept tossing and turning and couldn't fall asleep, and I wanted to watch TV but couldn't figure out how to work it. Why are you heading out so early?"

"To keep someone company practicing Tai Chi. Would you like to come out for a stroll with me?"

My mother thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "Even though I'm from the countryside, I can tell that the people living here are all big shots. I mustn't embarrass you."

Hearing my mother speak like this, my face instantly darkened. "Mom, you are not allowed to say things like that anymore. As the old saying goes, a son never minds his mother's appearance, and a dog never minds a poor home. Aren't you making a fool of me by saying such things?"

My mother hurriedly waved her hands. "Mom didn't mean it that way. Mom just... sigh..."