Chapter 25: Finally, the Engagement is Broken!

The arrogance in Mother Jiang’s heart was like a balloon pricked by a needle; her spirit collapsed in an instant, and she seemed to age a decade all at once.

"Do not try to provoke me with such words!" Mother Jiang turned her face away, unable to avoid thinking of the hardships of these past years. "The Jiang family is different from other families. It is just a pity that you are not of the Lu family. If you had been born into the Lu family, you would understand."

This was a jab, mocking Xu Qinghuan for not being the biological child of Song Wanlin and her current husband.

Xu Qinghuan smiled. "Fortunately, I am not! I do not mean to mock you; I am merely stating a fact. After all, if you truly did not have the authority to decide on Jiang Chengxu’s annulment, I would not have come to you."

Mother Jiang grew increasingly alarmed and puzzled as she looked at Xu Qinghuan. "What are you trying to do?"

Xu Qinghuan produced a photograph and slowly slid it across the table. As expected, Mother Jiang’s gaze was drawn to it, practically glued to the image. Her pupils dilated sharply, and the color drained from her face as if she had seen a demon.

"My conditions are simple: give me the engagement document and sign this notice of annulment!" Xu Qinghuan placed a printed annulment statement on the table.

Mother Jiang could not take her eyes off the photo. She reached out to snatch it—a picture of Father Jiang embracing and kissing his mistress. Xu Qinghuan had snapped more than one, and this was just one of them.

Xu Qinghuan pulled it back quickly. Mother Jiang glared at her, her eyes bloodshot. "What do you want? Give it to me!" She was on the verge of madness.

Xu Qinghuan stood up and patted her shoulder lightly. "Aunt Jiang, I have made myself very clear. Give me the engagement document and sign the annulment notice!"

The tap was calculated; Mother Jiang let out a whimper and collapsed, covering her face and wailing. Xu Qinghuan ignored her and waited quietly.

After a long while, she finally spoke. "Aunt Jiang, you must have suspected this for a long time, haven't you? You just didn't dare to think about it, let alone face it. Since things have come to this, you should try to look at the bright side. I cannot stay here waiting forever. If you won't handle this for me, I will have to find other ways."

"What other ways do you intend to find?" Mother Jiang asked, her tone hostile.

"I will report this to the authorities, of course!" Xu Qinghuan brandished the photo. "I will ask the organization to help resolve this."

For a moment, Mother Jiang wavered. She wanted to take everyone down with her, but in the end, thinking of her son, she asked, "Who is this woman?"

"Pay me five hundred yuan, and I will tell you who she is, where she lives, and her background. I know it all." Xu Qinghuan smiled with a cold, wicked charm, seeing nothing wrong with her actions.

In the future, one would have to pay a hefty sum to hire a private investigator to look into an affair. She had just earned thirteen hundred yuan from selling her job, and she currently had nineteen hundred and eighty-two yuan and thirty-four cents in her possession. In this era, that was a staggering fortune, but money never bites, so the more, the better.

Mother Jiang said nothing. She dragged her heavy feet into the bedroom and soon returned, holding the engagement document written on bright red paper. Xu Qinghuan had her own copy as well.

"Here!" Mother Jiang took a long, deep look at the document before handing it over. As she did, she felt a sharp, inexplicable pain in her heart, as if she were doing something she would regret for the rest of her life. She was perhaps losing her mind.

Xu Qinghuan took it and handed over the annulment notice for her to sign, along with a box of ink paste. She was well-prepared.

Mother Jiang was acting as mechanically as a zombie now. Xu Qinghuan suspected that if she asked her to hand over the family bankbook, she would do that too.

With the matter settled, Xu Qinghuan stood up to leave. As she reached the door, Mother Jiang called out, "Wait!"

Xu Qinghuan did not turn back, but she heard Mother Jiang ask, "Who is she?" Her voice was tearful and sounded pitiful.

Xu Qinghuan turned around and held out her hand. "Five hundred yuan."

Mother Jiang bit her lip, her eyes rimmed with red. As she turned away, tears spilled over uncontrollably. She went back into the bedroom, and when she returned, she slapped five hundred yuan into Xu Qinghuan’s hand. "Can you tell me now?"

"She lives at Jixiangli on Yuzhong Road. Her name is Fang Xinrou, thirty-four years old. Her ex-husband, Qiu Guangtao, was the former president of the Bank Union. His entire family is now in Hong Kong. Fang Xinrou was his fifth concubine and has a fourteen-year-old daughter named Qiu Lianxue."

Mother Jiang nearly lost her footing. She had never imagined that her husband would choose a woman of such caliber. She couldn't help but ask, "What is this slut’s background?"

Xu Qinghuan held her tongue for a moment before saying, "Her mother used to work by the Qinhuai River. I don't know the specifics."

After walking downstairs, Xu Qinghuan could still hear Mother Jiang’s wailing. She took a deep breath and walked out toward the evening glow.

"Xu Qinghuan! What did you say to my mother? How could you break her heart like this?" Jiang Chengxu rushed toward her, his eyes bloodshot. "Have you not caused enough trouble? Must you insist on making a scene until it is beyond repair before you are satisfied?"

Xu Qinghuan stepped back and sneered. "What scene did I cause?"

"Xu Qinghuan, my greatest strength is my sense of responsibility, and my greatest weakness is that same sense of responsibility. I am indeed a responsible person, but that does not mean I can tolerate your unprincipled behavior." Jiang Chengxu pointed at his front door and lowered his voice. "My mother was never satisfied with our marriage to begin with."

Xu Qinghuan laughed. She pulled out the two engagement documents, held them up, and tore them in half with a crisp sound. Then, she tore them again. Raising her voice, she declared, "Jiang Chengxu, no one needs to be satisfied, and no one needs to care about who is dissatisfied anymore. Our engagement ends here. From this moment on, you and I are finished. We are through!"

She tore the documents into tiny pieces bit by bit, then scooped them up and flung them into the wind. In that moment, she felt completely free.

Jiang Chengxu’s face turned livid, then flushed red, and finally drained to a ghostly white. He grabbed Xu Qinghuan’s wrist. "You tore the documents? Do you think the engagement ceases to exist just because you tore the papers?"

In that moment, Xu Qinghuan did not feel like she was in a novel. What kind of male lead was this shameless and devoid of principles?

No matter how good her temper was, she punched him squarely in the face, sending him reeling backward. "Jiang Chengxu, act like a man! We have annulled our engagement, and we have nothing to do with each other from now on. If you dare to pester me, I will make you regret ever knowing me!"

Every window in the residential compound had heads poking out, watching the scene.

Jiang Chengxu raised his fist, struggling to restrain himself from striking back. "You dare hit me? Xu Qinghuan, have I been too lenient with you? Our marriage was arranged by the elders of the Jiang family!"

"This is a new society! Arranged marriages are a thing of the past. What, are you trying to restore the old ways? I announce that my engagement to you is void. If you dare to utter another word, see if I don't report you and Xu Manman for illicit relations!" Xu Qinghuan’s last shred of patience was completely exhausted, and her voice was startlingly loud.