During Lin Wanwan's late pregnancy, she needed to use the restroom frequently at night. Xie Sui had been attending to her, feeling guilty that he hadn't returned sooner and made his wife suffer so much.
Xie Min no longer lived there. She was over six months pregnant and Chen Weimin had asked her to move back home where he and their two daughters could take care of her.
Chen Weimin was a local from the county town and owned a house, an old, spacious one with a grand past. Now that regulations were relaxed, he had renovated it for a more comfortable stay.
However, the couple visited Xie Sui and his wife every day. Xie Sui discussed future trade development with Chen Weimin, while Xie Min and Lin Wanwan talked about childcare, made small baby clothes, and prepared diapers.
Seeing a large pile of diapers, Xie Sui looked conflicted. "Can't we use disposable diapers? Are these even clean?"
Lin Wanwan replied, "Why wouldn't they be clean? I've boiled them and sun-dried them. Everyone uses them this way. What kind of newfangled thing is your disposable diaper?"
Xie Sui explained, "Disposable diapers are single-use, like toilet paper, but more absorbent and they don't leak. They use them in Hong Kong."
Xie Sui mused that perhaps disposable diapers and sanitary napkins were also good business opportunities. People were still using red toilet paper, which he found concerning in terms of hygiene.
"I'll get some for the baby. You don't need to bother with these anymore."
Xie Min quickly interjected, "You've been away for months and you're bringing back novelty items. What child hasn't grown up this way? Stop fussing with those foreign things."
Xie Sui retorted, "When I bring them back, if you dare, don't use them."
"If I don't use them, I don't. What's so great about them?"
Chen Weimin walked over. "What good thing are you talking about? I'll pay for it. If sister-in-law has it, we'll have it too. Xiao Sui, you know more than me. I'm a rough fellow; I don't even know how to spend money."
This couple was truly united. Xie Sui said, "Do you think I'd forget you? She's my sister. No matter how much she complains, she's still my sister."
Xie Min couldn't help but laugh. "You complain about me?"
Just as they were having a lively chat, footsteps sounded outside, and the main door was pushed open. "Brother Xie, surprise, right? Unexpected, right? I came to see you."
It was Du Feiyang. Xie Sui was speechless. Why had he come chasing after him?
"Why are you here? You didn't even say anything. You're so old, yet you're still so impulsive and unreliable. Come in and sit down."
Du Feiyang's expression was odd. He greeted Lin Wanwan and the others first. "Sister-in-law, hello. Second sister, second brother-in-law, hello."
He wasn't shy and addressed them by seniority, just like Xie Sui.
"Um, Brother Xie, there's something else. Please don't scold me. I had no choice."
Xie Sui replied, "Tell me. I promise I won't kill you."
Du Feiyang shivered. It was a knife either way, so he stepped aside. A few more people were standing outside. It was Du Yujie, Guan Zhizhi, and that troublemaker Lin Shishi.
Of course, they weren't the only ones; Tang Ling and He Mengchao were also there. The group was a gathering of handsome men and beautiful women. Guan Zhizhi, standing at the door, made the sun seem dim. Truly, the number one beauty of Hong Kong.
Lin Wanwan's expression soured. What was going on with these women?
Xie Sui paused briefly, then stood up. "Oh, Miss Du, Miss Guan, it's truly an honor to have you visit my humble abode. Please come in and sit down. The conditions are not ideal, I apologize for the inconvenience. Wanwan, let me introduce you. This is Miss Du, Feiyang's elder sister, though they are half-siblings. She's here to look at investments. Miss Guan is my business partner, the number one beauty of Hong Kong. We have to admit, she's truly blessed by heaven, relying on her looks."
"Hello."
Xie Sui helped Lin Wanwan up. Her large belly surprised the women. "Sit down, please don't get up. Being pregnant is really not easy."
Lin Wanwan smiled. "It's okay, I'm getting used to it. Please sit. Miss Guan, you're truly beautiful. I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you."
Guan Zhizhi replied modestly, "Mrs. Xie, you're not bad either. I apologize for the unannounced visit. This is a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it."
"This..."
"Please accept Miss Guan's kind gesture."
Lin Wanwan opened it to find a ruby necklace worth tens of millions.
Du Yujie also presented her gift. "This is mine. I hope Mrs. Xie will look after me in the future."
It was a diamond brooch, less sincere than Guan Zhizhi's.
"Thank you, this is too valuable."
"We're glad you like it."
Guan Zhizhi maintained a distant demeanor, keeping her distance from Xie Sui and avoiding eye contact. Du Yujie, however, kept her eyes fixed on Xie Sui, with a look of provocation.
"Elder sister, I'm Shishi. Don't you recognize me?"
Lin Shishi timidly stepped forward. She was truly afraid of Xie Sui, but Du Yujie had personally found her, and she yearned for freedom.
Lin Wanwan glanced at her. Her face was more refined than hers, bearing a resemblance of three or four parts, but they couldn't be considered twins.
"Don't joke with me. Lin Shishi doesn't look like this. Don't falsely claim kinship."
She didn't want to acknowledge her and didn't want to cause trouble for Xie Sui. Coming back with outsiders instead of with Xie Sui was not right.
Lin Shishi was on the verge of tears. "Sister, I really am..."
Xie Sui stopped her, his gaze shifting to Du Yujie. "Miss Du, you brought this person, didn't you? Don't claim kinship falsely. How could I not recognize my own sister-in-law? If she's ill, take her home for treatment. It won't be good if she frightens my wife and child."
Du Yujie hadn't expected this reaction; he outright disowned her. "Mr. Xie, I meant well, wanting to reunite the sisters. You're so busy, you probably overlooked it. I saw her on the set, and she wanted to come home."
"Miss Du is truly kind-hearted, but good intentions often lead to bad outcomes. If you come as a guest, I welcome you. If you come to meddle in our affairs, I'm afraid we don't need outsiders interfering in our family matters."
"Feiyang, we don't have enough room at home. Take our guests to the guesthouse to book rooms. Second brother-in-law, you take them. Say they are guests from my factory."
At this time, an introduction letter was required, and they were Hong Kong businessmen without one.
Chen Weimin led them away. A heavy atmosphere settled in the courtyard. Xie Sui's face darkened, contemplating how to deal with Du Yujie. She was really asking for trouble, deliberately provoking him!
Xie Min said, "What's your relationship with that Miss Du? I'll warn you, don't do anything to betray Wanwan, or I'll be the first one to forgive you. You'll experience my sister's loving fist."
Lin Wanwan said, "I trust Xiao Sui. With that arrogant look on Miss Du's face, Xiao Sui wouldn't possibly like someone like her. As for that Miss Guan, even I, as a woman, am captivated by her beauty, let alone a man?"
Xie Sui poured tea, his eyes sparkling. "You don't know, Miss Guan is a big star, but she's kept by a powerful figure. Who would dare to have ideas about her? Someone wrote a letter in her tone, provoking the original wife, which angered her to death. They say she uses her beauty to bully others. This woman is not someone to get involved with. Too beautiful women mean trouble. I'd have to be insane to get involved with her."
"Really? She's that shameless?"
When it came to gossip, both women's eyes lit up. They listened intently, forgetting all about questioning him.
Xie Sui recounted many stories until his throat was dry. "Let's stop here for now. Their arrival this time will surely bring more changes. Looking at their expressions, things don't seem good."
"You seem to know quite a lot?"
Xie Sui replied, "I can tell at a glance. I'm not stupid. I won't say more. I'm going grocery shopping. Wanwan, Lin Shishi, don't mind her. If she wants to go home, let her. I can't be bothered to worry about it anymore. I originally wanted to cultivate her into a superstar. That face now is only inferior to Guan Zhizhi's. I spent a lot of money to fix it up."
Lin Wanwan asked curiously, "Why did you spend that money? She wasn't ugly to begin with."
Xie Sui explained, "Her face was the same as yours. It displeased me. It was as if my wife was acting in a movie, sometimes having to embrace others. That wouldn't do."
Xie Min added, "He's just narrow-minded. Your sister is really troublesome. Be sure not to meet her alone. A woman like that has a venomous heart; what if she harms you?"
She was currently inconvenient to move, and it was twins. Xie Sui wanted to move into the hospital, which would be more reassuring.
However, the hospital had an unpleasant smell, and everything was inconvenient. Lin Wanwan preferred to stay at home.
Xie Sui went to buy groceries, but in reality, he went to find Du Feiyang. They were waiting for him in the guesthouse lobby.
As soon as Du Feiyang came down, he complained, "Brother Xie, I really had no choice. That woman had my father intervene, saying she was here to look at investments. I couldn't object."
"It's fine, let her come. She's not a flood dragon. What am I afraid of? However, keep an eye on her. Don't let her disturb my wife at home. I'm telling you, my wife is about to give birth and can't be stimulated. If anything happens, our friendship ends here. We'll be strangers."
Du Feiyang swore. "I will definitely keep an eye on her, Brother Xie. She wouldn't dare trouble sister-in-law, would she? She's only interested in you."
Xie Sui said, "Just in case. You go back. Oh, and that Yan Xiaoliang has been looking for you. Dig a hole for him. Tell him to invest in staff dormitories, buy land, and build houses, and have him handle the procedures."
"And then?"
"Then I'll reap the benefits. There are no precedents in the mainland yet, and developing real estate is very troublesome. That fellow Yan has some connections, so let him be the vanguard."
Du Feiyang understood. "Brother Xie is truly insidious. I'll talk to you later in detail. Let's trap him to death."
"There's no need to go that far. Let's leave him a way out."
He shouldn't be pushed to death. Apart from playing dirty tricks behind the scenes, Yan Xiaoliang hadn't committed any heinous crimes.
As they were talking, Du Yujie came down, a look of disdain on her face. The accommodation here was too poor, even worse than the countryside. There were no single rooms, and she had to share with Lin Shishi, which was incredibly inconvenient.
"Mr. Xie, I thought you would be avoiding me?"
Du Yujie's eyes were filled with an unyielding light. Xie Sui waved Du Feiyang away and prepared to have a good chat with her.