“Of course, if you’re uncomfortable, we can say goodbye. I just need to achieve my fundraising goal. I promised the ‘Abused Children’s Foundation’ to raise 5 million in donations for medical equipment. Currently, we’re short 4.5 million. I plan to extract 1 million from your husband to join the cause of love,” Du Feifan shrugged, seeing that the beautiful woman seemed uninterested in outside interference. She naturally went with the flow. Though meddling was in her nature, she wouldn’t force anyone. Saving herself the trouble, she gulped down the half-cold tea and stood up:
“It seems you’re not interested in chatting. Never mind, goodbye.”
“I—” Xiao Susu spoke up urgently.
Du Feifan, already at the entrance, half-turned to look at her, waiting.
To want or not want; to stop or go, light or darkness.
The setbacks and failures that must be endured by taking risks, or the emptiness and safety of staying status quo – which would she choose?
Taking a few trembling steps, she reached out, her voice hoarse but determined:
“Save me, please.”
Very afraid, yet knowing it must be done. Otherwise, she would forever be accompanied only by despair.
11 After transformation, better or worse No one can predict Only growth has its inevitable process Only life has its predetermined trajectory
22
Section 3
The primary reason Du Feifan began actively investing her heart in helping Xiao Susu rebuild her life was undoubtedly her desire for the handsome young man. Plus, her ulterior motive of dragging this stunning beauty into volunteer work. Realistically speaking, beautiful women have many advantages. With an added touch of fragile, pitiful charm, wouldn’t a line of men be eager to empty their wallets for a good deed to win her favor?
But she wouldn’t force anyone, provided Xiao Susu was willing to be convinced. Which was pretty easy, actually.
Pulling the snow-white beauty through Taichung’s city center, today’s main purpose was buying gifts. With Christmas approaching, how could mothers and aunts not buy gifts for children? Driving here and there, after touring all major department stores in Greater Taichung without finding anything, they finally headed to the toy store.
“What would a seven-year-old boy like as a gift?” Du Feifan played with a toy submachine gun. Modern toys were incredibly lifelike.
“I don’t know what Xue’an likes. But he once said his grandmother prepared a toy room for him, with everything in it,” Xiao Susu, dazzled by the array of toys, still felt uncomfortable in crowds. Her habit was to walk a step behind Du Feifan, the curious looks from others only making her more timid and unsure. Though she’d been going out more recently, she rarely visited crowded places.
Look, behind me are all the reasons I must strive to obtain donations. Without discussing foreign natural disasters and human tragedies, some disability institutions are financially strapped. Over the years, typhoon-caused disasters, incomplete laws, slow government assistance, and embezzlement of relief funds have created the scenes you see. Homeless people, abandoned elderly, abused children, orphans, battered women, disaster victims, disabled persons… We Taiwanese devotedly worship charlatans like Song Qili and Miao Tian, seeking their so-called longevity equal to heaven and immeasurable merit, yet scoff at genuine good deeds. Because they believe donating to vulnerable groups isn’t explicitly recorded by divine beings, only what the charlatans say counts. Fortunately, corporate donations are tax-deductible; otherwise, I’d find it difficult to extract even a penny from the wealthy.
Xiao Susu’s photos were images of disaster areas and refugees, each picture connecting to a pitiful, helpless, and heartbreaking scene that would make contemporary viewers tearful and ashamed of their privileged, unempathetic lives.
“They… are so pitiful.” The silk quickly became half-wet.
“Please, don’t create a water disaster in my car. Having ‘Herbert’ and ‘Winnie’ as two plague-bringing siblings is more than enough. Let me be. We’ve arrived at the company we’re going to ‘extort’, so get out.” Indeed, she seemed to have found the best potential donor. Xiao Susu’s soft heart would easily cry just looking at photos, so after some emotional manipulation, she’d likely become a new fundraising force. Now, let’s test her charm.
“Shih Pan Construction”, owned by Shih Kun, was currently managed by his eldest son Shih Bo-mao, a businessman who valued community image and had adopted four parks and twelve green corridors in southwest Taichung.
Of course, any man has the right to be stunned by a super beautiful woman, but being overly excited might raise suspicions of improper intentions. Strange? If Shih Bo-ang truly loved his wife and family as rumored, how could he be so captivated by a beautiful woman?
“Ahem, Mr. Shih, wipe your drool, take the receipt, write the check. If convenient, here’s a receipt from ‘Yang Ci Orphanage’ for 500,000. Thank you for your sponsorship.”
Shih Bo-ang’s dark face turned red, his solid square face uncomfortable, hastily facing the woman known as the “Blood-Sucking Queen” Du Feifan, not daring to be negligent.
Susu, I really feel that you have never been a wife for a single day. Now that the divorce agreement has been signed and sealed, do you feel even a tiny bit of guilt?
She nodded, lowering her pink face:
“I feel useless, only causing him trouble, yet he has never scolded me loudly. I’ve seen battered wives with bruises on TV; he has already been very good to me.”
That strong and formidable man was like a god in the Tang family, seemingly invincible and an unbreakable pillar, so it was difficult to feel guilty about him, she only felt useless. Guilt often emerges from a deep understanding of how one’s actions have hurt the other party.
So she felt no guilt because Tang Hua was strong enough to be unharmed.
She didn’t notice Du Feifan’s large eyes rolling, plotting something sinister. She was immersed in her thoughts, trying futilely to dig out the face of the man who was once her husband from her mind, wanting to clearly see what his exact features were. But once again, the first thing that surfaced was those sharp eyes, scaring her away from piecing together the rest.
She furrowed her crescent-shaped eyebrows, troubled and unsure how to handle these emotions. No more thinking, no more…
After a morning of meetings that finally established the company’s operational guidelines and objectives for the next year, a group of relieved senior managers went to lunch, leaving Tang Hua and Shi Zhongcheng in the conference room.
“Let’s have lunch together. You know Miss Jiang; I’ve been too busy to formally introduce her recently,” Tang Hua said.
Shi Zhongcheng organized his documents casually, “I’ve met her before. She’s an elite, manager, and beautiful woman at our Tang Yuan Advertising. Three years ago, she was responsible for a project of mine and did an excellent job.”
“You don’t seem very enthusiastic.”
“Please! Boss, you’re the one choosing a wife, not me. Moreover, you haven’t shown more than appreciation, so I’m not interested. If your enthusiasm ever reaches half of what it was when you were pursuing my sister-in-law, I’d crawl to meet her,” he joked.
If you can avoid going in, she would definitely stand outside and be dazed until Du Feifan turns back. But the capable Feifan would never forgive her for being so timid, and might even scold her. She had finally made a friend and didn’t want to lose her because of her own cowardice.
Don’t be afraid, must pretend not to be afraid, this is nothing, besides they had already agreed on the time. Deep breath, once again, exhale—okay, walk in with big steps.
“Miss, may I help you?”
