The wealthy military officer spoils his wife excessively

"Actually, it doesn't matter whether you get first place or not. You've already gained popularity. If the company still dares to ignore you, Ye Zi is probably already in a hurry to make a formal contract with you."

Xue Shaofeng then offered his advice based on his experience. He was the one who had guided her onto the right path before, and he considered himself half of her music mentor, so he felt it was his duty to protect this junior sister.

"Yes." She humbly accepted the instruction. No one understood why she worked so hard.

Others are interested in the contract, but she desperately needs the prize money from the championship.

As they were talking, her phone rang. She gestured and walked out of the recording studio to answer the call.

The caller ID showed it was from home.

She checked the time and realized it was already 10 p.m. She had been practicing very hard lately, getting home very late almost every day, and her mother hadn't called her before, but today was unusual.

Suwen was afraid that she was being introduced to a potential partner again, so she said as soon as she opened her mouth, "Mom, I'm busy. We'll talk about it when I get home."

"Just watch me die. You'll be happy if I die at home," Xiang Ru complained, her sobs sounding like she was crying.

Suwen frowned and asked, "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

"I've pulled a back strain, and there's no one home, so no one can take me to the hospital... Ouch, my back is going to break..."

Suwen also became nervous: "Then why didn't you call 120 earlier? Oh well, don't move, I'll rush back right now."

Su Wen's face turned a little cold after hanging up the phone. Xue Shaofeng looked at her in surprise: "What's wrong?"

As she packed her bag, she honestly said, "My mom fell at home, and I have to rush back to check on her."

No wonder your face turned so pale after answering the phone. Xue Shaofeng also picked up his coat: "I'll take you. You're not planning to take the bus back now, are you?"

Once, Xue Shaofeng was driving out of the recording studio when he saw her waiting for the bus at the bus stop. He then realized that this girl actually took the bus to record every day.

The situation was urgent, and she couldn't afford to be coy. She nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Feng. I'm sorry to trouble you."

Xue Shaofeng's car is a black Ferrari 360. Suwen recognized it because this car was in the news years ago. It was the same model as the car driven by a famous Hong Kong celebrity involved in a car accident cover-up case, which inexplicably brought Xue Shaofeng into the headlines.

The sports car was in excellent condition, and Xue Shaofeng, knowing she was in a hurry, sped off as soon as they got on the highway. At this moment, Suwen started worrying about other minor details, such as the dilapidated neighborhood she rented.

Such a nice car, if it gets scratched anywhere, she can't afford to pay for it.

As an artist under the same company, she also had vanity and didn't want her most respected older brother to see her impoverished side.

She got out of the car at the intersection as usual. Xue Shaofeng glanced at the alley with some doubt: "Is this all the way?"

As she unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, she said, "It's hard to drive in there, I'll just walk a few steps." She closed the car door quickly and efficiently. "Brother Feng, I'm going in now. Thank you for today, drive carefully on the road."

Xue Shaofeng had originally planned to get out of the car and follow her to see if he could help her, but she didn't even invite him up for a chat and dismissed him with a few words.

He sat back in the driver's seat, watching the petite figure disappear quickly into the alley. He shook his head helplessly and was about to start the car when a car light flashed in the corner. A royal blue Jaguar turned around under the tall Chinese scholar tree and slowly drove away.

Xue Shaofeng was taken aback; he couldn't believe he'd seen such a nice car in a place like this.

Suwen ran all the way home, and was covered in sweat when she opened the door. However, the scene inside completely stunned her.

The mother sat calmly on the old, faded sofa, coldly watching Ru standing stiffly in the doorway. The television was still on, and the screen's reflection cast an eerie light on the mother's face.

"Mom..." she called out uncertainly.

The room was sealed off, thick curtains hung down, and even the tables and chairs seemed to exude a musty smell. For her, this had always been just a place to sleep, a temporary lodging for her and her mother. She preferred to stay at school most of the time, rarely returning home except to send Xiang Ru her monthly allowance or when the utilities at home were broken.

This home has never made her feel at home.

"You still know how to come back? I thought you were out there fooling around with other men and had forgotten about your mother." Xiang Ru's words were sharp and sarcastic.

Xiang Ru had seen the news and already knew about Su Wen's participation in the competition. Originally, she disagreed, but when Su Wen said that the champion would receive a million yuan and a car, she relented.

Suwen endured it, thinking that her mother must have read some gossip again: "What's written in the newspapers is all exaggerated, especially what's said online, it's even more irresponsible, how can you believe it?"

Xiang Ru pointed at the TV and sneered, "Your mother is old, but she's not stupid yet."

Suwen glanced at the TV and saw that it was showing a replay of the top five to top four match, with Wei Guang making fun of him and Xue Shaofeng.

"You wouldn't accept an offer to be a proper sales manager, but instead you've gone and done this shameless thing! Do you really think they'd even notice you? They just want to play with your looks. Look at those minor celebrities, what's the difference between them and prostitutes? You're still dreaming of becoming a star, it's just wishful thinking!"

Xiang Ru stood up and turned off the TV. Seeing that Su Wen remained motionless, she said, "Who are you trying to impress by standing at the door with that face? Let me tell you, as long as I have a breath left, don't even think about doing something so shameful."

"In your eyes, is there only one way to succeed?" Tomorrow is the final, and she was tricked back home by her mother like this. She was also holding back her anger. "I'm not satisfied with living in this lousy place. I'm going to make something of myself. Even if I end up as what you call 'selling myself,' it's the path I chose!"

Who hasn't had a good life? Xiang Ru was once a bureau chief's wife, surrounded by wives of officials. She defined success by the kind of man she could find, which is why she's ended up like this. For the past three years, Su Wen has had to pay her own high tuition fees while also giving Xiang Ru two thousand yuan a month for food and drink. When money was tight, she shamelessly followed Zhou Mo around for half a month, still giving Xiang Ru a penny. If she hadn't gone to film school and been able to find some high-paying modeling jobs, she doesn't know how she would have survived in Beijing.

It was then that she truly realized the importance of material things. All talk of feelings is meaningless; only money can be firmly held in one's grasp.

Xiang Ru's face turned pale from being choked by her words. She picked up the feather duster next to her and said, "If I had known you were so shameless, I would have beaten you to death. I would have just pretended I never had such a shameless daughter as you!"

Xiang Ru screamed and pounced on Su Wen like a mad hen, grabbing her hair.

Just then, the doorbell rang behind us.

Like a wake-up call, it jolted Suwen's nerves, which were on the verge of collapse. What was she doing? Tomorrow was the crucial final, and here she was, tearing at her own mother.

Xiang Ru's hands stopped moving, her breathing uneven. Because of that ringing bell, time and space seemed to freeze.

Then she heard a gentle male voice: "Excuse me, does Nie Suwen live here?"

Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly broke free from her mother's grasp, but hesitated as she reached for the doorknob.

Why would he show up here at this time? Do I really want him to see me in such a sorry state every time?

Seeing her hesitate repeatedly, her mother became even more suspicious, pulled her hand away, and opened the door.

"You are--"

The man was dressed in an elegant silver suit, his hand in his pocket revealing an expensive Patek Philippe watch on his wrist. The mother must have been wondering why someone like him would come knocking on their door.

"Hello, Auntie, my name is Lu Zheng." The man introduced himself very politely, then his gaze fell on the feather duster in Xiang Ru's hand, and he looked at Xiang Suwen with a questioning look: "Susu..."

At that moment, the feeling that was about to leap out of my chest was actually anticipation.

With that exchange of glances and that affectionate call, Xiang Ru seemed to suddenly understand something. She picked up the feather duster she had just put down and lashed it out at Lu Zheng: "You've come looking for trouble again? You bastard, I'll beat you to death and see if you dare touch my daughter again!"

"Mom—" Suwen finally couldn't help but scream, rushing forward to stop her indiscriminate beating, "What's wrong with you? I have nothing to do with him..."

The words "it doesn't matter" just wouldn't come out.

Taking advantage of her moment of confusion, Xiang Ru reversed her grip on the feather duster and used the bamboo stick at the back to randomly hit her head and face: "You're protecting your lover now? I'll beat you to death, beat you to death, you shameless bastard!"

In her loss of control, Xiang Ru acted like a shrew, her strength uncontrollable, causing Su Wen to scream repeatedly. Su Wen couldn't care less about anything else, and could only cover her face with her hands; she couldn't afford to get injured, as she had to perform on stage tomorrow.

She instinctively jumped toward Lu Zheng, only to feel a warm, large hand grab her and quickly pull her behind him.

The pain... has disappeared?

With a "snap," the bamboo pole broke off on Lu Zheng's arm.

Xiang Ru stared in disbelief at the discounted feather duster.

Suwen's gaze flickered, but Lu Zheng's arm was still blocking her, and he didn't even frown.

"Enough!" Suwen weakly raised her hand and brushed away the broken feather duster from her mother's hand. She felt extremely tired. For the past three years, she had been constantly shuttling between school and her workplace without ever complaining of being tired. But now, exhaustion seemed to overwhelm her all at once, leaving her utterly drained.

“If you can’t stand it, just pretend you never had a daughter like me. I’ll transfer your living expenses to your account every month. As for this family…” She glanced at the dark and cold room, her voice cold and powerless: “I will never come back.”

She saw her mother's face turn deathly pale when she said those words. In truth, her mother was also a pitiful person. Because of her failed marriages and being abandoned one after another, she had become terrified of men.