Divorced at fifty, I embarked on my path to success.

It took Xie Mingqi a long time after returning to Zuimo Garden to slowly suppress the anger surging in her heart.

For the first time in her life, she was threatened with her weakness, and the feeling of being held hostage almost made her explode on the spot.

But reason told her that she couldn't provoke Yue Jiangting any further. She could tell which was more important, her best friend or her husband and daughter's future.

The thought of how arrogantly I made a scene at the beginning, and then how I slunk away afterwards, makes my face burn and my heart burn with anger.

She felt she had lost face and hated Yue Jiangting even more.

Her husband, Chen Juansheng, is a university professor, and their daughter also works at a university; they come from a scholarly family. She always felt a strong sense of superiority over Yue Jiangting, that vulgar nouveau riche, and always looked down on him.

Yue Jiangting, who only has a junior high school education, has a penchant for pretentious refinement, especially admiring elegant and intellectual women. His respectful attitude towards Xie Mingqi's family gives her a sense of superiority.

Today he dared to threaten her, and even acted condescendingly. Pah! So what if he has a little money?

But she had to admit that it was because he was rich that she suddenly realized her own position and dispelled her original illusions.

For the first time, she lowered her proud head in front of Yuejiang Pavilion. Her self-esteem was severely trampled, and she truly experienced the feeling of humiliation. But what could she do?

In order to get what she wanted, she had no choice but to bow her head.

Hearing the door open, Chen Juansheng returned. The pent-up frustration she had managed to suppress resurfaced, and she vented all the anger that had been building up inside her on her husband.

"Chen Juansheng! Why didn't you tell me beforehand that you were going to ask that old geezer Yue Jiangting for investment?" Xie Mingqi stormed up to Chen Juansheng like a hurricane. "Why did you have to go through him? Don't you have any other connections?"

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Mingqi felt a chill run down her spine. Chen Juansheng had been an honest and hardworking teacher all his life. If it weren't for her good relationship with Mei Yusheng, how would he have had the opportunity to meet a wealthy entrepreneur?

Chen Juansheng was tall and slender, dressed neatly in a white shirt and black trousers, with gold-rimmed glasses. Behind the lenses, his eyes looked at Xie Mingqi in astonishment: "What's going on?"

She leisurely placed her briefcase on the shelf by the door, changed into slippers, and came in, casually unbuttoning the top button of her shirt: "I don't want to tell you things I'm not sure about early on, so you won't worry and get anxious."

"Why aren't you confident? Didn't you think Yue Jiangting could just give you an investment and it would all be settled?" Xie Mingqi stared, forgetting her initial disdain for Yue Jiangting. "Did he call you? Did he change his mind?"

"Old Yue didn't call me. What happened?" Chen Juansheng was about to go to the bedroom to change into some comfortable pajamas when he heard this and turned around in confusion.

Xie Mingqi felt relieved, but she was conflicted. She had been cursing Yue Jiangting to death in her heart, but she didn't have the courage to say that she didn't need his investment.

She angrily shook her hand, her tone sharp and tinged with frustration: "It's fine! Since he has plenty of money, let him invest more and solidify your position as vice principal!"

Chen Juansheng shook his head, turned around, and went into the bedroom.

Chen Qianqian returned almost immediately after Chen Juansheng. As soon as she entered the door, she exclaimed, "I'm exhausted! I'm working like a slave every day. When will I be able to work like my dad, sitting in his office drinking tea and receiving the respect of the entire school?"

Xie Mingqi glared at her irritably: "I work like a slave at home for you every day, and I'll never get ahead in my life, and I haven't even complained. What are you complaining about?"

Chen Qianqian didn't even put down her bag before clinging to her mother like a koala, saying sweetly, "Mom, didn't you make it through the tough times a long time ago? You sit at home every day and Dad hands you his salary with both hands. You're a professor's wife now, so many people envy that!"

"Hmph, with that little mouth of yours, you've been chattering nonstop since you came in, so noisy!" Xie Mingqi's anger subsided considerably when she saw her youthful and adorable daughter. "By the way, did you meet your blind date at noon? How was the young man? I had something to do today and didn't have a chance to ask you yet."

Chen Qianqian immediately pouted: "What kind of second-generation official is he? He's not even 1.7 meters tall, he's just a bean sprout!"

She threw her bag onto the sofa and sprawled out on it: "Mom, you should break off all ties with the matchmaker! What kind of trash did she introduce me to? Who does she think she is!"

Xie Mingqi frowned and followed over, sitting down next to Chen Qianqian: "Don't judge a book by its cover. So what if she's a little short? Her father is the newly appointed director of the Supervisory Department! So many girls would love to snatch her up! Don't look down on people like that. With your university degree, don't you know how much of it is real?"

She recalled Yue Jiangting's disdainful expression, and her heart sank again: "If you were more ambitious and got into a top-tier university, and then go on to graduate school, your dad could pull some strings and you could become a university professor. That would be respectable, and you wouldn't be looked down upon by some petty people. With your current qualifications, how dare you be picky! You should date that guy properly. If it works out, he can get you a better job, and your dad will have a powerful backer."

"Mom! What's the difference between this and selling your daughter?" Chen Qianqian was enraged by Xie Mingqi's words. She jumped up and rushed into the kitchen, then let out a scream as if the sky had fallen, "Mom! Why haven't you cooked yet? I'm starving!"

Xie Mingqi's face darkened: "Do you think I'm your mother! You come back and start yelling at me. You're almost thirty years old and you don't know any manners!"

Just then, Chen Juansheng came out and saw the mother and daughter with white eyebrows and red eyes. He shook his head helplessly and said, "Qianqian, Dad will make it for you. What do you want to eat?"

"Dad's the best!" Chen Qianqian rushed out and hugged her dad, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She then looked at Xie Mingqi defiantly, "Mom just stays at home all day and doesn't even know how to cook. She even scolds me for being immature. I wonder who's immature!"

Xie Mingqi was so angry that she reached out to hit her, while Chen Qianqian laughed and shouted as she circled around her father, and the whole family was making a ruckus.

Xie Mingqi's anger completely subsided. Looking at her husband, who was busy in the kitchen wearing an apron, and her daughter, who was being spoiled and unreasonable, she sighed.

She couldn't help but dream: if her husband became the vice principal by the end of the year and then married a son of a high-ranking official, she would finally be able to stand tall.

A thought flashed through his mind: if Qianqian married that son of a high-ranking official, Old Chen could also become the vice principal, and even the principal wouldn't be out of the question. Then, Yue Jiangting wouldn't be needed anymore; he'd have to fawn over her!

The more I thought about it, the more excited I became, but seeing my daughter's indifferent expression, my head started to ache again.

Sigh, it's best to be cautious and not anger Yue Jiangting for now. Our daughter's matter is still a long way off.

Feeling guilty and sorry for Mei Yusheng, I took out my phone and sent a message: "Yusheng, how's your back? I'll take you to the hospital for an X-ray tomorrow."

I quickly received a reply: "Okay, come pick me up tomorrow. I feel this is a bit serious, and I'm very worried."

Xie Mingqi felt uncomfortable at the thought of running into Yue Jiangting and that mistress when she went to pick her up, but she couldn't scold them anymore. However, she couldn't bear to refuse her best friend, so she agreed and comforted her with a few words.

Chen Juansheng quickly prepared the meal and brought it to the table, where the family began to eat.

"These pickled vegetables were just brought over today, right? Did you see Mei Yusheng?" Chen Juansheng placed two kinds of pickled vegetables on a small plate, put them on the dining table, took a bite, and looked very satisfied. "What did Lao Yue say to you today that made you so emotional?"

Xie Mingqi rolled her eyes at him: "When did you become so close to that old bastard? He even invested in you?"

“We just happened to chat during our last meeting, and he knew about the school’s competition for vice principal, so he offered to invest in me,” Chen Juansheng said casually, as if he didn’t care at all. “Actually, I didn’t want to run for the position.”

"Why not run for office? You've been a professor at the university for twenty-five years. How many people can compare to you in terms of qualifications?" Xie Mingqi retorted. "You have no chance of winning without attracting investment? Even the ivory tower is looking at money now!"

"Mom! You're acting like you've taken a ton of gunpowder today. You didn't even cook dinner, and you're giving Dad and me the cold shoulder. Who did you offend?" Chen Qianqian's bright eyes sparkled as she curiously examined her mother.

Chen Juansheng also looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Xie Mingqi slammed her chopsticks on the table: "Old Yue cheated on me!"

Chen Juansheng's face suddenly turned deathly pale.