Chapter 403 - Dirty Laundry
The headlines blew up the very next day and the newspapers wouldn't stop talking about the incident for a good few days. The fall of a major socialite family wasn't a common occurrence and the abrupt one was mind-boggling.
The Wei family's dirty laundry was aired into the public and Wei Hantao's actions were heavily written about. He was criticized in the media and was undergoing too much backlash to handle. That and the fact that he would suffer in the hands of the law.
"Handing him to the law is too painless." Yang Feng said when he noticed his wife disinterestedly glancing at a magazine. "You didn't have to turn him to the authorities so quickly."
Zhao Lifei placed the magazine down and turned to face him on the couch. "He helped me for two years without any complaints. Regardless of what he did, I was still grateful for his help."
Yang Feng gave a small nod at her words, showing he had heard her but didn't agree with her.
Zhao Lifei paused to examine Yang Feng. Something felt amiss, she couldn't quite put a finger on it. The newspaper usually didn't over publicize something like this… Did he have something to do with it?
As if reading her thoughts, a mischievous smirk graced his lips. "Yes, I did." He smugly replied without any display of remorse for his actions. If she didn't allow him near the culprit, at the least, he would ensure the entire Wei family got what they deserved.
"Of course you did." She sighed, shaking her head at his behavior. She turned her attention to the lack of papers near him and decided it would be a good time to converse with him about the idea of revealing her pregnancy to his family. Sooner or later she would begin showing and it would be better to tell them the truth, rather than wait it out.
"What do you think about telling your parents about my pregnancy? I spoke to your father." She paused and grabbed his hand, giving him a reassuring squeeze at the topic. "The conversation ended amicably and peacefully."
Yang Feng's tense body relaxed at her words. "I don't see a problem with informing them. I'm sure they would be ecstatic, but wouldn't it be best if we reveal our marriage first?"
"Oh. Right." Zhao Lifei blinked. The thought had completely fled her mind. She was so used to their married life that she didn't realize other people around them were unaware of it… though, Fan Jielan might have suspected it already.
Yang Feng chuckled at her startled response. He grabbed one of her hands and pressed small kisses upon her fingers, his warm lips melting the icy tips. "And speaking of marriage, we've yet to hold our wedding ceremony. When and where would you like it, my love?" Seeing as her hands were cold to the touch, he grabbed the remote, adjusted the temperature in this house, and then to liven the atmosphere, turned on the fake flames of the fireplace. If he wanted to, the fireplace could produce heat, but then it would become too hot in here.
Zhao Lifei made a small noise while she contemplated and weighed the options at hand. A comfortable silence ensued where he had begun playing with her fingers before tangling it with his. "There are still other things we have to address before the wedding ceremony. For example, you never told me about Zheng Murong."
"You're asking about another man in my presence?" He teased her, reaching over to give her soft cheek a pinch.
Zhao Lifei swatted at his hand and rolled her eyes. "I'm just curious." She answered him with a slight smile. She was relieved to see he didn't react with an outburst of anger. Speaking of which, she began to realize a lot has changed about them since they had first started.
"Well, there's not much to discuss about him. If you ask me, he's pretty plain."
"Every man is plain in comparison to you." She dryly responded, giving him a pointed look. He definitely didn't miss the stroke towards his ego and before he could cheekily respond, she urged him to continue. "Are you sure he won't turn against you?"
"He won't." Yang Feng softly reassured her in a low, calming voice that washed all of her worries away. "Zheng Murong might be easy to control, but he's not a fool. He would never bite the hand that fed him."
"How did you come across him?"
"Ling Fulei introduced me to him a while back."
"Ling Fulei?" She repeated the name, her eyes glazed over. He couldn't tell what she was thinking. "I'm just curious, but for his sexual preference, does he bat for the other team?"
Yang Feng opened his mouth to speak, but Zhao Lifei cut him off, "Actually. Don't answer that. I'll let him figure it out on his own." She realized how much she had neglected her good friend, Lu Minhong. When was the last time she spoke to him?
Although Zhao Lifei's group of friends were close and small, she was very selective of the people she allowed into her life. To her, true friendship was when both parties remained close despite a lack of communication. She understood everyone had their own problems in life and that it might get hectic at times. Most of her friends were the type who spoke to her the same, despite the weeks or months of minimal communication. It was like this for Yang Ruqin and Lu Minhong, so she wasn't particularly worried. Despite that, she still made a mental note to visit Lu Minhong tomorrow.
"What will Zheng Murong do with Xia Mengxi?"
Yang Feng leaned closer to Zhao Lifei, "That depends. What would you like to do with her first?" He already had his plans laid out and all of it lead to unimaginable consequences one way or another.
Zhao Lifei had truthfully moved on from Xia Mengxi. She was no longer as immature as she was three years ago. If this question was prompted when she was younger, there would've been a lot more ideas that came into mind. For odd reasons, when she thought about what she would do to Xia Mengxi, not much came into mind.
The woman was unknowingly being played by the love of her life who would probably discard her like a used tissue. Left on the streets, Xia Mengxi would still be able to defend herself. She was a smart woman who knew how to utilize her face and body to her advantage.
"She was annoying." Was all Zhao Lifei said. It was only three simple words, yet they held more weight than anyone had expected. If he truly meant to uphold his promise of annihilating anyone that had bothered or harmed her, he would know what she was implying.
"What correct use of grammar." Yang Feng mused, brushing strands of hair behind her ears. She was giving him rein to do as he pleased and that idea alone was enough to create unfathomable consequences.
For odd reasons, Zhao Lifei began to think about what she attempted to tell Zheng Tianyi three years ago: Xia Mengxi was the reason for her father's suicide. She had built her pity card from the fact that her father died before she could meet him.
Xia Mengxi would preach day and night about the loneliness she felt from his absence and her desperate wish to see him. The truth was that her father was very much alive, it was just she refused to see him. He had attempted on numerous accounts to visit his daughter, but Xia Mengxi had coldly turned him away every time.
The only time she ever went to see him was to demand money that he didn't have. For her sake, he borrowed money from loan sharks and with no way to repay it, he took his own life knowing Xia Mengxi would be safe. Despite his sacrifices, Xia Mengxi never acknowledged it. When he died, she didn't bother throwing a funeral for him. His body was cremated and the ashes were most likely disposed of.
Zhao Lifei glanced at Yang Feng and wondered if she should say something about this. He placed a warm hand on her cheek and said, "I will handle everything. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the scenery."
Placing a hand over his, she could feel the roughness of his knuckles. His hands were rough, but they've always managed to handle her with all the care in the world. "Are you sure?"
"Trust me, I am beyond sure." He firmly responded, his coaxing voice easing the worries at the back of her mind.