Chapter 82: Scheming Falls Through
The two looked at each other, then simultaneously turned their gaze towards the door.
Xia Chenge concentrated slightly and heard an excited female voice outside calling her name.
“Are you sure Xia Chenge and my Young Master are here?”
“Yes, Madam Ling. Xia Chenge’s mental state is very unstable, and I was worried she might harm Young Master Ling, so I…”
“Isn’t it your Xu family that spread the news about Xia Chenge’s poor mental state? I’m warning you, if Xia Chenge harms Xiao Mu, your Xu family will suffer too!”
“Madam Ling…”
Xu Jingyun and Ling Hanmu’s mother?
Thinking of this, Xia Chenge immediately turned towards the window and said, “I’ll leave first.”
Seeing this, Ling Hanmu quickly grabbed her, “The door is over there, and you’re not leaving, are you planning to jump out the window?”
“Hurry and open the door, don’t worry about how I leave,” Xia Chenge said calmly. Her reputation online was so bad right now, it was really not suitable for her to meet Ling Hanmu’s family.
If it caused unpleasantness for both sides, it would be troublesome if the Ling family intervened in her affairs.
Although she didn’t fear the Ling family’s wealth and power, it was better to avoid trouble.
Ling Hanmu’s brows furrowed, and he held onto Xia Chenge, refusing to let go.
At this moment, the knocking on the door grew more urgent.
“Young Master Ling, if you still consider me a friend, let go,” Xia Chenge looked at him.
Ling Hanmu tightened his grip, but eventually, he slowly loosened it.
Xia Chenge strode to the window and leaped out.
Ling Hanmu’s pupils suddenly widened. He rushed to the window and looked down, only to see Xia Chenge standing unharmed on the ground below. She looked up, smiled slightly at Ling Hanmu, and then waved goodbye gracefully.
Ling Hanmu stared blankly at her retreating figure, an indescribable shock surging through him: This was the thirteenth floor, how did she do it?
While Ling Hanmu was lost in thought, the knocking on the door had turned into pounding.
Ling Hanmu composed himself, returning to his usual nonchalant demeanor, and went to open the door.
As soon as the door opened, Madam Ling anxiously entered and looked Ling Hanmu over, “Xiao Mu, are you alright?”
“What are you doing, old lady?” Ling Hanmu pushed her away, “Don’t touch your grown son, or my father will beat me to death!”
“Stop joking, I’m asking if anything happened to you,” Madam Ling glared at him, but Ling Hanmu’s reaction eased the heavy stone in Madam Ling’s heart.
Although it wasn’t the first time she had seen Ling Hanmu, Xu Jingyun couldn’t help but blush and her heart pound. Her palms were sweating nervously, and she lowered her head, feigning a demure appearance. Her father had finally created an opportunity for her to get close to Madam Ling, and she had to seize it well to make Madam Ling see her in a new light.
“What could happen to me? I’m not a three-year-old child. Old lady, can’t you be more mature?” Ling Hanmu said with disgust, then glanced at Xu Jingyun, “Who is this woman? Why did you bring her to my place?”
“The daughter of an old acquaintance,” Madam Ling said dismissively, with no intention of introducing Xu Jingyun. She looked around the room, “Are you alone here?”
“Why do I feel like you’re here to catch me cheating?” Ling Hanmu raised an eyebrow, “Old lady, I’m your son, not your husband. Even if I were hiding someone here, you couldn’t control me!”
“Insolent!” Madam Ling was furious, “Do you think your mother would let danger approach you?”
“Danger? Why does that sound wrong to me?” Ling Hanmu’s tone suddenly rose, and he looked coldly at Xu Jingyun, “Did you badmouth me to my mother and try to sow discord between us?”
From the moment Madam Ling brought up her identity, Xu Jingyun’s heart had turned half cold. Now, hearing Ling Hanmu’s words, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
She denied it in panic, “I, I didn’t!”
“Didn’t? Then why did my mother suddenly come here? Who do you think you are, daring to spout nonsense to my mother and make her worry about me! Speak, who sent you, what are your intentions, give this Young Master a proper explanation.” Ling Hanmu put on the airs of a prodigal young master.
While Ling Hanmu was interrogating Xu Jingyun, Madam Ling had quickly searched the room. Besides Ling Hanmu, there was no one else hiding, and her impression of Xu Jingyun turned to extreme disgust.
Madam Ling knew very well how many people in Country A wanted to marry her son. She could tolerate a little scheming, but she absolutely could not tolerate someone sowing discord between mother and son!
“Miss Xu, my son and I have something to discuss. Please leave for now,” Madam Ling said coolly, “Good intentions are indeed a virtue, but fabricating things arbitrarily is very wrong!”
Xu Jingyun’s face turned pale. She had never expected things to turn out this way.
Xu Jingyun had thought that Xia Chenge would definitely use this rare opportunity of being alone with Ling Hanmu to seduce him, thus creating a fait accompli that would force the Ling family to agree to Ling Hanmu being with her. Moreover, the timing she chose was perfect; if nothing unexpected happened, she would surely be caught by Madam Ling…
She had clearly seen Xia Chenge go to the supermarket with Ling Hanmu to buy ingredients and return here together, and the person she had arranged was still watching. Since they entered the house, no one had come out. How could Xia Chenge have disappeared?
“Madam Ling, I, I…” Xu Jingyun anxiously wanted to explain. She had finally had a chance to get close to Madam Ling, how could she bear to give it up?
“That’s enough, I’ll have the driver take you home!” Madam Ling interrupted her forcefully, not looking at her again.
Xu Jingyun felt as if she had fallen into a bottomless abyss. Things had finally taken a turn for the better, how could they have returned to the original position so quickly?
Xu Jingyun was very unwilling, but in front of Madam Ling and Ling Hanmu, she really didn’t dare to act rashly. Even though she was extremely reluctant, she couldn’t let Madam Ling think she was unreasonable, so she had no choice but to bid farewell and leave.
After Madam Ling spoke, Ling Hanmu remained silent, watching Xu Jingyun being disliked by his mother with cold eyes.
Daring to have someone track him and scheme against him?
Xu Jingyun was truly tired of living!
“Speak, did you come back with Xia Chenge? Where is she?” Madam Ling looked at Ling Hanmu with a stern face, “I don’t care how you mess around outside, but you absolutely cannot bring people home casually!”
“Didn’t you see? Where is she? Go find her, don’t just believe rumors!” Ling Hanmu said nonchalantly, “Besides, if I really brought someone home, would you see her? I’d definitely make sure the deed was done first.”
“You brat, do you want a beating?” Madam Ling grabbed her handbag and was about to hit Ling Hanmu.
Ling Hanmu quickly shielded his face, “Old lady, don’t hit my face!”
Madam Ling was both angry and amused, feeling utterly helpless towards her only son.
She had once hoped Ling Hanmu would be like his father, but after Ling Hanmu almost died that year, she stopped being so strict with him. Instead, she indulged and doted on him without limits, only hoping he would be mediocre and not attract a fatal disaster.
“Son, Mom doesn’t really want to interfere in your affairs, it’s just that Xia Chenge…” Madam Ling sat down next to Ling Hanmu and sighed deeply.
