Chapter 32

In the evening, Xia Ting found Zhao Nanshu and drove him to Zhang Xueqiao's mansion.

The price TBN offered him was very high, which led to a corresponding increase in the amount of liquidated damages.

Coupled with the fact that the filming location is overseas, the lost wages and publicity fees mentioned in the contract are also a lot of money, which is really scary when added together.

Of course, for a star of Xia Tingwan's weight, that amount is theoretically painful, but it's not impossible to pay.

However, Xia Tingwan's economic situation was very embarrassing long before the filming started.

When he wanted to buy a house in Tianlan Pavilion, he basically had no money on hand, he had taken out all the funds he could use, and sold his car, otherwise he would not have rushed to shoot a reality show at that time.

Now, in addition to the liquidated damages, there are additional follow-up costs to the public relations company, which is really stretched.

From his side, apart from asking Zhang Xueqiao for help, there is really no other way.

Zhao Nanshu's grandmother passed away some time ago, and Xia Tingwan gave him a long vacation after thinking that there was nothing to do, but perhaps because of the recent special circumstances, Zhao Nanshu rushed back to H City ahead of schedule.

Zhao Nanshu lost weight, and asked Xia Tingwan while driving: "Can you hold on? Alas, I want to scold people as soon as I open Weibo these two days. I have finished everything in my hometown, and people can't stay. Stay, think about it, might as well come back to H City to accompany you."

"fine."

Xia Ting looked at the car window late.

The weather in H City is getting colder and colder, a thin layer of frost has formed on the windows, and the outside world seems a little alien and illusory, he thought for a moment and said, "You don't really need to come back, you should spend more time with your dad, after all …”

"Oh, no need. Grandma is in her 90s. Although she didn't live to her 100th birthday, she passed away without any pain and no pain, and her life is dead. The family can accept it. To be fair, you gave me enough time off. It's been a long time, I really don't need to stay in my hometown anymore."

"Well." Xia Tingwan said in a low voice: "Actually, after so many years, I always feel that I should be stronger and turn a blind eye to these public opinions, but I still feel very sad. Being maliciously edited and misunderstood by everyone, Gradually, I felt that I could endure it, but this time it involved Su Yan again... Su Yan did nothing wrong, just because he was with me, he was always talked about and ridiculed. I don't like them taking things for granted. With Su Yan, Su Yan is not in the entertainment industry, nor does he make any money from them."

"But I have a lot of mistakes myself, Nanshu, I can't help but think about the incident where I was photographed kissing Li Kaiwen before. At that time, I only cared about being scolded for being wronged, but I didn't think much about Su Yan. He He was always implicated by me, and a man of that status came out to help me clarify, and then was ridiculed by the whole Internet as a cuckold man, how could he bear it at that time. Alas, I always recall a lot of things these days, when I think of... I am very sorry and distressed.”

Xia Tingwan sighed and smiled bitterly: "Forget it, it's all useless nonsense."

Zhao Nanshu turned his head and looked at Xia Tingwan with a complicated expression: "Boss, let's just let it pass, and there will always be a chance to make up for it in the future. Speaking of Mr. Su, aren't you two living together again? You have It is impossible for Mr. Su to ignore the difficulties. The money thing...do you really have to go to see the aunt? You also know the personality of the aunt, it is very difficult. "

While talking, the car had stopped in the driveway of Zhang Xueqiao's mansion.

Xia Tingwan was not in a hurry to go in. He got out of the car, lit a cigarette, and leaned against the door beside Zhao Nanshu in silence.

After a long time, Xia Ting took a deep breath and said softly, "Nanshu, I want to rely on myself for a while... No matter what the result is, I will try my best."

In fact, he really resisted going in.

After getting married, he would also visit Zhang Xueqiao's house every one or two months. At that time, he would always smoke a cigarette in front of the door to feel more relaxed.

Zhang Xueqiao is his mother, but over the years, when he encountered difficulties and needed help, he always found it difficult to talk to her. Even before leaving today, he couldn't help but hesitate.

He would rather give and satisfy Zhang Xueqiao's exaggerated demands than ask Zhang Xueqiao for anything.

Maybe it was because always felt that would be disappointed when opened mouth, so didn't say anything at all.

No one ever knew how tangled and painful he was when facing Zhang Xueqiao.

The thought of opening his mouth to ask for money, even if the money originally belonged to him, made him even suffocate.

Only this time, he came.

Asking Su Yan for money is very simple, because Su Yan loves him.

But this time, he didn't want to take the easiest path for granted.

This is his own battle.

He knew it sounded stubborn, strange, and incomprehensible to outsiders.

But this is really what he really thinks in his heart.

He mustered up his courage and slowly walked into Zhang Xueqiao's luxurious villa step by step.

...

When Xia Ting went in late, Zhang Xueqiao painted delicate makeup and wore a dark blue dress, sitting in the living room waiting for him.

"I thought you didn't plan to come again after you left here angrily last time." Zhang Xueqiao raised her eyebrows with a sarcastic expression, but then pointed to the chair opposite her and said, "Okay. Now, sit down. It's cold outside, so I asked Ma Zhang to make you a cup of hot milk tea and have some snacks."

"Thank you." Xia Tingwan's response was a little stiff, but she sat down obediently.

Of course, Zhang Xueqiao was not completely indifferent to him. In some trivial matters, Zhang Xueqiao also cared about him.

Xia Tingwan looked down at the small plate in front of him. The several delicate snacks on it were his favorites, and Zhang Xueqiao also remembered it in his heart.

He suddenly felt a little sour in his heart. He remembered that when he was very young, Zhang Xueqiao had not left him and Xia Zhongyu's meeting after killing him, and he had held him gently in his arms, fed him a piece of peanut cake, and then asked him if it was sweet. .

At that time, Zhang Xueqiao also loved him very much.

"How's uncle's business recently?" Xia Ting raised her head late and asked with a forced smile.

"Yo, I know I'm concerned about this," Zhang Xueqiao raised her tone a little, and then she replied casually: "That's it, the economic situation is not good, you can't make a lot of money, there is no problem in maintaining it. It's you, I have seen a lot of news about you in the past few days, what's the matter with you, you seem to have lost weight?"

"At work... I encountered a little difficulty."

"I told you a long time ago that it's not easy to get involved in the entertainment industry. After marrying Su Yan, it's better to fade out slowly. To put it bluntly, how much money can you make in your whole life? zero point of the earth."

Xia Ting opened his mouth late, wanting to explain his predicament.

But looking at Zhang Xueqiao's brightly colored nail polish, she felt as if she was speechless, and she didn't know how to continue for a while.

"Speaking of Su Yan, didn't I send a WeChat message last time to ask you to talk to him better? It's not that you can't remarry after a divorce. You and others should lower your body, talk about your past memories, and apologize. , why is it so difficult? Now you have just separated, everything has to be salvaged, you should not do what you should do, but you are going to Thailand to shoot at this moment, I really don't know."

Zhang Xueqiao mentioned that Su Yan became more and more energetic, and was interrupted by Xia Tingwan when he was about to drink tea and continue.

"mom……"

Xia Tingwan tried to calm herself down. He raised his head to look at Zhang Xueqiao, hesitated for a moment, and said softly, "I'm here today to discuss something with you."

"What's up?"

"The program I signed has a little conflict with me. I need to pay a large amount of liquidated damages. I'm not in a good condition now, and I really can't get the money. I want to discuss with you, can I? Get this house out of the way..."

"What are you talking about?"

Zhang Xueqiao widened her eyes in surprise.

Xia Tingwan's fingers held the warm milk tea cup, but the fingers trembled involuntarily, he took a deep breath and tried to continue: "I mean, I want you to sell this house, I don't want the money. All, only half is enough. In fact, the top rich people live in this area, and you have said before that you don’t get along well with them, so why not change to a smaller one and live more comfortably.”

"impossible."

Zhang Xueqiao slammed the teacup in his hand on the table: "When I bought the house, I made it very clear that you bought it and gave it to us, and the certificate also clearly stated that it was my and your stepfather's name. It's up to us to decide how to deal with it. Yes, you paid for it, but your stepfather and I worked hard to raise you for so many years. You have developed, and you should be filial to your parents. ."

"I'm not forcing..."

Xia Tingwan looked at Zhang Xueqiao.

This woman is well-maintained. Although she is in her forties, she still looks very rich and young, but her suddenly sharp voice and excited expression make him feel a little gloomy.

Xia Ting's voice trembled slightly in the evening, and after a while, he continued: "I'm not forcing you. It's just that for so many years, my uncle and your car were bought by me. It's not that I don't want to spend money on you, I spent so much money on it."

"Then what's the matter, are you going to settle accounts with your mother?" Zhang Xueqiao asked loudly.

"I'm not settling..." Xia Tingwan put her hand under the table, one hand unconsciously pinched the flesh on the back of the other hand until it hurts: "It's just that I really need help now. , I really wouldn't come to you if it wasn't for nothing. I'm not asking for your money, I just want to get back some of the money I made before."

When Xia Tingwan said this, there was already a hint of pleading in her eyes, and she said softly, "Mom, this time... I-I'm really difficult."

He was really tough.

He couldn't say anything softer or more touching, and he already felt that his face was about to burn with shame.

Even if he had known vaguely for a long time, when he and his mother asked for help, the result would be so embarrassing.

But he was really hard, he was really hard.

He was scolded by so many people, he was short of money, he didn't know if Zhang Xueqiao could understand, he really wanted her to understand.

Even if it is just a little pity and pity for her son.

Zhang Xueqiao was silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "Where's Su Yan?"

Xia Ting was stunned for a while: "What?"

"You call him," Zhang Xueqiao said decisively as if thinking of some coup: "Call now and tell him that you can't pay the penalty."

Xia Ting was speechless for a while, and he looked at Zhang Xueqiao in disbelief, "What right do I have to ask him for money?"

"If you don't qualify, you just need to fight. I don't believe it. Su Yan can still bear not to give it to you."

Although Zhang Xueqiao looked at Xia Tingwan, he seemed to be condescending: "He will definitely give it to you."

Xia Ting felt a mess in his mind for a while, and he murmured, "Are you crazy? Why did Su Yan help her ex-husband lose money?"

"Hey, it's just a title for an ex-husband. He can't bear you, and he can never ignore you."

Zhang Xueqiao's tone was disdainful.

I don't know why, she is obviously a person who is so aggressive, but when she mentions Su Yan, there is almost a sense of domineering and arrogance.

Xia Tingwan couldn't believe that Zhang Xueqiao could say such shameful words - "Tell him to take the money."

His whole body trembled uncontrollably, his lips were frozen with anger, and he was almost unconscious, and shouted: "Zhang Xueqiao, stay awake - since the last time you treated Su Yan like that, I feel that you have something to do with it. I'm sick. He has already filed for divorce with me, and we have nothing to do with it anymore! He doesn't owe me, let alone you. Why on earth are you bossing him? Even you know now, you still think he wants to protect me unconditionally What is it that inspires you?"

"I'm not awake? I'm sick? How many times have I told you that no matter what you did wrong, as long as you are willing to beg for mercy, Su Yan will definitely come back. If you don't believe it, you don't believe it! A rich man of this value is locked up in prison. In your hands, you can still make yourself so embarrassed, how can I raise you such an idiot."

Zhang Xueqiao stood up abruptly, and shouted in an uncontrollable shrill voice: "I tell you Xia Tingwan, he Su Yan would not be willing to divorce you. If he was willing, he would not have offered to sign—!"

Zhang Xueqiao's voice came to an abrupt end when she said this, as if she had mentioned something that shouldn't be said. Her chest heaved violently, but she suddenly lost her confidence and did not continue.

"Sign what?"

Xia Tingwan looked at Zhang Xueqiao and asked blankly.

Zhang Xueqiao's arrogant arrogance suddenly stopped, she was silent for a while and then sat down.

Xia Tingwan raised her head and asked again stubbornly: "Sign what?"

"Tell me, what did he sign?" Xia Ting saw that Zhang Xueqiao still refused to answer, and she couldn't help but get excited: "You said!"

Zhang Xueqiao was startled by Xia Tingwan's suddenly raised voice. She was a little panicked and uneasy, and said subconsciously, "It's nothing..."

When she said this, she seemed to be suddenly discouraged, and lowered her head to take a sip of milk tea: "It's been so long, it really doesn't make much sense to tell you this now."

"It's not up to you to decide whether it makes sense or not." Xia Tingwan said word by word, "I'm already divorced. No matter what happened, you should tell me the truth."

Zhang Xueqiao looked at Xia Tingwan, she pondered for a while, as if thinking about how to start: "The marriage thing... Do you remember, how did Su Yan tell you?"

Xia Tingwan couldn't help but startled for a moment. His memory of that incident was actually a little fuzzy.

Everything happened very fast back then. After Su Yan and Zhang Xueqiao had a talk, they immediately proposed very strongly that they wanted to marry him.

Su Yan had said that 30 million yuan would save Chu Tianlan's business. But he didn't buy him.

He remembered that he had begged Su Yan in the hotel at that time.

But Su Yan said that this is the only thing he can't listen to. He will use his life to make up for him, but he must marry him.

For the first time, Su Yan was domineering and ignoring his intentions. Although he told him that this was not a deal, it still made him feel very aggrieved.

He was reluctant, and there was always a vague complaint in his heart, but he didn't resist for long.

After many years, when think back to that time, Xia Tingwan can still recall the inexplicable turmoil and fear in his heart——

I am like a duckweed that can't catch my lifeline, and a lot of anxiety and anger come from this.

He was not afraid of being with Su Yan.

But he felt an unfounded fear of Zhang Xueqiao and Chu Tianlan's roles.

It's just that he never thought about it.

"He said...you mentioned the marriage first."

Xia Tingwan said softly.

"Alas," Zhang Xueqiao walked a little irritably to the side cabinet and took a lady's cigarette: "Actually, only you are likely to believe this sentence. Yes, he has always been pursuing you, and you always feel that he is you in your heart. His admirer, so it seems that he is asking you to pursue you to get married. But in fact, in reality, this is not the case. "

"That's not an ordinary rich man, it's Su Yan from Hengtai Group. How could someone else control the marriage of such a rich man? Even if you are a big star, we don't dare to ask him to marry you. Getting married. Your uncle and I, we didn't even mention it at first—we didn't even think about it, we wanted to ask him for help through your connection."

"You didn't mention it, so is it actually Su Yan who proposed marriage?" Xia Tingwan was confused, he turned the milk tea cup, but still didn't catch the crux of the matter: "Even if he mentioned it, it's nothing, he Why would you lie to me about such a trivial matter?"

"This... he's not lying. It's just that there are some things, some things, that he probably doesn't want you to know."

When Zhang Xueqiao said this, it seemed a little difficult to continue.

She lowered her head and took a sip of the cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke as if escaping.

Xia Tingwan looked at her so silently. Although he didn't speak, his eyes were firm and he was waiting for Zhang Xueqiao to continue.

Zhang Xueqiao couldn't hide in the end, and said hesitantly: "You know, my uncle lost a lot of money that year, not only the business could not go on, but he almost sold the house and car. Ting Wan, do you remember? ?"

Xia Tingwan didn't answer.

His eyes were cold, perhaps because he knew Zhang Xueqiao too well, so he understood that these were just the foreshadowing of what he was going to say later.

"Your uncle is also helpless. He is really desperate. If the funds can't continue, he will soon file for bankruptcy. We all know about Su Yan's pursuit of you at that time, so when we met privately, as for your uncle, just... I mentioned it to Su Yan - as long as Su Yan is willing to help, he promises to work with me to convince you to stay with Su Yan, and also promise that when Su Yan wants to break up with you in the future, he will never let you mess with him trouble."

When Zhang Xueqiao said this, her voice seemed a little dry.

She lowered her head and fiddled with her nails.

Xia Tingwan sat blankly on the seat like a wooden man, and for a while seemed to not understand Zhang Xueqiao's words.

Those few words floated in the air like a smokeless ring of smoke that was swallowed up, and finally dispersed in the air.

After a long time, he murmured, "So...you want to sell me to Su Yan."

"That's not selling." Zhang Xueqiao hurriedly retorted: "He pursues you and treats you well. At that time, I thought about letting you follow him for a while, but in fact it really won't hurt you, there's nothing wrong with it. "

When Xia Tingwan heard Zhang Xueqiao's response, she couldn't help but smiled softly.

"You and Chu Tianlan never thought that he would be with me forever."

Xia Ting lowered his eyes late, his long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings that fluttered weakly in winter.

When he raised his head again, there were thin tears in his eyes.

But he still didn't cry, just looked at Zhang Xueqiao like this: "You just see me as a commodity that can be sold, so you think he thinks the same way. You plan to sell me to him for bed, and then wait until he gets tired of playing. I'm done, and the deal is over, right?"

Zhang Xueqiao opened her mouth, but in the end she just nodded slightly sullenly. She said in a hoarse voice, "Su Yan was silent for a long time after listening to it. Later, he said that he had his own ideas."

"He doesn't want anything else, he wants to marry you."

- He wants to marry you.

When Xia Tingwan heard those words, her fingers suddenly trembled violently.

He suddenly remembered that when he was crying and begging Su Yan, Su Yan had whispered to him that he just couldn't tolerate him staying in that house anymore.

"So we signed an agreement, Su Yan will help us with our business affairs, and after we get married, he will pay us a sum of money every year, but your uncle and I must also sign the guarantee, and we will never let you know that we signed the agreement. The process of this agreement. He doesn't want to... well, I think. He probably doesn't want to make you sad."

"I asked him at the time if he could promise to be good to you forever. I know I don't really have a position to ask this, but he still signed an additional agreement - as long as he has any infidelity during the marriage, or shows up Any verbal and physical domestic violence, he voluntarily donates all the assets in his private name to you. Court evening, a man who dares to sign such an agreement needs to have absolute confidence in his feelings, he must be determined to live with you forever."

Xia Tingwan looked at Zhang Xueqiao, his chest was suppressing a tsunami-like emotion, but the more he did, the calmer his expression became: "That's why you called Su Yan over to ask him aggressively last time. You want to know Is he cheating, right? Because as long as he cheats in marriage, you'll turn out the agreement and ask him for money, right?"

"Ting Wan, I'm here for you too."

Zhang Xueqiao replied anxiously, she put out the cigarette in the cup, seemed to be caught in painful memories, and whispered: "Ting Wan, I know what you will think of me. Really, I am an incompetent mother, I know it myself, but I really don't want to live with your father anymore. I can't stand being poor, being beaten every day, and looking at people every day. Days, really good days. After I ran away from your dad, it was your uncle who gave me the pampered life a woman should have, and adopted you generously, all of which had to be rich. You really don't understand how important money is... As your mother is getting old, she is more and more dependent on your stepfather, and she is more and more afraid of not having money. But you are still young, listening to your mother's words, you still hold Su Yan's heart, Don't let your good life go like this, go and beg him to come back, okay?"

Xia Tingwan's expression turned out to be surprisingly restrained and calm, he did not refute a single word, until after listening to every word Zhang Xueqiao said, he slowly said: "The matter of the agreement - I mean Since the agreement on the gift of property has been peacefully divorced, I will cancel it together with Su Yan. Su Yan does not owe me or you, and the money has nothing to do with you. After this, I will not come again. I want to ask you for money. The house is legally owned by you, so I won’t ask any more. But you and Chu Tianlan’s two Lincolns are under my name, and I will ask an assistant to deal with them tomorrow. I will list the salaries of all the servants, security guards and drivers in the house, and I will ask you and Chu Tianlan to return them to me within a month."

Zhang Xueqiao raised her head in surprise, her lips trembled, but she did not speak.

"This should be the last time I come to this house. I have nothing to say except money."

After Xia Tingwan finished speaking, she stood up and walked out step by step.

Zhang Xueqiao seemed to be frightened, and followed him staggering all the way to the porch outside the mansion, but couldn't say anything.

Before Xia Ting opened the door late, he looked back at Zhang Xueqiao.

His eyes were complicated, and he called out softly, "Mom..."

Mom, have you ever loved me?

In the second half of the sentence, he did not ask the question after all.

At that moment, he thought, he really didn't care.

Xia Tingwan shook his head, put on his coat, pushed open the door, and strode out.

...

It wasn't until sitting in Zhao Nanshu's car that the tears in Xia Tingwan's eyes finally couldn't hold back.

Zhao Nanshu was startled, he secretly observed Xia Tingwan while driving, and didn't dare to say anything.

Xia Tingwan looked out the car window.

In the darkness, the first snow of this winter fell quietly.

He rolled the car window a crack, and the frigid wind blew in a tiny snowflake and fell gently on his face.

In that instant, the snowflakes quietly melted on his skin.

Cold and gentle.

Xia Tingwan raised her head and smiled.

The corners of his lips were slightly raised, and with the smile that gradually bloomed on his face, the tears flowed more and more wantonly, but his eyes became brighter.

Throughout his life, he has always longed for affection.

Even though he has grown up for many years, behind the deep hatred and fear, he still has countless shameful dreams of Xia Zhongyu and Zhang Xueqiao holding his hand and walking with him through the spring street where catkins are falling.

He wanted Xia Zhongyu to love him, Zhang Xueqiao to love him, and even had a shameful extravagance later, and wanted Chu Tianlan to have a little bit of parental care for him.

What he never dared to say to anyone, what a fragile and twisted longing wrapped in that rebellious act.

It is the humbleness of knowing that you can't ask for it, but still can't help but want to kneel down and pray.

He always hates.

Hate that the world never gave him a warm home, and he never let go of that unwillingness and resentment.

But just tonight, on this first snow night.

He suddenly stopped hating.

He was never actually owed.

He thought in tears - on the contrary, the world had truly been kind to him.

Because the world gave him Su Yan.

All of this has nothing to do with the money, it has nothing to do with those huge fortunes.

In the past five years, no matter how many times he accused Su Yan of forcing him to marry, Su Yan was burdened with his complaints and self-willedness, but remained silent about the truth of the year.

Zhang Xueqiao once wanted to sell him like a commodity, and Su Yan was the one who saved him.

But Su Yan didn't say anything.

Because Su Yan was reluctant to let him know—

It turned out that he had never been loved by his biological mother. It turned out that the warmth from the family that he imagined he had was, after all, false.

In the cold and snowy night, it was Su Yan who endured the pain of being burned day and night, and always held a burning match for him.

And now, he finally no longer needs the illusion that it will eventually go out.

He finally faced all this, but miraculously he no longer felt the slightest pain and distortion.

He pushed aside the night and fog, and saw the bright morning sun behind the clouds.

The surging river of his life, at this moment, really gallops freely and bravely like a free man.

He is complete.

He is full.

The love that Su Yan bestowed on him gave him abundant strength, enough to make him proudly reborn.

In his blood and heartbeat, the love for Su Yan whizzed through, like a rose that bloomed in vain in the night, surging and fragrant.

He loves Su Yan, his husband.