"She's completely ruined now."
Pei Heyan's eyes carried disgust, "Get lost already."
Wen Lan glanced at Wen Tang, a wise man does not fight when the odds are against him; there would be other opportunities to bring up this matter with her later.
In front of Pei Heyan, she left with her tail between her legs.
Once Wen Lan left, Wen Tang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "This is a matter between my mom and me; I'd appreciate it if President Pei refrained from interfering in the future."
She was even more afraid that Wen Lan would cling to this man.
"Not knowing what's good for you," Pei Heyan suddenly remarked.
There was no follow-up, and quiet filled the hospital room.
After a long while, Wen Tang mustered the courage to ask him, "Does Miss Lu know about your visit here?"
"If she did know, it would probably upset her again."
"Aren't you afraid she'll get angry?"
Pei Heyan frowned slightly, his gaze falling upon Wen Tang.
She spoke firmly, "It sounds like you harbor quite a bit of animosity towards Nianxin."
Wen Tang was stunned for a moment, not even she had realized it herself, and quickly buried her emotions deep within, saying, "I wouldn't dare. After all, there's a world of difference between someone like me and Miss Lu."
"But as for this surgery being a 'gift' from her, it would be disingenuously polite to say that I am not angry." She looked at Pei Heyan, "You know I never lie; if she were here, I can hardly guarantee keeping my emotions in check."
Pei Heyan's narrow gaze fell on her leg, where bloodied bandages showed through seeping blood, the sight causing a furrowed brow.
"She didn't push you, and she isn't the one who put you in the hospital, you should blame yourself for not protecting yourself properly," he said, his insides twisting.
Wen Tang was speechless.
Yes, she indeed hadn't protected herself, but what could she do when saddled with such a disappointing mother?
Either absolve herself from responsibility or refuse to help.
She couldn't do it, because she carried Wen Lan's blood, and her bones were connected by sinews that throbbed with agonizing pain.
"I'm content that President Pei came to visit me. I hope you will come less often in the future," Wen Tang said disingenuously.
Pei Heyan's gaze rested on her cheek, hard as steel.
"Secretary Wen, since when did it become your place to decide things between us?" His expression was complex as he looked at Wen Tang, his eyes carrying a pressure that made it unclear whether he was moved by emotion or simply acting out of duty to protect Lu Nianxin.
"Nianxin grew up surrounded by love, always getting what she wanted with ease; naturally, her words can sometimes be unpleasant. But that's exactly what makes her different from ordinary people. In the future, remember your place and don't forget what's primary and what's secondary."
The sound echoed in Wen Tang's mind as she replayed Pei Heyan's words over and over.
Primary and secondary, she probably couldn't even count as secondary; she was just a tool easily used for venting desires and giving orders.
He couldn't be bothered to find a new target, and she understood his tastes over the years.
Just right to suit his fancy.
Wen Tang shifted her focus back and looked around; Pei Heyan had already left.
She closed her eyes wanting to rest. Just as sleep was about to overcome her, the buzzing vibration of her phone pulled her from her drowsiness.
Wen Tang opened her eyes and fumbled under her pillow for her phone, her eyes stinging a little from the brightness of the screen, narrowing instinctively.
The caller ID started with 0539, a Qing City local number, but she didn't recognize it.
She didn't answer, assuming it was just a nuisance call.
She put the phone down and continued trying to sleep.
Minutes later, the phone rang again, and Wen Tang answered it with weariness in her voice.
She blindly guessed it could be a call from the factory.
Wen Tang brought the phone to her ear, her voice carrying a trace of laziness, "Hello, you've reached me."
The rough voice of the man on the other end was tinged with the unmistakable flavor of a thug.
"Little girl, I thought you were dead," the man said smugly. "Your mom must have told you about our business, right?"
Wen Tang felt a surge of resistance within her, "She is her, and I am me. I think you still haven't figured out the relationship between us mother and daughter."
The man's tone was teasing, "Oh, so you weren't born from your mom's belly?"
Raucous laughter erupted from several others.
"The money can be paid back, but forget about anything else," Wen Tang said with a cold face.
If she could disentangle herself from this situation, she would hang up the phone without hesitation.
The man seriously stated, "Your mom took out a high-interest loan!"
"With the interest compounding, do you think you can pay it back?"
Wen Tang's lips trembled. She couldn't just watch as Wen Lan was maimed or worse over this.
Of course, she also admitted that she probably couldn't afford to pay it back; she didn't even know how much debt Wen Lan had racked up.
She only knew it was an abyss. Filling one hole would just lead to another, and then a third.
Just like a bottomless pit.
"Look," the man continued, seeing Wen Tang's unyielding stance and aware that pushing her too hard might spoil the repayment, he dropped the teasing tone and his face turned stern. "Pay the money back as soon as possible, and we'll be even. If you don't pay on time, don't blame me if someone comes to dismember you. A barefooted person isn't afraid of one with shoes. If one goes in, two can go in."
"And hire a few more to gouge out your eyes. Divide the blame, do a few years in jail, and when you come out, you'll be as good as new."
Wen Tang gritted her teeth and bore it, they were utterly arrogant.
Even if she sold herself now, she couldn't pay off this debt.
"I don't have the money right now," she stated bluntly.
And she dared not casually promise a deadline for paying off the debt.
"What!?" The man's face turned ugly, nearly disbelieving his own ears.
Wen Tang repeated what she had just said, "I said it's not that I won't pay, but that I can't pay right now."
The man's true nature emerged as he cursed, "Bullshit!"
"Your mom told us everything, is she sending you here to cry poor to me!?"
He cursed so loudly that Wen Tang's ears hurt. She hung up the phone.
A sinking feeling of trepidation and anxiety filled her.
If her limbs were really to be taken, Wen Lan would likely have to rely on a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
That meant she would need to find a caretaker.
Wen Tang struggled with herself for a long time, then steeled her heart and dialed the police station.
"Hello, I'd like to report a case of illegal lending," she said with calm and order.
She saw Doctor Cao Yinqiong coming over, accompanied by a stranger.
After finishing her conversation with the dispatcher, she hung up and propped herself up to sit.
The stranger quickly offered a helping hand to Wen Tang.
"Thank you," Wen Tang glanced at the stranger, who looked neat and tidy, then turned her attention to Cao Yinqiong, "Doctor Cao, is it time for surgery?"
Doctor Cao, with one hand in her pocket and speaking with the other, responded, "The surgery is still being prepared; it will proceed early tomorrow morning."
"I forgot to mention, this is Aunt Zhang." She introduced the stranger to Wen Tang, "I found a caretaker for you, hoping she can be of assistance."
Wen Tang, thinking of her depleted wallet and the call from the debt collector, hesitated in her eyes.