Watching Ye Liangchen's retreating figure, Shen Xiu's eyes gleamed with delight.

The reason was simple—Ye Liangchen was brimming with confidence, the kind that radiated from his very bones.

Having met countless people, Shen Xiu could tell at a glance that this confidence wasn't an act.

Her ears still faintly echoed with Ye Liangchen's words: "A hundred thousand yuan is just pocket change for me!"

At this thought, Shen Xiu turned her gaze back to the hospital and muttered gleefully to herself, "Mengjie, I’ve found you a great match."

Truth be told, Shen Xiu had little affection for Shen Mengjie.

If she had even an ounce of it, she wouldn’t have schemed to push her daughter to the brink.

To Shen Xiu, Shen Mengjie’s birth had been nothing but a mistake—a complete and utter one.

She didn’t care who the father of Shen Mengjie’s unborn child was; all that mattered was whether Shen Mengjie could be of value to her.

But fortunately, that mistake was finally bearing fruit today.

With this in mind, Shen Xiu eagerly strode into the hospital.

She couldn’t wait to share the good news with Shen Mengjie.

After all, what did it matter whom a woman married? If she ended up like Shen Xiu—bound by some foolish promise, only to suffer after giving birth—she’d be in for a lifetime of misery.

And no matter what Ye Liangchen’s true intentions were, Shen Xiu was determined to get that hundred thousand yuan.

Who knew? She might even squeeze more money out of him in the future.

Upon arriving at the hospital and stepping onto Shen Mengjie’s floor, Shen Xiu immediately spotted the young man who had assaulted someone at the school earlier, now walking toward her.

A flicker of fear crossed her face.

But Huang Fei merely shot her a cold glance before turning away.

Watching him leave, Shen Xiu curled her lip in disdain and marched toward the hospital room.

Pushing the door open, she took in the sight of scattered flower petals and spilled congee on the floor. Unable to hold back, she snapped, "What a mess you’ve made!"

Hearing her voice, Shen Mengjie whipped her head around, glaring at Shen Xiu with venom. "Why are you here?"

The memory of Shen Xiu’s cruel expression in Ye Liangchen’s video resurfaced, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

Shen Xiu, stung by her daughter’s hostility, retorted sharply, "I’m only doing this for your own good!"

"Look at you—running wild like this! If I hadn’t stepped in, you’d have ended up just like me. And instead of thanking me, this is how you treat your own mother?"

Shen Mengjie bit her lip hard, her voice trembling with rage. "If I had a choice, I’d wish you’d never given birth to me!"

"How dare you speak to me like that? Without me, you wouldn’t even be alive!" Shen Xiu faltered under Shen Mengjie’s hate-filled gaze, guilt creeping in despite herself.

Shen Mengjie let out a bitter laugh. "So, who are you selling me off to this time?" Tears fell freely as she faced the woman who had ruined her life again and again.

Seizing the opening, Shen Xiu smiled triumphantly. "You actually know him! I even saw photos of you two together on his phone!"

"He doesn’t even mind that you’re carrying someone else’s child. He’s offering a hundred thousand yuan—proof of his sincerity. Compared to Uncle Wang, this one’s a far better match."

"Do you even know him? Have you ever met him before? You know nothing, yet you’d sell me off to him! How dare you call yourself my mother!"

Unable to contain her fury, Shen Mengjie hurled a pillow straight at Shen Xiu’s face.

The impact ignited Shen Xiu’s temper.

"My face? What about yours? Who’s the shameless one, knocked up by some no-name man? If he truly cared, why hasn’t he shown up to take responsibility?"

"If he’d paid up, I wouldn’t have stood in your way. But since he’s vanished, I’m the one cleaning up your mess—all for your own good!"

Her expression darkened. "You’re the one who brought this disgrace upon yourself, and now I have to fix it."

"I’m your mother. You’ll marry whom I say, or you’ll come home with me. Trust me, I will make you obey."

At this, something inside Shen Mengjie snapped.

Just then, the door flew open. Huang Fei strode in, his face stormy, his voice a low, dangerous growl. "Get out."

He hadn’t heard much—but what he had heard was enough to sicken him. How could someone like this call herself a mother?

The smugness drained from Shen Xiu’s face the moment she met Huang Fei’s murderous glare. She shrank back instantly.

"I’m her mother," she shrilled, her voice grating and vile.

A pitiful family, a pitiful ignorance, forged this pitiful life.

In the end, Shen Xiu still left. What needed to be said had been said—as long as she remained her mother, Shen Mengjie would be bound to her.

Now, she was off to collect her money.

After all these years, promises were worthless; money was the only truth.

Watching Shen Mengjie weep in sorrow, Huang Fei took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, he exhaled softly and began cleaning up the trash in the room.

......

"Old Ao, you’re not coming?" Xu Shuai asked.

"I’ll pass this time. You guys go ahead—I’ve got some things to take care of," Long Aotian replied with a smile. Wan Ning had reminded him repeatedly that morning to return home early today.

"But what do we say if you’re not there?" Li Longlong fretted.

Despite their usual antics, when it came to serious matters, they all admired Long Aotian’s ability to handle things. That’s why they always called him first whenever something came up.

He was the backbone of Dorm 147.

Long Aotian paused, his voice low. "There’s no hiding this. Once Huang Fei returns, he’ll definitely hear about it..."

The impact of this incident was too great, especially after Shen Mengjie’s mother made such a scene at the school.

The school might suppress the scandal from spreading outside, but it couldn’t stop the gossip within its walls.

The rumors about Shen Mengjie’s expulsion would inevitably reach Huang Fei.

And he should know.

But given Huang Fei’s lovestruck nature, he wouldn’t take it well.

"Later, make sure to talk to Huang Fei properly. Don’t let him act impulsively."

"For now, that’s all we can do," Xu Shuai and Li Longlong sighed in agreement.

......

......