Fang Xu was stopped by her, frowned subconsciously, and looked at her coldly.
With tears on her face, Xie Shuer grabbed the hem of her skirt and cried, "Mother, please...my daughter only wants one thing this time!"
Fang Xu's face was as calm as water, and there was no wave in his eyes. He slowly pulled out the corner of his skirt and asked patiently, "Tell me."
Xie Shuer bit her lower lip, her eyes full of humiliation, and said in a trembling voice, "If the mother doesn't want to recognize her daughter, at least... at least find a leisurely job for Pei Lang's father..."
Fang Xu raised his eyebrows and couldn't help laughing, his tone was cold, "Xie Shu'er, who gave you the confidence to know that I will do things for you?"
"No, mother!" Xie Shu'er shook her head heavily, her voice choked with sobs, "Daughter, I promise, this is the only time..."
"For the sake of our relationship as mother and daughter, I can promise you something." Fang Xu lowered his eyes and looked at her steadily.
Before a smile appeared on Xie Shuer's face, Fang Xu's voice came over again.
"This matter only concerns you. Don't try to use me to benefit the Pei family."
Xie Shuer's body froze in place, unresponsive.
Fang Xu lost his patience and urged, "I'll only give you a few seconds to think about it."
Xie Shuer's voice trembled, and after a long while she said, "In that case...can mother give me five hundred taels..."
Fang Xu looked at her quietly, feeling a dull pain in his heart. It was not his own emotions, but from his original body.
"Xie Shu'er." Fang Xu knelt down, raised his hand to hold her chin, raised it slowly, and asked in a low voice, "Now the facts are before you. You encountered inhumane people and suffered persecution..."
"Even so, do you still choose to stay?"
Fang Xu's words were too straightforward. Xie Shuer's face turned pale, and she felt that she had lost something very important.
Even though heaven and man were at war in her heart, Xie Shuer still said, "Yes."
Fang Xu seemed to have suddenly been relieved of some burden, and said with a smile, "Okay."
Fang Xu stood up and called behind him, "Bai Ji, get her five hundred-tael silver notes. From now on, the two parties will be cut off."
"Yes." Bai Ji took out his wallet and counted out five banknotes.
Personal maids like them all have their master's spare emergency treasury on their bodies.
When the banknote was handed over to Fang Xu, she handed it directly to Xie Shuer without even looking at it.
Xie Shuer's eyes were red, and there were obvious teeth marks on her lower lip. She raised her trembling hands and took the banknote, "Thank you so much, mother."
"The fate between you and me is over. There is no need to call me mother anymore." Fang Xu said softly with a smile on his lips, "I just hope you won't regret it in the future."
Fang Xu stared at the banknote in her hand and suddenly curled his lips and smiled, "This is your mother's...last friendship for you."
It was also the last responsibility she took for her daughter on behalf of her original self.
If Fang Xu hadn't been thinking about the original person, he would have taken action to deal with this mentally retarded young lady, so why bother asking her to come and pester him again and again.
Xie Shuer's shoulders were trembling and she whispered, "Thank you, Madam Hou."
"Remember what you said, don't come again in the future." Fang Xu only left these words and led the few people behind him away.
When passing by Xie Shu'er, Xie Wanzhou stopped and stared at her with lowered eyes.
Seeing the hem of the brocade skirt beside her, Xie Shuer guessed who the person beside her was. Huge humiliation surged into her heart, making her eyes burn hot again.
"This is one hundred taels, please keep it." Xie Wanzhou bent down and handed her a banknote, his voice was clear, and the tassel on his head jingled softly.
Without Fang Xu, Xie Shuer stopped pretending, raised her head and stared at her fiercely, gritted her teeth and asked, "You must be very proud now."
Her tone was affirmative, as if she had already anticipated Xie Wanzhou's thoughts.
"You come to me now to show off your power, but you don't know that my today is your tomorrow!" Xie Shuer gritted her teeth, her eyes were gloomy, and her tone was very harsh.
"She doesn't even care about her own daughter, so how can she care about you, a bastard?"
Xie Wanzhou ignored her anger and said calmly, "Sister, do you really think that I am the same as you?"
Xie Shuer's expression paused, and she knelt on the spot, looking at her in confusion.
"When my sister was still in the mansion, she was only interested in cosmetics and powder. The amount of money she waved out every day was enough for ordinary people to live richly for a year."
Xie Wanzhou's eyebrows were cold, but every word he spoke was heartbreaking, "Sister has only been away from home for three short months. During this time, I learned how to play music, chess, dance, and painting, and how to manage business and housekeeping. And you, I only stay in the small feelings and love, and lose myself."
Xie Wanzhou stood beside her, looking down at her, with a noble air about him, "Also, I have studied calligraphy."
Xie Shuer's whole body was shaken, and her pupils narrowed a little, "You... you are a woman, this is impossible! How could my mother agree?"
"I never think that there is anything in this world that men can do that women cannot do." Xie Wanzhou stared at her, her voice calm, "Since there is a shackles on women in the world, I will break it with my own hands!"
"This principle was taught to me by my mother."
Xie Wanzhou looked at her with eyes full of pity and whispered, "Sister, you were born at the top and I was in the quagmire. You and I were two extremes. It's all your fault that we are like this."
"Mother will not give up on me, and I will not go astray like you." Xie Wanzhou said every word with piercing eyes, "I will never fall again if I stand up from adversity."
Xie Shuer's body went limp and she sat slumped on the ground, unable to regain consciousness for a long time.
Xie Wanzhou stared at the top of her head and said in a pitiful tone, "This hundred taels should be regarded as a thank you gift for making way for me. Thank you for your stupidity, which made me what I am today."
Xie Shuer lowered her head, clutching the one hundred taels of silver notes with her hand hanging by her side. She didn't know what she was thinking.
"Since we will no longer be traveling together in the future, I also hope that your life will be easier."
Xie Wanzhou left a message and walked out.
"Wanzhou, what are you doing?"
"Here comes mother!"
Fang Xu's urging came from outside the door, followed by Xie Wanzhou's cheerful response. Xie Shu'er was the only one left in the elegant tea room.
Just like life, some people move fast and some people stand still.
In the end, Xie Shuer was regarded as a beggar who sneaked in by the waiter who came to check the ward, and was kicked out.
On the way back home, Baiji couldn't cheer up and felt depressed.
Seeing her like this, Fang Xu asked, "What are you so annoyed about? Can you tell me?"
When Bai Ji heard this, he was stunned for a moment, and then slowly shook his head, "Madam, I'm fine, I just feel... uneasy, inexplicable."
Hearing this, Fang Xu sighed softly, "Before I left the house, I couldn't calm down and always felt a bad premonition."
"Perhaps Xie Li has participated in the imperial examination in the past few days, which made me nervous."
After hearing Fang Xu's comforting words, Bai Ji nodded seriously, "That's what Madam said."
Fang Xu patted her hand to comfort her, "Don't be afraid, we'll be home soon."
(End of chapter)
