The Art of Teasing - Chapter 124
Chapter 124
Ye Ling wrapped her arms around Wen Zhengyu and gently patted her, as if soothing a child.
Wen Zhengyu's emotions gradually steadied. The brief rest with her eyes closed had also restored some of her energy. Only then did she realize the position she was lying in was not quite right.
When she slept at night, Ye Ling always held her, and she had grown accustomed to it. Nestled in Ye Ling's embrace, she would rest her head in the crook of Ye Ling's arm or against the hollow of her neck. Just now, because she had been feeling so awful, she had curled herself up and was lying much lower than usual. Consequently, her face was practically buried against Ye Ling's chest. Ye Ling had developed quite well; she was very full. At night, when Ye Ling slept nude, Wen Zhengyu hadn't felt her chest was particularly prominent. She had seen and touched Ye Ling's breasts before—they were just slightly larger than her palm. Whether Ye Ling lay on her back or side, her chest never took up much space. But now, probably supported by a bra, it appeared distinctly full. Body warmth seeped through the fabric, carrying threads of warm, fragrant scent—a uniquely alluring aura of a mature woman. Being in the chest area, this scent suddenly made Wen Zhengyu think of her mother; it smelled like a mother's scent.
This thought stirred a sense of greedy longing in Wen Zhengyu's heart. Her heartbeat suddenly quickened. Then she immediately thought, "Do I have an Oedipus complex?" She felt utterly embarrassed. A burning heat spread from her face all the way to her ears. Wen Zhengyu didn't dare lift her head and buried her face even tighter.
Ye Ling thought Wen Zhengyu was still upset, perhaps even crying, so she pressed Wen Zhengyu's head closer into her embrace again.
Wen Zhengyu's entire face was now buried in Ye Ling's chest.
Her mind instantly went blank. Her whole body tensed rigidly as she froze there.
Ye Ling coaxed softly, "If you want to cry, just cry."
Wen Zhengyu replied in a muffled voice, "I'm not." She was too ashamed to lift her head, but continuing to lie there without lifting it was truly mortifying. Feeling suffocated lying there, she took a deep breath. The scent was pleasant, but it was really... really embarrassing. She thought to herself, "Do I need to see a psychologist?"
Not crying? Ye Ling looked down suspiciously. When she saw where Wen Zhengyu's face was positioned and felt the warm breath seeping into her bra, she was first stunned, then said with exasperation, "I thought you were upset, but as it turns out... you're actually molesting me."
Wen Zhengyu's face flushed even redder. She quickly said, "I'm not." She pulled away from Ye Ling's embrace, not daring to look up at Ye Ling, and said, "I'm going to wash my face."
Ye Ling grabbed Wen Zhengyu and pulled her back. Seeing Wen Zhengyu's face red as if on fire, she said magnanimously, "So what if you buried your face in my chest? You've already tasted it; what's there to be embarrassed about?"
Wen Zhengyu: "..."
Ye Ling continued, "I never would have guessed—you're a little pervert."
Wen Zhengyu: "..." She suddenly realized that what she was thinking and what Ye Ling was thinking were on completely different tracks. She looked at Ye Ling in confusion. "Pervert?" She thought again: Men seem to like women with large chests, but... isn't that because men have small chests and don't have them? She and Ye Ling were both women—what would she be lusting after Ye Ling's chest for? She tossed out the words "You're overthinking it," and turned to go to the bathroom.
Ye Ling asked, puzzled, "I'm overthinking it?" She followed to the bathroom door and casually asked, "Then where did your thoughts go?"
Wen Zhengyu didn't answer. She finished washing her face, came out, and said, "Let's go. Time to eat."
Ye Ling's gaze swept back and forth across Wen Zhengyu's face. "All better now?"
Under Ye Ling's scrutiny, Wen Zhengyu felt guilty and her face flushed red again in an instant.
Ye Ling laughed. "And yet you say you weren't burying your face in my chest to molest me."
Wen Zhengyu said, "I wasn't."
Ye Ling was suddenly confused. "If you weren't, then why are you blushing?"
Wen Zhengyu's eyes darted away. She was too embarrassed to answer and silently walked out.
Ye Ling sensed Wen Zhengyu's odd behavior. She stepped forward and took Wen Zhengyu's hand, asking gently, "What's wrong?"
Wen Zhengyu hesitated. With the closeness of her relationship with Ye Ling, it wasn't good to keep things from her. So she leaned close to Ye Ling's ear and whispered it. After speaking, she added, "I'll go find a psychologist tomorrow."
Ye Ling laughed so hard her shoulders trembled. "This is something only teenagers... alright, alright, you're a late bloomer... If you don't mind me taking advantage of you, you could even change what you call me..."
Wen Zhengyu, now angry from embarrassment, quickened her pace and left.
Ye Ling caught up, hooked her arm through Wen Zhengyu's, and whispered, "If you like it, I'll let you have a few more tastes later."
Overwhelmed with shame and embarrassment, Wen Zhengyu gritted her teeth and cried out, "It's not even dark yet."
Ye Ling hastily added, "I meant when we're sleeping at night."
Wen Zhengyu simply didn't want to speak.
When Wen Zhengyu and Ye Ling arrived at the dining room, Wen Shishu, Wen Li, and Old Master Wen were all already there.
The moment Wen Zhengyu had brought the police back to retrieve the surveillance footage, Wen Shishu had known that Wen Shiyi had become a suspect in the case. Wen Zhengyu and Ye Ling were cooperating with the police investigation, and Wen Li, being a guest, was called out to the courtyard by Wen Shishu, who asked, "What's the situation?"
Facing Wen Shishu, and given that Wen Zhengyu had filed a police report accusing Wen Shiyi, Wen Li didn't hide a single thing for Wen Shiyi. She told Wen Shishu everything, including things Wen Zhengyu didn't know—like Wen Shiyi goading her to come out and compete with Wen Zhengyu, trying to set them against each other.
After listening, Wen Shishu was silent for a long time before sighing heavily. "In just one year, Third Brother has turned into this."
Wen Li had nothing good to say about Wen Shiyi.
Both she and Wen Shiyi did business locally, and she had far more contact with him in the business world than Wen Shishu did. Wen Shishu had always been very caring toward her younger brother Wen Shiyi, and since Wen Shiyi sometimes needed to rely on Wen Shishu's reputation to do business, the siblings' relationship had been fairly harmonious. When Wen Shiyi was riding high, he was generous and very willing to look after these relatives. In all her years in business, he had helped her out quite a bit. As for how good Wen Shiyi used to be, Wen Li could only say it was complicated. Over the years, there had been numerous women around her Third Uncle. When things were good, he'd give them the stars and the moon—not just lavish mansions, luxury cars, and expensive gifts, but also all kinds of tender affection. She had encountered him dining out many times and thought each time that her Third Uncle was about to marry a new Third Aunt. When things went bad, a woman jumped off a building for him, and he didn't even go to take a look. That woman's family inherited the mansion he had given her and didn't make a fuss either. A human life vanished silently, just like that. When her Third Uncle partnered with people in business and made money, everyone was happy. But when the business soured, he would extricate himself completely unscathed while his partners were utterly ruined. Later, when one of those partners rose again and wanted to do business with him once more, he flattered Wen Shiyi without any resentment. Wen Shiyi partnered with him again, and then last year, when Ye Ling and Lian Xin were jointly dealing with Wen Shiyi, that partner colluded with Ye Ling and the others from the inside and utterly trapped Wen Shiyi.
In business, protecting oneself in times of crisis is understandable. But when losing money, to utterly destroy one's partner while extracting oneself unharmed—Wen Li had always tried to avoid cooperating with people like that as much as possible.
As for her Third Uncle trapping Wen Zhengyu, Wen Li wasn't the least bit surprised.
She could help her Third Uncle, but cooperate? No way.
This time, when Wen Zhengyu called the police and they arrested Wen Shiyi, Wen Li breathed a long sigh of relief.
The aunt and niece chatted for a while, then went together to Old Master Wen's quarters and told him everything Wen Shiyi had done. Wen Shishu's words were: "Third Brother is truly out of line now. He needs to learn a solid, painful lesson."
Wen Ru had nothing left to say about this son. He asked, "How is Xiaoyu?"
Wen Shishu said, "Ye Ling is staying by her side without leaving an inch." She suddenly remembered something and added, "I'll speak with the family members later. No one is allowed to come out and help Third Brother with this matter."
Old Master Wen wanted to nod but couldn't help worrying. He asked, "Will he go to prison?"
Wen Li discreetly glanced at Old Master Wen, thinking to herself, "It seems Great Uncle has a clear idea in his heart about Third Uncle's affairs."
Wen Shishu said, "That depends on how much he's mixed up in it and how much the police uncover. He is, after all, also a victim. Although he did try to trap Yu'er, Yu'er didn't lose a single cent here—there was no actual financial loss. He probably won't face serious consequences. But if he's released and gets involved again trying to fish for money, then someone sets another trap for him, ten years or eight years won't be enough for what he'll be locked up for. His domestic accounts were frozen as early as last year and still haven't been unfrozen. His documents aren't in his hands and have been filed with the Public Security Bureau. Now that he's locked up, others won't have much room to maneuver if they want to use him as a scapegoat. But if he gets out again and something happens, it'll be very hard for him to explain clearly."
Old Master Wen said, "Let him be locked up. Even a few extra years is fine." In the end, he couldn't help sighing, "Even a vicious tiger does not eat its own cubs."
Wen Shishu's heart ached too. The old master was truly heartbroken this time.
At dinner, Old Master Wen put food into Wen Zhengyu's bowl, saying, "Eat more." He also reminded her that if she encountered anything she wasn't sure about, she should ask everyone for help. He was truly worried about Wen Zhengyu.
Wen Zhengyu sensed the old master's unusual behavior. With a moment's thought, she understood. She said, "Ye Ling and Brother Xin have taken over the loan shark matter. With them handling it, you can rest assured." But mentioning this matter reminded her of something else. She said to Wen Shishu, "Second Aunt, I don't know how to arrange the people you gave me. I think Sister Lili is more suitable." Although Ye Ling could also make the arrangements, in terms of closeness, naturally Wen Li was closer to her Second Aunt. Handing her Second Aunt's people over to Wen Li was more appropriate than handing them to Ye Ling. She didn't understand business acquisition operations at all and couldn't command others. Besides, she didn't like the way they operated. Seeing that Wen Li seemed interested in earning this money, she simply gave it to Wen Li.
Wen Shishu's gaze swept over Ye Ling and Wen Li. She asked Wen Zhengyu, "You think Lili is more suitable?"
Wen Zhengyu nodded without any hesitation.
Wen Shishu said, "Fine, then let it be Lili."
Wen Li looked at Wen Zhengyu, then at Wen Shishu, in astonishment. She said to Wen Zhengyu, "If you don't know, just learn. Who is born knowing everything? You have a ready-made teacher right beside you. Why throw this at me?" She had just told Wen Shishu that Wen Shiyi had sent her to snatch this—and then Wen Zhengyu immediately threw it at her. What kind of situation was this?
Wen Zhengyu said, "I'm not interested. I'll live off collecting rent from now on."
Ye Ling instantly felt like she'd been hit by a stray bullet, and it hurt so much her face was swollen.
Wen Shishu said with exasperation, "How much money can you collect in rent in a month? Enough to maintain this mansion?"
Wen Li said, "Second Aunt, she has enough. This silly little thing—today, in front of the police and a room full of bodyguards, she reported the entirety of her assets." She leaned close to Wen Shishu's ear and reported Wen Zhengyu's net worth to Wen Shishu.
Wen Shishu gave Wen Zhengyu a deep look, ground her teeth, and said, "Add a few more bodyguards for her. Forget it—I'll pick out a few and send them over later."
Wen Zhengyu buried her head in her food, keeping silent.
Wen Shishu still didn't let Wen Zhengyu off. Right there at the dinner table, she grabbed her and gave her a scolding: Don't show your wealth, don't you understand that?
Wen Zhengyu was scolded by Wen Shishu until her face was practically buried in her bowl.
Ye Ling's gaze moved back and forth between Wen Zhengyu and Wen Shishu. If it weren't for the fact that Wen Zhengyu looked like Lian Huaijin and not like Wen Shishu, she would truly have thought these two were mother and daughter. She gained a new understanding of the hierarchy of family members in this household: dealing with Wen Zhengyu's biological father was no problem no matter how you did it. But as for Wen Shishu? Avoid crossing her if at all possible. This is the true number one tyrant of the Wen family.
Ye Ling kept shooting glances at Old Master Wen: Aren't you, Elder, going to come rescue your granddaughter?
Seeing that Old Master Wen wasn't looking her way, Ye Ling coughed and asked, "Grandfather, are you going for a walk?"
Old Master Wen made an "mm" sound and said, "You accompany me."
Ye Ling: "..." She said, "Usually Zhengyu accompanies you." As soon as her words fell, she saw Wen Shishu look toward her and immediately thought, "It's over—I've drawn fire onto myself." She quickly put some food into Wen Shishu's bowl. "Second Aunt, have some food. You can scold Zhengyu after the meal. First, eat well."
Wen Shishu said, "You mustn't indulge her. In the old days, she stayed holed up at home all day, never stepping outside. Since she never went out, others couldn't deceive her. But now, she goes out and interacts with people constantly and is still so naive..."
Ye Ling quickly said, "I've already sealed their mouths."
Wen Shishu glanced at Wen Li. "You didn't seal hers."
Wen Li immediately cried out, "Second Aunt, how can you be like this?"
Wen Shishu only sighed deeply.
After the meal, Wen Shishu accompanied the old master on his walk, telling Wen Zhengyu and Ye Ling to go back and do whatever they needed to do.
Wen Li went off to handle matters.
Ye Ling was worried that Wen Zhengyu felt upset from being scolded by Wen Shishu. On the way back to the small courtyard, she was still comforting Wen Zhengyu.
Wen Zhengyu said, "My Second Aunt has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. She treats people very well."
Ye Ling said, "I can tell." Seeing that Wen Zhengyu seemed fine, she asked, "Does she scold you often?"
Wen Zhengyu said, "Mm. Sometimes when she gets worked up scolding me, she even pokes my forehead or tweaks my ear, but she never uses force."
Ye Ling sighed with emotion, "Your family is truly wonderful."
Wen Zhengyu quietly took Ye Ling's hand and said softly, "It's your family too." She added, "In the future, when Second Aunt is scolding someone, don't chime in. When she's in the wrong, she stays silent. But when she's in the right, even if Grandfather speaks up, she'll scold him too."
Ye Ling: "..."
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