Chapter 224: Chapter 224: Aunt
"Ah, Uncle! What are you doing here? Aren’t you busy?" Li Huan said in surprise as soon as she saw him.
"When I heard you were here, of course I had to come see you." The man was none other than Li Huan’s uncle, Shang Yuxuan. He smiled as he spoke to Li Huan, then turned his gaze to Su Qing.
Li Huan quickly made the introduction to Su Qing. "Su Qing, this is my uncle."
Then, Li Huan turned to Shang Yuxuan and said, "Uncle, this is my good friend, Su Qing."
Shang Yuxuan gave a smiling nod of approval. "Order whatever you like," he said to Su Qing. "Don’t be shy."
Su Qing smiled. "Okay."
Li Huan batted her eyes. "Uncle, are you going to be cooking for us personally?"
"Alright. If you want me to, I’ll cook myself," Shang Yuxuan said, doting on Li Huan.
Li Huan’s eyes lit up. "Wow, then we’re really in for a treat today!"
With that, Li Huan turned to Su Qing again. "I’m telling you, my uncle’s cooking is top-tier."
As she spoke, Li Huan gave a big thumbs-up.
Su Qing smiled. "Then I really am in for a treat today."
Shang Yuxuan chuckled and said, "Alright, I’m heading to the kitchen. When you know what you want, have a waiter send the order over."
"You got it! Don’t worry, Uncle, we won’t hold back," Li Huan said, nodding eagerly at Shang Yuxuan. "Just bring out your best dishes!"
"You silly girl." Shang Yuxuan gave Li Huan an amused, sidelong glance, bid farewell to Su Qing, and returned to the kitchen.
Su Qing and Li Huan ordered three dishes, all of which were Shang Yuxuan’s specialties. After taking a bite, Su Qing couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. ’As expected of a descendant of an Imperial Chef,’ she thought. ’This food is incredible. It’s just too delicious. To be honest, the last time I came here with Cheng Beilin and the others, Li Huan’s uncle must not have been the one cooking. Comparing the two meals, they’re clearly on completely different levels. Of course, the other chefs in this restaurant are also excellent, but Li Huan’s uncle’s skill is obviously a cut above the rest.’
After a happy meal, the two decided to head to Su Qing’s house. Li Huan went to say goodbye to Shang Yuxuan, and he walked them to the door. Unexpectedly, a woman suddenly rushed over to them, confronting Shang Yuxuan. "Yuxuan, I was wrong. Can we please just talk?"
Upon seeing her, Shang Yuxuan’s warm smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression. "I have nothing to talk about with you."
"Yuxuan, Yuxuan, please listen to me! I didn’t mean for it to happen back then. Let’s just talk, okay?" Hearing his words, the woman grew anxious and reached for his arm, but Shang Yuxuan dodged her.
The woman then turned and saw Li Huan. She quickly said, "Little Huan, please put in a good word for your aunt, won’t you? I know you have the kindest heart."
Li Huan regarded the woman with open disgust. "There’s nothing to say. And another thing, you’re not my aunt anymore. Stop trying to get chummy with me."
"Little Huan..." The woman tried to say more, but Shang Yuxuan pulled Li Huan behind him. "This is between you and me. Why are you making things difficult for a child? I told you very clearly the moment we divorced: you and I have nothing to do with each other anymore. We go our separate ways. I didn’t pursue what happened back then out of respect for our years of marriage and because I didn’t want to make Xiao Nan even more upset. But if you keep pestering me, I have no problem bringing up the past and having a long talk with the police. Try me, if you’re not afraid."
"You!" Hearing Shang Yuxuan’s words, the woman’s voice filled with grievance. "I really didn’t mean to do it back then, and I know I was wrong! Shang Yuxuan, you’re being too heartless. After all the years we were married, don’t you have any lingering affection for our time as husband and wife?"
"And did *you* have any regard for our marriage?" Shang Yuxuan’s face was furious as he snapped at the woman. "Did you remember that you’re Xiao Nan’s biological mother? If Xiao Nan hadn’t considered your bond as mother and son and refused to press charges, do you think you’d still be free to hop around like this? Let me tell you something, Zhang Fengzhi, there is no chance for us, ever again. It doesn’t matter if you come here ten times, a hundred times, or a thousand times, my mind won’t change. Give up on that idea. We are completely finished as husband and wife."
"Yuxuan, you..." Zhang Fengzhi tried to speak again, but Shang Yuxuan cut her off. "If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the police. Then we can lay everything out in the open and sort through it properly. We’ll see if they arrest you or not."
At Shang Yuxuan’s words, Zhang Fengzhi was visibly frightened. Her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and terror as she said resentfully, "Shang Yuxuan, you’re truly ruthless."
With that, she turned and ran off without a single look back.
Shang Yuxuan took a deep breath. He looked at Li Huan and Su Qing, then said to Su Qing, "I’m sorry you had to see that embarrassing display."
Su Qing quickly shook her head. "Every family has its own troubles. I understand."
Li Huan was still indignant. "After everything she did to my cousin, she still has the nerve to show her face."
Shang Yuxuan let out a deep sigh. If his son hadn’t insisted on not pressing charges back then, he would have done whatever it took to send that woman to prison.
"Alright, you two should head home now. Be careful on your way," Shang Yuxuan said, clearly not wanting to dwell on the unpleasantness and changing the subject.
"Okay, Uncle. Su Qing and I will get going then. If she comes back, just call the police directly. It’ll save you from this endless trouble," Li Huan said.
"Don’t worry, I know what to do," Shang Yuxuan said, smiling and patting Li Huan’s shoulder.
Su Qing and Li Huan left the private kitchen. Just as they rounded the corner into an alley, Zhang Fengzhi suddenly ran out and blocked their path, saying to Li Huan, "Little Huan, you have to help your aunt, okay?"
Li Huan jumped back in fright. Seeing it was Zhang Fengzhi, she frowned. "Didn’t we make things clear just now? My uncle is never getting back with you, so you should just give up on that idea. Pestering me is useless."
Tears started streaming down Zhang Fengzhi’s face. "Little Huan, your aunt is really in trouble. Please, just help me. Even if... even if you just lend me some money. It’s not much, just twenty or thirty thousand would be enough."
Li Huan’s eyes went wide. "Twenty or thirty thousand, and you call that ’not much’? Are you insane?"
"Little Huan!" Zhang Fengzhi cried, lunging forward to grab Li Huan. Su Qing quickly pulled Li Huan back. Unable to reach her, Zhang Fengzhi shot Su Qing a furious glare. ’I saw this girl earlier,’ she thought. ’What a meddler.’
"Just get out of here. You have nothing to do with our family anymore," Li Huan said, looking at Zhang Fengzhi with disgust.
Zhang Fengzhi wailed, "Little Huan, you called me ’Aunt’ for years! I’m your cousin’s biological mother, how can you say we have no relationship? You can’t be so heartless!"
