My Neighbor's Daughter Seduced My Fake Rich Boyfriend

My neighbor tricked my mom into paying full price for a never-to-be-completed apartment.

My mother spent her days filled with regret and depressed emotions. I brought my fake rich second-generation boyfriend home to cheer her up.

When the neighbor saw him, she said to my boyfriend's face that her daughter was beautiful, highly educated, and a pure, untouched blank slate.

I told the aunt not to try to steal him.

The neighbor raised her eyebrows: "The man isn't married, the woman isn't married either. He's not your property. Even if you get married, you can divorce if the relationship isn't good. What's all this talk about stealing? How ugly."

I was speechless. What's so good about a professional con man to steal?

01

The old residential complex had no underground garage. Gao Wude drove his Land Rover around and around before barely squeezing it into a parking spot.

As soon as we got out of the car, we saw our neighbor Song Shuzhen trotting over with her grocery bag.

"I saw a black car circling the complex from far away and wondered who it was. It turned out to be Jiajia." Song Shuzhen spoke to me but her triangular eyes kept glancing at the car and Gao Wude.

A woman in her fifties or sixties, still twisting her body like a water snake, holding up an orchid finger and pointing at Gao Wude, asking me: "Is this your boss?"

Who brings their boss home for no reason? To make my mom believe Gao Wude was from a wealthy family, I had specially dressed him up. A well-tailored suit, an expensive watch, and hair slicked back like a dog had licked it - all showcasing his elite status.

When Song Shuzhen saw this, naturally she came sniffing for opportunities. After all, she couldn't stand to see any good fortune come to my family.

Song Shuzhen's family and mine had been neighbors across the hall for over twenty years. Originally, our relationship was so close we were like family, even spending Chinese New Year together. But since she tricked my mom into buying a never-to-be-completed apartment with full payment half a year ago, our family had cut off all contact with them. We hadn't spoken when we met.

I linked arms with Gao Wude and led him toward the apartment building.

"Hey, child, an elder is speaking to you. Why don't you answer? So rude." Song Shuzhen hurried to catch up with us, then squeezed in front of us, completely blocking the stairwell entrance.

She turned her head to look at Gao Wude: "Young man, what are you to our Jiajia?"

"I'm her boyfriend." Gao Wude responded politely.

"Oh, a boyfriend! I really couldn't tell. I thought you were her boss." Song Shuzhen laughed loudly. "Jiajia has been popular since she was little. The boyfriends she brings back, each one is more handsome than the last."

This apparent compliment was actually a criticism - she might as well have pasted the words "promiscuous" on my forehead.

Hearing this, Gao Wude raised an eyebrow and played along: "Jiajia... she's brought other men home before?"

Song Shuzhen seemed to realize she had said the wrong thing and quickly covered her mouth exaggeratedly, then said: "No, no."

I watched quietly as they performed, finding it quite amusing.

Gao Wude smiled and didn't press further. Song Shuzhen went up a few more stairs, then turned back to look at Gao Wude: "It should only be three or four, not many, not many. Our Jiajia is quite in demand."

She was just making things up. I had clearly only brought home 1 ex-boyfriend before.

Hearing this, Gao Wude looked at me. Song Shuzhen opened her mouth to laugh again: "Young man, men should be broad-minded. Those are all past matters. Why care so much?"

Gao Wude forced a smile, but his face quickly darkened. Truly a professional con man - his acting was excellent.

Seeing she had achieved her goal, Song Shuzhen covered her mouth and walked forward a bit, then turned back to look at Gao Wude: "Young man, I see the car you drive is quite expensive. What do you do for work?"

"I help out at my dad's company."

"Oh, your family owns a company!" Song Shuzhen stopped, the smile on her face even more enthusiastic. "What kind of company?"

"We're in trading. The company headquarters is in Hong Kong."

Hearing this, Song Shuzhen's eye bags practically bulged open: "A trading company! That's very profitable. A relative's daughter works at a trading company and can make tens of thousands a month."

Gao Wude laughed: "Our slightly more experienced employees can also make thirty to forty thousand a month."

Hearing this, Song Shuzhen's eyes practically turned green with envy. She slowly walked upstairs while turning back to look at Gao Wude every few steps.

"Oh my, this young man is really handsome, tall and good-looking." "He speaks so nicely too, so polite." "He has a good temper too. Your parents are blessed to have raised such an excellent son."

Song Shuzhen showered him with compliments all the way to the fourth floor, then blocked my door and grabbed Gao Wude's arm, trying to pull him toward her home.

"Jiajia's mom went out to defend her rights earlier. She's not home now. Come sit at our place."

I held onto Gao Wude and knocked on my door. Ridiculous. I was paying for him - how could I let her drag him away?

The door quickly opened. My mom poked her head out and smiled when she saw me: "Jiajia, come in quickly." My mom's eyes were somewhat red - I could tell she had been crying at home alone again.

02

"Mom, this is Gao Wude, my boyfriend." I pulled Gao Wude in front of my mom to introduce him.

My mom glanced at Gao Wude and only then did a genuinely happy smile appear on her face.

"Auntie, just call me Xiao Gao."

Gao Wude presented the gifts.

"Quick, come in, come in." My mom took the gifts while opening the door to let us in. Song Shuzhen followed behind, also trying to enter.

My mom put on a stern face and pushed her out: "What are you doing?"

Song Shuzhen tried desperately to squeeze in: "You have guests. I'm here to help."

My mom looked like she wanted to tear her apart. The two families had already had a major falling out. If it weren't for Gao Wude's presence, my mom would have cursed her out long ago. How could she let her into our home?

My mom gritted her teeth and forcefully pushed her out, then closed the door. Song Shuzhen knocked on the door a few times from outside and said loudly: "We're all neighbors. Why be so distant?"

My mom took a breath, then pulled Gao Wude and smiled: "This neighbor just likes to butt into things. Don't mind her."

Gao Wude obediently said: "Okay, Auntie."

Then my mom chatted with Gao Wude for a while. After learning about Gao Wude's conditions, my mom was overjoyed. She then pulled me aside and whispered: "Child, how did you meet such a good man? He's not just playing with you, is he?"

"How could he be? He's crazy about me. Otherwise, why would he come home with me?"

My mom had been depressed about the never-to-be-completed apartment issue lately, unable to eat or sleep. I was afraid that if she kept dwelling on this, her health would suffer, so I resorted to this measure. After all, her not having a boyfriend had always been a major worry for her. The reason she had impulsively bought the never-to-be-completed apartment was also to give me better bargaining chips for finding a partner.

The property deed was in my name.

Hearing this, my mom nodded: "Hmm, this child has a good face. He should be a good kid." ... Mom, judging by appearance alone isn't right.

I couldn't help but twitch the corner of my mouth. Following my mom's gaze, I glanced at Gao Wude sitting obediently on the sofa. This was an absolute scumbag.

My mom said she was going to the kitchen to prepare her specialty dishes and sent me to keep Gao Wude company.

As we were talking, our door was suddenly banged on loudly. Song Shuzhen shouted from outside: "Wei Fang, I've contacted Mr. Wu! Open the door quickly!"

Mr. Wu - a high-level executive at Wuliang Real Estate, Song Shuzhen's cousin, the con artist who had helped my mom with the internal purchase of the never-to-be-completed apartment.

Initially, Song Shuzhen's family had bought a property from Wuliang Real Estate, claiming they had connections with the developer and got an internal price.

After our family's demolition compensation arrived, Song Shuzhen came to our home every day, vigorously persuading my mom to also buy one, saying we could still be neighbors in the future, and that she had internal connections to get a discount price.

Actually, there were already rumors that Wuliang Real Estate's funding chain had broken. But Song Shuzhen patted her chest and guaranteed to my mom: "My cousin is a high-level executive at Wuliang. How could he deceive me about the specific situation? Their funding chain is perfectly fine."

"Those people online are just poor people who can't afford houses. They're just sour grapes." "Besides, Jiajia is at the right age for marriage and relationships. Having a big house in her name will give her more confidence when dating. At our age, why keep so much money?"

After coming and going several times, she finally convinced my mom.

My mom really trusted her at the time. The two families had been neighbors for over twenty years. Song Shuzhen had divorced early, and my dad had passed away from illness two years ago. Their relationship became even closer, closer than blood relatives. My mom never thought Song Shuzhen would deceive her.

So when Song Shuzhen urged her to quickly secure the internally purchased apartment, my mom didn't even have time to tell me before buying a house with full payment.

Not only did she take out all the three million-plus from the demolition compensation, but she also took out most of the savings she and my dad had accumulated over decades, just to not let this house become a burden on me.

Less than a week after buying the house, Wuliang Real Estate disappeared.

At first, my mom didn't dare tell me. She desperately went around seeking justice alone. When she joined a rights defense group, the group members were shocked at the time she had bought her house.

"At this point in time, how could anyone still be buying Wuliang's houses?"

My mom's tears immediately fell. Filled with regret and self-blame, she said: "My friend also bought a Wuliang house. She guaranteed me there was absolutely no problem."

The group exploded with discussion, saying my mom had been backstabbed by her friend.

Some people are purely evil. When they stumble, they don't blame the uneven road or their own carelessness. Instead, they blame those around them for not stumbling. They desperately want those nearby to be unhappy with them, only then can they feel happy.

03

Song Shuzhen was still banging on the door: "Wei Fang, aren't you going to answer Mr. Wu's call? I worked so hard to contact him. Don't you want to get your money back?"

My mom, holding a cooking spatula, couldn't bear it anymore and opened the door. Song Shuzhen immediately squeezed in with a smile on her face, followed by her daughter Tang Tang.

"Tang Tang, give your phone to Auntie Wei."

Tang Tang wore a white dress with crystal-studded high heels and exquisite internet celebrity makeup, completely out of place in this old residential complex.

After Tang Tang gave the phone to my mom, she naturally sat down next to Gao Wude. Her two slender, pale legs crossed, knees pointing toward Gao Wude, as she said coyly: "Are you Brother Xiao Gao? How did you meet Sister Jiajia?"

My mom was busy on the phone and couldn't shoo the mother-daughter pair away, so she kept giving me meaningful looks. I pretended not to see.

"We met at a coffee shop downstairs from my company." Gao Wude said with a smile. "It was love at first sight."

Hearing this, Tang Tang exaggeratedly covered her mouth: "Wow, love at first sight! I'm so jealous. Being beautiful is great. Unlike me, no one has pursued me since I was little."

"No one's pursuing you? You spend your days either at work or at home. Who has the opportunity to pursue you?" Song Shuzhen couldn't help but retort to her daughter. Then she said to Gao Wude: "Xiao Gao, my daughter is good in every way, just too honest. At her age, she's never had a boyfriend. If you have any relatives or friends, could you help introduce someone?"

I couldn't help but sneer, then propped up my chin and said faintly: "Honest? How do I remember Sister Tang Tang has been dating since middle school?"

Tang Tang and I are the same age. We went to the same middle and high school. Back then, she was a famous troublemaker at school.

Song Shuzhen's face instantly darkened, her expression as if she wanted to eat me alive, then she put on a fake smile: "Children just playing around, how can that count as dating? Everyone has times when they don't understand things. Jiajia, didn't you also... after graduating from college..."

Song Shuzhen said with a meaningful smile, raising her eyebrows: "Right? Let's not mention the past."

I sneered. I knew she was threatening me with my accidental pregnancy the year I graduated from college.

"I don't have any single friends." Gao Wude spoke up. "As for relatives' children, they're all still young."

Song Shuzhen paused: "Oh, it seems all the good ones get taken early. Only my silly daughter understands nothing."

After saying this, Song Shuzhen took out a bag of oranges she had brought and offered them to Gao Wude.

Gao Wude politely accepted. Tang Tang immediately reached over, caressing Gao Wude's hand: "Brother, let me peel it for you. Otherwise, your hands will get sticky, and it won't be good for driving later."

Her pale fingers caressed him ambiguously, provocative and tantalizing. Gao Wude's eyes flickered. This beast would never restrain himself.

I calmly picked up an orange as if I hadn't seen the undercurrent between them. Although I was paying Gao Wude for his services, I couldn't stop him from finding his own clients. After all, I could only pay him so much. If he caught a big fish himself, he could suck it dry.

My mom was getting red-eyed with anger from what the person on the phone (Mr. Wu) was saying, but she couldn't vent with Gao Wude present.

I stepped forward, snatched the phone, and hung up. I said to my mom: "You don't need to contact him anymore. We'll handle this matter through legal channels."

"That's right, Auntie." Gao Wude chimed in. "It's just one house. No need to get so worked up. Your health is most important."

The words "just one house" made several people's expressions brighten.

My mom laughed. Seeing Song Shuzhen and her daughter's faces darken again, she said: "Are you two still not leaving? Are you waiting for me to see you out?"

Song Shuzhen stood up and tried to pull my mom toward the kitchen: "Wei Fang, we have guests here. How can you, as an elder, drive guests away? Let's go to the kitchen and cook."

My mom forcefully shook her off, pointing at her nose and cursing: "What kind of guests are you? Take your slutty daughter and get out of my house!"

Song Shuzhen couldn't maintain her composure and retorted: "Why are you using such vulgar language? No quality at all. When your daughter was hospitalized before, I was the one who helped her make black chicken soup to replenish her blood!"

My mom was instantly silenced. My previous premarital pregnancy had always been a thorn in her heart. Her eagerness to help me buy a house was also to smooth over this thorn a bit. Now this thorn had become something Song Shuzhen could use against her.

My mom's eyes turned red with anger. I pulled her toward the kitchen: "Mom, it's okay. Since Auntie Song so badly wants to eat our food, let them stay today."

My mom started to say something, but I shook my head at her and whispered to my mom: "Don't worry, Xiao Gao knows all about this."

My mom's eyes widened: "He knows? He doesn't mind?"

I shook my head: "He doesn't mind. I told you, he's crazy about me."

My mom instantly relaxed and became happy again, then glanced at the living room: "Then they..."

"Don't worry. Xiao Gao has his ways to deal with them." I narrowed my eyes. "We just need to wait and enjoy the show."

04

I returned to the living room to find Tang Tang and Gao Wude already discussing interesting stories about studying abroad. Tang Tang's college entrance exam scores weren't ideal, so Song Shuzhen had sent her abroad. She then turned to me, who had been admitted to a key university, and said: "No matter how high your domestic education level is, it's useless. Only overseas study has real value."

Tang Tang had been abroad for three years. After returning to China, she couldn't find a job. Song Shuzhen pulled strings everywhere before managing to get her into a state-owned enterprise. She then said to me: "What big company or small company, private enterprises can't compare to state-owned ones."

Tang Tang had the experience of studying abroad, and Gao Wude had several ex-girlfriends who had also studied abroad, so naturally he wasn't flustered. The more they talked, the more they clicked. Song Shuzhen watched happily from the side and said: "You two get along so well, you should add each other on WeChat."

Gao Wude gave me a meaningful look. Tang Tang said coyly from the side: "Sister Jiajia has always treated me like her own sister. She won't be so petty, right?"

I gave a forced smile. After they added each other on WeChat, Song Shuzhen and Tang Tang were practically bursting with pride. After my mom brought the food to the table, Song Shuzhen suddenly stood up and said arrogantly: "Our family doesn't lack this one meal. We just came over because we thought the neighborly relationship was good and wanted to chat and say hello." "Since you don't welcome us, we'll be leaving first."

After saying this, Song Shuzhen smiled at Gao Wude again: "Xiao Gao, make time to go out with Tang Tang. You've both been abroad, so you'll have more to talk about."

Gao Wude quickly said: "Okay, Auntie."

Song Shuzhen and Tang Tang left my home satisfied. My mom rolled her eyes dramatically.

During the meal, I used the excuse that Gao Wude was recently controlling his diet for fitness and gave him a small portion of food. After the meal, I accidentally broke his bowl and threw his chopsticks into the trash when my mom wasn't looking. He was always hanging around various women, indiscriminate in his choices. I really found him dirty.

After leaving my home, Gao Wude's face wasn't good: "Xu Yijia, we've known each other for so many years. Do you have to dislike me so much?"

I put on a mask and nodded seriously at him: "Yes, I do."

Gao Wude was the most beastly man I had encountered in my limited life. He was best at using his superior looks and constant lies to deceive women, drain them dry, and make them sacrifice everything for him.

We were college classmates. When we first started college, he was relatively normal. Although he often used sweet words, he hadn't yet thought of scamming women for money or sucking them dry.

But it seemed starting from his junior year, he had attached himself to a rich woman. From then on, it was out of control.

Later, as he got older, rich women gradually looked down on him, but he was used to a luxurious life, so he began to package himself to deceive innocent young white-collar workers. He scammed for money, sex, and emotions - anything he could scam. After sucking them dry, he would wipe his mouth and leave.

When he contacted me again after many years, he originally wanted to get some benefits from me, but having known each other for so many years, if I still didn't know what kind of person he was, my brain would truly be full of water.

Gao Wude pouted his lips, then said: "You don't have a good relationship with the family across the hall?"

"Hmm."

I didn't tell him about the grudge between my family and Song Shuzhen's family.

"Then..." "I won't ask anything about what happens between you." I continued. "You just need to play the good boyfriend in front of my mom. If there's a conflict between that side and this side later, you can prioritize that side."

"Jiajia, after so many years, you're still so understanding." Gao Wude said, moving closer to me.

I immediately pushed him away in disgust and opened the car window.

Gao Wude pouted, then became happy again: "But this trip was really worth it. That woman has some looks, and she's studied abroad. Her family background should be good. There might be other gains. And they're coming to me willingly, so I don't even have to spend costs, unlike before when I had to work so hard. Haha!"

I turned to look out the window, unable to stop the corners of my mouth from turning up. What's wrong with me? I'm getting excited just hearing him talk.

05

After I brought Gao Wude home, my mom's mood improved significantly. I was worried about her health, so I told her not to run around seeking justice anymore.

Hearing this, my mom said: "How can I do that? Your dad and I worked hard for half our lives and only saved that much money. Now it's all gone down the drain. How can I be reconciled to that?"

One day when I called her, she didn't answer for a long time. My eye kept twitching, and I felt uneasy, so I took leave from work and went home.

When I got home, I found my mom wasn't there, and she wasn't answering my calls. I was frantic. I went to the complex plaza to ask other aunties if they had seen my mom. One auntie said: "Your mom didn't go seek justice with Song Shuzhen?"

My heart sank: "What? Where did they go to seek justice?"

"We don't know about that. But at noon, they did leave together in a hurry."

I was desperate. I didn't have Song Shuzhen's contact information, so I could only call Tang Tang. But after one call, I was immediately blocked.

Just when I was wondering whether to call the police, a strange number called.

"Is this Xu Yijia? Your mom is at the Central Hospital now. Come quickly."

I rushed to the Central Hospital and saw my mom lying on the hospital bed with blood all over her face.

My mom held my hand and cried: "Daughter, I thought I'd never see you again."

My mom's face was swollen from being beaten, one rib was broken, and her left arm was fractured. My whole body was trembling, but my mind was unusually calm.

After confirming the treatment plan with the doctor, I opened my phone. The Wuliang Real Estate never-to-be-completed apartment was a major local event with a dedicated entry online.

After searching online, I saw a newly posted video. In the video, a dozen angry people were kicking and punching a woman lying on the ground. The woman was wearing Wuliang Real Estate work clothes, and the woman lying on the ground was my mom.

The video caption read: After Wuliang Real Estate went bankrupt, an internal employee appeared for the first time. Workers, unable to collect their debts, became emotional and started beating her.

With trembling hands, I watched that video over and over again. In the corner, I saw Song Shuzhen standing nearby.

After my mom regained consciousness, I asked her what had happened, why she had gone to seek justice with Song Shuzhen again.

My mom opened her mouth: "She said Mr. Wu had brought back a small amount of money and didn't dare make it public. He could refund us internally connected people." "I knew I shouldn't have believed her." My mom cried. "But what if it was true? I went with her. She told me to wear staff clothes, saying that was the only way to get into the company building. Shortly after I went in, I ran into that group of workers demanding money. They wouldn't listen to my explanation... then they started hitting me." "I shouted for Song Shuzhen to save me, but I don't know where she ran off to." My mom started crying again. "Jiajia, I was so scared. I almost never saw you again."

I hugged my mom and comforted her: "It's okay, Mom. I'm here. Don't be afraid."

After comforting my mom, I walked out of the hospital room, my nails digging deeply into my palm. I reported it to the police, and the police arrested all the workers who had beaten her. The workers were trying to collect their hard-earned money. Knowing they had beaten the wrong person, they were also very remorseful: "We didn't know. Why was she wearing Wuliang staff clothes?" "I remember a woman nearby kept saying your mom was Wuliang internal staff. She said she had seen your mom."

I showed her Song Shuzhen's photo: "Was it this woman who said that?"

The worker nodded: "Yes, that was her."

06

My mom was hospitalized. I took Gao Wude to visit her, then Gao Wude accompanied me home to help my mom get clothes.

When we returned to the complex, we happened to run into Tang Tang.

Tang Tang said gleefully: "Sister Jiajia, I heard Auntie Wei was hospitalized. Is she okay?"

I looked at her with a grim face.

A moment later, Song Shuzhen also came out, saying hypocritically: "Oh, Jiajia, you're back at just the right time. I made bone soup for your mom. You can take it to her later."

I sneered: "Can you drink the bone soup you made?"

"What are you talking about, child? I cooked it for hours. How can it not be drunk?" Song Shuzhen covered her mouth. "Your mom is hospitalized. You should spend more time taking care of her. Boyfriends can wait. Your own mother is most important."

I narrowed my eyes: "You're right."

Song Shuzhen smiled: "That's right. Xiao Gao, you come to my home to get the bone soup. Let Jiajia go get the clothes first."

Gao Wude glanced at me. I waved at him.

On the way back to the hospital, I asked Gao Wude: "How's it going?"

Gao Wude said: "There's no major problem, but I feel her conditions aren't as good as I imagined. I need money urgently recently. Spending energy on her isn't very cost-effective..." "Although the houses in our complex are old, the location is decent. They should sell for at least several hundred thousand."

Gao Wude's eyes lit up, then he said: "But getting them to sell their house and give me the money isn't an easy task."

"It's not easy, but it's not impossible."

"You want to help me? Didn't you originally say you weren't going to interfere?"

"I've changed my mind now." I pursed my lips. "Next, I'll help you prepare an investment project. The project is real, with profits of up to 70%. You take this project to Song Shuzhen. She's the type who can't stand not taking advantage of a bargain - she'd rather die than let one slip by."

Hearing this, Gao Wude said: "The investment project you're preparing definitely won't have any flaws."

"But even that isn't enough."

I had Gao Wude rent a house in Jingyue Mansion, the most high-end complex in the city, then helped him forge a property deed, and drafted a house transfer agreement for him.

"With a big house, would they still care about a small one? You transfer this fake house to her at the right moment, then have her sell her house to invest in your project. That will make things much easier." "As for what to say in between, I don't need to teach you, do I?"

Hearing this, Gao Wude laughed: "Don't worry. When I make my move, you just wait and see."

07

A month later, my mom was discharged from the hospital. Gao Wude came to my home for dinner again. I asked him how things were going.

Gao Wude said: "They still have some concerns."

"Sometimes, letting them get some leverage on you might make them let their guard down more easily."

"Leverage?"

"For example..." Gao Wude was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Brilliant!"

During the meal, I used the excuse that Gao Wude had recently contracted Helicobacter pylori to have him eat separately from us, with separate bowls and chopsticks. I didn't know if he had it, but I figured if he didn't, he did.

After the meal, Gao Wude coaxed my mom into a happy mood, then left with me.

As soon as we got downstairs, we saw Tang Tang. Big waves, red dress, sky-high heels - completely different from her last image.

Gao Wude had been hanging around women for years and had long lost interest in plain, innocent types. He preferred the seductive kind.

Their eyes immediately intertwined when they met, as if afraid I wouldn't know they were having an affair.

I immediately hugged Gao Wude's arm: "Baby, Mom was rushing me too much. Don't be angry. But... I think Mom is right. It's good for us to get married early. Don't you want to marry me home sooner?"

Hearing this, Tang Tang's face instantly changed. She gave me a forced smile and said: "Sister Jiajia, you've only been dating for a short time. Why are you in such a hurry to get married?"

I rolled my eyes at her: "What business is it of yours? My boyfriend is so excellent. If I don't grab him tight, should I let you have him? Stop dreaming!"

Tang Tang's face turned pale. She said in a low, aggrieved voice: "I didn't mean that."

I sneered and was about to leave with Gao Wude when Tang Tang suddenly called out to him after we passed by.

"Brother Xiao Gao."

Tang Tang extended her pale hand. A cufflink lay in her palm. "You dropped this."

Gao Wude stepped forward, took the cufflink, his fingertips brushing across her palm. Their eyes intertwined again.

Seeing this, I immediately said loudly: "How did your cufflink end up with her?"

Gao Wude showed the classic impatient expression of a scumbag: "It just fell off."

"Nonsense. One of the cufflinks on your shirt was missing yesterday. I even asked you where you lost it. How could it have just fallen off now?"

The impatience on Gao Wude's face grew stronger. He said perfunctorily: "How would I know? You must be remembering wrong."

Tang Tang chuckled lightly and said in a provocative, sugary tone: "Sister Jiajia, being too aggressive only makes men dislike you. You're so fierce. How would Brother Xiao Gao dare to marry you?"

Gao Wude left impatiently. I followed behind, furious. Once in the car, I instantly calmed down.

"Tang Tang is afraid we'll get married. She'll probably try to secure you soon." I said calmly. "You must seize the opportunity."

"Haha, don't worry." Gao Wude laughed. "But with my side progressing faster, is your mom okay with that?"

"Although we might lose a good son-in-law, isn't revenge more satisfying?" I sneered. "I can't wait to see those two crying their eyes out."

Two days later, Gao Wude sent me a message: "Song Shuzhen is going to sell her house."

I raised the corner of my mouth: "So soon?"

"Probably Tang Tang fell for it. They're eager to show goodwill to me and afraid of missing such a profitable project." Gao Wude sent a string of laughing emojis.

08

Half a month later, Song Shuzhen moved. On moving day, they made quite a scene. Upstairs and downstairs neighbors all came out to watch. Song Shuzhen stood with her hands on her hips, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear: "My son-in-law gave us a house at Jingyue Mansion to live in. This small, broken house is useless anyway, so we might as well sell it."

Someone heard this and looked at my mom: "Jiajia's mom, isn't your daughter's boyfriend very rich too? Why hasn't he given you a luxury house to live in?"

My mom was a middle-aged woman who couldn't keep things to herself. After Gao Wude came to our home, she had eagerly shown him off to all the neighbors.

My mom's face looked a bit ugly, but she didn't say much.

Seeing this, Song Shuzhen became extremely proud: "Rich people's money doesn't come from thin air. If he wasn't sincerely in love, how could he be willing to give so much?"

Someone heard this and looked at Song Shuzhen: "If your son-in-law is so sincere, how come we've never seen him?"

Song Shuzhen coughed: "He manages a multinational company. He's busy every day. Why would he come here?"

My mom spat: "What's there to be proud of? You probably met a con man and don't even know it."

I paused mid-bite of my apple.

Song Shuzhen laughed loudly: "You haven't even met a con man. How could I have met a con man? Some people are so sour you can smell it."

I frowned and pulled my mom home, then closed the door.

My mom asked me: "Why hasn't Xiao Gao come over for two weeks? Are you two still okay?"

Hearing this, I could only prevaricate: "Mom, he's also a company owner. He's busy. How can he come over every day?"

My mom nodded, then instructed me: "Be nicer to Xiao Gao usually. Don't throw tantrums all the time."

"I know, Mom."

Another two months passed. My mom suddenly called me, her tone serious: "Jiajia, come over."

I went home, not knowing why. My mom opened the door, her eyes red again.

I was startled and quickly asked: "What's wrong, Mom?"

My mom handed me her phone with trembling hands. I took it and saw Song Shuzhen's Moments post. It turned out Song Shuzhen had posted a photo of Gao Wude and Tang Tang eating together.

"That bitch!" My mom gritted her teeth. "I knew they didn't have good intentions!"

My mom was emotionally agitated. I couldn't explain Gao Wude's true situation, so I could only do my best to comfort her. After finally calming her down, Song Shuzhen came to our door again, flaunting her victory.

Their house had found a buyer and been sold. Today they were accompanying the buyer back to inspect the property. After the inspection, they frantically knocked on our door, saying they wanted to say goodbye.

09

My mom opened the door holding a kitchen knife, unable to bear it anymore.

Seeing this, Song Shuzhen was startled and quickly stepped back: "What, what are you doing?"

Tang Tang hid behind Song Shuzhen and said: "Auntie Wei, if you act impulsively, Sister Jiajia's future will be ruined."

"Act impulsively my foot." My mom said with a grim face. "I was just chopping dumpling filling. What on earth do you have to say that you must say it to my face?!"

"How vulgar! Truly disgusting!" Song Shuzhen gave my mom a disdainful look, then straightened her back and raised the corners of her mouth: "You're eating dumplings for lunch? We're going to a Michelin restaurant later. Oh, after eating at Michelin so many times, it feels rather ordinary."

My mom pouted: "Who asked you?"

Seeing this, Song Shuzhen became even happier and said to herself: "I didn't really want to go, but Tang Tang has no appetite today. Xiao Gao... Tang Tang's fiancé insists on taking us."

My mom gritted her teeth: "You're seducing someone else's boyfriend and even showing off about it. Have you no shame?"

Song Shuzhen clicked her tongue: "Seducing? Xiao Gao himself became infatuated with our Tang Tang and pursued her crazily. If you don't believe me, ask Xu Yijia. Didn't Xiao Gao already break up with her long ago?"

Hearing this, my mom looked at me. I was stunned for a moment, while silently cursing Gao Wude for not giving me a heads-up, I nodded helplessly.

My mom was about to explode with anger. She raised the kitchen knife and pointed it at Song Shuzhen and Tang Tang: "We don't care about a fickle scumbag like Gao Wude!"

Song Shuzhen quickly stepped back while saying loudly: "Once you marry into a wealthy family, who cares if the husband is a scumbag? Tang Tang isn't as stupid as Xu Yijia. We just need money to spend."

"Marry into a wealthy family?" My mom sneered. "Rich people aren't fools. With your conditions, could you let Tang Tang marry in so easily? Stop dreaming."

"Rich people indeed aren't fools, but they can't stand against my daughter's belly being competitive." Song Shuzhen said with a blooming smile. "With a little ancestor on the way, how could Xiao Gao not marry Tang Tang?"

"Mom, why are you telling her this?" Tang Tang pulled at Song Shuzhen. "Let's hurry and leave."

Tang Tang said this and quickly pulled Song Shuzhen down the stairs, afraid that my mom might impulsively chop them up like dumpling filling.

My mom went back inside to take blood pressure medicine. While comforting my mom, I couldn't help but laugh. I was really looking forward to the exciting show that would follow.

My mom looked at me suspiciously: "Child, your boyfriend was stolen. Why are you still laughing?"

"Mom, when a scumbag gets stolen, that's my blessing." Hearing this, my mom said: "That's true."

After Tang Tang became pregnant, she didn't go to the hospital for a check-up immediately. Gao Wude found a so-called private doctor to help Tang Tang maintain the pregnancy, saying they would wait until the fetus was stable before going to the hospital to establish records.

As Tang Tang's belly grew larger, Gao Wude kept signaling Song Shuzhen to give him the money from selling the house, while Song Shuzhen kept urging them to get married.

Gao Wude was a shameless scoundrel and naturally wasn't afraid of marriage. He immediately went to get a marriage certificate with Tang Tang.

The day after they got their marriage certificate, Song Shuzhen transferred all the money from selling the house to Gao Wude. After that, Gao Wude vanished into thin air.

Two days later, the owner of the house Song Shuzhen was living in also came to evict them, saying Gao Wude had terminated the lease.

Tang Tang was immediately dumbfounded. She took out the property deed Gao Wude had given her, only to discover it was forged. Besides this, the company and projects Gao Wude had mentioned were all nonexistent.

Song Shuzhen and Tang Tang exploded. They came to me gritting their teeth, asking if I could contact Gao Wude.

I took my time appreciating their furious faces and said calmly: "I deleted all contact information for that scumbag long ago."

Song Shuzhen became angry and lunged at me: "Did you do this on purpose? Did you deliberately find a con man to harm us?"

I impatiently pushed her away: "Auntie Song, what are you talking about? I was originally bringing my boyfriend home normally. You were the ones who insisted on coming up to steal him."

After saying this, I smiled, twisting the knife: "It's good that he was stolen by you. Otherwise, I would have been the one deceived."

Tang Tang became so angry she screamed, grabbing me and insisting I was colluding with Gao Wude, demanding I return their house money and shouting that she was going to send me to the police station.

I reported them to the police first, saying they were harassing me. The police came and educated Song Shuzhen and Tang Tang, then took them away.

After they left, my mom clutched her chest: "Amitabha, good is rewarded with good, evil with evil. Thank goodness Tang Tang seduced Gao Wude away. Otherwise, you would have been the one to suffer."

I pursed my lips: "That's true."

My mom looked at me again: "You didn't know Gao Wude was a con man, did you?"

I shook my head seriously: "I didn't know at all."

My mom relaxed: "Then that's their retribution. After suffering such a big loss this time, they deserve it!"

Looking at the relieved expression on my mom's face, I couldn't help but smile.

All of Song Shuzhen and Tang Tang's money was cheated away. They lost their house and still owed a large loan on the never-to-be-completed apartment. After Tang Tang became pregnant, she quit her job. Now the two couldn't even afford to rent a room and slept in the stairwell every day.

The property management staff came every day to chase them away like stray dogs.

My mom frowned: "Song Shuzhen is too evil. If she can't find Gao Wude, she probably won't give up easily. She has many underhanded tricks. I'm afraid she'll keep bothering us..."

"Don't worry. My company has an overseas project coming up. I've applied for it." I smiled. "It's in the Netherlands. The project period is five years. We'll go together. I'll get promoted and a raise, and when we come back, we'll have money for a bigger house."

Hearing this, my mom became happy: "Really?"

"Of course it's true."

10

My mom and I were busy preparing to go abroad. Two days later, Song Shuzhen came to bang on our door again.

My mom frowned and was about to call the police when she heard Song Shuzhen shrilly laughing from outside: "Wei Fang, my daughter is finished! Your daughter won't be any better either! Let's all go to hell together! Hahaha!"

My mom frowned: "What nonsense are you talking about? What crazy things are you saying?"

"I took Tang Tang to get an abortion today." Song Shuzhen said shrilly. "But after the doctor's tests, they said Tang Tang was infected with HIV. Tang Tang was perfectly fine before. Who do you think she got this disease from?"

"It's Gao Wude! Gao Wude has HIV. Hahaha, Tang Tang is infected, and Xu Yijia must be infected too. Wei Fang, Xu Yijia, don't you think you'll get away with this either. Hahaha!"

Even through a door, I could tell how genuine her laughter was. Even though she was now living like a dog and her daughter was sick, she could still feel genuinely happy because I was also sick.

I didn't understand how such twisted people could exist in this world. Her existence seemed to be just for watching others' misfortune. As long as others were unfortunate, she could feel happy.

Hearing this, my mom's face turned pale. She looked at me unsteadily. I quickly supported her and said: "Mom, don't worry. I never had a physical relationship with Gao Wude."

My mom opened her mouth: "...Really?"

I nodded: "Really. But we did eat together with Gao Wude. Although normal contact doesn't transmit it, and I threw away his bowls and chopsticks, we should still get checked afterward for peace of mind."

My mom relaxed, then looked at me: "You knew Gao Wude had this disease all along?"

I shook my head: "No. I knew his private life was somewhat chaotic, so I always found him dirty. But I really didn't know he was sick. Otherwise, I never would have brought him home."

Song Shuzhen was still banging on the door outside. After I reported it, the police took her away.

I took my mom to the hospital for a check-up. As expected, we had not been infected with HIV.

Two days later, the company's overseas assignment notice came down. I took my mom to buy things. As we passed an overpass, I saw Song Shuzhen kneeling on the ground begging, with Tang Tang lying unconscious beside her.

In just half a month, Song Shuzhen had aged beyond recognition. She knelt on the ground, kowtowing to passersby: "Please, I beg you, save my daughter. My daughter is sick and has no money for medicine..."

Passersby hurried past, ignoring them. My mom turned her head and quickly led me away.

About half a year later, I was abroad when I learned from a friend that Gao Wude had died. Tang Tang also passed away two years later. After that, Song Shuzhen went insane. I heard she was sent to a mental hospital, and there was no more news of her.

Five years later, I brought my mom back to China. I bought a new house and only occasionally visited the old house. The neighbors across from our old house were replaced by a young couple who seemed very kind.

We then entrusted that house to an agent for rental.

Not long after, I was browsing news and saw the government saying they would vigorously eliminate never-to-be-completed apartments. My mom also sent me a message saying their rights defense group had become active again. Everyone was saying a new developer had taken over the never-to-be-completed apartments, and construction had begun.

"Song Shuzhen also bought a house there." My mom frowned. "I hope we won't still see her in the complex later."

"How could that be?" I said comfortingly with a smile. "She stopped paying her mortgage. The bank would have repossessed the house long ago."

(End)