Confronting the Poison Lotus Chapter 08

 Yes, that shameless Fu Xinren actually moved into the large mansion in the suburbs of the Li family under the guise of raising Qiao Qiao as the only relative after the tragedy involving his ex-wife's family.

After all, this house with a garden and a large lawn is more magnificent than the small apartment in the city center owned by the Fu family. Although the Fu family has had money in recent years, their liquid assets are limited, and with the recent economic crisis, most medium-sized enterprises are operating under debt. Despite the superficial appearances, the Fu family doesn't have much spare cash and couldn't possibly afford a decent and charming property.

However, this house had already been transferred to Li Qiu and Li Xia's names. Although Fu Xinren moved in, he didn't have ownership, so everything was still under Li Xia's control. But Li Xia didn't want to kick them out now; she needed to interact with the Li family's board of directors and disrupt the internal relations of the Fu family. Her intimidation was just to show them who the real master of this household was.

Fu Xinren felt deeply humiliated by his daughter's words and actions. He felt like he had lost all his face. But regardless of who was right or wrong, he was getting angry.

Li Xia tactfully emphasized, "Dad, I'm not targeting you. My home will always welcome you."

Each word she said previously painted a picture of her father, herself, and Qiao Qiao as a united whole, while the ones with "Lan" in their names were categorized differently, implying suppression.

This even made Fu Xinren angry. Fu Yilan usually acted very mature, so why was she so impulsive today?

As for Fu Yilan, she was having an eye-opening experience.

Li Xia's combination of kindness and severity, using both soft and hard tactics, showed that she had extraordinary methods. She played a good game.

Fu Yilan had to admit that she had acted impulsively. She hadn't thought rationally from the beginning, which had led to the problem.

Everything was part of Li Xia's plan. Spilling wine on her, kicking her, demeaning her face with a shoe sole, pretending to switch drinks, pretending to release a video—all of it, in just a short span of ten minutes, was aimed at making Fu Yilan feel ashamed and lose her composure. That's why she acted impulsively, trying to frame Li Xia, and ended up backfiring.

Fu Yilan, seeing her father's change in demeanor, felt even more sad and guilty. "Sister, I'm sorry. I spoke out of humiliation. I shouldn't have acted without evidence."

That statement felt a bit off no matter how you looked at it.

Fu Yilan cried while looking at her father, showing a rare vulnerable side. When Fu Xinren met her pleading eyes, he felt an infinite sense of paternal responsibility.

He cleared his throat and said to Li Xia with a serious tone, "Today's incident was partly my fault. I accused you without investigating properly. Dad apologizes to you. Let's forget about this. You just came back home; there's no need to make it unpleasant, right?"

Li Xia was surprised that he actually apologized and softened up, but what was even more unbelievable was how easily the people from the Lan family were silenced.

Though it hurt a bit, it was more satisfying. Well, since there was no salvation, it made things easier. Since this scumbag father used her mother's methods, using him and then getting rid of him would be easy.

Li Xia relaxed her expression and gave face to her father. She said calmly, "Since Dad said so, let's forget about this incident. But, since Dad apologized and admitted his mistake, what about you two?" She looked coldly at Lan Xin and Fu Yilan. "Shouldn't you say something?"

Fu Xinren, of course, had no objections. With Li Xia's statement, "Dad apologized and admitted his mistake," his lost face was restored. He turned his head and sternly said to Fu Yilan and Lan Xin, "One acted recklessly, the other caused trouble. Aren't you going to apologize?"

Both of them gritted their teeth, one after the other saying, "I'm sorry."

Li Xia faced their resentful gazes with a faint smile.

Lan Xin couldn't stand it and said, "Madam, it was Fu Yilan who suffered."

"You have no right to speak here!" Madam's clear voice interrupted, and Fu Xinren immediately gave Lan Xin a warning look. Lan Xin shut her mouth, full of anger.

Seeing this, Lan Yu approached softly to please her mother, "Mom, it's all my fault today. I didn't manage things properly..."

"Knowing it's your fault, reflect on it. Instead of wasting time with words, you should go and teach your daughter properly. Don't stand here being a nuisance to me." Madam couldn't be bothered to look at her.

Lan Yu felt wronged and saddened again.

Li Xia looked indifferently at her, thinking she was quite an interesting character. She wanted to shoulder the blame herself, but now that she was being accommodated, she seemed unhappy.

Fu Yilan didn't dare to speak, just looking at her father with sadness and remorse.

This time, Fu Xinren didn't dare to defend Lan Yu; he only whispered softly, "This time, it's not Yilan's fault."

"And it's not Xia Xia's fault either. Why did you scold her without knowing the whole story?" Madam seized the opportunity and berated Fu Xinren even more fiercely, making him feel utterly embarrassed.

Despite her anger, Madam's words were reasonable. She was like a jīng with no room for compromise. When Fu Xinren thought about how he had put all the controlling shares of the Fu family in her name, he realized he was both filial and calculating to such an extent regarding the marriage contract with his family. Unlike Fu Xinren, she was a typical Chinese laborer—pure and honest.

When Fu Xinren's love history was exposed, she didn't protect him, scolding him for being ungrateful and heartless, breaking his leg with a cane. She even said that except for Li Xia and Li Qiu, she wouldn't recognize the other illegitimate children.

Fu Xia's grandparents died early, so she was raised by her grandmother. Even after her parents divorced, she often came to visit her grandmother with her sister. Every time she arrived, she would see her grandmother standing at the door, waiting eagerly.

Fu Xia didn't expect to wake up her grandmother. She hurried forward to help her grandmother sit down, finally seeing someone who cared for her. She couldn't help but feel heartbroken and choked up as she called out, "Grandma."

The sternness in her grandmother's eyes dissipated the moment she saw her, and the old woman gently touched her face, sighing lightly, "Xia Xia, you've suffered."

Just one sentence almost brought tears to Fu Xia's eyes.

Lan Xin, who was standing on the side, couldn't bear it and said, "Madam, it's Fu Yilan who's suffered."

"Who gave you the right to speak?" Madam's voice was clear and powerful, and she gave Lan Xin a stern look. Lan Xin shut her mouth, feeling angry.

Lan Yu approached softly to please her mother, "Mom, it's all my fault today. I didn't manage things properly..."

"Knowing it's your fault, reflect on it. Instead of wasting time with words, you should go and teach your daughter properly. Don't stand here being a nuisance to me." Madam couldn't be bothered to look at her.

Lan Yu felt wronged and saddened again.

Li Xia looked indifferently at her, thinking she was quite an interesting character. She wanted to shoulder the blame herself, but now that she was being accommodated, she seemed unhappy.

Fu Yilan didn't dare to speak, just looking at her father with sadness and remorse.

This time, Fu Xinren didn't dare to defend Lan Yu; he only whispered softly, "This time, it's not Yilan's fault."

"And it's not Xia Xia's fault either. Why did you scold her without knowing the whole story?" Madam seized the opportunity and berated Fu Xinren even more fiercely, making him feel utterly embarrassed.

Despite her anger, Madam's words were reasonable. She was like a jīng with no room for compromise. When Fu Xinren thought about how he had put all the controlling shares of the Fu family in her name, he realized he was both filial and calculating to such an extent regarding the marriage contract with his family. Unlike Fu Xinren, she was a typical Chinese laborer—pure and honest.

Fu Xinren glanced at Lan Yu and said, "If you continue to provoke Mom by making such a face, then don't appear in front of her again!" Lan Yu lowered her head.

Only then did Grandma take Li Xia's hand and lead her to the inner room without much conversation, but she asked her to go see Qiao Qiao first.

Qiao Qiao was Li Xia's biggest concern, so she hurried up to the attic. Upon entering, she ran into Uncle Qian, the steward who had been with the Li family for twenty years, loyal and trustworthy.

Because Grandma also trusted Uncle Qian, a man of few words but stable, Fu Xinren didn't dare to dismiss him.

The first person Li Xia saw when she woke up in the sanatorium that year was him. He had told her everything that had happened that year.

Without saying a word, Li Xia walked lightly to the child's bedside and saw Qiao Qiao, who was sleeping peacefully under the moonlight. His breathing was still heavy, his face pale, and his small body curled up under the blanket.

The little guy's sleep had always been restless, his long eyelashes fluttering against his white eyelids, casting a faint shadow.

Their Qiao Qiao used to be a handsome and lively child, optimistic and cheerful even without a father, loved by everyone. But because of the injury caused by Fu Yilan, Qiao Qiao developed a heart problem and, although his legs had healed, he still couldn't stand up.

Li Xia still remembered the day Qiao Qiao woke up after surgery, the moment he saw Li Qiu, he gave her a cute smile.

Li Qiu immediately burst into tears.

Qiao Qiao even wiped his mother's tears with his soft little hand and said, "Qiao Qiao doesn't hurt at all."

Two years had passed, and now Qiao Qiao was even thinner than he was when he was lying in the hospital bed. For a year, without family, how lonely must such a small child have felt?

Li Xia's heart ached. She couldn't help but lower her head to nuzzle his face gently and murmur, "Qiao Qiao, our little handsome boy."

Just as she touched him, he suddenly opened his eyes, his black pupils gleaming like black sapphires, so pure that it made people want to cry.

Li Xia was stunned, but the next moment she heard him softly call out, "Little Mommy."

He still remembered her.

Li Xia choked up, about to reply, but Qiao Qiao closed his eyes.

Uncle Qian whispered, "Qiao Qiao is dreaming."

Li Xia's eyes stung. She looked up at the star pattern on the ceiling of the children's room for a while before turning around and looking at the small wheelchair beside the bed, asking, "Where did Qiao Qiao go to school this year?"

"He didn't go to school; he has been bedridden all the time," Uncle Qian said, and then after a while added, "The Fu family is taking care of Qiao Qiao for a reason."

"I know," Li Xia's face turned cold, "The shares of Lizhi Yiren should have been inherited by me and my sister after my mother's death; my share is probably being 'managed' by my father. As for my sister, with Qiao Qiao around, her share..."

Li Xia looked at the sleeping face of the little boy and fell silent.

Now she had to find a way to regain custody of Qiao Qiao. Otherwise, with the Fu family watching, perhaps the Lang family would also set their sights on him.

Fortunately, only Li Xia knew that Qiao Qiao was born in the United States, and all kinds of identity documents were kept in the bank's safe. As long as Li Xia completed the adoption procedures, no one could take Qiao Qiao away in the future.

"I have asked Qian Xian to handle it."

Qian Xian was Uncle Qian's son. He used to be a capable assistant at Lizhi Department Store, but after Lizhi was taken over by the Fu family, he lost his courage. Now Li Xia had brought him back through Uncle Qian.

"Also," Li Xia turned to look at him, "I heard that our family's former lawyer, Jian Nan, is now working for the Fu family?"

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