After Being Reborn and Regaining Her Identity, the True Heiress Is Spoiled in the Seventies-Chapter 358: Two Lives

“Mom, are you ready yet? My brothers have already left!” Pei Chenyou was getting impatient and started urging her.

“Alright, alright, I'm coming out.” Zhi Xia helplessly responded and hurriedly put on her shoes before walking out.

“Sister Zhang, we are leaving first. Remember to lock the door when you go back later.”

“Oh, I know. You guys go ahead.”

Today was the 100-day celebration for Fourth Brother's youngest daughter. He had specially come back from the army.

There were no other people, just one table booked at the Huasheng Hotel for their big family to celebrate.

Wanqing went with her great-grandfather, while Chenye took his three younger brothers running. Zhi Xia was the last one to leave the house, riding a bicycle with Little Six, and Ping'an sitting in front.

Little Six was the only single birth child at home. He spent all day with Ping'an, who was a few months younger than him. Not knowing they were uncle and nephew, they thought they were real brothers.

When they arrived at the entrance of Huasheng Hotel, Zhi Xia parked her bicycle at the designated parking area before pulling Little Six and Ping'an to go in.

In the hotel lobby, she happened to see Wang Li facing Liu Xuan saying something, while Wu Xiaohua had a disdainful expression beside them.

Wang Li had her back facing Zhi Xia. Liu Xuan was much taller than Wang Li, so he just happened to glance at Zhi Xia. He nodded slightly at her.

Zhi Xia also nodded lightly. She continued walking forward, pulling Little Six and Ping'an along without stopping her pace.

Sensing Liu Xuan's abnormal behavior, Wang Li looked back and saw Zhi Xia's leaving figure.

In the private room, a table that could seat over 20 people was crammed full, with some children having to stand in the gaps between stools as there was no more space.

Zhi Xia said some endearing words and handed the small gold bracelet she had prepared for An Zhiang to him. With so many people, he didn't open it but put it straight into his bag.

Behind them was a small table full of gifts from the elders to the children, piled high with quite a lot.

With the country's opening up, people were no longer as low-key as before. They didn't avoid having lavish weddings like in the past. With the people's love for lively events, they liked to celebrate things big and small.

"I really didn't notice before. I thought Zhi Xia would start working after graduating from university. I didn't expect she would go into business and do quite well. This Huasheng Hotel is currently the biggest hotel in our city. I heard you even have a share in it. In the future when our family comes, you'll have to give us the VIP discount." Liu Ling joked with a smile.

"Sister-in-law, don't joke about it. I only invested some idle money. I'm not involved in managing the hotel operations. But if you come to dine here in the future and give them my name, I'm sure you can get the VIP discount."

"I was just joking, don't take it seriously. Otherwise, I would feel too embarrassed to come again."

Liu Ling was also someone who cared about face. Of course, she wouldn't ask for discounts over such a small matter.

This was also why the family could still get along harmoniously despite knowing she had such thoughts.

Everyone acts in their own interest, but those who care about face have reservations. With reservations, they would contemplate more before acting. Unlike Wang Yue and Pei Shuangshuang who didn't care and were used to others giving in to them. When no one was willing to give in to them anymore, the ones eating the loss would still be them in the end.

In this aspect, Pei JianGuo was also an oddball. He always showed his sharp side to his family, yet was always concerned about face when dealing with outsiders and friends, and acted with restraint.

So as his wife and daughter, it was truly exhausting. This was probably also one of the main reasons why Guo Momo could no longer tolerate it.

The elderly grandfather and grandmother were over 80 years old. With their advanced age, they didn't eat much, just wanted to have fun.

Halfway through the meal, they left first, saying they wanted to walk around the courtyard.

When they first acquired the land, it wasn't considered expensive. Liu Xuan was also someone who listened to advice and was bold. His original plan was to sell part of the land after acquiring it, but he kept it all under Zhi Xia's persuasion.

Therefore, Huasheng Hotel occupied a large area of land. There was also a scenic area and recreational facilities built in the backyard. Even without dining, it was still nice to stroll around here.

Of course, apart from the hotel guests, the interior was not open to the public.

After the event ended, An Zhiang drove the elderly and children home first, while the others also returned to their respective homes.

Zhi Xia walked on the road with the twins. With sufficient food and care growing up, the 11-year-old children were already 1.6 meters tall, almost as tall as Zhi Xia.

Chenye was steady and clever. He had just graduated from middle school this year. She didn't want him to skip grades next, feeling he was still too young. With older classmates if he advanced too quickly, he might not fit in well.

But the child had his own opinion about schooling.

Pei Jing had talked to him before, and in the end came back to persuade her to be more open-minded and trust their child's abilities. He could handle it.

By comparison, Wanqing was very stable. Apart from skipping a grade in elementary school, she had progressed very smoothly. She often complained that her brother advanced too quickly, making her look stupid when she was also at the top of her class.

Walking not far from Huasheng, Wang Li had been waiting here for a long time. She knew this was the road Zhi Xia must take to go home.

She happened to give birth near graduation and was quarrelling with Li Fei a lot then. Her originally good grades should have gotten her a very good job, but her performance wasn't great at graduation due to this. In the end, she only got an average job and was assigned as an accountant at a textile factory.

Later, her relationship with Li Fei became increasingly rigid. It was as if he had become a different person, with his attitude towards her changing unpredictably. Even to their newborn child, he didn't look once.

He even suspected this child was not his.

No matter what she said or how she explained, he refused to believe her.

Zhi Xia also saw Wang Li standing in front, gazing straight at her. She was clearly waiting for her.

"Chenye, Wanqing, wait here for mom for a while. Mom has something to talk about with that lady in front." Zhi Xia instructed the two children.

"Okay."

After the children acknowledged, she walked forward.

"Zhi Xia, long time no see." Wang Li had gained some weight, looking haggard. She seemed weak, completely unlike her former vivacious self.

"Yes, long time no see." Zhi Xia looked at her, not knowing for a moment whether to say she brought this upon herself.

Wang Li pulled the corner of her mouth into what was meant to be a smile, but it couldn't help having some bitterness mixed in.

She stiffly put away her expression, thinking her smile must have looked terrible.

"I'm sorry." Even till now, Wang Li sincerely said this. "I was too impulsive back then. I didn't know if what I was doing was right or wrong either. I was just very afraid, afraid of going back to the countryside, afraid Liu Xuan wouldn't let me off, so I desperately wanted to hold on to something..."

So she had deceived Li Fei, and was now suffering the consequences.

Although not yet divorced, Li Fei's disregard made her unable to continue staying with her in-laws. Her parents-in-law knew about her past and didn't look kindly on her, even disliking the child.

Her mother who had urged her to firmly grasp Li Fei, now said she had raised a useless daughter. Other people's daughters were so filial after marrying out, while she was useless and kept dragging her parents down.

Thinking back now, only Zhi Xia had sincerely advised her.

If she had listened to her advice then not to deceive Li Fei, and given up when there was no more possibility with Liu Xuan, with her university degree she would have had a bright future after graduation, unlike now. Dragging a newborn child, she felt exhausted physically and mentally. Unable to do her job well, and unable to care for the child properly.

She felt her entire life was a complete mess created by herself.

She had wronged Liu Xuan and her daughter, and also wronged Li Fei and her newborn child. Everything was her fault, and she didn't even know what had gotten into her to end up like this!

Zhi Xia thought for a while, then walked up and patted Wang Li on the shoulder. "You don't need to apologize to me. You didn't wrong me either. Wang Li, you're a university graduate. You have the ability to live well relying on yourself, not placing all your hopes on a man."

Wang Li thought that since Liu Xuan came to find her today, it meant that things were not working out with Li Fei and she wanted to come back.

But she didn't know that today she didn't come to cling onto Liu Xuan. She just came to sincerely apologize and also wanted to see the daughter she had selfishly abandoned.

Liu Xuan accepted her apology but didn't want to let her see the child.

Back then, holding onto the hope that Wang Li would come back and they would be reunited, even when she left for a year at school, Liu Xuan insisted on having the child look at her photo every day, for fear that when they met again one day, the child would be estranged from her mother.

But Wang Li's heartlessness completely crushed his hopes. After taking over custody of the child, he also stopped showing the child Wang Li's photos, instead lying to her that her mother had passed away.

Anyway, over the past few years, Wang Li had never once visited her, and the child had gone from being heartbroken at first to gradually accepting it, and now never asked about her mother.

The child was young with a bad memory. Liu Xuan didn't want Wang Li to reappear in the child's life, lest it hurt her.

His considerations also made some sense. So Wang Li was persuaded.

There was no longer any possibility between her and Liu Xuan. Even if she was willing, he would no longer want her. Why upset the child again?

Zhi Xia could see Wang Li's dejection but didn't know this would be the last time they met.

If she had known, she would have definitely stopped her!

After parting with Wang Li, Zhi Xia took the two children home.

The next afternoon, the police from the station came asking her to go to the police station to assist in the investigation. Sister Zhang was so frightened she immediately went next door for help.

An Zhi Ang was still at home and hurried out. By the time he got to the door, Zhi Xia had also walked out with them.

He took out his military officer ID and spoke up, "Comrade police officer, I don't know what crime my sister has committed. Is there some misunderstanding?"

If it were a few years ago, he would have blocked people without asking. As one grew older, one's mind matured too, and he had long passed the rash age.

An Zhi Ang held a senior position in a special department of the military. Naturally, the police officer would give him some face.

"This military comrade has misunderstood. Last night a woman hugged a child and committed suicide. Eyewitnesses can prove that the woman saw An comrade before she died. So we need An comrade to come assist in the investigation."

An Zhi Ang looked at Zhi Xia in puzzlement. She had already spoken up, "Was it Wang Li?"

"That's right."

Zhi Xia's eyes were slightly red. She would never have imagined that everything had changed, yet Wang Li still could not escape her fate in their previous life.

Or rather, this was just her personality. Even without those events happening, when faced with other difficulties, she would still make the same heartless choice.

And...she took a baby who had just been born a few months ago with her.

Hearing the name Wang Li, An Zhi Ang felt it was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

But something from many years ago, and just a passing acquaintance at that, certainly hadn't left much of an impression on him.

At the police station, Zhi Xia happened to run into Liu Xuan on his way out.

He was still dressed as he was last night, but had long lost last night's high spirits.

He surely also never imagined that Wang Li would take such an extreme path.

If he had known earlier, he would have stopped her. Even if he couldn't stop her, he wouldn't have refused her request to see their daughter so heartlessly.

Li Fei also came out from inside, looking utterly disheveled and unsteady on his feet as if he could collapse at any moment.

The two dead were his wife and daughter.

Even though he hated her for deceiving him, he had never thought of wanting her dead, let alone wanting their child dead.

Li Fei hated himself. Even if Wang Li was at fault, their child was innocent. He should not have lashed out in anger with words to attack her, to attack their child.

His daughter, she had just been conceived when he was overjoyed at the thought of her birth, poring through dictionaries to pick out a name for her.

Yet he had heartlessly driven them to death!

Ultimately, none of them were wicked people, just lost souls who made a heartless choice in their confusion, leading to lifelong tragedy and regret.

Zhi Xia gave her account at the police station of her conversation with Wang Li yesterday. Since there wasn't much said, she could clearly recall every word without omitting anything.

Exiting the police station and looking up at the clear blue sky outside, she couldn't shake off the gloom in her heart.

The woman who had been speaking before her just yesterday had become a corpse today.

She heard Li Fei hadn't been home for some time. Wang Li had taken the child out last night while her mother-in-law assumed she had gone back to her maiden home, so she didn't try to stop her.

Then this morning, her and the child's bodies were found floating in the river. The child was tied to her chest with a rope. Mother and daughter had ended their lives this way.

Zhi Xia didn't see Wang Li and the child's corpses but knew what drowned bodies would look like.

Li Fei still hadn't left outside the police station. Seeing Zhi Xia emerge, he looked at her helplessly, not knowing if he was speaking to her or to himself. "I never meant to drive her to death, Zhi Xia. You know me. I chased her for so long. I truly loved her. But she deceived me and I just couldn't get over it in my heart. But I never thought of making her die..."

Wang Li's parents had been called over. At the sight of Li Fei they rushed over with contorted faces to grab and tear at his clothes. "It's all because of you. You drove my daughter and granddaughter to death, you beast worse than animals. She gave birth to your child. Didn't you know yourself whether the child was yours? If you hadn't slandered her like this, she wouldn't have been driven to despair by you..."