The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 858 - 857: Invisible Boasting, the Most Deadly

"Sister Guoguo, don’t be mad at Meiyue, she’s always like that, looking down on everyone and everything. We don’t like to play with her, she insists on coming by herself," Ning Yanqing comforted Pei Tang.

Just like his sister Ning Yanxi, Ning Yanqing genuinely liked Pei Tang, who had grown up with him like a childhood friend, and he was really afraid that Pei Tang would be upset by Ning Meiyue’s words.

Pei Tang clapped Ning Yanqing on the shoulder like a good buddy, "Chill, I’m not petty enough to hold a grudge against her. I generally settle scores on the spot."

"Sister Guoguo, you’re amazing. Meiyue has such a bad temper. Usually, she’s the one bullying others, and it’s the first time I’ve seen her get a taste of her own medicine," Ning Jiaming said.

Ning Jiaming, a grandchild of the main branch of the Ning Family, was a year younger than Pei Tang.

Although it was their first meeting, he really liked Pei Tang, his older "sister".

Her eyes were big and round, shining bright like black gems, and her thick, dark eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a butterfly.

With her round, perky nose, rosy lips, and snow-white skin, she looked as delicate and pretty as a doll in a display window.

"Sister Guoguo, your eyes are so pretty, just like stars."

Although Ning Jiaming was a year younger than Pei Tang, his family status and background made him more precocious and smart than his peers.

His words were filled with a purposeful charm.

Pei Tang couldn’t tell, but Pei Ziheng was not fooled.

From the moment Ning Yanqing and the others surrounded Pei Tang, as her brother, he felt that uncomfortable and annoyed feeling that someone was encroaching on his territory, like his ’cabbage’ was being poached by pigs.

"Guoguo, come here."

Even though she was having a good time chatting with Ning Yanqing and others, as soon as Pei Ziheng called, Pei Tang immediately ran over to him.

"Brother, look, this is the Horse Ticket Uncle Ning gave me. If I win some money later, I’ll treat you to a big meal."

Pei Ziheng said with relaxed and gentle eyes as he ruffled her hair, "Alright, if you don’t win, whatever you want to eat, I’ll treat you, and whatever you want to buy, I’ll buy it for you."

So, don’t be swayed by a few words from boys outside.

He added in his heart.

Pei Tang, oblivious to her brother’s thoughts, nodded eagerly like a pecking chicken, her face and eyes filled with the happiness of being pampered and indulged.

"Brother, do you think what I did just now was right?"

Although she had successfully driven away Ning Meiyue and avenged herself, receiving praise from her friends, Pei Tang still cared deeply about her brother’s opinion.

"Well done."

Those brief four words made Pei Tang’s heart bloom with joy.

She held her head up slightly, clear about the right and wrong in her actions: "It’s her fault for talking behind my back. If she had spoken nicely, I wouldn’t have had to shout at her."

While they were talking, the horse racing results were announced.

The horse number seven that Pei Tang had bet on didn’t win, but the horse number three that Ning Yuan had bet on took the victory, winning over a million dollars.

True to his word, Pei Ziheng took Pei Tang to the restaurant at the horse club to eat, comforting her "wounded" heart.

Ning Yanxi and the others joined them.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Pei Ziheng went to pay the bill, only to be told that today’s expenses were all charged to Ning Yuan’s account.

...

It wasn’t until the evening that Ning Yuan took the two kids home for dinner.

He and Zhuang Xueqi had their own home in Hong City, a sea-view villa on the hillside.

It was a wedding gift from Elder Ning.

Seeing that they were getting closer to home, Ning Yuan slowed down the car.

"Manman, baby."

Ning Yanxi, tired from playing, was dozing off in the back seat. Hearing his call, she barely opened her sleepy eyes.

"At dinner, you ask me, ’Daddy, you won money betting on horses today, what gift are you going to give me and my brother?’"

Ning Yanxi asked confusedly why.

Ning Yanqing quickly answered, "Dummy, of course it’s to let Mom know he won money."

"Can’t we just tell Mom directly?"

"Showing off without being showy is the most lethal."

Ning Yuan: "..."

Nicely said, don’t say it again next time.

Although he didn’t understand, Ning Yanxi still listened to Ning Yuan’s words. When sitting down to eat at the dining table, he did what Ning Yuan had told him to do.

Glancing at Zhuang Xueqi, who was eating her meal indifferently and methodically, Ning Yuan, in a good mood, asked the twins, "What gifts do you want?"

Ning Yanxi wanted a pretty little dress.

Ning Yanqing wanted a set of car models.

"And you? What do you want?"

Suddenly asked by Ning Yuan, Zhuang Xueqi was stunned for half a second before rolling her eyes without replying.

"There’s no need to save money for me, I’ve been married to you for so long and haven’t bought you anything, it makes me look like an incompetent husband. Whatever you want, just say it."

Looking at the man who seemed to have an issue, Zhuang Xueqi mischievously swallowed the food in her mouth.

"Okay then, since you’re so sincere, just buy me the New Baihui Shopping Center."

Ning Yuan was speechless and choked, "Xinbaihui? You sure think big!"

"If you can’t afford it, then stop showing off in front of me."

"..."

If it weren’t for the fact that she had given birth to two kids for him, he wouldn’t even think about giving her gifts!

In this lifetime, if he ever thought about giving her another gift, he’d be a fool!

Filled with resentment, Ning Yuan drove away from the villa.

...

In the noisy and blurry private room of a bar.

Ning Yuan downed a glass of whiskey and asked a local rich young man from Hong City, "How much is Xinbaihui worth now?"

The rich young man perked up with interest, saying mysteriously, "Why, is the Ning Family planning some new moves?"

"No, I’m just asking casually."

The rich young man took a sip of his drink and thoughtfully showed two fingers, "It should be worth at least this much, right?"

Two hundred million Hong Kong Dollars?

Damn, that wretched woman actually got it right.

He couldn’t afford it.

So frustrating!

...

A few days later.

"You’ve gotten into debt?"

When Ning Yuan returned to the main house in Mingyuan after work, he was immediately questioned by his family’s "empress dowager" as he stepped into the living room.

"Not at all."

"If you haven’t owed money, why did you sell your car?"

Those familiar with Ning Yuan knew that his greatest hobby in life was luxury cars.

He owned more than twenty cars, each one a favorite, hardly ever lent to others, let alone sold.

"I didn’t do much, the garage was too full, I was just clearing out some space."

The reason was logical and his tone natural, but it didn’t fool Yan Jing, his own mother.

Although she was aware her son was hiding something, she didn’t press any further.

A man in his thirties couldn’t be managed in every little thing like a child.

Surely, there were other ways and means for her to find out what she wanted to know.

"He wants to buy Xinbaihui? Has he lost his mind?"

The housekeeper didn’t dare to respond to this question, but merely said with a smile, "The young master must have his reasons for doing so, people always change. He used to love playing, but now he wants to expand his business empire, especially since he’s become a father."

Yan Jing knew her son too well. Ever since he was a child, he was never interested in business or cut out for commerce.

But for the time being, she could not fathom why her son would sell his cars to buy a shopping center, and simply chose not to bother.

Her expectations for her son were low; as long as he stayed out of trouble, it was enough.

Ning Yuan truly lived up to being a scion of wealth. He scraped together funds from all sources and surprisingly managed to amass one hundred and eighty million Hong Kong Dollars, and, as he wished, took Xinbaihui Shopping Center into his possession.