C16 Where Are You Going?

As she pondered, there was a sudden slap. Mrs. Qin's hand struck with such force that it left Wanwan momentarily stunned. Already feeling lightheaded from skipping breakfast and the exhausting journey, she staggered a couple of steps and grabbed the back of the couch for support.

"Oh, come on. Yan Tine isn't here, so why are you pretending to be weak? That act won't work on me." Mrs. Qin showed no sympathy for Wanwan's demeanor. She gestured to Qin Weiming's assistant, who promptly grabbed Wanwan and started dragging her toward the door.

The assistant was strong and tall, easily maneuvering Wanwan to the entrance. It was odd; the day had started with clear skies, but now, stepping in and out of the Qin household, the weather had turned gloomy and overcast.

Wanwan fought to break free, determined to confront Mrs. Qin and negotiate. "What exactly do you want?"

Mrs. Qin looked down at Wanwan, who stood a step below her, and said coldly, "The old man took some sleeping pills and hasn't woken up yet. Do you think if he finds out about this, you'll be okay?"

"I need to see Yan Tine!" With the news causing a crisis for the Nian family, Wanwan hadn't forgotten that the only hope to salvage their situation was Qin Yanting.

As soon as they clear things up, the news will vanish into thin air. But... those photos, will Yan Tine believe her?

"What face do you have left to see Yan Tine?" Qin's mother reached out, ready to slap again. Nian Wanwan stood her ground, not flinching, which surprisingly made Qin's mother pull back her hand. She spoke coldly, "Nian Wanwan, since you married Yan Tine, what have you brought to our family? Tell me? Our family has had to carry the burden of your family's problems! And now you dare to do something like this?"

"I want to see Yan Tine," Nian Wanwan said firmly.

Qin's mother's earlier words seemed to hint that she knew Yan Tine's whereabouts. Everything felt so strange—such a big issue, and the ever-attentive Yan Tine was nowhere to be found. Clearly, Qin's mother was involved.

"Do you dare say that again? Do you think Yan Tine will still help you?" Qin's mother's angry face briefly showed a flicker of pain. She stepped down one stair, and Nian Wanwan retreated half a step, putting some distance between them. Qin's mother pressed forward, stopping at a higher position, her gaze radiating a powerful hostility.

With a heart full of suppressed emotions, she took a deep breath and said, "I already know you and Yan Tine have agreed to divorce. You might fool the old man, but not me. Now that the news is out, everyone can part ways amicably, isn't that what you wanted?"

Qin's mother let go of her anger and turned to negotiate with Wanwan in a cold tone.

"I need to see Yan Tine," Wanwan insisted.

At that moment, a light rain began to fall from the sky, mirroring Wanwan's almost hopeless mood. She knew time was running out. It was already past ten o'clock, and if she didn't prepare a press conference to clear things up soon, Pei Chenglin would definitely make his next move. By then, the Nian Family would be beyond saving.

"Wanwan, do you really not know where Yan Tine is?" Qin's mother softened, realizing that without revealing Yan Tine's whereabouts, Wanwan wouldn't give up.

Wanwan silently looked at Qin's mother, waiting for her to continue.

"Rumble..."

A clap of thunder sounded, and Qin's mother quickly retreated to the doorway, unwilling to continue the standoff with Wanwan. With a stern face, she said, "Last night, Yan Tine attended a dinner and drank until he had a stomach bleed. Where were you then?"

"Rumble..."

Another clap of thunder echoed.

Wanwan felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if something had pierced it, leaving an empty ache. Yesterday, Yan Tine had indeed called her, asking her to pick him up. At that time, she realized he had been drinking, but Pei Chenglin was there and ended the call.

"He drove himself home until the pain became unbearable, and he finally pulled over to the side of the road for help from the traffic police to get to the hospital," Qin's mother said, tears welling in her eyes. She sniffled and took out Yan Tine's phone.

Nian Wanwan felt a sense of dread wash over her.

“I checked. His last call was with you. What did you talk about?”

“I…” Nian Wanwan was at a loss for words.

“Now Yan Tine is lying in the hospital, and you were seen with that Pei family guy. What do you take our family for? What do you take Yan Tine for? Do you even care about our family or Yan Tine at all?”

Qin's mother shouted, then fell silent. Nian Wanwan felt as if her legs were weighed down with lead, unable to move out of the rain's path, letting the increasing downpour soak her.

“Nian Wanwan, you better take care of yourself.”

The Qin family’s door slammed shut, and Nian Wanwan finally broke down, her tears mingling with the rain. She finally admitted to herself that she was a bad person. Qin's mother was right to despise her. She knew Yan Tine had feelings for her, yet she still went through with the sham marriage.

“Yan Tine… Yan Tine…”

“I still ended up hurting you.”

Nian Wanwan murmured, turning her back on the Qin family and walking away.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Qin family mansion, Old Master Qin Weiming stood proudly, watching Nian Wanwan leave, showing no signs of having just woken from a sleep induced by sleeping pills. As Nian Wanwan gradually disappeared from view, Qin's mother stood beside Qin Weiming, coldly watching Nian Wanwan as well.

Although it was summer, getting soaked in the rain was still uncomfortable and made her look quite bedraggled. After walking for a while, Wanwan finally reached the main road, where she could catch a cab.

"Hey... it's you!"

A taxi pulled up in front of Wanwan. The summer rain had come and gone quickly. Even though thinking about Yanting weighed heavily on her mind, the clearing weather helped her regain some composure.

She recognized the taxi driver by his big, toothy grin. He was the same one who had driven her to the Qin family estate that morning.

"Where to?" the driver asked, not curious about why she was drenched. He was just thinking about how this passenger had given him a good fare earlier, running him back and forth across town, and even tipped generously.

Wanwan opened the car door and got in, repeating her earlier destination: "To the Nian Family."

The driver understood and had a vague idea of who she might be. He smiled slightly and started the car.

After driving for a bit, the driver, noticing how quiet she was, decided to make conversation. "You mentioned going to the Nian Family this morning, and now you're coming from the Qin family... Are you perhaps an employee of Qin's Company? I heard they've invested over there and have been losing quite a bit lately."

"Could you drive a bit faster?" Wanwan wasn't planning to brush off the driver's enthusiasm.

She understood that things were already set in stone. Without Yan Tine, there was no room for negotiation. The Nian family... was really on the brink.