The weather grew better with each passing day after the Lantern Festival.
Bare branches sprouted new buds, particularly striking in the morning mist. Sunlight gradually broke through the clouds, warming all living things.
It fell upon towering trees, filtering through their dense leaves, casting dappled light of varying sizes on the ground.
Beneath a tree at the entrance of the East District Prison.
Xia Linfeng and Han Wenjuan stood there, looking particularly disheveled in their drab clothing, their expressions utterly uncomfortable.
Today was the day of their release, but the person meant to pick them up had yet to arrive.
Xia Linfeng couldn't help but complain, "What's going on with Wanfu, why isn't she here to pick us up? This is outrageous."
Although the prison was located in the suburbs and no one would pass by, they still felt immensely embarrassed.
After all, this was not a matter of pride; they just wanted to leave this place quickly.
Han Wenjuan furrowed her brow, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Let's wait a little longer. She should be here soon."
She hadn't slept all night. The thought of being released today made her too excited to sleep. For the past six months, she had longed to escape this dreadful place every single moment.
Xia Linfeng impatiently gazed at the road ahead, his face growing increasingly grim.
"What kind of job is she doing? We agreed on today for our release, and she still hasn't come to pick us up earlier."
Han Wenjuan ignored him, her gaze calmly fixed on the distance.
She worried that their daughter might have encountered some accident; otherwise, she wouldn't be so late in picking them up.
Xia Linfeng continued to grumble, his emotions highly unstable and volatile.
He had lost everything and was penniless.
The thought of returning to the capital with nowhere to stay after his release made him feel utterly miserable.
Han Wenjuan paid him no mind.
When she had possessed things, she lived in fear of losing them. But now that everything was gone, she felt strangely serene.
During her time in prison, she had pondered a great deal.
What was the use of clinging to wealth and status? It had only led to losing everything.
Her son was in prison, and her daughter was struggling alone in this big city, enduring untold hardships.
Yet, the unwillingness to accept it was real. If Xia Wantang had simply spoken a word, she could have lifted them out of their current predicament.
But she had watched them both be sent to prison and witnessed her older sister, whom she had grown up with, struggling to survive in the big city.
Why were they all in such a wretched state, while Xia Wantang lived more comfortably with each passing day?
Although that mysterious person had given them a large sum of money back then, Xia Wantang would not have survived without her care.
As Han Wenjuan thought of this, intense hatred and resentment flared in her eyes, her gaze chilling, like those of a sinister snake.
With nothing left to lose, what was there to fear? Even if she were to die, she would drag Xia Wantang down with her.
Her son was ruined, her home was destroyed, and everything was gone.
Even if life could return to what it was before, her son's ruined life could not be salvaged.
She would destroy Xia Wantang, destroy this heartless bitch. If not for her care, how could Xia Wantang have survived?
Back then, Xia Wantang had been only five or six months old when she was brought to the Xia family. She could already recognize people.
She was clingy then and cried for a whole week. It was Han Wenjuan, working day and night, who had raised her and cared for her meticulously.
At that time, Xia Yichen and Xia Wanfu were also still young, and she was looking after three children, enduring hardships that no one knew.
Although year after year, day after day, she gradually lost patience with Xia Wantang through the constant grind, she had never mistreated her.
She never let her go hungry or thirsty, never exposed her to the elements, and allowed her to study and grow up. That was already fulfilling her filial duty.
The only wrong she had done her was plotting for her to sleep with Du Jiasheng at the hotel.
But in the end, hadn't she benefited from misfortune?
It could be said that Han Wenjuan had half the credit for everything Xia Wantang had now.
Since they had lost everything, why did they have to stand by and watch them fall into such a predicament?
Her and Xia Linfeng's imprisonment were entirely caused by Ling Yuchen.
The reason Ling Yuchen treated them this way must have been Xia Wantang whispering in his ear.
Her hatred for Xia Wantang grew day by day, wishing to see her fall from a great height, shattering into pieces.
…
Amidst eager anticipation.
A car finally appeared at the end of the road.
Xia Linfeng's expression did not improve; instead, it grew increasingly sullen.
The car stopped in front of them, and Xia Wanfu quickly got out from the driver's seat.
She looked anxiously at the two people under the tree and apologized, "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I got stuck in traffic when I was leaving the city, so I'm late."
"Useless!" Xia Linfeng glared at her fiercely and said indignantly, "You can't do anything right. What good are you?"
Xia Wanfu pursed her lips, remaining silent. She lowered her head, concealing a flicker of sadness that crossed her eyes.
Her father had never even been willing to speak harshly to her before.
But ever since he was imprisoned, every time she saw him, he would scream at her, resent her, and blame her, which made her feel very wronged.
"Alright, let's go quickly," Han Wenjuan said, giving him a cold look. There was a barely perceptible hint of disdain in her eyes.
To be honest, she no longer had any affection for Xia Linfeng.
They had started as a poor couple and slowly accumulated their wealth.
But when men got rich, they changed. He kept a mistress and womanized outside, yet she turned a blind eye for the sake of their two children.
Now that their fortune was gone, she felt only disgust towards Xia Linfeng.
Xia Linfeng suppressed the anger in his heart, refraining from throwing another tantrum, and turned to get into the car.
The priority now was to leave this cursed place as soon as possible.
Han Wenjuan took her daughter's hand and gently patted it to comfort her. "Don't pay attention to your father. He only has his useless temper left now."
She grumbled inwardly: Apart from losing his temper, he was good for nothing. If not for that mysterious person's ten million yuan back then,
she didn't know when they would have become successful, but in the end, they had circled back to where they started.
"Mom, I'm fine,"
Xia Wanfu forced a smile, but her reddened eyes still betrayed her distress.
Han Wenjuan was about to say something more when Xia Linfeng's head popped out of the window, shouting impatiently, "Are we going or not? What are you babbling about?"
"Get in the car first," Han Wenjuan's face fell, her eyes filled with only coldness.
Xia Wanfu drove, Han Wenjuan sat in the passenger seat, and Xia Linfeng sat alone in the back.
She glanced at the rearview mirror and, seeing that Xia Linfeng's expression was relatively normal, hesitantly suggested, "Dad, Mom, shall I take you back to our old home first?"
Xia Linfeng immediately frowned, somewhat unwilling.
"Aren't you a big star now? Can't you arrange a place for us to stay in the capital?"
Xia Wanfu felt a lump in her throat, but she suppressed the sting in her eyes and said, "I've only filmed a few dramas, and my pay is very little. Moreover, I owe a million for brother's matter. Where would I have the money to arrange something for you?"