Chapter 132: Logic vs love?

By the time they arrived on the grounds of the Shen manor, Weijun was in stitches. He had laughed himself to the point of giving his stomach cramps. He walked into the villa, clucthcing his belly, assisted by Butler Chen.

Liwu barely had time to follow him before she was cut off by Weifeng. Liwu, already sensing trouble, took a step back. After the pressure she had been under to solve the case, a restless night and a flight where she was the subject of comedic target, she wished to rest.

Instead of that, she was getting her brother-in-law whose facial expression was tight with determination.

“Sister-in-law, we need to talk.” he said, voice clipped.

She raised an eyebrow, “About what?”

Weifeng gestured to the direction leading to the small gardens behind the villa. She followed him without hesitation. His shoulders were squared, his jaw clenched. And when he sat down, it seemed as if he wanted to break the metallic bench.

Liwu remained standing. “Begin,” she instructed, in a commanding voice.

“It’s about Manman. My girlfriend. She has told me about everything that occurred. How you have been picking on her.”

Liwu blinked, then laughed softly, though there was no humor in it. “Picking on her? Weifeng, the first day I met your girlfriend, she was full of apologies and tears, requesting that I don’t hold anything against her. I had never met her before. What did she have to be sorry for? I have barely said anything to her since I met her but she always has something to say to me.”

Weifeng narrowed his eyes. “She told me how you have been having doctors conduct tests on her mother for over a month now. That you roll your eyes when you see her or when she speaks. That you make her feel unwelcome in my family home.”

Liwu arched her brows. “Did she skip the part where she begged your brother to get the best doctors to treat her mother? All I did was fulfill her wish. Is it that she is wishing death upon her mother or does she want the poor woman to never get well?” She crossed her arms on her chest and said sternly, “Weifeng, listen carefully. I have no reason to pick on your girlfriend. What I have done is observe. And what I see is a woman who plays innocent while stirring trouble. In plain words, she is a green tea bitch. You would be wise to end your relationship with her as soon as possible.”

Weifeng flinched at the bluntness. “That’s harsh. You don’t know Manman like I do.”

Liwu’s voice remained calm, logical, the tone she used in interrogations. “I don’t know her but I know body language. I know patterns, Weifeng. I have spent years reading people and unraveling lies. She strung two brothers along and returned when one got married. When he pushed her away, she suddenly accepted the one that was left.

She smiles at me but her eyes flicker with calculation. She compliments me at the table and whispers false complaints when no one is listening. She pretends to be fragile but she’s always maneuvering for sympathy. She hugs you with two hands and smiles coquettishly at my husband. She is not kind and sweet, she is strategic.”

Weifeng shook his head, frustration mounting. “You are imagining things. Manman is not calculating. She was confused when she couldn’t decide between me and my brother but she has received clarity. She is willing to give us a chance.

And don’t talk to me about kindness and sweetness because I have seen Manman be all those things. She is nothing like you, the wealthy daughters of elite families who only understand how to use your privilege to get ahead in life.

Everything that she has, she worked hard for it. Even though she was born into a poor family, she has the heart of an angel. She is gentle, thoughtful. She cares about me.”

Liwu’s lips curved into a thin line. “So, because she was born poor, the rest of us deserve to be disdained by you because we were born in better financial circumstances. What a load of shit. Do you disdain your sisters as well? Because they were not born poor, as far as I can see.”

“Don’t twist my words.” he snapped.

Liwu sneered. “And gentler? It looks to me like she has already messed up your ability to have a real relationship with another woman. Now, she is extending her claws to your family. I am sure she uses tears to get you to agree to something. She probably sent you here to talk to me, didn’t she? You are a fool that is letting a scheming woman control you.”

“You are wrong, she is nothing but supportive.” He slammed his fist on the bench.

Liwu’s eyes softened, though her words remained firm. “You can be angry all you like, all I am trying to do is help you. I am not judging, honestly, I have seen a lot of people in situations like yours. I am not trying to hurt you, I am trying to protect you. You are blinded by affection like your brother was, in the past. But, affection doesn’t erase manipulation. I am a detective, I cannot ignore the truth when I see it. Even when its uncomfortable. And the truth is, Manman is not what she pretends to be.”

Weifeng’s face reddened. “You don’t get to decide that. You don’t get to judge her.”

Liwu sighed. “I told you, I am not judging. I am analyzing. If she were genuine, I would welcome her with both hands. But every gesture, every word, carried a double edge. She is wearing a mask, and I know that when it comes off, you will be heartbroken.”

Weifeng’s voice rose, sharp with anger. “You’re just jealous. Manman was right, that is what it is. You are jealous that my brother loves her.”

Liwu’s eyes flashed. “Jealous? Weifeng, what does she have that I have to be jealous of? Her system assigned face? Her poor background? Her lack of acting skills? Her desperation to fit in with people from my background? With how Weijun treats me respectfully in public and private, what do I have to be jealous of? Love!! Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone knows arranged marriages don’t start from love. But, as long as there is communication, trust and respect, they can last long. I am not the one who is jealous, your Manman is the one that is jealous of me.”

The air was thick with tension. Weifeng’s breathing was ragged, his loyalty to Manman clashing with Liwu’s logic. He wanted to believe his girlfriend’s sweetness, her tears, her soft words. He wanted to believe that Liwu was wrong.

He stormed off, trembling like a leaf that had been doused in the perfume of conviction.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep