Chapter 477: Going Abroad
Seeing Su Li’s troubled expression, Wu Sheng reluctantly put down the kitchen knife.
"Su Li, you really don’t need to be nervous. Even if they know about your past relationship with Old Tang, it’s not a big deal."
His friends had been clamoring to meet Su Li before, but he kept putting it off, knowing she might feel self-conscious and pressured.
This time, having come back from the brink of death, and with his relationship with Su Li now stable, his friends wanted to treat him to a meal to celebrate him cheating death again. They brought up meeting Su Li once more.
These friends were very important to him—lifelong friends, barring any major falling-out. Su Li would have to interact with them sooner or later, so Wu Sheng figured they might as well meet, which was why he brought it up.
The result was just as he’d expected: Su Li got nervous. Or rather, it went beyond simple nervousness; her mind was racing with all sorts of worries.
"They aren’t just fair-weather friends; they’re true friends. They know how important you are to me, so they won’t think anything of your past with Old Tang."
Su Li looked up at Wu Sheng, biting her lip as she spoke in a low voice.
"It’s because they’re your real friends that I’m hesitating. You said it yourself—your friends definitely want the best for you. When they find out about my situation, they’ll just feel sorry for you..."
"I understand how that feels. Let’s switch places. If you were the one who was divorced and had a child, Sister Hongqin and the others would definitely be against me being with you. They’d be afraid it would be too hard on me."
’That’s what true friends do. They put themselves in your shoes and think about what’s best for you.’
Wu Sheng looked down at Su Li and paused for a moment. "I know what you mean."
He tilted his head in thought. "Don’t rush and overthink it. Take the next couple of days to consider it. If you want to meet them, we’ll go together. If you still have reservations, then we won’t go. We can find another chance later."
Su Li responded softly, "Okay."
For the next two days, Su Li kept mulling over the matter of meeting Wu Sheng’s friends.
She also secretly began to prepare, thinking about things like what outfit to wear.
Although Wu Sheng had said she didn’t have to go, Su Li thought it over and over and knew that avoidance wasn’t a solution.
Last time, when it came to meeting Wu Qihua, hadn’t she hesitated back and forth? That hesitation even led to the whole incident with Ye Xilan. In the end, she still met them.
’The most important people in a person’s life are their family, friends, and lover.’
’There’s no escaping them.’
When the appointed day arrived, Su Li ultimately decided to go.
Just as Su Li was getting ready to meet Wu Sheng’s friends, news about Bai Xinyue also came out.
Bai Xinyue, along with the entire Bai Family, had become a public target. Because the case involved her intentionally pushing Little Hei and causing injury, the police had gotten involved in the investigation.
After all this time, the matter had finally reached a resolution.
A resolution that was neither particularly good nor particularly bad.
Although Bai Xinyue had indeed pushed Little Hei, sentencing wasn’t so simple, considering the special circumstances at the time and the Bai Family’s lawyers protecting her at all costs. Even if they fought tooth and nail for a conviction, the jail time wouldn’t be very long.
On top of that, Bai Xinyue was already blind in one eye and half-blind in the other. The situation was too unique.
In the end, the matter between Bai Xinyue and Little Hei was settled privately.
Little Hei’s family had already lost their home in the mudslide. And while Little Hei’s medical expenses were temporarily covered, they still had to find a way to live.
Compared to fighting to the death to hold Bai Xinyue accountable, the generous compensation offered by the Bai Family could secure the family’s future livelihood.
They had elderly parents and two other children besides Little Hei. Although Little Hei had escaped death, his injuries were severe. He would need a long recovery, which would cost a lot of money...
They needed to survive... Little Hei hadn’t died or been permanently disabled. So, in the end, despite how difficult it was, Little Hei’s parents compromised for the sake of their lives.
They absolutely refused to accept any help from Wu Sheng and the others. Wu Sheng had already saved Little Hei twice and been so grievously injured himself; they couldn’t be insatiably greedy.
They hated Bai Xinyue just as much and wanted to see her brought to justice, but the reality of the situation was just too exceptional. They had no choice but to yield.
Feeling too ashamed to see Wu Sheng and the others, Little Hei’s family took the compensation from the Bai Family after the settlement, left the Imperial City, and returned to their hometown to rebuild their home and their lives.
And so, the matter of Bai Xinyue was finally resolved, though at a heavy cost.
Although Little Hei’s family had settled privately, meaning Bai Xinyue no longer had to face investigation, interrogation, or even legal punishment, it didn’t actually make much of a difference to her.
The punishment and torment she had already endured were more than enough.
The punishment was not just physical, but mental as well.
From that day on, Bai Xinyue lived every day in a personal hell. The contrast between being the pride of the heavens, praised and supported by all, to being a reviled outcast is something no one who hasn’t experienced it could ever understand.
In just a few short days, each day felt like a year. Many times, she felt she couldn’t go on and just wanted to end it all.
But she couldn’t even manage to die. She had simply endured.
Having fallen from the clouds into the mud, Bai Xinyue underwent a complete transformation in just a few short days.
This transformation was not just in her physical appearance, but also in her mental state and overall aura.
The girl who was arrogant to the bone and held herself high above others had become an ice queen, gloomy and tinged with a hint of malice.
Whether it was due to her poor eyesight or some other reason, her makeup became heavier and more dramatic.
Given her current status and physical condition, staying in the Imperial City, or even in the country, was untenable. On the very day the Bai Family reached the settlement with Little Hei’s parents, Bai Xinyue embarked on a journey abroad.
It was partly to escape the scandal, and partly to get treatment for her eyes.
In her last life, Bai Xinyue had also followed the trend of studying abroad, returning to the country only after two years of Western education.
But in her last life, she had gone to gild her lily; this life, she was scurrying away like a reviled outcast. She wasn’t going to study, either. It had already become a huge joke in their social circle.
As the plane carrying Bai Xinyue departed from the Imperial City, Su Li arrived with Wu Sheng at the designated restaurant to meet his friends.
Su Li had tried on four or five different outfits before finally settling on one. She had put on light makeup and taken great care with her appearance, but she was still so nervous at the restaurant entrance that she had to check herself one more time.
"Wu Sheng, is my hair a mess?"
"It’s not a mess. It looks great. Come on, come on, you don’t need to be like this." Wu Sheng took Su Li’s hand to lead her inside. "I’m telling you, Su Li, if you keep this up, I’m not taking you in."
"Huh? Why not?" Su Li was baffled.
Wu Sheng huffed, "Why else? You’re putting too much importance on them, and it makes me feel left out. I’m your fiancé, not them."
Su Li burst out laughing at Wu Sheng’s expression. "You’re unbelievable. Getting jealous over something like this."
Su Li felt a mix of exasperation and sweetness, and then her nervousness subsided.
Wu Sheng and his friends had booked a spot on the second floor, which was quieter. It also had screens for partitions, offering a degree of privacy.
Wu Sheng and Su Li had just reached the second floor when the eyes of the friends waiting for them lit up.
"Over here, over here!"
"Wu Sheng, sister-in-law, over here!"
"What do you mean, ’sister-in-law’? Call her ’big sister-in-law’!" Wu Sheng said, leading Su Li toward the boisterous group.
At the same time, Tang Yuanxiao, who was looking for Wu Sheng on a business matter, was also stopped by someone.
"I’ve been wanting to grab a casual meal with you, but we never got the chance. There’s no time like the present, so why don’t we go eat today?"
Tang Yuanxiao couldn’t refuse, nor was he in a position to, so in the end, he got in the car.