Chapter 71: Wang Has Decided to Start Living His Life
"Do you want me to explain in front of everyone just how much you've considered my feelings recently and why I believed you wouldn't care?" Wang said in a cold, calm voice. "I'd always planned to become a family man, maybe not as soon as this but my reputation is cactus at my current job now, thanks to you, so now is as good a time as any to start a business."
"Well if you hadn't started fucking that fat, ugly cow," Baozhai's eyes widened with the realisation of what she had just said in front of her family.
"That's enough," Ben raised his voice and banged his fist on the table. "Remember where we are for god's sake." Jack sat beside him saying nothing but looking furious as Baozhai immediately calmed down.
"I didn't mean it," Baozhai looked around at her siblings and shook her head, "I like her. I was just shocked and angry. I didn't mean it." She could see now just how hurt and upset with her Wang was as he sat in stony silence.
"What did you do?" Maryanne asked incredulously, "I've never seen Wang this mad before. He rants and raves he doesn't do the calm voice and silent stare, like Papa."
"I didn't do anything," Baozhai huffed.
"As usual, we don't know what the fuck is going on," Jules looked to the other end of the table to where Ben sat with Jack, Dante and Emilio.
Dante grinned enjoying Baozhai's reaction to the news and lifted his glass in Wang's direction toasting his decisions. He had not understood when Wang had asked them to do and say nothing when Changying got hurt, but he could see now that what Wang was doing now was a far better lesson than anyone else could have given her.
"I believe," he said with a smirk, "That our baby brother has decided to start living his life instead of letting Baozhai live it for him." Dante looked at Baozhai daring her to contradict him. Ben had been seriously shocked by the amount of financial support Wang had given his sister and when Dante had asked why Wang had changed his mind about being a family man he had confided that Baozhai had made it impossible for Wang to do anything else. He was sure that even Wang had been upset by the amount she had helped herself to from his trust fund to keep her own failing business afloat. He wondered how she was managing since Wang had cut her off.
"Yeah well we've all gotta grow up sometime and face reality," Wang shrugged. "So that's my big news, I'm in the process of buying a small publishing house, and I'm taking the family name." He had used his middle name for so long that the family name almost seemed foreign to him now.
"It's an anticlimax now," Lucia said disappointedly. "Ben, get us some champagne, and he can tell us again. I promise to be super surprised and excited next time you say it." She laughed easily.
"I'll get it," Emilio offered before Ben could comment on the amount Lucia had drunk already.
"What about me?" Baozhai asked in shock. "What am I supposed to do now?"
"Grow up and run your business properly," Wang said without emotion "You have a business. Now I will too."
"I met this great personal shopper that my wife swears by," Jules interrupted to try and stop another argument breaking out. "She could help you out, apparently she has a great eye for fashion, and I have to admit I am quietly impressed with what she has done for Bianca."
"Oh yeah, Carmen loves her. What's her name again?" Rommy asked.
"Chunhua," Wang answered them. "I introduced them to her when she was just starting up her business. Baozhai won't want to work with her." He shook his head without explaining.
"I might, I mean Bianca certainly doesn't need any help to look beautiful if she likes the woman why wouldn't I?" Baozhai said indignantly. "You've lost the right to tell me who I can and can't work with. I'd been planning on checking her out on Bianca's say so anyway." She lied easily. Bianca was one of the few women in the family that Baozhai socialised with of her own free will. A former model she was tall and stunningly beautiful.
"Fine, give her a call. I am sure Changying's mother would love to help you out," Wang said acidly.
"I didn't do anything to your precious Changying," Baozhai's voice rose again.
"I saw the video Baozhai," Wang sighed disappointedly moving from his seat directly across from his sister to sit beside to Lucia.
"What video?" Jules and Rommy asked in unison. Emilio moved into the chair vacated by Wang and smiled at Baozhai handing her a glass of champagne.
"It's still not too late to admit you fucked up and apologise to him," He said quietly. "You can screw up with the rest of us, and we can shrug it off because we expect that from you, but he was blindsided. Just apologise, admit what you did was wrong even if you had reasons you thought were right and he will forgive you. He always has in the past. This time, however, I don't think he will come around without some spectacular grovelling."
"Always the peacemaker, Lio," Dante said pulling up a chair beside Baozhai. "She's a smart, beautiful and independent woman. She doesn't need anyone's approval. She does what she wants and gets rid of anything and anyone standing in her way. Don't you Baozhai?"
"You're such an asshole," Baozhai spat.
"I know. I have to make up for Mr Goody-two-shoes over there. If it were up to me, that video would be viral by now." Dante said with an evil grin.
"Let it go, D." Wang said in a pained voice and turned back to his conversation with Lucia. "Say yes to letting me edit and publish that short story you've written and I will tell you the whole story," he winked appealing to her resentment of Baozhai, who had been cruel and uncaring during the last few years.
"Deal, you can drive me home and pick it up today if you like," Lucia lifted her glass in acknowledgement of their deal and took a long sip. "I don't think I could handle another of Ben's lectures."
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