Chapter Forty-Three: The Pit of Fire

“Hellhole?” Ning Shuyi couldn’t help but laugh. “With a description like that, it’s hard to believe Wu Caimei has truly let go, seen things clearly, and moved on! That doesn’t exactly speak highly of Wang Yuluo and her father, does it?”

“No, no, that’s not it at all. She didn’t mean to target Wang Yuluo’s father, and she doesn’t actually have a particularly poor opinion of Wang Yuluo either,” Zhao Dabao waved his hand dismissively. “You’d never guess—when Wu Caimei refers to a ‘hellhole,’ she’s not talking about Wang Yuluo and her father, but about Wang Yuluo’s aunt and uncle.”

Ning Shuyi and Huo Yan exchanged glances. After a day of running around, their greatest revelation had been the vast difference between Wang Yuluo’s aunt’s words and the reality they’d uncovered. And now, even Zhao Dabao’s investigation into Wu Caimei couldn’t avoid circling back to that same aunt and uncle.

“But wasn’t it Wang Yuluo who disrupted the relationship and marriage plans between Wu Caimei and Wang Yuluo’s father? How do the aunt and uncle fit into this?” Ning Shuyi asked.

“According to Wu Caimei, her relationship with Wang Yuluo’s father was one that developed over time. At first, she was simply his subordinate—purely a working relationship. But as time passed, she found herself admiring his capabilities, his character, and his work ethic. On his side, Wu Caimei’s meticulousness at work and her concern for him outside the office probably provided a warmth he couldn’t find at home. And so, gradually, feelings blossomed between them.

After all, both were single, and there was nothing underhanded about it. Wu Caimei said that, since their conduct at the company was always upright, even when colleagues noticed there might be more than just a working relationship, no one gossiped. Everyone thought their connection was natural and almost inevitable.

Even Wang Yuluo herself wasn’t particularly bothered at first. Wu Caimei explained that, as a child, Wang Yuluo’s father was too busy to pay her much attention, so her reliance on him was more financial than emotional. As long as her allowance was generous, she didn’t care whether her father remarried.

‘Don’t tell me it was the aunt and uncle who objected?’ Ning Shuyi asked, already guessing where this was headed.

‘Exactly!’ Zhao Dabao snapped his fingers. ‘That’s it! Wu Caimei said that from the moment Wang Yuluo’s father made their relationship public to the family, the aunt and uncle’s attitude toward her completely changed. Before, they treated her with a certain politeness that masked a hint of arrogance—as if Wu Caimei was just an employee, and the whole family were her employers.

But once they realized Wu Caimei was not just the secretary but also the girlfriend, the aunt and uncle became snide and passive-aggressive, treating her as if she were an intruder, someone unwelcome in their midst.

Wu Caimei believes that Wang Yuluo’s shifting attitude—from indifference, to insisting her father wait until she got into college before remarrying, to finally making a dramatic scene and vowing not to rest until the remarriage was off—couldn’t have happened without outside influence. The emotional foundation between Wang Yuluo and her father simply wasn’t strong enough for such extreme behavior.’

‘So she suspects the aunt and uncle were fueling the fire behind the scenes, trying to use Wang Yuluo’s tantrums to squeeze Wu Caimei out?’ Huo Yan ventured.

‘Exactly. Wu Caimei said as much herself. In her words, the entire family—except for Wang Yuluo’s father, who truly is a good man—aren’t worth much at all!

Even Wang Yuluo, Wu Caimei thinks, isn’t necessarily a bad person at heart, but with her father being inattentive and her aunt’s constant indulgence, she’s been ruined over the years.’

‘Wu Caimei must know the aunt and uncle better than most, right?’ Ning Shuyi asked.

Zhao Dabao nodded. ‘Absolutely. She revealed some inside information that outsiders wouldn’t know. She said Wang Yuluo’s aunt always puts on a front of being the self-sacrificing, long-suffering, virtuous woman, but in truth, she doesn’t care for her brother emotionally at all. Managing his household wasn’t something Wang Yuluo’s father asked of her—it’s something she fought for herself.

She refused to let Wang Yuluo’s father hire a housekeeper, claiming it was unsafe and that the child wouldn’t like a stranger in the home. Instead, she argued it was better to give her the money and let her handle everything.

When Wang Yuluo’s father brought up hiring help, the aunt would throw a fit. Giving her the money always cost as much or more than a housekeeper, and yet she’d complain endlessly about all she did for her brother and his daughter. If anyone suggested she didn’t need to do so much, she’d cry and make a scene, accusing her brother of not trusting her, preferring to rely on outsiders rather than his own sister. Wang Yuluo’s father, unable to stand the fuss, would always give in.

As for the uncle, he’s even more interesting! Did you know he once started a company?’ Zhao Dabao’s eyes sparkled as he adjusted his posture, ready to tell a story.

‘We had no idea,’ Ning Shuyi admitted. ‘We haven’t had time to dig into the uncle’s affairs. We only checked the family’s bank records—didn’t cast a wider net.’

‘Let me fill you in,’ Zhao Dabao said, animated. ‘According to Wu Caimei, the uncle was always full of “boss” dreams. He was an ordinary salaried worker, just like Wang Yuluo’s father before he started his own business. Watching his brother-in-law succeed and become wealthy, the uncle couldn’t help but feel jealous.

A few years ago, he insisted on starting his own company and went to Wang Yuluo’s father for funding, proposing they become business partners. Unable to refuse, Wang Yuluo’s father agreed. Though they called themselves partners, almost all the start-up capital came from Wang Yuluo’s father.

Even the initial business deals were secured thanks to Wang Yuluo’s father’s years of connections.

But it didn’t take long before the uncle grew dissatisfied—resenting his brother-in-law’s involvement and feeling like he was still just an employee, not a real boss. He demanded to take over management entirely and have Wang Yuluo’s father stay out of it.

Trusting his family, Wang Yuluo’s father agreed, ignoring the fact that his brother-in-law wasn’t cut out for business at all.

Before long, under the uncle’s management, the company descended into chaos. Not only did they fail to break into new markets, but even long-standing clients were lost due to poor handling. The company bled money, and soon, even the accounts were a mess—full of holes and discrepancies.”