Marked by My Scummy Ex-Wife’s Boss (GL) - Chapter 40.2

“My brother-in-law’s family absolutely wanted a child. But my uncle and aunt couldn’t bear to see my cousin suffer. They urged her to leave the marriage and come home. She could remarry, or even bring in a live-in husband—it didn’t matter, as long as she stopped wrecking her health. In the end, my brother-in-law personally promised—”

Cheng’s mother blinked. “Promised what?”

“He promised that if the next pregnancy failed again, they wouldn’t try for children anymore. That was the only reason my uncle and aunt backed off. My cousin and her husband grew up together—deep feelings.

Aside from the issue with kids, their marriage was widely seen as ideal.”

“Of course, they never told my cousin any of that. Didn’t want her to overthink it.”

Cheng’s mother was taken aback. “He actually said that?”

Zhu Sui smiled, but her words had bite. “One miscarriage after another—you need a solution. You can’t let my cousin keep destroying her health. The Rong family wanted children, sure, but my cousin was my uncle’s pride and joy too. Why should she be less important?”

“Besides, AO fertility rates are falling across the board. A lot of families have Omegas who never marry out—like the Tong family. If the Omega’s side is stronger, they take in a son-in-law. If pregnancies fail and the family insists on children, they just change the husband. It’s simple. Everyone’s happy.”

Her tone was light, but the truth it carried was heavy.

Cheng Lang, who had met many such elite families through work at the research institute, stayed silent.

Song Zhen lowered her head and focused on eating.

Song’s father nodded. “Exactly. What parent doesn’t love their child? If a relationship’s full of tension because of the baby issue, then maybe it’s better to separate. Find a new partner—and the child might come along just fine.”

The implication was unmistakable.

Zhu Sui had said it—but she was Cheng Lang’s superior. Offending her wasn’t an option.

Song’s father had echoed it—but he was her in-law. She couldn’t argue with him either.

Cheng’s mother felt her temples throbbing. She didn’t say a word for the rest of the meal, just sat there with a rock lodged in her chest.

Once she quieted down, things smoothed out. Cheng Lang knew how to keep things running, and Zhu Sui started chatting with Song’s father again. Despite the strange mix of relationships, the second half of the dinner was much more relaxed.

Cheng’s mother, though, carried her frustration all the way back to the hotel.

Song Zhen and Song’s father had left some of their belongings in Zhu Sui’s car. Since the restaurant was close to their hotel, Zhu Sui offered to drop Song’s father off. Cheng’s mother, meanwhile, rode with Cheng Lang.

The moment they got in the car, Cheng’s mother exploded. “What’s with Xiao Song? It’s only been a few months—her temper’s completely changed!”

Then she hesitated, guilt creeping in. “Is she mad at me for not telling Zhu Sui about your relationship? But you didn’t tell her before either, right?”

Cheng Lang was driving. She paused, trying to follow her mother’s twisted logic, then shook her head and chuckled.

“I already told you—we’re not going back to Jiangcheng. You insisted on coming. You should be satisfied we even made time for this dinner. After sending off Mrs. Brown, I didn’t want to step out for a second.

Song Zhen worked nonstop for a week and still came out to eat with you. Can’t you cut her some slack?”

Cheng’s mother faltered. “Was it… really that exhausting?”

“If we’d messed up, it would’ve become an international incident. Because we succeeded, it’s getting marked as second-class national merit. You think that’s easy?”

That shut her up.

Cheng Lang added, “Just keep things simple tomorrow. I’ll take you both sightseeing.”

Logically, Cheng’s mother understood. But once she got back to the hotel and saw how warm Song Zhen was with Song’s father, she couldn’t help but feel bitter—like she was being treated differently because she wasn’t the “real” parent.

In the past, things had felt more balanced. On holidays, what Song’s father got, Cheng’s father got too. Song Zhen had always been respectful, never openly defiant.

But today’s contrast was just too stark. Cheng’s mother knew she was in the wrong, but seeing how affectionately Song Zhen cared for her father, she couldn’t suppress the petty bitterness. Deep down, she still believed Song Zhen had gotten a great deal by marrying Cheng Lang—and that made it worse.

At that moment, Song Zhen was saying, “Dad, start packing. The other place has better conditions, and the room’s already booked. We won’t renew this one.”

The parking lot outside the hotel was full. Cheng Lang told her mother to head up first while she looked for parking.

Cheng’s mother entered the lobby just in time to hear Song Zhen’s comment. She blinked, confused—Wait… that sounded like Song’s father was leaving.

And sure enough—he was.

Father Song waved a hand impatiently. “Zhenzhen asked me to change hotels. You know I didn’t tell her about my last medical exam—she graduated from the Military Medical University, after all. She said she’d take me to get my heart checked tomorrow. You know I’ve had this issue for a while. She just wanted me to stay closer to the hospital so we don’t have to set out from here in the morning.”

That was a cover story Song Zhen had thought up carefully. Upon hearing it, Mother Cheng nodded in understanding.

Everyone close to the family knew about Father Song’s heart condition. It made sense for Song Zhen to take him for a checkup.

But once she got in the elevator and mulled it over, Mother Cheng began to feel something wasn’t quite right.

She wasn’t exactly young either—how come Song Zhen hadn’t offered to take her for a physical too? Hmph. It was still clear she was being treated differently!

Once they got upstairs, mindful of Zhu Sui’s presence, Mother Cheng simply said, “Zhenzhen, since Langlang isn’t back yet, I’m struggling to get something done by myself here. Can you give me a hand?”

Song Zhen was a little surprised.

Father Song didn’t think much of it and waved her off. “Go on.”

Song Zhen hesitated, but Zhu Sui stepped in with a reassuring tone. “Don’t worry. I’ll help Uncle with the packing. Miss Song, go ahead.” She paused and added, “Uncle still needs to take his medication, right? I’ll make sure he does.”

Song Zhen reminded her, “Make sure he actually takes it.”

Once Zhu Sui nodded, Song Zhen turned to help Mother Cheng.

Inside the room, she saw what it was about—Mother Cheng didn’t like the hotel’s bedding. She had a travel set of her own and had just made do the night before since it was late. Now that she had time, she wanted to switch it out—but the hotel duvet was too big for her to manage alone, so she called Song Zhen for help.

Song Zhen was familiar with her habits. It wasn’t the first time she’d helped with something like this. Without a word, she kept her head down and just got to work, wanting to finish quickly so she could leave with her father. She had no interest in small talk.

Back in the other room, Father Song was packing his things with Zhu Sui’s help.

Halfway through, something seemed to dawn on him. He frowned and looked at Zhu Sui, who paused in confusion.

“Uncle, is something wrong?”

Father Song narrowed his eyes. “She made you help with the packing too?”

Zhu Sui smiled, trying to play it off. “It’s no trouble—we’re all friends. Just lending a hand. Besides, Uncle doesn’t have much stuff.”

Father Song grew more serious. “You’re not driving me to the hotel, are you?”

That caught Zhu Sui off guard. She forced a smile and laughed awkwardly. “Well, yes. I offered. You know, Miss Song helped my cousin a lot—she’s basically a benefactor to the Zhu family. Driving you is nothing in comparison.”

He didn’t doubt Zhu Sui’s relationship with Song Zhen. But it did make him wonder: since Cheng Lang was here too, why wasn’t she the one driving him? It wasn’t like she hadn’t brought a car.

Why was Zhu Sui the one taking him?

“Did Zhenzhen and Langlang have a fight recently?” he asked, squinting.

Zhu Sui didn’t quite follow his train of thought and tried to deflect. “Huh? I don’t think so. Haha…”

“No, something’s off.” He put down the model he was packing and thought more deeply.

Zhenzhen had always been short-tempered with Mother Cheng, but she had never talked back so bluntly before.

And if he hadn’t pushed her just now, she wouldn’t have even gone to help Mother Cheng.

At dinner, her relationship with Cheng Lang had also seemed off… Not as close as usual. And asking him to switch hotels for a checkup? Normally, Zhenzhen was the type to treat both in-laws equally. Why hadn’t she invited Mother Cheng too?

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt. He immediately set his things down. “No. I need to go ask Zhenzhen. Something’s not right.”

Zhu Sui was stunned for a moment. As he turned to head out, she quickly stopped him.

“Uncle Song, wait—I’ve got your medication ready. How about taking it first? It’s just next door, no rush.”

“Oh—right.” Embarrassed, he turned back and accepted the medicine from her.

________________________________________

Meanwhile, in Mother Cheng’s room, she tried making small talk. “You’re awfully quiet. Has work been tiring lately?”

Usually, Song Zhen would say no. But today, she answered honestly. “Yes. Exhausting.”

That stunned Mother Cheng. “What’s been so exhausting?”

Apparently, she wanted to know.

Still focused on changing the pillowcases, Song Zhen replied quickly: “This morning I had to check on Mrs. Brown’s vitals in the hospital room, then attend an internal department meeting. She’s the wife of a foreign diplomat—American. The entire institute held a meeting in the afternoon to report on her case. After that, more vitals, another meeting to brainstorm solutions.”

“I was on the night shift too. Couldn’t leave. The institute made it clear—if we botch this, it becomes an international incident. So we have to keep trying to stabilize her condition. Even the deputy director personally checks in.”

One line turned into a barrage. Mother Cheng was momentarily at a loss. “You’re that busy?”

“It’s not just that. The cultures we prepped before all reached the observation phase, but with Mrs. Brown’s vitals so unstable, we had to pause everything. It disrupted several experiments. Had to record all the data, then clean up and reschedule. We arrive at the institute by 8 a.m., off work by 10 p.m.—and those on night duty stay even later…”

“Oh, and in between all that, I have to write reports…”

Mother Cheng was left dazed by the stream of details.

She managed a half-hearted, “Well, I guess we came at a bad time and disturbed your rest.”

Song Zhen didn’t even bother with pleasantries.

Feeling more stifled, Mother Cheng exploded. She had endured enough tonight—Zhu Sui’s jabs, Father Song’s sharp words. She’d held her tongue for her daughter’s sake. But this? This was her daughter-in-law!

What right did she have to show her attitude?

“I can see you don’t want to talk. Clearly, this was a bad time. I’ll just leave tomorrow, then—since I’m such an inconvenience!”

“That’s not what I meant,” Song Zhen replied flatly, still without softening.

Mother Cheng was livid. “Listen to yourself! Is that any way to speak to an elder? People who don’t know might think I’ve been mistreating you!”

This wasn’t the first time Song Zhen had experienced her mother-in-law’s theatrics. Usually, she just went along to keep the peace. But today, she’d worried about her father all day, was emotionally drained—and she was in no mood to coddle anyone.

“You don’t know whether this is a good time? I’m talking respectfully. I said I’m tired—am I not allowed to say that?”

Mother Cheng faltered. Song Zhen’s tone hardened. “If you want to leave, wait for Cheng Lang and talk to her. Leave or stay—it’s your call!”

Mother Cheng’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me to leave?!”

“You’re the one who brought it up. If you didn’t mean it, why say it?”

She was just short of calling her out for being passive-aggressive.

Mother Cheng exploded. “You’re throwing attitude and still won’t let me complain? Don’t think I didn’t notice—you were targeting me at dinner, throwing a tantrum!”

“Yes, I didn’t tell Zhu Sui about your marriage—but neither did you! What are you blaming me for?! I—”

Song Zhen had been confused at first, but she got it now.

So that’s what this was all about. All the help earlier was just a pretext. What Mother Cheng really wanted was reassurance—some flattery to make herself feel better.

She felt a headache coming on.

Annoyed and exhausted, she flung the pillow aside and turned to leave.

“What are you doing?!” Mother Cheng was startled by the gesture.

She had the nerve to throw something?!

Watching her leave without another word, Mother Cheng felt even more wronged. “What is your problem today? Am I not your mother-in-law?!”

Song Zhen paused, wanting to respond calmly—but she couldn’t.

And then she heard it. Muttered under breath, but audible in the quiet room.

“Where are your manners? Grew up without a mother, huh?”

That was it.

Song Zhen turned back, face ashen. “What did you just say?”

Gone was any trace of gentleness. Her stare was sharp and cold.

Mother Cheng flinched. She knew she’d crossed a line—but the anger made her stubborn. “Did I lie?!”

Everyone knew Song Zhen had grown up without a mother. The gossip about her being illegitimate had circulated for years.

Song Zhen stepped closer, voice icy and calm—a frightening calm.

“My mother died early. That doesn’t give you the right to say that. My father raised me well. Apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?!”

“For that remark,” she snapped, her voice suddenly loud. It made Mother Cheng shrink back.

Stunned, Mother Cheng retaliated. “And your attitude is acceptable? You think your father raised you right? You’ve been so disrespectful. I’m your elder. I’m your mother-in-law. Even if you’re upset, you should show some respect!”

“You think you’re so righteous? Then what about Cheng Lang? She was perfectly respectful while cheating on me—does that count as good manners?! And I was the one who caught her red-handed!”

“I’m not rude—your whole family just has no shame!”

Mother Cheng was stunned, pointing a trembling finger at her. Her brain couldn’t keep up.

Just then, a voice spoke behind them.

“Zhenzhen… what did you say?”

Song Zhen turned—and froze.

Father Song, Zhu Sui, and Cheng Lang were all standing in the doorway.

All of them had heard everything.

Song Zhen stared at them, unable to react.

Zhu Sui dared not speak.

Cheng Lang broke the silence with a forced laugh, cold sweat on her back. “Zhenzhen, what are you saying? Dad, she’s just joking…”

But Father Song raised a hand, stopping her.

He looked only at Song Zhen and asked slowly, “Zhenzhen. What did you just say?”

His tone was calm, without anger—but steady and serious.

Zhu Sui quickly gestured: a swallow, then an okay sign. She was signaling that he’d taken his medicine.

Song Zhen saw it. Understood it.

Their eyes met.

Suddenly, her eyes stung with tears.

Father Song gently asked, “Are you hurt? Tell me, I’m listening.”

Song Zhen’s voice trembled. “Dad, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner…”

Then, hoarse, she said, “Cheng Lang and I are divorced.”

Cheng Lang panicked. “Zhenzhen—what are you saying…”

Mother Cheng gasped, “Divorced? You’re just making this up…!”

Still calm, Father Song asked, “Why?”

Song Zhen lowered her head. “Because I caught her cheating.”

“I couldn’t take it. So I left.”