The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 548 - 539: The Stepmother Who Refuses to Be a Stepping Stone 27

"Zhifang..."

Wang Baozhu called out to Li Zhifang eagerly.

Upon her call, many teardrops fell from her big, affectionate eyes.

"What, what are you back for?"

Li Zhifang felt an indescribably complex emotion upon seeing Wang Baozhu.

Initially, when Wang Baozhu ran away with someone else, Li Zhifang loathed her completely, but after all these years, the hatred had dissipated, and grievances faded with time. Now facing Wang Baozhu again, Li Zhifang didn’t know how to face her anymore.

"Zhifang, I, I..."

Wang Baozhu reflected hesitation as she looked at Li Zhifang while clutching her bag, "I’ve come back. I, I want to continue living with you, we still have three children, we..."

"Huh."

Li Zhifang let out a cold laugh, "Continue living together? What, that man dumped you? Or can’t you endure the hardships with him?"

Wang Baozhu squeezed the bag, her somewhat slender and veiny hands revealing her tension.

She hated how she ended up at this point in time.

If she was given a chance to start over, she ought to have been reborn before her elopement. What is the meaning of now? She had already been away for several years, and even if she returned, she feared that Li Zhifang would probably not want her.

Yet she couldn’t let go.

She was unwilling to give up the good life ahead just because of a bit of hardship.

After all, Li Zhifang would become a well-known farming magnate, and the three children she had with him were all top-tier figures, each one remarkably talented.

Not just Li Zhifang’s family, but the Li family brothers were all formidable: the Eldest opened a restaurant and later a chain of hotels, the second brother engaged in transportation, logistics, and even established a courier company, becoming a big shot in the logistics industry; Third and his spouse entered politics, and both were sharp, achieving high official ranks.

Fifth made electronic products, and his factories’ products were sold nationwide before eventually being exported worldwide.

Lao Liu set up a furniture factory and construction team, later becoming a renowned property developer.

Such an incredible family, she’d be foolish to truly abandon them.

She did not want to hand over the benefits to the woman who entered the Li family home with three children as a second marriage.

In an instant, Wang Baozhu thought of many things.

Still sobbing quietly, she said, "Zhifang, I had no choice, I really had no choice back then. We were living poorly, the children couldn’t get enough food or clothes, and I felt the pain too."

As she spoke, she opened the bag and took out a thick stack of money, "Zhifang, we have money now, we really do. Can’t we live well together now?"

Li Zhifang’s expression changed dramatically, "Where did you get this money?"

Wang Baozhu spoke softly, "I, I took that man’s money. When I left with him, it was to get money for you to spend. I really didn’t mean to abandon you all. Otherwise, why wouldn’t I take our family’s money."

In truth, Wang Baozhu left in such a hurry back then that she didn’t have time to take anything from home.

Besides, Li Zhifang was genuinely penniless at the time. Even if Wang Baozhu had wanted to take the money and run, there was no money to take.

However, Li Zhifang didn’t want to ponder on these things; he just looked at the money and then at Wang Baozhu, "You really..."

Wang Baozhu nodded vigorously, "I truly wanted to ensure you could have a better life. I had it all planned out; I would run off with that man for a few years, and once he trusted me, I would take his money and return, so our family could live well."

At this point, Wang Baozhu smiled slightly.

Her tear-stained face was like pear blossoms bathed in rain, and with that smile, she seemed to blossom like spring water, stunning Li Zhifang momentarily.

It was also because these past years, Anning deliberately did not dress up and even disguised her true appearance a bit, making herself look like an authentic rural woman with not much to her image.

Whereas Wang Baozhu was inherently exceptionally beautiful, with bright and generous facial features, and her pair of eyes were alluring and passionate.

She ran off with that man in pursuit of a better life, naturally she wouldn’t do any hard work, and in these years, she focused exclusively on self-care.

Compared to Anning, Wang Baozhu was like a fairy from the heavens, throwing Li Zhifang into complete disarray.

Li Zhifang had always liked Wang Baozhu; he was utterly in love with her. Now, with Wang Baozhu both crying and laughing, his heart softened.

"Zhifang, I really do want to live a good life with you."

Wang Baozhu tentatively approached Li Zhifang.

She reached for Li Zhifang’s hand, and when he did not dodge or reject her, her heart leaped with joy: "Zhifang, you are the only one I love; I have never felt for anyone else."

Holding Li Zhifang’s hand, she handed over all her money: "Take it, even if you don’t want me anymore, keep it anyway, it’s for you and the children to spend..."

Wang Baozhu lowered her head and asked softly, "Can I... can I see the children? Even if it’s just a secret glimpse."

"Do you still care about the children?"

At this moment, Li Zhifang felt like crying.

He wanted to ask Wang Baozhu what this was all about, if she had left before, why come back? His life was going just fine now; why did she have to come back to create turmoil?

"How could I not care?" Wang Baozhu sighed, "They are my own flesh and blood, how could I not care about them?"

She looked up at Li Zhifang with eyes full of tenderness and affection: "Are you and the children doing well?"

Li Zhifang wiped his face: "Yes."

He took out his keys and opened the door: "Come in and we’ll talk."

Wang Baozhu rejoiced internally, knowing Li Zhifang had softened towards her.

She followed Li Zhifang into the house, but upon stepping up the stairs, her legs gave way and she fell onto him.

Li Zhifang quickly supported her, and Wang Baozhu cried out in pain, "I, I think I twisted my ankle."

"I’ll help you inside."

Li Zhifang assisted Wang Baozhu into the house and even fetched some medicated ointment for her.

Wang Baozhu looked around: "Did you remarry?"

Li Zhifang nodded: "Mhm."

The light in Wang Baozhu’s eyes instantly extinguished.

She did not take the ointment and stood up, staggering as she ran out.

Li Zhifang hurriedly followed her.

Wang Baozhu took an empty back path toward the mountain, crying as she ran.

Following the path, she ran to the river’s edge and without hesitation, jumped into the water.

Li Zhifang was horrified, his complexion changing dramatically, and he hurried to grab Wang Baozhu: "What are you doing?"

"I’m going to end it all."

Wang Baozhu cried inconsolably: "I don’t want to live anymore. Don’t worry about me, just you and the children live well. I am too ashamed to live. I had hoped to come back for a family reunion, but since you’ve remarried, what’s the point of me returning? Rather than living every day in heartache, I’d rather die, die to end it all."

As she cried, she slapped at Li Zhifang: "Let me go, let me die."

Li Zhifang truly felt heartache.

"Don’t cry, okay? What’s all this dying talk about, you... you are Jingyu and their real mother, if you die, what about the children?"